


Rocking to the Sound of my Heart

by BizarreMelody



Category: PaRappa the Rapper, Um Jammer Lammy
Genre: Adventure, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Awkwardness, Best Friends, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Friendship, Friendship/Love, M/M, Misunderstandings, Multi, Other, Self-Hatred, Will add as the story goes on, self-rediscovery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-13
Updated: 2019-05-20
Packaged: 2019-05-21 16:58:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 64
Words: 796,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14919315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BizarreMelody/pseuds/BizarreMelody
Summary: Parappa was one lucky guy as his life went on. He had the girl of his dreams, great friends and a fairly adventurous life! But now Sunny moved away leaving him heartbroken and alone. In a group friend effort to cheer him up, not only do they help him get back into the groove of things, but also on track towards his next big adventure! Parappa isn't as alone as he thinks, but maybe said rebounding affects some other things in his daily life as well! How will this new tale go for them all? Twists and turns, love and loss. What could happen? Only time can tell in this new tale!





	1. Memories of Happier Days Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Who is Parappa Rappa and what has gone on in his life before the new main adventure starts? Let's find out.

Parappa, age 4

In an unusually quiet and calm day in PaRappa Town, we see the steady calm silence break when the Rappa family is on the search for their energetic child that had just gone missing.

"Dear are you sure he ran this way?" Said a tall canine woman with blonde hair to her husband, an also moderately tall canine man with a small hat on his head, as they rush around town.

"Of course! ...granted that was about half an hour ago." Papa Rappa replied before being forced into an abrupt stop by his wife.

Both stared at each other, Papa Rappa could feel the burning gaze of his wife's annoyed demeanor burning a hole through his head. When he decided to try and break the silence he could see literal fumes coming from her head as she said. "You waited HALF AN HOUR to tell me where OUR OWN SON ran off to?"

He aloofly blinks at her anger as he replies "Yes?" to which she immediately adds on "Why?"

"Because my new project flat out spontaneously combusted on the spot! I had to fix or else it would be bugging me all day!" And upon uttering those words he could see he was about to get the earful of his life. At least he would if it weren't for a sudden voice calling out to the both of them.

"MAMA! PAPA!" A young puppy with an oversized orange beanie with a frog patch atop his head, a white shirt, blue shoes and green baggy pants said to the two as he ran towards them carrying a rather unique object in his hands. "Wook wat I fwound! A tedi bwear!" The parent's panic upon looking at said brown teddy bear dangling in his hands as he ran to them, realizing it was another child he was tugging about, sleeping as if nothing wrong was happening to him as evident by a bubble coming from his nose.

"Parappa! Leave the poor boy alone!" His mother shouted which prompted him to stop in his tracks "Wha-" he looks around to find the boy his mother alerted him to "Were is he?"

Mama Rappa rubs her forehead "Oh dear he doesn't realize what he's done. Hoo boy I hope the kids parents aren't freaking out about now…" She walks up to her child and plucks the bear from his hand gently "This is the other boy Parappa…" He immediately tries to grab him back "Mama! I fwound dat toy! Gimme it back!"

She stood up escaping his grabby paws "No sweetie this is another child! Excuse me dear, sorry to interrupt your sleep, but you need to wake up now." As she states this, the bubble on his nose pops and the small bear opens his eyes briefly "See sweetie? It's another boy like yourself!" As she points to the teddy bear, he immediately falls back to sleep.

"Wow that kids quite the sleeper if he managed to sleep through his abrupt kidnapping!" Papa Rappa states as he pokes the sleeping child "Parappa where did you take him from?"

Once asked the small puppy simply points "Dat way!" to which his parents simply stare at each other "But...that direction is just an empty grass patch. What was he doing there?"

"I dunno! By itself so I took it wif me! Now gimme him back!"

"Son he's not a toy! I mean yes he looks like one but he's another kid! One you unknowingly kidnapped! Wait...is it kidnapping if a kid is the culprit as well as the victim?" Papa Rappa just rubs his chin once he says this but is interrupted immediately by his wife "My son is not a kidnapper! Look Parappa we have to take him back, he is not a toy, and even if he was he doesn't belong to you!"

The small puppy just looks at them with sad eyes after hearing this "I'm sowwy…"

"It's alright sweetie, I know you didn't mean it, but you still need to be careful! Now lead us to where exactly you found him! We gotta get him back before his own parents start freaking out" Parappa follows his mother's orders instantaneously and rushes off with his parents on his tail until they reach the spot "Wight here!"

"Just as I thought, the place is completely void of people, so why would he be here?" Mama Rappa looks around briefly before turning towards her husband "You look that way for the boys parent's I'll search the other way!"

"Got it honey! And you Parappa, we'll be leaving you here with him, do not under any circumstances, run off with him again." The young pup nods at lightning speed "Good boy son! Now here, one of my latest invention that should keep you distracted enough to actually keep that promise! I call it the voice amplification device!"

"Honey that's a microphone." As she states this he retorts back with "Yeah I know but I wanted to take credit for SOMETHING that was sure to keep him still…you make it look so easy!" She just rolls her eyes at his response and with that they head off.

As they do, the young Parappa simply sits next to the sleeping bear until he decides to speak up "Hewwo? You awake? I'm sowwy for taking you by acciwent…" There is no response, only the inflating and deflating snot bubble. "Um...you ok?" He pokes the bear, but still no response aside from the bubble.

At at loss, the boy soon muttered something his mother told him "I gotta bewieve…" and then turned towards the teddy bear again "...Wanna be fwends?..." Silence was the poor boy's answer until he heard a tired reply "Sure…" Said the bear as he woke up rubbing his eyes.

"Weally?..." Parappa's tail started to wag gleefully "Yeah, my names PJ Berri, wats yours?" Parappa wasted no time in replying "Hi BeeWay! I'm Pawappa Wappa!"

PJ was about to comment on the mispronunciation of his name until he heard Parappa speak some more showing that Parappa couldn't properly speak fluently yet much like himself, although PJ's reason was that he couldn't be bother, as he'd rather sleep "Why were you sweeping here BeeWay?..."

"Because it's nice and comfy here, my mama and papa let me because I don't get in twouble by sleeping. Well, not until now wif you and your mama and papa"

"Sowwy bout that…" Parappa twiddles his thumbs until he asks "Wait, so youwr mama and papa awen't here?" PJ shakes his head "Nope" to which Parappa silently mutters "Wuh oh…" under his breath. And with that the boys are left in silence staring at the field until Parappa speaks again "Wanna pway wif my micwophone?" He says as he holds it out, but PJ shakes his head resulting in Parappa just tapping the microphone against his open hand awkwardly. PJ notices this and pulls out a donut from seemingly nowhere and hands it to Parappa "Wan it?" this time Parappa shook his head leaving him feeling awkward as well.

"How old are you Parappa?"

"Fouw, How bout you?"

"Five."

Parappa was shocked that the bear about his size, if not shorter, was older than him muttering out "Wow" after which silence came about again until they both said something in unison "Wanna talk bout music?" They both stare at each other astounded as the once silence filled field was now filled with giggly chatter between the two small boys, cementing the occasion as the start of their fun friendship for many years to come.

Parappa, age 6

It was a near dimly lit evening, Parappa was just hanging around the edge of the park along with PJ after experiencing a somewhat boring day that seem to be even dulling the two of them even now. "It's so boooooooooooooooooring…"

"Do what I do on occasions like this."

"Sleep?"

"Yeah." Parappa just stares at his friends who stares back and replies with "I'm serious"

"I know and that's what I find dumb about you, because you sleep for every occasion!"

"If it works for one thing it works for everything is what I usually say" Parappa immediately adds on "No you don't! You rarely speak at all because you're usually asleep!"

"Therefore my word is already true without having to say it." And with that, PJ is fast asleep while sitting up.

Parappa facepalms and just sighs before giving up and laying on his back attempting to follow his friends action, or rather lack thereof "What a dumb idea…" He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before giving up and opening his eyes again, only to be looking directly at someone who is staring right back at him. "Wha!..." Parappa fumbles forward accidentally bumping heads with the other kid "Ouch!.." the girl who he just headbutted fumbles onto her bottom.

"OW!..." The girl rubs her head "Why the heck did you headbutt me!"

"Why were you above me like that anyway!" upon saying that he stops rubbing his head to look at the girl better, she was a blue cat with blonde hair with a purple shirt with a candy cane picture on the front, yellow boots and green pants.

"Why were YOU just sleeping out here in the open?"

"There wasn't anything else to do!"

"So you do that instead of playing at the playground you two clearly are at? Who does that…" She scoffs at the idea of sleeping rather than playing with anything at all to which Parappa responds "Already played with everything...got bored so we went here and that's that I guess…" The girl rolls her eyes "Look you wanna do something fun why not walk around with me? I've been wanting to go to a spot deeper in the park at night with someone, but nobody is ever up for it cuz they're to scared or chicken to be out at night because of their parent's or whatever. So if you want some fun, come with me!"

Parappa scratches his head from under his beanie "I dunno...you said the truth, it is getting late and my mom will be asking where I am…" She scoffs again and turns her back towards him "Fine…" after this she turns back around and snatches his beanie and hops away out of his reach "HEY!"

"Don't you know you're 'sposed to escort a lady when she asks?~" She places the beanie on her head watching Parappa's blonde hair unfurl over his eyes prompting him to shout "GIVE ME MY HAT BACK!"

The girl simply sticks her tongue out whilst stating "You want it? Come get it~ Bye bye~" She runs deeper into the park to which Parappa gives chase, leaving PJ alone until his snot bubble pops and he looks around dazed "Huh?...Parappa? Where'd ya go?" He then stares into the direction where he and the girl had ran off and mumbles slightly before getting up and leaving the park. Meanwhile Parappa was hot on the girl's tail, literally as he was about to grab her tail in order to get her to halt "You're pretty fast to keep up with a six year old ya little kid!"

"Im six to!"

"Oh guess you're just tiny. How funny~" her taunting made him go faster "Bet I'm older than you!"

"Oh really? I was born December 22! How about you?"

"December 6!" After Parappa said this she remained silent for a bit until she huffed out "Only by 16 days big whoop…" She was to annoyed to realize she had slowed down just enough to allow Parappa to finally close the gap, he grabs her tail causing her to panic and flick it upwards with him still holding on causing him to crash into her "WHOA" they fumble into each other as they tumble down the path they used to be running on before they plop off each other once they hit the clearing into what seemed to be a large pond and the once dimly glowing sun was now the dark sky with only the moon shining about. The girl shoves Parappa off and immediately sits up "What's wrong with you?!" the cat shouts at Parappa.

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with YOU!" They both stare at each other angrily, electricity sparking between them before they both utter a loud "HMPH" and turn away from each other. Leaving them in silence.

The two spent the time staring at the pond seeing as they both have no idea how exactly they got here since neither paid attention to the path leaving nothing but silence, until Parappa started to hear soft sniffles "Huh?" he looks towards the girl who was wiping her face on her sleeves, noticing her tears. She quickly notices him and looks away. "Are...you crying?"

"N-No!...I'm not!"

Dumbfounded by the obviously lie, he decides to ask something else "...Why did you wanna come here anyway?"

"..." The cat girl sighs, turns toward him and begins explaining "My mom once told me a story that there was a beautiful big pond once in the center of PaRappa Town...she said it was a spot everyone came to because it was that great a spot...they'd hold parties here, people would play together...everyone would just be having a good time...there were a lot of people...to many people, so many that the place just started getting. I don't even remember what my mom told me...anyway then the trees started growing in and and it soon became a big blockade from the pond...and nobody could even return here...to a point that they just couldn't find it in general! Whenever someone went in...they just left from a different part of the mini forest of trees." She glances over to the pond again "People believed it was just gone...the water dried up and the hole was filled up with more trees...but I didn't...I wanted to see it for myself because i believed it was still here…"

"But then why force me along?" She didn't wanna answer that, but eventually after abit more tears she huffed up "I was scared...to go by myself...what if...I got lost in here? It had happened before, but they were adults so they could manage something...but I'm just a kid...what would I do? How would people easily find me? I'd end up getting lost...and in the process i'd probably get other people lost as they tried to find me. So I wanted a buddy to at least have my back and help keep a keen eye in finding a way around...two heads are better than one and all that...but...nobody wanted to go...and not because they were only scared as well, but because...they didn't want be around me in general...it made me sad...upset-"

"Lonely?" Parappa's add on just made her wipe away new tears "I was...never good at making friends so...it hurt...like I said, many people used to have fun together here...I thought I'd finally be able to make a few friends...I wanted to try something that had a better chance than all my old attempts...and even that failed, and it really really hurt...I don't like showing it though, but…"

"I was the last straw?"

"Yeah...I'm sorry...you seemed nice and I thought, if you could befriend and even listen to that bear's dumb idea...maybe you could with me to." She takes off the beanie "I guess I pushed the wrong buttons though...as I usually do...I'm sorry." She hands the beanie back to him, which he takes back slowly as to not be rude by just yanking it instead. They stay quiet again until she speaks up again. "But this was all for nothing...this ain't no beautiful big pond...it's just a sad empty, and lonely thing." She closes her eyes "Just like me.." Hearing her self demoralizing words made Parappa feel guilty for not even giving her a chance, but he was right that his mother would be wondering where he was, and even being upset if he were to be late or not show up at all. "Um…" He was at a complete and utter loss. What should he do at a moment like this? What COULD he do at a moment like this? He stared at the pond then back at her. "I mean...you did take my hat and were a bit rough, but-" He gets up and walks towards her and holds a paw out "I wouldn't mind being friends with you at all!" If her eyes weren't waterfalls already they certainly were now!

"You...You mean that?"

"Of course! You don't seem like a bad person, just a lonely one! I remember that feeling all to well about two years ago before I met PJ! And I almost forgot how bad it felt, I wouldn't wish that feeling on anyone! Not if I can help it!" Rather than accept his paw of friendship, she grabs his hand and brings him in for a rather tight hug, catching him off guard. "Wah! I-I take it you accept my friendship? H-Heh." She just nods, refusing to let go.

"U-Uh...I'm Parappa Rappa by the way!"

"I'm..k-katy.." she said this in such a low tone through her sniffles, that not even Parappa with his big ears could hear it or make the words out.

"K-Kitty?"

"N-No Katy...Katy Kat."

"Oooooh! That's a nice name for a great new friend!" As the hug carries on, his gaze drifts up to the sky and immediately prompts Katy to break the hug "Look! Up in the sky" She looks up through the small openings between the trees to the night sky and spots so many stars, and thanks to how the openings where organized made the patterns look all the more beautiful, and soon her eyes wandered back towards the pond causing her to call for Parappa "Better yet! Look here!"

The reflection of the stars in the rippling water among it's organized patterns looked beautiful causing the whole clearing to beam and glow with the shiny white light leaving the two kids starstrucked.

"It's just…like how my mom told me…" However a small problem came about, she soon began to notice trash and junk everywhere thanks to the white glow illuminating everything. "People left this place covered in trash…"

"Maybe we can clean it up?"

"It'd take days though Parappa…it's just us two kids. That's a tall order."

"I don't mind! I wanna see this place at its full beauty! If it looks this amazing like this, just imagine when fully cleaned up!" She was caught off guard by his enthusiasm, but with this said, they both nod to each other in agreement.

Their happy moment is soon cut short when what sounds like a fire truck siren starts blaring nearby. "Huh? Why are the firemen here?...There's no fire…" once Katy says this a distressed woman's voice can be heard, paralyzing Parappa in place.

"Parappa? What's wrong?"

"It's my mom...she...does not sound happy…"

"Uh oh...glad I can't hear her then…"

"Yeah lucky me and my good hearing...come on we gotta go! Before she and anyone else gets lost in here!" With that said they both book it through the clearing, her voice getting louder allowing them to use that as a pathfinder. And within a few moments, they were back at the park and soon face to face with not just Parappa's mom, dad and PJ, but also the police, the fire department, as well as Katy's own parent's causing her to quietly whimper out "Oh no…"

Everyone rushes towards the two kids and asks them where they were and what they were doing, but before any of them can get a reply of the kids, Mama Rappa immediately calls Katy out "You!...You're the one that got Parappa lost in there weren't you!" As she said this, rather than being helped out by her own parents, they instead follow Mama Rappa's course of action knowing their own daughters track record.

Being put on the spot certainly did not help the cat's current stress level. Until Parappa spoke up and shouted "NO!..." everyone turned their head to the small puppy causing him to gulp silently.

"This…This is all my fault...I was bored and...decided to go see what was beyond those trees, and she tried to stop me, but I wouldn't listen and got her dragged into my mess...and then I guess we lost track of time...and well...yeah…" Parappa look down guiltily, he never told a lie before, he was raised to well, yet here he felt he had to in order to defend his new friend. After seeing her pour her emotions out he could obviously tell she wasn't happy and that all this wasn't gonna help that! So he did what he had to. He believed in himself, so that he could make up a lie believable enough to get the heat off her back. And it almost failed to do so were it not for PJ walking up "It's true, he was complaining about how bored he was that he just had to do SOMETHING, so I offered sleeping." He shook his head "Guess that didn't really sit well with him." That allowed everyone to buy Parappa's bluff.

"Ugh...Parappa...I'm so disappointed in you...it's not like you to mix up others in your tomfoolery." She recalls the incident with PJ two years ago. "Actually scratch that...Look I have to go apologize to this young lady's family as well as explain to the police and my squad that my son wasn't permanently lost in that overgrown mess of trees…" She then turns to katy "I deeply apologize for accusing you as well as apologize for what my son nearly got you into."

"I-It's...ok." Katy could feel the guilt in her trying to burst through her chest as she saw Mama Rappa and her own mother and father walk away leaving the three children alone. Both her and Parappa look at PJ who simply looks at Parappa "You owe me a box of donuts for keeping that bluff Parappa."

"You got it and thanks so much for helping me help her!" after this PJ turns towards Katy "Next time you consider doing something hectic with my pal, consider sleeping and eating instead." He pulls out a box of donuts and hands it to her "That never gets anyone in trouble, at least from my experience."

"I'm PJ by the way" He holds out his paw, but katy hesitantly grabs it from past fear "I-I'm Katy...Nice to meet you…"

"Likewise, I just wish the moment could've been better." And with that he walks off to his own home.

After what felt like an eternity of silence with in two minutes, Katy speaks up again "...Parappa...I-I..."

"It's alright, alright? I don't mind being in trouble, if at least you'll be ok."

"R-Right…" She looks down, then back to him "I-I'm...gonna call it a night...see you next time Parappa…" She walks off to her parent's and gives a slight look over her shoulder only to see Parappa waving, with a smile that was basically beaming the words "It's ok" she then looked back forward and sighed.

The following day came in the blink of an eye with Parappa back with PJ back at the edge of the park, this time in the bright morning..

"That's four whole boxes of donuts...how does your belly not hate you?"

"Four? Four's nothing to me." as he says this his stomach rumbles again leaving Parappa with his jaw dropped.

Just before they could do anything else, Parappa heard someone approaching them and turned around "Hello? Oh hi Katy! Glad to see you again tod-" Parappa's greeting is cut short by Katy grabbing both PJ and Parappa by the hand and dragging them near the mini forest entrance. "Whoa ya wanna go back to the pond now?" She simply nodded "Last nights little moment let me get a good look at where we need to go to get there fast and get out fast so no more late or getting lost problems!" This relieved both Parappa and PJ who now walked alongside her without needing to be dragged. "And voila!" Katy kept her word, within mere moments they were there.

"So this is where you two went off to. Gotta say it's a real dump here."

"We know PJ, that's why me and Katy wanna clean it up! And you're gonna help us!" upon hearing this PJ's face turned blue as if he were ill.

"...Katy help me grab him." Before they could get a hold on him, PJ bolted out of their current area in the blink of an eye leaving a dust cloud in the shape of his body. "How can he eat so much and still run so fast?..."

"You know him more than me. Well this is ok to...I wanted to talk to you privately anyway."

"Oh?" Parappa tilts his head upon hearing that "Why?"

"I...came clean to my parents and yours…"

"W-What b-but-"

"I know...but...I couldn't keep that lie...you're to nice a friend Parappa…"

"I-I guess...but what about you now?..." She placed her hands together and deeply inhaled as if she was about to say a mouthful "Well my parents were shocked that I came clean over the whole thing since before I kinda...didn't do that so they left me off easy surprisingly, they said you're a good influence on me that I should be around you more. Heh. However...once I got to explaining things to you family-"

"Was there lots of yelling?"

"...um...actually no...rather...we sat down and your mom explained...and well." She taps her fingers together "Well to cut a super long story short she said that while she's glad you made another pal, she could only hope I didn't encourage him to lie like that, but then she sat back and thought for a bit and when she wanted to speak again, she looked like she had a hard time finding the words. That's when your dad took over. He said he was happy and proud that despite the rather sour outcome, was overall delighted that we could be fast friends. That I could teach you how to both deal with and handle situations like mine in the future and that you could help and teach back with other stuff. That even while it was a bad thing to lie, you did so in order to help someone in a frail emotional state! And then he went on for a bit more with words I couldn't understand. But once he was done your mom just looked at him with her mouth wide open. Then after about a minute or two she snapped out of it and said, yeah basically what he said."

"Wow...It's not like Papa to usually be the voice of reason…"

"Maybe that's what shocked your mom so much!"

"Well I guess things worked out for you!"

"Yeah!"

"And hey if what they say is true, maybe I'll rub off on you and you'll get many more friends! After all a little kindness never hurt nobody!" He said with a beaming smile that was literally to bright to look at.

"So...still friends?" She said rather shyly.

"Of course! Why would I ever take that back?"

"T-Thanks~..."

"And I'd be your friend a hundred times over if I could!"

"R-Really?"

"Yeah! It'd be more but I can't count past 400...I always get mixed up and have to start over." She giggles as he starts counting on his fingers "Thanks so much Parappa~..." She hugs him tightly for a bit before announcing "Well this place won't clean up itself!"

She pulls out a couple of trash bags and hands some to Parappa and they both begin their many day task, but are almost instantly interrupted " Hey Parappa?"

"Yeah?"

"Wanna look at the stars at night here again?" As she said this Parappa began panicking, but was quickly calmed down "I told our parents already where we'd be so no worries this time!" They both share a laugh before carrying on until night time.

"We did pretty good for the first day!"

"Yeah! This isn't so bad!"

"You say that now, but things will start piling up sooner or later!"

"Then we work harder! No cutting corners!"

"No cutting corners?" Katy tilts her head as Parappa says this to which he adds on "My dad started saying that once my baby sister was born. Mama was really worried about how they could handle both me and her! Neither of their jobs got a lot of money, so he motivated her and himself by saying that, it means that working hard can be rough, but sometimes the struggles teach ya valuable things. If you struggle now, you won't struggle later and may even handle it quickly in case the problem happens again! Hard work will always pay off!" He stands triumphantly. "That's been his catchphrase ever since, and along with Mom's 'you gotta believe' it's always been non stop support between the two of them! Even when it doesn't look like it. And I follow both of them! Mostly to keep on believing though…" He says with a nervous giggle as he scratches his head.

"Wow…" She just stares blankly at the pond, leaving Parappa at a loss for words due to the awkward air until he plucks off his beanie and places it atop her head "W-Wha! Hey!..."

"I think it looks good on you!" He smiles and wags his tail once again "R-Really? Are you sure?..."

"I am sure! I also have another one, so no worries there!...But please don't take that one to!" they both giggle as that's said until Katy places a hand on her head.

"No cutting corners…" she lays on her back and stares at the stars "Hard work will always pay off…"

"You ok there Katy?" Parappa lays down beside her staring at the sky as well.

"Yeah...Hey Parappa? Think we'll be friends forever?"

"I believe so!"

"Promise?"

"Promise!"

"Same here." says PJ alarming the two at his sudden reappearance before they all burst out laughing until Katy quietly turns away from the two and goes back to gazing at the stars as she silently whispers.

"Friends forever~"


	2. Memories of Happier Days Part 2

Parappa, age 10

It was another unusually quiet afternoon until the school bell rang releasing a horde of students wanting to go home for the day. Or do whatever it is they chose to do once free, such as our trio of friends, Parappa who upgraded his look to a light blue shirt, dark blue pants and red shoes with some white lines along the sides, but also keeping his orange beanie as it was. And Katy had changed her attire as well to a sleeveless shirt as well as pants that both sported red and white vertical stripes! And red and blue shoes. They decided to walk off to a mini restaurant that has started becoming a typical hangout for them.

"I still cannot believe you actually ate all the offered food at that other place to earn it for free PJ." Katy says after being informed about the events the bear had undergone the day before.

"Yep. I was congratulated, given a trophy, a barebones prize and was immediately banned from the premises to prevent having to do that again."

"That explains why there's a picture of your face in front of the place saying 'don't allow this person here." Guess they thought nobody could ever do it and would always have to pay for it all" Parappa states as he shakes his head in disbelief.

"Until they met our friend here." Katy says as they both stop to stare at PJ who stands proudly with his arms extending out diagonally towards the sky.

The trio soon sit at their usual seats in the restaurant once they arrived and ordered. Not long after they also releasing a large groan of disinterest in unison. "School was the absolute worst today…"

"I know right? I feel like my brain overloaded over all the homework, BEFORE even doing the homework…" Katy slams her face into the table after saying this.

"It doesn't help that our teacher could be as lacking in interest in the class as much as we are. I mean. I thought I usually gave off the appearance of being disinterested in things, but that guy flat out doesn't wanna be here." PJ yawns as if on cue by his own words leaving Parappa to take over. "I mean to be fair it doesn't help that everyone but us rarely does anything. He doesn't see any interest so why should he be interested? Still not a valid excuse to pile on the work to us just because we actually take initiative…" PJ falls onto the table asleep once Parappa states the final word "Well at least me and Katy show initiative…"

He and Katy sigh as they wait for their ordered food to arrive so that they have something to bury their aggravation into. It was a slow day at the restaurant again, leaving the trio as almost the only patrons, were it not for the employees and older regulars that prefered sitting at the far corners of the establishment. There was nothing but silence while waiting.

Katy wanted to break the silence, and in doing so brought up a topic she almost kicked herself for bringing back up "So Parappa, anything new happen with you?..."

"Nah...my homes been real...well...slow for lack of a better word?"

"I mean...you have a reason for it ever since...well...you know…"

"...Y-Yeah…" Parappa pulls off his beanie and looks at it before sighing "She didn't deserve that fate, but...no one could stop her. It was in her blood to help. And if it weren't for her, she wouldn't have been the only one losing their life that day…" He clutches the beanie tightly as he whimpers "I just...you know...wish nobody had to lose anything at all…" he couldn't fight back tears any longer prompting Katy to pull him into a hug "N-Nonono please don't cry...n-not again…y-you're gonna get me crying…" She was to busy trying to help the pup to note she had already begun crying herself "P-Parappa please...please don't cry...please…"

It had been exactly 3 months since the catastrophic fire that had taken Mama Rappa's life away. Some time had passed, but the wound of loss was still fresh in the Rappa family hearts as if it had still just happened. A once tall and proud building that was the pride and joy of PaRappa town caught ablaze one fateful day with no understandable reason. And many people were trapped in that fire, Katy herself included when the building was offering a grand tour of the establishment. After the fire fighters deemed there was nothing more they could do thanks to how strong the fire had grown to in a short span of time, Mama Rappa refused to sit ideally by. She was the head of the department, and hearing the rest of them give up ignited something in her as she stormed in against the blockade that was holding everyone else back and ran into the burning tower of a building.

"SIR! THE BUILDING ISN'T STABLE! IT'S A DEATHWISH!" Mama Rappa kept running "SIR! MRS. RAPPA! DAMMIT…"

"What do we do?!"

"The hell can we do?!" the second in command, a short dalmation, threw his hat on the ground as he said this before turning back to the other firemen "I want everyone to spray as much water at the place as possible!"

"But-" the firemen said in unison as they were cut off.

"BUT NOTHING, WE CAN'T STOP IT BUT WE SURE AS HELL CAN SLOW IT DOWN ENOUGH TO LET HER GET THE PEOPLE OUT."

Nothing else was said as they immediately followed orders.

Mama Rappa ran to every source of the word help she could, and thanks to her amazing hearing, that was all sources. "COME ON COME ON, THIS WAY. HURRY BEFORE THE EXITS START COLLAPSING IN ON THEMSELVES!" She escorted every man, woman and child that she found, her progress was stunted however when she started coming across injured people in which she had to carry out, pressing harshly on the timer of the buildings stability, until she was sure that everyone was out.

"SIR! COME ON LET'S GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE, THE PLACE IS GONNA FALL."

As she was about to do so, she heard one more cry for help. The voice this cry belonged to was one she had grown to know in the past four years. "K-Katy?..." She wasted no time and ran back in.

"SIR! NO THE BUILDING WON'T HOLD!"

Mama Rappa couldn't hear him, she couldn't hear anything. She blocked out all sounds except the last person still trapped in the building.

"KATY! KATY WHERE ARE YOU?!" she panicked when she ceased hearing the cries. "KATY!"

Katy was crying to herself in a small corner void of flames, although that achievement wasn't really holding out as the fire was causing the building to break in on itself, resulting in her corner being blockaded away from the exit, which was also sealed off by a pile of smoking rubble. She didn't wanna believe she was done for, so she cried out for help. She kept crying out, but no one came. The smoke was starting to get to her as she started coughing, to a point she couldn't cry out the word help anymore. No one was coming to save her and the thought alone caused her to bawl her last moments away. Until she heard someone shouting her name. "KATY WHERE ARE YOU?!" the voice was familiar. "M-Mrs. Rappa?..." she soon heard another yell "KATY!" cementing her assumption. It was Parappa's mother, and she was trying to help her, but Katy couldn't muster out a word. She tried and tried until she heard one more yell "PLEASE WHERE ARE YOU" this specific yell was close, real close. This got Katy to finally belt out "MRS. RAPPA! HELP PLEASE!..."

There was silence, Katy couldn't do anything anymore except wonder if she heard her. The silence was forcefully broken by Mama Rappa bursting open the blockaded door while also knocking away the rubble preventing Katy from moving. "I found you!" Katy had no reply, she could only cough and cry with her eyes shut. She was paralyzed by the smoke and fear "I gotta get you out here…" She managed to get to her with near little interruption from the fire, and immediately took of her own gask mask and placed it on her. Now getting back out was her final obstacle.

"Come on...there's gotta be a clear path to the exit that hasn't collapsed in on itself…" She looked and looked while holding Katy in her arms like a cradled baby. "I gotta believe, I gotta believe…" But there were no clear paths, so she decided to take one that was stable enough to use. "This one! " The path she found was almost a perfect path, except the part of the floor that was separating where Mama Rappa stood and the way down to the exit was split by a large hole leading to a burning abyss..

"I gotta believe…" with that said she took a running start backwards then performed a huge leap of faith towards the other side, and managed to land the jump. "Perfect!..." She headed down the stairs that started to fall apart behind her. "Nononononono...not yet...I'm so close…" she out runs the avalanche of destruction only to see her luck run out, the way to the exit was slowly collapsing. "I can make it!..." She ran towards the exit that started closing itself off more and more, to a point where even she knew she wouldn't make it. "No...nono... " She looked at the girl crying in her arms "But she can…" she took off her big fire jacket and wrapped it around her before shouting "HEY PUDDLE!"

Chief Puddle was caught dumbfounded that his boss was still alive, and ran near the the entrance to see if he could do anything to assist her escape, only to end up catching Katy, who was thrown to him through the closing entrance by Mama Rappa. "SIIIIIIIIIR!" She only smiled at him with a single tear escaping her eye along her face "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" the building finally gave way and fell atop itself. Prompting Puddle to book it.

The now promoted against his will dalmation turns to look at the still collapsing heap, what was once a proud site for PaRappa town, was now nothing more than a ashen grave to one of said towns bravest."...No…"

"Chief Puddle?..." the other firemen lined around him.

"...Get this girl to some help...she inhaled to much of the smoke…"

"R-Right!" Another female firefighter picked up Katy and ran to the nearest medics.

"Status report."

"Everyone who was accounted for in the building is out...minus her sir." Puddle looked towards where the ambulances were before the other firefighter spoke up again "She saved everyone…"

"Yes...she did didn't she?"

While Katy was being carried off, she weakly managed to open her eyes and look towards where the building used to be, quickly squeaking out. "I'm sorry...i'm sorry…i'm so so sorry…"

Parappa stopped crying when started feeling more water on his face than he was crying out, quickly after hearing Katy cry the same phrase out over and over "I'm sorry…i'm so so sorry...it should've been me...it should've been…i'm so sorry…"

Parappa recalls the day Chief Puddle and Katy, who was wrapped in his moms uniform, appeared in front of his house to tell his family the news. It hurt and he cried to nearly no end, but even still, she cried more than him and his family combined. She felt the pain more because of guilt, the guilt that it was most likely thanks to her that she couldn't have made it out alright. She just cried the same to words over and over. "I'm so sorry…" And "It should've been me…"

All this prompted her staying with the Rappa family for about a month by request of her parents and Papa Rappa. It was until she was fully ok from the shock of the events that took place, but now it seemed she still needed the help.

"Don't say that…" Katy stopped, begrudgingly "My mom didn't save you only to have you like this you know?"

"I know but-"

"But nothing, you told me, you could hear it in her voice that she was dead set on finding you, and by that logic, equally so on getting you out. Could there have been another way? Maybe...I know I wouldn't want it either way…" Katy immediately speaks up "E-Either way? But shouldn't your mom matter more?!"

"Don't get me wrong, I wanted my mom to come out alive...but not at the cost of losing a good friend in the progress…" Parappa places the beanie back on his head "In some ways, these past four years feel like you're more like Katy Rappa than Katy Kat...heh...our parents became just as fast of friends as us. And mom really grew to liking ya, probably because of how well you got along with me like PJ had...heh...and when the news came to us...you cried as if it was your own mom you lost you know?" Parappa pulled out a handkerchief and began wiping his and her tears away. "My mom was always overprotective, that's why she became a firefighter, to protect the town...treating everyone of its citizens as her own kids, but no one garnered that protection more than five special people in her heart. Me, Pinto, Dad, PJ." he finishes off wiping her tears away "And you! I guess it took me a bit to realize that myself...but can you blame me? Sadness of loss kinda got to me...eheh…"

"You have every right to be sad though…"

"I did. But mom wouldn't have wanted that. I think that's what dad realized before me, but he's still quiet...I guess because of me and Pinto. But I think he should've just handled it head on."

"Ok…" She looked down at the table before uttering more words out "Hey...I think I might need another long sleepover at your place again..."

"Not my place discuss since i'm not an adult, but you know my answer is sure! Take as long as you need! Not just a month! I'll just have to spread the word to my dad, but that should be quick and simple!"

"Thanks…~"

"Of course! And hey with you around again, maybe it'll be easier helping Pinto move on as well! You help her ease into things as much as my mom did!"

"Of course!...I'd be glad to."

"Alrighty now here's order number 18 for table….four!"

PJ wakes back up after hearing that, alerting the waiter "Over here!" he then looks towards the other two once the food is left at their table "What happened to you two? Someone cut onions while I was asleep?" Both just sigh and roll their eyes playfully at PJ "Hey PJ, how about a sleepover at my house tonight?"

"This is outta the blue, normally you're not one to ask as your dad is afraid i'd leave the fridge empty."

"Luckily I can vouch that you'd bring your own food, and be mostly asleep to even trudge to our fridge!"

"When would I ever be to deep asleep to do that." Both him and Katy eye him "Actually, yes I would be too sleepy to do that." He looks at his food "Sheesh what happened while I was asleep." and begins chowing down.

Parappa age 14

It was another boring slow day at the high school, much to the dismay of the students, until…

"And that concludes our lecture on blah and blah, turn to the next chapter when we can discuss whatever's there-" the teacher is cut off by a knock at his door "Oh is it finally my resignation request being announced?!" He opens the door immediately and is caught talking with the person on the other side.

"Man I still can't believe our luck...getting him as our HIGH SCHOOL teach as well…" Parappa just groans as he throws his head back over his chair.

"And he's even less intent on being here then back in grade school, you'd think he'd liven up a bit after leaving what was the apparent source of his dilemma!" Katy stretches out in her chair before continuing "Honestly it'd be great if he did resign, but I don't like the thought him just getting off so easily for it! He made us suffer why shouldn't he…"

"I'd agree but i'm usually asleep to even care about him."

"We'd join you, but me and Parappa even try and close our eyes for a second and he calls us out for it…"

The three of them just sigh, and immediately after the teacher returns back into the class sighing as well before announcing to the class "Alright everyone, starting today we have a new student. I'd like to introduce you all to Miss Sunny Funny." The girl being introduced a small shy girl with a yellow daisy flower for a face, with big pink petals and small pointy red petals. She had green shoes and wore a big dress with horizontal red and blue stripes.

Everyone started saying their own hello's to Sunny and slowly it reached the main trio "Sup. I'm PJ." PJ stated as he waved. "Hiiiiii!~ Names Katy and hello to you!~" Katy nearly shouted from glee at having a new face to freshen up the class. Once it got to Parappa however "H-H...W-Wazz...Y-Yo-..." He struggled to say even one form of hello to the new girl as his face started heating up.

"Parappa you're embarrassing her!..." Katy whispered to the stuttering dog who only stuttered more.

"I think you should take a better look at Parappa himself." PJ whispered to Katy "Huh?..." Upon closer inspection she could see fumes leaving his head due to how overheated he was, his face could be mistaken for a tomato! The gears in Katy's head started turning as immediately after she struggled to hold back a large squeal of glee.

"This is Parappa, and he says Yo! He'd say it himself, but he's just really exhausted and overheated. I blame the beanie for the latter but hey what can you do am I right?" The girl starts giggling, earning a goofy smile from Parappa's face.

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you!"

The teacher then asks Sunny to tell the class more about herself to which she hesitantly obliged to. "O-Ok...um…"

As she began, Parappa dreamily listened to every word she had to say while Katy and PJ whispered amongst themselves.

"Are you SEEING this?!~"

"It'd be hard not to."

"This is the cutest thing ever!"

"The adorable daisy or the dog fawning over her?"

"Well both, but mostly Parappa!" Before PJ could add on, the lunch bell rung prompting everyone, including the teacher to book it. Leaving the four by themselves. Parappa immediately tried to speak up "I-I k-ken s-sow were l-lunch. I-izzz..." None of it was understood by the flower. "He means to say he'll be happy to show you the lunchroom! We'll join you shortly! Me and PJ gotta do something first!" Sunny nodded and looked towards Parappa "I accept your kind offer! Thank you Parappa~"

"N-No p-p-problem!" and with that, they're both off leaving Katy and PJ alone.

PJ spoke up beating Katy to the punch "You sure it's ok helping him?"

"Of course it is! Cuz look at what that whole scene was! I mean-"

"I was referring to you. Don't you also have a crush on Parappa?"

"I-I…have no idea what you're talking about."

"I may be asleep almost always, but that doesn't mean i'm not perceptive of what's around me."

"I-Is it that obvious?"

"Now it is."

"WHAT!" She fell for his word play. "So you didn't know?"

"I mean I felt something from you towards him, but wasn't sure if it was just my imagination. So I decided to ask now. Gotta say that was easy." Katy could only muster a low growl as her face grew pink.

"But now that i'm clearly certain. Again I ask. You sure it's ok helping him?"

"Of course! I mean, yes...I do admit having feelings for him, but I...don't really see myself having much of a chance-" PJ cuts her off

"Not when you hand over your crush to the nearest girl he goes gaga for-" Katy cuts him off

"NOT WHAT I MEAN...It's just...I feel Parappa doesn't see me in that light...I think he sees me as more of a sister…"

"Now that you mention it...you do have a point. But can you blame him? With how you two grew up starting 8 years ago? I don't think even I could see you as anything other than siblings…"

"See what I mean…"

"Bah, he's just dense."

"True, but...the fact still remains."

"He's in love with the new girl." They both say in unison.

"So I wanna help him out...feeling the unrequited love isn't fun. So if I can help a friend of mine who's in love! So be it! That's what i'll do."

"I have a bad feeling those very words are gonna bite you in the butt eventually…" PJ gets up "Come on let's get to the lunch room."

Parappa age 15

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAH, I'M GONNA BE LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE" Parappa was running as fast as his legs could take him "First my bike goes missing, and now im about to miss my promise with Katy and Sunny to go shopping!" As he's running he's stopped after hearing his name "Parappa."

"Huh? Oh PJ! What's up?"

"About time you arrived to play basketball."

"Come again."

"You promised." He stares at Parappa with what could be qualified as serious for his standards "Remember?"

After abit of blank staring Parappa mutters "I remember….AHHHHHHHHH!"

"Yo PJ what's with the yelling?" says a male dog wearing a red shirt with white stripes by the neck and end of the sleeves, purple pants and blue and black shoes.

"AAHHHH- who's that?"

"This is my buddy Matt, I met him a while back at Club fun once we discussed our mutual fondness of basketball."

"Nice to meet ya, I'm Matt Major!" he holds out his hand to which Parappa shakes after abit of thought processing.

"Parappa Rappa…PJ how long have you known him?"

"About two or three years?"

"And you didn't bother introducing him sooner? A new friend is always great man!"

"You never asked."

"I-...whatever. Um...I uh...actually...have to do something el-"

"Parappa! There you are!" Katy calls out to him causing Parappa to squeak out a silent "oh no…"

"Parappa we've been looking for you! Aren't you ready to go to the garage sale?" Sunny stated.

"Parappa can't go to the garage sale with you girls, because Parappa promised to play basketball with me."

"It this true Parappa?" Parappa could hear the disappointment in Katy's voice.

"I-I-I-I-I-I"

"And our promise?" Sunny says staring at him with an expression that would annihilate his heart if he kept looking.

"And OUR promise Parappa?" PJ adds on.

"Parappa!"

"Parappa."

"Parappa…"

"Urk…" Parappa was on the cusp of fainting.

"Garage Sale!"

"Basketball." Both PJ and Katy kept repeating the same thing to Parappa.

"Which promise do I keep!..." He was about to fall over then and there, were it not for a hand grabbing him, preventing his little meltdown from finishing as the hand's owner speaks up.

"You keep the basketball one."

"Huh?" everyone turns towards the voice only to see a fox girl with purple hair wearing a white jacket with a red P on one of the flaps at the bottom. A green skirt and an orange undershirt and and orange pants under the skirt finished off with blue shoes. "After all the game of basketball already began, but I don't see these two at their garage sale. Soooo in all real fairness, he should stay and play ball."

"Who the heck are you?..." Katy states towards the new girl.

"I should be asking you that! By the by, that's some get up you got there. Certainly eye catching, but probably not for the reason you're aiming for."

"W-What...well what's up with your outfit!"

"The P stands for Paula! Paula Fox, otherwise known as Initial P!

The trio of boys simply say hello, as Sunny tilts her head, all four of them however, are quickly alerted to Katy who has noticeably grown quite peeved and would've gotten worse if it weren't for Sunny scooping her up and running off "Come on we gotta get to the garage sale!"

"H-Hey put me down Sunny!"

"There they go." PJ announces as Parappa sighs from guilt.

"Well then like I said, the game is on! Come on let's play!"

"W-Whoa hey!" Matt fumbles as the ball is snatched from his hands.

"Don't feel bad Parappa, i'm sure this will all blow over and we might even look back on today and laugh."

"Yeah…"

Parappa looks up towards the sky in awe of today's current events.

And time passes by in the blink of an eye as they look back to that very same day.

"It's hard to believe that's how our first day meeting you two went." Parappa states while at a table with his other friends.

"Especially with how Paula and Katy got off on the wrong foot." PJ says lazily.

"Well it did blow over. And I can't think of better friends now!" Matt adds on.

"I still feel the rivalry in the air from time to time though." As parappa states this he gets conked on the head by the two girls. "OW...I'm sorry!..."

Everyone at the table laughs.

"Our circle of friends keeps growing...I wonder who else we'll befriend…" Both Parappa and Katy say this in unison, however unaware of that fact as they both whispered it to not be heard by the rest.

Katy, age 15

"Harumph...get something to help ease your mind off your crush with Parappa...it'll start affecting you in the looooong run… that PJ...what does he know…" Katy strums her bass guitar in the shape of her head. "Gah...still no good…"

Katy was alone in the music room, the students were allowed to use it as long as they cleaned up after themselves, the school didn't bother with theft as none of their instruments were worth stealing...or using for that matter. So students usually brought their own instruments.

"No matter how many times I tune it...it still doesn't sound right...or maybe i'm just not playing it right?..." suddenly the door opens "Oh! Hey Katy!" Parappa announces happily.

"Oh hey, what brings you here?"

"Just wanted go try my hand at rapping again, ever since the whole concert caused by the birds in my hat. I think I have a real knack for it ya know?" He wasn't wrong, he had some good pipes for singing no matter the type of singing, at least she thought so. He sang only when he was at home because of self conscious thoughts and from what she heard it was really great! "So I brought Boxy Boy to lay down some tunes and my microphone to...well you know the rest!"

"Oh! Lemme get out of your way then."

"No need, i'll just use one of the side rooms, they're soundproofed from the inside so I won't annoy anyone incase i'm just fooling myself over this whole rap thing. Course I can still hear from the otherside."

"You kidding? Your voice is great, if anything you should worry that someone doesn't sneak in to listen to you better!"

"You mean that?"

"Of course! I know I would if I heard you!"

"Haha thanks Katy. Well if you need me, don't be a stranger!" He walks into one of the side rooms and closes the door.

"Ok now back to my bass-" she is stopped by hearing the sound of a door opening again "Oh did something come up Para-" She stares at a female orange sheep with red hair and two little horns sticking out, a red shirt with a weird flower like white icon on it along with dark blue pants and light blue shoes "ppa?"

"O-Oh! I-I'm sorry! I-I didn't know the r-room was o-occupied...I-I'll l-leave-"

"Nononono! It's all good! We can share this room! Or you can use one of the side rooms if ya like! I don't mind at all!"

"A-Are you sure? I-I don't w-wanna be a bother to a-anyone…" Katy could feel the insecurities seeping from the lamb and it was rather upsetting that she didn't have more confidence in herself. "Yessssssssss!" She grabs her and pulls her into the room. "It's all good-...uh…"

"L-Lammy…" is all the girl squeaks up.

"Well hello Lammy! My name's Katy! It's great to meet you!" She notices the guitar on her back and gasps "You play guitar?!~"

"U-Um….I guess you can call it that…"

"That's great! How long have you been playing?"

"W-Well...not really...publically or a-anything like that...usually just at home. I-I don't think anyone would like t-to hear my playing… B-But yeah...been playing f-for as long as I can remember…had to s-stop though b-because neighbors kept g-giving a noise c-complaint...and well t-that's why i'm here..."

Katy mutters something under her breath as to not be heard "Wow it's like a female version of Parappa when it comes to music…" she then adds on "I'm sure you play amazingly Lammy! You shouldn't really worry over that!"

"I-I don't know...t-that's kinda hard for m-me…"

"Hm...how about playing abit with me!"

"O-Oh um...A-Are you sure that's a g-good idea?..."

"Of course!...oh but wait I still need to figure up what's up with my bass…"

"Oh?...mind if I h-help?"

"Sure!" She hands her bass over to Lammy who then starts to tune it and test it at the same time trying to get a good feel, until she finally strums it and gets the results she was looking for "T-There we go…!"

"Wow...I would've never found out what it was I needed to fix up. Thanks!"

"Oh i-it's no biggie...here y-you go!.." The shy lamb hands Katy her bass back, to which she takes back and begins strumming it "Hm...how come it's not sounding like how you played it just now?"

"O-Oh um...a-are you...holding i-in some...rather b-big emotions? T-That can affect how one p-plays an instrument!..." Lammy clutches her guitar rather tightly as she says this.

"How so?"

"Well there's an old saying that music is a way to vent out emotions, and holding them in instead can detriment the music you're trying to create."

"Huh…" Her gaze, drifts over to Parappa's room "How about that…" she strums her bass for abit then turns back to Lammy "Hey Lammy, wanna start no-" She's interrupted as the door slams open causing the two of them to jump in fear. They both turn to the source, but only see a stack of drum parts.

"H-Hello?" Lammy meekly speaks up only to get a reply that she couldn't understand "I-I'm sorry w-what?"

The stack of parts drop to the floor ("I SAID I'M RIGHT HERE!") shouts a small mouse wearing a cocktail dress from behind the mess.

"E-Eep..!" Lammy rushes behind Katy who simply says "Hey wait...I know that language! The nice Sir at the pharmacy speaks it!"

("OF COURSE HE SPEAKS IT, THAT'S MY FATHER!") the stick of dynamite lodged in the female mouse's head ignites. "Riiiight! I should've put two and two together! It makes sense since you speak like him and look like him!"

("WELL DUH I'M HIS- wait are you actually understanding me?...") the dynamite stops sparking as her mouth is left wide open.

("Of course I can! After I heard him talking like that I wanted to learn the language! He's a nice guy, but most of the time people don't understand him...more people should at least try to branch out for the people in our town!") Katy states in the girls language only serving to stun her even further as she starts to cry in place "W-Whoawhoahwhoa d-did I say something wrong or offensive? I-I'm sorry! I-I uh-" She's interrupted by having the small girl body tackle her in a big hug ("No no you said everything perfectly...it's just...you're the first to actually do such a thing. My dad says to adjust and try to learn the language everyone speaks already, but that's easier said than done...learning to understand what you all say was one thing...but speaking it is a whole different story. No one bothered to speak our language...")

"Well it's like a friend of mine once told me. A little kindness never hurt nobody! So I did what I thought everyone should do!" the small mouse hops off of Katy and wipes her face clean ("Well thank you for that! It's a really nice gesture that I wish everyone would've done! And I thank your friend for that as well!") she goes back to her drum parts ("Names Mar by the way, but you and the shaking lamb can call me Ma-san!")

"What a lovely name- shaking lamb?" Katy turns around to see Lammy huddled in the corner "L-Lammy you ok?!"

"Y-Yeah just...k-kinda t-terrified…"

"Don't be! She's actually a really nice person! Her names Ma-san!" she turns towards Ma-san "I'm Katy Kat! And she's Lammy!"

"H-Hi M-Ma-san!..." Lammy mutters out.

("Not much of a spine on her is there?") Katy puts her hands on her hips "Ma-san!"

("What? It's true isn't it? You can see it yourself!") Katy just sighs at Ma-sans words prompting Lammy to ask what she said.

"She says she's very happy to meet you!"

("I didn't say that!") Ma-san drops her drum set pieces again and runs back towards the two.

"And that you're quite pretty!"

("Nor that!")

"And she would find it nice to be your friend!"

("ALRIGHT I APOLOGIZE. Just stop putting words in my mouth…")

"U-Um...i'm...g-gonna choose to believe all that until I learn to understand Ma-san so she can tell me what she said herself. But I w-wouldn't mind being her friend…" Lammy bends over and smiles at Ma-san who just huffs out while looking away with a small aggravated blush "Thenk yu!" the exchange in words earns a long "Awwwww!" from Katy.

"Hey Ma-san, so I see you play the drums!" Katy looks towards what Ma-san brought.

("Gee what tipped ya off?" Yes I play and i'm decent to my knowledge!")

"Why just decent?"

Ma-san sighs ("Because I have a habit of...bringing the house down…")

"But that's good!

("I mean literally...")

"O-Oh...less good…Actually no still good! It just mean you got some arms! A true drummer needs that! Not to mention no one can dare pick on you unless they wanna get pummeled into the dirt!"

("I don't need a pity party…")

"I'm serious! No quality is a bad quality when it comes to music!" Both Lammy and Ma-san were about to say the same thing until Katy cuts them off "I'm serious! What makes you both believe otherwise?"

"Experience…" Is all they both say.

"Oh…" Katy strums her bass once more trying to bounce off the negative vibes, to no avail until she decides to say one more thing. "Well Lammy what I was gonna say was if you wanted to try playing together now? And with Ma-san here it's sure to sound even better as a group of three! So how about it?" Both pondered for abit at her request.

"I don't o-object I g-guess…"

("Sure I guess, that way I won't be immediately blamed in case the place comes a crashing down!")

"Great! Let me help ya set up Ma-san!" in a quick zoom, she picks up and builds up Ma-san's drum set.

("You were just waiting for me to agree and say yes the second you noticed my drums weren't you?")

"Maybeeeeeee!~" She winks playfully.

("Well less work for me! So thanks I guess.") She pulls up a seat and hops onto it ("Well whaddya both waiting for? We gonna play or what?") Katy simply nods and Lammy fumbles trying to properly hold her guitar. Once all three are ready, Ma-sans dynamite reignites ("Then enough gabbing! Let's play!")

"I-I'm having second thoughts about this…" Lammy states.

"Relax Lammy! It's all in good fun for now! If we keep playing we'll eventually get a good enough groove even when we aren't playing together!" as she states this she see's lammy take a deep breath once the guitar is properly in her grasp "Yeah, you're right. Guess I kinda overlooked that point." Katy didn't seem to notice the great change in Lammy's demeanor and neither did Ma-san who simply shouted ("I SAID ENOUGH YAPPING! MORE ROCKING!") to which the other two gave a nod and began playing.

The sound was truly a spectacle to behold, the school day may have been done, but the others who were hanging around with friends could hear. Not just them but the other teachers could as well. But the trio took no notice, they were to busy having fun. But eventually their jam session came to an end when they deemed it was enough.

"YEAHHHH! That all sounded way amazing!" Katy said jumping with joy.

("Gotta admit! You girls can keep a tune!")

"It was amazing! I dunno what I was all worried about!" Lammy says with an honest confident smile.

Ma-san hops over to Katy and whispered, well whisper in her capabilities ("To tell ya the truth. I kinda decided to tone down my drumming in tune to your beats as to not break anything. And I didn't expect that to actually work!")

Katy was shocked, but whispered back "What!...B-But that's what I did listening to your beat…"

("But I thought I was following your beat…") They both gaze at each other confused over who's lead they took while playing. Their attention is immediately caught by Lammy who is strumming her guitar, creating a lovely melody causing the two girls to silently say "Ooooohhhh…"

"Lammy! You really are something on that guitar!"

"Am I? Huh, I guess so." She keeps playing "I don't usually see it myself to be fair."

Ma-san and Katy were left dumbstruck at how Lammy was acting now, she was a complete and utter parallel from how she was moments prior.

("You sure this is the same chick? No one grows a spine in that short amount of time! What did she get replaced by an evil doppelganger from hell?!")

"Ma-san! Evil doppelgangers from hell don't exist! Where'd you learn that?"

("One of the magazines I read showed one of my favorite actors talk about it!")

"Oh god, I know who you mean...Has it occured to you that maybe the guy was, ya know?" she rotates her eyes in circles as she spins her finger at the side of her head.

("Ok yeah he's had one to many breakdowns but I feel as if he was serious with that!")

"Fine fine, but my point still stands, this is the same Lammy!"

("I don't see it…") Lammy sets her guitar down to rest her fingers, then immediately notices the duo staring at her "O-Oh! I-Is there something o-on my face?!..."

("Now I see it.")

"Huh...would you look at that."

"L-Look at what?"

"Hm...Lammy what'd you think about our little play session?"

"O-Oh it was n-nice! Good to hear you two play so w-well!...I wish I was a-as good…" Katy's thought was cemented, Lammy was completely different when she had her guitar in hand.

"But Lammy! All three of us were great! Especially you!" Ma-san nods along Katy's encouragement.

"I-I-"

"She's right ya know." All three of the girls turn towards the new voice "Parappa! How long you've been standing there?"

"A few minutes, I was gonna applaud and tell you guys how amazing you sounded! But as I entered room, I could tell you were busy amongst yourselves so I decided to keep quiet until I found the right time." All three girls had their own separate reaction.

"O-Oh...eheh…" Katy bashfully scratches the back of her head.

("Who's the mutt?") Ma-san says turning towards Katy.

"A-A...E-Eh..M-Mee...urk…" Lammy had quite possibly the biggest reaction to noticing Parappa. Said reaction was one Katy could recall seeing a year ago, but couldn't figure out exactly what it was, causing her to subconsciously want to squeal with glee without a reason as to why, but she caught herself quickly.

"I'm serious though! I was starting to get into a rut as to what beat to start something with! Then I hear your amazing jam and suddenly inspiration struck! I actually have a basis to start my singing with right as I was gonna call it quits! You three were just that good!" Parappa puts a powered off Boxy Boy on his shoulder and walks towards the exit, but then turns around "You girls should form a band! You already have great chemistry together! It'd be great seeing how far you three go! I'd immediately be your first and biggest fan. Heck I already am now!" Parappa grabs the doorknob "And I can tell you easily that I'm not the only one." He opens the door, showing everyone who actually stayed at the school, lined up by it cheering and chanting for an encore. "See what I mean?~" Parappa walks out and closes the door to prevent the girls from being overwhelmed by the mob of fans.

The girls just stand there with their jaws dropped, Katy couldn't hold her excitement back any further "EEEEE-" Ma-san immediately stops her.

("No")

"No?.."

("Just cuz we got some people going gaga over the music we made, doesn't mean that everyone would enjoy it! I refuse to take the mutt's word as gospel. Who was he anyway?")

"He's the close friend of mine that taught me to branch out with kindness! His name's Parappa and we've been friends for quite some time. Enough time to know he's not lying. And if him or the crowd don't convince you. How about us? You clearly enjoyed what we played as did we! If you won't make the band to see how many fans we can make, then how about just for us to see how far our fun can take us! Right Lammy?" Lammy was still transfixed over Parappa's intrusion and sudden exit until Katy snapped her fingers "U-Uh...right!...W-Wait...what's right?..." Katy restated what she just said to the lamb.

"I-I dunno...Maybe Ma-san has a point?..."

("Now that's sound logic.")

"Come on girls...not even as just a friend attempt?..." She then looks to the floor "A-Aren't we friends?..."

Though they did just meet, they did enjoy one another's company. With an uneasy gulp from Lammy and heavy annoyed huff from Ma-san they both spoke up.

("Ok…")

"O-Ok…"

"Yay! You girls are not gonna regret this!" She pulls them both in for a group hug, catching them both off guard, then gasps "We need a band name!"

"O-Oh!...u-um…"

("Don't look at me!")

"Hm...MilkCan!"

Lammy and Ma-san look at Katy with pure confusion "MilkCan?"

"Yeah! I think that's a perfect name! It's an odd but an interesting and compelling band name! Just like us!"

"O-Odd…"

("Compelling…")

"O-Oh I uh...mean that...well if you don't…we can just pick a new name! I mean heh, I was just pulling at stri-"

"I like it..."

("Me to!")

"You do?!" Katy began beaming with pure joy as the both nod "Then it's settled! From this point on we're officially known as the band MilkCan! We're gonna need loads of practice! And group meetup jam sessions! Costumes! And a lot of other stuff! Ooooooh! But first we need something to commemorate today!" She pulls out her camera "And I have just the thing!"

"W-Whoa I r-rather not…" Lammy says nervously shying away.

("Yeah i'm with boneless on this one…photos aren't my thing...") Ma-san also backs away.

"Oh come here you two!" She wraps her arms around the two of them, bringing them close enough for her to take the picture.

The picture is framed in each of the girls rooms titled in red, orange and blue letters, _We Are MilkCan!_


	3. Memories of Happier Days Part 3

Near the end of a busy and hectic day!

"I'm really really sorry! I got caught up in a lot of mess!" The three girls say together as they open the door to the concert hall.

"There you three are! Oh man and with barely any time to spare! I helped get your stage ready, the rest is up to you three to carry out!" Parappa escorts the three to where they need to be before heading off to join the audience.

"Ok, this is it. Are you ok?"

"Oh yeah. MilkCan is always on my mind!" A spark gathers between the three girls.

"LEAVE IT TO...MILKCAN!" the curtains rose and the audience roar signified the start of the show.

_Nooooo cuttin' corners!_

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_She's on the border, NOWWWWWWW!_

This was the night of MilkCan's first live concert and to say it was a hassle to get to their final destination is an understatement, but at the end of the day it's safe to say that it was worth it. The near endless crowd cheering, as well as support from people who may or may not have been obstacles along the way. Nevertheless the night was perfect.

"COOL! We really REALLY Jammed!" She claps with the crowd before extending her arms towards Lammy "Thanks to our fabulous guitarist Lammy! Thanks a lot, everybody!" both Katy and Ma-san shout from delight.

("WOOHOO!")

"WOO!"

"YEAH! We really rocked the house!" Lammy says as she holds her guitar up in the air, glancing down towards the crowd, gazing upon the cheering masses that applauded them. Staring at the people who may have stunted her progress on getting here, but still offered help in one way or another by either helping her get to her destination, begrudgingly, or by bolstering her confidence and helping with personal anxiety. Her eyes then gathered towards two specific people who were standing side by side miraculously, being Parappa and Rammy, both of which seemed to not notice the other. Lammy then turns back once Katy calls for a group bow, causing the curtains to close.

"That's my cue to help move the stuff back to their dressing room!" Parappa then tries to run off, only to crash into the girl next to him. "Oof!... My bad-" he glances at the girl, both the lights and the impact of running into her leave him dazed. He calls out to what he assumes is a familiar face "L-Lammy? How'd you get here? Weren't you just up there?" The girl quickly became angry at the the rapping pup once she heard her name being mistaken for the other ewe "That's NOT my name!"

"H-Huh?..." Parappa rubs his eyes and his vision clears up, showing that he was half right "O-Oh!...uh...my apologies! W-Won't happen again! Uh...later!" He runs past her to carry on what he was doing leaving the angry girl to just simmer in place "Dumb mutt...who does he think he is, being able to mistake me for her…" Rammy glances back towards the empty stage "She was pretty good though…Was that a compliment?..."

Parappa arrives behind the stage with a dolly, catching up to the girls in the process "And here are the ladies of the night!"

"Oh you~" Katy just winks at him.

("Flattery gets you nowhere dude.") Ma-san huffs, refusing to let the praise get to her, poorly as her dynamite ignites with a pink flame.

"Heh...T-Thanks~..." Lammy utters out as she stares at her newly made guitar.

"You girls were fan-freaking-tastic! I mean you're always great, but here at your first live concert, there was just some magic that I just can't explain! Only react like a fanboy would!" Parappa begins piling on Ma-sans drums and the speakers onto the dolly.

"I think you reacted beyond how a fanboy would Parappa!"

("No kidding! I don't think anyone surpassed your cheers! You got so loud you almost started howling!") Ma-san laughs recalling the thought, embarrassing the pup.

"H-Haaaa...sorry bout that, but can you blame me?" he smiles like a dork as he scratches the back of his head but then quickly speaks up as he recalls something important "OH! Lammy!

Lammy nearly trips in place as her name is called out by him "Y-Yes?" Even with her guitar in hand, Parappa still made her fumble anxiously "Mr. Fussenpepper wanted me to give you this!" He hands over something familiar to her "M-My guitar!" she quickly grabs and hugs her recovered guitar, with Parappa in the process.

"Hrkk...to tight...can't...breathe…" Lammy quickly realizes that she's hugging Parappa and begins malfunctioning on the spot "Hiiiii….g-gcckkk...w-weeeh…" she drops him and the guitar, and begins to fall over backwards.

("Here we go again…") Ma-san rolls her eyes at an even she's clearly seen happen many times before already.

"L-Lammy!" Parappa drops everything he was currently holding and manages to catch her before she fully crashes onto the ground "W-What happened?"

"Oh!...She's uh...just so happy that our concert was a major hit as well as getting her guitar back! She nearly fainted on the spot!" Once Katy says this, a tomato faced Lammy just mumbles out "Uh-huh…"

"Oh...well you should probably sit down in your dressing room then! I'll pick up everything and bring it over to your room soon enough ok guys?" they all nod.

"Thanks again for the help Parappa!" The three of them then begin walking off, leaving Parappa to begin packing up.

("I still find it funny we basically turned him into a lackey.")

"He isn't a lackey!"

("Really, you're gonna look at that mess, and not call it a lackey? Would packmule be a better word for it?")

Katy sighs, unable to retort against the truth "Ok...we may have...taken advantage of his kindness...just a smidge…"

("A smidge...really now.")

"Yes! You got nothing on me!" as she says this, Ma-san pulls out a tape recorder and presses play on it, speaking out in Katy's voice.

_Parappa, you can help us carry the equipment, buy snacks, and give us foot massages!_

"...I-I…"

("And may I remind you this is like the 30th time you asked him to do those exact things, that now he just does it out of habit for us.")

"N-No he doesn't-" Ma-san presses play again to continue where it left off, cutting Katy off again as it speaks in Parappa's voice.

_Sure. Like always._

"I...I'm horrible…"

("Whoa there, I didn't say that. I just showed you that you were involved in turning him into our own personal butler is all!")

"And I feel horrible for it…"

("Why? He doesn't mind! Look at him! Following orders like the good boy he i- ok yeah now I can feel the guilt.")

"S-Should we tell him to stop?"

("We could, but I don't think he would.") the two of them sigh as they reach their dressing room, and enter the inside to escape the shame and relax.

"Well...what do you think we should do Lammy?"

"O-Oh!...I-I uh...I'm i-indifferent r-really…"

"Really? I'd figured you of all people would want him to stop." before Lammy can speak up however.

("Maybe she enjoys having him tend to her calls on a whim!~") Ma-san laughs as she says this causing Lammy to blush and bury her face in her hands, and Katy to slap Ma-san on the shoulder "Quit it!"

("OOF...Sheesh grow a sense of humor will ya?") Ma-san scoffs and mutters below her breath ("Not like I was wrong anyway…")

"I don't find it funny, you know Lammy likes him! Why tease her over it?"

("Maybe it's cause I see it as a lost cause. And this is probably the only way she can get close to her precious Parappa~") this time Ma-san gets conked on the head by Katy's bass ("OWOWOWOWOW...POINT TAKEN!") her fuse nearly explodes on the spot as she turns from orange to red.

Lammy sighs "She may have a point…maybe it's just my subconscious a-agreeing with this..." Ma-san calms down as she sees Lammy actually agreeing with her.

("W-Whoa now!...I really was just joking!") Lammy just hugs her knees.

("...ok...I admit I took it to far…") she walks over to Lammy ("Look, I'm sorry...I may have gotten a bit pushy...the bravado of the crowd got to me…")

About half a week after MilkCan was formed, Katy and Ma-san caught on to Lammy's crush on Parappa. Katy immediately and instinctively became her own personal love cheerleader, but Lammy lacked initiative to take a chance. Her fear for the worst always got her giving up last second. And then worse came to worst when him and Sunny became a couple at the same time Parappa's singing career took off. Leaving her feeling that he had skyrocketed past her league. It hurt, but what could be done? She wished she could've done something...she even subconsciously wished she could win him over, at least in her dreams. But all that was six months ago already. It was around that time that Katy slowly started turning Parappa into MilkCan's personal "butler", but was it for her sake? Seeing as the other two clearly had no recollection of what they were truly doing until the brought it up.

Lammy just groans as she places her face into her knees.

Ma-san sighs ("...I fucked up…")

The three of them are interrupted as a knock at their door is heard. "C-Come in…" Lammy says as she sits up properly.

"And the snacks are-" Parappa stares at the trio as they express nothing but sadness "Here...yo whats wrong? You girls just performed quite possibly the greatest concert ever heard! Why are you all upset now?..."

They struggle to find words until Lammy speaks up "H-Hey P-Parappa...how d-do you feel a-about having to do our b-busy work that we could b-be doing ourselves?..."

Parappa tilts his head "Huh? Well...At first I was upset, basically just being a monkey boy, but I shrugged it off. It was still an excuse to be near my favorite band! And eventually it just grew on me. I enjoyed doing all this as it was an excuse to chat and learn more about you guys! I knew a lot about Katy, but nothing about you two. And that's when I started learning! Learned to understand Ma-san and speak in her language. And learn more about you Lammy and your amazing moments! As well as how your already high coolness gets doubled when you have a guitar in hand! I don't even mind the work I gotta do, I always find it worth it!"

He was sincere, always has been. That factor did not help keep her love for him at ease, only amplify it. Now was one of those moments. "So y-you'd keep d-doing so? Even if it w-was unfair to y-you?"

"Well it's not exactly unfair to me. At least, not anymore. Now, I'd do it on a heartbeat without needing to be asked! That's something i'd never give up!" he then ponders for a bit realizing he may have worded that wrong "E-Erm...unless you guys want me to stop… D-Don't wanna come off as creepy, or overbearing or anything…" All three of them immediately speak up in unison "YOU'RE NOT!..." Parappa yelps and flinches at the sudden shout by the three of them before catching his composure "O-Ok!...g-glad to hear!

All three girls simply look away with their faces red from the dogs mushy speech then Katy tries to change the subject "S-So...You brought snacks?~..."

"Oh right!" he brings in a bag of different snacks "Loads a little light today, but I have a good reason for that! But I'll save that for the end." he walks up to each girl individually "Alright Katy's usual is the strawberry cheesecake with the light fizzy drink and a side bag of chips!"

"Thank you!~"

"Ma-san's usual is Is the salt and vinegar chips, diet soda and a big pretzel!"

("How do you manage to remember all this? Thanks dude.")

"And Lammy is just the fruit and veggie mix salad with an orange soda!"

"T-Thanks~..."

"Ok so the reason I was light on the food today was cuz-"

"ACK!..." Parappa was halted when he, Katy and Ma-san looked towards Lammy, whose soda had sprayed all over her, forcing a rather awkward situation as Lammy struggles to cover herself.

"WHOA WARDROBE MALFUNCTION!" Katy hops over to Parappa, forcing his beanie downwards, blocking his eyesight "W-WHAAA. W-Watch it! Why the sudden assault? What I do? Lemme go!" Katy was having none of it and refused to budge "Can you at least tell me what happened so that I can help?" Katy just sighs "Fine, but I'm not letting go. The soda you brought for Lammy seems to have exploded into her face as well as the rest of her body. Causing her to become a tad...see through."

"W-WHAT?! O-OH GOD L-LAMMY I AM SO SORRY!" He fumbles in place. _It must've happened when I bumped into that other girl! It caused the cans to get to shaken up!_ He tries to turn around and help, upon seeing this Katy pins him to the floor "Whoawhoawhoa hold it there. That's a rather quick to look action now isn't it?"

"Are you kidding? I'm already faithful to another gal!" Parappa could easily break out of her grip thanks to Chop Chop's teaching, they all knew this, but would rather not as she was in her right to keep him down as all of it was his fault "Look. i'll keep my beanie over my eyes, I promise you, just let me help! I caused this mess by accident! I wanna fix it!"

Katy reluctantly agrees "If I see you so much as peek for even just a second, I'm letting Ma-san handle you." Ma-san simply cracks her knuckles in response resulting in a small gulp from him.

"Look! I'm not lying!" He forces his beanie even further down, enveloping his entire head before uttering out a muffled "See!"

Parappa stumbles over to the bag where he pulled out the snacks until he finds his way, then pulls out paper towels. "Ok which direction is Lammy in?"

"Over h-here…" Parappa stumbles his way in the direction of the voice and hands over the paper towels slightly off by a few inches, but nevertheless he hit his mark.

"T-Thanks…" as she begins cleaning herself off she immediately notices something "This...isn't really helping…"

"Guess you're gonna have to change. Good thing you still have your regular clothes."

"Yeah, but...I don't know where the bathroom in this place is…"

"But I do!" Parappa speaks up again, earing a rather angry gaze from Katy that he could feel, even through the beanie "And yes i'll keep my beanie down!"

"All of this is rather convenient for you...isn't it Parappa?" Parappa immediately shouts…at a sofa "Are you seriously accusing me of planning all of this?!" Katy turns him around towards where she actually was "Well if the guilty shoe fits…"

"It was an accident! I swear!"

"I-I believe h-him…"

"THANK YOU!" Parappa hugs a lamp post that he mistakes for Lammy.

"N-No problem…" she also turns him around to her actual direction.

"I promise I didn't mean any of this…"

Katy just sighs with Ma-san silently snickering behind her "I believe you…"

("I have no grudge, it gave me a good laugh from start to soon to be finish!") she whispers to Katy ("And honestly, a good timing on some incentive for Lams to make a move, or atleast relish in the attention.") Katy's reply is only shoving Ma-sans own pretzel into her mouth to shut her up.

Parappa goes back to the bag and pulls out a jacket, one about his size "Glad dad made me bring this just in case it got cold! You can wrap this around your torso or waist to lessen how much you gotta cover on your way there!" He says as he talks to a mirror.

"O-Oh!..T-Thanks for t-that!..." She plucks the jacket from his hands prompting him to realize he was facing the wrong direction, then wraps it around her waist, and holding the bag of her other clothes around her chest.

"Ok let's go!" He runs towards to door, but forcibly runs into a wall, and falls onto his back, dazed.

("GAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!") Ma-san rolls on the ground, howling with laughter from Parappa's faceplant.

"Ow…" Parappa feels around the wall to find the door, then walks out once he finds it "Ok so...that was the entrance. So that way leads to the stage...then...that way's the restrooms!" At least with this he was correct with this assessment.

"T-Then lead the w-way please!.." Parappa hobbles off with Lammy walking after leaving the other two band members on their own.

("Think he'll lift his beanie up?")

"He won't. He's usually not one to lie. Plus he figures Lammy will tell us if he does even try."

("I don't know what you both see in him.")

"Well from what she said- Both? What do you mean both?"

("I'm not an idiot, I see you going gaga over the guy as much as she does, just not as blatantly obvious. Which she could stand to learn on how to do!")

"H-Hah! I do not!"

("Your tail curls into a heart whenever he compliments you in anyway way, shape or form.")

"A-Ah…" Katy couldn't deny that as even Parappa himself noticed that, but mistook it as her just being really happy for her band and whatnot "That's..heh...something against my control…"

("What I don't get is why you're keen on helping her try to get him rather than helping yourself.")

Katy sighs as she's forced to repeat something she told to PJ a long while back "I've felt the unrequited love hard, so I really rather not have a close friend suffer...it just sucks...that both Sunny AND Lammy are close friends...who both happen to love the same guy…"

("Who you're also in love with.")

"Point being is that I just...wanna help Lammy more since she's also a band mate as well as a best friend...seeing as Sunny and Parappa kinda snowballed without my help…"

("If that's the case then why cover the mutt's eyes when that little 'show' happened.") Katy just stares at her wide-eye'd "What do you mean why? He's still a boy about to peep on a girl!"

("Mhm. Ok. Now answer me this.") She pulls out the tape recorder again and switches to a different clips and presses play.

_(So why exactly to we need to order only soda cans from him when asking for snacks?)_

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_Because Ma-san! I'm looking forward to starting something out of nothing!_

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_(I fail to see what scenario can come from soda.) ___

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_The obvious one! There may be that one chance that the can will gush out the soda creating a mess that Parappa will, obviously, want to help out with! And with that, they're forced into being right next to each other, face to face! The awkward air forces the tension to rise as the moment happens! Causing Parappa to, probably, feel feelings he didn't even know he had for Lammy! And at that moments sparks fly as the lean in forward and-_

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Katy grabs the tape recorder and crushes it within her hand. Her face beet red from being called out with heavy evidence.

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("You're buying me a new one.")

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"Why did you record THAT!"

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("Why not. Besides you proved my point.")

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"What point is that?"

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("That your words are biting you in the ass right now seeing as you're internally unable to fully help Lammy.")

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"What? I am so helping her!"

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("Then why didn't you let that situation play out by itself? You acted like a jealous girl who was trying to stop her boyfriend from cheating with another woman who wasn't even trying to cheat.")

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"Y-You didn't exactly help either with you cracking your knuckles as you agreed with me!"

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("I was playing along, that was way to funny NOT to.")

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"...You're right."

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("And that's not- Oh you're agreeing with me...aw...I thought you'd deny it some more.")

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"Look I just had another friend of mine tell me the same thing a while back and...I chose to not believe him...then he decided that I should do things to take my mind off of it...I begrudgingly agreed and decided to pick up the bass...and that all led me to meeting the two of you and forming this band...and at that moment...I was relieved. Like I actually got it off my mind."

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("Then Lammy fell in love with him.")

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"And the emotions came back…I guess it's subconscious jealousy? I dunno. I just wish it would stop…"

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("Why? It's nice that you wanna help Lammy out, but that also doesn't mean you shouldn't have a go at it either. Granted right now neither of you exactly have much of a chance since he's all gaga over that daisy. And that doesn't seem like it's ending anytime soon.")

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"I know I know. Next time I end up blocking off Lammy, mind smacking me out of it?"

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("Hehe...gladly!~")

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"I immediately regret asking...oh well thanks."

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Back with Lammy and Parappa, we have Parappa still fumbling about.

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"You know y-you can l-lift your b-beanie up if you need t-to…"

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"No! It's not fair for you or Sunny that I look! That and Katy and Ma-san would kill me."

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Lammy wanted to say so badly that she didn't mind. She really didn't as he was the only boy she'd be willing to show. But she couldn't muster up the courage. So she only just said "W-Well...that's up to you really...I-It doesn't m-mean anything...y-you're just f-fixing a problem that w-was out of your c-control…E-Either way you're as strong as Ma-san, if not stronger recently. Why be afraid?"

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"I can't just fight back if I'm clearly the guilty one! That's what sensai taught me!"

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"You learned a lot at that dojo didn't you?"

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"Yeah! Shame it closed down though."

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"Huh? Who was your teacher?"

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"Chop Chop Master Onion! His dojo just became a run down old place! No clue what happened with that…" Upon hearing the name she could only mutter out "Ah…" as she didn't have the heart to tell him the truth.

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"Well it's n-nice that you k-know not to use your t-teachings wrongly!.. Strength s-should never be a-abused…" She pets his head out of reflex, as if to say good boy. "Of course! Only for necessary occasions!" his tail starts to wag on it's own. Lammy realizes what she's doing, but before stopping, she clutches onto to the beanie. _Maybe I-I can just…_ she begins lifting it up.

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"H-Hey what're you doing!" The second she sees his nose poke out from under the beanie she immediately forces it back down.

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"OOF…"

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"S-Sorry!..."

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"N-No worries...kinda deserved that for what I did…"

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"H-Heh..y-yeah…" Lammy mentally kicks herself for her lack of bravery. _Now he probably thinks i'm really upset at him over this…_

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"U-Um...Do you see sign hanging on the wall saying ' Welcome to-' with the rest of the sign broken off?"

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"Y-Yeah right up a-ahead!"

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"Great! Then we turn to the right from there and on the left is the bathroom!" And as he said, there it was.

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"T-Thanks!" Lammy rushes in at a speed that forces Parappa into a topspin. As he stop he pulls his beanie back up. "Phew…" he reclines on the wall then speaks up again "Hey...um...I wanna explain myself for that whole mess back there…"

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"I don't b-blame you a-at all Parappa!..." Lammy shouts from the inside.

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"I know but I still wanna say what happened...When you guys finished your show, I immediately tried to go back there to help with move the stuff, but I kinda...bumped into someone next to me and got toppled down...shaking the cans in the process.

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"Oh!...y-you're not hurt a-are you?"

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"No I was fine!...kinda spooked out though...the girl I bumped into looked alot like you!" As he said that, silence was his only reply until.

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"D-Did she happen to b-be all black and gray?..."

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"Oh you know her?"

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"Y-You could say t-that…" If she already didn't blame Parappa for anything, now she certainly knew none of it was his fault. Just a bad place at a bad time moment "Well you couldn't have controlled the outcome. She was just in the way at a bad time."

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"I still should've been wary. I could've knocked over and hurt somebody!"

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"B-But you didn't. A-And you w-wouldn't have m-meant to. It's not your f-fault at all Parappa. And no o-one can find an excuse t-to say o-otherwise!" Lammy leaves the bathroom with her clean clothes now on and walks up in front of Parappa to his surprise "Understand?"

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Parappa's heart skipped a beat for no understandable reason as she said that while staring him down "Y-Yeah…" He could feel something in him heat up "I getcha…" He snaps out of it once she speaks up again "G-Good! Now let's h-head back to clear y-your name to t-them! Oh and I kinda got soda over your jacket...so i'll be cleaning it if that's ok? I'll hand it back to you when I get it cleaned!"

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"R-Right! And o-ok!" they both head off while Parappa thinks to himself. _What the heck was that about? Why i'd just freeze up? Do I still feel guilty?_ He shakes his head to clear his thoughts as they arrive back at the dressing room.

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"There you guys are, took long enough."

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("Something kept you guys busy?~") Ma-san chuckles as Lammy speaks up "G-Get real! Y-You know he h-had to struggle with b-being unable t-to see where he was g-going!"

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"Can't be helped. It was in the name of decency!"

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("I wouldn't go thaaaaat far.")

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"It's n-not like h-he meant for t-that to happen t-to me…"

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"To you! For all you know-" Katy feel's a strong punch hit her in the back of the head "Oof...I mean, for all you know, maybe Parappa got unlucky in picking soda's. Maybe some jerks shook the cans beforehand!"

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("Better.") Ma-san whispers to Katy.

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"That's a-also a p-possibility! D-Does this mean you b-believe him?"

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"Yes…"

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("I'm with her.") Parappa jumps in joy at his cleared name until he remembers something important "OH WAIWAIWAIT!..." the girls turn to him with confusion "I ALMOST FORGOT WHAT I WAS GONNA TELL YOU AFTER THE SNACKS! THE OTHERS!"

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"Others?...Hey wait that brings up a good point...where are the rest of our friends? Last you told me was that Paula and Matt were busy helping out at some place. Sunny was with her dad on errands. And PJ was off on a banana hunt! But you said they'd still catch our show! And I see a big lack of the four of them "O-Oh that's because...uh...have to...ask them that! They're currently off somewhere and I was tasked to bring you there!"

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("Hey wait you skipped out on the foot massages!")

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"Ma-san not now!" Katy then turns to him with arms crossed "Why?..."

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"I...uh...d-dunno!" _Hope they bought that..._ "I was just told to bring you gals there! To the other side of town!"

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The three girls look at each other then shrug and in unison say "Ok."

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"Great let's go!"

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Upon leaving the place, the three girls get ready to run to the destination until Parappa stop them as he drives up to them "Wouldn't it be easier for me to just drive you there?..."

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"Oh right! S-Sorry we all just had a real long day, and running, and...yeah.." They say in unison as they get in the car.

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"Alright then! We're loaded up with MilkCan's equipment, MilkCan themselves and the need to get there fast!"

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"Just be careful Parappa!" Katy shouts from the back.

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"That one crash was an accident!"

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"Yeah sure…~" She rolls her eyes playfully before laughing.

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"H-Hey wait a m-minute...h-how'd I end up in t-this seat?!" Lammy whispers realizing she's in the seat right next to Parappa. She then hears a high five between Ma-san and Katy before sighing and accepting her fate.

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After a Leisurely paced ride, they arrive at the destination. "We're here!" Parappa shouts as he turns to the three of them who all look out the window.

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"Oh!...wow…"

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"W-What a unique a-area…"

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Ma-san was the only one who refused to tip toe around the problem at hand ("The heck did you bring us to this run down place for?!")

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"Look I know it looks like an abandoned shoddy warehouse, but trust me! We have to go in there!" The girls uneasily look at each other.

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"I-I'm starting to f-feel less safe…" Lammy says with a shiver.

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Realizing what the girls were mistaking the whole thing for Parappa facepalms as he admits the poor conditions as well "I told them you'd mistake it for that…" he then sighs as he explains the entirety of what really was going on "Look, inside there are the others who were planning an after party in celebration for your concert!"

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"Then why the heck inside that run down thing! You realize the big wrong idea we got out of that?"

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"Yes I did and I warned them about it, but they just said that you three wouldn't! The point of that was so that no one would interrupt or bother you three. Because no one would ever expect a great band being celebrated within an old warehouse!"

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"That sounds like they just didn't wanna deal with the cleanup for the outside of the building…" Katy says as she scoffs at the poor planning.

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"Aye dios mio…" Lammy says as her head falls back into the seat, agreeing with Katy.

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("Eh some other celebs I read about love these sorta appearances to secret parties, so i'm cool with it.") Both Lammy and Katy look at Ma-san with the greatest concern.

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"Look trust me you two. It's gonna be fine! I'd never let anything happen to any of my friends on my life! Mark my words!" Each girl had their own remark to that.

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Lammy's was stammering around until she managed to say thank you, only in spanish however.

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Katy's was also saying thanks, as her tail curls into a heart again, unbeknownst to her.

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Ma-san just abruptly replies with ("Oh barf…")

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As they reach the warehouse door, they hesitantly go against opening it, until they just sigh and push it open. As it opens the lights illuminate the place up greatly with a banner that drops down saying "CONGRATULATIONS MILKCAN!" with the remainder of their friends popping out shouting "SURPRISE!"

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"Sorry we couldn't make it to your concert! Turns out decorating this place took a lot more time than expected!" Matt says scratching his head.

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"I opted to freshen up the outside of this place to, but the others just shouted no." Sunny says with a shrug "Hope you didn't mistake this for a kidnappers hut."

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The girls then laugh nervously "Haha...no of course not…"

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"Why w-would we e-ever think t-that…"

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Ma-san belts out in english "It's exactly what they thought."

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Sunny then crosses her arms and stares at PJ, Paula and Matt angrily "Told you…"

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"Ok so we may have skimped out from laziness…, but that's not the point! At least you can clearly see it's a party! And now you three should be celebrating over your success! After all that's what a party is for!" Paula states as she pulls Katy and Lammy in towards the snack table.

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"You would not believe how much I struggled not to eat anything here...you're lucky...I had to stock up on banana's to satiate me…" as PJ says this, Lammy just adds on "Y-You don't say...I hope you threw the peels away in a garbage can…"

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"Why? It's only a banana peel...not like anyone died from slipping on one." Silence was PJ's answer, forcing him to catch on "Oh...duly noted." Lammy just sighs in annoyance as PJ hands everyone a drink. "To MilkCan!" Parappa says holding his cup up to Katy who responds back in key "To MilkCan!" than following everyone else with one final group shout "TO MILKCAN!" They all share a group laugh as they begin enjoying the party for the remainder of the night.

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Many Many months later, in the not so secret base of the leader of a noodle syndicate.

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_"Thanks brother, for lettin' me understand, that a man must understand to keep his options open!"_

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_"You're welcome brother, for lettin' you understand, that a man must understand to keep his options open!"_ both Parappa and Colonel Noodle do one final spin as their rap battle ends with Parappa as the victor.

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"See? Noodles aren't the only food around you know!"

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"Yeah, you're right! I'm up for some noodle sushi!" Both laugh until Noodles adds on "But maybe without the noodles, just this once!." to which Parappa chuckles.

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"Hey man, now that you aren't trying to noodleize the town and actually give other food a chance. How about a picnic?"

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"A picnic?"

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"Yeah with me and the rest of my friends. You don't seem like a that bad a dude! Just don't go forcing us to eat noodles this time!"

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"I accept your offer! And I'll do my best!" the two then shake hands.

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PJ lifts his shades and just stares with a smile on his face before speaking just out of everyone's hearing, as if to monologue to himself "You really grew up in many ways you know man? I dunno if it's the way you wanted to in order to be the man Sunny would want, but if she can't see the real grown up guy that you are, then she doesn't deserve you. I mean not a lot of people would nonchalantly invite the guy who nearly wrecked an entire town to a picnic! You truly are a great friend Parappa. I hope you never lose that spark."

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"What are we standing around here for? I offered a picnic right?" And with that Parappa runs off to the exit with Colonel and the rest of his friends right on his trail. As both him and Noodles leave the building they meet up with Sunny and fill her in on what the rest of em are doing as they all carry on running with Sunny and Parappa hand in hand. Until the finally reach their destination.

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"Man, this sure is the good life ain't it?"

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"Yeah...and to think I almost got rid of it all!..." Noodle looks at his food dejectedly.

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"I mean yeah it'll take a bit to apologize to everyone, but apologizing in itself won't be to rough. Like I said man, you don't seem like that bad a dude. Just one who needed to find the alternatives in life!" Noodle perks back up as he nods "Thanks man!"

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"In fact...Hey Sunny, you still have the new spare beanie you made me?"

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"Of course! Why asking?"

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"I'm afraid it's not gonna end up being my spare anymore." Sunny giggles "I think I get you." She hands it over to Parappa who in turn hands it over to Colonel Noodles "I've only done this once as a sign of how strong our friendship was and could be. And I haven't done it again since, mostly cuz I didn't have enough beanies...but that's not the point. Here I offer it as a sign of friendship!" Noodles takes it "I graciously accept! Oh and I think I have something to give in return as my own sign!" He hands over a letter.

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The letter reads.

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_Dear Parappa,_

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_Please come and play at our concert._

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_Yours Truly._

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_Colonel Noodle._

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"Cool! Colonel Noodles got us a stage to perform! How great!"

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At the concert hall the next day.

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"Hey Sunny, I've tried so many things to try and grow up, but I don't think I really did...So for today's show, I'm just going to do what I always do!" Sunny just smiles warmly before correcting him.

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"Don't be silly Parappa. You're man enough already! If you keep trying and never give up, you're already a grown up."

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"Yeah! I GOTTA believe!" with that said Parappa, PJ, Katy, Lammy and Ma-san head towards the stage while the rest head towards the audience.

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"Well well well! Are you a sight for sore eyes dude!"

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"Mushi!" Parappa runs up and fist bumps his four hands.

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"You're the talk of the town and the star of the show once again! Ha, after this concert I'll be sure to make you my apprentice! You got what it takes to go real far, farther than me! And that ain't no lie!" He gives a big hearty laugh all while Parappa is just shocked by the amazing news, then he looks towards Mushi, his friends and his teachers and then up to his hat that he temporarily removes "Mom, if only you could see me now. I may not be as big a hero as you, but I'm sure I still became someone you would've been proud of!" He then places his beanie back on as Mushi calls towards him to tell him they're up as he heads to the rising platform.

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"Yeah, yeah, y'all. This is it! Back once again, the final party! Is everyone ready to do this?" The crowd roars giving King Kong Mushi his answer as the song begins.

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The crowd roars with cheer for both Parappa and Mushi as well as the four behind them playing amazingly. Flowing in sync with the two singers. And it was going great until Mushi surprises the crowd. "Hey now, look at Parappa and how he's become a MAN!" he ties a balloon around his waist and has him float above the audience "Enjoy the show!" The crowd begins following Parappa as he hovers over them, freestyling to the beat of the music. The audience cheering him on. However the cheering eventually evolved into the crown mimicking what he was saying, which got him thinking. And with that thought, he unties the balloon and lands back on stage and resumes singing.

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"SAY ALRIGHT!"

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**ALRIGHT!**

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"SAY OH YEAH!"

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**OH YEAH!**

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"WHATCHA GONNA DO?"

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**WHATCHA GONNA DO?**

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"I GOTTA BELIEVE!"

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**I GOTTA BELIEVE!**

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After this Mushi, PJ and MilkCan joined in.

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"SAY ALRIGHT!" Mushi and Katy shouted with Parappa's teachers following.

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"SAY OH YEAH" Lammy and Parappa continued.

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"WHATCHA GONNA DO?" PJ and Ma-san added on.

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"I GOTTA BELIEVE!" Finished off the audience.

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"Wow! Now this was surely a night to remember!" Mushi says to Parappa and the crowd "It sure was! I'll never forget tonight! Right Everybody?" The loud cheering was his answer, he couldn't help but wag his tail to it all that he repeated the final verse one last to the audiences joy. "Alright yeah!" Colonel noodles shouted as the song finally came to a close and everyone waved towards the audience.

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After the audience had all left leaving everyone Parappa knew together they all just started chatting among themselves. "You were amazing up their Parappa! But I guess I shouldn't have expected anything less!"

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("Don't inflate his ego Katy!")

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"A-Aw let him h-have this!"

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"Not everyday you save the day and get a large party in your honor."

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"I dunno PJ, I'm with Ma-san here."

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"Aw Paula let Parappa be! He earned it this time!"

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"What do you mean this time Matt?" Parappa crossed his arms as he rolled his eyes to that remark, but everyone just laughs "Gee thanks for that guys." Parappa says before joining the laughter. Before long they're cut off be hearing feedback on a microphone.

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"Eep!...sorry! Haven't really used one of these in a while…" It was Sunny "I wanted to do something, but I need help with what it is I exactly wanna do...Can you four help me?" She motions towards PJ, Katy, Lammy and Ma-san.

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"Sure thing." PJ hops onto the stage.

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("I don't see why not.") Ma-san follows suit.

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"Of course Sunny!" Katy zooms next to her.

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"O-Oh you n-need my h-help?...Um, s-sure! I'll d-do what I can!..." With all four of them now up with her, she huddles them in and whispers to them what she wants to do. PJ snaps an ok as he runs off to do what he was informed and suddenly the lights began dimming. When it came to Lammy's required help, her heart sank. She, along with the rest of MilkCan were required to play a love song from her to Parappa. It stung, but Lammy did her best to hide it replying with a solemn "Leave it to Lammy!" As she holds onto her guitar. With that, the girls went to position as the lights dimmed further, with a pink and blue spotlight enveloping Parappa "Whoa!...uh...talk about being put on the spot!"

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A pink spot light turned on covering Sunny. As she looked up towards him, the music began to play. "This is for you." and she began singing.

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_It was...cold...that niiiiight_

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_When you, came into my...troublesome life…_

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_And it seeeeemed as though…_

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_Everything's gonna be alriiii-hight, for the moment_

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_Since then hereeee and thereeee,_

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_My life's become…_

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_Like a rollercoaster ride_

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_Up and Down, round and round._

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_Bad times and Good times were on hand_

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_We tried to live up to our feelings…_

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_But then soon, we overcame them all!_ As she got to this part of the song, the girls sang out "Parappa para Parappa." and from here on they sang along with her.

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The song was beautiful, there was no denying that. And that was the problem. As the song went on, both Sunny and Parappa were dancing together. Parappa even began singing along. This was a night no one would ever forget, for some it was probably the best night of their lives. For others, they could only wish the memories could go away. But for Parappa, it was the best day of his life.

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….so why did it go wrong?

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Parappa, age 19

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"A-Ahah...I'm sorry...c-can you repeat that to me Sunny?..."

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Sunny just sighed sadly "I'm leaving Parappa...by the end of today...i'll be far far gone…"

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"I-I don't understand...w-why?..."

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"My dad...he just...worries for me...everything goes hectic every once and a while to a point...My dad worries that something will end up happening to me…"

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"But he knows I would never let that happen!"

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"I know...we both do...and that's another reason...Both of us would never forgive ourselves if anything happened to you...My dad is your dad's life long friend...he knows what it felt like when you lost your mom...he would never want you to end up in that spot...and me...That feeling is multiplied… I never want to see you get hurt...Like what happened recently…"

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"B-B-But i'm fine! S-See? I'm moving fine. H-Hahahaa….n-no problems whatsoever!..." Parappa starts moving his body around exaggeratedly to prove his point, but Sunny grabs his hand, to which he winces. She then pulls up his sleeve revealing bruises and cuts.

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It was by no means a magnitude of disaster like what happened to his mother, but it almost became that way. The warehouse that celebrated MilkCan's first concert, almost became Parappa's grave. Ever since the party it became a hangout for their circle of friends, but two months before today's dreadful news. It started falling apart. Was it age? Was it Joe Chin? The bullies? Was it one of the passing villains of the time? Who could say. It was devastating and terrifying. As the building collapsed, they all froze from panic until Parappa snapped them all back to reality. Immediately thereafter they were all separated by falling debris. Parappa managed to break through each obstacle to get to his friends to help them escape, each destroyed obstacle wearing his strength down more and more. He chopped a rusty railing that was preventing Matt and PJ from leaving in half, he lifted off a big pipe that was keeping Paula and Ma-san cornered. As he kicked away broken bits of the roof to get to Sunny, Lammy and Katy, and soon he noticed that sharp metal parts began falling towards them. He wasted no time and picked up one of the pieces of the broken ceiling and shielding the three of them with it, then began escorting them to the exit. They almost made it were it not for area around the door, suddenly caving in on itself, almost trapping them. Parappa caught it just in time, but did not have the strength to keep the exit open, so he ordered the three to leave first and that he'd follow after they'd done so. However this was a blatant lie and he knew that, because as they left his strength finally failed him as what he was holding gave way like his strength to keep holding it up and fell all on top of him. Needless to say the screams were plentiful as everyone dug out the fallen building, hoping their friend was still alright. And miraculously they found his body, shielded just barely by a sign the group put on the inside of the warehouse claiming it as there's. There was still some things they had to get off of him. And once that was done, they wasted no time pulling him out. And thankfully he was still alive and breathing, only just unconscious.

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"Sunny...t-this is nothing alright? As long as it wasn't you…" she just pulls back down his sleeve and holds onto his hand as if she was clinging to dear life. Most specifically his.

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Parappa was immediately sent to the hospital, nothing was broken which was a miracle in and of itself, but it would sure feel like everything was to him for a while. He was unconscious for two days, until he woke up while it was Katy's turn to keep watch over him, and she immediately alerted the others. Their task from then on was to prevent him from moving, which was easier said than done. He kept trying to insist he was alright. But when he got his way, upon standing up, he collapsed onto the ground writhing in pain. Parappa was there for a month spending his birthday within, and upon leaving he was under house arrest by his friends and family's orders. This was absolute hell for him, he didn't wanna be a burden, and what his friends were doing surely weren't helping him avoid feeling that way. Now he's nearly alright, but the bruises and cuts are still taking their time to heal. If he overexerts himself, he'll just relapse through the pain again. So he wouldn't do anything to tasking, this even included rapping much to his dismay.

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"I'm sorry Parappa...but I can't stay…"

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"Please don't leave me…"

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"H-Heh...I truly wish I didn't have to...to a point I even considered to my father if we could...bring you with us…, but I shot that idea down immediately...I could never do that...that'd be to selfish of me...I can't keep you." She lets go and dusts off her dress. "Our friends need you, your family needs you...this town needs you! Who knows what else...maybe even the world...I can't take you away from them…"

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"B-But…"

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"I'm sorry Parappa...but long distance relationships don't work out…" She walks up to a pulled up truck that her father is driving.

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"S-Sunny!..."

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She only stares at him with tears flowing like endless waterfalls, matching his. "It's time to move on Parappa Rappa…" she futilely wipes her tears away "Keep on believing ok? You'll find someone better…~ I'm sure of it, and by then you'll not only have moved on, but also forgotten all about me." She begins crying harder each word she says "Good bye…" she enters the truck and it begins driving off, Parappa fruitlessly tries running after it, only to collapse half way from forcing his body. Parappa, while trying to get back up just repeats the same phrase over and over "Please come back…"

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"Please come back…."

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"Please don't go…"

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"Don't leave…"

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"Please…"

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Parappa's eye's open, bloodshot and tear stained. To another sleepless night.

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"Time's were so much better back then…" Parappa rolls to his side "No troubles...no pain...only happiness and love…" he stares out the window at a rampant thunderstorm "But now my muse is gone. And i'm left with the feeling of decay." He curls up into a ball "I miss them...the memories…"

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_"Memories of Happier days..."_

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Current Parappa, Age 20.

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	4. Pick me up

The following morning was deceptively bright while over the Rappa household, the young man who the town grew to love, was left feeling loveless. His friends and family, deemed enough was enough.

"Soooooon!"

"Leave me alone dad...I already said I'm not leaving the room…"

"Not that!"

"And I'm not going with you to the Inventors expo..."

"Nor that!"

"Then leave me alone…"

"Son while I respect your wishes and your privacy! Enough is enough!"

"Good luck getting in, thanks to you teaching me about engineering, I removed the lock and made it voice automated…"

"Well I have something to surpass even that!"

"What could that possibly be…" as Parappa says this, Papa Rappa kicks the door down "A stern father's foot."

"Whoopie, you're in now what are you gonna make me do…"

"Not me, I feel like I can't really handle a situation like this…"

"Then why kick down my-"

"Hold it there conclusion jumper. I don't, but they do!" From behind Papa Rappa appears an older Katy and PJ, the latter of which has since grown, now passing all of them. Katy was now wearing a red shirt with a star and microphone symbol on the front and blue jeans, her shoes were about the same, only now bearing a plus insignia on the front, something that all members of MilkCan sport somewhere on their new articles of clothing. She now has also let her hair grow longer, but only much more noticeable from behind. PJ has opted to wearing shades 24/7 with a different one each day, a green and blue hawaiian shirt and red sandals.

"Oh joy…"

"I'll uh...leave him to you two..." he walks off, stops to turn his head to his son and sighs before walking off again.

"This was a lot worse than I expected..."

"You're telling me. Look at him. Dude! Have you even left this room at all?" PJ says as he lifts up his shades.

"Yeah...to shower...change...head to work...rush back...encase myself back in here…"

"Work? I rarely see you there!" PJ says only to recall seeing a blur rush in and out at the pastry store every day since the whole event began. Only lasting less than an hour. "Ah...right…"

"And eating?..." Katy adds on hoping the answer she gets isn't what she's expecting.

"I eat…"

"Oh thank-"

"And then my body forces me to throw it back up…"

"God…"

"So basically nothing I guess…" he rolls over onto his side to avoid making eye contact.

"How are you even still kicking?" PJ states, genuinely shocked.

"Beats me...I guess trying to eat is good enough for my stomach…" PJ just rubs his forehead at his reply.

"You have to eat man."

"Good luck getting me to keep it in my gut for more than two minutes…"

"Parappa you've been like this ever since she left a year ago...It's not healthy...it's a miracle you're even still alive in the conditions you're in!" Katy begins yanking him off the bed, but he just slinks onto the ground "Ugh…Parappa come on. PJ help me pick him up."

"You got i-" Just as PJ was about to finish his sentence and help, something down stairs blows up, followed by Papa Rappa yelling in both pain and success "IT ALMOST WORKED!...OUCH!..."

PJ sighs "I should probably help with that…" Katy just groans and nods, to which he leaves the room "Ok Parappa, why's this eating away at you so much?" She sits him up properly on the floor, using the bed frame to hold him up.

"You tell me… Oh wait… You can't...not like you've been suffering the pain of lost lov-" Katy's hand instinctively slapped him across the face against her better judgement or control "I-I am so-"

"And that was supposed to help me how…"

"...look man...believe me or not...but I actually do get how you're feeling...and understand what you're going through and why you choose to go through it...But it's not right…"

"If you 'understand' then how come i've never seen you in a state equal to how I am right now…"

"Because I remembered I have tons of people caring for me...willing to help me! Willing to  _cry_  for me and my well being to SHOW how much they care…just like you!"

"That's a-" Parappa stops himself, recalling the instant that had him hospitalized. How he was blanked out for two days, and the doctors told him that he should've been out longer given his body's condition and that it was a huge shock to see him wake up when he did. But why did he if that was case? If it was so rare to have gotten back up...then why did he? And then he started recalling voices.

_Hey...come on man...you gotta get up...who's gonna get mad at me when I decide to sleep out in the open rather than do anything productive…_

_(If you managed to beat me in arm wrestling, then this should be nothing to you!...Right? Come on mutt you're stronger than you look! Seriously man...this shouldn't be this drastic towards you…)_

_Heh...hoo man...they say we're lucky, but I don't consider myself lucky. If I wanted to feel that way, than all of us should've come out of that ok...If anyone's lucky it's you… I bruise when I get hit with a basketball at our games! And not even if it's thrown hard! PJ could lightly tap it on me and boom! Bruise!...but you...it took a rundown warehouse to try and take you down and even that failed...so why aren't you opening your eyes?..._

_I'm not saying get better, because I refuse to believe anything's wrong with you...you're strong. In many forms of the word...and yet...I still can't help but want to say because I see you here...like this...grr...you idiot...why can't you wake up...wake up!...WAKE UP!..._

_PAULA DON'T SHAKE HIM LIKE THAT!...and she's gone...someone will cheer her up...until she gets a look at you again...I don't blame her...I wanna do what she just did to but...that would hurt you...that's the last thing I wanna do...heh...my dad and your dad got into their first fight since they were kids...at least that's what my dad told me once the two of them found out you were here...that's the first time i've seen him so mad...and the first time i've seen your dad mad at all...but they're both just...really sad...can you blame them?...I'm sad to...I want my boyfriend to be ok...I want him to wake up and tell me it's going to be alright...that I just need to keep my head high and keep on believing...I...got to go...I can't...I feel like I'll breakdown on the spot if I stay here any longer…_

_H-Hey...so...you're here…l-like this...all...b-broken...t-thanks to me… I want t-to say sorry so b-badly...but what would t-that change?...it a-already happened...I want you to g-get angry with m-me for almost c-costing you your life...I w-want you to yell...I w-want you t-to..shout...I-I w-want a-a...nything...just p-please...w-wake...up…_

_Big bro?...You're gonna be ok right?...Please don't leave us...Please tell mom to let you stay with us here...please…_

_Sweetie it's best to let him rest for now...Your brother will fine alright? The doctor said so, he just needs time… but I wonder...how much time that will end up being…_

They were all there by him as he was out cold...worrying for his well being...hoping that he could wake up...Katy was correct. They were all there crying for his sake. He could hear each individual person's voice break as they spoke, and the teardrops as they hit the floor. Then he remembers the last voice as he woke up.

_Hey...So here we are...you...like this...thanks to us...but you wouldn't say it was our fault. I mean...yea the thing collapsing couldn't be anyone's fault...but while it was collapsing...we didn't do anything...it was pure...fear...shock...terror...forcing us to rely on you rather than help you...but for me? The feelings were magnified...I couldn't believe it...it was happening again...the same thing...from nine years ago...only this time...I was about to lose someone even closer to me...heh...not like you'd understand what I mean by that...I mean yes you see how close you are to me and vice versa...but...not the way I fully see you...heh...I don't wanna just be the sister figure...I don't even know if you can hear...or if I want you to hear what I'm saying right now…please wake up...you promised we'd be friends forever..._

At this point he can't recall what Katy was saying anymore, she was whispering past this point, so lowly that even he couldn't hear it. He also couldn't exactly tell what she meant with the last few words, did she feel guilty for it all? What happened after? He can't fully recall but he remembers a weird pressure on his lips and silence for a brief moment when it suddenly stopped, and it was at that moment, he woke up. And what he saw as his eyes opened up in a sickly manner was a near familiar sight he recalls from 13 years ago. He woke up staring at Katy, but she wasn't staring at him with a blank expression like back then, rather she had tear stains around her eyes and a light pink hue on her face, the look was more akin to a mixture of sadness, shock, relief, and joy as her dried eyes sprung tears again upon seeing his own eyes open. He wasn't sure what she did that got him to wake up, but he was happy for, whatever it was, got him to do what they wanted in order to stop the sadness, wake up.

As he finishes remembering all of that, he recalls what Sunny told him the day she left

_Our friends need you...your family needs you, the town needs you! Who knows what else...maybe even the world…_

She was starting to show merit in her words, but why did they all need him? What made him so special? Then he recalled something his mother told him years ago.

_There's my little energetic ball of sunshine! Heh...you are such a shining beacon of hope for me you know sweetie?...When I first had you, I thought I had everything planned out, but then I realized you can't really fully plan for a baby...and I panicked...but your father just grabbed my hand and told me 'It's going to be alright, just do what you always do, keep on believing. No matter what happens, it'll be alright because we'll make it alright!' And he was right. It was ok, seeing you was a sign that it truly was and always would be ok. Hehe...you're like the living embodiment of my catchphrase you know that? So rather than just something I say to myself or those around me to keep their heads up. You are the walking feel of it, lifting everyone spirits! You may be a troublesome little squirt, but no one can deny that you don't brighten up their day even just a little. And I feel like that little power of yours will only get better and stronger as you grow older. That's what I think-...no. That's what I_ _**know** _ _. And a mother is never wrong! But we'll have to wait and see for how much of an impact you have on the people around you~_

It was only now that she finally made sense, that all the pieces had connected in his brain, and he was suddenly disgusted with himself. For if his mother saw what he was currently doing now. Disappointment would be an understatement to what she'd really be feeling because of him. All his friends and family found him as a source of light in their life. And he just drops that all because of someone leaving him? Said someone who also told him NOT to do what he's doing now? "...That's a...fact…"

Parappa then felt a painful pit in his stomach, as if once he realized the core of his actual problem, his body finally let him do what it was supposed to do, only it was also letting him feel the pain and repercussions of NOT doing those things, and with that he clutched his stomach and flopped to his side in pain.

"P-PARAPPA?" Katy wasted no time in kneeling to his side.

"I'm...so...exhausted…and so...hungry...there's...pain everywhere…" Parappa forces himself up "I'm...sorry…"

"W-What for?"

"You're right...I was being an ass…not realizing how much trouble I was causing people just by shutting myself out..." Parappa started stumbling, as his eyesight got blurry, he was about to pass out, but he refused to until he finished his apology "I...didn't see how much of an impact and influence I really had on people...what I meant to them...what...I was...for...them…" Parappa falls to his knees "I...want...h-hellllllllll…..p..." he finishes off his cry for help with a thud on the floor as he lays there unconscious from exhaustion and lack of eating.

"PARAPPA!...H-HELP! M-MR. RAPPA! PJ!...A-ANYONE!" The mentioned men wasted no time in running to where they were.

"W-WHAT HAPPENED?" they shout in unison upon arrival.

"H-His body finally caught up to how poorly he's been treating himself…he's out cold..."

"PJ call for an ambulance."

"On it!"

The call was sent and received and the doctors arrived and took Parappa once again to their surprise. They assumed he was fine after recovering fully, a full year after his last visit. And the news of this was certainly a shock

A week later.

"And with that, you're free to go! But I cannot stress this enough, no more food withdrawal or skipping out on sleep. It was something to do it for a whole year and only come out with just a week of needed help, but I wouldn't press your luck on doing it again alright? You got lucky twice, I don't know if lady luck will keep you in her blessing. Don't test it."

"Understood doctor."

"I don't wanna see you back in here alright?"

"Yes doctor, sorry."

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." She looks out the door to where his dad, Katy, Pinto and PJ are seated.

"I know…" and with that said he heads on to where they are "Hi everyone…"

"Glad to see you're in a stable enough condition to walk man." PJ says as he walks over to greet him.

"Heh...yeah...gonna have to eat and sleep a lot more than usual for a bit to make sure I stay this way."

"Now isn't that a load of irony." PJ just smirks at him, trying to lighten the mood.

"Got me there!...look...i'm...real sorry about this mess...I was being the king of all jerks to you all, and for what? Some misinterpreted sadness…"

"I hold no grudge son, both because i'm your father and because I understand, after all the heart is both the strongest, yet most fragile part of the body."

"H-Heh...got that right Mr. Rappa…"

"Yeah...PJ, Katy?" Both look towards him "Like I said as I...conked out again...I...want help...I wanna shake off the remaining sadness to prevent myself from ending up as that mess again…"

Both walk up to him and place a hand on his shoulder.

"I'd do that regardless, hell I was already planning to! Gotta get you to ease up and relax now right?~"

"Help my best bud? When have I NOT done that? And to help him eat no less? I might actually be mistaken for a more active person once I'm done with you!"

"Thanks guys…~" Parappa felt blessed during this moment, watching as his father smiled brightly, but his sister refused to take her eyes of the ground. He walked up to the fourteen year old.

"Hey."

"Hey…"

"Sorry for...you know...scaring ya again...heh…"

"You're a jerk…"

"...yeah...I know…"

"Please don't do this again…"

"I'll do my best aight?"

"You promise?"

"You better believe I do!" She looked up to reveal a tear stained face but an honest and warm smile, but you wouldn't have been able to tell had she not looked up with how long her hair's gotten, nowhere near as long as how his unruly mess has gotten, but still enough to cover a lot of her face if she looked away at the right angle. "Thanks bro...n-no offense to mom but I rather not have her repeatedly trying to take you from us…"

"E-Eheh...yeah…" Parappa looked away.  _Such an...uneasy but effective metaphor…_

"Well I think it's about time we hightailed it out of here!" Katy said to which everyone nodded in agreement with.

During the drive home, Papa Rappa drove the lot towards his home with PJ in the passenger seat next to him as his size would be rather tough to sit next to with any of the other the three in the back. Parappa was on the left side, Pinto on the right and Katy stuck in the middle of them.

"You sure you don't want me to drive us back dad?"

"You were just checked out of the hospital. It's not that I don't trust you...it's just…yeah I don't trust you."

"Gee thanks for the bode of confidence."

"Relax! Once I see you fully alright, you'll be driving again like usual!"

"Fine." Parappa just slinks into his seat.

"Also look at out, we're approaching some wide turns so careful if you guys topple over!" Just as he says that, they approach the first of said turn and an idea pops into Pinto's head. "Ooooooooooooops! I'm being toppled over against my control! Sorry Katy!" She pushes into Katy, Shoving her literally ontop of Parappa "W-Wahahahahey! W-What're you doing P-Pinto?" her face glows red.

"Sorry, can't be helped! I'm toppling over!" The next turn approaches and Pinto shoves Katy again, this time forcing her ontop of Parappa's lap, and taking her spot so that she couldn't go back to where she was.

"OOF…" was Parappa's only reply as he was squished.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Katy screamed so loud that glass on PJ's shades broke.

Pinto has known about Katy's crush on her older brother for as long as she can remember, she enjoyed the thought of them being together and would always try to set up moments for something to happen between them, much to Katy's dismay. And like with Katy helping Lammy, it didn't really go anywhere due to...complications in Katy's bravado.

"Oops. sorry!" She looks at Katy who has since fainted ontop of Parappa and groans in annoyance under her breath.  _Darn it…_

"What are you three doing back there?" Papa rappa asks, legitimately concerned.

PJ turns and sees what happened then turns back to him "Seems like someone's making a move now that they're single."

"G-Get real! She just fell on me from the curves! I'm sure Katy would agree with me." Papa Rappa, PJ and Pinto all look at each other in awe of Parappa's ignorance.

"Yeah, sure she would. You got us there."

"Thank you for agreeing with me! I mean come on. Katy doesn't even feel that way about me. I swear you guys take anything into extreme proportions." after he said this the three of them forcibly slammed their heads forward into whatever object was in front of them, PJ removing his busted shades before doing so, and Papa Rappa causing the car horn to play out.

"The heck was that about?" Parappa just shrugs it off as he positions Katy in a position that isn't completely squishing him while still keeping her in a somewhat comfortable position.

Upon arriving back to the Rappa house, they all left the car to head inside, only for PJ to be called back by Parappa "Uh...little help with her?"

"That's on you dude."

"Seriously? She's pinning me down...I can't even move!"

"Fine I'll help." He manages to get her off and allow Parappa to leave the car "Man that was rather uncomfy…"

"Why didn't you just position her in a way to avoid that?"

"Didn't wanna be rude and let her be uncomfortable for my benefit."

"Such a gentleman, that'll win her over."

"You're seriously still on that?"

"I guess I like teasing you."

"It shows, come on lets get her onto the couch."

After a while both PJ and Parappa just chat to stave off the silence while they wait for Katy to wake back up.

"So how you feeling?"

"Hungry."

"Here." He hands Parappa a donut from typically, nowhere.

"Hah, thanks man."

"Anytime. On that topic, what'll you do now."

"Honestly? I don't know. I mean I've shaken off that side of me, but I have no clue what to do now. I'm worried I'll relapse back to that state, so I wanted help...but I don't exactly know what type of help…"

"I'm not exactly aware of what I need to do either. I can just offer eating and sleeping, but just that isn't exactly healthy either."

"Then why do you do it?"

"I'm a bear!"

"Teddy bear."

"Your point? All i'm getting at is that my body is basically built for this kind of lifestyle, the rest of you guys? Nope."

"Fair point." Parappa scratches his nose as he tries to find a way to word his next question without sparking a fire within PJ until he assumes he's got it."So why the sudden interest in my rebounding now that I'm single?"

PJ could feel Parappa tried to dance around the subject to avoid teasing, so he decided to play along and answer him without teasing him "I mean seeing as how it was the cause of you blocking yourself out as Mr Gloom and Doom and you're all like 'my muse is gone, the pain is strong'. Need I go on? Why wouldn't I wanna see you rebound and be all happy again."

"I see your point but why Katy?"

"If not her would you prefer Lammy, Ma-san or Paula?"

"Why specifically my friends?"

"Who knows, maybe cuz it's the biggest chances you have? Or the easiest? Maybe I'm just teasing ya? Or maybe I just don't see ya with any other gal aside from them? Who knows. All I know is you're not getting a real answer outta me."

"Wow, you hook up with Sweety and all of a sudden you're Love Doctor now then?" Parappa crosses his arms and huffs in annoyance "I don't get you man."

"I am not surprised."

"Yeah yeah…look I'm serious. Why them? It's kind of a lost cause to think of that cuz none of them like me that way."

PJ obviously knew otherwise. Katy flat out told him her's and Lammy's crush on him since way back when. Paula gained adoration for him as he grew to be a more and more stellar guy thanks to Sunny, as they were still dating, at first PJ thought it was that akin to gold digging until Paula flatout spilled her feelings to him one night asking for help in trying to win Parappa over in case something ever happened. Only to give up then and there realizing that it was wrong to think that way making PJ hate himself for even thinking wrongly of his friend. Ma-san was a complete and utter shock to him. He found out about hers to which he assumed began late compared to the other girls when Parappa was 18, until it later turned out it was sparked thanks Parappa's usual work as Milkcan's personal servant. Parappa was nice, to nice for his own good, He was to good a sport and an honest guy that he won her over. Though she would never admit it until later she found out what it was, which she could admit to PJ safely, knowing no one would ever catch on, believe PJ if he spilled the beans or buy it given her appearance.

"...And I don't like any em in that manner either."

"You sounded a bit uncertain there."

"Well I mean I enjoy the company and friendship i have with them and wouldn't want to ruin it with any of em with a relationship if I ever did feel that way, plus talking about relationships is rather painful in its own right recently cuz of…"

"Yeah I getcha…I'm sorry, but you know I worry for you man."

"For better or worse, I get what you mean." He then places his hand on his chin "I doubt this would happen, but if one them were to like me, I guess i'd give it some thought…I don't wanna be a terrible person by not even giving em a chance."

_A Pity party is not what they're looking for…_ PJ sighs then adds on "What if...multiple were to like you that?"

"I'd feel awful. Like how I just recently was..."

"What."

"Well, yeah! In the end if that were the case i'd only be able to pick one, there is no happy way around it. And that guilt would kill me. Internally-" he then looks up at a framed photo of all eight of them together and then closes his eyes "And physically…"

_Oh...that is the last answer any of them would've wanted to hear..._

"But luckily that won't be happening! Cuz neither of them see me in that light! So no need to worry over my emotional stability." He hops up onto his feet "I do appreciate you lookin' out for me man. I may not fully see eye to eye on your ideas with that, but I do get the point and am glad that you care enough to think of my benefit." He walks over to PJ "Wish I could say the same for yourself though!"

"What, binge eating and sleeping isn't taking care of oneself?"

"You said it yourself!"

"I also said I was a bear!"

"Sure, keep using that as an excuse!" They both laugh, but stop upon Katy waking up "Finally. Was running out of things to talk about."

"You? Without the gift of gab, I'm shocked."

"Can it PJ. Anyway you ok Katy? What was that all of a sudden back there?"

"Urk...what?..." Katy recalls what happened "Oh….O-OH! U-Um I was caught off guard by the shaking of the car and panicked that I'd probably fall out of the car! Then I hit my head on the roof of the car and knocked myself out!"

_Hope he bought that…_

"Yikes! You ok?"

"Yeah I'll be fine, that was a good nap to take my mind off it!"

"If you say so, if anything starts to hurt again just ask, I think my dad has somethings to help with that."

"Pssh you worry to much! If anything it's I who should be worrying over you! How are YOU doing?"

"Me? Well currently...I dunno." He turns to PJ "As I told him, I shook off the depression, but worry it'll come back...potentially stronger…" he turns back to her "That's what I want to get help for...just...don't exactly know how…"

"Well luckily your two oldest friends have your back, because we know exactly what to do!"

"We do?" Katy elbows PJ as he says this "OOF...I mean we do!"

"Well for starters since it's still early in the morning and you just got out of the hospital, doctor's orders are to eat and sleep more so than usual temporarily!"

"Uh-huh?"

"So I already have a solution."

"I'm all ears." He says as he plays with said big ears.

"Well I figure for today, from now till midday, hang out with PJ and Matt, pal around, hang out, build up a hunger! Then just eat. Basically a guy hang out!"

"I think that'd work out nicely. Plus it'd help Matt know that you're fine! Dude practically lost it when he heard you had to go back to the hospital again. This would benefit the two of you."

"I'm up for it if that's the case."

"Ok so that's settled! And then from that point onwards, me and the girls will take you for a night around town!" the color melted off of PJ "Just hanging about till ya get exhausted enough to rest plentifully!"

"K but why with all the other girls?"

"Well it's not fair if only Matt and PJ get to have fun with you."

"I get you but you vastly outnumber me compared to being with other dudes!"

"Oh man up! Enjoy the girls night!"

"I am man enough!"

"Then?~"

"You bet i'm agreeing!" Parappa huffs up his ego.

"Great! It's settled! I'll go call the others now to inform them!" as Katy bolts out the room, PJ rushes next to Parappa and whispers in his ear once Katy is out of reach "You sure you're up to do that?"

"Of course I am! You think I can't handle myself either?"

"It's not that-"  _It's exactly that_  "It's just…"  _think of something_ "One guy, four gals…"

"Uh-huh?..."

"I just don't want anyone mistaking my good buddy Parappa the Rapper as Parappa the Player."  _i'm such an idiot…_

He scoffs into a chuckle of disbelief "Ha, what was that? Like people would get that idea!"

"Eh you're free to prove me wrong I guess, cuz you know me, worried for your well being quite often."

"No need to baby me over it…"

_I severely want to tell you what's up, but after you telling me all of THAT I can't without panic over the end result…_ "You're right."  _But maybe it wouldn't hurt to see how this plays out. Maybe you overreacted?_ "I think you should go if the end result is beneficial!"

"Glad you came to your senses."

"Just avoid any uh...odd instances?"

"Odd how?"

"Just...odd for you alright? Look I gotta go fill Matt in on this whole thing, so you get ready to!"

"Alright alright alright. Now go. I'll get ready soon. Just give me a call to where you want me to meet you." With that said PJ leaves to get his part ready, as that happens Katy returns "Well that's that! I got them all informed and ready!" she hands him a bottle of water.

"You took your time though, I thought informing them for a night around some hotspots would go by quickly."

"Abooooooout that. I had to take a bit longer due to explaining some little add ons to Ma-san and Lammy."

"Whyyyyy?" he slowly takes a sip from the bottle awaiting the answer.

"Well that's cuz, starting tonight and here on out...you're bunking with MilkCan!" Parappa spits out the water like a sideways geyser.

"W-WHAT?"

"You heard me. You'll be our fourth room mate!"

"W-WHY?"

"You need help! And said help needs a woman's touch! Or a trio of them!"

"M-My dad would never agree to-"

"ALREADY GAVE MY OK SON!" Papa Rappa shouts from the room over.

"P-Pinto! You also need her ok!"

"My ok for what?" Pinto says as she walks in, appearing only to figure out what freaked her brother out this time.

"Well I was saying from this point onwards, your bro would be mine, Lammy's and Ma-san's new roomie! And he said we also needed your ok."

"Yeah and she wouldn't-"

"Sure!"

"R-REALLY?..."

"Great! It's settled!" She grabs the stunned rap dog by his arm "We need to get you ready!" And rushes off to his room.

"Take care!" Pinto waves as they run upstairs.

Once they enter his room Parappa immediately speaks up "I can't believe how fast my own family tossed me aside…"

"They didn't do that, I talked to your dad about it and he said it'd be for the best, plus weren't you planning on moving out to an apartment anyway?"

"For myself! Or even to PJ's flat! But I had to give it up cuz every time dad had to call me back seeing that PInto couldn't sleep if I wasn't at home...and yet here she just handed me over to you!"

"Yeah how bout that…" Katy knew why Pinto agreed instantaneously, but didn't pay much mind since it was used to her advantage. Plus she was just glad that she'd still be able to sleep even with Parappa not here, meaning she trusted her enough with him "But they didn't hand you over, they just want what's best for you! Why are you against this?"

What PJ had told him before he left was still floating around his head.  _Did he know about this?_  Parappa pondered over this, but she was right, it was for his betterment, plus he'd get to move out like he'd want to. He chose to shrug off PJ's words "I dunno...just a bit panicky...you sure this is ok?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't it be?"

"Well for starters I'm a GUY bunking into a multi room apartment with three GIRLS. You sure Lammy and Ma-san are fine with this?"

"I am! I wouldn't be telling you this if they weren't would I?"

"You got me there…"

"Yep! I thought Lammy would take some convincing, but no she flat out was ok with it, if it was for your betterment! Ma-san also surprisingly took no time in giving the a-ok."

"...Alright I guess."

"Greaaat! It'll be fine! Trust me! Now we gotta pack your things...and change your outfit! We need a new look for the new life of yours!" She immediately starts tugging at his shirt prompting a blunt.

"What are you doing?..." Katy quickly realizes what she's doing and lets go, glowing red "Oh! Sorry I just had instinct took over like how we used to way back when...h-heh.."

"We were knuckle headed kids back then! That kinda stuff was just natural! Especially with how brotherly-sisterly we were! So we didn't mind those kinda things. Now? We're young adults...kinda awkward don't ya think?"

"H-Haha yep! Sorry guess an old habit reared its head in after seeing the situation!...sorry!"

"Nah it's fine, I getcha. I'll get changed quick so that you can help me pack. But I'm gonna need ya to step out for a bit in order for me to do that."

"R-Right right! Lemme get outta your hair!" She leaves the room and shuts the door, than sits on the floor and screams silently into her hands from sheer embarrassment.  _STUPID STUPID STUPID...HOW DID I NOT CATCH MYSELF?_  She gets brought out of her self hating when she hears a bunch of noise emanating from Parappa's room.

"What the heck is he doing in there…?" after a couple of minutes of comical noise, the door opens. Parappa walks out wearing a shirt with black and white horizontal stripes. He also had on blue jeans, on the right leg was an orange P, on the left was an orange R. His shoes were now Orange like his beanie, they also had the frog stamp on the the sides! "How's the new look?"

"Your style is as fresh as your voice!"

"Thanks! Oh and I hope you don't mind, but while I was tossing clothes to and fro, I kinda packed my clothes away already on my own."

"Well then we're a partial ways done! Lemme help with the rest on my own at least."

"I refuse to let you pack my stuff on your own! It's my junk!"

"Your stuff isn't junk. Like...th-...oh wow…" She holds up an old framed picture of her and Parappa at the pond they found when they were kids, after they cleaned it, every so often when they had the time they would go there. But only them and PJ knew about it. However recently they hadn't been there in some time.

_I should change that…_ "...this place is just a treasure trove of memories isn't it?"

"I guess you could call it that, but they pile up. Memory or not, I rather keep photos if the souvenirs start to mountain up on top of me. As much as I don't wanna get rid of em, I also enjoy not being squished."

"I could take it off your hands."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure I can find space for some of em."

"Then you can take what you want, anything to prevent me from having to throw them out!" With this said, they carry on with the packing and finish just as PJ call's him "That's my cue for their half of the 'Parappa Pity Party'!" He chuckles "Seriously though, thanks for this."

"Oh it's what any friend would do!...no...should do!" She winks at him "I'll ask your dad to help load these into my van to take to our place. You go have fun! And eat! You're still a growing boy!" She sticks her tongue out at him after she says the last part.

"Just because I didn't grow as tall as the rest of you did, doesn't mean I'm stuck at this height!"

"I know I'm just playin, now go! Don't keep em waiting!" Parappa simply nods and heads off. Not long after the sound of a car starting and driving off plays out.  _I sure hope this does help him…_

* * *

 

Parappa sees Matt for the first time in a while. He's wearing a black and silver jacket over a red undershirt. The shirt having a basketball pictures stamped on the front. He wore torn white jeans and Black shoes. This was a radical change to say the least. The trio of dudes then go off to have their fun in their own way that reminisce of their younger teen days that they usually didn't get to have due to having the females outnumber them in votes over what they wanted to do. So to do something THEY wanted, was nice. They managed to to play against one another at basketball. It was a major disadvantage for Parappa as both Matt and PJ, who were the two tallest members of the friend group, were twice his size. Nevertheless Parappa held his own, but still ended up in third albeit not that far off from PJ with just a two point difference at 32-34. Both were floored by Matt with a whopping 66. "I keep telling you Matt, you could go pro! The second you get the ball it's not leaving your grasp. And no matter the distance you always land the shot!"

"It's kind of you to say, but I'm too soft to be a pro with this, it's still greatly encouraging to hear!"

"Parappa's right Matt, soft or not, it's something to consider. But I suggest to keep on practicing, Me and Parappa aren't worthy opponents." Matt simply laughs.

There next destination was supposed to be at record shop. Until Parappa and PJ noticed newcomers to the world of music, being harrassed by so called 'old pros'. And after a few to many taunts were tossed, Parappa and PJ stepped up. And not long after, Parappa the Rapper and DJ PJ were up to defend the kids from the childish adults.

"I dunno who you guys are, but if you're anything like the rest of this dump of a town. This should be over quick." The 'pros' just cackle as their leader says this causing PJ and Parappa to bare their teeth, but quickly calm down as they turn to the kids.

"You guys new to PaRappa town?" The kids nod with slight introversy to Parappa's question "Then you're gonna learn to love this town soon enough!" Matt walks up and grabs the kids on the shoulders to reassure them, then looks towards his buds. "Annihilate those fools." Both smirk to him as if to say.  _You know it._  And turn around.

The music showdown was indeed over quickly as the brute of a 'pro' leader stated, but not the outcome they would have expected. PJ and Parappa had, as Matt asked, annihilated the tone deaf fools who were left running from the townspeople kicking them out due to having enough of their rude antics.

"Haha yeahhhh! They really were from out of town if they didn't realize their first mistake! Messing with two thirds of PaRappa Town's pride and joy. Parappa the Rapper and DJ PJ!" They bow as the audience that had gather from the music applaud, the children running up to them, thanking them for the help.

"You two were great! Better than great! You guys rocked it!"

"Thanks so much for helping us out with those jerks!"

"I wanna be like you guys when I grow up!"

After the children finished bombarding the duo with praise and questions, they ran back to the record shop with heavy glee. Leaving said duo to just laugh.

"Aw man that felt great!"

"Gotta admit, showing up idiots truly was a great feeling." PJ chuckles as he watches the children disappear inside the building, placing his shades back down.

"Man you two have not lost your touch!"

"I dunno Matt, I felt a little flat with my raps...but hey, still better than what they were dishin out."

"Dude you were fine! You have nothing to worry about!" He patted Parappa on the back to reassure him, to which he simply wagged his tail in agreement.

The rest of their time was spent at beard burger, on Parappa's request. "Man I sure worked up an appetite...sorry we couldn't do everything you two wanted…"

"You kidding? It was great enough as is!"

"What Matt said, seeing you having the motivation to rap again was enough to admit that this was great."

"Thanks you two." They head to the counter.

"Well if it isn't three of my favorite customers!"

"Sup Noodles" The trio say in unison.

"Parappa my man, haven't seen you in a year. Thought you moved away."

"Nah, just...let something get to me...when I shouldn't have. I'm fine now thanks to these guys."

"Well great to hear you're fine now. So what can I hook you guys up with? The usual?"

"You know it." the trio say in unison once again, causing colonel to just laugh "On it!"

As the the guys take their seats, they begin talking again to pass the wait time for their food. "So Parappa, PJ tells me the girls will be picking you up soon."

"Yeah after we eat actually."

"Is that so." He smirks "You sly dog you."

"W-What?"

"Four gorgeous gals all giving you their undivided attention till nightfall? Lotta guys would go to hell and back to be in the position you're in."

"S-Stop...it's just to help me fully get back on my feet…"

"Oh so you're reclining on them like the big man? I didn't take you for that kinda gu-" Matt is shut up by PJ grabbing his face "Ever since you started understanding Ma-san you've gained quite a love for crude jokes and I don't like it."

Matt plucks his face from his grasp "It's all in good fun! He knows I'm only kiddin! Right Para-" He sees Parappa holding his head up, upset at the whole thing "Ppa…" PJ grabs his head and turns him so that their facing each other "Fix this. Now."

"Yeesh I will! I'm sorry alright? I didn't mean no harm by it. Look Parappa I'm sorry for messing with you. I didn't think it'd get to you so badly.."

"I-Its fine...That kinda topic on its own will get my heart sinking, but if said topic also involves my friends then...I dunno I just feel off. Way off…" Parappa breathes a heavy sigh.

PJ leans in towards Matt to whisper in his ear what he had told Parappa and what Parappa had told him. "So he doesn-"

_Shhh._

"Got it…Again I still apologize...had I know that I wouldn't have joked..."

"Nah that's my bad...But it's all good alright? At least I know you won't joke like that again." As they finish the apology, Noodles arrived with their food. "Here you guys are, if you need to make another other order, just talk to me."

"Thanks Noodles." Parappa says as he gives a thumbs up.

As they finish eating they wave towards Noodle's as they leave Beard Burger.

"You sure you didn't want me to help pay?"

"For the twentieth time yes Parappa, we wouldn't be helping you if we forced ya to pay."

"I know but-"

"Listen to PJ man! We're cool with this."

"Alright alright! Thanks then!" Parappa looks at his phone for the time "Well I better head off! The girls won't be to happy with me if I keep em waiting!"

"Take care man!" as Matt shouts this, both he and PJ wave goodbye as Parappa starts up his car and drives off.

"You sure he's gonna be alright PJ?"

"He had a great enough time with us. I'm sure the girls will manage to do the same."

"Yeah, but with what you told me. Will this be a good idea?"

"I gotta be honest Matt, I don't know...but I gotta have faith in him and them…come on let's head home." They both walk off wondering if Parappa will be alright.

* * *

 

Parappa stops by where he was told to meet the girls "Hey-o!" The milkcan girls all wore a black lace dress with a white plus symbol on the front around their stomachs. While Paula wore a black jacket over a violet dress with a yellow ribbon tied around her waist. All of them except for Lammy wore heels. Lammy tried to walk in heels, it didn't end well. So shoes were her alternative.

("Geez you took your time getting here!") Ma-san said, feigning her annoyed demeanour.

"M-Ma-san...h-he wasn't t-that late…"

"Yeah it was only five minutes off the time we asked, we barely waited any time!"

("You guys can't let me have any fun can you? I just wanted to mess with the guy a little!")

"Enough chatter you three, lets get in the car already!" Paula says as she goes inside taking shotgun "Hope you don't mind me taking the primary passenger seat!"

"Not at all, first come first served!"

"Thanks Parappa~ Now come on you three enough wasting time already!" The girls of MIlkCan just grumble at Paula's snark as they pile in the back "Alright now that you're all strapped in, where'd you plan to go first girls?"

"Well it was gonna be Club Fun to start it off till we found out the place had closed down for good a year ago...So we had to come up with things on the fly! So first off!"

The quintet drive off towards an a place with an open mike night, asking Parappa to take the first song, but Parappa denied. Defending kids was one thing to spark his mojo, but just singing for fun in front of others wasn't exactly something he felt he was capable of doing just yet. So then Paula gave him a proposition "We'll sing before you Parappa! All four of us, but only if you sing as well once the four of us finish!"

"Well if that's the case, I guess I don't really have a choice." Lammy and Ma-san sigh as they weren't exactly keen on their singing, but decided to go along with it if it meant he'd give it a go.

The evening was going by there smoothly once Katy and Paula sang their songs. Ma-san struggled at first, as singing was one thing, but singing in english was another. But she did well. Super even. At least, that's what Parappa and her friends told her, which was good enough for her. Even though the crowd also enjoyed her singing. Then it got to Lammy who couldn't muster up the ability to sing in front of others on her own. To a point she would've fainted on the spot, had Parappa not joined her on stage.

"I have a song in mind that should be easy to sing with me atleast right? It's sure to get you to move you millenium gal~" Lammy knew the song he meant, the song that jump started her band's career after their first live concert. She nods with a bashful smile as she grabs the microphone. And begins to sing an altered version of the song with him.

"No time for tears~"

" _The Goal is near!~"_

"I'm trying to shift."

" _To a higher gear!"_

"That's when I see, all of ya comin'!"

" _Just to prevent me from runnin'!"_

"Facin' the problems that'll get me."

" _I don't wanna spend no time see?"_

"I guess all the hype that I could handle"

" _Was taken care of yes, when I was little!"_

"But let me give you, a word of advice, it seems like a waste of time but it's nice~"

" _And in life, struggle will help ya later, no cuttin' corners!"_

The rest became a pseudo duo between them in Parappa's type of style.

"And I'm in a beat." " _Know that i'm in the beat!"_

"Cuz I got the moves!" " _You know I got them moves!"_

"I don't need no time to rest!" " _Don't got no time to rest!"_

"You know I got the groove!" " _Me and you!"_

"And I will give you my best! " _You always do!"_

"Running from East to West~" " _It's what we knew!"_

"Got the moves y'all!~" " _Gimme the moves y'all~"_

"Diggin' the groove y'all~" " _Not tryin' to fool y'all!"_

"Hippity hop y'all!" " _I'm hippity hoppin"_

"Tippity top y'all!" " _To the tippity top an"_

"Go on!" " _Gotta go on!"_

"Move on!" " _Move on!"_

"Get  _on!"_

The final verse of the first half was sung in unison as the crowd was clapping in delight as the duo kept singing the remainder half.

The applause was massive. Nearly causing the poor lamb to suffer a combination of happiness, over anxiety, and the necessity to projectile vomit. Until Parappa grabbed her hand and opted that the two bow before they walk off stage.

"You two were amazing!"

("Yowza Lams you should sing more often!")

"T-Thanks g-guys~.."

"Lammy and you worried for nothing! See? I knew suggesting us to sing would be a good Idea, although I didn't expect Parappa to join you."

"I couldn't just leave her like that!"

"No fair~ Oh well you owe us a song another day. Right now Katy says we stayed past what we planned originally, so we gotta go."

"Yikes really? Sorry...man the same thing happened with me and the guys…"

"Don't worry Parappa! You looked like you enjoyed yourself and that's what matters!" Katy says pulling him in for a hug "Ooooh it makes me so happy to see you outta that slump!"

"Well that's thanks to you guys! I would've still been holed up in my room were it not for you all."

("Blegh enough with the sappy stories, we only got time for one place left to go so let's pick and go already!")

"I got just the place!" Katy whispers in Parappa's ear "Ohhh! Good idea! Let's go!"

After a short drive towards the park, Parappa and Katy lead the other girls towards a mini forest. Once walking through they reach an old sight for sore eyes. Unfortunately with a rather unwanted face.

"Come on men! If this is gonna be the 'Joe Chin's recreational pool center' it needs to be done by yesterday!"

"J-JOE?" Parappa shouts with disdain as he turns around to see who called. "Oh...well this is a lovely surprise now isn't it?"

_To think...my day would end like this..._


	5. Get a kick outta this

Tensions were high as the group stared at the spoiled pompous oaf in front of them with massive spite.

"Parappa my dear friend! My has it been a while since we crossed path like this! What brings you here?"

 _Dear friend my ass…_ "I could ask you the same thing…"

"Well as I'm sure you probably overheard, you're staring at what will soon be 'Joe Chin's' All age invitational recreational pool center! The beauty of nature! The relaxation of water! All together labeled by me for the world to enjoy!"

"How did you even find this place?"

"I stumbled across here when I once read up that there was a massive pond out here! Now at first I thought it was nothing more than an errant myth! But low my surprise when I saw footprints embedded in the ground! Leading directly here! Whoever they belonged I must thank! They seemed to have come here quite often, but stopped not to long ago. Their pity. Now they can't take credit for all this business investing!"

 _You have GOT to be kidding me...he found this place from our old tracks here? How obnoxious do you have to be to look around every nook and cranny till THAT'S your saving grace?_ "I-I see…" Parappa began growling under his breath.

"My my what a face!...Do tell me what's gotten you so miffed my dear chum?" Katy speaks up in his place "This place doesn't belong to you! You can't just turn this place into a tourist trap! It's a secluded beauty of nature that should stay as such!..." Katy remembers how run down this place was before she and Parappa managed to clean and fix it all up "People would just ruin it…"

"Oh my word Parappa! You didn't tell me you had an entourage of fine young ladies accompanying you tonight!" Joe simply walks past Parappa towards the four girls behind him, completely ignoring what Katy told him "My yes, I recall who you four are! You were good old friends of the lovely Sunny Funny! And by extension him. On that topic. What happened to Sunny then Parappa old friend?"

"None of your business…" Parappa manages to growl out, not happy at how despite everything, he was still being a massive flirt to women who could care less about him. Which is every woman. Well...every woman except his supposed betrothed. Joe had a massive event take place to announce said engagement. And yet old habits seem to die hard for the oaf as he's still hitting on everything with a feminine anatomy.

"Pity, all that work, amounting to nothing." Parappa's patience had been obliterated in that instance as something within snapped. He would've body checked Joe then and there were it not for the girls speaking up, prompting him to wait out for them to see what would happen.

"You're quite the sleazeball Joe...Soon to be married. And still trying to get inside the pants of every other woman you see… It's sickening…" Paula says as she turns her back towards him.

"Ah i'm just a connoisseur of romance! I'm just being a gentleman of the night with adoration towards the lucky women, I'm not doing anything with them-"

("Yet…") Ma-sans fuse ignites violently.

"Feisty, I like that~ But no. That aside, my soon to be bride understands as she herself does the same!"

"An oaf of a woman who hits on every man they see? Making terrible business decisions and ruining the environment? Gee no wonder you hit it off so well with each other…" Katy was getting more and more aggravated with the man each passing sentence.

"There you go on again about the whole, ruining the environment speal. Look no one owns this land as you said, so therefore nothing is stopping me from investing in it for my benefit towards the town."

"Disrupting it you mean!.." Katy corrects him while her tail cracks on the ground like a whip.

"Ohohoh. This entire topic is touchy with you. Why is that? In fact, how do YOU all know of this place my dear azure beauty?"

"None of your business…"

"...Your name wouldn't happen to be Katy would it?"

"Why are you asking?"

"My oh my. Then you along with Parappa were the ones who were the previous patrons of this gorgeous secluded area. How devilishly selfish of the two of you keeping it towards yourselves only!" He then leans over and grabs Katy's hand "No one would ever bother the two of you here...alone in such a spot." He lifts her hand and kisses it, much to her disgust, then whispers in her ear "Just the two of you, Katy K. X Parappa R." Katy's eyes widen as she yanks her hand away from him "How do you…" The others look in their direction wondering what's being said to warrant Katy's expression.

"You left your mark on the other side of that lovely old oak over there a long while back it seems~ Fitting that it's old branches would bend in such a way. Almost looks like a heart doesn't it?" She simply shoves him away, as the other four see this, they pile in front of her to prevent him from getting close again.

"So THAT'S why you refuse to see this place become a lovely tourist spot! You rather not have everyone know! Well at least that's ONE of the main reasons."

"What's he on about?" Parappa says keep Joe at bay.

"N-Nothing…" she simply shuffles uncomfortably in place.

"Well unfortunately I can't comply. My mind's made up and I already hired the boys over here."

"Y-You all c-can't be serious w-with listening to h-his plans to t-turn this place into that h-horrible idea!..."

"Eh sorry miss, he says he'd pay a pretty penny for it, so it's in our contract to fulfill the request no matter how imbecilic. Them's the breaks" The head worker then looks at Joe while leaning on his jackhammer "Speaking of which when are we getting paid."

"In due time my good man! Just after you finish working!"

"You say that every project you force us to do. And it becomes less believable when you take your sweet time paying us back…" It was true, Joe constantly had business ideas, and they were always a flop. It was a miracle he had the money to do any of those things, let alone multiple times. Till it turns out he was asking for donations from the townspeople who he somehow managed to get to comply "But I do pay you, as you admit!"

"Feh…" The workers all grumble, unable to deny.

("So you're still a rip off artist…") Ma-san states, unfortunately a victim of his crappy wares.

"Look Joe we've had it, unless you keep your word and pay us the moment we finish the job, we ain't starting, or even working for you at all anymore."

"That's robbery!"

"What you're doing is robbery, and we've had enough part in it."

"Well if that's the case. I'll just find other people if worse comes to worst!" He then glances towards Parappa's direction "However…"

"What are you looking at us for?"

"You lot want me out of here correct?" They wasted no time in a group yes "Touchy. Well I don't, and I am adamant of making this place a pool center. So how about a friendly wager." Before Parappa agrees, Katy answers for him.

"What's your offer?"

"Oh nothing to difficult for my good old pal! You see those two giant long cinderblocks? Me and Parappa here will be chucking them across the pond. Whoever throws theirs the furthest wins. If Parappa here wins, I leave. And not just that, I'll leave Parappa town in general with my bride to be! If this town doesn't appreciate what I do for it, I'll mosey on to one that will." The group would've jumped for joy were it not for the ridiculous challenge to begin with.

"What if you win?..."

"Parappa here has to help me pay for it all! While you four each treat me to a date~" The four of them gagged on the spot.

"Joe that's hardly a fair challenge." The worker interrupted "You may be a moronic crook, but you still have a physique that surprisingly isn't for show...it's not exactly fair for the little guy."

"If you've seen what I've seen, you'd be eating your words, Parappa can hold his own quite well."  _For better or for worse when against me...but not this time. He can't beat me here._

Parappa then shocks everyone by accepting "You're on."

"P-Parappa?"

"You can't!"

("Dude that's not a fair challenge, sure you can bust stuff but not exactly chuck something like that across a further distance than this brute.")

"O-Oh d-dear…"

"Kid ya sure? Don't stoop down to an idiots level...they'll make you end up worse than them…"

"Ah so you admit i'm better!"

"I admit that you're an imbecile with no salvation."

The girls huddle around Parappa "Are you sure this will be fine?"

"Trust me, if I could manage to hold up a crumbling building up, than this shouldn't be that bad!" Joe overhears this but keeps to himself as he walks off.

("You managed to hold it up for three minutes, that's not much of feat..")

"I could've managed to hold it up for as long as you all needed to take in order to get out." He wasn't wrong, they just wished he wasn't right "Look I'll pick it up, and throwing it shouldn't be that big of a problem! I know I can do it, I just gotta believe I can, with you all supporting me with your belief to!" the girls simply sigh and nod. "Great!" He turns to Joe "Ready when you are."

"Old sport, I'm always ready." He lifts up his cinder block rail and rears back before chucking it, landing it smack dab in the middle of the pond "And with that, it's safe to say that I won." The big and deep pond truly was a massive place, almost easily mistakable for a lake, that could swallow up much if gone to the center, which was about one yard from where they were standing! And still the block of stone was still big enough to protrude from the surface of the water.

"Well then old boy, you're up next." He walks off chuckling.

"Oh boy...I gotta believe…" As Parappa walks up to his block, Joe speaks up again, rolling up with a crane "Oh I'm afraid to mention that, that won't be the block you'll be using! Yours is in here and you have to break it out! Good luck!" He opens the crane arm and drops the pile of slag over Parappa's head. As he was about to roll away to avoid being crushed, His sensei's voice echoed in his head from an old memory in a near similar situation during training.

_Parappa, when facing bad mannered and ill willed adversity. One must always, stand there ground. No matter what!_

"I-I don't think now a-applies Tamanegi-"

_STAND. YOUR. GROUND!_

"B-But!"

"PARAPPA DON'T JUST STAND THERE, MOVE!" Paula shouts, to no avail as he doesn't budge. "PARAPPA!"

_STAND, AND FIGHT!"_

"W-WAAAAAAAAAAH!" as the block nearly reaches him. Chop Chop's voice spouts out two words repeatedly in his head, to which is body reacts on instinct to it.

 _PUNCH CHOP CHOP PUNCH PUNCH PUNCH CHOP PUNCH PUNCH CHOP CHOP CHOP PUNCH!_ This repeated over in his head as his hands did the rest, digging out a hole in the middle of the rock, but it was still forcing itself down.

"T-THIS ISN'T WORKING!..."

"Parappa what's wrong? I thought you said you handled a collapsing building!" Joe says, dumbfounded that Parappa decided to stand under the rock and take it head on.

"JOE YOU'RE A PSYCHOPATH!" the workers head towards Joe to try and yank him out of the working vehicle "I didn't FORCE him to stand under it and try to take it on!"

The voice in Parappa's head just keeps at it as he just keeps Punching and Chopping at the rock, continuously breaking bits off, but not stopping it's downward progression. "OWOWOWOWOWWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW! THIS IS KILLER ON THE HANDS…"

The rock was now starting to push him down, Parappa was trying to block with his arms, or atleast hope Tamanegi sensei would say to do so So that he wouldn't sustain injuries, and dig himself out later. But neither happened and he just kept jabbing and slashing with his hands, till the rock engulfed him. The girls gasp in horror as the rock lands on the ground with a heavy thud.

"Oh...pity...why didn't he move from that spot? What kind of idiot just stands under it…"

"WHAT KIND OF IDIOT DROPS ONE ON A PERSON ANYWAY?!" the head worker says as he drags Joe out of his seat and tossing him on the ground. Before they can do anything else however, the ground soon starts to rumble around the giant rock that encased Parappa. And soon everyone hears him shout out three words from underneath the rock.

"PUNCH!" From the center of the rock, a cinder block slab is ejected out and into the air.

"JUMP!" Parappa leaps from the new hole and catches up to the block.

"KICK!" Parappa spins in the air before punting the block away. It flies across the pond, shattering Joe's block as it passes through it and lands on the far end of the other side of the pond, deeming Parappa the victor as he lands on the ground with his arms crossed and a huge grin spread across his face in success. Then he falls to his knees with his eyes wide and dilating with his wide smile now crooked from fear and shock, sweat pouring like a waterfall.

 _Tamanegi sensei you're teaching methods are insane...oh god i'm so glad that actually worked...I would've been crushed...owowow...my hands sure took quite the beating…_  "Y-Yay...I wonnnnn…" he says as he stays stuck in the position he's in.

"B-Bu-But that's not possible!"

"AAAAAHAHAHA! Can it Joe, you lost even with your unfair bullcrap of a challenge. Now get lost you maniac. You gotta keep your end of the bargain."

Joe gets up and dusts himself off angrily "FINE! See if I ever do anything good for this town again! I'll find some other town worth helpin-" He's shut up by ball of mud hitting him square in the face.

("SHUT UP AND GET LOST!") Ma-san says as she chucks another one. The other girls following her example soon after.

Joe was entirely encased in mud as he ran out of the forest, keeping his word. From this day on, Parappa town would no longer see him again.

As they girls were pelting Joe with mud, the workers head over to Parappa "Hey squirt? You ok?"

"D-Define ok…" they slap his back and laugh "Haaaa you sure showed that despicable oaf! No sane person would've accepted that challenge let alone do what you did! Who would've ever thought to beat a hole through that pile of concrete from the bottom straight to the top?"

"H-Hehe...yeah...no sane person…"  _Tamanegi sensei's teachings are a blessing and a curse…_

"Thanks to you, we don't have to put up with that unbearable prick anymore!"

"Y-Yeah well not like anyone ever wanted to...just no one did anything cuz...who wanted to be around him?"

"Praise that fact, squirt!" With that they all get into their construction vehicles and drive off as well, leaving the five of them alone.

Katy dusts off and lifts Parappa and then stares at him with smile, to which he replies in kind with his own smile. Then she proceeds to slap him across the face, followed by Paula doing the same in the opposite direction, Lammy yanks his beanie down over his face and Ma-san punches him square in the gut.

"AUGH…" Parappa is back onto his knees in an instant "W-Why?"

"Don't you ever…"

("EVER.")

"Think of doing THAT stupid stunt again!"

"P-Please…"

"Believe me...I won't…" He manages to get back up, and covers his face as the girls approach him again. "Relax...we're not going to hit you again…" he warringly lowers his guard.

"Not counting that stupid outcome...thanks for getting Joe off our backs…"

"Yeah no kidding...finally, he gets out of our necks for good…"

("I never thought I'd see the day he'd finally take the hint!")

"Y-You're telling m-me...I f-feel bad for w-whatever t-town he migrates t-to though...n-now they gotta d-deal with him…"

"I'm sure they won't be as lenient as PaRappa town Lammy, no need to worry there!"

"You s-sure Katy? I mean look h-how long h-he's been at it h-here!"

"Ehhhh...frankly, I'm just glad he's gone…"

"Amen."

("Preach.")

Parappa cuts in "Well...I'm sorry...I uh...don't know what got over me to make me not move away...but I mean it technically turned out for the better?"

The girls say in unison as they roll their eyes "I guess…"

"And hey...now we can actually enjoy this place!"

"That is true...but thanks to Joe...it got all messy again…All that hard work years ago...only for it to happen again…"

"Guess i'll have to come here early someday to clean it all back up."

"By yourself?"

"Well yeah, you've already done enough Katy, plus I don't think you wanna see the place all dirtied up again."

"You're not wrong, but I gotta help clean it up to! That was what we promised back then! And so it counts even towards now!"

"I mean if you're really ok and up for it." She simply nods at his reply.

("Hey what are we? Invisible?")

"Yeah we wanna help out to!"

"I-If you don't m-mind…"

"Of course not! Right Parappa?"

"I won't say no to help if all of you are really up for this." They all nod and put their hands forward, to which Parappa does the same, topping it off "Then that's that! Joe may have have made of mess of this place again, but we'll just fix it back up! And with more of us now, it should go by quicker!" The launch their hands upwards.

"Agreed!...but man...what an unfortunate turn of events...I wanted you guys to see how amazing this place that me and Parappa found was, only to run into captain sleazy…"

"I think we already get the jist of how beautiful it can be!" Paula points to the water as the stars begin to reflect off it again, embedding them and the pond area all in a shiny, white light."

("Wow, a naturally made beauty, smack down right here in the middle of PaRappa Town. Who'd a thunk!")

"H-Hidden by the trees, as if to keep away anything that would ruin it." Lammy says, calming down thanks to the light of the area.

The group just stands there, gazing at the shining pond "I wanted to do so much more here, but I dunno what to do now. Sorry Parappa, guess this ended up a bust huh?..."

"You kidding? With Matt and PJ I had a great morning! Even got to show up some fools not to mess with this town! And Just flat out hang out and have fun. And here with you? You helped me ease back into singing again just for the fun and joy of it for me and others! And even got me to finally make Joe get lost for good. But...I guess it hasn't been exactly the same for you guys huh? I'm sorry…"

("Meh, Joe always soured the mood, not your fault dude.")

"Ma-san's right. No one could've predicted that we'd run into him." Lammy says as she puts a hand on his shoulder to reassure him."

"I guess you girls are right, doesn't mean I don't feel guilty over it. So…" He gets up, and since Lammy was the closest, grabs her hand that was placed on his shoulder and pulls her close "How about I dance with each of you? I don't really have anything else to offer, can't really sing since I didn't bring a mike or Boxy Boy, and you all really wanted to go to a club... So yeah...sorry for the crummy offer, I have two left feet and it's out of the blue, but-" He gets cut off "I'm ok with it. I think we all are."

"You bet I am." Katy just warmly replies.

"So you struggle with dancing, that won't be a problem when you dance with me Parappa, you know how great I am when it comes to dancing~ It'll surely rub off!" Paula announces proudly.

("Here's hoping he doesn't get your your ego in addition to his! That'd be to much to handle.") Ma-san says before laughing heavily at the thought.

"Well I'm just glad my suggestion was enough! And hey, we already have the dancing spotlights!" He chuckles as he waves his arm around in the bright white light, and then they begin their dance. And they just kept on dancing under the moonlight and starlight mix around the pool, a short break here and there for Parappa to relax his hands, but he was back at it again and again, as to continuously make it up to them. And before they knew it, they had danced the rest of the night away.

"Wow...time sure does fly when you're enjoying yourself doesn't it?" Parappa looks towards the girls "Well come on, let's head back to my car so I can drop you all off."

Upon arriving and entering the car, Parappa sighs and sinks into his seat.

"What's wrong Parappa? I thought you were doing great!..."

"Oh no no I am!... That's not it… It's Joe… I'm happy he's out of our hair, but at the same time. I always pictured the guy as a possible potential friend if he just…"

"Wasn't a womanizer?"

"Wasn't destructive?"

("Wasn't a rip off artist?")

"W-Wasn't always i-ignoring the r-reality of h-how things w-work?" After they all say their peace, Parappa simple sinks deeper into his seat "Exactly...but no...it's like the guy progressively got worse...after I began dating Sunny he seemed like a good sport about it...then he started up his business line's...and then...hoo boy...It was at that point I knew friendship was impossible, but still. I can't help but feel bad for the guy you know? I mean yeah he's getting married, but to basically a female version of himself! They won't survive for long and that's kind of upsetting that I was potentially the cause of that!"

("Joe brought that upon himself, there's learning and then there's arrogance. Take your pick on which you believe Joe decided to stick with. What happens to him was the cause of his own actions, He may be a dense moron, but he wasn't dense enough to not know that this would've happened to him eventually.")

"You're right, I shouldn't feel guilty in that case if this is the outcome he knew he'd get." He turns to face Ma-san ("Thank you for the realization.") He gives a goofy grin before turning back around and starting the car.

("D-Didn't need to thank me like that over common sense...dumb mutt.") she says barely over a whisper and with a quick  _hmph_  as she points her nose in the air, embarrassed over him choosing to speak in her native tongue in order to say thanks.

* * *

 

The ride to Paula's apartment wasn't to long nor hard to get to as the streets were surprisingly empty. Was there something going on or was it just that late? They didn't know, nor pay much mind to it.

"Thanks for the lift Parappa, and thanks for the invite Katy!" Katy waves with a smile while saying "No problem." As Parappa simply nods, keeping his goofy smile for abit longer before speaking up "I should be the one thanking you! If it weren't for your idea. I probably wouldn't have sung at all aside from that moment earlier today with PJ. But I don't entirely count that since the battle lasted under a minute. So this was the real deal with help over there!"

Paula snickers "You're welcome, but you gotta tell me all about that. Also don't forget, you owe me a song with the two of us as the duo!" She sticks her tongue out at him before closing her door and walking off. After she disappears inside the building, Parappa speaks up again "Any of you gals wanna take the main passenger seat now that's it free again?"

Ma-san and Katy wasted no time in answering him "Lammy would love to!" to which she replies upon hearing her name "W-Wait wha-"

"Lammy you wanna do that then?"

"A-Ah...well...s-since you're offering...I guess I w-will…" she heads on over to the seat right next to him "T-Thanks~"

"No problem!" He finally resumes driving "So where am I dropping you three off at?"

"Dropping off?"

"Yeah?...Katy I mean where's your apartment that the three of you stay-"

"I heard what you meant, what I mean is, did you forget already?"

"Forget wha-" You could literally hear the gears in his head spinning, until he recalled what she meant "Oh...right...I'm now your guy's new roomie!...h-hah slipped my mind…"

"O-Oh right! I'd forgotten that also..."

("Not gonna lie, so did I with what happened today.")

"Yeesh, Parappa you at least have an excuse, but Lammy and Ma-san? Girls this was something I thought I made sure you'd remember and be ready for!"

"I-I'm sorry, m-my mind was on o-other things after the open m-mike night…"

("And Joe soured my mood to the point that slamming his face into the concrete was all I had in mind.")

"Oh boy, well no worries! Doesn't really affect us much! You'll still move in nice and easy! Now to get to your new apartment you just gotta take this route and then, make a left at the second turn signal." After a surprisingly long drive, the reach the street where the place is located, but Parappa had something on his mind, he knew the reason for them choosing to be roomies, but never really explained the process. "So how was it for you three when you decided to be roommates?"

"Well I mean for me it was easy, my parents at first didn't want me to go, but after a bit of convincing and showing how this would be the best for me. They let me go. I love my parents and all, and they got better ever since meeting your family Parappa, but at the same time I just wanted to, you know leave. I wanted to spread my wings I guess. A caged bird never sings and that just wasn't my lifestyle."  _I wanted to leave it all behind and start anew, but that was easier said than done._ "So it was at that point I decided, what if MilkCan lived together? Would make many things a hell of a lot easier. Plus Lammy already was in her own apartment, so getting her to agree wasn't gonna be to hard. At least that's what I thought at first. This kinda lifestyle takes quite the commitment. But we were MilkCan, we didn't cut any corners and well. The rest is history."

"Well b-basically what Katy said. I mean yeah I was living on my own, but that was cuz of family...They w-were always busy t-to a point of never really b-being there. So I f-figured they wouldn't mind me having a place to m-my own. They kinda d-did but eventually just l-let me be. When Katy d-decided for me to move in with h-her. That's when things g-got rough. M-My parents did n-not see eye to eye on t-that plan...To a point I almost had a f-falling out with them...l-lucky me…,but in the e-end they gave in on t-that idea as well. And well, h-here I am!"  _The whole situations was one stress inducing case I only wish I could've avoided, but it went well for me regardless…I guess._

("For me, I was informed on the plan and was gonna tell my father about as soon as possible. I wasn't gonna take no for an answer, but he just answered yes on the getgo. And I just got so mad that I literally exploded on the spot. I got mad as to why he was just, ok with letting me go. I thought he didn't care what I would do with my life now that I was an adult, but...he explained that he felt it was a necessary thing that just had to happen eventually. He knew that I would just move away one day and leave him alone. And rather than worry on the loneliness, he panicked over my condition on the matter. Then he said he was relieved when I was moving out to bunk with friends. Saying that, if that was the case, he'd have no reason to worry. And that the thought alone left him at ease with no reason to feel lonely. Then he spouted so much gushy crap and…") A single tear drops from her eye recalling her father's sappy words, but she immediately wipes it away, regaining her bravado ("Well the rest is history! End result is I moved in with them! But that should be obvious.")  _I just wish my dad didn't treat me like a baby even to this day, but I can't really BLAME him due to me being the only bit of family he had left! I wonder how my old man is doing now?..._

"Sounds like you three had a lot to go through."

"It was, but we all remembered one thing!" As Katy said this, the three of them said in harmony "No cuttin' corners!"

Parappa laughs "To think my dad's old catchphrase would be the basis you three go by even to this day!"

"Well it helped even now!"  _Although to be fair, my mom and dad do not know that I'll be inviting you to bunk with us, but i'm sure they'd be fine about it knowing that it's you. ….or would they?_

"I-It really did!"  _My parents threw a fit with the whole bunking idea, but if they knew a boy would be joining us they'd be flat out livid…"_

("There's some merit to it! At least from what I witness anyways.")  _I wonder if pops would be eating his words if he ever found out a boy was one of said friends I'd be eventually bunking with? I don't peg him for the type to get upset at it, but he's already surprised me once…_

The girls all sigh, leaving Parappa confused "Uh...something up?..."

"Nah it's nothing, at least for me it isn't. How about you girls?"

"I-I'm good!"

("I've got nothing to hide, i'm just tired.")

"Yeah no kidding...I'm exhausted…" Parappa says as his grip on the wheel tightens as he parks outside their place..

"I'd be surprised if you weren't! After what you've been through! How are your hands?"

"In pain, but i'll be fine."

"Lemme see."

"Um, alright…" he lets go of the steering wheel and turns around.

"HOLY-... PARAPPA! HOW HARD WERE YOU HITTING THAT ROCK?"

"Uh…"  _oh you know, with enough force as kilimanjaro's eruptions, at least that's what Chop Chop says when he taught me._ "N-Not that hard…"

("The swelling, bruises and cuts say otherwise man.")

"I-It's fine! I'm fine!"

"Dude your hands bled all over the steering wheel, that's not fine."

"W-WHAT?" He turns to see she's right, while they were driving Parappa's hands had begun to bleed "Aw man that takes forever to clean! Damn...i'm gonna be here for hours trying to get that off. Well at least they didn't start bleeding as I was dancing with you guys..."

"You're worried about the steering wheel or the dances rather than your own HANDS?"

"Come on a-at least get em b-bandaged...I think he have some gauze bandages inside…" Lammy leaves the car, then heads over to Parappa's door to drag him inside

"H-Hey! I don't need bandag- OWOWOWOW DON'T SQUEEZE MY HANDS!"

"That prove my point enough for you?"

"Ok maybe I do need it just a litt- OWOWOWOW OK YES I NEED THE HELP!..." Lammy disappears with Parappa inside while Ma-san and Katy Lock up and close the car "Wait for us!"

After a bit of struggling, Lammy finishes up disinfecting and bandaging up his hands "That should do it! Not only that, but...I t-think the look fits y-your style nicely…"

"Lammy has a point! Maybe you should consider keeping em after your hands heal!"

"Well this is outta the blue…" He looks at his mummified hands and fingers "You do have a point...I guess i'll consider it, anywho thank a bunch Lammy."

"N-No problem!"

("I think they make you look like a dork, but an endearing one.")

"Well you're not wrong there!" Parappa couldn't help but burst out laughing "People think I look good in anything, just saying it fits well with my 'cuteness'. But cuteness isn't what I'm trying to go for. At least not fully."

("I wouldn't try changing it, it's who you are. Don't let the others get you man.")

"Hm...you got a point there now that I think about it. Guess I'll just keep at it if it's what I do best!"

("You are such a mutt.") She laughs as she heads off to her room.

"Hey where will I be sleeping?"

"Oh! That room right there! And here are you keys!" she hands him his car keys, but quickly remembers that in her own van, his luggage is still packaged away. Before she can bring that up, exhaustion finally shows its hold on her as she yawns, infecting the room "Oh man... i'm sorry Parappa. I kinda forgot to take your stuff out of my van, and I'm too exhausted now to help unload your stuff, can we do it tomorrow? You still have a bed and sheets and all the basics."

"That's good enough for me! I'm beat as well so sure, we'll save it for tomorrow. Good night you two!"

"N-Night.~"

"Sweet Dreams man! But wait! Won't your dad need the car?"

"He has his own, he got a second one after the noodle fiasco. Good thing to huh?"

"Very! Good to know!"

"Now, g'night!"

Parappa enters his room and shuts the door, it was slightly decorated, showing that this room was possibly used as a hangout for the three of them. Especially seeing that it had its own TV like the living room did, but maybe each room has its own TV already? Seems like quite a money sink, but he'd be sure to help out, four sources of income was sure to keep this place in a very stable motion "So this is a new start for me huh?" He hops onto the bed "Man what kind of experience will this end up being I wonder." He removes his shirt, rolls it into a ball and tosses it to the side, then he takes off his beanie and stares at it before putting it on the counter to his side "Heh...I'm finally starting to feel better. Sunny I hope you're at least happy, but I can't help but wonder if you've already moved on. And I wonder if I should to..." He yawns, as he starts fading into dreamland "Can I even move on?...I don't really have any options when it comes to girls around here that would see me in the same light as you did, or if I would even see them in that light to begin with for that manner..." His eyes can barely keep open as he remembers what PJ was teasing him with earlier "Or do I?..." The four girls that helped him tonight reappear in his mind "N-No...that's stupid...I don't…" He soon feel himself get more exhausted all of a sudden, unknown to him that it's his heartbeat "Do I though? Nah...it can't be that…but is it them?" He can't stay awake any longer "None of them see me that way…" He closes his eyes "But it...would be nice...if one of them did…" He finally drifts into sleep.

* * *

 

Dreams are usually meant to be one's escape into a slightly more relaxed state of mind, unless they become a nightmare in which case they're the exact opposite, but what if it's neither? How does the mind handle such a strange dream?

"Augh...my head...huh...the floor? I was in a bed just a second ago...did I fall off?" He looks around "Hey where's the bed? Actually scratch that! Where's anything?" He starts searching the near endless hall of a room "What is this? Am I asleep?..." He pinches himself "Ow!...now did I feel that or did I dream I felt that?...Man this is confusing…" after a bit, he begins to run rather than walk, and eventually he comes across a door "Finally! In we go." As he enters the room, the door behind him disappears "Well, guess that's that...hey...is this a bathroom? Kinda...missing everything except the the sink and mirror…" he walks towards the sink and begins to wash his face "This also feels real…" He looks at the mirror "At least I can trust you!"

_Are you sure?_

"Of course I-...wait wait waitwaitwait! D-Did you just talk back?"

_Of course I did, what do you think I am?_

"A mirror!"

_I ain't nobody's mere reflection!_

"But...then...who are you?"

_Who are you?_

"I asked...gah...fine. I'm Parappa Rappa, or as the town calls me Parappa the Rapper!"

_You're lying._

"No I'm not!"

_You are, because I'm Parappa Rappa….aren't I?_

"I...don't know...aren't you my reflection?..."

_I don't feel like you...I don't feel anything at all...well that's a bit of a lie…. I feel somethings..._

"Like?..."

_Cold, Sad and sorry._

"Sorry?..."

_Yeah...I'm sorry…_

"Huh? Sorry for what though?"

_This…_

His reflection punches the mirror, shattering it from his side, and the entire room Parappa was in shattered as well. And with nothing below, Parappa plummeted "WHAAAAAAA. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?" as he kept falling endlessly, he eventually saw something. It was the floor of the room he just fell out of. And immediately as he saw it, he made impact.

"Augh...my head...huh...the floor? I was in a be-...wait...I just...went through this...but...now...I'm at my house?...A-Am I awake now?..." he walks to where his room was, but something was off, his room was there. It just wasn't his room "This is...a storage closet...what's going on…" He closes the door and resumes exploring what he thought was his house. "Where's my room? Dad couldn't have gotten rid of my stuff that quickly...if at all...he wouldn't have wanted to do anything...ugh...my head hurts...I'm...gonna try and watch tv…" He uses the remote, but nothing happens "Of course…" he walks up to turn it on manually and as he does it flares a white light in his face. And immediately he gets sucked in "NOOOO!" and just like that, the tv turns off with him inside.

* * *

 

Parappa's eyes open as he's on his new bed "...no...I refuse to move…I'll just close my eyes." Parappa had strange dreams only rarely, and when he did, it was usually before something big happened. Like when he first met PJ, Katy, Matt, Paula and MilkCan. When he lost his mother, when he first fell in love...when his love left him. These are just to name a few. Sometimes he didn't know how long the dreams would last so when he had enough, he would try to just wait it out. Unbeknownst to him that he was actually awake now.

The door to his room suddenly opens "Maaaaan even though it's right across my room. I still never get used to waking up even earlier for a MilkCan group planning…" The voice belonged to a groggy Lammy as she plopped onto the bed, causing Parappa to panic.  _D-Did she forget i'm here?...Oh wait...this is has got to be the dream still._

"Katyyyyy...wake up...you're the one who asks for these meetings in the morning...It's not fair that you get extra minutes of shut eye and I don't...and why does Ma-san get to take her time…" She elbows Parappa mistaking him for Katy.  _This isn't a dream...uh oh…_

"Katyyyyy…."

"Whaaaaaat…" Katy says as she opens the door to the room, yawning and rubbing her eyes as she enters.

"W-Wha?...But...if you're there...then who's…"

_Please don't lift the sheets._

Lammy lifts the sheets, revealing him like a deer caught in the headlights. "U-Uh...morning!" Parappa looks at the two, only to realize their modesty is currently nonexistent. Lammy wearing just a lone shirt, labelled 'Fresh Milk' over her underwear as a nightgown. Katy was just flat out in her underwear and bra. The latter of which was hastily put on to answer Lammy's call as it was poorly worn due to her being half asleep at the time. The heat from all three of their faces certainly turned the room into an oven as Lammy quickly got up and held the shirt down with one arm to try to cover something, while also using her other arm to cover the ridiculous words on the shirt. She quickly glances over to Katy while whimpering out "H-Help!..." Katy however, is overwhelmed with many emotions to the point that she simply bolts out of the room and slams it shut, leaving the poor lamb in the room with Parappa. She'd leave to were it not for her own overflowing mix of emotions keeping her stuck in place. Parappa grabs his beanie and forces it over his eyes in an attempt to try and lower the awkward and embarrassing air, to no avail.

"M-Man this is quite a near similar experience to something y-years ago ain't it huh?..." Parappa says trying to fix the situation, but he gets no reply "I-I'm not seeing anything at all! S-So um...you're able to leave freely!...please!..." he hears no footsteps, nor the door opening or closing "I-I'm-" His apology gets interrupted by Lammy's

"I'M S-SO SORRY!...I F-FORGOT YOU WERE HERE! W-WE USUALLY USED THIS R-ROOM AS A M-MEETING ONE B-BEFORE WE STARTED OUR DAILY R-ROUTINES A-AND-"

"L-Lammy it's fine it's fine!" Parappa tries to calm her down, but she just keeps up apologizing to a point it's ends up devolving into whimpering and mumbling. He knew this meant she would soon begin to cry on the spot, and he had to think quick to prevent that.

 _Come on come on...what do I say in a situation like this? Is there even anything to say?_ "Um, look! It's fine! I knew that this was something everyone would have to fully get used to! And for that I'm sorry I had to be in a condition to force this radical change in your guys lifestyle…" silence becomes his reply once again.  _Gah...wrong thing…_

Lammy surprised him by speaking up "You don't have to apologize for that…" she removes the beanie from his head "H-H-Hey wait!" He tries to cover his eyes with his hands "Parappa stop...this time it's my own fault that this happened...plus Katy can't get mad since this was her own idea to begin with."

"I mean that may be true, but it's not your fault for being so used to living amongst one another for a while now. I kinda threw that off by joining an all girl apartment!"

"Yeah, planning wasn't the best. But the end result is still the same as what she...no...what we all wanted. Isn't it?" She moves Parappa's hands "You said you were feeling better...w-was that a lie?..."

"No...not really…I did mean all that I said."

"And h-how was your sleep?..."

"Fine! Best i've had since the whole you know what situation."  _Aside from the weird dreams...but that's another story._ "And I really do have all you guys to thank for that!" He grins awkwardly "It's so strange, seeing myself in the position that I usually help all of you guys out of."

"No kidding...it was so off p-putting seeing you so...not happy. So...defeated. Begging for help. Not like the guy I knew s-starting up five years ago that's for sure."

"Hehe...yeah...luckily I'm kicking that side of me to the curb!"

"Good, I d-don't think any of us want y-you to be that way ever again."

"With you guys by my side, that won't be a problem to worry about!" He smiles in such a bright manner that it reflect the morning light, it stung the eyes to look at for an extended amount of time, so she shuts and rubs her eyes, but soon takes into account that she stopped covering herself.

"E-Eep...I'm uh...s-sorry for the shirt by the way...it's not usually something i'd wear…Ma-san just joked about it one day because of the band name and how we were all girls and...well Katy found it both funny AND fitting, so much so that she got one for each of us...I mean I didn't find it funny and certainly wasn't gonna wear this out in public...b-but I also wasn't going to avoid wearing something s-she got for the band as a whole...And well...i-it is comfortable to sleep in...So...here we are...h-heh."

"I mean you don't really need to explain your reasoning for that, if it's comfy, then wear it for what you wanna! It's not really a style issue, but I see the reasons for not wanting to wear it publically." He released a forced, nervous chuckle "But I'm not really one for style no matter what people tell me. I mean I've been wearing that beanie since for as long as I can remember. Everyone's style is always changing but me? Nah."

"I mean it fits you at least, if that's something to go by. And hey you probably have sentimental reasons for keeping it. That's perfectly fine to…"

"Well yeah...See it was given to me by my mom, but at the same time she also said to not get overly attached and try to grow out of. Or at the very least update to a new beanie… And after her passing I guess I decided to overlook that and just keep it? It's weird."

She hands him his beanie back "It isn't weird if that's what you were comfortable with or used to. It's the style of Parappa."

"Maybe not, but that Parappa also got himself sent to the hospital twice, leaving his friends to worry over him. This Parappa needs to think better, act better, so that he doesn't do that again. A fresh start, know what I mean?" He stands on the bed and places the beanie on her head "W-Wait! I-Isn't it your last one?"

"It is. But hey, it looks good on you to. Plus, consider it as thanks for all this here." He smiles before having to blow the hair out of his face "Although I still will have to get a new one to keep this mess of a mane in check!" He simply laughs, unaware of Lammy's red face and her own goofy yet bashful grin, as she straightens the beanie on her head.

"I guess I should get used to seeing the three of you like this in the morning or at night then huh?"

"Oh u-um, i'll just have to make sure I don't-"

"No it's fine, I rather not force you guys to change out of a comfortable lifestyle routine. Besides you guys might end up seeing  _me_  in a few embarrassing moments from time to time as well! So it's best to get used to it and not have it affect anything, or else what good would the becoming roommates idea be then?" She releases a small giggle "You're right. Oh boy sorry if I panic a lot during those moments like t-today…"

"You seem calm and composed now though, I'm sure you'll be fine! The coolest one sure has a composure to match!" He clenches his hand into a fist and fist bumps the air as he says this.

"I-I'm not that cool…"

"You kidding? You do things that make what I do look like childsplay. And when you get a guitar in hand, man oh man is that coolness skyrocketed to the heavens! I can't even compare."

"Ok ok you've made your point..~" She bashfully scratches her head.

"You know it's funny…"

"W-What is?"

"Growing up I only really considered PJ and Katy my best friends. Matt and Paula were odd cases as they were really best friends of my best friends, so I guess they became mine that way? But with you and Ma-san, I always felt like you two were out of my league...and I was just lucky to be your friend at all. But no you're both just as down to earth as you are amazing." He extends his hand "Consider me a best friend to?"

"O-Oh I uh…"  _H-He thought that_ _ **I**_   _was out of_ _ **HIS**_   _league?_ "Yeah." She grabs his hand and shakes it "Best friends~" Parappa couldn't contain his happiness as his tail went into a flurry, he then embraced her in a hug much to her surprise.

"E-Eep!"  _Please please please tell me this is a dream...wait...actually don't!...please let this be real!_  "Aw y-you…~" she struggles to get her arms around him, but eventually manages to do so.  _It is real... best day ever~..._

To say Parappa was overjoyed would not be enough to describe his current happiness.  _So THIS is the reason for the dreams this time!_  However the joy was cut short when they hear a 'click'. They look over to the source of the sound, only to see Ma-san at the doorway with her phone.

("This is totally gonna come in handy for me in the future!") Ma-san begins laughing to herself at her newly acquired blackmail. The two sharing the moment, immediately break the hug and try to clear their names.

"I-It's not what you think!"

"W-We were just h-hugging, as friends d-do!"

("Ah yes, shirtless mutt and skimpy lamb in a nice embrace. Your hands through his hair while wearing his hat. While he nuzzles into your chest. That SOME friendly activity!") Ma-san only laughs harder, leaving the two speechless and red.

 _This is gonna be-_ Parappa glances over to Lammy with a look of apology.

 _One hell of a day..._ Lammy does the exact same.

At the Rappa's household, PJ rings their doorbell, only to be answered by Papa Rappa.

"Why good morning PJ!"

"Morning Mr. Rappa, how's Parappa doing? Came to see if he was finally starting to get better."

"Oh didn't you hear? He moved out last night."

"That's great to hear, amazing that Pinto let him be- wait come again."

"Yeah he no longer lives here."

"Where is he?"

"Oh didn't Katy tell you? He moved in with her and her band!"

"I see...well thank you, i'll be sure to go visit him there."

"Oh and would you mind taking this to him!" He hands PJ a powered off Boxy Boy "Sure…"

"Alrighty, thanks a bunch PJ!" He re enters his house and closes the door, with PJ facepalming afterwards "I told him to avoid anything that was odd to him-...of course he wouldn't find that odd...Gah…" And with that PJ ran off.

_You better be alright..._


	6. Love To Get Her

The quartet of roommates sit in their living room with three of them trying to keep their gaze away from one another.

("Geez what the heck did I miss? I swear all the juicy stuff happens when I'm snoozin!") Ma-san crosses her arms and huffs in annoyance.

"Nothing happened!...Just kinda forgot I invited Parappa to live here with us and...well…"

("It can't be as bad as him catching Lammy with literally just a shirt covering her bod…")

"Um…" she explains

("Pfffttt...ok. Yeah I wish I could've taken a picture of that as well!")

"Glad to see him catching me in my underwear is worthy blackmail for you…"

("Calm your fur, I'm not gonna do anything with the photo, it'd be bad for the band if it got out. I'm just keeping it cuz I find it sweet. But you know me, had to make it funny somehow.")

"I d-don't think I'll ever b-be used to your sense of humor Ma-san."

("I take that as a compliment. My humor takes an acquired taste")

"Anyway, moving on from that. As I said I just forgot was all, being half asleep and all that. The room I happened to give him was our meet up room. I'll just have to adjust I guess."

"Like I told Lammy, you guys don't have to adjust, we just gotta get used to it. What good would this whole thing be if we didn't right?"

"Um...I dunno…"

"I think he's right." Both Katy and Ma-san look at Lammy, astounded her not only being the first to be on board with it, but also agree so calmly.

"Well...if you are fine with it."

("I dunno, I think it's an excuse to catch you two in your underwear again. This is why I sleep in pajamas!") Ma-san simply reclines back into the couch with her tongue sticking out.

"That's not true! And even if it was, it'd be ok! Me and Katy have no real reason to worry over it!" He soon recalls Katy who accidentally tried taking his shirt off yesterday "Actually thinking about it. I used the excuse of us being adults as to why we should worry, but really seeing as how close we were, and still are, while growing and not mind when it happened then, it should be any different now! So that should also apply to you two as well! It even happened yesterday when Katy almost remo-" Katy wraps her arm around his mouth" AHAHAHAHA, OH BOY WHAT A JOKER~" Her grip squeezes tighter, nearly crushing his head "But yessss...I agree I guess. Not sure how you can be so ok with it."

Parappa plucks himself free and gasps for air "Ack...Well the answer to that is simple. I took into account things that came to mind a week ago. And seeing as we kinda did the same thing when we were young as I already brought up, I really shouldn't have judged even as adults. Cuz again. You're like a sister to me!"

Ma-san flinched, as if she heard something shatter into pieces, knowing exactly what it was, while Lammy just stared, completely lost.

"But I mean it'd still be a tad hard getting used to fully cuz...you're not…" Parappa struggles to finish.

"Not what?"

"You know..a...um…a g-girl…"

"What...what do you mean by that?" Katy huffed, offended by his poor choice of words.

("Cool it, familyzoned, he's trying to say he views you as a woman and not a girl anymore. Take the compliment.") Ma-san whispers into her ear as she sees her getting angry, changing her expression from anger to pure embarrassment afterwards "W-Wha-"

("Huh, saying that aloud kinda makes it seem like he hasn't fully familyzoned you huh?") Katy simply tosses Ma-san back onto the couch.

"Fine! I agree, seeing as Lammy agrees!"

("I have no horse in this race so I guess I agree.")

"Then it's unanimous, Lammy I hope you don't regret starting this!"

"Hey it's not like I forced you t-two…I just said that I thought he was right is all."

"And that's all that you needed to say to convince your bandmates! You'll be the denominating factor for when this vicious boy takes advantage of usssssss." She says while breaking out into laughter causing Lammy to simply roll her eyes.

"Me, vicious? Only on the mike maybe! But great to see that potential awkward hurdle is out of the way!"

Before they could all laugh at what Parappa said, they hear a knock at the door.

"Wha? Who could that be…" Katy walks up towards to the door "Who is it?"

"Me." the monotone voice gave away that it was PJ, but Katy didn't really enjoy his reply so decided to play around "Meee? I dunno anyone named that."

"We are not starting this right now…"

"Starting what me?~"

"Ugh...it's PJ…" she opens the door with a cheeky smile plastered on her face "Now was that so hard?"

PJ simply groans "No…"

"Atta boy."

"Look I came over because I heard Parappa was here."

"Yeah, there's our new roomie right now." she points to the dog in question, who waves at him.

"Yo PJ! Morning man, what brings you here?" PJ glances towards Parappa, then back to Katy "Mind if I speak with you privately for abit?"

"Uh…sure?" Katy follows him out and closes the door "Whatcha need?"

"Why is he here?"

"Cuz he lives here now?"

"I know, that's what i'm referring to."

"Cuz I invited him to live here now?"

"Why…"

"What do you mean why? He needed help!"

"And this helps how?"

"A girl brought him into such a state, figures girls would be able to bring him out!"

"I fail to see your logic."

"Geeeeez...why? What are you jealous he couldn't move in with you or something?"

"Don't be a fool...it's not that, it's just I don't think this is a good idea for the guy."

"He's doing fineeeeee. He even slept great, said it was probably the best since a year ago. Maybe even before then."

"Really?"

"Mhm!" She smiles with pride, proving to him that her idea did help "He's even been happy since then! Even already tried integrating himself to our daily lifestyle!"

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah? Why what's wrong with that?"

"Nothing it's just...I dunno I feel off...as if something's gonna...come wrong out of it...and with all the things the guy's been through already and how he ended up affecting him and what it led him to, it's just that I don't see the real help in this scenario or if it won't go south at any given-" She shuts PJ up with a slap across his face.

"D-Did you just slap me?"

"Yes, because you're overreacting! Nothing bad will happen ok? Why are you so overwhelmed by this…?"

PJ sighs and decides to inform her on what Parappa told him.

"W-What?"

"You heard me. Dude wouldn't exactly feel comfortable if he found out his remaining female friends all had the hots for him. Said it'd kill him internally and externally. Even just one is a rather odd case as he'd feel he'd lose the friendship entirely. Especially if it ended up a split like with him and Sunny. Guess all this really got to him from a deep personal level…So he rather not do to many out of the ordinary things around females period."

"PJ...i don't know how to reply...oh wait...of course I do." She sticks her tongue out at him.

"I was afraid of this…"

"He. is. Fine. Whatever he told you, he seems to have gotten over it!"

"Any evidence to that?"

"Well for starters. WE got him back in the groove to go singing and rapping again by getting him to start singing with us! And he even ran Joe Chin outta town for us. Not to mention, danced with every single one of us~"

"W-What? Really?"

"Of course! Everything you just told me has not even happened remotely. Relationship or not, he handled being around us four pretty well."

"Huh…" PJ recalls on how Parappa himself brought up the topic to begin with.  _Maybe he's been thinking it over? Did I really get the thought stuck in his head?_

"Hmm…" PJ rubs his chin "Alright, I believe you. But I also gotta ask, Since the three of you like him-"

"Three?"

"Whoops...don't tell Ma-san I said that, she'd probably tear one of my limbs off...and it'd take forever to sew back on…"

"Haha...knew it...anywho I won't, but carry on."

"Since you all like him, you sure that won't affect living arrangements?"

"What do you take us for? Wild animals?"

"I don't mean that...although now you got me worried."

"Shushhhhhh we're responsible tame adult females, besides. We're still trying to get him to cling to Lammy! Which to my surprise, they did on their own from what I hear!"

"No kiddin'? How'd that happen."

"A-Ah...well...you see here…" After a bit of explaining, PJ simply crosses his arms.

"Not wild animals huh?"

"I forgoooottttt...i'm just glad I wasn't lazy enough to put the bra on…" PJ can't help but chuckle at her morning misfortune.

"This is like a bad sitcom. But hey at least Lammy took advantage of it! And it actually led somewhere! Although in the end, I still say you should also at least try to make a move."

"I refuse! My main priority is helping Lammy! They'd be such a cute couple you would not be able to believe it. And it doesn't seem like Ma-san wants to bother, at least not to my knowledge, so I'll leave her be. Not like she'd ask for my help anyway."

"Fine."

"Thank you."

"Then it's in my best interest to help you win."

"No"

"Sorry Katy." he clears his throat "But if I can help a friend of mine who's in love! So be it! That's what i'll do!" he does his best impression of her voice as he can.

"Ugh...i'm starting to see those words biting me in the butt now…"

"Heh, well this is all I wanted to speak about, I'll be on my way...oh! Wait, I have to give this to Parappa." he holds out Boxy Boy.

"Oh! Well come on then!" as she opens the door, the others speak up "Oh hey you're finally d-done! Parappa wanted to talk to the two of you about something."

"Eh? Is that so? Well what is it dude."

"Well I wanted to thank you guys for helping me out a lot yesterday. And well on the TV came up a commercial bout a club that's in the city next door to our town! Ma-san said she recognized the place from a magazine she read and says it's one of the greatest places in the world! Can you believe that it's literally not that long a drive away? So I figured since we're not working today, cuz it's the weekend and all that, why not take the six of you with me! As a giant thank you!"

"Huh...could be nice since Club Fun shut down and all. I've been meaning to see if I can add another place to DJ at regularly…Sure."

"Ooooh! I agree as well!"

"Then that's four people! Would you guys mind calling Matt and Paula and getting their input? And PJ, you can even invite Sweety Bancha! All while I go look up directions to the place!" Both reply with "Got it."

* * *

"Alright! Got it! It'll still take a while, but it'll be a fun trip. Any word on the final two?"

"Matt's in, says he missed clubbing, and going to do so with friends would be great"

"Paula's in, she loves the idea of finally being able to go back to a club, especially one supposedly better than Club Fun."

"Great! I guess all that's left is getting ready! You guys do just that! I'm off to buy a new beanie!"

"Wait, before you book it. Here, your dad sends you this." Parappa grabs the object in PJ's hands like a child recieving a present from their parent.

"Boxy Boy! Can't believe I forgot to pack you! Thanks PJ!"

"Nah don't mention it, I just happened to be at the right place at the right time."

"Alright! Now I'm off!" He rushes out of the room, as the door shuts behind him from the wind catching up to him.

"Wait did he say he was gonna buy a new beanie?"

"Oh yeah, what happened to his last one? He had it with him when we got him settled in here…"

("Lammy happened.") Ma-san shows the picture she took of the two earlier, showing Lammy wearing the beanie, causing Lammy to bury her face in her hands "Dios porque me castigas…"

"Awwwww~"

"Now this is adorable."

"P-Please stop…" Lammy just glows pink as the two fawn over the picture.

("If you want I can send you two the picture.") both waste no time in saying yes.

"Deja me en pas…por favor..." Lammy huddles onto the floor.

"Oh Lammy don't feel embarrassed over this! It's lovely! And hey! It looks like you can build off of this!"

"Estoy bein, gracias pero no mas…" Lammy lifts her head up "I just got accepted as a best friend by h-him...I rather not...get to pushy and lose that…"

"He gave you his beanie! That's something to go by!" PJ then whispers into Katy's ear as she says that "He also gave you his first ever one." Katy simply shuts his mouth with her tail as she carries on.

"I'm serious! No harm in giving it a shot!"

"I dunno...I mean he just recovered from a b-bad heartbreak…"

"Are you saying you'd do the same?"

"N-No!...I just...I don't know...this is hard…I'll think about it next time a sudden t-thing happens..."

"All I ask!" She lets go of PJ's mouth "And you PJ! Can I ask a favor?"

"What ya need?"

"Well I was gonna unpack Parappa's stuff with him,especially now that we'll be needing my van and his car since not all of us can fit in just one of them, but he kinda left in a hurry. So would you mind helping?"

"I don't see why not, i'm already here."

"Thanks! Let's go!" She grabs his arm and drags him with her outside.

"I'm...gonna go rest in preparation for tonight...this morning's got me all flustered and dizzy…"

("You do that...actually I'mma go do the same, already know what I'm wearing for tonight so I'm good. My as well catch a few extra z's seeing as I got nothing better to do.") They both head to their respective rooms.

* * *

"If there's bound to be a new hat for me. It'll be sold here! Preferably a beanie." He begins glancing around the stores of the usual few shopping districts for anything he'd like to buy, but to no avail "Man...nothing…"

"Mira quien tenemos aqui!" a voice calls out to Parappa, prompting him to turn around only to see Takoyama with a few bags in hand "W-Wah! D-Don't cut my hair!" He quickly places his hands on his head.

"Don't be silly mijo! I'm just here on my day off, shopping for daily things and whatnot. And you're lucky! If I wasn't or if I got my rhythm going, I'd be going for that unholy mess you call hair!"

"I-I rather not have my hair cut...so thank you…"

"Pero por que no? I can turn that blonde mess into hair for success! But I won't force you, at least not now." He then tilts his head to the side "So what brings you here?"

"I'm looking for a new beanie to buy to cover this with."

"I'm afraid no stores around here have what you're looking for…"

"What?!...Aw bummer…" He kicks the dirt and begins walking back to his car "oh well…"

"Espera espera! I didn't say that no place had them, just not here." He thinks, and soon his skin flares to life into a scarlet color causing Parappa to freak out "Ahaha! Si ya yo me recuerdo!" he pulls out a map of the town he had just bought "You would think with living here as long as I have, i'd have seen everything this town has to offer, but no there's always something new that I have yet to see! Anywho." He begins pointing on the map "There's a secluded selections of stores here, It's a safe bet to say they have what you want mijo!"

"Thanks Takoyama!"

"Don't mention it, now go get a new hat to cover your hair! Before I get the urge to fix it!"

"R-Right away sir!" He hightails it outta there and back to his car, relaxing once he's inside "Phew...Alright, let's hope this garners some success." he quickly drives off to where he was instructed to.

* * *

"And that's the last of it, didn't expect him to have so much stuff." PJ says as he winds his arm around.

"You're telling me, especially seeing how many times we've been in his room! But yeah as I helped him pack to move, it was just a shock as to how much there actually was. Luckily none of it was heavy!" Katy wipes her forehead "But blegh, do I need a shower... Gotta get ready for tonight so might as well!"

"Guess it's time I take my leave to get ready as well. See you when it's time."

"Later PJ."

"Take care." He begins walking off once he sees her enter the building.

"Man this place isn't that far of from mine, but all the same I should really get a car as its still quite a distance. Would rather avoid walking to much."

He then stares up at the sun "He did seem happier...maybe he shrugged off that whole, ' _it'd eat away'_  at me thing? It does seem like it...especially with that Lammy moment…" he places his arms around the back of his head "She said they became best friends though…Is he misinterpreting it? Or is he taking it step by step?" he sighs "Whatever it is, I hope it goes well for him. With her or whoever. I just want him to finally be ok." PJ had not noticed he had arrived home and almost walks past it had he not caught himself "Whoa, that would've been embarrassing. Guess time flies when you're distracted. Now let's get ready!"

As he enters, a confused thought enters his head "...What counts as ready for me? Well I have a few hours to figure that out...No problem!"  _I'm doomed._ "Nono it shouldn't be that hard...right? I don't need to be formal...but I can't be to casual...can I pull of classy? Ugh...this is not a topic for me…"

Suddenly his girlfriend, a pink bear matching his size while wearing white shoes adorned with rose symbols, a red and blue top with a heart insignia and a pink skirt, walks in from the other room "There you are! I've been trying to surprise you with an out of the blue visit, but you've been gone all morning. Where were you?"

"Oh, sorry Sweety, i've been over a friends apartment and was invited over to a new club as thanks, the invites extended to you as well of course."

"Hm...sure~ I rarely ever get to be around your group of friends anymore ever since Sunny left and Parappa ended up secluding himself." She tries her best to word the next part "How is he?"

"Better. But could still use a smack upside the back of his head."

She simply laughs "So that means he's back to normal then if that's the case."

"Pretty much...hey Sweety can I get your help with something?"

"Of course!"

"I'm at a loss...when it comes to what to wear."

"Wow this is a first, you worrying over your appearance?"

"Well I don't wanna just come off as the kind of guy that could care less considering the place we're gonna be going to! It's just I can't really work with the styles, and some other styles aren't really meant for going to a club...I have no clue what to do and I really rather not be a let down."

"You are anything, but a letdown to them. You're like the backbone of their group, the co leader if something happens to Parappa."

"I wish I felt as amazing as how as you picture me to be."

"Well why not? I'm telling the truth."

"Eh, I've grown to be disappointed in myself. I always see myself as if I were just left behind by everyone you know? Katy, Ma-san and Lammy have MilkCan and they're a hit! They even got to go on a cross country tour 2 years ago to fans they didn't even know they had outside of PaRappa Town! Matt could easily become a sport star in any sport, not just basketball, if he had the moxie to give a shot, could even be in more than one with how dedicated he is. Paula doubles over by being an active athlete and dancer! She's even beginning to dabble greatly in acting. And then there's Parappa. Dude and I grew up together and yet...he left me behind in a smoke cloud with how he progressed over the years. And me? I'm just-"

"Enough, PJ you shouldn't feel that way. You shouldn't even feel like your inferior at all. You're just as great as all your pals are! And you've always have been and will continue to be, you get quite as many request in and out of town to DJ and you've certainly help out at your job with new food ideas. Chop Chop certainly wouldn't have managed without you."

"You have a point there I suppose. Ok fine I'll cut it out for now."

"As you should! Now follow me! I know exactly what you can wear."

"Oh already? Great. What is it."

"This right here!"

"Sweety this is a mirro-..." She just smiles at him with her arms resting on her hips.

"I love you."

"I love you to."

* * *

"I'm beginning to question how Takoyama knew this part of town...eh whatever! Got my new beanie and the lady who sold me it seemed real nice to me! And it almost looks exactly the same! Except its missing the little symbol on the front. Guess I'll have to sew a new one on eventually." He places the new hat onto this head "Doesn't exactly feel the same, but that's mainly because it's still new so it'll take a while to adjust to my head…Man this feels weird…having to readjust to a new beanie..." He shakes his head "Man what am I doing letting something as small as this trip me up! I got my hat didn't I? Therefore I oughta be happy!"

"I thought I heard your voice."

"Huh?" He glances over to the new voice "Oh hey Matt. Didn't expect to see you in this part of town."

"I could say the same to you! Not really your place to be around."

"I needed a new beanie!"

"New beanie eh? What happened to the one you had last night?"

"I gave it a friend who had finally considered me a best friend! Plus I think it'd fit her better than it would me. Though I still want one on my head!"

"Oh? Who's the lucky lady?"

"Lammy? Why askin?"

"Wow...you sure you aren't making moves to hook up?"

"Quiet! Anywho what's your excuse for bein here?"

"Visiting my cousins store. Seems like you were a customer of her wares!"

" _That_  explains why I had such a warm reception! And the near exact hat!"

"Yeahhhh. I may or may not have filled my family in on your popularity~"

"Well thanks! Still though why out here?"

"The people here may seem shady, but they're actually all good hearted gents and madams! My cousin also thought so!"

"Guess Takoyama did as well."

"Haha, yeah, so I visit from time to time, get to know the people. They even influenced my style!"

"I was wondering why your tone suddenly shifted to a darker  _bad boy_ stereotype."

"Pffft me a bad boy? More like soft boy!" He chuckles as he scratches his head "Though I do see what you mean. It's fine though! I don't mind as long as I still wear and represent this part of town."

"And there ain't nothing wrong with that! Wanna ride back? I'm heading home now that I got what I needed, so I just need to get ready for the trip tonight!"

"Thanks for the offer, but nah. I'll be here a little while longer. Promised i'd help out for a bit."

"Aight! Just try not to be late when it's time to go."

"Me late? Perish the thought!" The both share a laugh before fist bumping and walking their own ways.

* * *

Parappa exits his parked car and enters his new place.  _Glad this didn't take long, and I have a place to get spares if something ever happens to this one!_ "I'm b-" He saw the room was and utter silence "Ack...huh...did they go out?" he reclines on the couch

"Nah they're just asleep." Katy says as she walks in with a towel on her head.

"Aw bummer, wanted to see if we could do something while we wait."

"Not much to do, I was just in the shower seeing as you left before you got to help unpack your things! So me and PJ did so!"

_Oh...whoops...that completely slipped my mind…_ "Oh uh...my bad, I was just kinda in a hurry of getting myself a new hat…"

"Eh it wasn't to bad, and the excuse to shower earlier in better preparation for tonight was also good. So new hat huh?"

"Yeah see? Looks almost exactly the same as my old ones! Had to go to one heck of a place to get it though, but I say it was worth it!"

"Sure seems like it!" she sits right next to him "It certainly was out of the blue for you to wanna treat us like this."

"I mean I've wanted to repay you all since last night, but nothing came to mind. Then as Ma-san was cycling through channels, while you were talking to PJ, that popped up! I told Ma-san to stop on that commercial to see and from the description and hers! My mind was set on how I could thank you all!" he looks towards the ceiling "I just hope the night goes well."

"Why wouldn't it?"

"Well seeing as with both groups, somethings came up that obstructed what everyone wanted to do…"

"You really can't feel bad over that or else things will always happen in that regard! No one can plan for everything you know."

"Doesn't mean you can't feel bad either!"

"I know what you mean. I'm just saying you shouldn't let things harm your experience that you're trying to enjoy. But I guess I should heed my own words after getting angry at Joe."

"Eh, Joe doesn't count towards that. He always does that sort of thing from time to time meaning you're always at chance of feeling upset, but not anymore!" He throws his arms around his head "So that means, there's no reason to worry at all then. Just go with the flow and let things happen. Only to make the most of it."

"Good!" They both high five each other "How about we carry on watching tv? That sounds good about now."

"You get a head start, I'll go start unpacking my stuff then take a shower myself."

"Alrighty!"

* * *

"Ahhh man, that was refreshing~ Oh boy I didn't think I had THAT much to unpack, but whatevs at least i'm done!" Parappa says as he tries his best to dry his hair, being the only part he really struggles with  _Maybe I should consider getting this cut?_

He bumps into Lammy as she leaves her room, looking well rested "Oh whoops! Sorry! Can't see where I'm going thanks to the towel…"

"M-More like all that hair you have to d-dry  _with_  the towel. Here l-lemme help…" she grabs the towel and begins helping him dry his mess of a hairstyle "H-Hey I can handle it myself!"

"H-How come it isn't dry t-then?"

"It's a lot! Nobody could dry this in such a short amount of-"

"D-Done!"

"Say what…" he runs his fingers through his hair, seeing that she is correct "H-How-"

"I had long hair when I was young. So I can understand how tasking it can be, but you eventually figure out simple ways to handle it q-quickly!" she hands him back the towel "If you ever w-want, I can h-help in the f-future, m-maybe you'll learn to d-do so yourself from it to!"

"Hmmm…" he looks at his hair "Sure, any help with this will surely make my life a lot easier!" they shake hands over it and were about to part ways until someone spoke up.

("Astounding Lammy, not even awake for more than a few minutes and you already set up grooming dates with the guy!") Lammy flinches from the shock of being told that, while Parappa doesn't notice as he's trying to put his hat on.

"H-Hush! It's just help with keeping h-his hair in c-check!"

("I dunnoooooo")

"Would you rather h-help him in my stead?" she points to Parappa who's struggles getting all his hair into his hat.

("Nooooo thank you! Point taken, alright I believe you.") Parappa finally finishes and notices Ma-san next to Lammy.

"Oh hey! This is great! Now that both of you are awake again, we can start getting ready! The time to go is getting closer, so rather get ready now to avoid last second scrambling right?"

"R-Right!"

("You make a good point, but I thought ahead. I'm already set!") Her dynamite ignites with pride and ego.

"Well that's good to hear!"

"G-Guess I better g-get a move on!...I'll shower next I s-suppose!" She rushes into the bathroom and closes the door behind her.

("Looks like I'll be waiting for my turn to shower. Great.") Her fuze fizzles out as she slumps over with a groan.

"Why not watch tv with me and Katy? We're both already set."

("Eh why not, got nothing better to do. I'd try to use something here as drums, but Katy rather I not break anything.") Parappa simply laughs as they both head over to the living room.

"You're finally done! And hey Ma-san woke up to."

("Yep. Well rested and ready for marginally anything.") she then notices that Parappa and Katy sitting next to each other and something starts to simmer in her mind as she grins mischievously ("Actually, I think I still need to prep up my things for the trip! You two just watch without me!")

"Really? Well glad you noticed before it was to late."

"Yeah...lucky us."  _I saw that smile you...ugh...well...it wouldn't hurt…to try something small_

They start to swap between channels "Man, nothing ever seems to be worth watching these days."

"Guess that's why people prefer starting their own entertainment. Like us!"

"Heh, yeah." He stretches his arms "I wonder how far and wide I can branch out now, seeing as we're on the topic. Mushi taught me a whole lot of things and got my name out and about. But I feel as if I need to up my game you feel me? Mushi was truly a king, a one of a kind guy during his uprising. He's still teaching me, but I feel as if somethings I have to start on my own. Need my own style that will inspire others just like Mushi and the other musicians did! And I know I can do it. Just need another big push in my life. Like how Sunny was my startup, I need something else to get me into overdrive!" Parappa cracks his knuckles "All I really have to do is keeping working hard and believing in myself. So that without a doubt, I'll achieve what they did and soon be teaching my own protege the same! And watch it go down and be proud that I left such an impression for it to keep being passed down!."

"You wouldn't really have to worry about it, if at all. You already have such a great basis already that I'm so sure you'll achieve the height you're aiming for without much problem~" It always made her happy when he spoke about his passion and dreams, and even more so when he went to great lengths and beyond to achieve them. It was something she enjoyed, admired. "I certainly believe in you, now and forever~" And loved. She slowly rests her head onto his.

"H-Heh...thanks!.." He notices this, but chooses to not doing anything.  _She must be tired...i'll let her be._ "I believe in you three as well." He feels his face heat up from the continued contact, to his confusion "I know MilkCan will certainly leave it's mark on the music world and beyond. Bigger than me that's for sure! Heck it already is! I remember when you girls went on tour for a good while."  _Why is it so hot all of a sudden?_ "It was strange. I was happy you girls were going to do bigger and better things to advance your career, but...It was sad…" Her ear perked up at this "It was...lonely. I missed you three...I mean we all did, but the others said I was the most upset out of them!...heh...and there is merit to their words cuz I was rather...quiet for lack of a better word."

"But you had Sunny with you right? How come you still got lonely and sad?"

"Eh...that's a bit of an explanation."  _To be frank, not even I know!...I mean I missed you because who wouldn't miss close friends! But why was I much more devastated?_ "I guess...it was just how much I admired you guys? Remember you guys are what got me to actually get going with my singing. Your first ever melody gave me the inspiration to take off. So to have that just leave one day for such an extended period of time…" he trails off, unable to continue.

"You  _were_  really REALLY happy when we finally came back from what I recalled. I thought it was only natural, but now that you point it out…"  _He missed us...he missed me!_  "Eheh. Well I'm glad you think so highly of us. More so than you do yourself! Which is saying something." She subconsciously nuzzles into his head more.

_To much contact...why is it bugging me? This is just a friendly thing!...i think..._  he starts twitching in place 'A-Ah yeah. Well I have my reasons. Which should be obvious by this point."

She notices his spastic movement "Yeah...you ok?"

"Me? Haha of course! Totally fine!"  _Idiot! She's not gonna buy it when you say it like that!_

"Well...if you say so…"  _Am I annoying him?...was PJ right with him being all messed up about this? I dunno, but I rather not have him freak out here._ She lifts her head off of him, releasing a disappointed purr.

_Aw crap...it_ _ **was**_   _just a friendly thing...and I must've given off the air that it bugged me...gotta think of something to lift her spirits up...uh…_ "Hey, if you had to go tour again would you? Like say another cross country or heck, even a world tour?"

She didn't give an immediate reply, the question left her stuck in deep thought as her tail bent into a question mark "Well I can't answer fully as it needs to be a group answer, but for my reply on it…"  _why the sudden interest?_ "I'll have to get back to you on it. Right now I don't have a concrete answer."

"Fair enough, sorry for the question." he grins sheepishly "Well, at least for now I don't have to worry about you three vanishing again! And it helps a bit more now that I actually live with you guys." He then taps his fist into his open hand "And hey! I can house sit if you guys ever do! I mean I'll get lonely, but the motivation to keep this place in tip top shape will help distract me!"

Her face lightly glows pink "You are such a strange guy..." She shuts off the television and stands up, trying not to face him "No"

"Huh?...N-No?"

"My answer is no. I wouldn't wanna go. I...rather prefer being here." She walks off over to Ma-sans room.

"What...was that all about?"

* * *

"Alright Matt, Sweety, and PJ are all checked up in my car!" Parappa says into his phone, speaking to the driver of the van next to him.

"Paula, Lammy and Ma-san are all ready to go here!" Katy replies back into her own phone.

"Alrighty! Now you guys either just follow where I go by staying behind or driving alongside and before long we'll be there!"

"Roger!" they both hang up and begin the drive.

"Parappa this all seems to good to be true."

"Why's that Matt?"

"The fact that this amazing place was just a town over…Course, can't say that I HAVEN'T heard of it before, just never got the urge to go seeing as we had Club Fun."

"I mean no harm in giving it ago right man?"

"No, but...I dunno. I feel off is all. As if from here on out it'll be…" He sticks his arm and head out the window to view the street lights that are beginning to turn on, distracting himself from finishing what he meant. "Heh...it's not night yet...and already the area's starting to look gorgeous…"

"Way to lose the tone…" PJ says as Sweety just laughs.

"Matt I assure you everything will be alright. What could it possibly be."

Matt simply stays starstrucked by the scenery, only mumbling out his answer, unable to be heard.  _The start of your next grand adventure…_

As the drive carries on Parappa starts to shimmy around in place until he blurts out a question to Matt "Hey man...you're a ladies man right?" Unbeknownst to him that he butt-dialed Katy by accident.

Matt can't help but break out laughing before looking back into the car, while keeping his head out "Is that what you're worried about? Still?"

"Well I mean...we are heading to a club and...I dunno...it's been on my mind…"

"You ask Matt rather than the guy who's currently IN a relationship?" PJ blurts out, clearly offended.

"Well for starters, Matt is supposedly a ladies man, and you're the reason I'm even stressing over this."

Sweety simply looks astounded "YOU got him all hung up about this? Didn't take you as the type to get into this side of people."

"I didn't do it purposefully! I was just…" he sighs "Worried over his well being…I figured I could give him a little push into something."

"So all my females friends were your first idea?"

"I wanted to offer some options for you to get back on your feet and that seemed like the best. I mean Sunny was a friend. And yes you were in love with her before the friendship, but said friendship only made your love of each other grow INTO that love. So I figured that with your other friends, you'd have a great basis to start see where some lines connect. It couldn't hurt."

"I understand what you mean."

"See I knew you'd say that because- wait...you do?" All three of them stare at Parappa.

"What were you expecting me to go against it like yesterday?"

"Well...yes actually."

"Oh believe me I would've, but it's just."  _He's gonna rub it in my face if I say it… oh well…_ "I've been...feeling odd. As if I feel something from them. But only to realize it's nothing. And I wanna shrug it off but something in me keeps picking up on stuff that may or may not be there!"

Matt simple scoffs as he looks back outside the window.  _Us dogs pick up emotions so easily, but you're so dense to know what it really is...heh. Ironic considering YOU are probably causing those feelings that you're picking up on._ "I mean you seem to be picking up something, but how do you feel about it?"

"I dunno, they're my friends and I wouldn't wanna ruin anything if I chanced it."

PJ speaks up "Respectable, but let's say you did. Would you have something to say?"

"Geez I didn't know I'd be put on the spot for this...well if I were to feel that way about em, it depends. They each...have so many aspects I greatly would admire in another lover."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, Ma-san is strong willed and explosive so everyday would always be interesting and eventful. Her blunt nature is just what a near carefree guy like me needs ya know? To keep me level headed and prime for anything. Plus she's strong physically to keep me in check in case I were to do anything...well idiotic." Parappa begins to lose focus.

"Meaning every other day." Sweety and Matt burst out laughing at PJ's interjection.

"ANYWAY...Paula's got some talent in many many things! She'd compliment my lifestyle quite well in my opinion, sings well, athletic enough to make sure I keep in top shape, plays music to be a muse all her own. And can dance, to anything, as if every beat had a step to a dance only she saw. And performed it with ease. If I could be that said beat that she can dance to would be fantastic, if I only knew to dance." His grip on the steering wheel starts to loosen.

"If she heard that her ego would skyrocket." Matt rolls his eyes.

"Heh...with Lammy, she's just got this vibe around her...it just...makes everything calm and collected. Confident...cool. Not to mention she's got quite some strength and is just rocking all around! Figurative and literally. Jamming everyday with her would be a joy that's for sure. Two adventurous souls just rocking out in both aspects of music. Instrumental and vocal...that's a life I'd love to have. Just with a great a girl as her for the rest of my days..." his heartbeat quickens.

"...We are talking about Lammy right?" Sweety slaps PJ upside the head once he says this "Ow...yeah ok that was rude of me…"

"And then there's Katy...hoo boy...I'm...at a standstill here…"

"Lemme guess, sister-like?"

"No...I...can't find the words to explain it. At least to the full extent. Lemme give it a shot I guess." He reclines on his seat, but keeps his focus on the road" Well Katy is just...great. A hard worker, never gives anything less than a hundred and ten percent. Tenacious, a go getter. A joy and beacon to just be around. She just has a warm personality in general." He sighs, feeling himself heat up again after recalling the incident earlier "And she certainly has got the groove. Her skills on the bass certainly are glorious enough to get me out of any glum mood if her personality hasn't already. And her voice...singing or not...she thinks I have a great voice, but man if only she could hear herself like how I hear her...That distinct...angelic…" Matt quickly grabs the wheel, keeping it steady.

"DUDE! PAY ATTENTION."

"S-Sorry!...got uh...lost in thoughts…"  _It happened again!...What the heck…_

"We could tell...Parappa you  _sure_ you don't feel anything for them?"

"See that's what I was gonna ask about-" the car suddenly jams forward from something bumping into them from behind.

"Dude the road!"

"It wasn't me this time!...wait…" Both Matt and Parappa look out their windows to see the van following them had bumped into them. Luckily there was no damage and everyone was alright "Come on, let's go check if they're alright!...wait...did anyone just hear a phone hang up?"

"Not me."

"I was busy keeping you aware of your surroundings."

"Not me either…"

"Guess I heard her phone? Maybe that's how she lost focus." Parappa and Matt hop out of the car and check to see if anyone is approaching, but the street is empty, and with that they head on over to check on the others "Yo! You girls alright in there?"

"Thought you'd have much more focus, but seems like you and Parappa are equal when it comes to quickly losing focus of the road!"

The driver seat window rolls down a bit, still unable to see anyone inside however "Y-Yeah we're fine! Just...got...distracted by...somethings is all. We're all ok though! Sorry about that. Won't happen again!..." the window immediately rolls back up.

"Weird...well at least no one's hurt…"

Matt rolls shakes his head "Well at least you have another thing in common with good ol 'sis'"

"Ugh...whatever let's get going." as they return to the car and resume driving, he struggles on whether or not he should continue.

"Well you gonna go on or not?"

_There's my answer…_  "Well as I was saying...I don't, at least I assume I don't? When I brought up the fact that I pick up on those emotions, I feel...off? For lack of a better word."

Sweety simple giggles as Matt and PJ facepalm, all thinking the same thing.  _He's in love. So in love._

"Would you be able to pick between one of them? In case they all were to like you."

"No...I feel like picking one would cause some...complications."

_He's not WRONG, but they wouldn't break up friendships over it...of course...Sunny probably unwillingly caused that paranoia within him…_ "Well I getcha. But why ask me over it? Saying I was a so called 'ladies man'."

"Well, you literally are the star in a lot of girls eyes. And you are no slouch when being around any female in general...I figured...you'd help me out in some regards. I mean I don't wanna aim for a friend...and we are going to a club...so I figured I might spark something there with someone at the very least…"

"Is that a reason for the sudden club invite?"

"It wasn't at first...but maybe it was and i'm just not aware of it."

_Among other things…_  "Well, i'd help you...but uh...here's the thing…i'm not into any of the gals that flock to me...I'm...kinda.."

"What?"

"What most ladies usually go after...that's also my end goal…"

"I...don't get it…" Matt simply rubs his head, unable to fully explain what he means.

"He means he's gay." Both PJ and Sweety bluntly blurt out with a deadpan expression causing Matt to just air out the collar of his shirt..

"O-Oh!...uh...s-sorry for not picking up on that!...But I guess I should've seen that now that i'm thinking about it...eheh...sorry for uh...making it awkward on ya…"

"Eh...it's fine...I'm used to seeing how dense you can be."

"What does that mean?..."

"What indeed I wonder." Matt resumes looking out the open window.

* * *

"Alright all we gotta do is just follow Parappa and supposedly we'll be there in no time flat!"

"Ma-san, y-you and Paula know about the place r-right?"

("Yeah, real fancy place. Apparently though it's been real finicky with who it allows in recently!")

"O-Oh?"

"Yep! They say the owner is one hell of a picky guy."

("Really? Later reports show that its not the owner of the club, but rather some guy acting as a bouncer. Apparently the owner almost never gets to see the people he kicks out cuz by the time he arrives, they're already got the boot!")

"Sounds like a real tool if you ask me." Katy says with a huff "Though I'm sure that won't happen to us!"

"I dunno...the self proclaimed bouncer who thinks he's the owner of the place is always there to constantly kick out who he deems unfit to be in there...which is apparently everybody!" Paula simply glances at her phone "Dunno what his deal with the world is…"

("Not like we'll take him sitting down! The owner never gets to see the people, but we won't let that happen to us!")

"I-I rather avoid the conflict in general…"

"Lammy come on-...huh? Parappa's calling me?..." Katy glances at her phone for a split second before looking back at the road.

("The heck does the mutt want now?")

"Beats me...I'm a bit busy right now...mind answer it and putting it on speaker anyone?"

"Way ahead of you!" Paula had already done so before she asked.

" _Hey man...you're a ladies man right?"_

("The heck?")

"I...don't think that was meant for us? I hear Matt laughing like a hyena...d-did he end up buttdialing my number?"

" _Is that what you're worried about? Still?"_

"Still?..."

"Should we h-hang up?.."

("You kidding? This sounds juicy!")

" _I dunno...it's been on my mind…"_

" _You ask Matt rather than the guy who's IN a relationship?"_

" _Well for starters, Matt is supposedly a ladies man, and you're the reason i'm even stressing over this."_

Matt Major, a ladies man? That's a joke." Paula says causing everyone to laugh until.

" _So all my female friends were your first idea?"_

"Wait, what." the girls say in unison as they stare at the phone, listening to PJ's explanation and Parappa's answer.

" _I've been...feeling odd...As if I feel something from them. But only to realize it's nothing. And I wanna shrug it off but something in me keeps picking up on stuff that may or may not be there!"_

The girls all swallow roughly upon hearing that, unaware of each other. They keep focus on the phone, especially after how Matt replies.

" _I mean you seem to be picking up something, but how do you feel about it?"_

" _I dunno, they're my friends and I wouldn't wanna ruin anything if I chanced it."_

They all release a sad but relieved sigh, until PJ get's him to keep going.

" _They each...have so many aspects I greatly would admire in another lover."_

"T-This has gotta be a prank call…"

(Agreed, and I don't find it funny…")

"Let's just hang up…"

"Alright let me just-" Before Paula can do so. Parappa begins listing everything he admires about the four, showing that he was very serious.

("S-Strong willed...to compliment his life?..")

"Be his muse?.."

"F-For the rest of h-his days...w-with me?..."

_And nothing for me...figures…_ "Wow...certainly has a way with words for you girls doesn't he?" she simply keeps driving, and then Parappa begins explaining his admiration for her.

" _Well Katy is just...great. A hard worker, never gives anything less than a hundred and ten percent. Tenacious, a go getter. A joy and beacon to just be around. She just has a warm personality in general... And she certainly has got the groove. Her skills on the bass certainly are glorious enough to get me out of any glum mood if her personality hasn't already. And her voice...singing or not...she thinks I have a great voice, but man if only she could hear herself like how I hear her...That distinct...angelic…"_

" _DUDE! PAY ATTENTION."_

Katy is immediately caught off guard, as she notices that she has lost focus in driving, she stomps on the brakes, but still bumps into the car in front of her. Thankfully everything is fine.

"Oof...ow...you all ok?" she turns off her phone.

"I'm f-fine!"

"All good here!..."

("Geez would it kill ya to focus on the road?!")

"S-Sorry! I dunno how I lost focus...it just hap-"

"Yo! You girls alright in there?"

"Answer him!"

Katy attempts to lower her window until she sees herself completely red and tear stained, so she only lowers it partly, enough for them to hear her "Y-Yeah we're fine! Just...got...distracted by...somethings is all. We're all ok though! Sorry about that. Won't happen again!..." She immediately rolls it back up, and quickly grabs a napkin to clean her face off as she tries to calm her blush down "Oh man…"

"You alright?"

"Yeah! Just...emotional."

("No kidding...come on, they started moving again, let's go.")

"R-Right!..." Katy resumes driving off.  _Maybe...I do have a shot like the rest of them?..._

* * *

"WOW this place is ginormous!"

"And is no slouch in the appearance factor."

"I-I wonder what it's like on the i-inside…"

"We won't find out just standing out here!"

The group heads up to the overly glimmered buildings door "What's with this town, there's lights everywhere!"

"Makes sense, the town  _is_  called 'Neon Heights'. The town doesn't exist in the day."

"You mean none of this is real until night?"

"No Matt...I mean that this place GETS no sunlight at all! All the buildings and stuff block out every source of light. So the entire place is illuminated with neon lights twenty four seven!"

("A place nearly always at night? My need to sleep is peaked.") they all soon reach the door.

"Even the door is all fancy and lit up… well let's go in!" Parappa pushes the doors open, and upon entering, see the grandeur that the place was renown for. Lights and music, atmosphere, a variety of different faces to view. Refreshments for everyone's fancy. This place was literally an escape for anyone and everyone that seem to want to just dance, sing and play the troubles away.

"It really is amazing in here…" Katy says with her mouth agaped "And no sign of the so called boun-"

"HEY!"

"Er...and I jinxed it…" A large individual wearing a white tuxedo and pants, as well as a red undershirt and black tie appears. He has the head of an angler fish as he wears a fishbowl style helmet.

"You lot aren't regular faces. What you doin here?"

"Isn't it obvious? Here to dance the night away."

"Not here you ain't!" four other people appear from behind him. Three other guys and one girls. The guys consisted of a Lobster, Crab and Shrimp, while the girl was a swan. The guys matched what the angler had while the girl wore a long red dress "Come on out ya go! Or else we'll be 'escorting' ya out!"

("I'd like to see you try!")

"The heck you say? What kinda garbage language is that!" needless to, Ma-san was pissed from his reply alone.

"H-Hey!" Parappa intervenes "We don't want any trouble, but why can we not be here?"

"Club Eritque Arcus isn't for just anyone, you have to fit the standards of our fine city! Not be some hicks for the boonies outside!" The group behind him all laugh.

"Eritque Arcus is latin for Rainbow isn't? So it stands to reason that anyone should be aloud in eh?" PJ says folding his arms.

"Bah, the damn owner lets anyone in here! Ruins the scenery if you ask me! Not everyone gets to be here, just like not everyone should be able to do stuff clearly meant for specific people!"

It was clear they weren't gonna get through to the racist bottom dweller at all "Look, we're not leaving."

"Then I'm afraid you leave us no choice…" The begin closing the distance.

"You don't wanna do this…" PJ, Katy, Paula, Parappa and Ma-san step forward in tow with Sweety, Matt and Lammy hiding behind them.

"Look at this...thinking they can fight back…" The club immediately quiets down as everyone there stares at the soon to be fight as it's about to begin, gossiping amongst themselves.

" _Bruter's at it again…"_

" _Why are they trying to fight back?"_

" _They look like they can take him on...but it's still doesn't seem fair with how cheap Bruter's tactics are…"_

" **STOP!"**  A blinding light appears from a door just beyond the crowd.

"Aw hell...he finally catches up again…"

A tall man cascaded by the bright light jump across the stage and dancefloor till he lands in between the two groups "Bruter what is the meaning of this? Time and time again I keep telling you to not do this, and yet you stay as stubborn as can be." The man, now out of the blinding light is seen to be wearing black and silver leather pants and jacket with shoes to match. He's also wearing a big helmet over his head with no real visible indication of what his face looks like. Soon the helmet emits three exclamation points on the screen visor "Now what is your reason for doing this, this time…"

"Same reason as always, typical hicks trying to ruin the atmosphere!"

The man turns towards Parappa and co. "Why Bruter. This is my friend! Whomst I invited! Why you gotta be harshing his flow and messing with his party posse?"

"Really? This runt and his group are your pals?"

"Of course! Me and him go way back!" Parappa's friends simply stare at him as he shrugs in confusion.

"You say that about everyone everytime you catch me as i'm about to evict em."

"BECAUSE THE WORLD'S POPULACE ARE MY FRIENDS!...Except you lot...the five of you are just rude and unpleasant."

"Then why don't you kick us out."

"Club Rainbow prides itself on its diversity and acceptingness of everyone! I'd be a hypocrite if I kicked you out...and you know and abuse this fact…" Bruter and his group just laugh in triumph "Look. He is my friend and I can prove it!"

"Lemme guess, you're gonna perform a song with him. Like you say with everyone who just turns tails and runs."

"They run cuz you're breathing down their neck like a rabid animal!...Which you lot are…But i'm serious." He walks over to Parappa "This is my great friend who I have mixed and matched countless forms of music! I introduce you lot to-"

"Parappa Rappa…"

"Yes…Parappa. Him and I will be showing you our funk in a song that no one has ever heard before, to prove to you that our friendship is real! Because who else would know the song other than the people who created it?"

"I still say you're full of shit."

"Care to wager then Bruter?"

"Hm...works for me. If you can prove that this runt is your pal by getting the club to groove to your supposed song. They can stay. Heck everyone can enter this club. But they won't cuz I know you won't win."

"And if we do?"

"Heh. If you can pull of the impossible, me and these four leave, never to set foot back in here."

"Remember that those are your own words!"

"Yeah, and it won't happen. Cuz you're full of shit!"

"We'll prove you wrong." The man grabs Parappa by the hand and drags him to the center of the dancefloor.

"H-HEY...Who are you! Why did you lie! What was with that-"

"I already knew who you are."

"Huh?"

"And that's why I have high hopes you can keep this melody with me."

"B-But…"

"You wanna stay don't you?" Parappa looks back at his friends "Well?"

"...I do…"

"Great! Then let's-"

_Stage 1: Club Rainbow_

"Get started!" The guy snaps his fingers and suddenly the lights turn back on into soft pastel colors as a song starts to play. As the guy said, it was a song no one had ever heard, not even him, but for some reason…

_Aaaah! You've got to show me your smile...love together, ah ahhhh~_

Parappa knew it. Deep down in his heart, he knew this song.

**Lesson 1:**

" _Parappa, my boy the Rapper, I say, when love is the answer what will you play?_

_Will you guide the masses to and fro? Will you show them the love that they gotta know?"_

" _Say Love!"_

"Love!"

" _Live!"_

"Live!"

" _Dance!"_

"Dance!"

" _And Down!"_

"Down!"

" _OOOOOOH Love Together!"_

"Love together!"

" _Livin' on the floor!"_

"Livin' on da floor!"

" _I'm tired of waiting."_

"I'm tired of waiting!"

" _For you baby!"_

"For you baby!"

" _Let's love together!"_

"Love together!"

" _Livin' on the floor!"_

"Livin' on da dancefloor!"

" _I'm dancing alone tonight…"_

"Dancing alone tonight."

" _To forget all about y-ou!"_

"Forget about you girl!"

**Lesson 2:**

_"My heartbeat is rising, it's the reason why I sing,_

_What about you? Does your heart feel the love to?"_

" _The me-lo-dy….flows on and on...the phooone…_

_I just wish that your voice...could stay here...forever…"_

" _DANCEFLOOR! Even when the summer passed…"_

"DANCEFLOOR! I will never forget you girl!"

" _Falling...down to…"_

"Falling….down to…"

" _DANCEFLOOR!_

_Don't look at me with those crying eyes!"_

"OOPS!..." An object bounces off Parappa's head, he didn't get back up immediately, nobody threw this at him...he missed the beat.  _Did he want me to sing that part ALONGSIDE him?_ He slowly glances towards to guy, only to see him in the same pose he was in.  _HE DID...I FLOPPED THE BEAT… and...he copied my pose to give me a save...so I gotta worry for beats I have to say in unison?...This won't end well…_

" _Why don't you...Feel the beat!"_

"Why don't you. Feel the beat!"

" _Why don't you...Chant the rhyme!"_

"Why don't you. Chant the rhyme!"  _If those lyrics are anything to go by...he's not to happy...at the very least now I'm prepared!_

" _I look up to!-"_

"I look up to!-"

" _The TV tower all alone!"_

"The TV tower all alone!"

" _Until the_ morning comes!"  _Nailed it!_

**Lesson 3:**

The music suddenly cuts out, Bruter has messed with the music. Parappa starts to internally panic as the guy looks like he's about to carry on.

" _The beat has retreat, and there's nowhere to go!_

_Can't just dance with our feet! Who can carry on the show?"_

Suddenly, a familiar guitar, bass and set of drums all play with a another familiar voice singing the to the tune of the song.

" _Aaaah! you've got to show me your smile...Love together, Ah Aaaah~"_

Parappa looks up to see Katy, Lammy, Ma-san and Paula. The beat was still on!

" _WHOAAAAAAA! LOVE TOGETHER!_

"Love together!

" _We're livin' on the floor!"_

"Here we livin' at!"

" _I'm tired of_  waiting all night for you!"

" _Love together!"_

"Love together!"

" _Livin' on the floor!"_

"Here we at, here we at!"

" _I'm dancing to_  forget all about you!"

" _The tune rocks..._ to the car radio…"

" _Ah...my heartbeat just_  does not wanna stop!"

**Lesson 4:**

The music cuts out again as they see Bruter chasing the girls around the dancefloor. Bruter immediately stops however, when he hears the music continue, thanks a familiar DJ remixing a beat to sound like the song. Parappa glances at PJ who just pulls his shades down and winks towards him.

" _We keep up with the feat that makes this song unique_

_We inspire love to all, no need to feel bleak!"_

" _DANCEFLOOR! Ever since we promised~"_

"DANCEFLOOR! Don't give up on your dreams!

" _Falling down to the..."_

"Falling down to the…"

" _DANCE_ FLOOR!

_How does the night feel_ as it's tearing us apart…"

" _Why don't you_ feel the beat!"

" _Why don't you_ chant the rhyme!"

" _I look up to-"_

"I look up to!-"

" _The TV tower all alone!"_

"The TV tower all alone!"

" _Until the_  morning comes!"

" _Love together!"_

"Love together!"

" _We're living on the floor!"_

"Living on the dancefloor!"

" _I'm tired of_ even bothering to wait for you!"

" _Love together!"_

"Love together!"

" _We're living on the dancefloor!"_

"Wish you were living down here with me!"

" _I'm dancing to the_ racing beat of this weekend!"

The record scratches as now PJ is the one running from Bruter.

"This is getting ridiculous…" The guy snaps his fingers causing the lights to shut off leaving the place pitch black.

"Psst!...PJ over here!.."

"Don't have to tell me twice…"

("They'd never think to look up here...but I think we're missing someone…")

"Ma-sans right I just count four of us…"

Down at the dance floor everyone just hobbles around in a confused dazed over why the music stopped.

"U-Um...h-hello?...Oh!...E-Excuse me!...G-Guitar...w-where's my guitar…I had it in my hand w-while we w-were running..."

"That should have been enough time…" He snaps again and lights flare to life. Lammy finds herself in between Parappa and the guy.

"E-EEP…"

"LAMMY HEADS UP! WE'RE KINDA STUCK UP HERE SO IT'S UP TO YOU!" Katy chucks Lammy's guitar towards where she is.

"Don't let her get it!" Bruter shouts as the run after it!"

"Not this time you don't...EVERYBODY JUMP UP AND DOWN IF YOU'RE LOVING THE SONG SO FAR!" Everyone instinctively begins jumping up and down, bouncing the guitar out of Bruter's reach as him and his cronies stay trapped within the moshpit while the guitar safely bounces towards Lammy.

"G-Got it!"

"And you know what that means!" Parappa gets ready in anticipation.

"LEAVE IT TO! LAMMY!" With the guitar back in her hands the beat resumes. Now at an even stronger melody.

**Lesson 5:**

" _Love is the answer, get with one another, staying way intact._

_We are your dancers, please don't smother, here comes the final act!"_

" _Love together!_

"Love together!

" _Is this_ an illusion?"

"I'll neeveer neeeveeer neeeeveeeer...let you go!" The guy snaps again causing the crowd to pick Parappa and Lammy up as they ride the crowd wave, leading the two to sing in unison.

" _Love together! Love together!"_

"We're loving on the dancefloor!"

" _So we can get to the_ other side of sorrow!"

" _KICK IT UP DJ!"_ as if on cue, PJ begins to play.

" **EVERYBODY GET DOWN!"** everyone begins to shout.

" _Blow it away! All the heartbreak!"_

" **GET DOWN! GET DOWN!"**

The guy snaps and points to Parappa, signifying the rest as a solo. Or rather duo in this circumstance with Lammy.

"GIVE IT UP FOR MY BOY PJ!"

" **EVERYBODY GET DOWN!"**

"GETTING RID OF ALL THE HEARTBREAK!"

" **GET DOWN! GET DOWN!"**

"LOVE!  _LOVE!_ **LOVE!** TOGETHER BABY!"

"LOVE!  _LOVE!_ **LOVE!**  TOGETHER BABY!"

"LOVE!  _LOVE!_ **LOVE!**  TOGETHER BABY!"  _(Ah!~ You've gotta show me your smile...love together, Ah! Aaaah!~...)_

"Used to dance here with me…" Lammy and Parappa sing in harmony.

"LOVE!  _LOVE!_ **LOVE!**  TOGETHER BABY!"

"LOVE!  _LOVE!_ **LOVE!**  TOGETHER BABY!"

"LOVE!  _LOVE!_ **LOVE!**  TOGETHER BABY!"  _(Ah!~ You've gotta show me your smile...love together, Ah! Aaaah!~...)_

"Alone now on the dance flooooor…" Parappa and Lammy are back on their feet as everyone surrounds them with joy as Parappa points to Lammy to finish off the final verse as he held the mike to her.

"Ah!~ You've gotta show me your smile...love together, Ah! Aaaah!~..." With that line said, both smile towards each other warmly as the crowd roars with cheers and whistles, clapping and snapping and stomping their feet.

Bruter and his group land face first on the ground in front of the three "Well Bruter? I think it's safe to say who the victor is~"

"...yeah yeah…" He gets up and dusts himself off "You got lucky...out of all the people that had to come here...it had to be ones that know how to keep a great rhythm...I'll admit that much…come on, let's get out of here." The five of the leave the premises silently with no hassle at all.

"Oh thank god they're finally gone...you have no idea how long i've wanted them goooooone...but enough of that! YOU two were PHENOMENAL! Wouldn't everyone here agree?!"

" **YEAHHHHH!"**

Everyone huddles around them until the guy gets them to disperse. Allowing Parappa and his group to meet up.

"THAT WAS AMAZING!" Katy says grabbing Lammy by the hands and bouncing up and down.

("WE SURE SHUT THEM UP!") Ma-san slaps Parappa on the back from joy.

"OOF…"

"BUT FORGET THAT, YOU GUYS WERE ROCKIN'!" Paula says as she high fives Parappa.

"I agree, that was some massive show you put on for all of em. Parappa I didn't know you knew that song!"

"I didn't PJ, like this guy said, no one ever heard it...yet...I knew it by heart for some reason…"

"Well whatever the reason man, it was perfect!" Matt says as he fistbumps the sky.

"I should really tag along often if this is the excitement you guys get into!" Sweety says as she smiles warmly towards PJ for helping his friends.

"Hey you eight." The guy calls out to them to which they simply look at him "I deeply apologize for Bruter's actions...but I couldn't really do anything to him or i'd be a hypocrite by breaking the clubs number one rule. But that aside. You were great! Would you lot mind following me?" He walks off towards the room he came out of and the others exchanged confused glances as they decided to follow.

"Is everything fine?.."

"Yeah, about that." He reclines into a swivel chair backwards, as he spins it to face their direction. "Why did you guys come here?"

Everyone freezes on the spot. Were they still going to be evicted?

_Can't I ever catch a break?..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woooo this big hurdle is outta the way. If anyone asks yes there will be more stages so expect that! And if anyone wants to see "Cool, Bad, and Worse" Scenarios on them, just ask! I may add em at the end like I am right now. As long as they ask. And that's about it. See you next end notes.


	7. I love you!...and you!...also you!...and you to!

"Why bother yourselves coming here! You guys are famous!"

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief now understanding that he wasn't trying to kick them out.

"You! You're Parappa Rappa, Parappa the Rapper! You, you and you!" He points to Katy, Lammy and Ma-san "You're MilkCan! The Drummer Ma-san, the guitarist Lammy and bass guitarist and lead vocal Katy! And you my big man! You're PJ the DJ! DJ PJ!" He hops off the chair and bounces in place as the screen on his helmet emits a happy face icon during his little fanboy dance.

"Wow. And I thought nobody could be a bigger fanboy than Parappa…"

"Hey!"

"Oh it's true, when it comes to the music gig, I make it my duty to know everyone in it and whether they're big or just starting out, there's always my personal faves! And Voila as it turns out you guys are all from the town next door to our technicolored city! And you took time out of your lives to visit my little old club! I am beyond starstruck!"

"Wow...that's uh...nice and all, but who are you?"

"AHHH!" The guy grabs his chest dramatically as he falls onto the chair "Oh how cruel fate is, my popularity is leagues below all yours, so none of you know me…" He gets back up "But that's to be considered! And I don't mind at all!"

"You seemed liked you did mind just a second ago."

"Oh it just stung for abit! That's all! But where are my manners. I really should introduce myself! I haven't used my real name for so long when I donned this here helmet. So the name I have now for a while is Leo Steps!" Upon uttering his name, Ma-san, Paula and Matt all rush in front.

"W-W-WAIT! THE LEO STEPS!" Paula says as she almost topples him over.

"E-Eep...Um...yes?..."

("I THOUGHT YOU LOOKED FAMILIAR! DUDE YOU'RE A CELEBRITY!")

"Eeeh...that's pushing it abit…"

"You kidding?! You've had a streak as a singer, dance and guitar player, but are no stranger to other instruments such as piano or drums! Not to mention you can remix like no other DJ from what they say! And you're even quite adept at soccer and basketball!"

"Oh that's just the tabloids…honestly I really only dabble in those things cuz of my family...hehe...they piled a lot on me growing up and I guess it stuck with me...but I don't really wanna be known for it...Just singing and dancing...and maybe playing my guitar. So that's why I settled as a club owner about two years back."

"That explains why your name started dropping out around then."

"Eh that and I'm not a fan of the press. I rather fan over ACTUAL stars that the press review, not me…I mean I started my career at fifteen and stopped now that I'm twenty…I believe it was a decent run!"

"A star that doesn't wanna be a star?"

"Why even become a star?"

"I didn't by choice...it just sorta...happened to me for doing what I liked."

"Like me!"

"And us!"

"Same here."

"Exactly! Except you guys pull of the star appeal better! Me? I rather host the stars! You guys are always invited here! Wanna play here? Go ahead! Wanna just dance around and enjoy the place! Just do it! Wanna own the place?"

"NO!" everyone shouts at the same time, unwilling to deal with the work.

"Ok…maybe not that one." he taps his helmet until an exclamation point pops up "Well you guys came to have a good time! And the dancefloor is still just out that door! But wait a minute!" He grabs Parappa and Lammy by the shoulder "You two are a glorious duo! I might just hire the two of you to come back and play for the crowd! You two are flawless together! And the crowd certainly sees it! Hell I'll even help get your names out there! All your names! You wanna find more places to blow up? I'm your guy!"

"Wow...thank you!"

"Y-Yeah! T-Thanks!"

"Huh...a chance to catch up to everyone…" PJ glances along the ground.

"Huh? PJ you say something?"

"Huh? O-Oh no, it's nothing dude."

"Well you both can go on your way!"

"Leo, mind if I stay here and relax for abit?...I'm exhausted from having to run from that buffoon." Katy says as she slumps onto the swivel chair.

"Oh sure! But there are more rooms with more efficient places to relax onto if you wanna."

"Nah...this is fine."

"You wanna spin it don't you."

"Yeahhhh…" Katy simply spins the Swivel chair around in circles.

"Ok, you do that! Now let's go party!"

Everyone returns outside except Leo who turns back around "Now, that they're out there, mind telling me what's actually up? You can't have fun on the dancefloor if you're feeling all blegh on the inside!"

"It's nothing! I guess I just feel guilty for sitting here in your main room?"

"First off, that's not a problem! Second off, you're lying!"

"Feh...It's just something personal- what are you doing?" She soon finds herself staring at the screen on his helmet, when suddenly a green light flashes on her face "W-Wah!...what did you do?"

"And the scan shows that you are having…" A heart pops up on his screen with the electronic voice speaking up " _Love troubles."_  prompting Leo to speak up again "Ooooooh that's a toughie to deal with! But i'll do my best!"

"Stop! I don't want help...I can't be anyway…"

" _Scanner indicates that target is confused on emotions they've had for a specific individual. Target has recently come across information that has made target rethink things that at first target thought weren't possible."_

"STOP SCANNING ME…"

"Sorry! It kinda does that on it's own from time to time…the only way to stop it is to take my helmet off."

"Then can you please do that…"

"Unfortunately I must never remove this helmet."

"That's totally not eerie…"

"Look if you don't want help, at least talk it out? Maybe getting it off your chest will help. I may not look it but I'm a good listener!" An ear icon appears on his monitor.

"Ugh...fine…" she begins spinning the chair again "So yeah...your stupid helmet is right…"

"Is it PJ?"

"What? Ew no! He's also taken."

"The ladies man Matt?"

"Not in a million years...ugh...it's Parappa…"

"Really? I wouldn't have guessed."

"You'd be the first...so...all our lives, we grew up in a sibling manner you know?"

"Oof, I see what you're getting at."

"Yeah...so when the emotions happened...I knew from the getgo...it was going nowhere…"

"Aw…" A frown face appears on his monitor, prompting Katy to chuck a nearby object at his head "Ow!...right...not the appropriate time...sorry…"

"Now...that didn't...stop me though...I wanted to stop the emotions since at first he fell in love with someone else...and I wanted the best for him...but then...another friend fell in love with him...then another...and then the final one...suddenly I felt like it wasn't...fair?...they all had such great chances...and me?...All I could do was be the cheerleader…" She stops spinning the chair from sadness and dizziness "I wanted a shot, but why bother? All the time I assumed he wouldn't see me like that...then...the accident happened…"

"Accident?...right...I recall starting last year Parappa just dropped from the singing scene all of a sudden…"

"Yeah...that was...thanks to us...he tried keeping us all safe and it just...almost went entirely wrong...he was stuck in a hospital bed...thought to be trapped in that state...for an estimated time of a decade, or maybe even longer...heh...at that point...I didn't care for the emotions, I just cared that my first ever friend...who promised to stick with me till the ends of the earth...was just...stuck there in a coma...I was losing him…"

"Oh...I didn't realize the accident was that severe...you have my apologies…"

"Heh...it's fine...you saw him walking and jumping around didn't ya? He's fine now...but back then...it was scary...I couldn't speak at all...during the first day, that's when we were relegated to taking turns watching over him...as if by some miracle he'd wake and the person would call the others...but it was just everyone's way of hoping...that it'd be ok in the end...during my first shift...I couldn't muster a word...and during the second...I manage to pour my heart out...I guess because he wasn't able to hear me...it felt alright…" Katy recalled the day of her second shift.

_You'd promise we'd be friends forever...please wake up...please...don't even do it for me...do it for the others…,but you're not going to are you?...am I just fooling myself?...so I'm guessing I'm an idiot for just trying to force something out of you when I know it's not possible...then...is this the end?...huh...oh god...I can't stop crying...I wish I told you...I guess now...is better late than never…I...love...you…_

Katy remembers kissing him then and there...it was the end, so she felt she could at the very do that if she was being honest about everything else. And then the miracle happened...he woke up.

" _K-Ka-..ty?..."_

" _O-Oh my god…"_

" _What's...wrong….? Ow...everything...hurts…"_

" _D-Don't move!...oh...oh thank everything...you're ok...you're alive...the others are going to be so happy...the others! I-I have to call them!..."_

Katy looks up at the ceiling "I kissed him...and just like that old fairytale of sleeping beauty and snow white and whatever other old cliche story...he woke up…"

"Oh my...hm…"

"What?"

"Well I mean it seems fitting on how that worked! Said old folk and fairy tales were based on some strange magic or another. But it's not exactly magic. They say when there's enough emotion between two people. Only one generous action of love between the two can help a lot, whatever the situation."

"Funny you should say that...that's what brings me to why i'm feeling like this. I...recently...like really really recently...found out...he...may feel the same...what I thought was me running in a race where I was handicapped against the other three people having an unfair advantage...suddenly changed...I finally feel like...I have a shot...and all that...is just bewildering…after what I kept telling myself…"

"I see…so...what will you do?"

"I don't know! Because the thing is...I still wanna help my best friend and bandmate win him over…"

"I assume you mean Lammy?"

"Funny how that's what you guess right immediately…"

"Well I mean that was a tad more obvious."

"Got me there." Katy sighs "I'm out of it. I dunno if I even can make any advances…"

"Does she know you also like him?"

"No…"

"Why not tell her? If she knew it was eating away at you, she'd probably both, tell you to stop helping, and to start trying for yourself. You said she's your best friend right? She'd want you to have a steady go to. Unless you just want her to have the guaranteed chance."

"I just want them both to be happy." She places her arms around the back of her head as she reclines on the chair, entranced in deep thought for a while before coming to a personal conclusion "But you know...now...I think I wanna try being happy to..." She hops up from the chair "I'll consider it, for now I'm helping Lammy!"

"Your own choices! Besides I said I wouldn't help, only listen."

"And I thank you for respecting my wishes! Now, I am feeling a tad better, let's get back out there and party!"

"Right behind you!"

* * *

The group were having such a entrancing time in the area, especially now that they weren't being pestered by any problems whatsoever.

"Man I am so happy I offered to take you guys here!"

"Same here! Beats just sleeping back at our apartment!"

("Nothing beats sleeping.")

"O-Oh Ma-san! I don't t-think you count!"

"I agree with her."

"You agree with anything that revolves around eating and sleeping!"

"Which is the premises of my upbringing."

"And djing?"

"What do you think I was brought up to do?" Sweety simply rolls her eyes at his remark.

"Speaking of that, Any of you guys wanna hit the stage?" A confused look lights up on Leo's helmet.

"My voice is tapped out for the night!"

"That's a first."

"Oh yeah? What about you then?"

"There's only so much I can do as a dj before I start burning my fingers to the nub."

"Egh that's a mental image." Both Parappa and PJ laugh at each other.

"Well what about you girls?"

"Hm...I think I'm game for it. Lammy? Ma-san?"

("This place seems sturdy enough to play at my full calibre! Hell yeah I'm gonna take any opportunity to do that!")

"Sure thing! If you gotta jam then i'm your lamb!" Lammy simply shows off by strumming a long riff.

"There's you answer Leo!"

"I'll set up the stage! This thing can become almost anything so any specific requirements from what you want from the stage?" Lammy's ears perk up as she starts listing one.

"A cool one! With awesome sound management and has reclining seats, power steering, dual airbags and the sound quality's gotta be superior!" Upon finishing, everyone looks her "O-Oh uh...only if you c-can!.."

"I...um...i'll go check if I can manage that…" Leo walks off, amazed by the request.

("The heck kinda tall order was that?")

"I-I don't know what came over me…"

"I doubt anything can have the things you mentioned."

"I-I'm sorry…I-I'll tell him to sto-"

"GOT IT!" The stage suddenly opens up and from the center rises a platform, a car themed one, and said car is in the form of a guitar.

("Huh...guess it wasn't that tall an order.")

"Wow, guess that almost anything has to be changed to literally anything! You lucked out huh Lammy?"

Lammy doesn't reply immediately, instead staying fixated on the stage "Yeah…~"

("Looks like someone is super happy to get their wish!")

"Well what are you doing just sitting idly by? You gotta rock on your custom stage girl!" Katy grabs the enamoured lamb onto the stage.

As the trio finally got settled, Katy spoke to the crowd "Hello again all you fine Ladies and Gents! Are you ready to groove?"

" **YEAH!"**

"Great! Cuz we're here ready to jam for all of you! Especially with this song, on keeping your head held high no matter what! Times may not be simple anymore but doesn't mean you should lose your spark!" Their instruments begin to play in a locked harmony as Katy began to sing.

"It was the 36th time that...he broke my heart!"

"It was the 80th time that...I'd fallen apart!"

"I knew from the start that things were gonna be rough, but not as painful as thiiiiiis!~"

The crowd was delighted to hear the song, her friends included, but both PJ and Leo couldn't help but feel the song was probably to convenient in its timing.

* * *

"You guys are welcomed ANY time here! And if you want a gig, call literally whenever! I'll always manage a time! Or not! Literally on the spot would also be aight! I'm sure your new adoring fans wouldn't mind!" Every window in the building behind him opened reveal groups of the audience all yelling in cheer for the departing group. "Listen to that love! LET'S HEAR IT FOR PARAPPA TOWNS FULL PRIDE AND JOY EVERYBODY!"

" **PARAPPA! MILKCAN! DEE-JAY P-J!"** was all they started chanting over and over, causing the pupils of the mentioned five to turn into stars.

"Uh oh…" Matt simply pokes Parappa who nearly topples over in place.

"Better get them out of here quick before the crowd's love gets to em!" Paula says trying to drag Lammy and Katy.

"It looks like we're a tad late there…" Sweety says waving her hand in front of PJ's face, getting no response.

"Mushi, mom and dad would be so proud…~"

"We're…~"

("Super…~")

"S-Stars…~"

"I really am at their level…~"

"Yo Leo! Mind helping us get them in the cars?"

"Oh! Sure!"

* * *

The drive back home went smoothly and quickly compared to the drive towards the place.

"...Matt you've been looking at me for the past ten minutes what's up?"

"You cooled down?"

"...yes…"

"Good...so...you and Lammy huh? That was quite a duo!"

"I mean I guess. She was just saving my skin."

"You were pretty happy once she got her guitar in hand to an extra degree, and you can't use your excuse of being a fanboy."

"Can't deny that. I dunno. Just happy I could count on her again really." Matt just laughs "What?"

"You really have cooled down, you got through a sentence over the topic so...calmly without fidgeting every few seconds!"

"...I did didn't I?"

"Not to mention sang phenomenally. It's official. Parappa's back!"

"Hah...well I can't deny that. Come on let me get you guys home."

* * *

"Finally home...and it looks like I was barely faster than them." Parappa hops out of the car the same time his roommates do.

"Well it's safe to say tonight was a hell of a night! Right guys?" Parappa says looking at the three.

"Some ups and downs, but yeah! It was! And not to mention we got more adoring fans! And even bigger shots at getting people to know our name~ All thanks to you!" She boops him on the nose.

"Hehehey!"

("She's right though, if we thought we were big before, hoho boy are we now in for a shock.")

"And that's great! The sudden increase in popularity might be a hassle f-for me though…"

("You'll be fine! You were doing great back there from what we saw.")

"I don't think i'll have my guitar on me 24/7 even though I'd want to…"

"We could glue it on you!"

"Katy please…"

"I'm joking! That'd be killer on your wool…"

"You think?...You aren't one to joke that far…"

"Sorry i'm just so giddy and taken aback! This was just a great night! Although once I take my mind off of this, the exhaustion will probably kick in…"

"Let's get inside then before that happens, so you at least have something soft to keel over on!"

("Ain't saying no to that idea mutt!") Ma-san runs past the three of them and into the building before they can even move.

"You'd think the girl with a literal stick of dynamite on her head would be the one to keep going throughout the night, but no always the first one to hit the hay or just plainly veg out when out of stuff to do."

"I mean h-hey at least she keeps c-calm."

"Maybe the sleep is necessary to maintain her explosive personality? Can't burn out all in one place right?"

"Wishful thinking but hey! Ma-san is an enigma at times, and we're her own bandmates!"

"I find it n-nice as a compliment to our g-group dynamic."

"Agreed! It helps liven up a lot! Given energetic personality is our bands main flow."

"Yeah well right now that energy's needing a recharge ain't it? Come on." the three of them head inside and upon entering, the three of them just collapse onto the couch.

"Oof...man that energy in me died the second I set foot in here…"

"N-No kidding…"

"Luckily good old trusty couch is always here for everyone." the three simply sink deeper into the couch.

"I wanna go to bed but I don't wanna get uuuuuup…"

"Same…"Parappa and Lammy say in unison until Parappa speaks up "Why not just watch TV? Since we're plastered here and all." His only reply was the TV being turned on.

They spend the night simply watching, until the trio fell asleep on the couch. And that's how the days went by, just simple daily activities, some slight embarrassment here and there. But over all, they got used to it rather quickly. And in a span of four days no less!

"We're out of eggs."

"I'll buy em, need to get something else anyway for Tamanegi Sensei."

"T-The van has a flat tire!..."

("That's my bad, I'll fix it.")

"Some one go check on the laundry!"

"L-Leave it to me!"

("Hey looks like they'll be showing a classic movie on this channel later today.")

"MOVIE NIGHT!~"

Life sure seemed calm again, as if everything had finally settled down...but this is PaRappa Town after all. On the beginning of the fifth day, the true daily life cycle was about to begin.

"That movie last night may have been a classic, but man that doesn't mean it didn't have its heavy fair share of cliche tropes."

"Ugh, no kidding. Such old romance stereotypes all rolled up into it."

"I-It's like they had a wall with tons of them taped on it, and they just threw darts until they were satisfied…"

("Isn't that most modern cinema now a days?")

"Well yeah, but the movies of today don't have the excuse of being old Ma-san."

("So in other words, flat out terrible.")

"Bingo."

"Man where did movies go so wro-" Parappa is interrupted by his phone, he pulls it out of his pocket and see's that it's Chop Chop "Tamanegi? It's not time for me to head to work yet, I still got half an hour...wonder what he wants…" He accepts the call and holds it up to his ear "Hel-"

" _PARAPPA! YOUR ASSISTANCE IS GREATLY REQUIRED! I AM HAVING AN EMERGENCY AT THE CAFE, I HAVE ALREADY CONTACTED PJ. I NEED YOU AND PJ HERE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE!"_  he then hangs up.

"Lo…" He shuts off his phone and blasts out of the room in a miniature sonic boom.

"Wow...new record for bursting out of here…"

"What's the time?"

"One point six seconds!"

("If only he were that fast when it came to his turn to do the groceries.")

* * *

Parappa was running down the streets at such a rush he had realized he had forgotten to take his car, although he didn't really mind as he ran faster than what the car would've taken him. And not long after he catches up to PJ also running.

"You got the call from him to Parappa?"

"Yeah, the heck happened?!"

"Your guess is as good as mine. A lunch rush maybe? That's when he calls us over earlier than usual."

"I dunno, he's usually never that distressed…"

"Oh I'm sure he's fine. It can't be that…" Both him and Parappa stop upon witnessing a horrifying sight. A massive wave of people piled around the cafe that the duo worked at. So much so that they couldn't even fit in the poor building, and they piled and lined up into one ridiculously long line that lasted a few blocks away! One could miscount into thinking it was hundreds upon hundreds when in actuality it was about two hundred "Bad…"

"WHY ARE THERE SO MANY PEOPLE?! These guys aren't usual Parappa town citizens!"

"Hm...that's true but some of their faces seem familiar...why though. Neither of us have seen any of these people." As PJ states this, a good majority of the people on the nightmarish line call out.

"LOOK! IT'S PARAPPA RAPPA AND PJ BERRI!" The group immediately starts to cheer and even some people begin running towards them.

Both Parappa and PJ look at each other and state in unison "The club…" before running off.

"QUICK! THE BACK ENTRANCE!" Both run into the back door of the cafe where the kitchen is and immediately shut the door as the hear the people stampede on by.

"Ok...this sucks…"

"Yeah you're telling me. At least it's quiet in here...if you don't count the people roaring to be served at the counter in the next room."

"Gah...man we can't handle all these people!...Where's Tamanegi sensei?"

A cupboard opens up, revealing Chop Chop Master Onion the moment he's called for "Hai!"

"Sensei why are you hiding in there?"

"Yeah wasn't one of your teachings to stand in the face of adversity?"

"That is not adversity, that is a deathwish."

"Eh...true."

"Ok now you two are being ridiculous. It's just regular customers, only there's a surplus of them! Nothing changed." PJ crosses his arms and shakes his head at the two of them "Watch, it'll be simple." and with that said, he enters the next room.

"He will be missed." Chop Chop salutes the air.

"Tamanegi sensei have more faith in him! He'll be ok!" As if on cue PJ re enters the kitchen "That was fast! See? He's fine!"

PJ just gives a thousand yard stare before collapsing onto his back, with a snot bubble forming on his nose causing Parappa to run towards him

"OH NO!...THEY OVERLOADED HIM TO THE POINT THAT HE BEGAN STRESS SLEEPING!..."

"Then my dear friend and student, it is safe to say that we are doomed...Or maybe…" he rubs his chin.

"You have an idea?"

"I can manage at least…" He glances around the corner and views the populace "At least half. If you can managed the other half, we may make it out of this ok. We won't be overwhelmed by the customers or receive bad reviews for poor service!"

"I-I dunno if I can manage HALF of this tidal wave sensei…"

"PJ was correct, we must STAND our ground in adversity!"

"B-But!"

"NO BUTS!"

"...ok…"

"Relax my friend, you know what to do, just follow my teaching. And one thing that you always do."

"...yeah" Parappa clutches his hand into a fist "...I know!" determination burns in his eyes "...I GOTTA BELIEVE!" they head on over to behind the counter.

_Stage 2: Chop Chop Fruits Cafe_

**Lesson 1:**

" _Yes….Tamanegi back again…!"_

" _Haiiiiyatatatatatata-chaaaa!"_

" _KICK! PUNCH! CHOP! And now we're back again!_

_To which I must say, hello my friend."_

" _You see, I say that me and you are trapped here,_

_But it's time to blow away all that fear!"_

" _Order, Chop!"_ Chop Chop swipes and grabs the customers in his vicinity written orders.

"Order, Chop!" Parappa follows the example.

" _Crowd, Swerve!"_ Chop chop slips through the gaps among the customers.

"Crowd, Swerve!" Parappa dives under the clustered people due to his size.

" _Counter, Dive!"_

"Counter, Dive!" They leaps over the counter.

" _Order, Serve!"_.

"Order, Serve!" They sets plates under the tacked on orders.

" _Dough, Punch!"_

"Dough, Punch!" They begin kneading the dough.

" _Shake, Mix!"_

"Shake, Mix!"

" _Deco- Rate!"_

"Deco- Rate!" the decorate the cakes, pies, shakes and drinks

" _Caffi-nate!"_

"Caffi-nate!" They pour out coffee and tea in the piled up cups.

**Lesson 2:**

" _There's so much to make and so much to do!_

_Can we pull it off, I don't know do you?"_

" _We work and we bake till we get it all done,_

_Yet there's still those that are waiting so we must run!"_

" _You see we have the orders for all two hundred, and seven!_

_Now we must unite them for a match made in heaven!"_

The burst out from the kitchen on skates.

" _Skate on through."_

"Skate on through!"

" _Out of the blue."_

"Out of the blue!"

" _Juggle your plates!"_

"Juggle my plates!" the skating duo begin juggling their confectionaries, pleasing the audience, but not Chop Chop's or Parappa's stress level.

" _Toss your treats!"_

"Toss my treats!" They chuck the plates like frisbee's, landing them flawlessly in front of each patron who ordered them, without anything falling off or over.

" _Kick, stop on by."_

"Kick, stop on by!" they stop at a table loaded with people.

" _Here is your pie."_

"Here are your pies!"

" _Kick on, Re-wind."_

"Kick on, Re-wind!" the roll backwards a table opposite to the previous one.

" _Here's the parfait."_

"Here's your parfait!"

Both spin as the try to avoid each other and the customers before heading on the opposite sides of the room, beginning to pick up their momentum as well as rate of "handing" out the orders.

" _It's what we do or donut."_

"It's what we do or donut!"

" _Quick-kick to, pass the shake."_

"Quick-kick to, pass the shakes!" Both punt the many glasses of shakes towards their intended customers, who miraculously catch it without spilling anything.

" _Swift-punch more, Hors d'oeuvres."_

"Swift-punch more, Hors d'oeuvres!"

" _Jelly, Chocolate or Tapioca."_

"Jelly, Chocolate and Tapioca!"

" _Don't forget the cake!"_

"Can't forget the cake!" The duo manage to handle the ongoing mass of people by handling multiple orders at once.

**Lesson 3:**

" _Hand to hand and face to face, none of what we do or make is ever a waste!_

_Simple measures to handle, and steps to take, so that everyone gets to have a taste!"_

" _All of what we make, will always satisfy,_

_With heart and determination you can-not deny!"_

" _It's time to continue the way of tamanegi,_

_Here we go again, hope all of you are ready!"_

" _Swerve, dive, kick and punch to serve!"_

"Swerve, dive, kick and punch to serve!"

" _Juggle, jump, chop and toss what they earn!"_

"Juggle, jump, chop and toss what they earn!"

" _Ice cream, coffee or strawberry cake."_

"Ice cream, coffee and strawberry cake!"

" _Fruit juice, tea and don't forget the chocolate shake!"_

"Fruit juice, tea and don't forget the chocolate shake!"

" _Pose and attend them, by the dozen!"_

"Pose and attend them, by the dozen!"

" _Kick punch style, straight from the oven."_

"Kick punch style, straight from da oven!"

" _I will make you make you make you all say-"_

"I'mma make you make you make you all say!-"

" _Tamanegi-negi Tamanegi sensei!"_

"Tamanegi-negi Tamanegi sensei!"

**Lesson 4:**

" _Here we go now! We're more than halfway done._

_Don't ask us how, but can't stop till the day is won!"_

" _We have rode the wave of people here and there._

_Shows that our prowess can truly reach everywhere!"_

" _Now let's go while we remain intact._

_Get ready my friend, it's time for the final act!"_

" _Kick kick, punch jump chop!"_

"Kick kick, punch jump chop!"

" _Our service...will always be top!"_

"Our service...always gonna top!"

" _Chop juggle, punch punch dive!"_

"Chop juggle, punch punch dive!"

" _We're almost done now, so look alive!"_

"We're almost done here, better look alive!"

" _Keep it going, so we can take ease!"_

"Keep it going, so we can take ease!"

" _Do you understand? Do you know what I mean?"_

"Do I understand? Do I know what you mean?"

" _Do you feel satisfied...or freed?"_

"Do I feel satisfied...or freed?"

" _Take a look around you...and see!"_

"Take a look around me...and see!"

" _We have done truly done it, you and me!"_

"We really did! You and me!"

" _HAIIIIIYATATATATATA-CHAAAAA!"_ They end it as the roll backwards over the counter, exhausted.

"I can't believe we pulled it off sensei…"

"To be truthful myself, I did not have much faith either…"

"But we did...we handled all two hundred and….eight? Wait...weren't there only two hundred and seven?"

"Hai?..."

"Then where'd this order come from?!"

"Yo." a voice from above the counter calls. As Parappa gets up, he sees Leo.

"DUDE! ARE YOU THE REASON EVERYONE CAME HERE?!"

"Chill man. And no, they found that out themselves. They simply invited me over, and I was like 'well it would be nice to see Parappa again...and I do have a sweet tooth…', but I saw how many people piled on and decided to leave you be. And then I saw you actually managed so I decided…'well...i'll give it another shot.' And so here I am."

"I-I-I-I-I…."

"A chocolate donut with coffee please."

"Here." Parappa looks towards the hand giving the order, PJ had finally woken up.

"Thanks! Guess i'll be on my way!" And with that, Leo leaves the premises.

"Oh man that was a nice nap...and it looks like you guys did it! I think I'll help myself to some cake…"

"PLEASE!..." Parappa runs to the corner of the room.

"NO MORE ORDERS!..." Chop Chop follows suit.

As if on cue, the customers began speak amongst one another.

"Not only is the place the spot where both Parappa and PJ work! But the dishes served here are remarkably delectable!"

"And the service is on point! You don't get much of that anywhere these days!"

"I'll have to make this a daily thing!"

"Agreed! I'll come here every day!"

"Yeah!"

"Me to!"

"I as well!"

"Possibly forever!"

The chat reached the ears of Parappa and Chop Chop as they began sweating bullets.

"C-Come here…?"

"E-Every single day…?"

'P-Possibly  _FOREVER?!"_ they both shout in unison.

"N-NO! I-I CAN'T TAKE THAT!"

"ME TO! I-I'M GOING ON BREAK! A VERY VERY LONG ONE!" Chop Chop runs away screaming as he breaks through the wall, leaving a hole in the shape of his body.

"W-WAIT FOR ME TAMANEGI SENSEI…!" Parappa follows his example and is off in hot pursuit.

PJ just stares at the Parappa and Tamanegi shaped holes in awe "To think business would end up booming in this little cafe of ours...Oh boy this might be a problem…"

_The Next Day…_

* * *

The following day at Chop Chop Fruits cafe, earlier than usual.

"Oh you have NO idea how thankful I am to have your guy's help…"

"You sure seem like you've seen angels at your doorstep when we offered man." Matt says as he helps PJ in the kitchen.

"Him AND Tamanegi, he was practically bowing and kneeling and everything!" Paula says as she organizes the tables with Parappa.

"Why didn't you just ask your roomies to help instead?"

"Lammy and Katy work at a music store already, and Ma-san recently started to work at her dad's pharmacy. Besides they're already busy enough as is. I wouldn't wanna add MORE things to their schedule."

"I getcha, sorry man."

"It's fine Matt, i'm just glad you guys can help. You two also don't have to stay the entire time. I'm sure this will be enough for us to handle the rest."

"If you say so. Of course with what you say you had to go through yesterday, I'll count it as a blessing in disguise to be able to leave, but I might still stay a bit to give you a hand."

"Same here. Every extra pair of hands makes the difference!"

"Thanks you two. PJ! How's the stock coming along?"

"Fine, but we're running low on ingredients...hope Tamanegi gets here soon...otherwise we might have a shortage..."

"You don't think he bailed so he wouldn't have to deal with this again do you?"

"Tamanegi would never do that Paula!...would he?"

"OF COURSE NOT! I was simply busy gather supplies." Chop Chop says as he arrives at the front entrance.

"Tamanegi! Why did it take you so loooo….." Parappa simply stares at the massive pile of supplies behind him.

"I believe it is safe to say that we are prepared. Would you not agree my friend?"

"Ya-huh…." Parappa stays nodding, astounded at how overly prepared his sensei decided to be.

"Good! Not help me get these inside!"

"R-Right away sir!" Both Paula and Parappa say as they begin.

* * *

The day was about as packed as the yesterday, only the crowd was much more tame thankfully, due to a sign that Chop Chop had added to the front of the facility.  _No service for the wild, untamed and overbearing._

"Phew what a day...I can only imagine what these two went through yesterday while these guys weren't so calm…" Paula simply sighed as she collected the plates that were left on the tables.

Suddenly the last few remaining customers begin speaking as they get up to leave.

"Deciding to come here to eat at either breakfast or lunch was probably the best choice i've made."

"It might also be good to come here later in the day, who knows!"

"They seemed to have gotten new help to! And she's such a treat to the eyes! Pulls off being cute and beautiful at the same time very well! Makes me jealous!"

"Agreed! She certainly would be a highlight to the atmosphere here!"

As Paula overhears this, stars sparkle in her eyes as she runs towards the counter and immediately yells at Parappa "I WANT A JOB HERE!"

"Wh-Wh-Whoa what-"

"You're hired!" Tamanegi simply nods as he gives a thumbs up before walking off.

"W-WHAT?!"

"Great! You won't be disappointed with me!"

"P-Paula are you sure?.."

"I've never been more sure! I'm certain I wanna work here!"

"I uh...ok then…"

"Welcome aboard! If only Matt had your moxie, but he turned and ran the second he saw the stampede!" PJ chuckles as he walks back towards the kitchen.

As the customers walked out the door. "Oh my look at that! I didn't realize Parappa and her were an item!"

"It explains why she's probably here! Poor girl probably thought the people here would try to take him from her!" They walk off completely misinterpreting the situation "We have to tell the others to back off next time we're here! For her sake!" and thus the gossip and rumors begin.

"Well Paula, would you like to stay for the remainder of the work day or leave for the day? You start your first real day tomorrow."

"Hm...I think I'll call it a day."

"Alrighty, thanks to you,having four people here now means we can actually afford to be here on the intended time rather than hours earlier."

"Glad to hear it." She giggles as she bats her hair away to get get powder from the sweets off of it "I'm happy I was able to lighten the workload! Right?"

"Right…" Parappa says, transfixed at how the evening light glimmered off of her from the windows while she was batting her hair, not her intention, but it still caught his eye.

"You ok?"

"Yeah….erm...I mean yeah! Sorry got a bit distracted…"

"I guess being able to rest easy again while at work does that to you!"

"Y-Yeah haha...t-that's it…"  _What the heck caused that in me this time?_

"Well I'm off, you two take care and I'll see you tomorrow!"

"You take care to!..."

"Later initial P." Paula rolls her eyes with a smile as PJ calls her by her old nickname, and leaves the cafe thereafter.

PJ then walks up to Parappa once he's sure she's far away "Soooo, mind telling me what that gawking was about?" A sly smile spread across his face.

"I have no idea what you're talking about…"

"Ahem" PJ begins mimicking Parappa's reaction in the most over exaggerated way possible "Right…" PJ says drawn out as his eyes open wide while he stares at the front entrance.

"I was NOT that dazed!"

"But you admit you were in general."

"...I hate how you always do that…"

"You and Katy make it soooooo sososo easy to."

"Not our fault, you had years to learn about us."

"A fact which I am glad for, but that's not the point. What was that about anyway?"

"Nothing guess I was just tired."

"I know tired, and that wasn't it. You were focused on something."

"No I wasn't!"

"Then explain the staring!"

"She's PRETTY ok? Paula's always been known to have a unique style that grabs the attention greatly!"

"I won't deny that, but that was more than simple admiration. You were transfixed by her. A first time for it to."

"Guess it was what she-"

"She wore her usual clothes dude, can't weasel your way out of this."

"...She just...looked really nice ok?"

"Dude, I'm your best friends...actually we're basically brothers at this point. Can you seriously not trust me enough to talk to me over this kind of stuff? You know I won't just tell anyone! It's not in me to gossip."

"I...you're right...I'm sorry…"

"You don't need to apologize, just don't be afraid to let the bottled stuff out. It ain't good to keep in."

Parappa sighs, unable to deny PJ's words "Right...ok...she was beautiful alright? But...I dunno if it was just the scenery...or lighting...or I dunno...cuz I didn't see it earlier today while she was helping us...at least...I think?...Maybe I was just to distracted to notice...because once I did notice...it felt as if I was seeing it the entire time…"

"Heh...I get what you mean." PJ leans forward and rests his arms on the counter besides him "What you described shows that you have SOME amount of feelings towards her, it isn't a crush or infatuation"  _yet_  "So you don't have to panic about being in love."  _again, yet_  "It's just mild attraction towards her. That ain't so bad. And hey even still, like you say, she may not even feel the same way."

"But the thing is...It's the same for the other three girls you know?"

"What I said still applies to them as well, and you know that as much as I do."

"Yeah...thanks. You were right...I do feel a bit better."

PJ smiles as he plucks off his beanie with one hand and ruffles his hair with the other "I'm glad you are man, and don't be afraid to talk to me about this sorta thing again."

"H-Hey!...why'd you do that for!"

"Because I can and it seemed like the proper thing to do."

"Yeah well!..." PJ rolls his eyes, but upon looking at Parappa, he's smiling with a single tear across his face "I'm glad you did."

"Yeah I'm glad to." He pulls him in for a one armed hug.

Tamanegi just watches from the back of the kitchen "Yes yes, brothers not by blood, but bond. No stronger connection even exists to compete with such a bond."

* * *

"I'm back."

"Hey! It's just me here." Katy says with a wave as she greets him "You were a little later than usual, what happened?"

"Ah, just spending some time with PJ."

"Sleeping?"

"No. Actual time spent doing stuff."

"Oh is that so? Well that's nice. Beats my day, yesterday me and Lammy had to deal with a massive tidal wave of customers. We managed thanks to using the manager as a meatshield. Today they were more tame and easier to handle, but man is it still to much…"

"Same here…"

"That explains why I found you in fetal position on the couch yesterday!"

"You weren't any better! You were trying to do the same thing I did!"

"You can't prove thaaaat." She chuckles "Alright alright, but hey we managed then AND today. Guess popularity has its drawbacks, but it's not enough to keep us down!"

"Leo told you that they found out where we worked to?"

"Yep."

"He could've at least tried to stop them."

"He could've, but if you were in his position. Could you?"

"...good point…" He shudders after imagining being in Leo's place, having to deal with all that mess "Well I'm glad you managed on your own! Me, PJ and Tamanegi needed Matt and Paula's help…"

"No shame in needing assistance, besides I feel a cafe is much more hectic to run than a music store."

"Probably so, I guess Paula probably thought the same."

"What?"

"Yeah she asked if she could have a job there and BOOM she's hired. Now we're fellow employees."

"Oh is that so. Well that's neat. Extra hands help."

"That's what she said. And I'm thankful!"

"Bet you are, so now what are you gonna do?"

"I dunno, gotta get used to dealing with so many people. PJ handles the kitchen and counter duty with Tamanegi, so that leaves the tables to me and Paula. It shouldn't be to bad if we spread work evenly."

"I mean out of work silly."

"Oh!...I dunno...I don't got much to do recently...hm...actually…" Parappa pulls out his cellphone and begins calling his father.

" _Hello?"_

"Hey dad."

" _OH! Hello son! Whatcha need?"_

"That Inventors Expo...you...still wanna go?"

" _...Do you?"_

"Of course! I'm...sorry about before."

" _Nah don't worry! One problem, it's still a couple of days away."_

"Aw...I can wait! At least it means we can go in general!"

" _Then I'll tell ya the day prior so you can get ready!"_

"Thanks dad! Love ya."

" _Anytime! And love you to son!"_ Parappa hangs up.

"Well that was cute! But you still gotta wait a few days, you're currently still empty between then."

"Oh come on now! This is PaRappa Town! Something's bound to keep me entertained!"

"When you word it like that, it sounds more bothersome then entertaining…" She sits down onto the couch.

"Relax! I'll be fine with whatever happens! And besides, you guys got my back right?" he sits right next to her, performing a slightly reassuring nod.

"You're right. Sorry, recent events just make me all the more protective of you."

"You and PJ both! Geez you're like my mom and dad away from mom and dad." He sticks his tongue out at her.

"Well sorry for caring! You've just been a hectic lil guy is all!" She sticks her tongue towards him in retaliation.

"I am not!" He leans closer blowing a raspberry.

"Are to!" She leans closer blowing her own back at him.

The two grown adults acting like children keep this going until they lean a tad to close.

"MPPH…"

It wasn't a kiss, but still, their tongues touching is most certainly not an outcome either would've wanted. And like children they're currently stubbornly acting as, they respond in tow as such.

"BLEGH…."

"ERGH….." Both begin spitting and wiping their tongues profusely.

"Augh...that wasn't a fun outcome…"

"Ick...you're telling me…"

"Sorry Katy…"

"No it's...it's my fault, I got a bit to heated that I acted like a spoiled brat…"

"I wasn't any better…"

"Let's just agree that we're both at fault."

"I'm totally ok with that." They shake their hands and give a quick nod. Then after both begin to try and break conversation by trying to escape each other.

"Well I'm heading to my room, I'm gonna try to plan my days out in case nothing happens after all. Call if you need anything."

"Yeah that's cool, I'll call when it's time to set up dinner, right now Ma-san and Lammy went out to buy the stuff to prepare for it."

"Ah so that's where they are...well ok then! For now see ya!"

"See ya!"

The second Parappa closes the door, he immediately collapses onto the ground, bewildered at what just happened.  _I am an IDIOT...the hell was wrong with me?! If I was anymore stubborn in accepting her aide I might have accidentally ended up kissing her!...and who knows what would've happened from there!_ Parappa then begins imagining a rather overexaggerated end result.

" _BLEGH…y-you...kissed me!..."_

" _I-It was an accident!..."_

" _Oh I just BET it was…!"_

" _I-I'm serious!...I-I think…"_

" _YOU THINK?"_

" _I-I'm sorry!..."_

" _Oh you're GONNA be sorry!"_

" _I-Is everything alright? W-We could hear the yelling from outside…"_

" _Guys! Parappa just straight out of the blue KISSED me!"_

_("I knew the mutt was sneakily planning something!")_

" _T-That's not true Ma-san! I-It was an accident-"_

" _P-Parappa...I-I didn't think you'd be just like Joe…"_

" _L-Lammy not you to!...P-Please...y-you gotta believe- W-Wait wait what're you doing?...H-Hey p-put me down!..."_

" _GET OUT AND STAY OUT!..."_ Katy proceeds to chuck Parappa out the door, followed by all his stuff being thrown right after ontop of him. As he plucks his head from under the pile, the last thing he sees is a blue cat face-shaped bass, a gold guitar and a bass drum smash into his face, snapping him out of his delusion.

"That...would've been bad…" Parappa falls onto his back groaning "I hope she isn't upset at me…"

Meanwhile however, unbeknownst to him, the second he closed the door, Katy had a near similar reaction.  _I am an IDIOT...what the hell was I thinking? Why didn't I just LET him have his space?! I almost accidentally KISSED him… Wait...oh god...d-did I subconsciously WANT to do that?!...I only did it once to help!...but he didn't know about that one...so if it did happen again here...W-Who knows what would've happened from there!..._ Katy begins dreaming up her own overexaggerated fantasy.

" _WAUGH...D..Did you just KISS me?!..."_

" _I-It was an accident!...I swear!..."_

" _It was an accident, I swear!...YEAH RIGHT…I bet this is what you were PLANNING right from the start!"_

" _I-I wasn't!"_

" _Leading me here with the belief that everything was fine after the whole Sunny ordeal, but here I learn YOU were just trying to take me for yourself!"_

" _N-No that's not it!...I-I think…"_

" _You THINK?!"_

" _I'm SORRY!..."_

" _Oh you're GONNA be sorry!"_

" _(What's going on in here?!)"_

" _Hey Ma-san! Lammy! Were you guys in on Katy's plan?!"_

_("Katy's plan?")_

" _Yeah! Turns out the only reason she brought me here was just so she could hit on me!"_

_("That's not right, I thought you were trying to help the guy!")_

" _K-Katy...how could you…"_

" _T-That's not true!...I-Is it?..."_ Katy quickly bows her head in apology, but upon looking back up, she sees the three of them. Parappa holding Boxy Boy, Lammy holding her guitar, and Ma-san her bass drum. Immediately after seeing this, the three swing their items directly at her face, prompting her to wake up.

"There's no way that could've turned out worse…" She buries her face in her hands "Ohhh...he's probably upset at me…that's probably why he ran towards his room…"

Then they both say in unison "I gotta fix this!" Katy runs off towards Parappa's room as he opens the door to leave towards her. This causes Katy to trip and crash into Parappa, this time resulting in what they wanted to avoid. Needless to say, the following moments involved a profuse amount of apologizing and tears in distress thinking the other hated them.

"I'M SORRY I'M SORRY, PLEASE DON'T HATE ME!-...wait...hate you?...W-Why would I?...i-it was an accident...right?...of course!...I just wanted to make sure you didn't hate me for the other thing...saying it was an accident and that thankfully it wasn't another outcome...then it was said outcome...hehe...uh...mums the word?~.." after saying an exact word for word apology they simply nod and hug it out. Once they separate, both stay a bit fidgety until Parappa speaks up.

"Heh...well uh...sorry...for kissing you still...probably not the guy you'd ever even wanna do that with heh…"

"Oh nonono don't you worry about that! It's not like you were my first or anything!"  _why did I just say that out loud…_

"Oh well that's good! At least I have the comfort in knowing I wasn't the jerk who accidentally took your first kiss!"

"Haha...yeah...that'd sure be funny wouldn't it…"  _I don't know if it makes me happy or upset that you don't know that you WERE my first...just not from this specific kiss...I wonder…_  "I mean…"  _say itttttt._ "I...k-k…"

"Hmmm?"

"K-Ki…"  _I am the biggest wimp I swear…_  "K-Kinda wouldn't mind if you did kiss me!..."  _Oh my fu...how did THAT end up leaving my mouth...and why did it sound even WORSE than what I was trying to say!..._

"W-What?...R-Really?..."

_That response did not sound reassuring...Quick! Don't just look at him! Explain yourself! Maybe there's a slight chance you can win him over!_ "H-Hahahahahaha! You know! Like a kiss on the cheek or forehead! Y-You know! Like familial siblings and all that! Like we are Hahahah!..." Katy could only mentally facepalm.  _And I wonder why he still treats me like a sister…_

"Oh! I getcha! You had me going there for a sec." a normal person would've immediately caught on to her fumbling words, luckily (or unluckily) this was Parappa, so he bought it. "I mean I'm cool with that as long as it means nothing and is just that, a family thing.

"Ha….yeah...i'm such a jokester…and good...cuz that's what I want to..."  _Why is this so hardddd...What am I all flustered over?!...If I get my reply here and now I can finally be done with this...I guess I'm just scared over the no...or am I scared if he says yes?..._

She shakes her head to refocus "Point is! Don't worry alright? If..and again IF this happens again, it'll be like it was now, an accident! No need to worry! It won't mean anything between us alright?"

"O-K!"  _Phew...massive bullet avoided...but…why did my stomach turn once she brought up the family thing?...I'm not UPSET over this am I?...Do I want it to mean something? I did start to heat up when she just said that she didn't mind if I kissed her...but.._ Parappa immediately recalls PJ's words.

" _It's just mild attraction towards her. That ain't so bad. And hey even still, like you say, she may not even feel the same way."_

_But…_

"Hey Parappa something still bugging you?..."

_I want her to feel the same way…I want...all of them to...a-all of them?!...W-What's wrong with me?_

"You look like you're a bit...sick?..."

_.I can't do that...what kinda sick guy am I?...Maybe I can...stop those bad ideas...If I ask her and only her?..._

"No...or maybe something is? H-Hey...if by chance-"

_Is this the right thing to do?..._

They hear a door slam open from the main room.

("WE'RE BACK!")

"Oh! Ma-san and Lammy returned finally! Uh...I gotta go help get stuff ready. What were you gonna say?"

"...Nah it's nothing important."

"You sure?...you can tell me after-"

"Noooo it's really nothing! I was just thinking about random stuff. No need to bore or annoy you with my ramblings."

"Oooook…well, I'll call you when the foods ready."

"Ok! Hopefully by then I'll have something thought over for the next couple of days!"

"I'd be all ears till then!"

"Ok!" She leaves his room and closes the door, leaving him in isolation.  _I can't...I just can't...up out of the blue just SAY anything of that sort to her...or ANY of them!...so what do I do?..._ Parappa recalls his years with Sunny, the joy of being with her, although it didn't start out that way. In fact before the whole noodle problem, their relationship was one sided as he worked to improve himself for her sake, only for her to realize he already was and then some. Then it hit him, he took things step by step with her to see if it started anything.  _So by that logic...it should work with them!...I-I'll work up bit by bit with all of em! And if I see any of it actually getting somewhere with one of them...I'll...try to pop the question to that specific one...to see if they...like me in that way...Man this is such a terrible idea, but it's...all I have to get this mess within me sorted out…_

" _I just don't want anyone mistaking my good buddy Parappa the Rapper as Parappa the Player."_  these words ring heavily in Parappa's head, did PJ know it would come to this?

"That's not how I'll let this end. I don't want to hurt any of em...I just hope none of them hurt me either. I...gotta run this over with PJ. I won't do this stupid plan if he says not to."

_When did I become so starved for love? I don't like it..._


	8. Burden from the Past and Future

The next morning after Parappa ate breakfast, he immediately hightailed it to PJ's to inform him on his idea who only replied with.

"You're right, that is the most idiotic idea I have ever heard, it's terrible and you'd break four hearts just by breaking one."

"I...had a feeling that'd be the end result."

"That being said carry it out."

"Yeah...wait what...but you just!-"

"I said the plan you brought up was terrible, what you're doing now is not."

"What I'm doing now?..."

"Being yourself. That's what won over Sunny in the end isn't? So don't force yourself to try and get something out if it. You'll just end up being an ass. Just be yourself and I'm sure you'll catch one of them."  _I mean that's how they fell in love with you to begin with! Just keep doing that and eventually one of them will crack and say they love you...or at the very least be more emotive to the point you can take a hint and ask her out._ "After all, classic you is just the best guy to wanna be with period. No need to try and adjust to someone's liking to try and see if somethings there. Especially between four different girls."

"...You're right...I hadn't thought of it that way…"

 _Yeah no kidding, you almost did the exact opposite from your panic._ "I noticed. But hey, at least you told me so you dodged that stupidity bullet!"

"Yeah...man I'm glad...if you hadn't reassured me yesterday over the fact that it was fine to talk to you over this kinda stuff...I would've done so many idiotic things…"

"I'm glad as well."  _More so than you can even imagine…_  "You still seemed stressed though...we have a few hours before our shift starts...wanna head back over to Leo's club to destress?"

"I dunno…"

"We'll be back before our job opens its doors, I promise you."

"...Alright, let's go."

* * *

"Hehehey if it ain't the men of the hour!...really...early? What's up with that?"

"Parappa needed to get stuff off his mind."

"Well i'm sorry to inform you that the club is kinda...closed today."

"What. Why?"

"Some weird guy's been spotted around kinda upbruting any source of music. Weird offers and whatnot? Anywho the police told me it'd be best if I keep it closed for a day or two till the aforementioned dude leaves. For my 'safety' or whatever. However you guys are still allowed in, I can spare the time to chat...actually I'd rather do that...I'm bored out of my mind...seeing as i'll be left without anything to do…"

"Well that's up to Parappa, I offered this to him in the first place."

'Actually...sure, I'd like more input on the stuff that's been in my head."

"Great! I'd be glad to listen! I'll get some drinks and snacks set! But come in come in! Don't just wait out here!" They follow him inside into his own personal area. Taking seats as they wait for him to return.

"Leo is such a strange dude don't you agree Parappa?"

"I mean kinda? But he's by no means a bad dude, just an awkward one. Besides he's trying to help me to."

"Yeah I guess…"

"I'm back! Not sure if you gentlemen enjoy the rather risque drinks or alcoholic beverages, so I just brought tea. And for snacks I bought a box of donuts, but I didn't plan to eat em all, so having you two here helps!"

"Did you plan for someone to come join you?"

"What? No don't be ridiculous...Who the heck can predict that? I just thought I'd make the most of my day since I'm gonna be bored out of my mind."

"Alright…" PJ drops the topic, but remains wary.

"So Parappa, what's bugging you?"

"Well see here...um...wait...aren't you gonna...take your helmet off? You know to eat?..."

"Oh uh...can't...do that with people around…"

"But it's just us…"

"Still someone."

"Uh huh...Just let him Parappa, keep going."

"Ok...well...I recently came to a mini conclusion with myself...and it's that I...may...have started seeing my four female friends in a different light…"

"Oh? Sounds like someone is in looooooooove!...with...four different women...huh...I see the conundrum…"

"Yeah...I just dunno if it is love...but the thing is...I may...want one of em to look at me in that manner...and...I dunno how so I thought up something that would involve me figuring that out...PJ shot down the idea…between the four of em...I can't exactly just ask one if that's the case, or all of them if multiple were to think of me as such...that'd make me feel terrible. I just wanna know if the answer I get is...something good you know? Something that just...works. Heck i'd even take a quadruple 'not interested' cuz at least that's SOMETHING to me...sure ends my confusion quicker...but yeah my original idea to do something with that was a bad one."

"Was it stupid?"

"It was beyond stupid, luckily I told him."

"Hm...you're single right?"

"Yeah...since last year…"

"And that's what caused you to...stay 'down low'? Correct?"

"Yes…"

"How...was that relationship?"

"How was it?...It was the best I ever had!...She was amazing...she was…" Parappa started getting lost in thoughts on explaining, however…

"She was just the best...she kept me in check...and all that...she was smooth in any conversation...yet fumbled from time to time...but still would try to get the point across. She was brash and in your face...thick headed just like me...yet also not entirely so as to keep me from doing stupid stuff...multi talented...groovin...headstrong...cool...can play anything...can sing heavenly...can dance to anything...can do just about anything...fiery...yet collected…she was everything in one...flawless...gorgeous...perfect..."

"Uh oh…" PJ took notice of something odd.

"I see. Well...she was quite the girl."

"She was…"

"Um...if I may interject...Dude...I think I see the problem…"

"What is it?..."

"Everything you described about Sunny...if you break it down...that's...qualities that the other four girls basically are...just seperated…"

"That's why you have attraction to the other four! Cuz together they remind you of her!...oh…oh dear that's...actually pretty bad…"

"I don't want to fall in love if it's cuz of that! I'd flat out feel like the most terrible person alive! I'd wanna fall in love with any other person for who THEY specifically are! Not for who they remind me of!...Aw man my stomach…" Parappa clenches his gut in pure disgust with himself.

"Well...now that you figured that out...how's your head?"

"Immediately ejected the thoughts...After one last overlook...you guys were right…I wanna be in a relationship again...fall in love again...but not like that..."

"Sorry man…"

"Don't be sorry! This is actually good!"

"And how is me being in complete and utter disgust with myself good?"

"You said it yourself! If you wanna fall in love with the girl, it's gotta be for who THEY are! So...do just that! If you truly wanna see if you can love again. Learn about the true girl! You still have the four options you know? But for now! Do what PJ told you! Being yourself! That alone will get you to see them for their true self as they gain attraction towards YOUR true self!"

"...You're right!"

"Wa-wa-wait now...I never told you I said that to him."

"Oh uh...well...it's rather obvious isn't it?...You're his best friend in probably the whole world! The stories of you two being near akin to brothers are rampant...I figure that's something you'd say!...wouldn't you?"

"...You may have a point there...still...that's to lucky a guess…"

"Lucky guess or not, he does have a point! I...might wanna hold back on the love for now...I thought I'd be done feeling hatred towards myself but now that resurfaced like I feared...but not like the magnitude as before! And once I shake it off...I'm gonna give it a shot. But the typical Parappa way. By seeing all she is for who she is, and if they enjoy me for all of me. Thanks Leo! Come on PJ let's go back!"

"Yeah...let's…"

"Well glad I could help you two! Come again if need be!"

"We will!" As the two leave the room, PJ stops Parappa once they're out of Leo's range of hearing "You go on ahead...I actually wanna talk to Leo abit more…"

"Hungry for those donuts huh man?"

"Yeah...that's it…"

"Alright just don't take to long! We still got work to think about."

"I won't I won't." As Parappa runs off, PJ sneaks back into the room, but Leo isn't in the main one "Hm...he wasted no time now did he…"

PJ begins sneaking around in order to find the club owner "Something about this guy just isn't right...he knew way to many proper answers...and to many lucky 'guesses' to have not planned for this…i'm gonna find out just what his deal is..."

After continued searching, PJ spots a slightly opened door with light peeking out. Upon pushing it slightly more open, he hears Leo on the other side eating, and then sees Leo's helmet on the ground right in reach "Hm...can't exactly get a good Look at you...and you'd probably cover yourself if I just went barging in...so let's get you to come out." He swipes the helmet and returns the door to its original position and then stands completely still by the side of the door.

"Huh?...the heck's my helmet? Could've sworn I left in here with me...did I leave outside the door?..." As Leo opens the door, PJ grabs him and pulls him out towards the main room "H-HEY! L-LET ME GO! P-PJ? WHAT THE HELL?..."

"Oh i'll let you go in just a bit…" Upon reaching the main room, he tosses Leo into the center onto the ground. The light now illuminating Leo, his appearance catching PJ off guard, even slightly creeping him out. Leo was a cat, a blue furred cat. He had blonde hair, the part on the back of his head was outfitted into a ponytail, but the part in front by the side of his face looked like dog ears. His hair was blonde, however the hair by the top of his head to the ponytail was a bit of a dark blonde shade, similar to Katy's hair color, but the base that made the pseudo ears were a lighter shade of blonde, matching Parappa's. Leo looked back at PJ, scowling. If PJ wasn't completely focused as to who he had thrown on the ground, he could swear he was staring directly at Katy "Dude I think taking the fanboy approach a bit to far don't you think?"

"What?..."

"Don't what me! What kind of sick appearance is this?!"

"Oh gee sorry I was born with this face and hair…"

"Born with it? Haha no, there's no way you'd be born with the near similar face as one of my best friends…"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night to believe...believe what you wish...you won't even be seeing this face for much longer anyway…"

"Pfft, like i'd just GIVE you your helmet back! You're gonna explain to me-" While PJ continues rambling on, Leo simply holds up three fingers, then two, then one. And once he puts down the final finger, his face and body start to fritz up exactly like television static, and suddenly his whole appearance changes. He is now a light orange fox. The pseudo ears are still there and blonde, but now the ponytail is gone, and the hair on the top half of his head was now pink. It was like looking at a mirror image of Paula. PJ was mortified. "What the absolute fu-..."

"Just give me my helmet...I won't put it on…" PJ warringly complies, and as Leo takes the helmet, he pulls out a photo from the inside "Before I show you this. I'm...gonna tell you my real name...and under no circumstances are you to tell ANYONE…"

"Why would I agree to that?..."

"Would people believe what you saw?"

"...fine…"

"Thanks….Uncle PJ…"

"I'm sorry did you just call me-"

"My name...is Europa Rappa…I am…" he sighs "As it should be obvious enough...Parappa's...son…"

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Thought you'd say that...here." He hands him the photo, the picture shocks him far more than Leo's face. In the photo he sees his entire group of friends...a tad older. He sees himself, sleeping on a chair with a title scribbled on above his head in the photo.

_My Uncle PJ._

He quickly spotted a slightly older Matt, who also had the title of Uncle as well as Parappa's dad with the title Grandpa. Parappa himself was in the middle of the photo with the title.

_My dad._

On his shoulders appears to be a smaller version of Leo. When it came to inspecting the girls of his friend group however...that's when things started getting weird...Sweety Bancha was right next to his sleeping counterpart in the photo with the title Auntie Sweety. Strangely enough, there's another girl he couldn't exactly recall. She looked like Lammy! But with all darker colors in body tone title Auntie...Rammy? Then when it came to review the others...everyone except Paula had the title Auntie as well. Paula however had the title.

_My mom._

Then suddenly Leo held up three fingers again and began counting down once more. Upon hitting zero, he was now an orange sheep. The blonde part of his hair now engulfs a bit more of his head leaving the top half of his head with red hair rather short, resembling Lammy's style. Who he coincidentally looked like, down to the horns even!

As PJ looked down at the photo, he was now even more confused. The title for Paula was now, Auntie Paula as Lammy now held the title of My mom. Through his bewilderment, PJ recalls something both Matt and Leo said upon the night they first came here.

" _You've had a streak as a singer, dancer and guitar player, but are no stranger to other instruments such as piano or drums! Not to mention you can remix like no other DJ from what they say! And you're even quite adept at soccer and basketball!"_

" _Oh that's just the tabloids...honestly I really only dabble in those things cuz of my family...hehe...they piled a lot on me growing up…"_

 _My family...my family...my…family..._  The words echoed in PJ's head as he recalls each thing Leo was known for and matching it to one of his friends.

"You're not joking are you...but what the hell is with you?! Why are you just swapping species?!"

"Blame my dad."

"Blame Parappa?! For what? What does he hold responsible for you looking like each of the girls I know so faaaaaaaaaaack...I just caught on…"

"Mhm."

"...why...ugh...ok so why are you here to begin with?"

"Can't tell you, rules from time travelling."

"Says who?!"

"This book that Grandpa gave me for my sixth birthday, the pic you're looking at, this one right here." He pulls a book from a drawer nearby and hands it to him.

"Time paradoxes and you-" he tosses the book "Ok I am not finding this funny…who's your real, cemented mother?"

"Can't tell you."

"What CAN you tell me?"

"Nothing really...kinda...really limited...unless again...you don't tell anyone this and not attempt to get in the way…"

"You mean like what you're doing?..."

"Just promise…"

"Fine…"

"I...came here...on accident...kind of…" He sighs as he sits on a nearby chair "During my eighth birthday...My dad...just...entered a deep depression...over remembering something he couldn't stop...he thought he had gotten over it...but it just resurfaced...and it...affected the whole family...so...I ran from home...to try and fix it…"

"That explains nothing on how you got here."

"I"m getting to that...see before that, grandpa and dad were trying to invent a car that can traverse the galaxies...but...they failed...slightly...they instead made a car that can travel through time by accident!...that's...where I come in…I kinda...borrowed it...and took off...however being literally a small eight year old with no proper understanding of machinery, time travel or cars...I...missed my mark on the appropriate year...it's been twelve years now…I took the only car...and they founded time travel by ACCIDENT...so...there was no way for them to follow me..."

"So you being a child who thought they could fix everything...ended up stranding himself in the past…"

"Sheesh...I was eight...cut me some slack…"

"Whatever...from your explanation...you landed back when Parappa himself was eight."

"Correct. It was a long...painful...lonely...empty...twelve years...heh...you learn to keep a fake smile on twenty-four seven that way I'll tell you what...heh...but yeah...I waited...I waited so long that I forgot what It was that he failed to do…to try and prevent or fix it...and I broke the car I took so I couldn't just drive back..."

"It's a miracle you even LIVED this long...how the hell did you manage?..."

"I found help...some other people had my back growing up...helping me get off my feet...had to start up a music career with the skills you guys taught me...but that's not the point...what I DO remember is that the accident happened when he was about twenty."

"What?! So something's gonna happen or start happening now?!"

"From what I recall...yeah."

"WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST SHOW UP TO US AND TELL US?"

"A, I forgot what it was. B, oh yeah sure let me just walk up to the Rappa house, knock on the door, look at my father who's currently the same age as me and go " _HI, I'M YOUR SON FROM THE FUTURE! I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT YOU'RE GONNA SUFFER SOMETHING AS YOU HIT TWENTY THAT WILL GIVE YOU CLINICAL DEPRESSION THAT WILL HAUNT YOU FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!"_  He then stares at PJ "You see what I mean?"

"A little rude, but yes."

"Look, I came back here to help and help I will!"

"You...don't think it was the relationship thing was it?"

"Oh nonono, mom and aunties handled that with ease. It wasn't the Sunny thing either. They really did help him get over that...actually...I...am now the one that helped him get over it...whoops…"

"Oh boy...speaking about Sunny...does she come back?"

"Nope. I don't have an Auntie Sunny...don't...think i'd want one? Dad...seemed really bummed about the whole break up thing...I actually don't think he got full closure…luckily it seemed she never came back...maybe...that's the reason why he never got over it?...That's still not the reason for his depression and what not. No that was a BIG thing that he said affected everybody..."

"Hm...well...if you can't remember that...at least keep answering me a few other things."

"I'll do my best."

"Who's...Auntie Rammy?"

"Rammy, the uh...i'mma...say...twin as to not be rude to her origins…"

"Why I'm sure she won't mind…"

"She's...Lammy's doppelganger from hell…"

"I take it back, I'm pretty sure she would mind being called that."

"Ugh...but yes...she's just that…"

"So Lammy knows her...but how the heck does everyone else get to know her?"

"Oh! Dad met her at some nerd expo. I...don't really recall the story...from what I get...Rammy was I guess really mean at first, but...I dunno they never really explained the entire thing...just from that day on they became friends!...so much so that Rammy got a bit defensive over him for his well being and vice versa!"

"Well I mean it's nice that we all become friends but...still...that's...rather off putting…"

"Why's that?"

"You don't assume...she's gonna be another gal that'll affect his heart?"

"...oh...oh dear…"

"On that topic can you fully explain the species thing?"

"Ok… the full 'science' behind that is this...Dad's currently...excruciatingly confused...and thus...his heart's fickle...it keeps alternating between who he should give a chance to. And the reason for my constant species swap is that, of course, the girl he has in his hearts main sights will ultimately say yes obviously. Then it leads to love, then love leads to marriage, and then that leads into me within a snuggly baby carriage. And I keep swapping because of it!" As he finishes his sentence, he is now a yellow mouse, his size has diminished abit, but he is still quite tall. The hair on top of his head is black, complimenting the blonde half that makes up the fake dog ears style. His dynamite is orange, matching Parappa's beanie.

"I...gotta believe since I'm clearly seeing the end result…"

("Good! Now will you promise to keep it quiet?")

"Uh…yeah…"

("What?...oh…") He clears his throat "Good!..."

"Good isn't the word I'd use to describe any of this. First off I'm staring at my bud's future kid. Who is currently proving my fears true that Parappa is still quite incompetent when it comes to falling in love again. And second off, said future son informs me that something's gonna happen to my buddy that will negatively affect his life!..."

"That's not my fault! You and your nosiness happened!"

"You were the walking example of do not trust!"

"Sorrrrrryyyyyyyy…Look...Europa Rappa doesn't exist anymore...I'm Leo Steps…" He puts the helmet back on "And that's what I will be until I manage to help my dad. That still extends to you guys. Whether it's avoiding the big problem my dad will fail to stop. Or just other stuff. You guys are famous even when I'm from, but if you wanna get bigger, I can still help with that to. Just...don't be afraid to ask alright? But please don't give away who I am…"

"Ok...I accept your offers still and I promise I won't tell anyone about you...but I still will keep talking about things with you alright? Whenever I feel I want to."

"Sure as long as, again, you don't tell anyone else….mum's the word?"

"Mum's the word." They shake hands before PJ removes his helmet and delivers a punch straight to his face.

"OW...UNCLE PJ WHY...I THOUGHT I WAS YOUR FAVORITE…"

"First off, i'm not YOUR uncle, i'm the uncle of the Europa, the CURRENT Parappa will inevitably have. Second off. How dare you cause future me, Parappa, your mother and everyone else so much grief and heartbreak over what they probably believe is your demise."

"I-I'm sorry…"

"Eh...it's fine for me...but not future me...and third off, favorite? There's more kids?"

"Well yeah there's Uncle Matt's adopted daughter...You and Auntie's Sweety's daughter, Uncle Colonel Noodle's son...my...sisters…" He trails off. "Heh...I...missed the birth of my twin baby sisters...They...don't even know they have a big brother…"

"I am this close to punching you harder now that you told me that. Because that means Parappa and your mom probably suffered THRICE as hard. And considering they both hold special places in my heart...I'm mad. Real mad."

"Y-You wouldn't hurt your nephew over it would you…"

"No...cause he doesn't exist yet. You? You're now a grown adult who should have realized the consequences of his actions." As PJ rears his fist back, Leo simply recoils on the ground "There, that fear in you should be punishment enough."

"I...really hope past me doesn't do anything to upset you...you were always so jolly...and asleep…it's not fun seeing you angry..."

"Glad to see some things don't change with me. Well I'll be taking my leave, I'll be sure to call whenever I wanna chat…" As he walks off, he stops by the entrance. "By the way...think you can teach me how to drive?..."

"Oh um...are you sure?"

"That fancy car that's parked out there has to be yours, so that obviously means you learned how to drive."

"W-Well yeah…"

"Then teach me whenever I ask, I wanna drive without having to rely on him. Can't do that forever."

"O-Ok...see ya…" He puts his helmet back on and returns inside his room.

"The heck took you so long?" Parappa says as he sees PJ walk up and open the door.

"Eh...stuff. Don't worry about it." As he sits down and closes the door he takes a deep breath before speaking up again "You were right dude. Leo was by no means a bad guy...just an awkward...and stupid one."

"What did I miss…"

"Never you mind with that. Come on, we still have time to do stuff before our shift begins."

"Right. Let's go."

* * *

"Another day, another lunch rush."

"Yeah but at least we have Paula helping us now...speaking of which where is she? We open in twenty minutes!"

"Beats me dude."

"I'm here I'm here!"

"Oh finally, you almost had me worri-" Parappa was caught off guard by Paula's 'work uniform'. It was a uniform shirt and skirt that matched the color pallete of the cafe. Which consisted of Pink, Light blue and Dark blue.

"Tada! Whatcha boys think?"

"Wow that looks pretty, but also…"

"Beautiful…" Parappa says in a daze.

"Yeah that." PJ could tell that Leo would be looking like Paula for the remainder of the day.

Paula simply giggles "Thanks! That's what I was aiming for! Glad to see my natural style and charm still got it!"

"Did you make that yourself?"

"Yep! It's why I left early. To get started right away!"

"Wow that's some commitment, wouldn't you agree dude?...dude?"

Parappa stay in place, prompting PJ to slap the back of his head.

"OOF. uh...yeah yeah! I'm glad. I thought you just joined us here for the heck of it. Now I know it was silly of me to worry over such a thing!"

"How rude! You should know if I participate in something! I do it seriously!"

"If it's in the benefit for something you want…" PJ says as he rolls his eyes with a chuckle.

"What was that?"

"G-Guys! Come on now! We're fellow employees now! Let's not try to peeve one another off…"

"Fine...I apologize."

"Thank you." She sticks her tongue out at him before walking up to the counter with Parappa.

"So anything you'd like me to do in particular?"

"Well really you'll be on the front duty with me. PJ and Tamanegi get kitchen duty and behind the counter needs."

"I think I can handle that."

'Good to hear! Alright. Fifteen minutes till opening! Get ready guys!"

"Our stock is good to go."

"Hai! We are prepared in every front."

"Great! Paula you ready?"

"We're about to find out."

"I'm sure you'll do great!"

* * *

"And here's your coffee Miss with your croissant sandwich! Oh...I forgot the other order...my apologies I'll handle your order in a second other Miss!"

"No worries Paula, I have it right here."

"Oh phew...nice save. Thanks Parappa!"

"No problem! Already finished with the orders I had with me."

"All twenty two at once?"

"I hurried to see if you needed any help." The two women who they were attending simply released a " _Awww~"_  in unison.

"It always is sweet when a couple helps one another~"

"W-Wait what do you m-mean c-couple?!"

"I almost didn't believe it when I heard the others talk about it, but now that I see it with my own eyes! It couldn't be anymore sweeter! Sweeter than this cake to! And that's already pretty sweet!"

"W-Wait! Y-You ladies have it all wrong!..." Both Parappa and Paula glow red as they begin trying to clear their names while PJ watches from the counter "Oh boy…"

* * *

"That shift was an utter nightmare...I'm sorry Paula…"

"Nono don't apologize! It's not your fault...just women who don't know when to NOT gossip…"

"And they still won't stop...cuz I still think they don't believe us when we say we're not a couple…"

"I wonder what sparked such out of the blue gossip" PJ says as he walks to them.

"Beats me! It wasn't like this yesterday…"

"...why not…"

"Why not what?..."

"Why not take advantage of it?..."

"W-What?!"

"Well...It clearly brought more people...and more people means more income for the cafe and us!"

"I feel like that's being a tad manipulative…"

"It is and I don't agree with it dude."

"PJ relax! Think of this way! You'd be able to finally afford that DJ mixer you've been eyeing for a long while!" A light glimmer sparkles in the corner of PJ's eyes.

"On second thought, I agree with this fully. And what a lovely couple you two make!"

"Seriously...it was that easy to win you over…" He simply crosses his arms "I really don't like lying to the people...but if it is for the benefit of the cafe...I can play along I guess..."

"Oh relax Parappa! It's not like we're actually dating, it'll be fine!"

"Ok ok! I take your word for it." as he finishes, Paula grabs his arm and nuzzles into him "Thanks hun~"

"Meep!...H-Hey! There's nobody here!..."

"Gotta get a head start!" She playfully winks to him as she keeps at it.

"H-Hey! P-PJ help!..."

"Sorry dude, you're on your own!" As PJ says this, he calls it a day and leaves.

"W-Wait don't go!...H-Help!..."

* * *

"Man...what a day…"

"Hey what's with you? I thought you said you were gonna be at ease with Paula there?"

"I thought I would be! But…"

"B-But what?"

"The customers started gossiping…"

("Oooh do tell!")

"That me and Paula were dating…"

"What?"

"W-What?..."

("Pfft oh is that all?")

"And then by the end of my shift, Paula decided to go along with it to attract more customers…"

"WHAT…"

"W-Wahuh…"

("You should've started with that!...")

"I guess...well anywho now we're a pretend couple all in the name of attracting more customers to the cafe. Lucky me…"

"Geez if only I could've pulled that kinda thing off while I still worked at Dot's Diner years ago."

"Don't be encouraged by her!..."

"Sorry sorry, you're right. Well it is just pretend after all, not like it'll go anywhere. Wait...why didn't PJ help you out?"

"He was won over by the prospects of upgrading his gear."

"Sell Out…"

"My thoughts exactly." Parappa slumps onto the floor prompting Katy to change the subject.

"Hey Parappa you never told me if you thought up anything?"

"Oh. I did. But the thing is what I planned for today was to finish off cleaning the pond...but I'm to exhausted...luckily tomorrow we have a day off. How about you?"

"We're free to! And how about anything else that doesn't require doing manual labor?"

"Hm...I was planning to visit Mushi, but I dunno, dudes been busy for a while. At least I think given how great the guy is!"

"Did you check?"

"Not really…"

"Then how can you be so sure! He's probably been there waiting for you to pop on by! After all you ARE his student!"

"I mean yeah but…"

"Not butt's except ours that have to head on over to Mushi's!" She picks up Parappa off the ground.

"H-Hey! We can't just drop in whenever we feel like it!..."

"Didn't he give you permission to specifically do that?"

"...he still might be busy…"

"You're afraid to visit him."

"Pffft, whaaaaaat."

"T-That's neglected fear a-alright."

("Big time.")

"Oh come on! I'm not scared!...much…"

"What's wrong…"

"I...haven't seen him in over a year thanks to you know what...he might be upset with me now over it…"

"Oh he won't! This is MC King Kong Mushi we're talking about! Ever since he upgraded out of Club Fun...which is probably the reason why it shut down now that I think about it...he's been doing loads of stuff with the masses, no person is to much of a hassle to spend time with! Guy's to jolly to be upset at anything!"

"Okok I get it! Fine we'll see him to see who's right."

"Great! You girls wanna join in?"

"I guess I w-will if it's not t-to much a hassle…"

("I'll pass, i'm to busy watching T.V.") A Joe Chin commercial then pops up prompting her to shut it off ("You know what T.V.'s lame, I don't know what got over me, let's go!") Causing the three to roll their eyes as she bolts out the door.

* * *

"You'd think a musician as famous as him would've decided to upgrade out of our quaint lil town but no. He's sticking to this town like a siamese twin!"

"Mushi wasn't really up for all that hussle and bussle of the bigger places...ironic considering his style would tell you otherwise...my mentor's weird...but that's what makes him so great and unique!"

"H-He is a rather fun chill guy."

("I severely find it hard to believe that a guy like that can be so jolly so often.")

"Mushi is the embodiment of jolly!"

"And we're nearing his studio- Wait...is that Leo?...The heck's he doing here?"

Leo was seen from the distance outside Mushi's new studio talking with the man himself, both seemed to be rather panicky from what they could tell.

"What's going on?"

"Hold on, I'm gonna park the van farther away so they don't see us."

"I-Isn't that a little ominous?"

"Well I wanna know what they're talking about!"

"Why?"

"Mushi's not jolly! Whatever Leo brought up, it got to Mushi's good mood! And that's clearly a big deal!"

The quartet exit the van and begin slowly walking towards the duo, with guilt immediately striking Parappa.

"I don't feel right eavesdropping on my mentor…"

"It's only bad if we get caught!"

"That...does not reassure me in the slightest…"

As they near Mushi and Leo, they can barely hear what they're conversing about.

"So what're you gonna do now that PJ knows?"

"Not much...he promised to not speak about it at the very least...And if I can recall what I know about him, he's not a liar…"

"This is all really giving me a headache…twelve years keeping you secretive so you could pop in when actually needed...only for that to go wrong in a matter of a few days…"

"I'm sorry...I got careless…"

"Naw it's good man! Maybe this might be a benefit!"

"I've already messed up enough as is! I already caused Tycoon SP to start moving earlier than he should've…now there's this...I fail to see how this will be a benefit.

"It's all gonna be alright man. We'll cross that hurdle when we get to it! For now how bout you come inside and relax man. You look like you're about to burst through your helmet."

The quartet can't make out what they're properly saying.

"They said something about being careless...and benefits...and Tycoon SP? The heck?...ugh...we need to get closer!"

"K-Katy wait!" Katy pushes forward causing the four of them to fall out into the open.

"W-Who's there!" Leo's helmet emits a security siren as it flashes red and white causing the four to be put under a spotlight.

"Oh! Cool your helmet man it's just Parappa!"

"O-Oh…" The siren cuts off.

"Hey Parappa! I haven't seen you in a year! A very long one at that! What happened man?..."

"Ah...some...things got me under the weather is all…"

"Was it your girl leaving you."

"...yeah…"

"Oof...yeah Leo here told me about it. But you should've still visited! I could've tried to have been of some help! You leaving me outta the loop makes me feel like I was of no help whatsoever."

"I-I didn't mean to come off as that way!"

"Yeah! Parappa just...locked himself away from everybody!" Katy said trying to help him explain.

"Re-lax! I know that now! Besides everyone needs their space when it comes to matters like this!"

"Thanks Mushi...by the way...why's Leo here?"

"I was um...teaching...PJ...how to drive...i'm thankful he's a fast learner…once we called it a day, I didn't go back immediately and decided to pay a visit to an old friend."

"And here we are! I was just inviting Leo inside so he can destress. But since you four are here, wanna join?"

"S-Sure!"

"O-Ok!"

"Fine by me!"

("Eh, why not.")

The six of them head inside Mushi's studio, as Leo is immediately asked.

"You were teaching PJ how to drive?..."

"Yeah...he...asked me to…"

"Why?"

"He wanted to learn…"

"Huh...He could've asked me...or at the very least contacted Mooselini…"

"I dunno, I felt obligated to after a little...chat we had…"

"Well at least you were there for him! Thanks Leo!"

"Yeahaha...no problem…"

"And here we are! My little private hideaway within my new studio, a little home away from home! Or it would be if my home wasn't so close to here to ruin the point of a home away from home." The place was a big, shiny and as luxurious as you expect. It was also littered with posters hung everywhere.

"Wow...look at this place…"

"C-Certainly has it's flare…"

("The acoustics here must be killer…")

"Wow Mushi, you certainly got it good here."

"I guess I do little man, but I can't help but miss Club Fun, of course I can't exactly go back seeing as the place has since closed down." he stays silent, causing Katy to pick up.

"By the way Mushi, what were you and Leo talking about? You two seemed real buggy back there!" Katy's question causes Leo's helmet screen to crack.

"Oh that! Well about that! Leo here is actually!..." Mushi takes a quick glance at Leo and sees that he rather not have them know "...He's actually...an old friend who helped me out of a bind...and we were reminiscing...nothing more. The memories got us both flustered." Leo heaved a sigh of relief.

"Oh so that's what happened...anywho wow Leo you really do know everything about the music industry…"

"Mama didn't raise no liar." He puts his arms at his hips as he scoffs, causing the five of them to roll their eyes and laugh at him. Mushi more so due to understanding the context more than the four of them.

Eventually Ma-san speaks up.

("Hey King Kong, what's with these old posters you have hanging around?")

"Oh those! Those are actually…" He trails off as he starts getting upset at remembering. "Those are just memories of times that used to be simple, but then bigger things get in the way…"

The five of them simply reply with a group "Huh?"

"You guys have time for a story? It's a bit long."

"Ooooh this oughta be fun to hear!"

"S-Sure!"

"Of course teach!"

"I might as well since I'm here."

("Well guess I don't have an option now.")

"Heh...well. First, what's music to all of you?" he crosses his arms as if expecting a correct answer.

("Music is the fire that burns within that you gotta let out to captivate the audience in a glorious blaze of rhythm as you vent out your own negativity and replace it with positivity that spreads to the crowd and makes them positive to!") Ma-san says as she twirls her drum sticks.

"Music is the guide to t-things you never thought c-capable or ever in r-reach." Lammy says as she clutches her guitar.

"Music is the flow that helps people get happy and enjoy themselves!" Katy says as she bounces in place.

"Music is the way of life that gets everyone to get along with one another hand in hand." Both Parappa and Leo state at the same time.

"All of those are the correct answer, music is all that shows who someone really is compared to someone else. One's individuality and yet at the same time their common ground! It's the emotions we feel, the driving force, the conclusion. The events after. Music itself is the essence of everyone's way of life!...So...what do you think happens when some people don't appreciate that and try to go out of their way to impede another's music. Whether it's by their own choice or prompted by another?"

"I know I wouldn't want anyone snuffing out my rhythm...I'd be sad…

("i'd get angry…")

"S-Scared…that's what i'd be..."

"I'd be disappointed in myself for letting it happen…"

"I'd be upset...super upset...I'd wanna…"

"Fight back?" Mushi says scratching his head.

"Yeah…" Is all the five say in unison.

"That's exactly what happened back then, back when you lot weren't even born yet! Originally there were four main groups of musical genius…'The Cruisin' Blues', 'Chivalry', 'Skyhigh' and 'Flambe'. That was their names they held with pride...now none of these guys really liked one another at first, but they all could respect one thing, the music they loved. However, one little thing goes wrong and then that mutual link becomes the driving force to better one another. Of course music wasn't meant for this kind of use. So none of them ever succeed, and that made them angry. What made them even angrier was the fact that their fights generated such great music, telling them that working together would beget better results, but they hated the thought."

"That's being petty, selfish and stubborn…"

"Right you are lil dude! Then one day another group appeared called 'Royal Rock' They managed to calm them down from fighting one another. But one man ruined it, just like how he got the four groups to fight in the first place. He made the four groups think Royal Rock were a threat to them, while making Royal believe that they were better than the rest and should be the ones to impede them…the fight began anew as they turned their instruments made for spreading joy into weapons meant on ending it."

"T-That's terrible…" Lammy simply shudders in fear.

("I thought I had a bad temper…") Ma-san shakes her head in disbelief.

"The four original groups united to take em down, but the Royal's were more composed and adept, they were newer compared to the four classics. The rampage of the Royal's had influenced more groups to have at them. Sub members of the four groups united to form 'Allies of the Funk'! These guys who were in charge of the machinery that helped musicians or made their instruments were now making the next stars and challengers to Royal Rock. This inspired an already existing group of the same type of engineers of music called the 'Groove Machine' Both these assisted in the warring."

"Wait wait...isn't it unfair for machines to join in?"

"Not exactly little dude, think of a DJ, or a guitarist that plays an electric keytar or just instruments in general, or even a synth machine. All their own actual source. And hey, you should be rooting for Groove Machine a bit since your dad, as a kid, was apart of the Groove Machine faction! While your Mom was part of Allies of the Funk! It was meant to be from what I see."

"R-Really?...Why'd they never tell me about it…"

"War of any kind is never a thing one wants to talk about little dude."

"Why even have a war over this kind of thing?"

"Again, sometimes some feel they're better than all the rest. And it costs people. In one retrospect, it got your parents to meet didn't it?"

"I guess…" He looks at a Poster of Groove Machine and Allies of the Funk! And like Mushi said, a really young version of his mother and father were in each of them!

The Royal's were adapting their music from each battle, to take advantage and strike them down. The influence of the Royals alerted a new group 'Garden Love'. In which your ex's dad was a part of! These guys HATED fighting of any kind and disliked how the music was being abused. They only took arms because they felt they needed to defend their way of life...and for some, it hardened them. They were close with the peace loving Groove Machines, who were on the same boat, so they weren't without allies. In fact, keeping their safety caused the Groove Machines to adapt into Soul Machine in order to protect them better!."

"That explains why Potter Funny ended up a war general...and how he was best friends with Mr. Rappa."

"Yep! Now they all started advancing and adapting as the Royal's did. Chivalry became 'Chivalry Down' after integrating the Royal's own style into theirs, while the other simply adapted in their own ways. The Skyhigh's couldn't handle working with people they didn't like, so they split. A heavy mistake that would've snuffed them out were it not for backup. A like minded group called 'Dragonhaven' and stuck with them. The Flambe's ended up stumbling upon the funkiest of groups 'Dino-Might' and managed to get their assistance! And Ma-san, this might be obvious, but…"

("With a name like that, I think I understand. Papa-ma was apart of it…")

"Yep. Anywho, Cruisin' Blues got help from one of their four founders. An icy witch siren, one of three, simply known as Babylon. The emotion in the blue's she could sing. The way she play that saxophone...it was not meant to be used as a weapon...But boy did it help."

"That's good right?..."

"Well no...as the Royal's grew in influence...they reached one of the founding father groups of music. 'The Ravens', a group of heavy metal heads. Now at first they did nothing. Rather, they wanted to watch...but eventually they started blindsiding the original four groups, and the other help groups, specifically Dino-Might. Eventually King Rock and Queen Roll of the Royal's started coming out to show they meant business...while Cruisin' Blue released the Second icy sistah...Gale. Her Blues could chill the very soul of any person who heard and her drums did a pretty good in increasing that mojo."

"E-Everyone was doing everything they could to outdo t-the others and take them down...but it just c-caused more pain and loss…"

("People can be incredibly stupid…")

"Then something happened, the Royals were betrayed by one of their own...and then...the massacre happened...but the Royals...they didn't go down like that...their anger didn't let them pass...And when a spirit should refuse to go to heaven or hell they just stay on land and wander...their souls merged with one another to become one massive entity of corrupted music...and were it not for your dad's idea to build a secret weapon...surely nobody would've lived to see the next day...The souls were ascended by force as now, and for a split second...you could almost believe the Royal's were happy...cuz they were finally free…"

"Some freedom…" Leo's helmet loads the phrase '100 % Sad' onto the screen.

"What was the weapon?..." Parappa asked, confused.

"Something he called the Magna Groove Cannon. The rhythm of everyone charged it up, and in one fell blast, the beast was blown away, as if it never existed. Dispersing the spirits and putting them to rest."

"Wow…" Parappa stays silent, unaware his father could've even made such a thing.

"The shock of seeing what misuse of music and fellowship could lead to made the rest unite for real as they wanted to stop the war then and there to avoid ruining what little they had left to love, but they still had an obstacle...The Ravens were the main enemy now and they were going at Dino-Might none stop. This prompted the groups, Soul Machine and Allies of Funk to merge and become Soul of the Funk to try and help Dino. Until Dino themselves did they unthinkable, they led the Ravens into a trap...and they did something that truly made the earn the name Dino-Might...they took down most of the Ravens at the cost of bringing themselves all down. A selfless sacrifice to stop a greater misuse of music."

("That's...what happened to Papa's family…") She looks at the poster involving the entire group of Dino-Might, and sees a younger Papa-Ma in the bottom corner. Looking exactly like her, down to the explosive temper in his facial expression. Minus the dress. Albeint, his suit was still red.

"Your dad was the only one who was told a different plan in order to ensure that not ALL of them would go boom. He...didn't enjoy it to say the least...Anyway, this act didn't go unnoticed...it reached the hearts of the Flambe who cried for their burning, explosive and emotional brothers and sisters selfless demise, so much so that they took their emotions that they couldn't release and took it upon themselves to do it in their honor. They became the Flambeyond and with their new head. The so called 'God of Dance', El Dorado."

"W-Wait...t-the golden one?...I-I know that name…"

"Makes sense, he WAS your grandad!"

"W-What!...I d-didn't know grandpa was in that war...mom never really told me anything about him...just that he died way before I was born…" Lammy simply looks at one poster involving a Sheep, cloaked in all black, red and gold flamenco suit and hat. He was also wearing a gold and black medieval opera mask. He was in front of a big group, no doubt Flambeyond. She just stays transfixed as she sighs sadly, wishing she would have met him at least once.

"Unfortunately he did meet with his end, but not here! He used his hard as diamond legs to stamp out any stragglers...very messy... Of course not all of the Ravens were down, and they were stubborn. Even outnumbered, they deployed constant hit and run tactics to peck off the remaining groups, one person at a time...and it worked. This forced Crusin's final act, call the last remaining sistah...Titania...This girl had the most influential voice for the blues...and with her acoustic guitar...man almighty was that just so much power...and to use it as a weapon...cruelty. See the cruisin's were at war with themselves over actually getting her to help! Half of them said it'd backfire, the other half said it'd be for the best."

"Let us guess...it backfired?..." They all say in unison.

"Bingo!" He snaps all four of his hands "Titania, Gale and Babylon all united their mighty siren voices. Being sea witches has it perks when you go power hungry. And they thought that everyone got into fighting from their inability to maintain their emotions, that they couldn't handle the music...and were classified as stepping stones for them...Now the trio were the final hurdle in true peace. So Cruisin' released Lupe, the queen of emotions, otherwise known as your good ol grandma miss no cuttin corners!"

"W-Wow...actually...Yeah...I recall my dad not being very found of his mom...now I see why..." She stares at the poster with Cruisin' Blues with a much much younger version of her father standing next to his mother, with great disdain on his face, while a way younger version of her mother stands not that far off. "Seems like he was part of the group that didn't want them to be called upon…?"

"Nope, your dad was the first to bring up the idea of them, he disliked the fact that they had to snuff that idea out. Same deal with your mom. He hated his mother for trying to stop the sistah's"

"O-Oh...I knew there was a reason why I could never connect with my mom OR dad well…"

"Carrying on, Lupe was meant to keep the trio in line. But they were ready and performed the cheapest tricks imaginable to take her down...just like that...but she did manage to inform the others to run. El Dorado, bought the groups that time to run, run far away to avoid the icy demise, but he knew he couldn't take the three on, and he went down like a trooper. And like that, the trio were free to put the world on ice...or they would be if it weren't for cruisin's last resort. An old man. The guy was the fourth of the founders and the oldest original one. He was fast for an old coot, and one more very important thing, he was also a surgeon with heavy knowledge on the body...with one attempt that cost the poor old guy his life...he took away the trio's vocal chords, never to sing again. Thus their icy emotional rampage...was finally put to rest. A siren without her voice is like a remote controlled toy robot without batteries...dead and motionless. And with that...the war was over...the remaining people were scared...what they loved so much had been used to cause all this pain...destruction...unhappiness...they were survivors with one thing in mind...run away from this, bury it in the past. Start a new life and avoid ever having this happening again."

"All of our families huh?..." Parappa says as he just glances at all the people who didn't end up as lucky "Were you apart of that Mushi?"

"Yes and no. I was apart of a different group that wasn't so keen on making their name known, they didn't wanna get dragged into that mess. I wanted to help them all, but I was to young at the time to help at all. What could one lone guy do to stop it?"

"But all this thanks to one guy…putting selfish ideas in all their heads..."

"Yeah...but he's not important now. He's pretty much faded into obscurity!"  _Until recently...but hopefully nothing will come from that…_  "Point is this."

"Huh?" The group say in unison as Mushi changes tones.

"Will you lot commit the same errors they did?"

"N-No!"

"Of course not!"

("We're not as dumb as they were!")

"It still makes no sense why people would fight over music like that…"

"Agreed…" Leo looks at the downtrodden Parappa "My...father had this one dream. To use the gift of music for the benefit and betterment of everyone!" They all look at Leo "He wanted to use everyone's love and companionship as a means to help improve daily life. People would be able to drive cars without the need of fuel. Have electricity, water, and other stuff in their households without much effort or worry about taxes! All that stuff! And all you had to do was just...love music and play as usual! But of course, it's a tall order. He and granddad worked when they could to see their progress grow bit by bit."

"And? How's it going!..." they shout nearly toppling the helmeted guy over.

"I...don't know...I ran away from home at a young age...it's been years now...heh...I think...that might've stunted the progress a little…"

("Why the heck would you run from home? And stay gone for so long?")

"Personal things...it's...very convoluted...best kept to myself." Ma-san shrugs in annoyance "But, I've been doing my part as well. I try to use music to power stuff...to...marginal success! Club Rainbow is living proof of that!" The other four simply stare at him wide-eyed.

"That TITAN sized thing is powered simply by music?!" Katy says as her tail wildly swipes to and fro.

"Yes! It's...a pain to manage...constant check ups and what not...but it works! What better way to generate enjoyment and music! None other than a club! Saves me from requiring to pay for the thing. Now I just need to pay for catering. Music can't fill a hungry stomach!...yet...still finding out ways to get that to work..."

"T-Think of the things you c-could do if you h-hit a proper breakthrough!"

"Unfortunately i'm not really...as tech savvy as dad or grandpa...they were gonna teach me...but again...kinda ran before they could…"

"Aw man...but hey! I myself am trying to be tech savvy like my dad! I may not look like the type, but I wanna be an inventor like him! And...funnily enough...your dad's dream sounds like something I had in my heart since I was a little pup!"

"A-Ahahaha...you don't say...what are the odds...h-heh…"

"So I wanna try as well! I'm going to an expo with him soon!...ish...I'm try to spark that fire in me to help get me building! And then I wanna try helping you out with your idea!"

"U-Uh...I'd suggest working on your own with that!...Truth be told with the club...I kinda...borrowed my dad's...knowledge...to get that up and running...so i'd be a liability in your future research!..."

"It'd be fine! Any help is good help!" His tail wags.

"H-Heh...yeah...that is true...I'll think about it!...first things first you get that spark in ya burnin'!"

"Right! But, first!...hey Mushi...if it's not to big a hassle...think...I could have these posters?..."

"Oh? Why's that little dude."

"I wanna look up stuff that these guys used to do. I wanna see what the music of before was! I...wanna imagine what it would've been like had these guys lived on to this day…"

"Haha, that's just like you man. Parappa you're free to take em. Truth be told I think it's for the better, I don't really want em cuz they just remind me of bad times, but you clearly see something better! You would honor these people and give them the one thing they so very crave now in the afterlife."

"What's that?"

"Being remembered." Mushi simply gives a sad laugh as he plucks down the posters and hands them to Parappa.

"M-Mind if I have the Flambeyond o-ones?"

"And Cruisin' for me!..."

("I'd...kinda like the Dino-Might one")

"Hahah! Ladies that's perfectly fine! Nothing wrong in wanting to see your family's roots! Just ask! The more people to honor those misled the better!" He hands over what they ask for as well as other ones involving them.

"Thanks for this Mushi!"

"Yeah! It's nice to look back at the artists of yesteryear and see where one can carry on or improve."

("Not how i'd put it, but yeah pretty much that.")

"T-Thanks Mr. King Kong Mushi!.."

"No problem Parappa! And to you three as well!" As the neatly hold onto the posters, Parappa notices an odd one still hung up.

"Hey...what's that one over there with the weird symbols?"

"Oh this? These are their group band symbols! See this big sword one was Chivalry. This snowflake over water was Cruisin' Blues! The tree is obviously Garden Love's-"

"Why do they look incomplete?"

"Oh! Well many reasons for that, the long winded philosophical one summarized is this, remember that everyone has their own individuality as well as unity with one another! The more straightforward answer is they adapted remember? Look closely at Soul Machine and Allies of the Funk symbols!"

"T-Those look like they could fit t-together."

"Right you are little lamb! Look here!" He points to a new symbol, having the previous two united together "Get it now?" They all reply with a nod "Good! Here, you can have this to lil man!"

"Thanks!...hm...Mushi you gave me a great idea!"

"Wazzat?"

"I've been thinking of what symbol to knit into my new beanie...and now I have it!"

"Which one would that be? Soul Machine? Allies of the Funk?"

"All of them!" Parappa's answer just gets Mushi to burst out into heavy jolly laughter.

"Man you are the SWEETEST guy alive!"

"Hehe...I just wanna keep these guys spirits alive somehow! As we carry them into a better future! One with no fighting!"

"I think they'd like that."

"Well we better be off!" Katy say once she notices the time.

"Oh! Ok then, later Mushi!"

"Later guys, and Parappa! Don't leave me hanging next time alright my man? Can't really be my student if you don't even check in on me!"

"E-Eep...sorry…"

"Don't worry! Just keep comin back!"

"Roger!"

As the four leave the room, Leo stays behind, prompting Mushi to talk to him "Well looks like he's still got the idea in his heart, and you were worried he'd not do it!"

"I'm just afraid of what I accidentally ended up changing…"

"Understandable, but man you worry to much! Whatever that little guy will go through, this time I'm sure he can handle it. And even if he can't, he has loads of people who'll help him through it. Even his own son went back in time to help him! That shows he'll be fine. Have more faith in your own, soon to be father."

"You're right…Mr. Mushi...do you regret helping me all those years ago?"

"Eh...at first I was skeptical, but then you proved me wrong! Just like Parappa himself did. And i'm glad. Helps me rest easy know that we currently have a go getter in Parappa, and will have one again in you in the future! And hey, I'm sure your dad's dream will be realized! It's a noble dream, but it will have to go hand in hand with regular stuff. Can't just selfishly rely on music alone! Lest we have a repeat of the first ever Music war."

"I'm not the one you should mention that to."

"I ain't telling him, that's on you. You are his son."

"Blegh...you got me…but not right now, right now he needs to get into the mojo."

"And he will! Dude never stops believing, it leads to some marvelous things...and I just know Bohemian S-P will take advantage of that…You say Tycoon was around your clubs area?"

"From what the officers told me…"

"Gah...just thinking about him makes me wanna punch his face in...because I know...I just know he wants to mess shit up again...just like with their lives…"

"And my soon to be family will pull through and kick his butt! Avoiding another war!"

"Yeah, but like you said, he started moving earlier than he did in your time…"

"I know I know...look I'll keep his eyes off of Parappa and the others for as long as I can alright?"

"Just...don't get yourself caught in the process…"

"I won't! I'm his son remember? If you can count on him to get by. Then you should know, I'll be able to so as well." he walks towards the exit "See ya Mr. Mushi, just alert me if you need to talk about other stuff."

"Can and will do. Just take care of yourself." as Leo leaves, Mushi simply rubs under his hat as he begins talking to himself "This is starting to really get under my skin...It's not like I don't believe he can do it…" He looks at a framed photo of Parappa and everyone else at Noodle's concert stadium five years ago "It's just...I don't want him to be the one to handle it…"

* * *

"Well...that was certainly quite the visit…" Parappa says as Katy drives them home.

"Yeah...I...did not expect to learn about my mom and dad...specifically how terrible they were and why I'm glad I moved out when I did…"

"I think now I u-understand my family's d-disdain over me trying to d-distance myself with music…they're worried I m-might end up like g-grandpa..."

("I need to slap my dad up the head for not telling me this stuff! Papa-ma was suffering for years and couldn't even bother letting his own daughter help him out!") Ma-san was absolutely livid, her fuse lit up like a firework, and what Parappa said right after didn't help.

"Ma-san, cut your dad some slack, he was basically lied to in order to run away rather than go BOOM like the rest of them...if anything you should be thanking the late members of Dino-Might!"

("WHY THE HELL SHOULD I MUTT?")

"...because without your dad...you wouldn't have existed…and I think he knew that to. I for one know that life wouldn't be the same without Ma-san in it." This not only caused her fuse to fizzle out, but for her to become flat out speechless.

("...") her only reply is chucking a drumstick at his head.

"Ow!..."

"That's her way of saying she's sorry. You kinda made her to embarrassed from your sweetness to speak up." Ma-san then chucks her other drumstick at Katy's head "OW- HEY!..." A red Ma-san simply looks out the side window and huffs in embarrassment.

"H-Hey Parappa, what will you do with the knowledge you l-learned?"

"Nothing much, my dad is still the same guy to me. Goofy, peaceful and a hectic inventor. And my mom is still the same to me to! Brave, protective and would only go down once she knew that everyone will be ok."

"Qualities that all got passed down to you! You're goofy yet brave."

"P-Peaceful and very p-protective!"

("And you certainly are hectic...and stubborn! You certainly won't quit till you get the job done! That's admirable at the very least.")

"Haha, thanks guys...hey. We may both be different musical icons...With me being a Rapper and you guys with MilkCan...but wanna be in our own Musical group? We ask PJ and that's all three of Parappa town's pride and joy right there in a group that loves music!"

"I'd love it that's for sure, but what would our name be?" Katy's reply forces the four of them stay stuck in deep thought.

"How about!...no that's dumb…"

("We could try...no that's to much…")

"Oh oh!...nah…"

"Hm...L-Leavin to believin..." Lammy says to herself, only to soon realize she said it out loud.

"That's a PERFECT name! Great thinking Lammy!"

"O-Oh! I-It was an accident! I-I was brainstorming and it kinda...s-slipped out of my mouth…"

"Well like Parappa said, it was a great thought! Accident or not."

"W-We don't have to pick it t-though…"

("You kidding? We'd be dumb not to pick it! It's that good!")

"E-Eep...o-ok…" Despite her embarrassment, she smiles, happy that her random choice did get picked.

"From now on, we're Leavin' to Believin'! Aside from our own things of course! We're still MilkCan and Parappa's still his own Rapper. I like it!" She smiles at the thought before realizing they arrived "Well we're back, Parappa your turn to help Lammy cook for our dinner tonight."

"Sure thing! I'll be following your lead Lammy."

"Uh...I don't think-.." Lammy stops herself and quickly takes a deep breath "Alrighty, follow my steps and we'll both be done in no time while also making a tasty meal in the process."

"Great! Let's go!" Parappa runs into the apartment before them.

"Lammy i'm impressed, you caught yourself from your stutter fest and managed to talk to him so calml- and she fainted…"

("Pffft, well at least it was something! Come on let's get her in and wake her up, she can't shirk off her turn that easily!")

* * *

"You were right Lammy! It was simple, quick and delicious!"

"Y-Yeah!..."  _thank god...I was a severe mess that I forgot a few steps...at least he caught on and helped me fix them..._ "With a g-great helper like you of course it'd be simple!..."

"Nawww, the teacher here was the real deal here!"

"A-Aw thank you! I-I uh...need to g-go splash my f-face with w-water!...I-I'll be right b-back!..."

As Parappa sees her run off, he takes off his hat "Well, I better get to sewing these symbols onto my hat! Probably gonna take all night, but I know it'll be worth it! Luckily I don't have work tomorrow…"

"Call us if you need help."

("Call me when you're sewing Dino's symbol, gotta make sure you get it right or I'll thwack ya with my drumsticks some more!") Parappa's reply is a heavy gulp.

"I'll m-make sure I'll get it exact…" Parappa books it into his room before opening his door "Uh...Katy...you wouldn't happen to have a sewing machine or thread and needle I could borrow?...eheh…"

Katy giggles at his overeagerness "Why did you think of sewing something, if you don't even have ANYTHING to sew with! You're lucky I do have a sewing machine!"

* * *

"Ok! Let's start with Chivalry's symbol...a sword...shouldn't be to hard…" As Parappa sews the symbol on, the room begins to rumble a bit "Man...this machine has some power if it's causing me to wobble...now let's see..the hilt looks like that...the blade has...sparkles? Huh...fancy…." The rumbling increases as the room window opens, with a heavy breeze blowing in "The heck? A storm happening today?! But it was nothing but clear skies!...whatever...I'll close the window in a bit...now there's indents on the side...the jewel on the handle has a little X on it...or is it a plus? Both?..." As Parappa finishes sewing the Symbol the wind knocks him onto the ground "OOF…ok...I probably should have closed the windo-" Upon looking up, he sees a tall wildebeest in glimmering white armor, having a sword in his hands, upon closer inspection, the sword was actually a microphone stand, turned into a sword. Parappa's next course of action was a simple one.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" Parappa shuffles to the corner of his room screaming, once he gained a distance, he noticed that said wildebeest, was in fact a ghost.

"PARAPPA ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" The MilkCan trio burst in to see Parappa huddling with fear in the corner, were he simply points towards the ghost as it holds the sword as if it were prepared to strike. The sight causes Lammy to faint on the spot with Ma-san aggressively trying to take on the ghost, only to be stopped by Katy, who yanks the two of them back into the corner where Parappa was currently in.

"W-Who are you!..."

The ghost ignores Katy and simply looks at the beanie before speaking up "Is this yours?"

"N-No that's mine!...W-What of it?..."

"Did you add my old groups insignia on it?..."

"Y-Yeah...I'm s-sorry was I not supp-"

"Thank you…"

"C-Come again…" The trio look at the ghost who is now kneeling, or at least, attempting to as his legs are nonexistent in his ghostly form. He then looks up as if he were a knight in the old days bowing and watching to see if he had the right to get back up.

"Thank you for keeping our legacy alive..."

"W-What…"

_Everyday, I swear I go more and more insane._


	9. Remember me, Love me, Forget me

"So...you're NOT trying to kill us?"

"Heavens no...there was already enough bloodshed...I just want to thank you for...still treating us as if we still mattered...even after all we did…"

"Well...from what I found out...someone made you think that you were better...it's not entirely your fault…"

"But we still listened...had we not...things may have been majorly different...for that...I thank you...no...for that. WE thank you." the remainder of Chivalry appear in the room, all different wild animals, adorned in knight armor. Their instrumental tools all turned into swords "Could you please do us the honor of finishing our symbol...so we can carry on?"

"Of course!..." Parappa hops on over to the sewing machine with Katy and Ma-san behind, Katy taking a mini detour in laying Lammy onto the bed so she wouldn't be resting on the ground "Mind telling me your name?"

"I am Gallant...a name which I do not deserve…not after the things we've done..." They all look to the ground upset with their poor decisions.

"Alrighty...wait...what did he mean by...OH right! You guys became Chivalry Down! That means...the main symbol...had two more swords crossing with the original one." Parappa begins adding the two other swords, finishing off their symbol, as he does that the spirits being altering in appearance. They looked battered and beaten...and especially broken. Once Parappa finished, a light began enveloping them as they now were wearing more different armor while also sporting a more mechanical appearance. And now wielding two makeshift swords instead of one.

"Ha...I had nearly forgotten what we went through and how we adapted...I feel silly and disgusted with myself...dear children of better times...I hope you four can forgive us selfish brutes for doing what we did…"

The trio simply nod as the spirits all divebomb into Parappa's hat.

"W-Well...i'm glad they found their peace at least!...I'm gonna be meeting all of them aren't I…"

"I-If that's the case...mind...sewing in Cruisin' Blues next?...I...wanna see grandma…" Katy shuffles around nervously as she blurts this out.

"S-Sure!...Alright...they're a snowflake over an ocean wave...a little complex but still easy…" Parappa begins making the symbol with Katy's guidance.

"Nono the wave has indents here and here…"

"Oh you're right my bad...what about the snowflake? Any extra indents I missed?"

"No...just the points have indents and you already got those."

"Good...then with this...that should...do it!" The trio wait, but nothing happens.

("Guess it was a one time thing!")

"Oh...aw well...it was worth a sh-" Suddenly there's a loud banging at the door to the room.

"W-Who is that…"

"I d-dunno…"

("Open it ya sissies!...")

Parappa slowly walks to the door, as he's about to open it, the door opens itself. Revealing a lady in fur clothing. She was a wild cat, she was so furry you could mistake her for a wolf! Which probably explains why she was called Lupe. However like Gallant, she was also a ghost.

"Alright, who started remembering me?"

"W-We did M-Mrs. Lupe!..." Parappa says as he bows in front of her.

"Lift your head up. Come on...I'm not angry. Just...caught off guard. Nobody ever gave a damn about us after how everything went down…so to just feel...important and wanted after all this time was alarming…" She sighs "Hm...I smell something...smells familiar..hey. You there. You wouldn't have to be related to Robert Kat now would you?" she points to Katy.

"H-He's my dad…"

"You poor poor child, your upbringing must have been awful…"

"My...parents...were...yeah they were rather...bad…"

"Sweetie, it's alright to call them worthless sacks of sh-"

"T-They're still my mom and dad!...I-I rather not...yet…"

"Hah...you are definitely not like them. I'm glad. My son was both an idiot and a traitor. As was his equally idiotic girlfriend, who apparently ended up his wife. Both were real rough around the edges, rather spiteful towards everything! Makes me spiteful just thinking about him. But I'm dead so what does it matter to me."

"Y-Yeah...that...rubbed off on me when I was growing up...but...it's thanks to him that I didn't end up that way…"

"Ah, you here helped made sure my idiot of a son didn't taint my granddaughter? I must thank you. Or at least I could if I was alive."

"I-It's no biggie Mrs. Lupe. Katy's just a real close friend of mine! And...I could see how much she was suffering and...I wanted to fix that…"

She simply stares at him before manifesting a wine glass and sipping from it before turning to Katy "He's a keeper, I'd snatch him up before another woman can. Men like that are excruciatingly rare. He'd certainly enhance our bloodline."

"G-Grandmother!..."

"What?"

"I-I wanted to talk to you about specific things!...N-Not my love life!..."

"Oh is that so? What is it?"

"I...wanted to know at first what caused my mother and father to be that way…"

"Nothing caused it sweetie." She sips from the glass again "They just hate people. When you come from a group as cold as us, it's to be expected, but it's still looked down upon."

"O-Oh...so I can't fix it…"

"People like them would rather not be fixed, because they believe nothing's wrong. But know this, don't let them get to you. You aren't them. You will never be them. They can never turn you into them. You are your own new individual now darling. And that's something to idolize. You can't fix em, but your parents could learn alot from you."

"Thank you…" she bows from her grandmother's solemn words.

("I can agree to that! I owe Katy alot myself!") "Such as being able to speak like this!"

"A bloodline member of Dino-Might, WILLINGLY choosing to speak english? Thanks to you? Darling then you are amazing already. A true hard worker. Because getting them to actually attempt it ain't no easy feat."

"Well yeah! Katy's a hard worker! She never cuts corners! Always gives it her all to do what she can no matter what! Always an extroverted joy!"

"Are you sure you don't want to claim hi-"

"M-Moving on. How...did you die?"

"Bah...those three cursed sea bit- witches got the better of me. I guess they knew they couldn't take me in a fair encounter. All you could hear in the place we were at was the sound of my neck snapping."

"Yikes…"

"I told that idiot golden boy to get everyone to leave, but he insisted on staying to help me...the last thing I saw as my head limped onto the ground was him severely angry and charging straight for them. He was a grown man knowing what would happen if he stayed, but no. He wanted to be the gentleman...I felt bad for his daughter, having to deal with a dunce for a father. Always saying ' _Leave it to me!'_ When things got serious. No matter what...it was always...Leave it to me..."

"Golden boy?" Parappa whispers to Ma-san.

("I think she means the golden one, guess he was more talk than walk for a name like that.")

"Oh...well...judging from what she says, he really is Lammy's grandpa."

("No kidding…")

"Hey grandmother...if you were alive today...what would you do now?"

"I'd go to a pond I remember creating. It was a group effort really, but no one relished in it as much as me...of course now it's probably just a tourist trap…"

"I-I know the pond you're talking about! I-It's not a tourist trap! W-Well not anymore...and me and him cleaned it up!...well it got messy again...but w-we're cleaning it up again!..."

"Oh? Is that so? Well thank you, but... who told you about it?"

"M-My mom…"

"Ah...guess she's not AS stupid as my son." she finishes off the wine "Guess you can fix them...well...at the very least your mother."

"R-Really?..."

"I don't honestly know, but it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot in the future."

"M-Miss Lupe…?"

"Yes boy?"

"Why did you have the title 'Queen of Emotions'?"

"Oh that, well the answer should be obvious. You three surely have taken notice of my speaking manner."

"Yeah you're rather...blunt and unemotive grandma…"

"Bingo. I keep my emotions in check, no matter what the situation, I will not express any sort. And to a blue's siren whose whole schtick is to get you wavering from your emotions...I was probably the worst thing in existence to them. Always keeping them in check, and they couldn't do a thing about it. That's why they started calling me that."

"But...isn't it sad being unable to express emotions."

"It is, but...I haven't felt sadness since as long back as I can remember, didn't even show emotion the time I lost my husband...that's where I decided to just shrug off all emotions whatsoever if not even THAT could falter me, I was a lost cause...course that's when goldilocks started trying to be a gentleman...ha...I see what happened now…"

"W-What?"

"Nothing big dear, well I won't say it. Maybe goldy can tell you when you call him over. Hey boy, mind finishing that symbol? I am...truly thankful to have a new era remember us, while trying to overlook our faults...All our faults…" The rest of cruisin' blues appear, however they are split into two groups, unable to look at one another, the group consisted of aquatic theme animals and things as well as anything blue in general. Explaining why Katy was the color that she was "Our stupidity nearly destroyed everything...it was so toxic...even we as a group split up over it...don't end up like us…" Lupe began crying, but her face stayed unemotive.

"We will grandma!..."

"Honey… I don't deserve a sweet title...not after what we did. I am simply...Lupe. Now hurry up-" Rather than call him boy again, she just awaits for him to say his name while also staring at Ma-san waiting for the same answer.

"P-Parappa!..."

"Names Ma-san."

"Yes, Parappa and you as well Ma-san. Please take care of my granddaughter won't you?" They both nod as Parappa heads back to finish the symbol.

"Um...I dunno what the upgraded symbol is…"

"It has the faces of the sea wenches, one at the top, one at the bottom left, and the other with the bottom right. With our founders face in the center."

"You mean the old man who took their vocal chords?"

"He did that? Haaaa...serves them right…but yes, the old man." Parappa returns back and looks for a symbol that matches what she says, when he finds it, he resumes working on the symbol. Causing the group to begin appearing bruised and battered. The trio's additions were not to hard, but reaching the old man's symbol got him needing help from Katy, while she finished up the symbol, they spoke up again.

"Who... was the old guy?"

"The trio's own father."

"W-WHAT?! A-And he WILLINGLY ripped his daughters vocal chords out?!"

"Just because they were his daughters doesn't mean they were excluded from better judgement."

"I mean...I guess you're right grandma...but...still…"

"He did save everyone. At the cost of his life." Katy uneasily finishes the symbol as her grandmother says that, causing said old man to appear.

"Speak of the devil." he does not react. He simply stays at the ground "Well...with that...it's time...we took our leave…" All of cruisin' blues flow into the hat, except for the old man.

"So…."

"..."

"Uh...sir?"

"..."

("Yo say something ya geezer…")

"..." He simply looks up, revealing his face that was hidden between his hat and beard. His face was tear stained so badly, that said stains had become frozen onto his face.

"O-Oh…" is all the trio manage to say as the look down, understanding his emotions.

"Sometimes the right decision...isn't always the best personal decision...never follow in this poor old fools footsteps…"

"Before you leave...what would've been your choice to do?..."

"The same end result...my daughters went to far...and I was the only one to stop them...whether that was fair to me or not...I pray that a choice like that, is never needed again…" with that said he fades into the beanie.

"Well...this is getting more and more sad...Ma-san want me to sew in Dino's symbol next?"

("Nah...i'd...like to hold out for a bit...I wanna see the others first to see what everyone had to put up with.")

"Ok…"

Parappa went with Garden Love next and their insignia was a big tree. As he worked on the symbol, the spirits that visited him were surprising...and disheartening. They were not adults...they were all children. The adults had joined in with Soul Machine to prevent the children from being assaulted, but from The Ravens hit and run tactics...the poor children weren't spared the empathy.

A Little flower girl, who would almost be the spitting image of a younger Sunny Funny were it not for that fact that she was a dandelion, floated towards Parappa and hugged him "Thank you for remembering us…"

"I'm sorry you all had to go through that…" She simply cries while latched onto him. The spectral tears felt cold, but Parappa didn't flinch, or move at all. He didn't even finish the symbol as he waited until she vented out all the sadness, seeing if she was ready to move on. The other children wanted to cry as well, with which Parappa simply nodded. Telling them it was fine to get the burden out. With that they all latched on to him, Katy and Ma-san and began weeping their sorrows away. Once they finished, Parappa simply said this.

"Do you all...want me to finish your symbol?..." They all nod "Ok…"

Before Parappa fully finished, he spoke to the girl once more "What's your name?"

"Poppy Funny..." The name stunned him.

"You...wouldn't happen to have a brother who's name was Potter right?..."

"How did you know?"

"Well...he survived…and you...even ended up getting a niece…" her eyes beam as he say this "He was even best friends with my dad, so it shows that no matter what, he would end up ok...I only wished you guys could've been as well. You guys would've been a great addition to PaRappa Town."

She simply smiles "I'm glad he's ok...he was always reckless...I got scared something bad would happen when he went with all the adults...but now that I see he's ok...all I can really say is thank you…"

Parappa finishes the insignia and looks back at them "We'll keep your legacy alive. No one deserves to be forgotten." They all pile on Parappa, hugging him, before fading into his hat.

Once they leave Parappa simply slams his fist on the wall "Man...I didn't expect THAT many kids to end up being involved with war…"

"And General Potter reckless? Guess the loss of his sis must've hit him hard considering how not reckless he is now…"

("Yeah consider we only lost distant relatives...the adults lost everything!...it's...pretty sad…")

"Well...next group...skyhi-"

"C-Can you do Flambe?..." Lammy says as she gets off of Parappa's bed

"Lammy! You woke up!"

"Y-Yeah...crying kids t-tend to do that…So w-what's with all the ghosts?..."

"They're not here to harm us or anything! Just to thank us for keeping their memories alive." Katy says as she rubs her arm.

"I n-noticed...I'd like to meet my grandfather...i-if that's ok…"

"You got it!...ok...he was part of Flambeyond...that means I have to sew Flambe and Dino-Might first...Ma-san that cool with you?"

("The crying kids were an upset to my stomach, so sure. I rather get some gritty stuff rather than...really upsetting stuff...")

"Alrighty! First Flambe...A simply blaze, ok that'll be easy!" Upon getting down with the first stage of the symbol, Flambe appears, their leader holding an axe, both literally and figuratively.

"WOULD YOU LOOK AT THIS RIGHT HERE GUYS? PEOPLE GIVE A DAMN ABOUT US AGAIN!" The leader was a giant green gorilla with red and white face paint.

" **YEAH!"**

"O-Ow my ears…"

"Oh man they're loud…"

("My kind of people. No wonder Dino-Might were so willing to join with them.")

"M-My Grandpa w-was apart of THIS group?..."

"Grandpa? Did one of us actually manage to leave a legacy?" the group simply shake their heads at their leaders question.

"Boss we're dead, what do you think." the one replying was an armadillo, he sported the same face paint as the gorilla. He appeared to be the second in command.

"I'm sorry! I'm just looking at the positives! I dunno...she looks familiar…" The boss flies forward towards Lammy "Hmmmmmmm…"

"E-Eep…"

He pulls out a black and gold opera mask and holds it over her eyes and smiles "IT'S GOLDY BOY FELLAS!"

"But boss that's a girl."

"IT'S GOLDY GIRL FELLAS!" They simply facepalm.

The one who kept replying to the boss then floats up to Lammy "Our apologies, Magnus here is all brawns and very little smarts...but he can play a killer guitar! One that your grandfather certainly enjoyed. But nothing ever got him to actually fight for it! He was very very passive...how is he now a days?"

"I-I thought you a-all would know...h-he died in the same war…"

"What?! But why didn't he run?..."

"Y-You guys didn't survive to the point when your group became Flambeyond did y-you?..."

"Ah...I see what happened now...He took over for us...and went down like us...I'm sorry dear. He was a good man that didn't deserve that fate." he looks at Parappa "So you actually bothered acknowledging us? I'm sure you know what we did."

"Yeah...but...it's not like...you meant it."

"Well, this is Flambe you're talking to...a group so destructive...we probably did on our own volition. I'm sorry, but we're all brutes as you can clearly tell by Magnus here. So for all we know, our reason was simply because we wanted to."

"T-That's not true…"

"Maybe, maybe not. Fires can be a really petty thing. When has a fire willingly HELPED someone?" he looks at Parappa, the topic clearly making him uncomfortable "It looks like you agree with me! What has fire done to wrong you my boy?"

"It…took my mother away…"

"A-Ah…" The second in command scratches his head "Oh dear…I'm...terribly sorry lad…"

"It's...fine...you didn't know…"

"..." The guy sighs "We're...a self loathing bunch...once the war started...we blamed ourselves for it...we wanted to stop it all…and at the same time end our lives...from all the guilt we had within…" Parappa looks up at him.

"We played like the embodiment of fire when we were alive... I can't undo what flames have done to hurt you, and I can't even apologize for it...all I can do is say, that you are in the right to not care for us...We deserve to be forgotten." Parappa simply shakes his head and finishes the first part of the symbol "Destructive idiots like us don't deserve good people like you caring for us my boy…" They all fade into the hat except him "Thank you…"

"Can you at least tell us your name before you go?..."

"My name is Bunsen...and I apologize for my poor choice of words...as well as anything flames have done to upset any of you…" He fades into the hat once he finishes.

"Didn't expect that to happen...heh…" He shakes his head to try and cheer up "Ok time to add on Dino's stamp…" the trio just watch Parappa, they were unable to speak up, they didn't know what to say "Hey Ma-san, weren't you gonna spectate me?"

("R-Right! You better not have messed up already!")

"Not yet not yet…" The duo begin working instantaneously.

"Ok so the dinos face is inside the fire."

("Don't forget the fuse from it's head! Or the indents that connect from the face of the dino to the flame it's on!")

"Got it! How far does the fuse extend? And oh? Like a puzzle piece?"

("Good, yes and yes.")

"Gotcha!" Upon nearly finishing, Dino-Might arrives.

_("What do we have here? It appears we're being honored...us kamikaze arsonists? Uh uh baby we don't deserve that nice stuff.")_ the apparent leader of the group, a tall yellow mouse, wearing a red and blue suit while having four sticks of dynamite in his head, states as he gives a sigh. Unlike Ma-san, his eyes weren't beady. And his hair grew around the dynamite sticks into an afro.

("You blew yourselves up in order to stop the Raven's! While that was great, WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!") Ma-san says yelling at the leader.

_("Hm? You talk like us? Wait sugah you look familiar…")_ he gasps after getting a good look at her  _("YOU'RE THE SPITTIN IMAGE OF MARCEL! Oh i'm so glad the guy actually listened to me!")_

("I'M NOT! YOU EVEN UNDERSTAND HOW ALONE MY DAD ENDED UP BEING?! PAPA-MA ALWAYS LOOKS SO DEPRESSED AND NOW I KNOW WHY!") Her fuse ignites like a wildfire, as does the rest of Dino-might before the leader calmed them down.

_("Listen sweetie, my little brother Marcel was a bit of a dunce. I didn't want him to follow me into war, but he was adamant...and unfortunately...a natural...his tank drums were certainly a destructive force...but I just couldn't watch my baby brother deal with all that! Eventually I knew it was gonna lead to his demise!...then those damn Ravens came…")_

("W-Wait...little brother?")

_("Yeah sugah, i'm your Uncle! But please let me finish before you ask more questions, I don't want you getting all upset at me for the wrong reason.")_ Ma-san nods hesitantly  _("Good...see eventually we knew, we weren't gonna win against the Ravens...so we thought up a trap...now the problem is...we needed all of our group in order for it to work, for it to be believable...if we didn't have everybody, the Ravens would've known it was a trap! But I didn't want my little brother being a part of that...he had potential to have a great life. Not like his stupid older brother. So I told him the wrong plan, that we would be meeting with Flambe. And once he left...well. I'm sure you know the rest.")_

("So...there was no other way…")

_("We couldn't spare more people or else Raven's would know we were trying to blow them up with us...I wanted my baby brother to be the last one of us keeping it alive...And now I see he did...heh...I'm so happy...and so...sososo sorry…Hate on me all ya want...Uncle Marron deserves it.")_

Ma-san ponders for a moment and sighs before speaking up again ("You're right, Uncle-ma is an idiot. But he cared so much for Papa-ma to even give him a chance at life...at the cost of his own...But still, Papa-ma's alone now.")

_("Sweet-P he ain't alone, he gotchu! And ain't nobody gon take that from him! And if I know my baby brother right, he knows that to. What happened to your mother though? Shouldn't she be keepin an eye on him?")_

("She...passed away when I was born…")

_("Oh honey I'm so so sorry...but given your speech pattern...I think I know who you're mother was...haha...he got the girl he wanted...that's nice. Culture mixing is also nice. Look here. Just note that your old man shouldn't feel upset or alone. And if you ever feel like he is. Go on over to him and slap him hard across the face! You have my permission! If he asks why, just say your uncle told you to! That should drain the color off his face.")_

Ma-san simply smiles at his attempt to lighten the mood ("Will do.")

Parappa surprises Dino-Might as he speaks up ("Ma-san certainly does care for the people she's close to! She was ready to slap you all senseless for causing grief to her dad. Why when we returned home after hearing the story, she was livid over anyone trying to defend your actions, then I told her that it was better this way. A world without a Ma-san would suck…")

_("He cares for our kin AND speaks like us?!")_ He turns to Ma-san who's fuse ignited with a pink color, causing him to whisper to her  _("You gonna let a boy rile your emotions like that? Hehe...you're just like Marcel when it comes to people they like.")_ Her dynamite explodes in a miniature explosion that engulfs Uncle-ma and Ma-san's heads, leaving them covered in soot. This all causes Marron to laugh  _("Better lasso him quick baby! Before your temper does him in!")_

("Whatever…") she begins wiping the soot off her face.

Marron turns to Parappa  _("Baby, your free to finish our mark now...and thanks...all of you. For keeping us in your hearts. Lordie knows we don't deserve it, but we feel blessed all the same.)_ Parappa nods, but upon finishing the second step, they all instead fly into Ma-san's dynamite.

("W-Whoa!...a little warning would've been nice!) She scoffs a bit before releasing a light chuckle.

"That leaves Flambeyond! Care to help me out Lammy?"

"S-Sure!" She huddles over to his side "Ok so in the dino's mouth...you need to draw a skull with snakes coming out of the eye sockets...hey...that looks...familiar…"

"Lammy it looks like your logo!"

"It makes sense since her grandfather did become leader of this new group…, but man it is not an easy logo to sew…" Once Parappa gets close to completing it, El Dorado appears on cue.

"Buen Dias! Quien fue el que me llamo?"

"E-El!...Y-Yo!...L-Los dos!..."

"Ohohohoh! Mira que tenemos aqui! Quien es esta chica! Tu te pareces a mi!" He simply claps his hands with glee.

"S-Si!...soy tu nieta!..."

"Eso es verda?! Rebien!" He grabs her hands and begins floating up and down "Mira como bonita tu eres! Me alegra mucho!" Lammy simply blushes "G-Grandpa s-stoppppp...you're embarrassing meeee…"

"This is goldy boy?"

("Or goldilocks")

El Dorado stops in place and looks at Katy and Ma-san "I STILL have those nicknames?!...I thought I finally earned the title of The Golden One...U-Uh I mean- C-Como saben esos nombres?" The four of them simply look at him "Ok the jig is up…"

"W-We're you trying to sound c-cool and sophisticated by speaking only in s-spanish?..." Lammy looks at her grandfather, upset at said fact.

"I...yeah...I was. Regular me...nobody cared about...once I donned this mask, I became El Dorado...a whole different person...one that people then started giving a hoot about…"

"Just like me and my g-guitar…"

"Is that so?...Sorry you had to inherit that part of me…"

"I-I don't mind it! I actually got to meet a lot of great people thanks to playing my guitar!"

"R-Really?...I wish I had people in my life the same as your friends."

"But Mr. Golden one! You did! The guys at Flambeyond said you were a great guy! Even Miss Lupe thought you were a decent guy!"

"They...did?..."

"Yeah! Grandma did however say you were a bit of a dunce…but that you got really upset once she was...well you know…"

"Yeah...well...love does drive you to do stupid things…"

"L-Love?"

"Yeah...as a single father...and her a single mother...I...tried...and...she almost started letting me...then...we both died…"

"Why even start up fighting? I recall the Flambe saying you were rather against such a thing..."

"Well here's the thing...the sole remaining member of Dino was in our base...alone...upset...devastated...and...just all that riled me up something fierce...he was a kid! He wasn't supposed to be worrying about death and destruction! A kid his age should've been worrying over homework or if his favorite park will be closed or not! Not...that...I couldn't sit still...I put on my mask...not only to change me into El Dorado...but to hide the tears...the tears of empathy or Dino-MIght...and the tears of fear...I probably wouldn't survive...but no...I single handedly destroyed the remainder of the Ravens...but that didn't mean I was unbeatable...I learned that when it came to buying everyone time to run...at first it was just me trying to avenge Lupe...but that went down the drain fast...I was in over my head...so all I could do...was live so that they could focus on me...so that the other could just and never look back...then my legs were broken and I stayed on the ground...that was it, the following second...my world ended."

"I-I'm sorry grandpa…"

"Don't be sweetie. I CHOSE to do all that, watching Marcel and Lupe just ignited something in me, to do things I regularly wouldn't do...even with my mask off!"

"That's j-just like me and MIlkCan!"

"It's funny seeing as our families met beforehand...like it was destined!"

"You three are in a band?! My descendant, Lupe's descendant and Marcel's daughter? What are the odds! My dear granddaughter you said you play guitar correct?" she nods "Oh how I do love how guitars sound like! I can always dance to one!"

"Yeah Mr. Magnus and Bunsen filled us in on that!"

"I wish I could have you play for me...but in this form...I don't have legs to dance with…"

"I-I'm sorry…"

"Again mija, it's fine! How's your mother?...Is she...upset with me?..."

"I-I think so...they were even so adamant about being against my love for music…"

"Haha...I see...so she blames that instead of me...or maybe she blames both?..." He floats towards Lammy again "I'm so sorry...I could apologize a thousand times...but it would never do anything different...so I'll instead say thank you. Thank you for remember a goof like me...all of us." The remainder of Flambeyond appear behind him "Oye chico, termina mi mark porfavor."

"Huh?"

"He says to f-finish the symbol please."

"Oh right!" Parappa gets right on it.

"Sweetie, what's your name?"

"L-Lammy!"

"Lammy, keep being headstrong alright?"

"She already is Mr Golden One! Not only is Lammy headstrong enough as is! But also one for people to rely on for when the going gets tough! I should know, cuz i've witnessed it first hand!" Parappa says without turning around, simply wagging his tail.

"Is that so mijo?" When he turns back to Lammy, he sees her face glowing red, prompting him to smile and whisper to her "You better get him quick~ Love waits for no lamb~" This simply causes the rest of her face to turn pink now instead "Oh dear...here! Hide your face behind this!" He removes his mask and places it on her face.

"W-Wait! Won't you n-need this?..."

"Where I'm going? Not really...but in all actuality? Even if I could, I still would give it to you. It'd be better passed down." she simply nods.

"Done!"

"Very well. My time here is done! Goodbye to you all...and from the bottom of my spectral heart...thank you so much for remembering those who made poor choices…"

"B-Before you leave! C-Can I know your real name grandpa?..."

"Ah….it's uh...T-Tupper…" he scratches the back of his head.

"T-That's a nice name~.."

"Thank you dear. And goodbye." The members of Flambeyond fly into Parappa's hat.

"Your grandpa's a nice guy." Katy says as she walks up to Lammy.

("Equally as a mess as you! But not as adorable as you that's for sure.")

"Ma-san!"

("What? It is true! He can't pull off that as effectively as a girl can!") Lammy simply laughs.

"Yeah well, it was nice hearing from him." She adjusts the mask that he gave her, trying to make it look proper.

"Hey Lammy, I think that mask, plus the beanie I gave you would fit well!"

"O-Oh I uh...d-dunno about that~..."

("Try it!")

"M-Maybe later!...h-heh..."

Parappa moves on to Skyhigh, a symbol of a ravine with a storm blowing in between. When they appear, they are all an assortment of birds.

"Oh lookie here...you lot actually wanna keep our spirits going?"

"Of course! All of you don't deserve to be forgotten!"

"Hahaha! Oh this is rich!...wait...you're serious? You...want to remember fools like us?..."

"You guys can't really be called fools when you were goaded into doing this…"

"Just...finish our symbol please…"

("Geez rude much!")

"Remember Ma-san, Skyhigh didn't really...like anybody…" Katy says as the members simply eye them down.

They dive into Parappa's hat before he fully finishes, wanting to leave as quickly as possible.

"Man that was...awkward…"

("No kidding! Next!")

The next step was adding on Dragonhaven to Skyhighs insignia, but they were silent, and left faster than skyhigh. Only uttering a simple "thank you for the honor" before leaving.

"Man no wonder they got along with Skyhigh…"

"Blegh...who's left?..."

"That leaves the Ravens, the Royals and the two inventing based groups of Allies of the Funk and Soul Machine…"

The Ravens said nothing, they refused to thank anyone and just vanished upon being called.

("Jerks! No wonder everyone hated these guys!... In fact the three of these all sucked! Like what the heck they all seemed really spiteful...and the two priors were supposed to be helpers?!")

"Agreed…"

"Y-You could feel t-the hostility s-seeping from them!"

"N-Next…actually...Parappa you sure you want to have their symbol?"

"Like it or not, they were one of the founding fathers of music in general. So I gotta have em. No matter how bad they are they're still a reason we even have music at all! And with Skyhigh and Dragonhaven they did still end up helping...and some of them even became Allies of the Funk so not all of them are like that."

"Eh...if you say so."

The royals were a different story, only King Rock and Queen Roll appeared, prompting everyone but Ma-san to kneel. Only for them to notice that the Royals themselves were kneeling.

"Children of today that choose to care for us, despite our mistakes. Ours were the most destructive and yet you both seek to remember us." King says as he stays knelt.

"We do not deserve your kindness, for we were the biggest fools of them all..." Queen says as she heaves a sigh of despair.

"N-No your majesties! You were doing something that someone who messed with your thinking wanted!"

"Yes...that bastard made us believe that only we mattered...but in actuality...no one matters when they try to strip away music from one another…You have my praise for choosing to remember us. And with that, me and my legion thank you."

"As do I. I do so wish that you lot push the form of music into a new frontier where we don't needlessly fight to take it away from one another." They both place a giant hand on Parappa's head, nearly squishing him due to their size, and nodded before disappearing into his hat on the table.

("Now THAT'S more like it!") Ma-san feels a swelling ego within her after seeing the Royal's bowing to them instead.

"They seemed so nice...it's sad that they had to be the bad guys throughout most of it…" Katy frowns as her tail droops to the floor.

"Um...w-what were they?..." Lammy stays puzzled on what to make of the two she just saw.

"I have no clue...they...had a centaur's lower body, but a minotaur's upper half...all while being alienish in appearance?...All I know is that it was intimidating as all heck!"

"No kidding! Move on to the next group please Parappa!" Katy simply shudders from their presence alone.

"Ok that only leaves...actually...let's go with Groove Machine first."

Groove Machine was rather odd, they didn't say thank you as they already felt remembered enough thanks to Parappa's existence alone. And simply praised him before going into his hat, Upon changing it to Soul Machine. The same result, the others simply felt that they were already remembered by Parappa simply existing. And simply petted him on the head and dove into his hat.

("It figures the group your dad was from would be pretty quick and simple.")

"Guess dad was the only one to never give up on his old group buddies...and like Poppy said, there were some Garden Love members in Soul Machine!"

"That leaves Allies of the Funk! I wonder who we'll see there! Add it on top of Soul Machine to get Soul of the Funk already!"

"On it!" Parappa finishes adding on the final symbol to see who he gets to talk to, but only one spirit visits them, and it leaves both Parappa and Katy speechless. Until Parappa finally musters up the strength to speak.

"M-Mom?..."

* * *

It was quiet in Mushi's studio, nothing was happening and it was rather peaceful. But no one could deny that it was also boring.

"Heh...I still can't believe those guys actually wanted those posters. Didn't think anybody would wanna remember such a tragic past. All thanks to YOU!" He throws a dart a picture of a crocodile mans face, it already being covered with several darts "You probably don't even remember them anymore...as you constantly mess up the lives of anyone who dares show their appreciation of music…" he throws another dart "You're probably doing that right now...taking advantage of people by using what they love…" he gets ready to throw another dart, but is distracted by the phone.

"A call? At THIS hour? Wonder who it could be…" He decides to answer "Hello! Good old King Kong here! How can I help-"

"Hello Mushi! How great of you to pick up."

"...no…"

"Hahah, still the same reply after all these years."

"...nononononono."

"Why don't you hang up on me then dear Mushi?"

"What the hell do you want S-P?!"

"With you? Oh the usual! But I also expect the usual reply, so I won't bother...yet. I actually wanted to ask you about something. You have a protege don't you?"

"No...I don't."

"Oh how selfish Mushi! Please inform me as to who he or she is!"

"Never."

"Oh is that how it's going to be? Then I guess I'll have to look up things for myself!"

"YOU THINK I'D LET YOU?!"

"Ohohohoho dear Mushi, you can't stop me."

"I could have ruined you years ago! During that massive destruction fest that YOU caused!"

"And yet you didn't. Because you knew you couldn't do anything to me. In the long run i'd win. And that would put the group you were in at the time up at stake. Even now you fear me."

"I don't fear you."

"Then why don't you do anything to me now?"

"..."

"You are pathetic, like a hapless dog being treated like dirt, unable to fight back...speaking about dogs, from what I gathered, that's what species your protege is. Am I not correct?"

"I will not answer you."

"Fair enough, i'll find out on my own eventually. I just want to have a...small chat with them! Nothing more nothing less."

"You even so much as get within ten feet of him I swear I will-"

"Ah so it's a boy! That makes the search marginally easier!" Mushi begins punching himself in the head for letting that slip "Well Mushi, I'd love to stay and chat, but I have loads of searching to do!" he hangs up leaving Mushi in complete anger with himself.

"No...this is all just a bad nightmare…"

* * *

"M-Mom?..."

"M-Mrs. Rappa?..."

The ghost in front of them was in fact Parappa's mother.

"B-But...where's the rest of Allies of the F-Funk…"

"I assume they stayed with their appropriate groups. Leaving me as the sole member of the Allies…" She simply smiles at the duo who just cry against their better control "Ooooooh! Look how handsome my little man grew up to be! This is just to much for me!"

"M-Moooom...hehe…~"

"And Katy! Such a beautiful young lady you grew to be! You're just gorgeous!"

"A-Ahahaww...s-stop it…~"

"I'm so proud of the two of you! You look like you both handled yourselves greatly!" She grabs the two of them in a huge hug, the duo waste no time hugging back "Hey but wait a sec, this isn't our house." she gasps "Are you two LIVING together?!"

"W-Well uh...y-yeah…"

"E-Eheh yeah we kinda are…"

Now it's her turn to cry "Oh this is such a beautiful thing, the fact that you two are now in a relationship together is probably the cherry on top of the cake for me."

"Heheh yeah-...wait...WAIT!" Both immediately try to clear the mistake.

"M-MOM W-WE'RE NOT MARRIED OR ANYTHING!.."

"N-NO! W-WE'RE JUST ROOMING TOGETHER IS ALL!"

("Oy vey, this is just to hilarious.") Ma-san falls onto her back laughing.

"I-I think it's a bit to awkward for my liking…" Lammy rubs her arms, but not for the reason she just stated.

"L-LOOK! S-See? W-We have other roommates!"

Mama Rappa simply notices the other two "Oh dear...Parappa I didn't raise you to be this kind of person!"

"MOM IT'S NOT THAT EITHER!..."

After a bit of hectic explaining the point gets across, they however had to explain...recent bad events.

"Ah…"

"Y-Yeah…"

"It's not like you to let things get to you in that manner...then again, it hasn't really happened often for you to steel yourself against…"

"I'm sorry…"

"It's fine, I'm just glad your friends helped you when they did! It would've killed me to see my son that way…"

"Heh...yeah…"

"You two are Ma-san and Lammy then correct."

"Y-Yes t-that's me!..."

("Right here!")

Mama Rappa simply looks at Ma-san.

("Oh right…") "Yes I'm Ma-san"

"Sorry I couldn't understand you dear!..."

"I get that alot, it's fine."

"Ok so...you've fully healed...both physically and emotionally right?"

"Yeah! It's thanks to everyone, but Katy most of all."

"Atta girl! I knew he could count on you!"

"Ohohoh stop…~" She bashfully plays with her hair.

"I hope Parappa is at the very least behaving himself around you three!"

"M-MOM SERIOUSLY?! H-Have SOME faith in me!..."

The trio simply laugh and reply in unison "He's behaving!...for now~"

"H-Hey!..."

She understands the joke, but decides to play along "Is that sooooo?"

"Y-You don't actually believe them do you!"

"One boy, in an apartment with four nice girls around his age? Believing you is really hard right about now."

"W-Whyyy!..." The four simply laugh "Of course…probably should've seen you were all messing with me."

"Lighten up Parappa! You'd think you'd be more cheery seeing me back."

"I am…,but I know you'll just leave again in the end anyway…"

"Oh...hm…" She ponders "Well, i'd like to rest in peace...buuuuut…." she places one hand over Parappa's chest and her other on Katy's.

"U-Uh…"

"Mrs. Rappa what are you-" once she removes her hands, a white light is left in their chests.

"If you two ever wanna talk to me, you just have to be together and just call for me, and I'll arrive!" They smile and nod.

"Now how do you know of Allies of the Funk? Last thing I ever would want you two to know about is that war…"

"We kinda found out through Mushi's posters…"

"Mushi?...Oh the MC at Club Fun. I understand now. Well, judging by your hat. You've immortalized all the other groups. And I think they're all happy. Even the jerks, although you'll never get them to admit that!"

"We noticed...man the Ravens were just soooo….blegh…."

"Yeah they were sadists pretty much, but it's thanks to them we have music." she rubs her chin "But I mean...Skyhigh, Dragonhaven, Cruisin' Blues and Flambe weren't exactly...different...they were also jerks and everybody somehow got along with each other! Just goes to show how silly everyone was for fighting over music! And I'm just glad you four didn't grow up to end up like any of them."

"On that topic! Thanks to an idea Parappa brought up! We're a group of our own now!"

"Oh?"

"Well we still need to finalize somethings, and we're still our individual things as well. But we're now the little group of Leavin' to Believin'!"

"Oh now that's a sweet name."

"Isn't it?" Katy gets behind Lammy and pushes her forward "She thought of it!"

"K-Katy!..."

"What? Take the credit!"

"Okok...I just don't...think a name I picked is all that s-special…" Lammy simply looks to the floor.

Mama Rappa lifts up Lammy's head "Dear you should have more confidence in yourself! If your close friends say it's a great name, then doesn't that give you enough proof?" Lammy doesn't reply, at least not immediately. She then nods with a smile on her face, then takes a deep breath.

"Sometimes it's hard for me to have any sort of faith in myself. I rarely, if ever, see what they all see in me, but at the same time I'm super happy they see something in me at all!" Katy nearly crushes Lammy in a hug.

"Of course we see you that way Lammy! Cause you're just that amazing!" Parappa then joins in on the hug.

"Exactly, like I always say, you're amazing in many ways, and are constantly proving me right!" Ma-san then joins in, completely smashing the wind out of Lammy's lungs.

"You may be meek here and there at times, but you always pull through!"

"Thanks!...but...please….let…..go….c-can't….breathe…." They notice and quickly let go.

"Sorry Lammy!"

"Y-Yeah my bad! Kinda got over sentimental!..."

"Eh, I purposely went and hugged as hard as I could."

"See dear? Doesn't this give you the motivation to see it for yourself."

Lammy was still struggling to catch her breath, so her reply was simply a thumbs up.

"Good!...well now it's time for me to take my leave. I'll see you all when next you call me! And thank you all for keeping those oldies memories alive! Even me!" rather than go into his hat like the rest, she dives into Parappa himself!

"W-Whaaa- that feels cold!..." He shakes himself like a dog shaking off water "Well, this was an immerseful experience! And it showed a lot about the old guys! They were somewhat nice...just coaxed into doing the wrong thing...and I even got to see mom again! That totally erased any negativity Skyhigh or the Ravens left!"

"I'll say!"

("Your mom certainly is entertaining.")

"A-And really nice…~"

"Yeah, glad to see she still is!...but man was that exhausting…"

"No kidding…"

"I'm pretty much ok."

("You fainted, twice. Of course you're decently rested!")

"I think it's best we all hit the hay after tonight, to much emotional release for my liking..."

"I'm gonna stay awake for a bit longer. Don't feel sleepy. So I might actually just stay in my room and tune my guitar."

The trio leave Parappa's room to do their own thing while Parappa simply looks at his new decked out hat and sighs.

"I'm glad I finally finished...but man that was heavy on me..." he places a hand on his chest, he feels the cold sensation again, but it quickly disperses "But something good came out of it~..." he hops onto his bed "Well tomorrow we gotta clean that pond again so I better sleep now to wake up as early as I can." His eyes refuse to close "Oooooooh I just can't sleep!..."

* * *

Lammy simply sits in her room, trying to tune her guitar for a good few seconds before giving up.

"Man that was something...abuelito was such a contrast to what I expected which was nice, learning about Katy, Ma-san and Parappa's heritage was also a fun treat...but man I wish I could have a spine for once when it came to being involved...they believe I can and here I am just...all a mess…" she places her guitar back in the case "Ohhh...all this makes my stomach hurt…" She just flops onto her bed "I'm pathetic…" as she body slammed her bed, she caused all the stuff that was lined all about it to plop into the air and disperse. Except for the hat that Parappa gave her, which lands directly on top of her head "Hah...what are the odds of that happening." She adjusts the beanie to sit properly on her head "It's funny...I feel calmer with this on...as if I was holding my guitar in my hands, and yet it feels more effective than that...of course I can't just waltz everywhere with this on! People would get the wrong idea…" She reclines back onto the bed.

_But maybe I'd like that?_ She recalls Parappa slumping in from work today and what he brought up.

"Paula's certainly lucky…"  _Why am I jealous of that? It's not like they're actually dating...or that I have a shot with him…_ she sighs "And Katy's also lucky with Parappa's mom thinking they have a shot!...But I also feel bad since Katy doesn't like Parappa that way."  _Which is nice since she IS trying to help me get together with him….but...does she also like him? Her reaction was rather odd when both her grandmother and Parappa's mother brought it up... Nah...she wouldn't be helping me if she did. And of course she'd react that way! Who wouldn't when it comes to love?..._ "I know I always would...heh." She pulls the beanie over her head to hide her own blush and embarrassment, no one is there, but it's become instinct to her at this point. "Ohhhh…I really am a mess…" She fixes the beanie and just sighs "Maybe I should get some sleep...It'd probably help me air out my thoughts...actually wait!...I have to help the others at that Pond tomorrow!...Yikes!...can't believe I almost forgot!...I'll just set my alarm to wake me up earlier to make up for it...there!" She rests her head on her pillow, attempting to sleep, but quickly notices she forgot to remove the beanie "Whoops, gotta take this off." As she grabs it, she stops herself "Maybe…just for tonight…"

_Who knows, maybe i'll dream up something nice this way…~_


	10. Love and War

The morning arrives faster than anyone's real anticipation and still Lammy seems to be the only one who ran late.

"I can't believe I'm late! I had my alarm and everything! H-How did it not wake me up!...What's worse is that they left without me! They probably thought it was for the better that I rest...oooohhh…" She taps the sides of her head "I'm such a bother...ok so they're going to the place Katy took them that was at the park...but I don't know the way!..." She frantically runs in place "I'll call Katy- w-where's my phone?!..." she begins emptying her pockets only to come to the conclusion that she left her cellphone at home "G-Guess I gotta wing it!..." She runs towards the park and immediately books it towards the mini forest "Okokokok…" She takes a deep breath "H-Here we go!..." She runs in and traverses where she can, she recalls hearing Joe bring up footprints along the ground, but she sees none anywhere, and even worse, she can no longer find her way back.

_Where am I?...where's the way out?..._ she stumbled around, no matter which direction she ran, she couldn't get out "N-No…"  _Is this it for me?...am I just gonna wander around here forever?_ "W-Why didn't I just wait…" She immediately just huddles into her knees onto the ground, trying to do her best not to cry even though she knows, it's all she can do given her brash decision making.

As she stays on the ground, her tears simply leave her eyes, she doesn't bother calling for help as no one would hear her. And even if they could, they'd probably get lost as well while trying to find her. Then she felt someone grab one of her hands.

"H-Huh?..." her waterlogged eyes and the slight beaming sunlight from the mini openings amongst the tree leaves blocks her vision from seeing who the person is.

"Here you are!..." The voice she hears rings in her head, it was Parappa's "Don't cry...you're gonna be ok! You just got a little lost is all, i'll help you out!" his words actually manage to get her to stop sobbing as he helps her up, now that she's not staring at the sunlight, she can see that it really is Parappa and not her mind fooling her. Upon getting up he immediately begins running off while still holding onto her "Come on! I'll get us back on track!"

"B-But what if we just get even m-more lost!..."

He doesn't stop running, nor turns to look at her as to not run into trees, he simply replies with "Then at least I'd be lost with you! That wouldn't be as bad."

"O-Oh b-but y-you would-"

"Don't worry ok? No matter the end outcome, it's all gonna be ok." she feels him squeeze her hand tighter "I just know it will be, you make it feel that way." He glances towards her "You believe to right?" Her face glows red as she also grips onto his hand much more tightly, but she feels at ease, she doesn't feel anxious, and when she replies she no longer stutters.

"I do believe!"

"That's all I needed to hear. I promise you that it will always be ok, I know it always is cuz I have you by my side to guarantee it! Do you feel the same?"

"I do! I really really do!"

"Do you promise?..."

"I do promise!" She soon sees in the distance a gleaming white light, signifying that they found an exit, was it the way to the pond or the way out? She didn't know. And she didn't really care, she was more attentive to what was happening now.

"You look like you're getting so worked up. What's wrong?" he resumes looking forward.

"I-It's nothing it's-" her stuttering tries to return, but she manages to break on by much to her own amazement "It's just that…"

"That?"

"I'm here! With you!"

"Is that a problem?..."

"N-No! Never! Of course not!...it's just that I…"

"You what?"

"L-LIke you!"

"Well of course you like me! It'd be awkward being best friends if you didn't…" he still keeps his vision forward which adds on to her difficulty in saying what she wants to.

_Noooo...t-that's not it!..._ "I-I mean I…"

"Hm?..."

"L-L…"

"L?" she feels his grip on her hand loosen.

_D-Don't let go!..._ "L-Lo…"

"..."

_P-Please!..._ "I LOVE YOU!..." They stop in their tracks, right by the path opening, but still back enough to not see what lies beyond the blinding white light. Parappa simply turns his head to the side slightly with a smile beginning to form.

"That's a relief…"

_W-Wha?..._ "Why's that?..."

He fully looks at her, with a slight blush across his face, his smile beaming almost as brightly as the light before them "Because...I love you to!" He pulls her in for a hug as they fall past the barrier of light.

* * *

The alarm blares heavily in Lammy's ears as she wakes up in a panic screaming fest.

"I LOVE YO-..." She quickly covers her mouth resulting in muffled screaming. As her hands rest on her face, she can feel the intense heat radiating from her face.

"LAMMY ARE YOU OK?!' Parappa bursts through the door, his eyes appear to be red with black shadows under his eyes.

"Mmph!..." Lammy manages to pry her hands off "I-I'm fine!...just uh...a dream is all."

"Oh...phew...man I was caught off guard by that scream…"

"I'm sorry!...wait…" She notices his appearance "D-Did you even sleep at all?..."

"Ah...not really...after seeing my mother again I kinda got to jittery to sleep... hehe...whoops…"

"P-Parappa! Doctor's orders were to NOT do t-that!..." he flinches at her bringing it up causing him to whine like a puppy.

"You're right...my ba-" Parappa is tosses aside as Katy sends him flying when she arrives "LAMMY ARE YOU OK?!..." Lammy could see her shirt was on backwards, meaning she was trying to get dressed before going to figure out if she was ok. She also noticed her own sleepless eyes, meaning she probably stayed away for the same reason Parappa did.

"I-I'm perfectly fine!...H-However…"

"Oooowwww…." Parappa slides off the wall and onto the floor head first.

"I don't think he is…" She hops off her bed and rushes to his side as Katy does the same.

"I'm sorry Parappa! I didn't see you as I was rather...still groggy…"

"It's fine haha...ow...You weren't groggy enough to get dressed this time though heh…"

"Eheh...instinct...I know we're supposed to be used to it but I guess I panicked through my tired state…"

"I take it seeing my mom again didn't let you sleep either?"

"Exactly!-...wait...you didn't sleep either?! Parappa!..."

"I-I know I know...Lammy already yelled at me for it…"

"Still! Even just doing it once can be harmful to you in this state!..."

"I know!...just...I'm to...overemotional!..."

"No excuses! Your mom wouldn't have wanted you to!..."

"G-Gah…" he stiffens up.

"You gotta hit the hay right now!"

"But we gotta go to the pond to clean it today! We'd be wasting time that could be-"

"Nu-uh, Look it'll be five people handling it this time rather than just us two. It'll be fine! Now march to your bed! I'll be keeping watch over you to make sure you fall asleep!"

"Isn't that a bit much?" She simply stares at him "You're right…"

"Actually Katy...you look like you could use the sleep to...mind if I watch over him?" Katy gets caught off guard by this, both because, Lammy said it so calmly, but also because she wanted to try some advances of her own. But she shook those thoughts off. "Um...ok! You have a point, I might nod off and not know if he's sleeping or not! I'd probably end up asleep quickly while he's the one watching over me!"

"Oh come on I wouldn't do that…" She crosses her arms and stares at him again "Okok I'll do my best to get some shut eye...but before I go, Lammy you said a dream got you to scream that loud, what the heck kinda nightmare was it? No dream would cause that type of terror screaming."

"O-Oh uh...y-yeah it was a nightmare through and through...heh…"  _It's more of a nightmare to come clean about what it actually was that caused me to scream...and at the same time…_

" _Because...I love you to!"_

_I'm almost upset I can't...because it didn't really happen…_ "But I'm fine! It's not real...only just...a dream…"

Both Parappa and Katy look at each other before looking back to her "You...still seem upset though…" Katy says as she tries to look into her eyes.

"A-Ah! It's nothing r-really! I rather not e-explain as to not remember it! T-The sooner I forget, the faster I p-perk back up!"

Parappa grabs her hand causing her to tense up "Are you sure you'll be fine?..."

"Of course!"

"Do you promise?…" Him saying those words simply made her body go on autopilot.

"I do promise!" Her hand tightly grips his.

"Well...Don't worry ok? No matter the end outcome, it's all gonna be ok." his grip also tightens "I promise!...you...believe me?..."

She notices him beginning to wobble, his eyes struggle to keep open "Uh oh...seems like the exhaustion kicked in…" as if on cue, both Parappa and Katy yawn as they both fumble in place, Katy nearly topples over "W-Whoa! Easy there!...Uh...Parappa mind waiting here for a bit while I help Katy to her bed?..."

"Sure!..." He gives a thumbs up before releasing another yawn.

"Good! Alright come on Katy…" she gets Katy to hold onto her for balance support as she carries her over.

"I'm sorry...I'm just so...tired…all of a sudden..."

"I can see that! Doesn't help that you two are just yawning at each other causing more drowsiness!"

"Sheeh… Sorry...mom…" Katy's head flops onto her shoulder as she falls asleep, making it a bit more of a hassle to carry her.

"Man...this reminds me of our early days starting out! You always tire yourself out in one way or another...and I have to carry you to bed...at least this time you're not vomiting everywhere…" she can't help but laugh at remembering the first ever time this happened as she stops advancing towards Katy's room "What were you even thinking when you got those drinks? We weren't even of age to drink, and second off, you cannot stomach any form of alcohol whatsoever! One sip and you're instantly a mess!" Katy grumbles in her sleep as if she knew she was being talked about "Heh...oh boy...I'm actually glad this happened...remembering those days where we were more so off as loose cannons was a lot more fun, now here we are struggling to pay for this place! At least we were...Parappa really helped out so much with that...but I can't help but feel guilty you know?" Katy's only reply is drool dripping from her mouth "Ehehehew! Ok let's get you to bed." she enters her friends room and places her onto the bed, then takes a moment to glance around the room. Photos of MilkCan's events and concerts all hang up on the wall.

"To think that this all started from one single jam session...then Parappa encouraged you to start a band...and now...five years later here we are! A big hit...but man is our daily life way different from our MilkCan one!" she laughs at the fact "I'm really happy I got to meet the three of you...I feel like I blossomed into my own person way more than I ever would have had I not decided to continue practicing my guitar…I know I probably say this a lot, but thank you guys for being there when I needed someone the most."

"You're welcome...and thank you to Lammy...~" Katy mutters with one of her eyes half open surprising her.

"Sleeeeeeep~" she tosses the bed sheet over her.

"Yeah yeah…~" She snuggles into her pillow before resuming her sleep.

"You're the best friend a lamb could ever ask for!" She turns off the room lights and shuts the door as she returns back to her own room, only to see Parappa gone "W-Wha?...D-Did he walk back to his room on his own?...I hope he didn't bump into anything…" She walks over to her own bed "Well, I think I might as well get some extra shut eye since they'll be needing the sleep...and hey, I might be able to continue that dream some more…" as she attempts to lay back, she lands on something lumpy under the bed sheets "Oh no…don't tell me…" she lifts up the sheets and spots a sleeping Parappa, she nearly screamed on the spot, but managed to shut her mouth in time.  _D-Don't scream! Not again!...remember what happened his first night here and literally just moments ago…_ she takes a deep breath "Ok...I'll just carry-..." she places her hand on her chest, the same hand he held while in the dream and while awake. Her other hand grabs the beanie still on her head, she would've panicked over forgetting to take it off but instead she smiles as she instead decides against it "Sure...let's just roll with it...~" She slides into the bed in a manner as to not bump into him or wake him up and adjusts the sheets so that it covers the both of them "There we go…" She looks at his sleeping face and simply smiles "I still believe you~..."

Parappa mumbles a bit before huddling up closer and nuzzling her face turning her into the equivalent of a volcano.

_Oh please for the love of love, don't tell me this is just another dream!...please let me have this!..._ she decides to nuzzle him back to see if she'd wake up. Instead, she simply ends up nuzzling his fluffy face.  _It's real!...I'm fully awake and this is really happening!..._ she stares at him while he just rests there "You are such a cute little guy aren't you?...heh...clearly you're more than just cute...and boy did it snatch my heart in an instant...I wish you knew…"

" _Because...I love you to!"_

"I wish that was the truth...but for now...I guess I can just enjoy being here…~" and idea then pops into her head "H-He is rather close...and...deep into his sleep...I could…" She stares at his lips "Very easily…" She touches her own lips "If I wanted to…" she rubs his face, he nuzzles her hand on instinct, not wanting her to let go "Let's...g-give it a shot…" She moves in closer, feeling the heat of his breath as she gets ever so closer...so near...right about to…-

_I CAN'T DO IT…._  she rears her head back with a heavy sigh "I'm pathetic...oh well…" she simply adjusts herself into her pillow to try and fall asleep, once she succeeds, she is immediately forced awake once she feels Parappa lick her on the nose. Upon opening her eyes she sees that he is still asleep. She just latches onto him in a hug while cuddling him.  _Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!..._ "That's technically a kiss for a dog~..." She resumes going back to sleep.

* * *

"L-L-LAMMY?!..." Parappa says as he opens his eyes, only to see the sleeping lamb.

"What is it…" a groggy Lammy says as she opens her eyes, once fully open she sees a red Parappa looking her straight in the face, with little distance separating them.  _Him waking up completely slipped my mind…_

Both scuttle over to the opposite sides of the bed, doing their best not to scream.

"A-Ahaha...someone w-woke up…"

"Yeah heh...sorry it seems I...just knocked out on your bed...my bad...heh…"

"It's fine!...you at the very least look rested now!..."

"Yeah, thanks for letting me sleep here...and sorry for giving you the chore of making sure I slept…"

_Right...I was supposed to do that...well...luckily he stayed asleep!..._ "It's perfectly ok! I-I just nodded off myself after a bit is all…!"

Both refused to look at each other as they simply laugh awkwardly, until Lammy speaks up to break the awkward air.

"S-So what woke you u-up?..."

"I uh...felt...that I was brushing into something super soft...it wasn't the pillow...and when I opened my eyes...well...heh...the rest should be obvious...I-I'm sorry!..."

_ME super soft? Have you felt your fur? It's like hugging a cloud!_ "I-It's all good! T-Thanks for calling me super soft to…"

"O-Oh uh...right!...N-No problem!...I uh...b-better get going back to my room so that-" Lammy's hand quickly coils its fingers with his "U-Uh...L-Lammy?..."

_SAY SOMETHING...ANYTHING!..._ "...thanks for getting some sleep. I'm glad you're doing your best to take care of yourself…"  _Not what I wanted to say...but hey it's still nice and the truth…_

"Oh...well, I really have you and Katy to thank for that. I probably would have just laid in my bed and stared at the ceiling! Thanks for helping me."

"It's what a best friend would do."

"Hehe, when you're right you're right!" Lammy lets go of his hand.

"Now take care, I assume the other two are awake by now. If not, you're helping me make breakfast!"  _Why did I say that._

"Hm...sure!"

"Great!"  _Why did you agree to that._

"Well I'm off to get a fresh set of clothes for today. I'll be back if they are still asleep." He leaves her room and once he does she falls onto her back.

"Oh mannnnn…now my stomach decides to hate me…" she clutches her stomach to try and contain the butterflies "Ohhh…"

* * *

"I dunno how you could sleep for just an hour and still turn out fine!"

"I guess with how nonexistent sleep was to me for a year, my body will take what it can get!"

"That's...not a good thing…"

"Relax Katy! I'll make sure to sleep incase I get tired today and I won't miss out on sleeping tonight! I'll be fine! How was your sleep?"

"Mine was fun, dreamt about MilkCan's past and it's future and it was just lovely all around! How was yours?"

"Ahh...mine was nice...Although I did have a dream of some fluffy thing hugging me and nuzzling me…I did lick it and it tasted like cotton candy." Lammy nearly chokes on her coffee "Don't know what it was but all I do know was that it was a nice dream! Hope I have it again sometime!"

"You're weird and simple when it comes to dreams Parappa."

('Agreed.")

"Not everything has to be an out of the park hit with me! Besides not like I can control my dreams! I've tried!..."

"Re-laxxxxxx, I'm just teasin'. And hey you and Lammy should cook more often, the dishes are always so tasty!"

"Well after learning to start cooking thanks to PJ and Tamanegi sensei and a good chef teacher in Lammy. It only makes sense! Of course it's all still mainly thanks to Lammy."

"I-I really am no different than any other cook!...but thank you! I guess I'll take the compliment~..."

("Barf. Get a room.") after Ma-san says this, the two grow red in the face ("P-Pfft...oh you have got to be kidding...you have GOT to tell me what happened!") they sigh now that they've been caught.

* * *

"And that's pretty much it…"

("Man that's laaaaaame, I thought something much more risque happened.')

"H-Hey!..."

("Yo Lammy what's your side of the story?")

"J-Just...you know...pretty much the same. Just watching over him sleep…"

"While in the same bed?"

"W-While I was lugging you to your bed he fell asleep on mine!...and I guess I nodded off to…"

("Was he grabby?")

"N-No!...he was an ok sleeper!..."

("...were YOU grabby?")

"W-Wha- I...no!..."

("You got more defensive over that part, so that means Lil bo peep here took advantage of a snoozin mutt~")

"I-I didn't!..."

"I believe her! Lammy's not the kind of person to do that!" Parappa says as he crosses his arm, huffing in Lammy's defense.

("Oh you're no fun when you bring up facts!...") She rolls her eyes as she reclines her face on her hand ("Yeah you got me there, sorry Lambs.")

_For once i'm glad that people think I'm to vanilla…_ "It's ok, I still have yet to get used to your jokes…"

("A fact I for one and glad for!") She grins as she reclines on her chair ("But quick thing...why are you wearing his hat again then?")

"O-OH!...I...uh...I...sleep...with it...on…"

("Pffft that doesn't really help your case now does it? But whatever! I still believe what the mutt says! I'll just keep this to myself whenever I need a good laugh!")

"I n-noticed...like usual…" She takes off the beanie and then heads of to her room to leave it off, after a minute she returns "Well...we going to fix up that pond or what?"

"Of course! You lot ready?"

"Yep! Already contacted Paula!"

("Sure. I wanna see how great that place can really look like!")

"Then let's clean up and go already!" Katy runs towards the kitchen sink to finish her part quickly.

"Hey!" Parappa follows suit.

"D-Do we have to make it a race?..." Lammy reluctantly follows.

("Whatever gets us there quicker…ain't getting me running for this though.") Ma-san just takes her time catching up.

* * *

"For the last time Ma-san, I wasn't gonna use the van to drive us from the house to the park...that's just flat out lazy…"

("We still had to walk quite the way…") Ma-san groans as she falls face first into the grass ("Carry me the rest of the way there…")

"Seriously?!...I'm not dragging you all the way there!"

"M-Ma-san come on…"

("If you two won't, then Parappa will you?")

"Fine…whatever to get you to move…"

("Ha! At least someone has common decency!")

"Ma-san! Don't abuse Parappa's kindness!"

("Neither of you wanted to help me.")

"YOU DON'T NEED HELP! YOU'RE JUST FLAT OUT BEING LAZY…"

("Eh...tomato, tomahto.")

"THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CURRENT SITUATION…"

"Katy it's fine! I don't mind it."

"Parappa don't encourage her!...It's not fair for you in the slightest."

"Yeah but I don't necessarily mind. It's all just a mini hurdle in getting to where we wanna be."

"B-But still Parappa, Katy has a p-point…"

"Eh, then I guess this is of my own free will."

"Ah...fine…"

With that said, Parappa lifts Ma-san onto his back, immediately she climbs up to his neck.

"W-Waaah!..."

("Much better.")

"Ok Parappa, THAT has to be crossing SOME boundaries…"

"It's all good...ow…She's pretty light so I don't mind…!"

"You are stubborn...ugh where's Paula? I wanna get there as soon as possible so she can get off of you…"

"I'm here! Was making a few new uniforms for tomorro- what's going on here?"

"Ma-san got lazy and took advantage of his kind nature."

"Ah… well, have fun with that...not like Ma-san would've made it to the pond without help anyway."

("What was that?") her dynamite flickers.

"Oh you heard me...you wouldn't be able to find the spot on your own~"

("OH IS THAT SO?") She hops off of Parappa ("BET I CAN FIND IT BEFORE YOU CAN!")

"Please, i'd win flawlessly~"

("Prove. It.")

"You're on!" They both run in screaming like lunatics.

"Ha, that actually got her to get off your head!...wait...neither of them know the way there...H-HEY WAIT! PAULA! MA-SAN!" She runs in after them with Parappa following.

"H-Hey wait for m-me-" Lammy stumbles and falls face first into the dirt, upon looking back up her friends are gone "Oh no...n-no! It'll be different this time!..I-I can find the way!..." As she heads in, she immediately panics and attempts to turn back only for a hand to grab hers.

"Hey! We almost left you behind! Man now that would've been bad wouldn't it? Glad I noticed and quickly ran back!" Parappa says as he pulls her forward "Come on Lammy, don't want you getting lost on us!"

"...Thank you~..."

* * *

Paula and Ma-san land through the clearing at the exact same time, both shouting "I WIN" upon doing so, only to get angry at each other and complaining that they were the first one there until Katy catches up and attempts to yell at them, but struggles to do so as she needs to catch her breath.

"You...guys...really...suck…" She takes a deep breath "What the hell...is wrong with the two of you?...You could've gotten lost!..."

"But I didn't!"

("Neither did I!")

"YEAH CUZ I WAS SHOUTING WHERE TO GO!..." Paula and Ma-san simply scoff and look away "You are both...c-children…" She stumbles and falls over until Parappa and Lammy catch her.

"Whoa!"

"C-Careful!"

"I'm fine!...but i'm gonna need a few minutes…"

"That's fine! We'll just start!"

"Thank you...here are the trash bags…"

"O-Ok! P-Paula, Ma-san...are you ready?..."

"I guess…"

("Yeah whatever…") both take a few bags and begin trying to clean the area along with Parappa and Lammy, they rarely get much done as they stay aggravated with each other.

"Sheesh Joe sure turned this area into a pigsty…"

("Well I mean those builder dudes are also partly to blame due to bringing those big machines in here...how the hell did they get in with toppling the trees?")

"Yeah how DID they?..."

"I rather not think about it...come on guys let's just keep fixing this place up…" Parappa notices all his bags are already full "Hey anyone have new bags? Mine are already full."

"Here you go man."

"Thanks PJ!" As he resumes cleaning, he quickly catches on "PJ?!"

"Yo." PJ waves as if he were there the entire time.

"What are you doing here?"

"I saw you and the others running towards the pond and decided to tag along, I figured it involved cleaning, so I brought Matt and Sweety."

"Sup man!"

"Good morning all!" the mentioned duo poke their heads from behind PJ.

"Oh wow... thanks for the consideration! This makes things go by even quicker! And we really need that since Katy already exhausted herself by making sure Ma-san and Paula didn't get themselves lost and with said duo still bickering with each other...we aren't getting much progress..."

"Then I'm glad I decided to intervene. You two ready?"

"Sure am dear!" Sweety says as she pulls out a few bags.

"I got your back man." Matt says as he pulls his own.

"Great! Then let's get to it!"

"Ready!" they say in unison as they raise their arms to the sky.

* * *

"W-We did it!"

"We really did!...and...it looks even cleaner than when we first cleaned the place up!...but…"

"But what?" Katy says, looking around to see if they missed anything, they removed everything they could see, including the cinder block Parappa threw. They even managed to help fix up the grass around the pond and still she saw nothing.

"The rock that Joe threw still has some bits in the middle of the pond!..."

"That's true...but we can't really do anything about that!"

"I can!..." Parappa tosses his shirt off and runs to the pond, as he runs PJ plucks the beanie off his head "H-Hey!"

"You just got a new one, do you already wanna ruin it?..."

"...Good point…" he carries on and runs into the water.

"P-Parappa you can't just expect to carry that while swimming back to land!..."

"I won't know unless I try!" Parappa shouts as he's already nearing the middle "Ok! Here we go!" As Parappa dives to try and pluck the rock from the bottom, he sees that he'll need to take it bit by bit from the top.  _I'd try breaking it more to carry more pieces, but I can't exactly punch or kick well while underwater…_  He brings his head back above water while holding a piece of the block in one arm "This might take a while!..." As he tries to swim back, he is immediately slingshotted back underwater "W-WHOA-"

"PARAPPA!" Katy gets a second wind as she runs into the water.

"WE GOTCHA MAN!" Matt tosses his own shirt aside as he immediately dives in with PJ following suit.

Upon getting dragged down, he sees that seaweed has wrapped around his leg, as he tries to untangle it he simply makes it worse.  _Seriously?!...Man what is WITH my luck?!..._ Parappa drops the stone and simply tries to pull the seaweed out of the ground instead, the seaweed however, starts tugging him, as if it were alive.  _W-WHAT THE HELL?...L-Let go of me!..._

As Parappa starts getting dragged down deeper, he is immediately grabbed by Katy and Matt who try to pull him back up, however the 'seaweed' then latches onto them as well.

_Gah! The hell is this?!..._

_Does this thing have a mind of its own?!..._

The trio struggle to free themselves and soon begin to struggle with holding their breaths. As their actions start to slow, PJ grabs the three of them and yanks on them to the point he also uproots the 'seaweed'. The four are then launched above water. All of them gasping for air before Parappa speaks back up through the coughing.

"W-WE GOTTA….GET OUT OF THE WATER...N-NOW" The four waste no time in following that command as they strive to swim to shore, however as they near shore, the pond begins glowing as it soon starts trying to suck them back in to the middle "C-COME ON!..."

"H-HNGG...GAAAAH!.." Matt is submerged once again, until Parappa grabs his leg while PJ grabs him. While submerged Matt seas it's not the seaweed that was dragging them down and immediately speaks up the moment his head is brought back above water "PJ WHEN YOU REMOVED THE SEAWEED, I THINK YOU MIGHT'VE UNCORKED SOMETHING…"

"NO KIDDING!..."

"COME ON LESS CHATTER MORE SWIMMING!..." Katy says as she frantically tries to reach land. She is immediately grabbed by Lammy who tries to bring her back to shore.

"I-I got you! Now come on!..."

PJ is grabbed by Sweety, and Matt and Parappa are grabbed by Paula and Ma-san.

"Come on come on!..." Sweety says as she tries to help PJ get back onto land.

"H-HEY...YOU'RE IN MY WAY…!"

("NO!...Y-YOU'RE IN MY WAY!...") Both Ma-san and Paula resume clashing heads, this causes them to lose balance and get dragged into the water with the two they were trying to help.

"SERIOUSLY?!..." Katy Manages to grab Ma-san "YOU ARE STILL FIGHTING?! WE'RE CLEARLY IN THE MIDDLE OF A KINDA BIG SITUATION AND YOU STILL CHOOSE TO BICKER?!"

The weight becomes to much for Lammy as she gets dragged in with the five of them until PJ grabs her.

"NO!...NONONONONONONONO!..." PJ struggles to reel them all in "C-COME...ON…"

"I...CAN'T...HOLD...ALL OF...YOU!..." Sweety starts to slowly get dragged in as her feet are dragged through the dirt until she is just swept up with the rest of them.

The water starts to whirlpool them in as the vortex simply drags them down to the bottom of the center, as if being flushed.

"AAHHHHHHHHHH!" They all scream in unison until they are submerged into the abyss.

The light from the pond flashes leaving them all stunned as they get flung away from one another, and immediately after, it's silent. PItch black. Empty. There is no motions being made or voices to be heard. Just plain simple darkness.

* * *

" _I wanna come back to this place as many times as I can! Don't you Katy?...Katy?"_

" _Huh? Oh sorry kinda distracted…thinking of happier things~..."_

" _You whispered something 'forever' and just stared at the stars…"_

" _PJ don't eavesdrop on what another person says!"_

" _I can do as I please. I'm older than the two of you!"_

" _You're only seven…"_

" _And you two are six. Point being?"_

" _You're still not that older than us. You're even shorter than us!"_

" _Not to mention lazier than the two of us!"_

" _I need to preserve my energy."_

" _For what?"_

" _Sleeping."_

" _Of course…"_

" _Oh just let him Katy, it's easier to deal with him that way."_

" _Ok...so what did you wanna tell me?"_

" _Just that I wanted to come back here as many times as I can for as long as I can with you!"_

" _That'd be nice...but we will get busy as we grow up won't we?"_

" _That won't be a problem!"_

" _Parappa, growing up isn't as simple as that you know."_

" _Oh hush up PJ!...hey why are you laughing Katy?"_

" _You two bicker like brothers! It's so funny to watch!"_

" _Us brothers?"_

" _No way! We're totally different!"_

" _Why does that have to stop ya? If anything it just makes it seem like the more obvious thing...at least in my opinion!"_

" _Your opinion stinks."_

" _Agreed!"_

" _H-Hey! You meanies!...Don't tag team on the only girl here-...what's that?..."_

" _Hey don't change the subject-...oh...uh...is the pond supposed to do that?..."_

" _No pond i've ever seen did that, unless a toilet counts as a pond."_

" _PJ, now's not the time to be gross!"_

" _It was a serious answer."_

" _Whatever...wanna check it out?..."_

" _I-I dunno...looks kinda...scary and dangerous…"_

" _I'm with her Parappa, it might not be a good idea to jump in that…"_

" _Yeah...I guess you're right…hey...I hear...voices?..."_

" _What?...oh!...hey I hear them to! They're all grown ups!...are they...yelling?..."_

" _Sounds like a fight."_

" _Who fights underwater?...I don't see anyone...or anything! The lights to bright!"_

" _Fish people."_

" _I don't think it's fish people...maybe we're all just tired and imagining this?"_

" _Or we're all hallucinating from staring at the stars for to long."_

" _Can that even happen?"_

" _I dunno, I just made it up."_

" _Ugh...I'm just gonna ignore the noise and just keep staring at the stars…"_

" _I'm with you there Katy!"_

" _Eh fine. Majority and all that."_

* * *

Parappa's eyes sorely open as he stares at the beating sun, he looks to his side to see PJ on his right and Katy on his left. In the same position as when they first sat together under the stars by the pond "What a weird...dream...couldn't see anything...only...hear…something...Guys...you two ok?..." he sits up to see that PJ is asleep, as evident by the bubble on his nose "Figures...did Katy get knocked out to?..." he nears her body and is immediately sent into a panic when he notes she isn't breathing  _Ooooooh that's not good...QUICK! I gotta do SOMETHING!...uh...uhhh...CPR!_ As he attempts to do just that, he realizes exactly what it is that he has to do. … _actually...I'll do the other version! Where I press down on the victims che-_ he stops his thoughts  _nope, first type is way less creepy...and grabby… now come on!...don't even think of it that way you freak! You're trying to help your friend!..._ He sighs as he simply begins, after a minute she jolts up, ejecting water from her mouth.

"HRK...ugh…"

"Oh thank goodness…"

"Oh man that was not fun...ugh what happened?..."

"You're guess is as good as mine...I just woke up and saw the two of you out cold, PJ because PJ and you...yeah...had to kinda...save you there…"

"Wha?..." She takes note of the water she coughed up "OH...T-Thank you!...Man I would've been a goner..."

_See? She didn't think of it in that way! I thought you said you ejected these thoughts from your head!_ "I had to do something!"

"I'm glad you did! Sure as hell know he would've stayed there asleep!"

"Of course! I want nothing to happen to my friends!...Now...where are we?..."

"Beats me...it looks like outside the pond except...there are no trees blocking the sunlight! It's an open field as far as the eye can see!..."

"This reminds of that other time we got transported somewhere…"

"Yeah but that was thanks to the necklace you fished up...this was thanks to the water itself…wait...where are the others?!"

"They were with us when we fell into the water...but...I dunno...they must've ended up somewhere else…Come on lets wake him up so we can go find them!"

"Let's!"

"But first!" He takes his hat from PJ's shirt pocket "It's a bit soggy, but it pulled through!" He places it on his head.

* * *

"Ugh...my head...where am I?..." Matt rubs his head as his eyes stay closed for just a bit longer.

"Thou are in our home camp!"

"Oh. Well that's nice to kno-" His eyes shoot wide open as he looks towards the source of the voice, he sees a tall red individual, closer inspection shows that he is made of stone "W-Who are you…"

"I am the the noble warrior Vermillion! I found thee unconscious out in the forest over yonder! I decided to bring thee back for a safe recovery! Pray tell, what was thine reason for being out in the middle of a battlefield?"

"I-I wasn't there by choice...wait...B-BATTLEFIELD?!..."

"Aye. The place is one of many unfortunate meeting grounds between the group I am apart of and vicious "Tempo Tantrum" over music! I have told thee my name, doth thou give me the honor of knowing yours?"

"I-I-I'm M-Matt Major...s-sir!..."

"Major? THEN YOU ARE A STRATEGIST!"

"W-What-"

"BLESSED DAYS! SIR PALLET WAS IN DESPERATE NEED OF ONE!"

"W-W-Wait you have the wrong- H-HEY! P-PUT ME DOWN!...H-HELP!... "

* * *

("Damn Paula getting in my way...messing me up...overly competitive smug little...WE'RE ONLY IN THIS MESS CUZ OF HER!...") Her Dynamite fuse spews fire like a geyser ("I SWEAR I JUST WANNA GRAB HER NECK AND!...") Ma-san is distracted by a voice calling out in her language.

("Who's there?")

("WHO WANTS TO KNOW!")

("Aye just me lass, calm yer sparks!")

("Don't tell me what to do!") She looks for the origin of the voice and sees a portly being. His body is coated in hardened magma as he wears a black set of armor in the shape of overalls. He holds an axe in one hand made of hardened magma as well. In his other hand he holds a few tree logs signifying he was a lumberjack. He's wearing a helmet that hides most of his head except for two yellow dots which she can assume are his eyes. She calms down her fire, still ignited just not as hectic, before speaking up ("Well you're quite the character!")

("I can say the same about ye lass! Tell me, what's a fellow Tempo Tantrum member doin out here by her lonesome? Needing to burn off some steam? If that's yer case then try not to burn the trees to! I'd be out of a livelihood if ya did!")

("How do you manage to chop trees down without melting them or setting them on fire?")

("THAT'S what got yer attention lass?") he shakes his head ("Oh dear...you're not from here are ya?")

("Of course not! I was with some people...got into a fight with an idiot...and next thing I know is that I'm all alone here!...")

("Well you can come back to the group village if you be needing a place outside of isolation! You speak our language so you'd be quickly allowed in lass!")

("Whatever...beats just walking around here…")

* * *

"Do you even know where you're taking us Paula?"

"Would you rather just sit out in the open? After hearing all that mess going on not that far from us?"

"Well no...but going blindly into what could potentially be a worse outcome isn't exactly better...plus I just want to find some place to set her down…" Sweety turns her head to look at Lammy, who's unconscious as she carries her about on her back.

"It'll be fine!"  _I hope…_

Just then, a man made of magma, holding a hatchet made from a gong paddle and a shield made from the gong, jumps out in front of them ("WHO ARE YOU TRESPASSERS!")

"T-Trespassers? N-No we're just w-walking by!..."

("YOU LIE! YOU HEAD DIRECTLY FOR OUR CAMP!") he lifts his hatchet, but before he brings it back down, Katy and Parappa run in front of him.

("They're telling the truth!")

("None of them know the way around here. They mean no harm to you!")

The creature simply stops his attack upon hearing the two speak. He looks back and forth between them then the trio behind them and simply grunts before turning around and walking away ("It better not happen again…")

The duo sigh as he leaves "Man that was to close…"

"You're telling me...glad this one stopped as well the second he heard us speaking that way to…"

"Thanks SOOOO much you tw-" Katy cuts off Paula by slapping her across the face, shutting her up.

"YOU just HAD to fight when we were trying to get out didn't you?!"

"..." She just looks down, not immediately replying back as she holds her cheek "You're...right...that was incredibly childish of me...course she didn't help the situation...but I admit to being in the wrong…I'm sorry…"

"Right…" she turns to Parappa "I'm still steamed at her and Ma-san, so you talk to her till I calm down, I gotta go get PJ to catch up with us anyway…"

"Roger." He turns to them "I'd mad to if I wasn't so glad to see you guys ok!"

"Well...mostly ok…" Paula points to the passed out Lammy on Sweety's back.

"Lammy!..." He runs to Sweety "Oh man…"

"She's fine! She just will be out for a while…"

"Well that's something good at least…Are you two hurt?"

"No, i'm just dizzy is all…"

"You Paula?"

"Nah...I'm fine to I guess...I hit my head hard but I guess I do deserve it for being one of the reasons we're even in this mess…"

"Come on now don't think like that...Katy's just...really angry right now...she doesn't fully blame you...if it's anyone's fault it's mine alone for triggering whatever it was that took us in the first place!"

"I guess…"

"You know it's the truth! Now show me where you got hit…"

She turns her head slightly and lifts her hair to show him a spot around the side of her forehead where she took the hit "Here…"

"Oof...Well good news is that it's not severe...bad news is that it's still a rather bad cut...man looks like it hurts...especially if you were to touch it...but you still need it bandaged up…" He reaches in his pocket and pulls out some gauze bandages "Man I'm so glad they gave me spares in case I needed to replace the ones on my hands!" He wraps it around the top of her head, it stings painfully as he mentioned, but the bandages are already soaked thanks to the water and that alone slightly eases up the pain "There! I even put it under your hair so it doesn't look like something you wouldn't like being pointed out!"

"T-Thanks!..."

"No problem! Glad I was at the very least prepared for that!"

Paula smiles in gratitude for Parappa's help, the smile vanishes however once she hears someone speak up.

"We're back…" Katy returns to the spot with PJ behind her.

"Can't believe you just ditched me back there…"

"Heard something was up...had to check it out…"

"What if someone assaulted me?!"

"You'd be fine...look at you!"

"Ugh…" PJ simply shakes his head "Well whatever, I"m glad we at least found you girls! Sweety you doing fine?"

"I'm ok! Just dizzy, if you wanna worry about anyone, you should probably worry over Lammy." She turns around to expose Lammy.

"Oh boy…"

"L-LAMMY!" Katy runs up to check on her friend.

"She's fine! Just pretty much asleep till who knows when…"

"Oh…"

Paula looks down due to feeling responsible, Parappa walks up to Katy after he sees this. "Hey Katy...I think...you might've unfairly judged Paula...because recall...it's mainly my fault...you told me not to go out into the water and just leave the rocks alone...and well I didn't...exactly listen did I...and now...well...here we are…"

Katy knows what he's obviously trying to do, she sighs and just accepts it as to not cause more trouble "Alright...I'm sorry Paula…" She walks up to Parappa and taps him on the forehead with her knuckle "You are partially correct, but hey it's always like you to defend your friends even from one another...come on let's get out of here…"

* * *

"Man this forest and field just keeps on going...I hope we bump into Matt or Ma-san soon…but then what?..." Katy just sighs after realizing there's not much else to do to get back.

The five of them suddenly hear a shout from the distance.

"H-HELPPPP!"

"That's Matt!"

"It came from that direction! Come on let's go!"

They rush over to help their friend, only to immediately find themselves within a settlement out in the open.

"Uh oh...I think we're probably in the middle of something rather big…" before any of them can continue running, they see Matt running towards them.

"GUYS OVER HERE!..." behind him are more multicolor terracotta men trying to catch up to him. The sight causes the others to flee screaming "W-W-W-WAIT DON'T LEAVE ME!"

"WELL DON'T LEAD THEM IN A STAMPEDE TOWARDS US!"

"THAT'S AGAINST MY CONTROL!"

The seven of them keep running until they're blockaded off and surrounded.

"Well this does not bode well."

"Gee what tipped you off PJ?"

The leader of the group simply walks up calmly to them. He is the tallest of all the rock made soldier, and is even made of diamond rather than other types of stone and gems. The entirety of his body, or armor if they are separate, is white "Please...we just wanted assistance…"

"I-I'm not your guy!...I'm not the strategist you're looking for!..."

"Matt a strategist?...sheesh you guys are honestly dodged a really bad bullet…" Katy says as she facepalms from the disbelief of what the current situation was actually about.

"Hey! I'm not THAT inept!..."

"But you admit you are in general."

"Way to have my back PJ…"

"Look sir, Matt here is kinda the last person you would want to help plan things out...unless the plan is get the opposite of the intended outcome, I wouldn't recommend getting his help."

"Then we are doomed…"

"Doomed? What's going on?" Parappa says as he walks up to the stone soldiers.

"Small canine one, I Sir Pallet will inform you of our troubles. We are in constant daily struggles with the group 'Tempo Tantrum' and it is one we are swiftly failing. It is a battle over ourselves for the peaceful people we are as well as for our music...saying that we do not deserve it if we simply stay as passive as possible...while they reign supreme with their music as destructive as their personalities... Naturally we as a group try to avoid struggles whenever possible, but it's not quite as simple when the people we are being forced to fight are war hungry heathens…our group...Mood Stones is simply not up to the bravado of willingness to just fight for the hell of it...it's not in our nature..."

"Geez that sounds awful...almost as much as the music war that happened years ago…" Parappa takes off his hat and glances along it's new symbols, when Pallet notices, he quickly kneels with the other knights doing the same.

"W-Whoa what I do?"

"You honor those who have fallen, while we just ran away…"

"I feel like we're missing some context here." PJ says as Paula, Matt and Sweety nod.

"Uh...long story...and Pallet, what do you mean by that?..."

"We were involved in that war of which you speak."

"WHAT?! But i thought those who survived just separated themselves entirely!"

"We have, but there were many groups, they all ran off and most certainly became more groups of their own to try and keep some memories of older times, but ultimately start a new. For us?...we ran like cowards...we found a pond made by Madame Lupe and we turned it into a gateway towards a simulated area. Peaceful, quiet and away from all the danger...no one would ever find us. However to our misfortune...The Tempo's had the exact same idea...once we met face to face a few days later...it's been battle after battle ever since...oh it's been about a year now...but you say it's been years out there have you not?..."

"Yes! Like decades even!...A-Are you telling us time goes by differently in here?"

"Well it would appear so, since this place doesn't exist per say. It was created by Madame Lupe and was given access to those she permitted...we thought it was only us...but that was a sorrowful fact found to be proven wrong…" He gets back up and lifts his helmet's visor revealing nothing but darkness and two beady rainbow dots "When we tried to leave...it was shown we couldn't…"

"Why not?..."

"Apparently for us to leave...we either need to come to terms with the Tempo's...or one group has to fall...as you see...the exit must be permitted when ALL quarries choose to leave. Not just one. So we either have to both agree to exit...or eliminate the other so that only we are the ones to decide...but we do not want that outcome…"

"Oh...this is real bad…" Parappa begins pacing forth "So we can't leave either…" he runs back to his group of friends "What do we do?!"

"What CAN we do!...we're not capable of fighting in a war!..."

"Katy's right, this is to much for the likes of us to handle."

"I guess it's safe to call this our new home…"

"Matt shut up! We WILL get out of here!"

"I'm waiting for you to prove me wrong Paula…"

"I'm afraid I'm with the rest of them Paula...we can't do much if anything at all…" Sweety walks up to Pallet "Excuse me sir, do you have a bed that I may put her on to recover?..."

"Why yes! Please follow Cobalt!" He motions his arms to a fellow knight cloaked entirely in blue.

"Follow me dear Miss to our medical facilities." He walks off with Sweety, PJ, Matt and Katy following..

"I'm not gonna sit back and just let the events unfold poorly...I'm helping!" Parappa runs back to Pallet with Paula following.

"I'm helping to! I still feel responsible for this mess…"

"You shouldn't, but I still appreciate the help!" They both look at Pallet "Sir Pallet! Is there anything we can do to provide assistance?"

"Well...we need people to scout about, but the Tempo's know what we look like so that'd be impossible...once we hear their voices we know it's already to late and that a battle will begin…"

("They won't get suspicious with me!") Parappa catches Pallet off guard as all the other knights gasp and stand in front of Pallet, weapons armed "W-Whoa w-w-w-wait!..."

"STAND DOWN." The knights disperse "You can speak like them?..."

"Y-Yeah thanks to a friend of mine...it's her native tongue so I had to learn it!"

"This...could very much help...but still one wrong thing and we won't be able to help you out…"

("Then I'll be there to help them out!") Katy runs up to Parappa and Paula while shouting in the same language as well.

"Hm...very well...but we will need to rethink our plans...the routing was thought up with us in mind...we are made of stone and therefore can take a thrashing...you lot...are not as lucky...we will have to adjust to take your characteristics into account. Please make yourselves feel at home in the meanwhile. MEN REGROUP AT THE PLANNING GROUNDS!"

"SIR!" They all run off.

"If you can truly help us end this, we are forever in your debt."

"We'll do our best! And seeing as we can talk like Tempo...maybe we can even form peace between the two of you!"

"That would be most excellent. I will return once we have our plan! Please inform Cobalt once he is finished helping your friends!" Pallet runs off as well.

"Will do! Alright guys, we'll have to do our best because….we are...in WAAAAAY over our heads to be perfectly honest...but I know one thing. We gotta believe! You two with me?"

"Of course! Can't cut corners here!"

"You can count on initial P!"

"Great! Then let's let our belief see us through!"

_I really hope we end up ok…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that I finally managed to transfer my story from the other site to here! Now to continue writing! Hope it doesn't take to long!


	11. Flint and Fire

("So who the heck are the Tempo Tantrums and why the hell did you think I was one of them?")

("Ah...we'll we're rather destructively emotional,...and only speak this tongue. Plus the flame motif. Ye fit the bill quite nicely lass.")

("Well they did seem rather bipolar the lot of them...so it kinda bugs me that I'm so quickly lumped together with them...but they were decent, certainly my kind of people to hang with if they weren't soooo…")

("Annoyin?")

("Bingo") Ma-san rests her arms on her hips tapping her foot on the ground.

("Aye, that they are, but it's really the fault of-")

("Deto! There you are.")

("Oh just my luck…") A lava themed fox man in red and white armor walks up to Ma-san and the newly named Lumberjack

("Still trying to settle down while knowing we still have a battle to win.")

("Do we even need ta fend em off? The hard headed lads don't deserve this. They pose no real issue to us…")

("There you are again thinking 'Oh but why should we fight them, they're just minding their own business!' Deto, you know who we are, you know what we are! We have to snuff them out before they get any ideas to the same to us. Must you always think as passively as them?")

("These hard headed lads don't fight back unless provoked Ur...they'd never try to blindside us at all...truth be told they don't even seem competent enough to attempt it if they ever got the moxie…")

("You certainly are persistent…")

("Hey buddy, mind getting out of the way? We're kinda walkin here!") Ma-san says as she huffs from impatience.

("Eh? Hello. You're a new face…")

("Yeah I'm kinda finding my way around here, so if you don't mind. I'd like to keep moving!")

("But you already found your way! We're your destination right here!")

("Ur leave the lass out of this…")

("Why? You're doing nothing. Look here, what is it you're trying to do, I can guarantee I can help you Miss…")

("Ma-san, and why should I listen to you?")

("Ma...san? Huh...and why should you listen? Well do you really have any other helpful lead? What's old Deto here doing for ya.")

("More than you are you charcoal breathed freak that's for sure.")

("Oof. She certainly acts like a person who's been one of us for years...but is it that you're looking for people?")

("Lucky guess…")

("Well I just so happen to know where they are! And can easily help you reunite!")

("I'm reluctant to agree…")

("You'd be wise to lass! Ur has a bit of a bad lying streak!")

("Oh so your quarry doesn't consist of a dog in orange headwear, a blue cat, a pink and brown bear duo, an orange lamb or an orange fox?")

("...") Ma-san taps her chin as she thinks her answer over.

("Lass….")

("Alright. You've caught my interest.")

("Blasted all…")

("Excellent! All you have to do is follow me!") Ma-san obliges instantly leaving Deto alone.

("Ohhh...this does not bode well in the slightest…")

* * *

"Man...I hope Ma-sans alright at the very least…" Parappa says as he sits down on the ground, but before he can get more upset, someone changes the subject.

"Alright might as well look around here since we will be waiting for a while...not really much to see, just huts and torches everywhere, but I guess it was rather obvious for rock people…" Paula says as she rubs her injury.

"But it's still a nice quiet and calm place to just enjoy life in and of itself! These guys really live off of the meaning tranquility." Parappa says as he just takes in the grassy view.

"And hey look! They even haven a makeshift stage!"

"Well it would make sense seeing as they are a music group...but where are their instruments?..."

"Probably turned into weapons...you recall that guy that jumped Paula and Sweety? His gong and paddle were turned into his hatchet and shield!" Katy says kicking the dirt over the thought of it all.

"Man what a waste...the thought really stiffens me up...and I hate being stiff…" Parappa punches the ground then sighs "Look, we could potentially be the driving factor to stop all this for good! These two groups don't have to end up like these guys on my hat! I just hope we're up to it is all…"

"Well...at the very least, you and PJ are thanks to General Potter. So if PJ decides to help we have some reassurance…"

"I guess...I mean it's not like I don't already do my best to guard all of you!"

"You make it sound like all we do is just rely on you…"

"Ah...don't we though?...When it comes to action...the only two people who actually do something are him and Lammy...Sorry to say Katy but...we're basically just cheerleaders whenever stuff happens compared to those two…"

"Oh come on that's not true! You guys all do as much work as me and Lammy!..."

"No...Paula's right…" She looks down, but immediately looks back up with fire in her eyes "But it's not gonna stay that way!"

"It never was that way to begin with! But hey, at least you're motivated to not let it ever get to that point at all now!" He turns around "Now let's see what we have to see around here!" As he runs off he bumps into Cobalt "Whoops! Sorry sir!"

"Tis quite alright! Pray tell where did everyone go?"

"They're all heading to the planning grounds!"

"Oh why thank ye! Your allies have settled in that hut over yonder if you be needing to regroup yourselves! Now I must take my leave!" He runs off.

"Such a formal way of speaking…"

"Well recall these guys are kinda modeled to be knights! So it makes sense with the old timey speak."

"Yeah but Pallet doesn't speak that way."

"Beats me! Speaking of which, what do you think MADE these guys?!...People made of stone don't just pop up like a new species on their own otherwise we'd see them everywhere! And we don't! So clearly someone made these guys."

"Well they did bring up your grandmother in a formal matter so probably her and the rest?"

"Probably, but then they'd ALL be blue."

"Good point…" he scratches his head "Maybe they have something that can help us figure that out!" He runs off behind a few sheds, only to notice the two girls had not followed him, but upon him returning back, the duo notice that people had followed him, the line consisted of children made of rock "Hey what are you two doing just standing around? Come on!"

"Uh...Parappa…"

"What?"

"Turn around."

Parappa turns around, as he does, so does the line of kids following him, causing him to not see them "Ok so why did you want me to turn around?"

"No!...Didn't you see them?"

"See who?"

"Turn around again!" he does as instructed by Katy, but to the same result.

"Are you messing with me?..."

Katy stomps up to Parappa, picks him up and turns him around allowing him to see his tag alongs "See them now?"

"Oh...hi!" The children immediately disperse upon being seen by Parappa "Well...that was rude…"

"That's all you have to say about that?" She shakes him in place.

"Well they're kids! I'm sure they don't mean any harm."

"Katy has a right to worry though. We can't exactly be letting our guard down around here...You saw how they almost tried to execute you on the spot for speaking that language!"

"Well...you have a point there, but still it's too much to expect that the KIDS want to harm us…"

"They're still stone kids, so for all we know they could crush us like grapes!..." Paula says as she tries squeezing her head, only to flinch from the wound.

"You guys are being to paranoid!" He wriggles out of Katy's grip and runs up to where the kids are hiding behind "Hey there! You little guys don't mean any harm do you?" He extends his paw, which simply causes them to cower in fear of being attacked "Oh...they seem more scared of us then you do of them…"

Katy and Paula carefully walk up to the kids "Why would they be scared of us?...compared to them we're like twigs…" Paula says as she nears them with Katy a tad behind. Upon spotting Katy walking towards them, the children begin panicking.

"L-L-Lady Lupe please d-don't harm us…"

"W-We didn't mean to fight in your s-special home…"

"W-What?...I-I'm not my grandmother!...And she wouldn't hurt you over something out of your control!..."

"H-Her face usually says otherwise!..."

"A-Ah...well...you're not wrong…" she rubs the back of her head with guilt.

"I'm tired of being out of context…" Paula shakes her head and shrugs.

"I'll explain everything then!...Oh man it's gonna be a long story…"

* * *

"There...i've explained it for the third time...please tell me all of you understand now…"

"Well I do at least, don't know about the kids. It's amazing to think of what happened years and years ago...and that you lot are descendants of it!"

"Descendants?...but it's only been a year!" Once one of the kids says that, the trio tense up knowing they'll want an explanation, but immediately after both Katy and Paula shout in unison "NOT IT…" Parappa groans as he then proceeds to explain even more.

* * *

"I didn't know time went by faster out there…"

"Yeah...heh...it's as big of news to us than it is your...but we've only been here a couple of hours...you guys have just been here a year and it's already been many out there…but that's what we're gonna fix! Me and my two friends here are gonna go find a way to get you all outside again!" the group of children's eyes sparkle as they hear Parappa say this.

"Really?!" They beam in unison.

"Of course! It'll be easy!" Parappa is immediately yanked back by the duo as they begin whispering.

"Do not promise what you don't fully know!..."

"Yeah! We aren't exactly sure we can even handle this!..." Both begin waving their arms frantically in the air.

"Well I do know I'm gonna do my best to make sure I keep my word!" He heads back to the kids "It may not be entirely easy, but I do guarantee I'll get all of you out!" He gives them all a trademark smile and thumbs up which cause the kids to bounce out of their hiding spots and mimic him. Well the thumbs up at least as they couldn't mimic his smile as they had no visible mouths through their helmets "That's it! Keep that motivation high and everything will be alright! You just gotta believe and it will always help you pull through!" He crosses his arms and then solemnly nods "That's the Parappa way."  _Where'd all my doubt go? It's as if trying to motivate these kids up got my own fire burning again!_  the children waste no time mimicking him again.

"Paula do you think we should intervene?..."

"And appear as the bad guys to them? No thanks…"

* * *

("Lass there ya are! Quick! I gotta get ya out of here!")

("What for? I'm doing fine here and all I need to do is beat up some guys that are holding my buds captive.")

("Whether or not the others are holding your buds captive, I would be so raring for a fight...they may enforce the way of peaceful living but that doesn't mean they're completely helpless! They can pack a wallop to a girl of your size and statu-") Ma-san knocks him over with a mace, thanks to his body however, he's in no real pain ("GOHOOF...oh that smarts…")

("Had you finished that sentence it would've hurt a lot worse…")

("I believe ya...Ugh...stuck on my back like a wee turtle I am…")

("Yeah I've noticed you all suck at getting back up when you get tipped over. Super easy to do that thanks to these two maces.)

("We're made of fresh harden earth and are excruciatingly top heavy! Of course we topple like buffoons!...That's not our faults! And where did you get those bloody things anyway?!")

("Ur gave em to me. And man are they really nice, lightweight but strong handles with a nice bludgeoning object by the tip. It's like using drumsticks, but a heck of a lot more fun!")

("Oh please just help me up…")

("Yeah no, I feel if I were to touch you I'd probably lose my entire arm to disintegration.")

("Fair enough…") Deco struggles on the ground for a bit longer before beginning to whistle, and just like that a flurry of lava children rush up.

("Uncle Deco!")

("What happened!")

("Are you ok?")

("Oh I'm fine...I just fell over is all...please help me up…") the children immediately do as told ("Much better...Now you lass, please just follow me…")

("Fine…")

The trip wasn't that far as they were already rather close to the target destination. They arrive to a home akin to a log cabin. The children scatter and begin playing around.

("Huh, I thought it wouldn't be a stereotypical lumberjack home seeing as you are made of lava, but nope. You fit the stereotypical bill pretty on the nose.)

("Just because I'm a hulking mess of old crusty hardened magma, doesn't mean I'm not just a regular person like everyone else!")

("Could've fooled me! Now why are we here exactly? And who are the brats?")

("Oh they're just orphaned children who I've decided to take into my custody as to avoid Ur's massive bloodfrenzy…")

("Blood what now.")

("Ur has polluted the thoughts of the rest of the people to think that this is all we're capable of and worth doing...and they all believe him...it's why you find them all so…")

("Annoying?")

("Aye.")

("Heh...well i honestly don't really mind all that as long as I just get to regroup and just get out of here…")

("i was afraid ye would say that…You see...you're pretty much trapped here like us…")

("Explain. Now.")

("Cool it lassie! Look, the area we're in is rather...special. It will only let us out once EVERYONE in it decided to leave...You either unite together to choose to get out, or eliminate the opposition and be the only ones able to vote...Ur doesn't want to leave until he asserts supremacy...")

("Ok then, I'll just help him crack some skulls then. No biggie, the faster that happens the faster I leave…")

("Why with the- Holy mother of cinders...are you sure you aren't one of them?...The lads he's trying to do away with are against fighting! It's like punching a man in the face who has no limbs of which to defend said face!")

("Alright fine! I won't do it if it riles you up that badly…Why does it anyway?")

("Because I refuse to have that idiot make a mockery of who we are!...he took advantage of that war! They're probably still fightin out there and we're just here forced to listen to him! We were as much a peaceful music loving group as those rock boys!")

("War?...it wouldn't happen to be one against a group called Royal something or the Ravens?")

("Why yes, how'd ya know lass? Is it still ongoin?")

("Uh….no...it's been over and done with for at least two or three decades now.")

("WHAT?! BUT IT'S ONLY BEEN A YEAR HERE!...")

("Huh...guess things go by slowly in here...that sure seems dull.")

("HOW ARE YOU NOT FAZED BY THIS?!")

("Probably cuz I haven't lived here, sheltered away as the big stuff happened on the world outside.")

("BU-...ok that would be a fair assessment on the matter...especially seeing as you're not native...how did you end up here?") the two don't seem to notice that the kids huddled around them.

("Well we were cleaning up a pond two friends found and there was one thing one of said friends just couldn't leave alone. He wanted the place to be spotless...and once he started moving it...the water started sucking him in! And when we all tried to help...Me and another got into another yell fest and then long story short…")

("You got dragged into here...strange...only those with the queen of emotion's word can enter here...is she still kicking?")

("Kicking the bucket six feet under.")

("Oh that's depressin...then how'd you get in?")

("Dunno, she probably allowed the dumb mutt of a friend I have once he put their group symbol on his hat. Or because we have her granddaughter who is the other friend.")

("What the bloody 'ell have I missed?!")

("Loads of heavy stuff. In all honesty, hiding in here was probably the smartest choice. It's safe now though! But uh...everyone you used to know is kinda...dead.") Ma-san shrugs, showing the topic rarely fazed her.

("I can see why you're so nonchalant about it seeing as it was before your time...but still it's a bit much for someone who basically lived it…")

("So what's the future like miss mouse lady!") one small flame girl speaks up alerting that the two.

("Wow you came outta nowhere...and the names Ma-san! Anyway...well the future is nice and peaceful compared to what we learned about your time! No battles over music here! At least not in the ways you guys went through...are going through. And people generally get along fairly well with one another! Heck I'm even part of a band! I play a killer set of drums!") Upon uttering the phrase 'killer' the kids scream and hide behind Deto ("Wow...you guys really are old if you don't get that slang…") Ma-san rolls her eyes and walks up to the kids ("You know you little runts look like you could grow up to be the next big stars if you wanted to! Never know how these kinda things just happen…") She looks up as she reminisces about her and MilkCan's origins ("The people you meet and get to enjoy time with...the memories you create...it's all a beautiful experience…") The children simply stare at her with awe until three girls walk up, they appear to be sisters, and just begin staring at her in idolization and awe. Deto takes note and nods in happiness.

("I think I prefer you this way lass, all high off of happiness, suits you far better in my opinion!")

("Ah what do you know ya walkin brick!") She kneels down to the sisters ("You three seem to get me! Wanna hear more about the world out there or my own personal experiences in my band?")

("Your band!") They say in unison as the hop around her.

("You got it!")

* * *

The trio had regrouped in the hut where all their friends were attempting to relax, they simple try to make the most of their situation while taking watch over Lammy, while Parappa simply entertains the children who follow him like chicks to a mother hen.

"Man they mimic his every move and everything! I tell ya, only he could manage something this out of the blue!"

"Matt you say that as if you weren't the same when we first became friends years ago."

"Yeah well...that's different!"

"You're not exactly convincing me." PJ stares at him to see if he'd either explain or give in.

"Well I mean we hit it off rather easily and friendly over the fact that we had a thing in common that soon expanded to be many things. It was inspiring to hear from a guy who originally had it better than I! So I tagged along to see what I could learn for my-..." realization hits Matt like a truck.

"Mmmmhmmmmmmm?"

"...I wish THAT was something I could've picked up from you…" Matt simply reclines on a wall with his arms crossed, defeated.

PJ simply laughs as Katy and Paula look on from afar and talk amongst themselves.

"To think that's how they got to know each other, but with us, it was probably the most petty rivalry I could've been in." Paula says as she sheepishly scratches the side of her head.

"I mean rivalry is like the blood that runs in your veins, you never really lost it. But that's what makes you a fun friend...only wish it didn't trigger at crucial moments like today…"

"Yeah...about that...I'm...still unbelievably sorry over it…"

"Relax...I finally got it on my mind to blame Parappa instead of you two."

"Iffff….it makes you feel better I nearly cracked my skull during my arrival to this place…"

"Like that would make me feel any better! You're still my best friend! I mean yeah I was angry, but I'd feel awful if anything were to happen to you…"

"Heh...thanks for still caring."

"Of course!" They hug it out, ending the tension.

"I've got to apologize to Ma-san once we find her...hey by the by, how was your arrival here?"

"Oh you know, nearly suffocated to a point that I needed CPR to expel the water from my lungs, not much different from your arrival."

"Yeesh...you ok now?"

"Yeah thanks to Parappa, really wish the help wasn't needed...I feel like a burden to him at times."

"Katy you're anything BUT a burden, honestly back then Parappa, PJ and Matt were probably the biggest nuisances we could've handled! But they did come through in the end."

"That's for sure! I still can't believe I got the three of them to model the wedding dresses I made."

"Pfft...I still have a photo of that saved on my phone. Never getting rid of that!" They both share a hysteric laugh before looking towards Parappa as the kids simply mimic the kick punch style that he's showing off with.

"You little guys are pretty good! But this is still pretty simple! After all, ya just gotta kick and punch because it's all in the mind! If ya wanna test me, i'm sure y'all find, that the things I teach ya will be sure to beat ya, nevah da less you'll get a lesson from Parappa da teacha! Now Kick!"

"Kick!"

"Punch!"

"Punch!"

"Chop!"

"Chop!"

"And Block!"

"Block!" the little group laugh among themselves as they play along. Genuinely enjoying themselves.

Katy can't help but smile at the sight of it all "It's heartwarming to see he's enjoying himself again."

"I see what you mean. Such a sights been rare for a long while and it's always nice to see while we can." As they say this Sir Pallet walks into the shed, the children scatter when they see him.

"Oh hey Pallet! Do you have a working plan for us?"

"Why yes indeed dear allies! But we can't send you just yet!" He walks up to Parappa and motions Katy and Paula to join up. Once they do he begins measuring them."

"Uhh...sir?"

"What are you doing?..."

"This is really busting my comfort zone…"

"There we are! These measurements will do!"

"Do for what?"

"Your armor!"

"A-ARMOR?!" the three shout.

"Yes. To put it simply, we are preparing for every possible situation. A majority involve that outcome that you'll be forced into an unwanted meeting...so we are striving to prevent that! The armor will be as protective as our very bodies! That should keep the three of you safe to make your recon route and return unscathed!"

"Well when you put it that way i'm all for it! But uh...can I...help work on mine?" Katy says as she taps her index fingers together meekly.

"Yeah i'd...like to uh...s-stylize mine to if that's ok…" Paula tries to avoid making eye contact from embarrassment over wanting to decorate their armor.

"Trying to look nice even while on the battlefield. Not a conventional action, but not a bad choice either! If this is what you wish than follow me!" As he turns around he notices the children regroup around Parappa "Ah there you children are! Come along now we need to get you back to safety! Especially now that we escalate our plans for leaving!" The children simply latch onto Parappa, not wanting to budge "Well new friend! They seemed to have imprinted on you quite quickly it seems!"

"Yeah...I think that's because they're just happy that they'll finally be able to get out!"

"And that's all perfectly fine! But it is for the best that they do get to a safe place as everything goes down."

"Roger! Come on guys you gotta follow Sir Pallet now." The kids look down for abit before they nod and huddle around Pallet, all except for two. Two of the youngest children simply stay by Parappa, not wanting to go "Ah...hey, you two gotta go to!" They reply only by shaking their heads rapidly.

"Come along now you two!" They shake their heads harder "Oh dear...well I can't really do anything about that...friend can I trust that you keep these two safe under your watch?"

"You can count on me!"

"Good! Ok you two, I'm afraid you'll have to explain your armor choices to the others as i'll have to return to handle this once I take you there."

"That's fine Sir! We still get to decorate our gear in the end!"

"Yep!"

"Ok then! Onwards!" The group leave the shed while Parappa simply kneels to the two kids.

"Now why didn't you two wanna go?" They don't reply "Oh boy…" He just walks up to Matt and PJ with them following "Hey you two think you can help me?"

"Can't help with that! They're glued to you like a leech!"

"Matt's right, this is on you man." Their reply only earns them an aggravated sigh from Parappa.

"Fine! I'll manage this on my own!" As Parappa says this, Sweety pokes her head from the other room to alert them that Lammy was beginning to regain consciousness, to which Parappa immediately fades into the other room before the others can "Lammy! Oh man am I glad you're awake!"

"Augh...where am I?..."

"Currently? In a hut over at a place we're temporarily staying in."

"Hut?..."

"You heard him correctly, we're in a hut out in the middle of a decently big forest by a large field." PJ says as he walks in.

"W-Where are we?"

"Currently? Some weird little world inside the pond we got sucked into."

"And we can't exactly leave till we help the locals that live here, who are also generously letting us stay here as well as providing the means of helping you out while you were out of it!" Matt adds on as he joins the room, followed by the two little kids who latch back on to Parappa.

"Gotta thank Sweety for the help. She not only helped with the nursing, but also helped you get here."

"Oh I just did what I could to help!...Found you unconscious...so...I carried ya all….the way….h-here…" Sweety begins toppling over until PJ and Matt manage to catch her in her unconscious state.

"S-Sweety?!..."

"I thought she said she was only dizzy!..."

PJ places his hand over her head "Well this ain't good...she has quite the fever...guess she kinda undermined what her condition actually was and held it together until she was sure everything was fine...damn it...Matt help me lay her down on one of the beds…"

"You got it!..."

"And she held it together until I was fine…oh man I really am a burden..."

"Don't. Start, Lammy helping you was her top priority so the least you can do is not panic over her bluff on her own health. Instead you can help me nurse her back to health as she did for you."

"G-Got it!." Lammy hops off the bed she's on and wobbles over to PJ.

"Eh...on second thought you just woke up...I don't think you're still fully ok to-"

"I'm gonna h-help!...if she helped me out the least I can do is help back!..."

"Fine then, but don't overdo and go rest if you need to, don't need to keep this chain going."

"You can count on m-me!"

Parappa and Matt speak amongst themselves as they see this go down "Man we REALLY gotta get out of here now…"

"No kidding Matt...I might have to skip on their armor for me and just chance it…"

"NO! You are the LAST person that needs to be chancing it right about now!..."

"But you clearly see how fast this situation is clearly devolving into!"

"Yes, and it'll only get worse if you throw caution to the wind!"

"Then what do you suggest?" Matt simply looks at him with his arms crossed.

"I'll tell you what I suggest."

* * *

"I'll be joining you three out there!"

"M-Matt are you sure?"

"Hell yeah I am! Not gonna let myself sit idly by again! Lammy woke only for Sweety to go down! We clearly need to do something to get out as fast as we can manage! We still need to find Ma-san and convince the Tempo's to agree to comraderie! And I already told Pallet to get me an armor set to, so I'm already not stopping."

"Ugh...well another person will make this go a lot smoother…" Paula rubs her head "Well what did Parappa say?"

"Well he got a tad upset, but ultimately he was in no position to argue, especially since Pallet arrived to try and pry the other two kids off of him."

"Oh boy…I can only imagine how well that's going..." Katy rolls her eyes at the thought, already knowing the answer.

She was correct, Pallet tried everything, but the duo would not leave Parappa's side.

"I really can't seem to get them away from you…they really are to attached to you." Pallet says as he tries once more to grab them, only for them to hide behind Parappa.

"It's fine. I don't mind it, I just worry for their well being...who are they anyway? They refuse to speak to me. Only mimic me."

"Ah well these two, like the other children you saw, are all orphans who were left behind by more passive members of our safe group...they weren't as hardy as we knights...and so...well my friend you can fill the blanks. These girls since became friends with one another for the same reason. They don't really get along well with the other more...expressive children."

"Yikes…"

"So their first instinct was to join us and BECOME knights."

"Yik- I'm sorry what."

"You heard me correct my friend. They weren't going to handle all this by being introverted forever! Well that was how it happened at first...once they saw what it took and what one had to deal with whenever the threats came...they felt useless...due to their statue. And I assume that you're doing so much while being an equal size to them inspires them!"

"I...don't know whether to take that as a compliment or insult…I'm...twenty...it's not my fault I didn't grow that much…"

"But it shows that height doesn't matter! And that's why they stick with you!" the two little girls nod as if to agree with Pallet.

"I guess you're telling the truth there...and hey I did do a lot that can be thought as super amazing!"

"And you can tell these two about them! I really have to finish the armor for you! These two seem like they want to follow you in your mission and I really can't stop it...so what do you say?"

Parappa thinks it over until he comes with a conclusion "Only if you two tell me your names. I guarantee I keep my friends safe! But we can't be friends if I don't know who you two are!" One of the girls looks at her feet before looking back to him.

"I'm Dacite!" where she answered so quickly, the other still didn't speak up.

"Uh…" Parappa stares at the other girl

"Oh...she doesn't talk!"

"O-Oh...i'm sorry…" She simply shakes her head as if to say the apology wasn't warranted, she then grabs his hand and begins spelling her name on his hand by tracing her fingers 'M-I-C-A...Mica?" she nods "Ok! You can tag along, and I promise I'll keep you two safe!"

"Great! Well now i'm off! These two already have their own armor, but you four still need your own to be finished! I promise to not take long friend."

"Would you two try speaking with me now? We might as well get to be better friends while we wait!" They look at each other and thing for a bit, then they look back and nod "Great! The best part of making friends is to learn more about them!"

* * *

("Heh...I don't think I've had people have such interest in me! You three are real good kids! What are your names?")

("I'm Enya! The youngest sister!")

("I'm Arati the middle child!")

("I'm Vesta the oldest!")

("Fire based names, of course. But nice names nonetheless!") Ma-san shakes her head with a chuckle.  _The other kids just left once Deto told them to hide in the shed, but these three just stayed to hear more about me. Gah kids are weird…_ ("You kids sure you don't wanna hide with the rest?")

("No! I feel safest next to you Miss Ma-san! Uncle Deto is a bit to flabby to be defending anyone…")

("Pfffft...I didn't know  _that_  qualified as portly for lava rock dude!")

("IT'S NOT FAT, IT'S MUSCLE!") Deto says as he hobbles over.

("Sorry big guy, but if the kids you're fostering say you're chunky, then it's safe to say you're livin large!") Ma-san laughs in his face.

("Ugh...Look Arati, Enya, Vesta! Rush your tuchuses over to the hidin hole now! Any minute Ur will be stompin about looking for ya…") Their reply is simply huddling behind Ma-san.

("I think they gave you there answer.")

("Ohohoho this is so not kosher…") He rubs what would be the equivalent of his temples ("Look, they're not gonna budge and I know this, I have the other lot to keep a watch over. Can I count on you to at least keep and eye on them?")

Ma-san looks at the three girls hiding behind her then back to him ("Sure, if you don't want Ur to spot em then you got it. I take it you don't want them to end up like the rest.")

("Correct! Now I gotta go! Keep yer word!") He hobbles off.

("Man what a guy…") she turns to the trio ("Ok so i'm now a babysitter...well at the very least I like you guys! Much more tolerable. And hey, Ur might not even pop u-")

("Ma-san wasn't it? Are you around here? Answer me this instant!")

("Of course...quick! Scatter over there!...") the trio waste no time heeding her orders as Ur storms forth in front of her.

("There you are! What are you doing out in a isolated part of the area when you could be back there conversing with the lot of us!")

("There's only so much I can stomach and that was way beyond the limit!")

("Ohoh you're such a kidder!") She simply glares at him ("Feh...look we've found confirmation that your friends are being basically held prisoner over at the Mood Stones campgrounds! One even keeled over as soon as a red headed one woke up!")

("Oye vey they sound like they're in such a mess…how the heck do you know this?")

("With the help of these trickster fellows!") He holds out his hand, to which small flame sprites pop out snickering ("They hide as their torches! Perfect surveillance.")

("What an underhanded tactic...but at least it helps me I guess…")

("I'd launch for an all out raid to help you there, but currently. The rest of the heathens refuse to act unless they act. Seems Deto's been polluting their mind with thoughts of peace and harmony and whatever blazes he deems worthy to talk about. We're built for fighting! Can't do anything about that! But I can't do anything about this until they purposefully DO something, so for now we're at the beck and call. If you spot something, please be sure to alert us.") He walks off.

("Feh...will do...man what the hell are you guys getting yourselves into…") once the trio see Ur fully gone they return back at Ma-san's side.

("Miss Ma-san are you ok?") they say in unison as they huddle around her.

("Yeah i'm good...only worried...those knuckleheads have a habit of getting into trouble…")  _The mutt should keep em safe, but still… who'll keep HIM safe?..._

("I'm sure your friends are ok Miss!") Enya says as she tugs on Ma-san's hands, earning a low chuckle from her.

("You certainly remind me of someone! Sure, I guess I should have more faith in them. After all it's not like this is the  **FIRST**  time this happened, and it certainly ain't gonna be the last knowing our history.") She smiles towards the three before looking towards the woods where the smile quickly fades.  _Who does he think he is...worrying over the world rather than his own damn self...why bother with others when you just suffer the worst by the end?...I'd never be like that...what would I get out of it?...what does he think HE gets out of it?..._  Ma-san stops and sighs as she punches herself in the chest around her heart.  _Was this the Mutt's plan all along?... and was that damn Paula apart of it?...feh…_  she growls as she looks away from the woods.

("Miss Ma-san are you  _ **sure**_  you're ok?" You're rather...upset") Vesta says as tries to look at Ma-san directly as she keeps turning away ("Is one of them your special someone?")

(" **NO!** ") Her fuse returns to being a flame geyser like when she was stumbling around the forest a mere few hours ago, the trio flinch, but they still stay in place as the soon burst out in a giggle fit ("What's so funny?!")

("You're a bad liar Ma-san!")

* * *

"Matt you helped make THESE?!" Parappa says as he stares at the armor he's now wearing.

"I helped you and PJ engineer a rocket, armor's nothing to challenging for me." He puffs out his chest, which looked even bigger due to his own chestplate.

"Boasting aside, these not only help keep us safe, but also are rather slim and easy to maneuver in! And we managed to stylize them as we wanted! Thank you Matt!" Katy says as both her and Paula simply enjoy the armor they're adorned with.

"Weren't no thing!~"

"Alright, we have the area we need to go and our object and our defense." Parappa picks up a large shield he asked to have "Now come on you guys! Let's go!"

"So what is it we have to do? I know we're scouting but for what."

"Well it's mainly to scout what they do and if there's anything that can be used to take advantage."

"The Mood Stones already know that the guys are top heavy, but they also wanna see if there's anything else they can manage to either build a truce on...or if need be...use to get an upper hand...basically any gathered knowledge is SOMETHING. And these guys can use ANYTHING at this point." Matt shakes his head "That's why they wanted a strategist, in case recon failed...they'd have a guy who could coordinate them to snuff the Tempo's out. As the Tempo's are purely brute forcing their way, and a strategic assault would've been the end of them."

"Yeesh...talk about your last resorts…"

"Well now  _we're_ the last resort Katy. Well then... Matt, Parappa you guys ready to go?" The duo nod "Katy?" She also nods "And our two tagalongs?" Dacite and Mica poke their heads from behind a barrel after being found out "Parappa already explained. And while that adds an extra layer of caution and steps we gotta take, you two are more likely to handle yourselves better than us! Regardless, we'll keep you two safe as long as you help keep us safe!" the two girls nod "Great! Then let's do this!" She sets her fist forward, to which Parappa, Matt and Katy meet immediately, the four then look at the two kids signifying they were waiting for them as well. The two gleefully join in.

"Let's go!" Parappa runs off with the five of them right behind him.

* * *

"What are we scanning around for?" Paula says as she and the others sneak through the grove.

"Pallet says they have a remote hideaway around here...course he also said it looked like a log cabin so it was probably nothing...but he doesn't wanna risk it." Matt says as he looks carefully in every direction.

"Makes sense...it's usually the things you don't expect that have the biggest surprises…" Parappa says earning an autopilot reply from his three friends together.

" **Boy**  you can say  _ **THAT**_ again…"

"Uh...w-was it something I said?..." They ignore him and keep on moving, only for Mica to console him with a pat on the back "Thanks Mica…"

"Hey hey! I found it! Over here! Quickly and quietly!" Matt says as he waves his arm to draw the rest of them closer "It's just as he suspected! A log cabin! But I hear only kids playing?"

"Is that why it's so far from their main camp? Cuz it's basically to protect their own kids?..."

"Aw Pallet can't use that...he's doing the same thing...he'd be both a hypocrite for using this intel and hate himself for even daring to think of this as intel...actually...wait...He said the Tempo's were for war entirely...so why even bother protecting the young if they'd WANT to get into a fight to begin with if that's their way of life?..."

"Unless of course, they're not all like that and are trying to break away from them...and you know what that means!"

"Potential allies!" the four say in unison.

"Friends with the Tempo's…?" Dacite says as she tilts her head "Can that be possible?...They're all really mean and bad people…"

"But what if these kids aren't? As well as whoever is holding up these kids!" Parappa stating this simply causes Dacite to shake her head in massive confusion, unable to comprehend the otherwise.

"Exactly, for all we know these kids could be- M-Ma-san?!" Katy says as she quickly turns her head upon hearing a specific voice.

"These kids could be Ma-san?..." Matt says staring at Katy with a questioning gaze.

"No NO! Ma-sans here! Look! There with those three kids!..." She points towards their final missing friend.

"The hell? She's been HERE the entire time?"

"Well glad to see one of us had better luck…" Paula sighs as she facepalms from the disbelief.

"Well come on then? What're we standing around here for! Let's go get her!" Parappa without thinking, immediately dives outwards into the open.

"P-Parappa wait! NO!..." Dacite and Mica follow suit "N-NOT YOU TWO EITHER!...Oh this is going south fast…"

"Ma-san!"

("Huh?...Parappa?...")

"It is you!" He stops in front of her to catch his breath, while the three girls hide behind Ma-san while the two stone girls hide behind Parappa.

("Well I'll be Mutt, it IS you.") She stares at him in awe ("The heck are you wearing?!")

"Oh this?...uh...protection pretty much!"

("From what?!")

"The Tempo's! They're mindless killing machines so the Mood stones hooked me up with this in the hopes that I take as little a beating as possible from em!"

("You mean those guys didn't hold you hostage?")

"Of course not! They're chill dudes! I thought YOU were being held captive! But I trusted my gut through and through, you're too much tough gal to let yourself be someone's hostage!"

She snickers as an egotistical grin forms on her face ("Smart Mutt.") As she laughs, Parappa notices the trio behind her.

("Hello! Are you three friends of new pals of Ma-san?") they quickly leave their 'hiding' spot once Parappa speaks like that, staring at him in awe.

("You can talk like us!")

("But you're not us! You're something weird!")

("You're a Mood Stone!")

("Eheh…") Parappa rubs his head awkwardly.  _Kinda see how they got attached to Ma-san so easily._ ("I guess to you I would be weird, but I'm not a Mood Stone. I'm just helping them! What are you three doin away from the rest of the Tempo's?")

("There so called 'Uncle' keeps em all stowed away to avoid being influenced by the leader here.")

("What? Why's that?...Wouldn't that normally be considered uh...traitorous to the group cause?")

("Yeah well, apparently Ur is the reason these guys are so destructive, being told they're only meant to do this sorta thing. I dunno propaganda or something like that. All I really know is, I frankly don't really care...well I didn't, then these three buttered me up to much.")

Parappa softly chuckles ("Well it's nice that they helped you avoid a rather bad situation! As well as helped you ease up!")

As the two spoke on, the remaining three stayed behind their cover.

"I'm starting to think we should pop out as well."

"Or at the very least drag Parappa back here."

"Then what? We'd give ourselves away and ruin everything! Nu uh. We're staying here till something big happens."

"Matt that does not seem-"

"Yes Katy! I know! It's just right now, trying to keep everyone safe is a bigger priority! Parappa can handle himself! We only go in when we see something we know he can't handle."

Katy and Paula look at each other uneasily "Alright…"

"If you say so Matt…"

"Good."  _I really hope there's SOME merit to my words…_

The children behind Ma-san and Parappa huddle out form their cover and stare at each other. They soon try to get along like their 'bodyguards' are, and they hit it off quite well as they just play around the area. Said bodyguards simply laugh as they resume chatting with each other.

The girls all converse with each other themselves to see what there is to learn about one another...well at least attempting to, since the trio couldn't understand Dacite and the duo couldn't understand the three sisters, but a solution came quickly thanks to Mica and her form of talking that the remainder four quickly decided to use. And thus all sorts of stories began being spread between one another, there was no indication if this was a good thing which caused the hiding trio to panic until they five children began laughing with delight between each other.

"Oh thank god…"

"That could've been bad…"

"There's too much to deal with right now...but at least this went ok…"

They all sigh in rather forced relief, until…

("What do you mean by that?...")

Paula swallows roughly "Ooooh...that sounds like she's taking offense to whatever the heck he's talking about now...and judging by how 'well' that turned out with me...this won't end well…" They look onwards.

("I mean I'm just saying I'm glad there were people here to keep you calm when we were sorta...preoccupied...Normally you tend to go off when things start going south…especially when separated from Katy and Lammy...but you didn't now!")

("And just what do you mean by 'go off'...") She began tapping her foot on the ground rapidly as her fuse began flickering on and off.

"Choose your words wisely Parappa…" Katy says as she stares from afar.

("Well you're just as emotional as the rest of us when things start taking a turn for the worse...and that temper of yours sometimes can be a driving or adding factor in the long ru-") Parappa brings up his shield before the maces that Ma-san had could hit him ("H-HEY!...")

("Oh. I'm sorry, my temper is just becoming an adding factor. MY BAD.") She repeatedly strikes down on his shield aggressively from his poor choice of words while the five children try to stop her.

("I'm just saying I don't want a close friend to burn out!...I know from experience how badly rampart emotions can affect everything!...I would never want a best friend to suffer that!...")

("Like HELL i'd become like THAT! I'm not like you!") she keeps on beating down upon the shield ("I'M NOT A MESS LIKE YOU!...YOU WITH LETTING THINGS GO AND HAPPEN TO YOURSELF AND THEN SHRUG IT OFF? FOR WHAT?!")

("W-What? I didn't say you'd be like me…")

("SHUT UP SHUT UP…") she realizes what she said, but it only makes her more upset as she keeps on striking the shield.

"Oh nononono...C-COME ON! W-WE GOTTA BREAK THE FIGHT APART!" As Katy was about to spring into action, Matt drags her back to the ground "WHAT THE HELL MATT?"

"Shut up and look!..." Matt points towards a rustling group of trees.

("WHAT GOES ON OVER HERE?!") Ur storms forth to witness Ma-san trying to attack Parappa, as well as the five children ("Well...seems we have intruders...and hidden members of our own…")

Ma-san would've facepalmed at failing to guard the three kids were it not for her anger, she however does stop attempting to hit Parappa ("Feh…")

("Well I'll be! Isn't he one of the people you were looking for?") Ma-san looks to Ur then back to Parappa with a glare ("No...he's just an idiotic intruder…")

("M-Ma-san?...")

("Then you wouldn't mind us evicting him?~")

Ma-san simply turns her back ("...")

("Ma-san?...You're not...really gonna let him are you?...") Parappa stares at her genuinely afraid.

("Do whatever you want…I just don't want to look at him right now...")

("Gladly!") Ur lifts up his guitar built blade and attempts to slash down at Parappa, who simply lifts his shield, bracing for impact.

("HEY! I thought you were just gonna kick him out!") Ma-san attempts to get him to stop, however.

("Oh don't worry! I will! Once he can no longer-")

"MOVE!" Matt slides along the ground, dashing through Ur's legs, toppling him over backwards from his body weight and armor weight.

"M-Matt?! H-How did you?"

"Like I said, these suckers are top heavy, and thanks to this armor. I'm perfectly fine and not charred to a crisp!"

("GAH!...HOW DARE YOU!...EY YOU TWO! ATTACK!") Two other Tempo's hidden behind the trees lunge out, but rather than attacking, they simply pay attention to the five children cowering together, simply dumbfounded that they stay near one another at all ("What are you two oafs doing?! ATTACK...!") Ma-san takes the opportunity to help the three children she was guarding, get away, but they struggle in doing so.

("I don't want to leave my new friend behind! They'll be killed by them!")

("Would you rather die in their stead?!")

("If it keeps them safe then yes!")

("Deto will never shut up if I let that happen!...Now come on! Let's go!...") This all simply confuses the two other Tempo's as they drop their weapons and their guards, but before they can do another action, they are forced to the ground by Katy and Paula who do the same action Matt did to Ur.

"Timber!"

"Guess they go down real easy when they're bigger after all!"

("You brainless idiots really got distracted by that?!") Ur struggles to get up.

"And with that! We're out of here!" Katy dashes off as she picks up Dacite, while Paula yanks up Mica. Matt follows after as he picks up Parappa.

"Wait! M-Ma-san!..." Parappa shouts over Matt's shoulder as she runs in the opposite direction with the three fire girls.

As the three get far enough away they converse between one another in a panic. Beginning with Matt who simply berates Parappa "Why the hell did you feel the need to run out in the open?!"

"What do you mean why?! We finally found Ma-san! That means all of us ARE ok!...Why WOULDN'T I try to help get her back to safety?!"

"Well not really doing a good job are you then?"

"She just started attacking me!"

"You pressed the wrong buttons!"

"Matt I was just telling the truth over what I was thankful to avoid!"

"And then you cause the problem you ended up fearing."

"UNINTENTIONALLY!..."

"Guys, enough! We don't need more friendly fire…"

"Katy's right! For now we gotta regroup back with the Mood stones…,but oh man is this not gonna end well…Not only do we NOT have any info...but I think we may have provoked another forced confrontation with what we did…"

"It's not like we KILLED anyone Paula..."

"Yes, but do you really think THOSE guys will take that sitting down Matt?"

"...I refuse to say you're right."

"But you acknowledge that I am in general."

"ENOUGH! Besides, we  **do** have  _something_ of value for Pallet. It seems the kids really got along well with Dacite and Mica. And not only that, but the adults, minus that big one that tried to off Parappa, also seem to take notice and may potentially have the same prefered thoughts in their heads!"

"That's a big if to go by…" Katy says as she marvels over the events that went down.

"With what we're going by, it's all we really have to work with…"

* * *

("What's with all the racket out he-")

("DETO!")

("Oh no…")

("You...YOU...First you are to help me and these idiots get back up, second YOU are bringing all the children you have held out from our lifestyle FRONT AND CENTER. And three...you are joining us as we take our final assault on the Mood stones.")

("And if I refuse?")

("We will get up, regardless of help or not, and when I do...I'll make sure those children pay for your ineptitude.")

("You killed off the following generation of our friends?!")

("You defied our ways, you poisoned the mind of the following generations from the truth! And therefore, must be terminated...but I am willing to look the other way if you comply…and friends? There's no need for friendship with us.")

Deto ponders his options, he knows what the only answer is, but can't help but want to find any GOOD outcome. There's no such outcome and thus with a heavy sigh ("...Very well…") agrees and begins helping the two up.

("Good man! Now, after we slaughter those damned walking statues, that is when you are to release the small ones to our custody. Including the three that…") He taps his chin ("Ma-san ran off with.")

("Oh did she?...")

("Yes, find her and escort her back, I need to persuade her to…join our cause...")

("I-")

("Or will you defy me...again?")

("On it…")

* * *

"I see….this is...a rather intriguing situation…" Pallet says as he clutches his head.

"We're...terribly sorry Pallet...for...causing another unneeded confrontation…"

"No it was rather inevitable...we're just glad you lot are safe. As well as giving us this information."

"But can you make anything happen from that?"

"Young Major, we will see if we can manage something! Ur seems to be rather...neglectful of his own brothers in arms...and they seem to be progressively going against him. If we can tip the scales a tad further then we may just have what we need to finally end this, but we'll need Ur out of the picture...easier said than done…"

"We can help!" Parappa says as he bumps Matt aside from his quick entrance.

"Unfortunately this I must decline. You got lucky in the confrontation, but I don't think you'll get lucky again."

"Pallet's right man, we did our part…"

"But Matt, I know we can do SOMETHING!"

"We managed because it was only three of them...I don't think we can muster the capability to go against an army…"

"But we haven't even given it a shot!..."

"I'm afraid I have to deny any shots my small friend."

"And I'm denying anything else. Dude our top priorities are getting Ma-san, making sure we're all ok, and that you don't get hurt again. I'm gonna make sure all of them, especially the third one, come to fruition!"

"ARGH…" Parappa storms out of the hut irritably as he tries to kick the dirt but fumbles and trips and falls onto his back "Ugh…" Mica and Dacite hover over him to see if he's alright.

"Are you ok Mister Parappa?..."

"Yeah...I just...want to help you all end this! But now it seems i'm benched from doing so…" He squishes his head in anger "I mean I know they're looking out for everyone and trying to prevent as many unneeded accidents, but it's not like we're useless or a liability...even my own friend thinks that way...or does he just think I am?..."

"You're not mister…"

"I'd hope not...but I don't think they agree with that…" he sits up "Hmm…" Parappa thinks up a way to sneak himself into battle to aide the rest, but stops once he notices the two staring at him as if something was on his face, prompting him to stop and rub the back of his head awkwardly.

Mica tilts her head as if to say 'What'.

"It's nothing...I just need you two to get to safety now...but actually...before that… What were you two talking about with the Tempo girls?"

"Oh! Just over how much we had in common! Especially our enjoyment over music! They can't really express it as much ever since the needless war began…" Mica nods to approve Dacite's words as the truth "Of course we're in the same boat...everyone used to sing all day whenever we felt like it!...and then we started fighting the Tempo's...it was...not fun…" Both look down.

"I bet it wasn't…"  _but it does help in finding out how to stop all this once and for all...neither side WANTS to do this...and would rather just play music...that won't really work here…instead how about we just get them to see that this is what they both want...and maybe more in common things will come to realization?_ "Well...for now you two get to safety...it's late anyway...I guess I'll just be sitting this one out…"  _Hell no I won't, but I can't tell them that._

"Ok...will we see you tomorrow to?"

"Of course!" He gives them his iconic thumbs up "You can believe in that!"  _And if my plan goes by accordingly, we'll be able to hang out in the outside world!_

They nod and run off leaving Parappa to sigh in relief.

"This has got to work!'

"What has got to work?" Katy says as she hovers behind him.

"WAAAAAH! D-Don't sneak up on me like that!..."

"Don't change the topic...what are you planning?"

"If I tell you, you'll more than likely tell Pallet or Matt!"

"I can promise you I won't!" She smiles brightly and gives a single nod to reassure him, unbeknownst to him that her fingers were crossed.

"Well...currently...we're kinda benched as the Mood stones would rather handle everything themselves...but I offered to help and that even includes helping here! But with Pallet and Matt kind of against that...I decided I'd...sneak into the battle as a surprise ally assistance!"

"Uh-huh…"

"Yeah! All so I can get both groups to see that this is pointless as they both would be rather off doing something they both love! And I know I can help with that! Because they both just wanna play music again! And music is what I'll bring to the table!"

"Ok! That's good to hear!...now if you can excuse me…" She makes a beeline for the hut that Pallet and Matt are in, only for Parappa to dive tackle her into the ground.

"HEY!...YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T!..."

"I WOULD RATHER YOU  _ **NOT**_ ENDANGER YOURSELF FURTHER!..."

"But I  _won't_ be in any danger at all! I really believe this'll work! But they won't give it a shot!...So I will!..."

"I have great insight to know that this will not end well…" She simply shoves him off to stand up and dust herself off, but she does not attempt to alert the others to his plan.

"Come on...I thought  _you_  of all people would believe in me…"

"It's not that I don't...it's just that knowing our track record...something's gonna happen...I can feel it in my gut...and I would rather avoid it in general…"

"But we could be ending their pointless battlin' for good! Without ANY of them needing to get hurt…"

"And what about you?...Are you willing to get hurt yourself should something go amok?"

"If it guarantees EVERYONE'S happiness then getting a little roughed up isn't exactly bad…"

"You never change...and you know if things go south it won't be you getting just 'a little roughed up'..."

"Yeah...I know...but I just don't wanna see this carry on...you remember the story of how battling over music evolved into just being superior than the other, and how that ended the lives of so many!...and this is just happening again!...only now we're watching it live...and I gotta stop it while I can…" he pulls off his hat and runs his fingers along the sewn on insignias "I don't want them to end up like this…"

"Parappa…"

He simply looks at her with sad eyes.

"Parappa no..."

He gives her the equivalent of sad puppy dog eyes.

"Parappa no that's not fair...stop it…."

He starts to cry.

"Ohhhh" She punches the back of her head a few times for letting herself fall victim to this "OK OK OK OK...fine...I'll help you carry this out…" Parappa instantaneously regains his cheery composure.

"Thanks Katy! You're the best!"

"Yeah yeah…"  _Oh the perks of being an adorable dog…_ "So tell me the full plan…"

"Well first...I think we might need more help with this...so we're gonna be recruiting two more people!"

"Oh? Who and why?"

"PJ and Lammy! And as for why, I'll need PJ's help in building some things and Lammy's to help create some tools needed for you and her!" His answer simply confuses and worries her.

"You sure Matt won't catch on? And are you sure PJ and Lammy will be game for this?"

"Not if we play our cards right! And that all depends on what they're doing now...they still might be busy taking care of Sweety…" He places his hat back on his head "But we won't know for sure unless we check!"

"Oh boy...alright, let's go!"

As they run off to the medical hut that houses the others, Parappa immediately explains his plan to PJ and Lammy who simply give him mixed results in what he was hoping for in an answer.

"What do you mean no? We really need your help!"

"Look man, Sweety's fever may have gone down and she may be sleeping peacefully for now, but I'm not just gonna up and leave her alone to go along and help you with this. She might need me."

"I mean...h-he has a point Parappa...we really should have s-someone keeping an eye over her to help when n-needed…"

"I know...how about you Lammy? Will you help at the very least?"

"I...d-don't know if I c-could or should…" She rubs her arm "It's n-nice what you're trying to do...b-but what your d-describing seems like i-it has to be done perfectly, s-step by step in order for it to w-work...and I'm afraid I might be the w-weak link that will cause it all to go w-wrong…"

"That's not true! You'll be a great help Lammy! I know we can count on you!"

"When Parappa's right, he's right!" Katy says trying to help Parappa motivate Lammy, but she still stays rather indecisive "I know that you'd be a great help!"

"I...still d-don't think it'd be a g-good ide-" Parappa grabs her hands with his own as he gives her a pleading look.

"Please Lammy...I know we can make the plan a reality if you help us...it won't work if both of you are unable to help…"

"B-But…" She swallows roughly to try to keep her head together "I-I don't even have my guitar with me...I'm not sure I can...and there's nothing really here to make me believe it's in my mind…"

"That's what part of the plan is! I need your help to build two guitars! We both learned how to from Mr. Paul Chuck remember?" He wasn't lying as Lammy built hers when she ended up leaving her original one with Captain Fussenpepper, she still got it back by the end of the day however. And Parappa built one as well during the build up to said concert, but the whole idea of it wasn't exactly easy, they needed chainsaws in order to do so as an axe would take much longer and would most likely NOT give them the needed results for the guitar.

"But w-we need chainsaws don't we?..."

"I'm the son of the town's most…'creative' inventor! You just let me handle that!"

"Parappa you'll most likely end up cutting your hands clean off trying to make one." PJ says with his arms folded.

"Then why not help him in making them?" Paula says as she enters the hut.

"I can't do that, I need to be taking-"

"Yeah yeah you don't want to leave your girlfriend alone in case she's in need of something, but you got me to handle that for ya!"

"Oh that won't be necessar-"

"What's the matter, think I can't?"

"Well no it's just-"

"Don't like the idea of your ex helping your current girlfriend?"

"I uh…" PJ stays silent. PJ was never one to have the gift of gab, but whenever he did decide to speak, there was little anyone could do to shut him up. Unless you happen to be one of two people. Sweety Bancha, or Paula Fox "N-Nooooooo…" His eyes scatter from corner to corner, trying to avoid eye contact.

Paula can't help but giggle, barely holding back full on laughter "Oh my god...that's  _REALLY_  the reason as to why? I didn't take you to be the awkward type 'Mr. Smooth DJ'!" She begins laughing out fully "This is something I'd expect from Parappa or Matt! Not you!"

"Hey! That's!...very accurate to my persona...but that's still not funny to point out!" Parappa states as he flails his arms about.

"Ihihihi'm sohohohorry! It's just such a funny thing to worry over!"

Paula and PJ hooked up years ago. The whole thing began after Paula fell in love with a DJ at Club Fun. Lo and behold her surprise when PJ was said DJ she went gaga over. After a set up date to see if anything was there between them, the two kept the whole ordeal a secret as to whether or not they were a couple. Paula simply said they'd be better of as friends, and everyone chose to believe it. It wasn't until the very next year that the two decided to start dating after certain 'circumstances' came up. The couple only really lasted as far as a year when both of them realized they loved a different person altogether. And so the two decided to move on as friends, but it seems PJ still kept over a hint of awkward air even until now.

"Ugh...you know what, fine. You're right. This is a pointless thing to worry over, i'm not a fool! I trust that you can help my girlfriend out in case something comes up. I'm not worrying at all!" The four of them simply stare at PJ as his head turns blue with many many sweat drops ejecting out of his head, only to reply with an in unison.

"Uh-huh…sure…"

"OKAY! The plan is now underway!" PJ plucks up Parappa.

"Wah-hey!..." Parappa struggles in his grasp "Give a guy a warning first at the very least!"

PJ ignores him as he turns to Lammy "We'll be done and back before you know it."

The tinkering went on rather smoothly as with the resources they had, the two managed to make two fully working chainsaws...well..as effective as it can be with limited sources.

"You know, I was gonna say 'Why don't we just build a guitar', but now I see that it probably would've ended up as flimsy as these chainsaws...so...think these'll cut it?" PJ looks at Parappa fiddling with his chainsaw, his only reply is pulling on the cord to get the thing running.

"Oh they're work…can't say for sure for how long, but they'll get the job done...we just gotta be quick...or else they'll fall apart mid job…"

"If you say so, anything ELSE you want us to make?"

"Amps and speakers."

"Sheesh how the hell do you think we'll be able to make those?"

"See...here's the thing...I need YOU to go over to Matt and convince him to help you make em."

"This is a terrible idea."

"Let me finish! If he gets curious as to why...just tell him, I wanna sing to the kids. He'll believe it as he clearly SAW how attached I was to them."

"Hmmm. I still see flaws, but very well. How many of each?"

"Two Amps, eight speakers."

"Uh-huh...and what'll you be doing?"

"Gonna get started on the guitars! They'll be for Lammy and Katy! I'll handle the electrical bits when it comes to connecting them to the amps. Luckily Paul managed to teach me about that so it should be no biggie."

"Man you really thought this through...and after the amps and speakers are done with?"

"I'll explain when we get to that! For now get to making them with Matt! I gotta go!" he runs off with both chainsaws leaving PJ to just stare.

"I hope whatever it is you're trying to do works…" He heads off to the hut where Matt's at "Even with Matt's help, the amps and speakers won't really last long either...Your plan literally has to be flawless on the first go...no test or nothing...and on the last second as well." He chuckles "Glad to see somethings don't change with you!"

* * *

"Alright Lammy, you ready?"

"N-Not really, no…" she struggles to keep the chainsaw in her hands steady "Not only do we have to a-actually make the guitars...b-but we're on a  _ **TIMER**_?..." She struggles to imagine that the guitar is in her mind from all the stress.

"But you'll be fine on both records! You built a great guitar AND you did it in under a minute! This should be nothing to you!"

"I-I mean b-back then it was a d-different thing a-altogether..."

"Don't you believe in yourself?..."

"I-It's really hard to...especially in situations like this…"

"I believe in you…"

"And I still never understand why you do…"

"Because I know you can, guitar or not." He stares at the tree in front of him, then the tree in front of her, before looking back to her "I know that you'd never let anyone down. I think it's impossible for you to."

"You really love looking at me in t-that fake limelight h-huh?"

"Well yeah, but it's not a fake one. It's real just like the amazing talent you have. It certainly was an inspiration to me that's for sure!"

"R-Really?..."

"Of course! I can't think of the times I would've nearly messed something up were it not for the fact I just recall one of your accomplishments and the rest simply plays out flawlessly." he smiles "I feel like I could do a lot. If I just believe and think of some amazing thing you did...then I know I can do it. Heck, if I wanted to, I could even hit all the jackpots over at a casino!"

_Casino...casino...casino…_ the last word he says as well as his little self inspirational banter strike in Lammy's head in constant echoes as she closes her eyes and shakes her head to clear the thoughts. Once she opens her eyes she sports a confident grin as she revs the chainsaw up.

"Let's make some guitars!~"

"There's our girl!" Parappa revs his up "Let's get to work!"

Katy simply smiles as she listens to the duo, hidden behind a tree that she's currently leaning on as she quietly sings to herself.

_Where's that place that comes in_ _ **pairs**_   _whenever I'm aware?_

_Casino here, Casino there, Casino in my hair~_


	12. Heat of the moment

“Tell me who you are!”

 

“You must be a star!”

 

“But are you my shining star?” They both laugh as they finish up the two guitars perfectly “The answer to that is yes! We did it Lammy! And just in the nick of time to.” The chainsaws fall apart in their hands, their use fulfilled “Haha talk about cutting it close! Now let’s see our guitars!”

 

Lammy playful chuckles at Parappa’s unintentional pun “It’s rather nice! I think we actually ended up making ones that were better than the first! And this is after FIVE years of absolutely no practice! Guess all one really needs is a good ol guitar maker friend to keep you motivated!”

 

“You can say that again!” Parappa picks both of the guitars up and hands one of them to Lammy “You remember the rest to make it work with electrical equipment?”

 

“We’re gonna find out.” She along with Parappa begin working on the new wooden creations “So what is it you want me and Katy to do with these?”

 

“Play a song.”

 

“Well yeah, that much is obvious. I mean what song and what for?”

 

“The song is a simple one that I’m sure Katy will help with along the way. And it’s for the battle the two groups will be having...or rather, the lack thereof.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“See I’m gonna be hiding the speakers around the area they’ll be meeting at, while you two hide at the opposite sides of the field with your appropriate amps. Then you two will begin to play the song I have in mind which will envelop the whole battlefield.”

 

“Just our guitar playing?...”

 

“Well no!” He pulls out a microphone from his pocket “I’ll be singing with this! It’s an portable waterproof microphone my dad made me. In case I ever wanted to sing again out in the open. I’ve been carrying it around ever since I came out of the hospital again to see if I could get my mojo running again. And boy was that a good idea cuz it also has a built in translator! Meaning I can be singing like this and the Tempo’s will STILL understand me! Of course understand me or not, it’ll be hard to resist a funky tune when you’ve been so starved for music. Also here!” He detaches two small nodes from the bottom of the mic and hands it to her “These are headpiece mics for the two of you! I want you both to sing with me! They also have a built in voice translator! Now we’ll be singing the song as you two also provide the music, together it should ‘hopefully’ get the two groups to stop fighting and ‘possibly’ embrace each others as friends and become lovers of music again!”

 

“And you think the Tempo’s will just cooperate and sit still as this goes along?”

 

“Nope. That’s where the final step comes in. I’ll be helping PJ create traps made from the trees here that will disarm the Tempo’s, leaving them with no other option but to listen!”

 

“And if they resort to hand to hand?”

 

“Well if they’re STILL stubborn in going for a battle, then we just knock em over!”

 

“Knock them over?”

 

“Yeah! All the Tempo’s are RIDICULOUSLY heavy! If they topple over, they’re like a turtle! They can’t get back up unless helped!”

 

“That _would_ leave them rather docile at that point...hm…” She finishes up her guitar “Will...you be ok? I assume since you’ll be lead singing...you’ll have to be smack dab in the MIDDLE of the battlefield won’t you?...”

 

“Ahah...yeah...for this to work I’ll have to be the center of attention yes…” He runs behind a tree and reappears a minute later wearing his armor again with his shield “But I have this so I should make it there simple enough! And once they’re all incapacitated, then I’ll have nothing to worry about except that I don’t mess up my part.” He runs back behind the tree and reappears with his regular clothes back on.

 

Lammy simply glances at her guitar, not wanting to look at him. The confidence she was sporting was quickly waning at the thought of him purposefully tossing himself into danger again “Y-You sure that’ll be enough?...”

 

Parappa quickly notices that Lammy’s beginning to lose her moxie and tries to think up a better way to word his next reply “Uh...yeah! This shield can stop whatever they throw at me! If they even get the chance to throw anything at all! And the armor is almost as durable! And very heatproof! So contact with them won’t be a bother either! Plus they’re all rather big clunky and slow, and me bein a little guy kinda gives me an already unfair advantage against em!”

 

Lammy takes a deep breath and gives a stoic “Ok.” She stops fiddling with her guitar as she gives it one last glance “I’m done with mine.” She hoists it over her shoulder and walks over to Parappa “Need help?”

 

“No I almost got it...there! Here! Give this one to Katy!”

 

“Will do, now go to PJ already and get the last bit of preparations done with so we can see this through already.” As she walks off, she stops for a bit before turning back to him. She bends over to whisper into his ear, the sudden action catches him off guard as he begins heating up _“I’m choosing to go against my better judgement and believe that you’ll be fine. Currently? My stomach’s punching itself and I should really be huddling on the ground clutching it in an anxious struggle right about now, but no. I believe in you one hundred percent.”_ Parappa hears a soft giggle, but what she says afterwards wasn’t exactly as uplifting _“And if you do end up getting somewhat scuffed up, i’m afraid this new guitar will meet its end!”_

 

“W-Why’s that?...” She doesn’t reply, she simply taps the guitar lightly on his head, immediately he gets the picture “A-Ahahahaha!...T-That won’t happen!...T-Trust me I-I’ll be fine!...”

 

She stands back upright, smiling as she faces him “I know you will! You’re not a liar after all. Just wanted to spook some motivation in you to guarantee it!” She walks off, once she’s out of sight, Parappa collapses onto his hands and knees. His entire body as red as a tomato.

 

“With motivation like that, how could I be so cruel to let her down! H-Hahahaa…” steam begins blowing out of his ears as sweat ejects from his forehead like a sprinkler. _That was...intense...a bit TO intense, even for her standards!...H-Hehe...I guess I motivated her much more effectively than I thought...n-not that it was a BAD thing...just caught me off guard is all...y-yeah that’s it...phew…_ Parappa shakes his head before getting back up “Alright time to go check up on PJ and Matt!” with a second wind, he runs off.

 

Meanwhile, once Lammy noted she was fully out of sight and mind, she herself collapsed onto the ground, her own body a tomato imitation as she clutches her stomach. _What did I_ **_DO_ ** _!? What got over me to make me do..._ **_THAT_ ** _...Ohhhhh….oh no...g-gonna hurl…_ Her face turns blue and green as she holds her mouth shut, she manages to stop herself from vomiting, but swallowing it back down wasn’t exactly a better ending “Bleghhhh...g-gross...oooohhh...oh man he’s probably all tense about it now...I probably terrified him!...”

 

“If anything, it’s sure to keep him on his toes so that he doesn’t get hurt at all!”

 

“W-Wha-huh?! K-Katy?? W-What are you doing here?!...” She stumbles back onto her feet and backpedals into a tree.

 

“I was watchin over my two besties! Getting along, motivatin one another, makin guitars, assertin your dominance in the relationship!”

 

“A-Asserting my w-wha-...” steam ejects out her ears with a train whistle as her eyes turn to spirals “Y-YOU HEARD T-THAT?!...”

 

“Cat ears are just as effective as dog ones~”

 

“H-How much did y-you hear?!”

 

“Oh just...ALL OF IT!~” She grabs Lammy’s hands and bounces up and down with her “Ooooooh! Lammy that was amazing! You just all stoic and taking control of the situation! And he clearly noticed! And it struck ALOT of things in him! One of which may even be heavy interest!~”

 

“A-Ah...e-e...I...oooo...uhhh…” Literal sparks fly out of Lammy’s head as if she was a machine that was beginning to malfunction.

 

“L-Lammy?...”

 

“H-Hahahahaaaaaaaa…” she collapses onto Katy, unconscious.

 

“U-Uh oh...L-Lammy wake up!...w-we gotta practice the song Parappa wanted us to play the music to!” She shakes her unconscious friend, to no avail.

 

“F-Five more minutes mamaaaa…” is all Lammy manages to mumble out.

 

“Oh no…oh nonononono...I might have single handedly just ruined all of this...” she stampers in place from panic “Nonono...what do I do now…” she calms down and sighs “I guess I gotta wake up early when she comes to so we can practice then...no...she doesn’t know it and she can’t just learn it that quickly...guitar or not...but maybe she can with a song she already heard?...” She groans from her own disdain “I’m sorry Parappa...but at the very least you’ll know the song that I have in mind…Come on I gotta get you to bed...” she walks back to camp with Lammy reclining on her shoulder.

 

* * *

 

Matt finishes handing over the equipment to Parappa “Man I was suspicious at first, but i’m glad you actually decided to agree with us. Safety is the best option here. And it’s nice that you’re trying to keep the kids calm during this!”

 

“Yeah they really rubbed off on me...hahah…” _I feel sick with myself...lying to both the kids AND Matt…_

 

“I could tell! Especially with how Dacite and Mica latched onto you!” He chuckles “It’s certainly nice seeing you having fun again, I miss this cheery Parappa.”

 

 _You’re making me feel worse, please stop being nice to meeee….I don’t deserve it right about now…_ “Yeah well...I think everyone has, but I was rather worried if I could go back to that? I feel like it’d be hard. Now I see it was dumb of me to think that way. Once I started playing with the kids here I guess it just reignited one of the old reasons as to why I wanted to do this in the first place all those years ago!”

 

“I could tell. Haha. Well is there anything you’d like me to do now?”

 

“Uh...yeah! Where’s the battle gonna take place? I wanna steer clear from that place so I don’t get the kids into any danger. I also don’t wanna attract the Tempo’s over with the sound of the music.”

 

“Smart thinking. Well from what Pallet found out. They’ll be fighting in that main clearing over there! Apparently it’s where they go to fight whenever it’s a big BIG dispute.” He scratches his head “Funny how they have an organized place for battle...goes to show how long they’ve been at it...I don’t know if that’s funny or sad…” he chuckle awkwardly.

 

“Yeahhhh...well anyway, Paula needs your help with Sweety! Since PJ will be helping me set these up!”

 

“Why not just ask me to help you?”

 

“Well PJ’s a teddy bear! That’d probably keep the kids distracted enough as I set it up!”

 

“Huh...didn’t think about that...Alright!” with that said, Matt heads off to the hut where Paula and Sweety are at.

 

“Ugh...it’s for the greater good Parappa...he knows it just as much as you do!...At least he will know it once it’s all over...now to set these up with PJ!...He should still be waiting outside!” He runs out with the gear in tow to spot PJ still waiting for him while reclining sideways on the wall, yet Parappa feels something off “Yo PJ, got the things, ready to set up?”

 

PJ simply gets off the wall and turns to look at Parappa, but Parappa quickly notices that his face is blue as if something was wrong.

 

“PJ?...Yo man what’s wrong?...”

 

He sighs as the two tiny heads poke out from behind his legs, revealing Dacite and Mica.

 

“...........A-Ahah...y-yeah these are meant to set up a party for you kids while the others fight the Tem-”

 

“Mister PJ already told us the truth.”

 

“PJ why?!”

 

“I’m sorry man...i’m a teddy bear...it’s in my blood to be there for anxious people or kids for whatever they need...and these kids wanted to know what we were really doing…”

 

“Seriously...ugh...well I can’t say that you’re wrong…Anywho why did you two wanna know what we’re doing?...”

 

“We felt something was up when you told us to head back! And we were right! So we wanna help!”

 

Mica nods to what Dacite says.

 

“No way, we already have everything set and settled and I don’t wanna add any extra steps that may cause complications! And you aren’t changing my mind!”

 

“We’ll tell Mister Matt and Sir Pallet if you don’t.”

 

“Welcome aboard!” Parappa’s eye twitches as he’s forced to say these words. The girls throw their arms in the air as they shout yay, or in Mica’s case, implying that they said yay as they run back to their shelter. _Oh boy...can anything ELSE go astray?_ “Well PJ...before anything else intrudes...let’s just begin setting up…”

 

“You found out the place from Matt?”

 

“Yeah...so let’s go hide these things already…we still have one more thing we gotta do afterwards…”

 

“That being?”

 

“Traps!”

 

“...Why?.....”

 

“Tempo’s aren’t just gonna sit quietly sucking on their thumbs while we just let the plan go in action! So we set things that bust their weapons as well as tip them over!”

 

“Tip em over? Oh yeah, I think I recall Matt saying they’re top heavy. So that means they won’t be able to get back up?”

 

“Bingo. Now come on, let’s lug these things over in that direction!”

 

“Alright then.”

 

The two hide the speakers all over specific points in the battlefield where they’re guaranteed to not be disturbed while also being able to envelope the entire field with the eventual music “So I should probably mention these things won’t last long once turned on to be used.”

 

“I kinda figured, but with Matt’s help they should at the very least last way longer than our chainsaws!”

 

“Well you’re not wrong, but Parappa, you gotta make it all count. You only have enough for one song that can’t be too long or flashy. No do overs. It’s gotta be one and done or else they’ll end up falling apart mid use and that’d be really bad for you.”

 

“I know I know, it all came to mind when I thought it up in the first place...but if that’s the case then maybe I won’t be able to play this new song...I’ll have to think up a new one on the spot…”

 

“Is the new one really that long?”

 

“It’s not so much long it’s just that I wanna entice a group reaction out of the Tempo Tantrums and the Mood Stones!...”

 

“Ah, I get what you mean. Yeah that would take more time than you got. Unless it was a song that just had that...I dunno how to word it.” He taps his chin until he manages to come up with something “That classic Parappa flow.”

 

“The new song had that!...A-At least...I would hope it does…”

 

“Then how can you rely on that song if not even _you’re_ sure it does?”

 

“I dunno...I guess It was me fooling myself into thinking that, ‘hey, since i’m out of that funk, why not test my return to the scene by fixing the problem here?’, but in reality it’s just not meant to be...” _It’s probably for the best…_  He sighs dejectedly “I’ll save the song for another day I ‘spose.”

 

“Well don’t shoot yourself down entirely...sheesh your bad moods contagious…hold on…” He pulls out some shades from his shirt pocket and places them on “There, now I can stomach the negativity just a bit more. Look, that new song of yours is probably better off for something else when you fully have the confidence to unveil it. Right now probably isn’t the best time if unity is your main objective man.”

 

“Hm...You’re right. That would be for the best. Guess I should tone down my forward excitement just a smidge. Of course now I need to think up a different song to sing…”

 

“Oh I’m sure that’ll come to you before you know it! It always has before when you started singing on your own WITHOUT a teacher.” He sets down the final speaker “Now...what about the amps?”

 

“Lammy and Katy have that part. They’ll be setting up at the opposite ends of the field.”

 

“So the entrances to the battle?...You sure they’ll be fine?...”

 

“That’s what the traps and me are for! Besides everyone will more than likely focus me down since I’ll be smack dab in the middle of the battlefield!”

 

“Hoo boy...you better take care.”

 

“I will! Lammy already gave me enough motivation for that...h-hehe…” Parappa recalls the friendly little..’realistic’ lie Lammy made as it forces a shiver that begins at the tip of his head to the ends of his feet.

 

PJ simply stares at him with a worried expression “What...happened? Should I be concerned?”

 

Parappa glows red once more “N-Nono! That won’t be necessary! H-Hahah!” He tries to force his eyes to look at PJ, but to no avail as they keep darting in every other direction.

 

“I...will just let this slide...for now.” he crosses his arms “Ok so they’ll be there and you’ll be here. What are we gonna make the traps out of?”

 

“We innovate! Here we have the big ol’ trees here to help make battering rams that’ll knock em over easily! And we should be able to make things that can break their weapons to!”

 

“Well that’s fine and all, but with axes it’ll take forever to cut down enough-”

 

“KICK!” Parappa kicks through the trunk of a tree, knocking it over in one fell swoop.

 

“...Or that...that works…” PJ facepalms “Your brute deforestation tactics aside...where do you plan on holding up the traps?”

 

“In certain angles around the area that will cover the speakers _and_ the girls should the Tempos try and be crafty.” He kicks down another tree “We just gotta hang a good lot of these up and around and set a trigger tripwire or have some that need to be manually set off by us.”

 

“Very well...as for disarming them. I don’t think wood will be strong enough to break their weapons-”

 

“PUNCH!” Parappa smashes a nearby rock, turning it into shards of pointed stones “Owowowow...hands still healing...but you get the picture.”

 

“Yeah...might wanna resort to kicking the remaining rocks…”

 

“Noted. Anyway I gotta hurry. It’s getting really late and if I don’t keep up with my sleeping, the girls will probably strangle me.”

 

“I will to now that you bring it up. Doctor’s orders and all that.”

 

“Yeah yeah. Relax man I’ll be fine! Just gotta hurry is all.” He stomps another rock and kicks another tree over “But I won’t get anywhere if I stay here talking!”

 

“Your legs are gonna hate you by the end of this…”

 

“Then why don’t you help? Tamanegi taught you to…”

 

“Ehhhh……..I mean he taught all of us, but no one really ever took it to such a calibre like you and Paula did so I...will innovate in my own way.”

 

“Exactly.”

 

“Oh shut up.” PJ begins rolling one of the felled trees away “I’ll begin turning this and the other ones you make into proper Battering Rams, you just help with telling me where I gotta put em. As well as what things you plan on turning those pointy rocks into.”

 

“Don’t expect me to bring to many since I plan to knock over as many as we can get with just one. So I’ll expect really only eight or nine of these? Any stragglers will just have me, Mica and Dacite tip em over like cows!”

 

“Just be careful, something in my gut is just worrying me. Since we passed those torches by the entrance of this area, I just felt...off...as if SOMETHING’S gonna tip em off…”

 

“With pessimism like that, of course things will go wrong! Don’t worry. They’re not here to know what we got in store!”

 

“I hope you’re right…”

 

As time passes, the duo set up the nine battering ram traps as well as created sharp stone projectiles that will be aimed to snap the invaders weapons into pieces, nullifying any use they’ll manage to get from them.

 

“And that...should be it! We’re golden!”

 

“Phew...oh man I keep forgetting how much effort your little ideas always cost me.” He stretches his back until he hears a crack “Ugh...ow…”

 

“Haha, it’s good exercise for you! And I _know_ you need it badly!”

 

“I prefer hibernating.”

 

“Daily? Yeah, no.”

 

“You can’t tell me what to do for my benefit!”

 

“PJ you and I both know that’s a lie. But even still, if I can’t, Sweety sure as hell can!”

 

“...you play dirty…”

 

“Gotta take care of you as much as you take care of me.”

 

“Fair point. I should’ve expected as much.” As PJ says this, Parappa playfully and lightly punches his stomach “Hey!...”

 

“Sorry, just makin a lil point is all!” He chuckles as he rears away from his friends grasp.

 

“Didn’t have to be rude about it!”

 

“Think of it as payback for teasing me!”

 

“Yeesh, you were never petty enough to tease back. What provoked that in ya?”

 

“Beat’s me! All I know is it felt right to do. Ease up and all that.”

 

“That is probably the worst excuse you have ever said yet.”

 

“Maybe so, but you’ll never get a straight answer outta me!” He spins until he’s facing the village “Now I gotta go find a haystack and hit it! Night man!” with that, he runs off.

 

PJ simply stares, dumbfoundead “To think someone can both grow up, and show how childish they really are in the same few sentences…” He can’t help but break into a small laughing fit “Man...did you ever really change? It’s like we’re all still fifteen and you’re JUST starting up as a rapper again.” he shakes his head with a smile on his face “Not that I mind, but I can’t help feeling that this is how the rest of our life will end up being...and you know? If that’s the case, things won’t be so bad! I really should ask Leo how you are in the future if he still remembers. It’ll be nice to get some confirmation.” He takes a look at the traps he and Parappa had set up “Oh man...I hope this works…” He walks off to the village to resume taking care of Sweety as well as to catch some shut eye himself.

 

* * *

 

(“I SAID LEMME OUT OF HERE!...’”) Ma-san continues to kick around to try and break out of a sack she’s been put in.

 

(“I’m sorry lass…”)

 

(“DETO!? THE HELL YOU FAT F-”)

 

(“I’m being forced to do this i’m afraid…”)

 

(“THE WORD NO EXISTS YOU HYPOCRITE!”)

 

(“Ah yes, say no and cost the lives of many innocent children. How easy it is to make a decision like that.”) Ma-san doesn’t reply, her fuse simply begins to burn a hole in the bag (“I have no other option…please forgive me...”) Before her fuse can cause her to break free, she’s then let out in front of Ur.

 

(“Oof...urgh...oh...what a pleasant sight for sore eyes…”)

 

(“Nice to see you again as well you little...ragamuffin…”)

 

(“Ugh even your passive aggressive comments are old timey for my tastes…what do you want…”)

 

(“Many things really! Mainly your compliance to what I have in mind! Second off the three girls you ran off with.”)

 

(“Comply with you? I don’t think so anymore...and as for the brats? I wouldn’t tell you even if I knew.”)

 

(“Oh?...what do you mean by that?”)

 

(“Stubborn trio ran off once I got far enough away…”)

 

(“Well that makes things unfortunate...complications aside we still have you!”)

 

(“Lucky. Me.”) Her fuse dies down (“What could you possibly want with me now.”)

 

(“Well my little dynamite on legs, it seems your intrusive pal has caused a bit of a forced encounter between us and the Mood Stones now.”)

 

The recollection of Parappa’s actions simply causes her to huff in anger as her fuse releases a puff of smoke, to which Ur notices.

 

(“And I think you’d want to meet up with him again to air out your aggressions!”)

 

(“What aggressions…”) More smoke comes out, this time much more hectic.

 

(“Oh, I wouldn’t know since I don’t really know either of you well! But it’s certain you want to...go talk to someone who overspoke with a certain topic-”) Her flame flickers (“Overstepped his boundaries-”) Her body turns reddish orange (“And all the while as he made a fool out of you. Be it intentional or not! But most likely so!”) A spark lights up in her eyes, her fuse disintegrates as shes begins yelling in anger.

 

(“GAAAAAAAAAAAAH! JUST REMEMBERING ALL THAT...FROM THAT STUPID MUTT...I JUST WANNA….JUST WANNA-!”)

 

(“Show him a piece of your mind?~”) Ur holds out the two maces Ma-san had left behind, to which she immediately snatches out of his hands.

 

(“All that and then some…”) steam comes from the handles of the maces as she grabs them.

 

(“Atta girl! Now I think it’s best you come with us in the morning to meet him! Just wait back at our camp until we’re ready to go!”) Ma-san storms off angrily in said direction, each step she takes leaves an ashen footprint on the ground (“Mymy how heated!”)

 

Deto walks up to Ur after witnessing all of that go down (“Using the lass’s own temper to pollute her mind into following your way of thinking?! Yer a sick man Ur…”)

 

(“I didn’t add anything that wasn’t already there!”) He chuckles (“This means that she is clearly from the Dino-Mights! Those fools were always so quick to go off at any little thing. And that girl is no different! Makes it easier to integrate her with us! And it would fill my heart with burning joy to see what havoc she can cause! Especially against her own ‘friends’! Haha!~”) Before Deto can speak up, little flame spirits fly up to him.

 

(“Ey, ey! Listen up! We found out that the Mood Stone’s new lackeys have begun secretly planning something!”)

 

(“Oh?...Do tell~”)

 

* * *

 

The night was quickly over and the sky was soon filled with the burning false sun as it tried rising in the distance. It was earlier than what the natives usually awoke at, but that was necessary given what was needed to happen.

 

Parappa quietly snuck out of the hutt as to not wake up Matt. “Alright...now to go and check up on Lammy and Kat- Oof!...Sorry I wasn’t watching where I was go- Katy? Well hey there you are!”

 

“Oh!...h-hey Parappa! You’re up early!” _Please don’t ask about the song…._

 

“Yeah...I had to wake up early cuz I had to tell you and Lammy something…see it’s about the song.”

 

 _Why me…_ “Oh yeah, me and Lammy where all on the idea of practicing it...buuuuut…” _come clean, there’s no weaseling out of this._ “I decided to pick a different song!” _That’s not a lie, but it’s also not the truth...come on me…_

 

“Really? That’s great to hear!”

 

“Yeah it- what now?”

 

“Yeah turns out the song I had in store...probably not the best idea for this situation...so I needed to come up with a new one. And that’s why I’m here! To discuss what it could’ve been with you! But it seems you’re just two steps ahead! Man guess it ain’t so bad having you and PJ be like a second set of Parents after all!”

 

“A-Ahahahah! Yep! I thought the same and I already know what song it’ll be!” _TELL HIM THE TRUTH YOU COWARD!_ “So since we all should know the song, I figured it’d be easy teaching it to Lammy, but we still needed some time to practice! So I came over here looking for you to tell you about it!” _I am literally the worst...whatever! He doesn’t know my blunder and fate actually tossed me a save! Even though I really don’t deserve it...but that aside! I guess since I’m already on autopilot in accepting the credit, might as well keep burning this bridge down…_ Katy whispers to Parappa what song he should sing to which a bright smile grows on his face.

 

“That’s the PERFECT choice! Man you’re pretty much seven steps ahead of me at this point!”

 

“Y-You’re to kind!~...” _No kidding…_ “You’ll have to remix the song just a teeny  bit so it fits the setting better, but other than that, I was just doing my part to assure success!...h-hahaha...now if you excuse me, I have to wake up Lammy and get started.”

 

“Carry on!” She quickly runs off the second he finishes saying that “Well she wasted no time...Expect nothing less from her!” He giggles as he walks off to find PJ.

 

The awaited time draws closer as the preparations come to a close. Katy’s prediction of the song being easier for Lammy to learn was correct as she picked it up in no time flat, with some minor inconveniences still lingering thanks to last night, but regardless she is fully prepared now. PJ decides to scope around the traps one last time, but notices that the torches by the entrances are mysteriously gone. He swallows roughly, and begins fixing some things up. Parappa speaks with Mica and Dacite over what they’re to do should there still be some Tempo members still standing and causing a commotion. This all goes down smoothly as they all begin the final step, as the battle soon starts with both sides entering from their respective corners.

 

“This is it.” Parappa says as he grabs his microphone tightly, he looks back at the two girls who reply with a thumbs up, he gives his own thumbs up back as he pulls down the helmet’s visor.

 

“Let’s see how this plays out now…” PJ says as he looks at the newly arranged traps as well as giving Lammy and Katy a different area to be positioned at, be he hasn’t been able to inform Parappa.

 

“Here goes nothing...” Katy says as she watches the Tempo’s enter from their entrance, waiting for her opportunity to go out.

 

“H-Here we go…” Lammy says as she waits for all the Mood Stones to enter from their entrance before she goes out.

 

During this, Matt is still in the village along with Paula and the much more stable Sweety.

 

“I’m gonna get some air, being in a hut is rather sweltering...call me back if you need help alright?”

 

“Sure thing Matt, but I think Sweety’s doing just fine.”

 

“I am! Thanks for helping me...Sorry for the lying…’

 

“It’s fine for us at least since you’re doing fine now! But PJ might be a bit more knuckleheaded on the matter.”

 

“That’s for sure...where is PJ anyway?”

 

“He should be with Parappa over at  the place where the kids are at, so I’ll go get him!”

 

“W-Wait Matt!” Paula tries to stop Matt knowing that no one is actually over there.

 

“I’ll be back quickly! Just wait here!” He storms off leaving her in the dust as she trips onto the ground.

 

“Oh this can’t end well…”

 

“Why’s that?” Sweety says as she glances over the panicking fox.

 

“Oh dear...wellllllll…” _This certainly took a turn for the worst..._

 

Matt manages to arrive at the child shelter rather quickly, but upon reaching the place, he stops in his tracks “That’s odd...they should’ve started by now...why is it so quiet?...” He knocks on the door and is immediately greeted by a child.

 

“Hello!”

 

“Hey there! Uh...Parappa and PJ wouldn’t happen to have started already right?”

 

“Started what?”

 

“Performing?...”

 

“Oh, they haven’t done that. Because they’re not even here! You sure they said they’d do that?”

 

“Yeah that’s what they told me-” Gears start spinning in Matt’s head as he recalls things Parappa told him, such as where the battle would be taking place “No.” he glances over to the direction of the battlefield “No…” He can feel the word ‘Sucker’ being etched onto his forehead mentally as he quickly turns around and books it “NOOOOOO…..” he heads off to get his armor.

 

* * *

 

“Ok...that’s the last of them it seems...it’s now or never!” Parappa runs out into the battlefield to give the signal and begin the plan, but he is immediately cut off by bumping into Ur.

 

(“Hello there you small nuisance!”)

 

“W-Wha- Y-You?!”

 

(“Seems like my intel was right! You were planning something!”)

 

“H-How do you know about that?!...”

 

(“Never you mind that! All you need to know is that I know exactly what you’re planning! Such as you hiding a trap right HERE!”) He pushes aside a tree, but there is no tree (“WHAT?! Well there’s still the two others who are helping you! Such as one hiding OVER THERE!”) He throws a flaming weapon at a tree, it disintegrates, but there was nothing there either (“HOW?! THE INFORMATION THAT I OBTAINED WAS SUPPOSED TO BE COMPLETELY CORRECT!...”) He looks at the small sprites in his hands who simply panic.

 

(“B-But we heard and saw everything! T-They were there-”) They don’t get a chance to finish their pleas as Ur crushes them in his hands. As this happens, PJ watches as he’s hidden up in a tree branch out of sight, chuckling to himself.

 

(“You’ve made a fool out of me here...BUT I WILL HAVE THE LAST LA-”)

 

“NOPE!” Matt dives through Ur’s legs again, tipping him over, however.

 

(“NOT THIS TIME!~”) He falls over onto Matt with his weapon held out, Matt didn’t have the time to get up off the ground to avoid the attack, and on panicked instinct, he simply closes his eyes. He opens them once he notices that nothing had happened and instead see’s Parappa with his shield, holding back both the weapon and Ur’s weight as they both press down on him.

 

“MATT...GET UP AND RUN...NOW!...” He struggles in place with holding everything up, but the sight triggers a bad memory in Matt’s mind.

 

“P-Please...not again…”

 

“I CAN’T...KEEP HOLDING HIM UP...FOREVER YOU KNOW...HURRY UP AND MOVE…”

 

“No...not again…”

 

“IF ONLY ONE OF US CAN GET LUCKY HERE THEN I RATHER IT BE YOU!...”

 

“Lucky?...” The word simply triggers more bad memories into Matt’s Psyche.

 

_“You were lucky to get out of that unharmed young man!”_

 

_“I don’t...feel very lucky…”_

 

_“Oh? I know it must hurt to see your friend take the brunt of that building collapsing. But in the end he made it so that you all could be the lucky ones! That’s something to be qualified as lucky. Being blessed with a friend who cares that much.”_

 

_“But...i’m not lucky...i’m not...we all should have made it out ok…”_

 

_“Be thankful he made sure you did.”_

 

Matt shakes in fear as he still does not get up.

 

“MATT...COME ON…” There is no reaction aside from Matt looking towards the ground, mumbling incomprehensible words “MATT...I’M SERIOUS!...” He only sees teardrops hit the grass “MATT!”

 

Matt balls his hands into fists as he begins yelling and slams his body against the shield, helping Parappa push Ur back, surprising both of them “I...WON’T...RUN...AGAIN!”

 

“Matt?!”

 

(“W-WHAT IS THIS?!...”)

 

“I’m not lucky…” He stomps his feet firmly into the ground “I’m NOT lucky.” He begins adding more force into the shove as Ur’s feet leave the ground “I’M...NOT LUCKY!...” Parappa stares at the fear, regret and conviction in Matt’s face. He simply replies with his own yelling.

 

“BUT YOU ARE NOW!” With the combined adrenaline rush in the two of them, they fling Ur into the distance. He crashes in a tree, his weight and body flames cause it to collapse over him. Keeping him pinned.

 

(“GAH…”)

 

“W-We...did it...h-hahaha…”

 

“Matt where did that strength come from?!” Matt doesn’t reply, he just collapses onto the ground unconscious. His face tear stained yet sporting a victorious smile “M-MATT!...” Mica and Dacite run up to Matt’s side and note that he is fine. Just passed out from an emotional overflow.

 

“He’ll be ok! He just overworked himself! At least he fainted AFTER he saved you!”

 

“Yeah…”

 

“We’ll take him back to our village to rest! Now hurry and get to it mister! The fight’s gonna get worse if it carries on!”

 

“R-Right!” The duo pick up Matt and carry him off as Parappa runs into the battlefield “Guess it’s just me left to disarm everyone else…” He takes a steady breath and furrows his brow “But i’ve never been a quitter. All I gotta do is keep on believing!” He triggers the stone traps that launch projectiles through the remaining Tempo’s weapons, destroying them upon impact. Parappa notices that the trap was not in the same location as prior, but decides to shrug it off. After this, some of them immediately toss their arms up as they surrender. The other simply try to attack Parappa, who outmaneuvers them as he leads them into the line of the battering ram traps “PJ! NOW!” but nothing happens. Parappa looks up to notice that the traps had move. “U-Uh oh…” He keeps on running trying to keep out of their grab range. The stone traps break more and more weapons, but there are fewer Tempo’s who choose to surrender as the stay in a mob chasing him “These aren’t where we originally put the weapon breaking traps...what the heck?!...” Suddenly multiple battering rams begin flying down and knocking over the waves of Tempo’s leaving only a handful left, followed with a subtle sigh of relief from PJ. Half of them flat out surrendered on the spot while the other half began running off to deal with others instead.

 

“Oh no you don’t!” Parappa follows the runners and begins tripping the lot onto the ground until all that’s left on their feet are those who lost their fighting moxie.

 

“Dear friend what’s with this you’ve done?! You’ve...immobilized them all?...” Pallet says as he stares at the disorganized Tempo’s.

 

“There’s a reason for this Sir! And you’ll see right now!” Parappa stands in the center of the field and turns on the microphone. The feedback noise is the signal for the girls to begin.

 

“Music?...”

 

“It’s more than just that Sir!” As the sound rises, Parappa begins.

 

“ _EY ALL WHO CAN HEAR MY VOICE!_

_You know who you are! Why ya fightin, why ya hatin?_

_There’s something else y’all could be doin that’d be just elatin!”_ He actually manages to get their attention as they all begin looking towards him.

 

_“Yo yo y’all! I’m wondering how y’all are feeling right about now!_

_Bet you all miss the feeling of happiness._

_Well this here young hero from zero should be able to show you._

_That it’s not hard to believe in the better. I know all you can to!”_

 

Both groups simply look at one another then back towards Parappa, completely curious by the offer he’s making within his song. At this point the guitar and bass begin picking up as the speakers begin echoing Katy’s voice.

 

 _“All we need is music, runnin round the city everydaaaaay!~ You got to stop and listen to the beat, move your funky feet! Hooo-ooooaah yes!”_   
  
_“Representin' one time for your mind!”_ Lammy quickly joins in as the back up vocal for both her and Parappa.

 

“All of us really just wanna have some fun, I'm so happy!”

 

_“I'm so happy!”_

 

“Just fun and games, no fightin and gang names!

Positive vibes that vibe all the same! Seeing all the people who wanna change their ways~ Wanna just play with the kids who want to play this instant, but it's hard to do when everyone’s so militant!” Both groups begin to feel the remorse of his words as they recall that the young are forced to bear all this back and forth fighting. As this happens the Mood Stones begin helping the toppled over Tempo Tantrums back up.

 

“They can’t stay out late, don't wanna make the big man mad. Nothing like the days of my past when we were all so glad!

Saturday morning I was up at 6 AM, so I can watch JET BABY with all of my friends! Katy, Sunny, PJ who's my DJ. Ma-san, Matt, Paula and Lammy who rock out like a freeway!

Look out for each other when we go out to play,

whether a concert, or on the school grounds,

or under a shady tree soda pop cooling down.~”

 

_“That's my friends!”_

 

“Friendships can't be dismissed, I gotta redeem, relieve, receive and believe!

So I, gotta believe in this, friends till the end, but not like Chucky, here we give ya a free show! count yourselves lucky!~”  
  
**_“Having fun!”_ ** the three begin singing together.

 

“We havin fun, it's all about having fun!”

 

**_“With the funk!”_ **

 

_“Hey, all we need is fun!”_

 

**_“Having fun!”_ **

 

“Having fun with the funk, the fun with the funk! “

 

**_“With the funk!”_ **

 

_“Wooooo-ooohooooooo!...~”_

**_“Having fun!”_ **

 

“We havin fun all about havin fun!”

 

**_“With the funk!”_ **

 

_“With the funk, you know we gotta keep it going!~”_

 

**_“Having fun!”_ **

 

 _“Yeah, cuz_ _we_ ** _having fun!_** ”

 

“With the funk. With the funk! With the funk!!”  
  
_“All we need is music, runnin round the city-”_

 

“Uh-huh.~”

 

_“Everydaaaaaay!”_

 

_“That's right”_

 

_“Come on and have some fun with me, we gotta have some fun here today cuz that’s all we gonna have!”_

 

“Hoo!”

 

_“All we need is music, come on now, all we need is music.~”_

 

_“Yeah!”_

 

 _“Come on now, all we need is music, we gotta move it, move it, yeaaaah. Hoooo-ooooh~”_   
  
“Let's take a walk down memory lane, I'll break it down so you can remember my name, it's the P-”

 

_“P!”_

 

“A-”

 

_“A!”_

 

“R A, double P A, the R A P P E R reachin for the stars!”

 

 **_“Hoo!”_ ** The two groups who were listening, began motioning along with the rhythm from instinct alone, they weren’t trying to harm each other at all, rather dance with one another.

 

“I scream, you scream, we all scream for **_ice scream_ ** , me and the MilkCan's **_always scream for ice cream!_ **

A nice dream turn reality, that made me feel like Superman, was seeing MilkCan become a super band!”

 

_“Hooo!”_

 

“Anything can happen, if ya just believe!~”

  
_“All we need is a little bit, a little bit something! A little, a little fun to keep us going, all day, cuz we are havin, havin, havin fuuuu-un! Come on everybody sing!”_   
  
**_“Having fun!”)_ ** Both groups now start to sing along with the trio.

 

“A-hah, we having fun gettin down with the funk!”

 

**_“With the funk!”)_ **

 

“We having fun getting down with the funk!”

 

**_“Having fun!”)_ **

 

“It's all about fun, it's all about fun!”

 

**_“With the funk!”)_ **

 

“We got the funk, you know we got the funk!~”  
  
_“All we need is music, runnin round the city everydaaaaaay!~”_

 

“Yeah~”

 

_“Come on and have some fun with me, we gotta have some fun here today cuz that all we gonna have!~”_

 

“Hoo!”

 

 _“All we need is music….”_   
  
“Practice makes perfect.”

 

_“Uh-huh~”_

 

“Anything you want in this world, you gotta earn it!”

 

_“That's right!”_

 

“Don't expect it, if you don't deserve it!”  
  
_“Come on now, all we need is music, yeaaaaa-ah!”_

 

**_“Hoo!”)_ **

 

“Here we taught a lesson, you need to try and learn it! Stop fightin, Stop yellin and keep away from hatin by bein all stealthy!

Hard work is the best way to get wealthy.

Flint and fire, stop making things all dire,

Hand and hand, and face to face, just dance as the true desire!

Pops taught me always a strive, Mom’s taught me to give thanks for my life! Keep my head high, never do drugs never tell lie and check to make sure I zipped up my fly!” Every gives a quick laugh at the last line Parappa sings.  
_  
_ _“Yeah!”_

 

“Let’s not forget, give a quick recap!

Sing it all with me, and we’ll call that a wrap!

I gotta redeem, relieve, receive and believe!

But not just me, y’all can follow my words and you to can achieve!” The conjoined group roars with replies that they knew on instinct and heart alone.

 

**_“We gotta do what?!”)_ **

 

“You gotta REDEEM!”

 

**_“You sure about that?”)_ **

 

“You gotta RELIEVE!”

 

**_“We gotta do WHAT?!”)_ **

 

“You gotta RECEIVE!”

 

**_“But most importantly?”)_ **

 

“YOU GOTTA BELIEVE!!~” Upon uttering these final words, everyone who was there could swear they could feel a shockwave, or rather an intangible force, that struck all of them. It wasn’t painful or anything bad. No. Instead they all felt...unchained. They looked towards one another not as enemies, but not as friends either just yet. They just stared at one another as if things could be different “Thank you everybody! I hope you all enjoyed this little eye opener! And I also hope you lot realized that fighting each other over music and using it as an excuse to hate and fight one another for other reasons as well...well it ain’t right. All you need is music as the ties that bind! Y’all were stubborn enough to FIGHT over it when clearly you all had the biggest thing in common!” They all stare at him before staring at each other once more. As if they were all making an internal decision. With the song fully done however, the amps and speakers collapse into pieces, their job fulfilled.

 

Before Parappa can speak up again. Ur yells as he storms forth to the middle of the field to meet up with Parappa, but stops a good distance away from him (“YOU!...YOU INFERNAL HOUND...YOU RUINED ALL MY WORK!...”) He would’ve continued his raging banter were it not for a noise in the distance causing his scowling face to turn into a sly grin (“Ah but what does it matter...in the end...I will still have the last laugh!”)

 

“Wha?...” Parappa’s ears pick up something approaching, and just like that. A burning red blur zooms across the battlefield ko-ing Tempo and Mood alike. Everyone panics when they assume they’re the next target, but they all stop when a loud CLANG is heard. Upon calming down, the sight in the middle is now Parappa holding his shield up to block a string of repeated strikes from Ma-san “M-Ma-san AGAIN?!”

 

(“DON’T EVEN TRY TALKING, **MUTT**!”) Parappa barely glances over and see’s fumes escaping from Ma-sans fur as well as small sparks emitting from everywhere around her, the heat nearly unbearable to be next to, especially in heavy metal armor.

 

“Why not??...Clearly you’re rather...upset for lack of a better word...and I want to fix it!...”

 

(“FIX **THIS**!”) The speed and strength of her strikes increases, the shield Parappa is holding is beginning to crack from the pressure.

 

Lammy and Katy try to sneak around everyone to near the two close and meet up with PJ who jumps down from the tree he was hiding in, stopping the two.

 

“PJ what the hell?!”

 

“You really don’t wanna get in between that…”

 

“B-But we have to s-stop the fight!”

 

“You do that and I’m sure Ma-san will cave your skulls in… Let Parappa fix this!”

 

Katy stampers in place before sighing “He’s right...Parappa is kind of the reason this is happening to begin with...if anyone can stop it it’ll be him, himself…”

 

“K-Katy you CAN’T b-be serious!...Ma-san could s-seriously injure him! And o-once she calms down and s-sees what she did. S-She’ll go ballistic on h-herself next!...I wanna stop b-both of them f-from any harm!”

 

“You think I don’t?!...But right now...as much as I don’t want to...we...have to listen to PJ and put our faith in Parappa’s next actions…”

 

“Ohhh...ooooohhh……” She clutches her stomach in pain, unable to continue watching.

 

The strikes don’t stop as Parappa refuses to do anything in retaliation aside from talking “Ma-san! T-This is what I was talking about! Y-You’re letting your emotions get the better of you like I did!...You’re gonna regret this if you keep going!...”

 

(“ARGHHHH! **ENOUGH WITH THAT!** ”) She causes more cracks to appear in his shield (“ **WHAT I DO IS NONE OF YOUR CONCERN! NOW WHY AREN’T YOU FIGHTING BACK?! DO YOU TAKE ME FOR A FOOL?! THINK YOU’RE BEING CHIVALROUS FOR NOT DOING ANYTHING BACK??** ”) The strikes keep on, but still no retaliation (“ **YOU’RE AN IDIOT! A FOOL! I’M NOT AN OVERLY EMOTIONAL SPONGE THAT JUST TAKES A BEATING LIKE YOU! I’M NOT SOME DYSFUNCTIONAL MESS WHO** **JUST LET THINGS HAPPEN IF IT BENEFITS ANOTHER AND NOT ME IN THE END, ESPECIALLY IF IT COSTS ME MORE TO DO SO! JUST WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!** ”) Parappa flinches upon hearing this, he soon caught on that this is just Ma-san’s way of venting out her own pain from the accident. Although he would’ve preferred less aggression, this was the Ma-san way, so he dealt and respected it accordingly. This however just served to make her much more angry, causing her to also be more vocal (“ **DO SOMETHING YOU STUBBORN MUTT! DO YOU GET JOY FROM THIS?!** ”) This started to get Parappa angry as well. _Why even get angry over the way I choose to handle things?...Is she also upset over my lack of proper self care?... or is she just feeling guilty…?_

 

(“ **STOP BEING PASSIVE...THIS IS WHY YOUR SORRY EXCUSE OF GIRLFRIEND LEFT YOU!** ”) Katy, PJ and Lammy all flinch as they hear Ma-san shout that out.

 

“Ooooooh...that was probably the worst thing she could have said…”

 

“Exponentially so…”

 

“N-No kidding…”  


Parappa’s eyes widen, and0 in an autopilot motion, flicks his shield upwards knocking Ma-san over. This launches the maces that were in her hands away. One of them falls towards him as he catches it midair within his grasp, sizzling in his hands, he then holds it to her as she tries to sit up rubbing her head. (“Feh...finally...whatever...just do it…”)

 

Parappa sighs as he puts the mace down “You know feeling guilty is one thing, but provoking me into striking you just so you feel like it’s an even trade off for all that I did to keep you all safe...that’s not ok…”

 

Ma-san huffs angrily as she looks off to the side, not wanting to look at him in the slightest (“I don’t need you treating me like a fool for how I want things handled…”) she gets up, crosses her arms and looks away (“It’s not fair…I can’t even have this as a means of cementing my thoughts…”) Parappa looks at the grass around her feet. Aside from the smoke emanating from the sizzling ground thanks to her heated state, there are also teardrops by them. Ma-san was never one to cry, and to see her do so right now was excruciatingly baffling.

 

“Why even go through this?”

 

(“I don’t know...Those kids got me thinking about stuff...and I guess I felt it wasn’t fair for you to do all that and get nothing out of it...I couldn’t understand it...and you just shrug it off and feel alright as usual...that irked me...I don’t count us helping you get out of that state as a means of payback as it was more so a motivational boost if anything...But you never asked for anything...never opted to do anything...in favor of it being fair...you just let it be...and would do so again should it ever even happen again…”)

 

Parappa lifts up the visor on the helmet “What I got out of it was knowing that the people I care for got to get out of it pain free!”

 

(“And what about you?!”)

 

“I guess it made it worth it? Didn’t expect it to have such an emotional impact on you all to a point that I made you all feel so...helpless...then again I also didn’t expect to...well you know...nearly kick the bucket…” He tries to laugh, even awkwardly would’ve been something, but he can’t muster out anything “I just know that I’d keep on making sure you lot get to live out your days alright...heck I’d do that for the world if I could, but I’m just one guy.”

 

(“THINK OF THE POSITION YOU’D CONSTANTLY BE PUTTING YOURSELF IN?!”)

 

“If it makes everyone end up safe and happy, I’d do it.” Every Tempo tantrum and Mood Stone member that hadn’t been knocked out simply listens on as well, but all this does is trigger Ma-san anger again.

 

She angrily grunts as she turns around to face him, she however is shocked as she sees him handing the mace he had back to her. She quickly grabs it and points it to him (“I should beat you over the head with this right here and now…I want to make you feel the pain you made me feel just watching this all go down...I’m not like the others who know how to vent or express with this kind of thing...I refuse to let things get the better of me...but this...it just wasn’t anything like the other things I could easily bottle up...this was different and it wasn’t fair...I hated it...it hurt...and now I want you to know what that was like...”)

 

He tosses the shield aside and smiles at her before speaking up (“Would that make you happy?”) The sentence just internally breaks her as the mace simply falls apart in her hands from her squeezing it to tightly. She falls onto one knee as she begins bawling like a baby. Parappa walks up to her and kneels down, holding out a hand (“Don’t cry...I can’t really apologize for this as I don’t feel like I even have the right to? But I still wanna make up for what I ended up causing…”)

 

Ma-san closes her eyes, not wanting to look at him or hear him.

 

Parappa sighs, but tries again “I...don’t really know if I can make up for this, but can’t you at the very least let me try? It really hurts me seeing you cry...you never do that! So seeing you do so now is just...heartbreaking...at least let me help you stop that…”

 

Ma-san looks up to him, after a small air of silence, she reaches out to grab his hand. However.

 

(“I’VE HAD **ENOUGH** OF MY PLANS FALLING AT THE SEAMS!”) Ur throws Ma-sans other mace that had fallen to him, the target wasn’t Parappa however, he aimed it at Ma-san.

 

“WATCH OUT!...” Parappa grabs her hand and tosses her behind him as he takes the impact head on, it knocking off his helmet in the process “GAH…”

 

(“PARAPPA…!”)

 

“PARAPPA!” the tro say as they try to run up to the duo

 

Ur takes the moment to dash across the field to strike him down as he’s defenseless (“YOUR WAYS **END** HERE!”) He raises his guitar made blade and slashes down towards the knocked down Parappa, who can barely react due to still being dazed, only manages to stand up. Things start going into slow motion for the gang as all of them close their eyes, afraid of what would happen next, afraid of what they would end up seeing. Would history really be so cruel as to repeat with the bad ending? They didn’t know, all that was known was simply the sound of a blade piercing metal.

 

_The same...mistake?...no…_

_Luck works in mysterious ways…_


	13. Lose a friend, Make a friend

As the worst assumed conclusion comes and goes with the wind, everyone opens their eyes to see Matt holding Parappa’s shield to take the impact of Ur’s desperation. The shield breaks sending Matt backwards and toppling over Parappa and Ma-san while Ur himself stumbles backwards from it.

 

“Ow…h-haha...I made it…”

 

Parappa lifts him off of them and immediately shouts in his ear “I have several questions on how you got here! You were OUT COLD!...But the first instinct you have during the moment you apparently woke up at was to come BACK?!”

 

“Can’t I just get a simple ‘thank you for saving my life.’?...” Matt smiles weakly at Parappa, clearly emotionally exhausted for throwing himself on the line to save him twice so soon after one another. Nearly dying on both occasions as well.

 

“Thanks for saving my life man...again!...Once we get out of here I owe you big time. You want something, you name it.”

 

“I’ll...be sure to keep...that in mind...oh dear...everything’s going black again…” Matt faints once again simply prompting Parappa to shake him from worry once more until he forces a tired groan from him.

 

“At least he’s still ok…phew, oh man…”

 

(“But we’re not out of the boiling water yet man…”) Ma-san looks at Ur who regains his composure.

 

(“I SEVERELY HATE HOW PERSISTENT YOU DAMNABLE CANINES ARE…”) He walks up again with his weapon raised again (“AND YOU!...YOU VERMIN RAT! HOW DOES ONE WHO WAS BORN FOLLOWING THIS WAY OF LIFE FAIL SO HEAVILY AT IT?!”)

 

(“Speak for yourself...I’m nothing like you…”)

 

(“A fact I will keep with me while I correct that damn mistake...and now nothing more...WILL INTERFERE!”) Before he can swing again, he is grabbed by Deto who try to hold him back.

 

(“The only damn mistake there is here is yer constant muddling of our group we formed! When our old leader burnt out. You immediately took over and undid all the good he did! Yer nothing more than the very same monsters we ran from! A bleeding lad who tried to overtake it all! And for what?!”)

 

(“FOR US TO EARN WHAT WE DESERVE! THERE IS NO PLACE...FOR SOFT SHELLED FOOLS IN A DESTRUCTIVE GROUP OF FLAMES!”) He launches Deto onto his back.

 

(“OOF…”)

 

Parappa recalls what Bunsen said to him the previous night before last and immediately shouts at Ur (“FIRE DOESN’T HAVE TO DESTROY!”)

 

(“Fire also doesn’t have to listen. For all it needs to do is grow and supersede...and then IMPEDE!”) Once again he is stopped from hitting Parappa by three small children latching onto him (“OH FOR THE LOVE OF CINDERS, MUST EVERYTHING GO WRONG FOR ME?!”)

 

Ma-san notices who the three grabbing Ur are (“ENYA! ARATI! VESTA! GET AWAY!”)

 

The three sisters refuse to budge as they try to strip Ur from his weapons, but to no avail as he flings off Vesta and Arati (“I have had **ENOUGH!** ”) he grabs Enya right off his arm and tosses her below him (“YOU! Out of everyone who dare oppose the true ideals, you three shouldn’t bother opposing! You were all BORN into this role! THERE IS NOTHING FOR US BUT WARRING AND OVERWHELMING!”)

 

Enya glares at Ur before retorting (“You’re wrong! There was more to us! Before dad died, he knew that and did his best to get us to get along and play music with everyone! But then the war got worse and he ended up passing away from it...then you took over...and all you did was tell us that all we were good for is destroying...and that was the biggest lie ever! People CAN care for us just like we CAN care for them! Like the furry Mood Stone over there said! Fire doesn’t have to destroy! We can burn brightly with others! Not burn them!”)

 

(“Are those your real thoughts on the matter then?...”)

 

(“YES! And they’ll NEVER change!”)

 

(“I see...then YOU HAVE NO PURPOSE BREATHING ANYMORE!”) He slashes at Enya.

 

(“ENYA MOVE!...”)

 

(“LITTLE SISTER!”)

 

(“YOU BRAT, MOVE!”) Ma-san tried desperately to move to her, but to no avail.  Everything felt as if it began fading to black. All that’s heard is the screams of children as the blade hits. However. The blade did not hit it’s intended mark. On the receiving end of Ur’s blade laid Dacite who collapsed backwards on Enya, a huge slash wiping away half her body.

 

“D-DACITE!...” Parappa’s fear disintegrates as it turns to pure fury, but before he can act on it…

 

(“What is this…”) Ur stares at the sickening sight before him.

 

“You’re...a real big jerk...ya know that...you walking angry candle…you...” Dacite was barely there, her words felt hollow. It was a miracle she was even talking at all! “Don’t...know if you...even understand me...but I don’t care!...I...did my job...as a junior knight...I know...you can understand...at...least that…”

 

(“N-No...new friend Dacite...why…”)

 

(“New friend?! You are definitely delusional if you thought THAT! But worry not, YOU’LL JOIN HER- AUGH….”) Another blade appears, but this one imbeds itself into Ur’s arm. It was Deto’s axe (“DETO! YOU’RE NEXT YOU MISERABLE PILE OF-”) He gets cut off by another Tempo smashing his face in with his fist to which stumbles back into a grapple of another Tempo (“WHAT ARE YOU IMBECILES DOING?!”)

 

(“Young Enya was right…”) The Tempo who was currently holding him spoke, angering Ur.

 

(“RIGHT?! IN WHAT REGARDS?!”)

 

(“The Mood Stone child saved her from your ineptitude…”) The one who hooked him adds on.

 

(“THIS IS RIDICULOUS!”)

 

(“You are correct there...the furry one named Parappa and young Enya taught us so...now...we fix it…”) All the Tempo’s begin gathering around Ur as he begins screaming in agony as more and more pile on. Eventually Ur manages to yell out one final verse.

 

(“YOU THINK THIS CHANGES ANYTHING?! THIS WILL ALL COME BACK AGAINST ALL OF YOU! AND I WILL HAVE THE LAST LAUGH IN THE END!.........”) The Tempo’s disperse from one another, all that was left on the ground before them was Ur’s armor and blade in pieces. Ur himself was gruesomely...extinguished to put it mildly as all the laid there was a pile of ashes.

 

(“Serves ya right ya miserable pile of ash…”) Deto says as he plucks his axe from a scrap of leftover armor.

 

Pallet rushes to Dacites side with the remaining conscious Mood Stones as everyone else regroups around Parappa, who looks over at Dacite’s direction. They all try to speak to him, but he can’t hear any of them. He stays out of it until Ma-san speaks up to him.

 

(“When you said you were worried for me and didn’t want me to burn out...you meant...something like...that huh?...”) She points to Ur’s ashes.

 

“Not the way i’d put it...but yeah...in the long run...something like that I guess…”

 

(“...I’ll...work on it...will you help?...”)

 

“You didn’t even need to ask…” He tries to give her a smile, but he just can’t find the strength.

 

(“The kids still speaking you know...don’t know for how much longer...so...you might wanna...you know...say something.”)

 

“...yeah…” Parappa forces his body to move over to the dying Dacite as Enya and her sisters as well as Mica stand by her side crying alongside Pallet.

 

“Things were never supposed to end like this...even for the young ones…”

 

“This is what I tried to avoid…”

 

“So did we new friend...but as it turns out...the more we tried to prevent something...the more we ended up causing it…” Pallet lifts his helmets visor to wipe away a tear “I blame myself for this.”

 

“Sir this wasn’t your fault!”

 

“I know that much. But as the head of this group...as well as the one who swore to protect the children at all costs from the wishes of their slain parents...I have failed in both regards…” He is alerted when someone puts their hand on his shoulder, it was Deto.

 

(“Ok now let’s see if I got this right...Ahem…”) “Earth to walking brick wall. Can you understand me properly?”

 

“Yes...what do you need?”

 

“Ah good, was afraid the secret practice of trying to speak like the rest of you was all for nothing...I can understand you all just fine, but speaking it was a bit of a leap. But that’s not the point. Look lad, as a leader. One must always come to terms with the fact that there will be things out of one’s control. And while it is on kilter for a leader to follow through with such feelings, they must also learn that they just can’t take the blame for it. It isn’t of sane mind and will lead you down the same road as...him…” He motions over to Ur’s ashes.

 

“With all due respect, I must disagr-”

 

“Aw cork it ya ninny! With all due respect, **I** must disagree with your over sentimentality. I know that’s how you lot are, but that just ain’t a right way of going about things. Do you think THEY would have faulted you?...” This time he motions to the children, who simply look at Pallet.

 

“...Very well…”

 

“Good...Eugh…” (“Oh that’s to much strain on the throat…”)

 

(“ You don’t even have a mouth!...how can you have a throat?!”) Ma-san adds on.

 

(“Never you mind that lass!”) He gives a reassuring slap on Pallet’s back.

 

“I’ll think it over...for now...young one...will you forgive me…”

 

“Sir...you said...it’s the way of the knight...to do what they can...to protect good people...even if they...don’t come out of it alive…”

 

“But not for a child…”

 

“I’m not a child...i’m a knight~...”

 

“Yes...yes you are…friend I think it’s best that you take over speaking...I need not say anymore...”

 

“Thank you sir…” Parappa walks up to her and he simply just stares at her...destroyed state.

 

“Where’s your...smile mister…”

 

“I can’t really smile here…”

 

“Why not?....it’s...all over...you kept...your promised~...we finally stopped fighting…”

 

“But I failed my promise on keeping you safe…I let my friend down...”

 

“Haha...about that...Mister Matt told us about...what...happened to you when...he came to...we didn’t wanna...make it harder for you...so...we wanted...to do what he did!...And what you said...to the miss over...there!...” She points to Ma-san with her remaining hand “You said...you’d protect everyone...if ya could...So...I wanted to be...the same!...Protect you...them.” She points to the remainder of Parappa’s friends “Everyone!...even my new friends in the Tempo’s...haha...and I did it!...that’s a kept promise to me~...” She weakly drops her hand “I’m tired...I wanna close my eyes...but not yet...can you come closer mister?...and you to miss?...” She weakly waves for Parappa and Ma-san to walk closer to her.

 

“Of course!...W-What do you need?...”

 

“Sure thing kid...I owe that much after what I helped caused…”

 

“Haha...both of you need to stop...feeling bad…” As Parappa gets near, she waves for him to bend over. Once he does she puts a finger on his beanie “Can you...put our symbol...on your hat to?...Pretty please?...For me?...Sir Pallet can tell you...what it is…”

 

“Of course!...I’d love to do that.”

 

She then motions Ma-san to bend over to her, once she does, she calls over Mica “Hey...can you...give her...the...rose?...you know the one...the one my mama left me…” Mica doesn’t hesitate as she pulls out a crystalized rose from a pocket like part of her armor and hands it to Ma-san.

 

“W-Whoa whoa whoa. Your mother gave that to you? I can’t just take it!...”

 

“Please?...let me...explain first...The rose is special...Mama said...to give it to...those who need a little help...getting by...and once...you’ve...finally achieved that target mark...you hand it...to the next person...no matter who they are…” She grabs it out of her hand and nestles it by Ma-sans ear “I saw you crying to...and mister...Parappa said it even broke his heart...so...I guess you don’t...do that often...so...take it...and...don’t cry...anymore please…”

 

“...sure thing kiddo.”

 

“Thank...you~...” Dacites final action was simply grabbing Enya’s arm and writing out letters until Enya got what she was trying to say.

 

(“Thank you...for being my friend...and showing me...that we could get along after all…”) The sentence simply gets Enya crying, to which Dacite uses the last of her strength to wipe the tears away.

 

“I’m...really...sleepy...Mama’s...calling me...hehe...thank you for...helping us Mister Parappa~....” her crystal eyes lose what little luster they had left as her remaining hand limps onto the ground. No one says anything else. They just simply cry. And they kept crying even as they sent of the body to it’s final resting place. It was just so bewildering a thing to see for all the children of both groups, as well as for Parappa and the rest, none of them ever grew up in the troubled times of these groups, and to be put into it was such an experience that they would rather not repeat. Parappa simply looked to the ground, as Ma-san simply looked to the sky, both refused to shed anymore tears to honor her words at least for now. Lammy and Katy cry whilst trying to console each other. PJ simply stood stoic as he usually did. He was known to rarely emote, but that didn’t stop a single tear from escaping his eye. Sweety and Paula simply stared in disbelief as to what happened while they were away. Matt sat on the ground, upset. He knows that they were inspired by what his own actions, so he feels like he caused it, but stops once Parappa fills him in on what she had said. Once the body is sealed away, both Deto and Pallet speak between themselves.

 

“Young Dacite will be the last thing to remain here...I feel terrible that I couldn’t take her back...but...she would want to stay among the ground with her fallen comrades…”

 

“It is always such a terrible fate when young ones die...but you have to look on. Fer her sake lad. Now come on it’s time to inform everyone.”

 

“You are right my portly new friend.” They both gather the attention of everyone “Excuse me one and all. From this moment forward. I, Sir Palletten, as well as the Tempo Tantrums new leader. Sir Detonation. Here by have come with the news that should summon some form of joy from both factions. We are no longer to war betweenst one another.”

 

(“We are now free from the horrible ways of Ur...and like the young doggo over there sung about. We can get along for many things. Especially for what we all started this damn thing in the first place. Our love of music.”) Both factions cheer with one another.

 

“And with that said. I’m sure you know what that all means.”

 

(“We are together on this. And what do we all want to do?”)

 

 **“GO HOME!”)** both groups shout. Once they do however. Everyone is enveloped in a glowing white light as they begin being swept off the ground.

 

“W-Whoa!...” Parappa fumbles in the air.

 

“This is not how I envisioned the way back to work…” PJ says as he grabs Matt and Sweety with in his arms to both protect them, but also from fear of what would happen to himself.

 

The MilkCan trio simply scream as they grab onto one another.

 

“It’s times like these where I wish I still wore shorts under my skirts…” Paula says as she tries to hold her skirt down.

 

They all rise higher as the light becomes too bright to witness. Once the light dissipates, they all find themselves outside the pond.

 

“WE’RE BACK!” The eight all should in unison.

 

“And not just us!” Parappa points to all the others who also got taken back.

 

“This feels so strange...the air feels so different...it really has been decades…” Pallet looks towards what little sky he can see through the openings in the trees.

 

(“Hoho boy...I wonder how much things have changed...this was just a little village off the side that housed this pond...now it’s a town! How marvelous is that…”)

 

“You know it just occurred to me...the town’s gonna freak when they see walking terracotta knights and living fire.” Parappa says as he gives the situation a bit more thought.

 

(“Ya think? Well...what do you all wanna do?”)

 

(“Well as for me lass...I think I’m disbanding this group...I rather just have everyone achieve better things! But I won’t disband unless I get the ok with everyone.”) The rest of the tempo’s think it over and all nod in agreement, wanting to bury the past as well (“Then it’s settled! The Tempo’s are no more!...now we just need to find a way to integrate into this new life…”)

 

“What about you Sir? What will you do?”

 

“What we will do you say?...hm...I think we will just travel the world. Honestly a bustling life like this is by no means a life for us. Not one bit!”

 

Parappa frowns “I guess that’s true given how...to yourselves you guys tend to be…” He whines like a puppy “But it would’ve been nice having you guys here…you all seem so great!”

 

“Believe me new friend! I would love nothing more...it’s just...our way of living life.”

 

“I understand. Promise you all will take care and TRY not to get into another big fight!”

 

“HAHA! Oh worry yourselves not! This time we plan to be as hidden as can be!...but uh...here.” He hands Parappa a little bit of broken armor, he knows who this belonged to, with the Mood Stone’s insignia on it “For what it’s worth, as per Dacites request and my own. You are a Mood Stone in your own right! And should you ever need help, don’t be afraid to try and ask around for us. We’ll be there when you really need it! Troublesome or not!” Parappa grabs the symbol and smiles.

 

“Thank you sir!”

 

“Don’t thank me, it’s what I can do. And then some! I owe you the world my friend.” He removes his helmet. His head is supremely translucent that it reflects every source of light, preventing his face from being seen. What is seen however, is his long flowing blonde hair, which reminds Parappa of his own hair “Nobleman Parappa. As Dacite said, the way of the knight is to be there for good people. And there’s no one better than that textbook definition except for you and your friends. I would die for you if need be.”

 

“I wouldn't go that far! I rather have you kicking for as long as you can!”

 

“As would I. And with that said, we will all be taking our leave!...Parappa.” He kneels down “I hope you shine like the most brilliant diamond in existence!”

 

“I’ll do my best!”

 

“Men!”

 

“SIR!”

 

“Move out!” The Mood Stones all march out, they don’t request for assistance since they knew the way by heart.

 

Deto walks up to Parappa (“Uh...Lad? Mind lending me an ear?”)

 

(“Sure what’s up!”)

 

(“By no means do we deserve the honor...but...would you also mind...havin our symbol on that noggin of yours?”) He hands him a piece of Ur’s old armor that has their insignia on it (“Though the Tempo’s of old are now done with. We are still people trying to start anew...and well...we want to undo and forget so much travesty we helped caused thanks to...you know who...And it’s thanks to you that EVERYONE got to see that to! It was something I’ve been pushing for since the day we arrived in that world! But again...it’s all up to you.”)

 

(“Of course I’d add you guys on it! You guys weren’t intentionally bad...just led astray...same like all the others. But not anymore!”)

 

(“Thank ya laddie. You’d be an honorary Tempo if we still were a group! But what I can offer you is that, If you have a problem, just call any of us! We’d all be glad to help ya! Isn’t that right you ragged lot?”) The group behind all nod and cheer (“See?”)

 

(“I do see! Thank you Mister Deto!”)

 

Deto laughs until he goes back to thinking (“Oh boy...what will I do for work now...I can put the kids in an orphanage...they’ll find better homes that way...but what about the rest of us?...I don’t think there is need for a lumberjack anymore…or anyone with a love for country music...or music material makin in general...”)

 

Lammy walks up to Deto “U-Uh excuse m-me! Mister D-Deto was it?...”

 

(“Yes? What can I do for you Lassie?”)

 

“I t-think I know a p-place that’d be p-perfect for you!...”

 

(“Oh do ya?”)

 

“Y-Yeah! As both a l-lumberjack and i-instrument maker!”

 

(“Oh now that’s loverly! Mind taking me there?”)

 

“O-Of course!“

 

(“Thank ya lassie! But first I still need to help the rest of them find a suitable working state…”)

 

Katy walks up to the two of them “Hey mister. You’re all made of fire right?”

 

(“The equivalent of Magma! And we don’t set things on fire either! Unless we want to, but of course we don’t! Very handy controlling!”)

 

“And you’re all...like...really strong correct?”

 

(“Though we topple like turtles, it’s a worthwhile tradeoff to our notable strength! There ain’t nothing these fellows can’t do when it comes to strength! Why i’d go so far as to say that they can even hold up an entire building!”)

 

“Is that so…” Katy smiles “I know the perfect job for the rest of them!”

 

(“Ohohohoh! You two girlies are lifesavers!”) While Lammy and Katy keep on talking with Deto. Paula and Ma-san walk up to each other.

 

“Hey…”

 

(“Hey…”)

 

“Sooooo…”

 

(“So…”)

 

The awkward air between them grows to a point where it’s too much to bear until they both just blurt out “I’M SORRY!....” before bawling and hugging each other.

 

“Took em long enough.”

 

“Normally I’d get upset at you for being so rude dear, but I’ll let it slide just this once.”

 

“Is it because I’m right this time?”

 

“And now i’m not letting it slide anymore.” She flicks his forehead.

 

“Ow!...ok fine yeah...I deserved that…” PJ rubs his forehead before smiling “Glad you’re feeling better again.”

 

“I’m glad to.” she smiles warmly at him before kissing him quickly on the cheek.

 

Parappa looks around and then decides to walk up to Matt who simply sits by the ponds edge “Yo man, what’s up?...”

 

“Nothin much. Just thinking.”

 

“About?”

 

“A whole lot of stuff...like...for starters...I feel great that I actually did something instead of run away! And saved you! Twice! But then I’m also feeling upset because...I ended up motivating Dacite into doing the same...and she wasn’t as lucky as me…”

 

“But she was happy with the outcome nonetheless...you know that as much as I do.”

 

“I do. But that doesn’t mean it stops me from feeling awful with myself.”

 

“Yeah I know what you mean…” He sits next to Matt. Matt simply looks over and gives a tired chuckle.

 

“I bet you do. This is how you’ve been feeling isn’t it?”

 

“Yep.”

 

“Haha...thought so. Man it suuuuuuuuuuuuucks…how do you deal with it?” Parappa simply pats his back as he hooks him into a one armed hug and points to the rest of their friends.

 

“This is how.”

 

“H-Hehe...Man come on...I just stopped crying~...”

 

“Sorry, not sorry~...” Parappa wipes his own tears away before looking up to him “Made your mind up of what you want me to do for you? As a way of making things up to you?”

 

“Yeah. Three things. First is play a one v one game of Basketball, Soccer and Football with me!”

 

“Pffft, what? Wanna wipe the floor with me do ya?~”

 

“Shuuuuush. Second is to talk to Chop Chop Master Onion and getting him to hire me to...I feel bad for running off and leaving you there.”

 

“I’ll try! Paula got herself a job there to!”

 

“Oh did she? Hahah. That’s great, makes things even more easier now don’t it?”

 

“You’re telling me! Now what’s the third thing?”

 

“....Next time something like this happens...let me help alright?...Don’t lie to me and leave me in the dark…”

 

“...I’m sorry…”

 

“Nah don’t be, I know why you did it...so I should be the one apologizing...I shouldn’t have tried to stop you. Helping others is just the kind of person you are! It was wrong of me to try and stop that! I’m the worst for not recalling the main thing that made you...well...You!”

 

“Well I could stand to not be as hectic when I do decide to help as evident with what happened with Ma-san, but I’ll be helping her with that as will Katy and Lammy as well!”

 

“Well glad that worked itself out as well.” He stands up. Now if you excuse me, I should be heading home! My apartment bed is calling for me! Cuz right now it’s...uh…” He pulls out his phone to check, he managed to dry it off and get it to work again.And now that he was back in their real world, he decided to check, but what he saw shocked him “Uh...g-guys?...”

 

“What happened?...” PJ says as they all walk up to him.

 

“We’ve been in there for an entire WEEK!...”

 

“WHAT?!” The seven of them shout at Matt’s discovery.

 

“Man the wonky time thing completely slipped my mind…”

 

(“Same here…”)

 

“L-Lammy our job!...”

 

“O-Oh god...w-we have to go and explain right n-now!...”

 

“If we haven’t been fired by now…”

 

“B-But we still have to h-help them…”

 

“You’re right!...them first! Then our panic! I mean we’re already late as is…Come on you guys! Let’s get you all to your new work zones! The faster we get you settled the faster we get to fix our own mess….” They all run off.

 

“Parappa you do realize that panic includes us right? Tamanegi’s probably not to happy with Me, Paula and you…”

 

Parappa simply gulps in realization “We gotta go...now…”

 

“I’ll come with since I wanna apply there anyway.”

 

“Ma-san how come you aren’t panicking?” PJ says as he stares at her while she stands there so calmly, after recently crying her eyes out mere seconds ago with Paula.

 

(“Dude I work with my dad, who has run the pharmacy alone for as long as I can remember. I don’t think a week of my absence at work will be to different for him. He’ll at most just be angry that I didn’t tell him where I went.”)

 

“Lucky you…Parappa, Paula. We gotta go. _Now._ ”

 

“Right!” The duo say in unison.

 

“Ma-san you might wanna follow us out of the forest regardless though.”

 

(“Yeah yeah I learned my lesson. Now let’s go! Aren’t you guys in a hurry?”) They all nod and book it out the mini forest.

 

The group of six eventually arrive at Chop Chop Fruits Cafe. PJ, Paula and Parappa quickly run up to the counter to apologize profusely, only to instead meet two different people at the counter. It was Pinto and Noodles.

 

“Hi bro!”

 

“Sup guys.”

 

“Pinto?! Noodles?! The heck are you two doing here?!”

 

“Well Mr. Chop Chop called dad wondering where you were since you didn’t answer, but dad didn’t know either so he asked what was wrong, and I overheard and decided to help out for you!”

 

“Ok...but what about you Noodles?”

 

“I decided I’d drop by to visit you guys at the place where you worked, but to my surprised that you weren’t here! And Chop Chop needed help so I decided to do so myself!”

 

“But what about Beard Burgers?!”

 

“Relax man, I left some Noodle goons take care of the place! They always follow orders through and through!”

 

“Ok...but how did you two manage here?”

 

“Oh that’s simple, the entirety of the crowd was transfixed on me~ Your adorable little sis~” Pinto twirls in a circle, causing Parappa to roll his eyes.

 

“She’s not kidding, she was actually a very effective waitress in keeping them waiting for the orders to come out!”

 

“Wait, but neither of you know how to make the orders like me, PJ and Paula do...what did you give em?”

 

“Oh Noodle’s took care of that!” The trio stare at Colonel Noodles wide eyed.

 

“Am I that obvious to guess?”

 

“Well it is your name.” PJ states as he removes his shades the stare at him in a deadpan manner..

 

“Well ya caught me! I gave em noodle foods and delicacies! And they all loved it!”

 

“Man I’m sorry to hea- wait they did?!” Parappa’s jaw would’ve dropped were it not for the fact that the people that came here were from out of town. So it makes sense.

 

“Yep! But man was there a demand for it…After that I don’t think I wanna see a noodle again for at least a day or two…” This response earns a laugh from the trio who finally calm down after seeing everything was ok.

 

“Well if that’s how it is, you’re free to come back from time to time to prep your noodle delights!”

 

“I’ll consider it man! Right now I wanna just relax once the day is over.”

 

“Well you’re free to go now if you like now that we’re back!”

 

“You sure? You three look...exhausted.”

 

“Eheh...that’s a long story…” Paula says scratching her head, only to wince after touching the wound.

 

“I take it that’s why you’ve been gone?”

 

“Something like that…” The trio scratch their heads. Sweety, Matt and Ma-san just laugh from afar.

 

“Even after a week of absence, it’s not hard to revert back to regular daily cycles is it!” Sweety tries to stifle a laugh, failing miserably.

 

“You got that right!”

 

(“And man is it entertaining to watch! I needed a good pick me up.”)

 

* * *

 

“I can’t believe they accepted all of them!”

 

“W-Well they were like y-you said...perfectly f-fitting the b-bill!”

 

“How’d it go with Deto?”

 

“Him and Paul became fast friends! I don’t...r-really know what h-happened...they just k-kinda looked at e-each other and then s-suddenly laughed and chest b-bumped as if they were lifelong-friends reuniting or s-something...but yeah D-Deto got the job instantaneously!”

 

“That’s great! The kids?”

 

“Deto said h-he’d look for an orphanage...t-there are a f-few around town so i’m sure h-he’ll manage.”

 

“Perfect!...now let’s hope we can manage…”

 

“N-No kiddin…”

 

The duo keep running until they reach their workplace, they both burst through the door and immediately try pleading with the manager. However they don’t see him behind the counter. Instead they see.

 

“L-LEO?!” They both shout in unison.

 

Leo simply stays there tuning a guitar before looking up “Sup!” His helmet emits a smiley face.

 

“W-What are you doing here-” Before they can finish asking, their manager shows up.

 

“Ah! Ladies! I see you return from your urgent business!”

 

“U-Urgent business?...”

 

“Uh...yeah! That!”

 

“Yes, Leo told me all about that. Speaking of which! You two didn’t tell me you knew THE Leo! Or that you got him to fill in for you while you were gone! It was simply AMAZING to just have him up and walk on in here saying he was here to work in your stead! Why I almost fainted on the spot! I swear I’m tempted to raise your pay for this alone! Heck I still will if Mister Leo here asks for it!.”

 

Lammy and Katy simply stare at each other, shocked at how big a fanboy their boss was.

 

“You really that amazed by lil ol me working here Mister Niles?~”

 

“Of course! A lone star who rose from seemingly nowhere! And was a hit in multiple genres! Not even just singing, dancing or playing! What’s NOT to be amazed by?!~ I own all your songs!”

 

“If that’s so, then offer these two whatever they please and I’ll sign em all for you for free~”

 

Niles quickly looks at the two “Katy, that assistant manager position you’ve been eyeing. It’s all yours. Lammy, that one of kind guitar that I use for display only that I _know_ you’ve been eyeing. It’s yours. As well as a pay raise for the both of you!”

 

“Y-YES SIR! T-THANKS “ They both bow trying to hold back goofy grins of joy.

 

“I’ve done my half, and yours?”

 

“Ya got a marker?”

 

“Here!” Niles hands Leo a marker from his pocket.

 

“Alrighty, now lead the way to the stuff I guess. I’m a man of my word~” They walk off to the back room leaving the two giddy girls alone.

 

“Lammy?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Do you have any idea of what went down just now?”

 

“Not a one, all I know is that we somehow benefited heavily from it.”

 

“Hell yeah we did! High five sister!” The both dramatically jump in the air and high five one another.

 

* * *

 

After a full day at their job. The trio walk out with Lammy holding a very flashy guitar and Katy sporting a new vest.

 

“Leo I cannot thank you enough for this!”

 

“Same here!”

 

“Weren’t no thang~ I came to see if I could get my guitar fixed and saw that dude yelling up a storm bout you two not being there during your shifts. So I decided to fib a lil. And man was that guy an ass kisser to me.”

 

“You got that right. I’ve NEVER seen that side of him. Like EVER!”

 

“It was so bewildering...it’s like me whenever I get a guitar in my hands! Speaking of which, thank you so much for helping me get this! It was such a pain for my hands to see it but not being able to hold it!”

 

“Again, it was nothing! I’m just glad I could lighten the load!”

 

“What I don’t get is how you managed. During our shift it’s just us two having to deal with so many people...how did you manage by yourself??”

 

“Oh thats thanks to this invention of mine!”

 

“Meaning you ‘borrowed’ it from your dad.”

 

“Shaddup!”

 

“That’s a yes!” Both of them titter.

 

“Ugh...just look...this belt I have on. It creates physical projections of me, or really anything, but mostly me! It’s usually meant to create backup dancers. But...since they are physical copies…” Leo swipes his hand over the node and next to him materializes another him. A spitting image “Why not have some fun am I right?~”

 

“WHOA!” Katy quickly swarms the second Leo “THAT IS BEYOND AMAZING! Think I could take it for a spin sometimes?”

 

“I mean I guess…? There should be no harm in it...and I do have an extra one...but why though?”

 

“What do you mean why though! Look! You can create a mirror image of yourself! That can actually DO stuff! How long does it last?”

 

“Well it runs off of music and rhythm! Like the club! So as long as your heart is groovin and your feet are movin! They last as long as you want em to! You can also dismiss em at any time~” Leo snaps and the mirror Leo shatters into data “But I’m still not sure it’s a good idea…”

 

“Come oooooon…”

 

“I’ll think it over...for now though. Mind filling me in on where the heck you guys have been for the past week? Some sort of vacation?”

 

They look at each other and then back to him “You can say that…”

 

“What happened?”

 

* * *

 

“Oh man...is it nice to be back here again…”

 

(“You said it…I’m exhausted...in more ways than one…”)

 

“The day was just to much for all of us really...And I know things ended all happy and whatnot, but after witnessing a murder up right...it’s kinda...heavy…”

 

(“That’s putting it lightly…”) Both Parappa and Ma-san sigh as they recline deeper into the couch next to each other (“Of course we’re not gonna be bringing that up for obvious reasons...No one wants to recall that...and besides...we’re here trying to keep you all peppy...can’t really do that if not even we can muster up the strength to be happy now can we?”)

 

“That’s true! Besides it was in her best interest for us to not get upset either...especially you!” He points to the crystal rose by her ear.

 

(“Heh...yeah yeah…”) She plucks out the rose (“It’ll break if it stays on me...gotta find someplace secure to keep this thing…”)

 

“You do that...also...one thing…”

 

(“What?...”)

 

“What happens...if your fuse is gone entirely?”

 

(“My fuse…”) She feels her dynamite only to notice her fuse is gone (“U-Uh oh…”)

 

“That reply is worrisome...you’ll be ok?”

 

(“I...don’t really know?...I think maybe that’s why I got to overemotional?...”)

 

“Will it come back?...”

 

(“I don’t know! This hasn’t happened to me before!”)

 

“Would your dad know?...”

 

(“I ain’t telling him! He’ll never let me hear the end of it!”)

 

“I’m sure you’ll be fine...it probably just…”

 

(“Burnt out?”)

 

“Uh...Bingo.” He scratches his chin to try and think up a change in subject, but the topic he thinks about is still about it “Maybe that’s why your body became to hot to the touch?”

 

(“I’ve noticed that...While that was rather cool...it was just a tiny bit terrifying...of course I was to angry at the time to really...get scared.”)

 

“I noticed, but like I said, I’ll help you around with that and properly vent! Don’t want this to happen again. And I’m sure your fuse will...uh…’grow’ back again.”

 

(“It ain’t my hair!...is it?...”)

 

“If you don’t even know about your own anatomy then what do you expect me to know!”

 

(“Anything! Even a blatant lie that’s at the very least reassuring is better than this!”)

 

“But I don’t lie…”

 

(“Yeah, currently that’s in the air.”)

 

“A-Ah...you g-got me there…” Parappa bites his lower lip in shame “Um...so then tomorrow you plan to go back to work as normal without filling your dad in on anything?”

 

(“Pretty much. Saves me a load of effort. Regardless I’ll have to explain if he keeps bugging me about it. Like how you and PJ had to do just that, then were just there constantly re explaining things to the onion.”)

 

“It’s not Tamanegi’s fault! It’s just really hard to explain all that cuz it does sound like a fever dream…”

 

(“No denying that!”)

 

“But at least he did believe in us and he also did hire Matt in the end.”

 

(“Why did he start begging? It’s not like he was gonna say no.”)

 

“Matt is...uh...I dunno the word.”

 

Ma-san snorts (“Pathetic when it comes to handling men?”)

 

Parappa tries to yell, but it breaks into laughter mid way through “M-Ma-sahahan!...”

 

(“Come on, man even YOU found it accurate and funny!”)

 

“Yes but!...”

 

(“But?~”)

 

“I’m ending that subject right here!”

 

(“Fine by me, I’ll count it as a victory!”)

 

“Whatever~” Parappa tosses his gaze away from her with a chuckle. “This is nice...talking calmly like this. No ill emotions running rampant...having fun…”

 

(“Don’t get mushy on me now maaaaaan.”)

 

“Alright alright~” He places his arms behind his head with a sly grin “I mean you got pretty mushy yourself not that long ago.”

 

(“Your bring that up and I will punch you across the face!”)

 

He leans forward, simply awaiting her action. She instead pinches his cheek and pulls it as far as it can go “OWOWOWOW I’M SORRY!”

 

(“You better be~”) She lets go, watching his cheek rubber band itself back to its original position.

 

“Owwww...thought I could get away with that…” He rubs his cheek as he huffs in defeat.

 

(“That was your first mistake! You should know me better.”)

 

“Now THAT’S up in the air. After earlier today AND the thing with your fuse...I’d say there’s still a lot more to learn! Not that it’s a bad thing.”

 

(“First I’d have to learn more about myself if I had to be completely honest with ya...the more things that allow me to prevent the worse from myself the better…I mean seriously, I could’ve either killed you or sent you back to that wreck of state you were in...But I was...typically...to mad to care...”)

 

Parappa was at a crossroads with how to even respond here. Ma-san wasn’t typically one to want to be hit with affectionate actions unless she either allowed so, or did so herself first. Trying to simply do it out of the blue wasn’t exactly an action well liked by her unless you were someone she generally liked a lot, such as Katy and Lammy, as well as her father “Um…” Nevertheless, Parappa gave it a go. He extended his arm and pulls the mouse in for a hug.

 

(“......What are you doing?”)

 

“Trying to stop a problem before it happens.”

 

(“What’s that supposed to-”) Ma-san soon catches on to what he meant and calms down instantly (“Yeah...guess you succeeded.”)

 

“I’d hope so.” Parappa is immediately shocked at how quickly she calmed down and how she also wasn't upset with the sudden hug, but managed to maintain his composure as to not show it “Sorry for the sudden hug by the way.”

 

(“Don’t worry over a thing like that! Who do you take me for?”)

 

“Well I mean you generally don’t like this sorta thing unless you yourself let it happen or ask for it…”

 

(“The hell gave that impression?”)

 

“I’ve just…” He shuffles his feet uncomfortably “Noticed it from...time to time...to time…”

 

(“Well yeah, but that’s with people I REALLY don’t like...in the slightest. You lot? I don’t mind at all! What got you thinking that you didn’t count?”)

 

“Eheh…earlier today for starters? And last night...or week rather…”

 

She stares at him uncomfortably (“...Yeah that would give that impression wouldn’t it?...”) Now it’s her feeling the awkward, uncomfortable air (“Oh boy...how should I word this...well as you’ve already pieced together. I was that way basically from a point of view that I simply didn’t understand. Now by no means was that your fault...mostly. But it’s just me acting on my typical temper...and even if I did go through with what I was doing during it...well for starters i’d feel awful.”) A little spark flickers at the tip of her dynamite stick for a split second, failing to start anything due to the lack of a fuse (“I don’t think any LESS of you...if anything I just hope you don’t think any less of ME! I would never think anything different aside from you being a really good friend to me. My vision just gets cloudy from time to time from my anger...can’t really see the things i’m doing through the fire in my eyes!”) She heaves a heavy sigh, mentally kicking herself over.

 

“I’m just glad you still consider me a friend. That’s all that I really am happy about. The rest I didn’t really mind if you did anything to me or not because at least you still vented SOMETHING out.”

 

(“Speak for yourself! I’d feel like shit forever…”)

 

“I wouldn’t blame you for it.”

 

(“But i’d blame MYSELF for it. That getting through your head yet?”)

 

“Crystal clear. Sorry, just trying to keep looking at every silver lining for you.”

 

(“Don’t. It didn’t happen so no need to dwell on it.”)

 

“Aight.”

 

(“And on the topic of the friend thing...do you still consider ME as one?”)

 

“That’s dumb of you to ask.”

 

(“Oh…”)

 

“Of course I do! Nothing would ever change that! You’re still a great friend to me. A best friend!”

 

(“O-Oh!...T-That’s what you meant!”) She softly punches his arm (“Finish your sentences first ya dunce!...I almost expected the worst!”)

 

“Oops...my bad…”

 

(“Very.”) She nestles herself better in the hug (“But I’m just glad you also consider me a great friend still.”) The two stay like this until a good amount of time has past and Ma-san breaks the hug in a huff (“Where the hell are the other two?! Their shift should’ve been over by now! And if they were fired, then they should’ve been here even sooner!”)

 

“I’m sure they didn’t get fired, and I’m also sure they’re just working a bit of extra time to make up for what they missed.” Parappa says as he looks at the time on his phone.

 

(“You’re probably right with that...Their boss is one hell of an ass.”) She ends up puffing out smoke from the hole where her fuse used to be.

 

“I’ve heard...Niles was it?”

 

(“Bingo. Forces the absolute most of the people who work there, while also giving them a hard time.”)

 

“Sheesh...what’s his deal?”

 

(“Well from what I could read up on the guy, not much. He seems like an enigma. Only info I could scrounge up on him wasn’t even about him! Rather his twin sister.”)

 

“That’s always a good sign when you need someone’s credentials... what was it about?”

 

(“Her funeral.”)

 

“....Oh…I’m now more concerned than ever…”

 

(“Relax he’s not the cause of it, rather he was the only who even attended.”)

 

“O-Oh…phew...man I almost had a mini heart attack over who those two were actually working for…”

 

(“They reacted the same way when I told em that. You guys always expect the worst before the context.”) She shakes her head, followed by a large amount of laughter.

 

“Can you blame us?”

 

(“Yes.”)

 

“Then whatever! Sorry for assuming the worst!” Parappa throws his arms into the air “But that aside, I still say they’re fine.” The second Parappa says this, the door opens with the two in question walking inside “Speaking of the musical devils!”

 

“Oh hey, you two are already here!” Katy says as she skips inside.

 

“Of course. My shift ended a while ago.”

 

(“And I simply won’t bother till tomorrow. Rather not deal with things for a bit after today.”)

 

“And that’s understandab-...wait...a while ago?”

 

“W-What time is i-it?...” Both Lammy and Katy pull out their phones and are shocked by what they see.

 

“We spent over two hours explaining all that to him?!”

 

“W-Well to be fair K-Katy you were also b-bugging him for h-his belt t-thing…”

 

“And I say it was worth it! Cuz I still got it in the end!”

 

(“Yeesh, now I’m assuming the worst without context...you were right Parappa this ain’t fun.”) Ma-san rolls her eyes (“What the hell were you two doing? Mugging a guy for his belt?!”)

 

“No!...sort of…” Katy takes a deep breath knowing she’s gonna have to explain even more things once again.

 

* * *

 

“Man, Leo sure came in at a wonderful time for you two!”

 

(“I’m more caught over by the fact that your tool of a boss fanboys over the dude who fanboys over us!”)

 

“T-That’s what s-shocked us as well!” Lammy then holds up her new guitar with an air of invigoration “But it did have it’s own benefits such as getting my hands on this little fella right here~”

 

“Whoa isn’t that the guitar you said you’ve been wanting, but couldn’t buy cuz it was only used as a display type thing by your boss? How much did he sell it to you for?”

 

“Absolutely free thanks to Leo~”

 

(“Hot damn he actually got the guy to bend THAT far backwards?”)

 

“Leo had Niles wrapped around his fingers! And by extension...ours~ Guess who got that assistant manager position~”

 

(“No fucking way?? The hardass has been adamant on keeping you away from that position! No matter HOW hard you worked!”)

 

“Oh don’t I know it! But he just handed it over thanks to him!” She gives a quick sly grin “I wonder what else I could get away with asking~...”

 

“Heyheyhey, Leo saved your hides and managed to get you both things you’ve been eyeing on. Don’t abuse the guys generosity to play along with the situation. What’s next gonna ask him to get your pay raised?”

 

“Oh we don’t need to ask for that, he already did so on his own merit~”

 

“What?!” Parappa was left in awe “If that’s the case then that’s even LESS a reason to abuse it! He already got you guys so much!”

 

“You’re no fun when you’re right...” Katy crosses her arms with disdain “Fiiiiiiiiiiiineeeeee.”

 

“Katy uncross your tail.” Parappa crosses his own arms.

 

“Ugh! I am offended that you think I would even do such a-”

 

“Lammy, if you please.”

 

Lammy grabs and exposes her tail, crossed as if were her fingers “There we go.”

 

“........”

 

(“Straight up, no hesitation in calling her out. You two are savages.”) Ma-san gives a hearty chuckle at the spectacle unfolding in front of her.

 

Katy simply stares at Lammy, silently mouthing out the word “Why?????”

 

Lammy in turn mouths her reply “Payback for what happened at night.”

 

Katy hunches over and sighs before turning back to Parappa “Ok fine...I won’t I won’t...but if he does so again on his own free will it ain’t my fault…” She stands back upright “As for this belt, it’s his!”

 

“Why would you want his belt?”

 

“Simple answer my dear lifelong mischievous friend! Because it let’s me do...this!~ She sits on the couch in the spot to his right, leaning extremely close to Parappa.

 

“It let’s you sit uncomfortably close to me?...”

 

“Noooooope~” said Katy...that appeared in the same position, but mirror on his left.

 

“W-Whoa what?!”

 

“Leo’s little belt here allows the person to create temporary clones~” Said the original Katy, as she snaps, causing the copy to disperse as data.

 

“And he just flat out gave that to you??”

 

“Well he was originally gonna think about it, but during the explanation of what happened to us...I may have kept bugging him about it to the point he just gave it to me so that I would just get on with said explanation.”

 

“Oh woof…”

 

(“Why am I not surprised in the slightest from that story. You know normally I’d get upset with you for doing a thing you generally tell ME not to do, but I’m gonna let it slide cuz you got a sweet new toy out of it.”)

 

“Why thank you Ma-san~” She gives smile that quickly becomes a frown “You wanna borrow it from time to time don’t you…”

 

(“Aw well since you’re offering~”)

 

“Okaaaaaaaaaaaay~...” She grabs the belt “I wonder if I could create a clone to go and do the groceries…”

 

“Katy didn’t Leo say they have a set distance of how far the thing can go on it’s own when separated from you?” Lammy says as she recalls the information that Katy should’ve listened in on herself, but stayed transfixed on the belt itself rather than listen.

 

“I dunno...I may or may not have payed attention to the full instructions on this thing…”

 

“Go figure...well at least I did and can help teach you about it...after you go and get the groceries yourself.”

 

“Alright _Mom_! No need to neg me any further…” She heads back over to the door “Well I guess I’ll be right back!” With a huff, she heads off.

 

* * *

 

“Man to think we almost went a day without eating…” Parappa says as he walks on over to the sink to set his now empty plate.

 

“Not like there was anything to eat...neither of the groups ate conventional things! We’re lucky that place had fruit! Otherwise we’d probably be in a bind by then...But hey! We’re free now and we get to eat actual food again! Speaking of which, ya guys like?~” the trio gave Katy a nod “I’m glad! Things went a hell of a lot faster when you have like...twelve extra hands~” As she says, twelve other arms sprout from behind her back, soon after six other Katy’s pop their heads out from behind her, all of them tittering “Thanks girls~”

 

“No problem me!” They all say before Katy snaps, sending them away.

 

“Ok, I’m starting to see the rare value of your new belt~”

 

“You better Parappa!”

 

“And YOU better thank Leo for it!”

 

“I did! I think?...” She looks to Lammy who simply shakes her head “Whoops…I’ll handle it tomorrow!...hey speaking of which...since we lost a week...Parappa when’s that expo of yours happening now?...”

 

“The expo?...” Parappa stays at a blank for a bit before the answer returns to him, like a punch to the face “THE EXPO!” He runs off to his bedroom to recover his charging phone to call his father.

 

(“You’d think that would’ve been something to keep top priority in his mind.”)

 

“I-I’ll say…”

 

“I mean this is Parappa we’re talking about here.”

 

(“Fair enough.”) Ma-san shrugs before adding (“Wanna overhear what they’re gonna be talking about?”)

 

“I d-don’t know if I’m c-comfortable with doing that...I m-mean it doesn’t concern us!”

 

“It also doesn’t NOT concern us.”

 

“W-What kind of l-logic is t-that??”

 

(“The best kind!”)

 

“Well I’m h-having no part in i-it!” Lammy crosses her arms and turns away with her nose in the air.

 

“Ok! Not like we can force you or anything. Just you know, wanting to ‘eavesdrop’ simply in case he’s in need of help or anything. Like say he missed the thing and is now upset at missing one main opportunity to reconnect with his own dad! He’d be out of it!”

 

Lammy’s stalwart pose starts fumbling “H-Hngg…”

 

“And I assumed as a best friend, you’d want to prevent that from happening by lifting his spirits…” her mouth curls into a sly devious smile, as her tail and ears follow suit “Just like i’m sure you know he’d do for you~”

 

Lammy spirals around “W-Well when you put it t-that waaaay…”

 

“Great! Then you go first!” She gets behind Lammy and shoves her onward.

 

“W-WAAAAH!...” Lammy simply flies off with Ma-san just staring at Katy.

 

(“That was rather devilish. Not bad.”) Ma-san walks off in Lammy’s direction.

 

“Well I mean, she just needs an avid push from time to time!...and maybe just as an excuse for payback as well from time to time~...”

 

The trio recline along his bedroom door as they listen in to what sounds like a sad dog whining given how much he was explaining over the phone, needless to say it was expected. One distressed puppy whining later “So yeah I’m really sorry and all that…”

 

_“It’s alright son! I’m just glad you’re A-OK.”_

 

“Course I am! It ain’t like me to get hurt AGAIN.”

 

_“Uh...yeah...ok son.”_

 

“Dad i’m offended…”

 

_“I’m sorry, it’s just really hard to tell these days! You inherited your mothers irrational bravery!”_

 

“A quality I am more than happy to have!”

 

_“Yowza son you even speak like her now!”_

 

The both share a laugh before Parappa speaks up again “So I didn’t miss it after all right?”

 

_“Nope! It’s the day after tomorrow! You lucked out just barely! Speaking of which...who were the two groups you helped out again? Tempo Tantrums and the what?”_

 

“Mood stones?” Papa Rappa simply stays silent for a bit before laughing softly.

 

_“Haha...Potter...you’d be so happy to see your old friends are still around and kicking…”_

 

“OH! Did you guys make the Mood Stones?!”

 

_“Oh no son, that type if inventing is far to great, even for me! We were friends with their creator! And by extension...them!”_

 

“Who made them??”

 

_“That part...currently escapes me...sorry son…”_

 

“Aw, don’t worry dad. At least I was able to tell you about them again!”

 

_“Yeah! And it’s sad to hear they decided to just wander the world...but to be fair. We’re in a time they don’t understand anymore. So they pretty much wanna change that.”_

 

“I getcha.”

 

_“I’m glad you do! You’re a smart pup-...no...you’re your own smart dog now! And I am a very proud and happy old hound.”_

 

“Dad you’re not THAT old…”

 

_“To you maybe! Haha. Well alright son. I’ll be seeing you the day after tomorrow!”_

 

“Later dad.” After he hangs up, he walks over to the door to his room to leave and speak to the others, but upon opening it. Ma-san, Katy and Lammy tumble onto the floor. The four of them simply stare at each other, Parappa decides to break the silence and speak up first. “....It ain’t nice to eavesdrop…”

 

“We just wanted to see if everything was ok!”

 

“Y-Yeah!...”

 

(“I have no excuse. We were basically eavesdropping.”) After Ma-san says this Katy and Lammy simply sigh in defeat.

 

Parappa just stares at the three on the ground before smiling “Thanks for feeling worried over me still. Even if it was done in a rather misguided gesture.”

 

“What are you gonna do in the meanwhile?...” Katy says as she reminds him that he still has one free day before the expo.

 

“My daily routine for tomorrow basically. There’s nothing different that I feel like I have to do!” His ear twitches after he says this, but he doesn’t have a clue as to why “But I think I’m gonna hit the hay early...to fully make up for not sleeping an entire night…two nights ago...or rather a week ago?...Man this is confusing…”

 

“That’s for the best! Glad to see you so pumped to take care of yourself!”

 

“What can I say? Matt and Ma-san gave me another reality check. Seems like i’ll be needing a few of those.” Parappa’s words simply get Katy and Lammy to stare at Ma-san, confused at how what she did was something to trigger that big of an impact in him.

 

(“Way to put me on the spot…”) Parappa begins helping the three of them up.

 

“That wasn’t my intention. I was simply stating the truth. A truth i’m glad about.” He then shoos them out of his room “Now with that said, lemme sleep! I don’t want the three of you on my case over it again! So I’ll get on my own case about it!”

 

The trio laugh before saying in unison “You do that!” As they leave his room, grinning ear to ear.

 

With that done with, Parappa hops onto his bed “Well, early bird gets the worm they say! But there isn’t really a worm TO get now is there?” He checks his options again, thinking of what could’ve gotten his ear to twitch before giving up “Well...at least I have the fact that I’m doing this for my own good to look forward to!” And just like that, he shuts his eyes and simply awaits dreamland.

 

And after a good bit of time, he does reach it, and once again he suffers a bizarre dream.

 

“Aw man...not these AGAIN...ok now where am I?...” He looks around to see that he’s in a rocky path that leads to nowhere. The path itself is surrounded by purple water. “You know I think I remember this place from when I played with Ms. Yoko...but that means I’m in hell…why did I go to hell in my dreams?!...something doesn’t add up...” Without any other option, he runs along the path. Eventually he stops in place “Ok. Usually by now I run into something...but now i have nothing...just this long empty path...and this stupid empty bodies of water right by its sides...wait…” He leans over the water “Don’t tell me…” In his reflection he sees himself, however it looks rather grayed out, to which he assumes is because of the water itself as well as the fact that he’s in a dream. He inhales deeply as he takes a few steps back “HERE I GO!” He runs and jumps off the path and dives into the water, upon doing so he is ejected out into a rather depressing looking building “How does THAT work?! There isn’t even any water here to even come OUT from!” Before Parappa can remark on his surroundings some more however...

 

_I need… I need..._

 

The voice he hears causes a chill to run down his spine “That’s totally not creepy…”

 

_I need....someone...anyone…_

 

“I have to follow the sound don’t I…alright! Fine! Let’s see this through!” He heads off to the direction of the haunting plea.

 

_Someone...anyone...can no one hear me?...I need...._

 

“I can hear you! Now if I can just get to you…whoever...or _whatever_ you are…”

 

_I...need…_

 

“And….HERE- whoa…” Parappa stares at an inky dark figure on the ground. He can’t exactly tell who or WHAT it is. It’s all just a shadowy figure who is colored gray and black from head to toe “Um...h-hello! You wouldn’t happen to be a...person?...in need of something would you!...h-hehe..”

 

The figure simply looks up at Parappa for a second, before looking back to the ground.

 

_“I need…”_

 

“Need...what?...”

 

_“Something…”_

 

“Yeah I kind of figured...but that would be…?”

 

 _“Something...important...important to_ **_me_ ** _?...yes...I think…”_

 

“Why the hesitation?...”

 

_“I am confused...I need...what I refuse....”_

 

“Um...w-what?...why would you refuse it then?...”

 

_“Pride...ego...denial...humiliation…resent.”_

 

Parappa swallows roughly “A-Ahah...I get it…” _I so do not…_ “So then...m-mind telling me what I can give!...?”

 

 _“I need...something...that may not be easy...to give to me…”_ by this point, the voice grows soft, enough for Parappa to more clearly understand it. And he soon figures out it’s a girl.

  


“Uh...is it...money?...”

 

_“No…”_

 

“A h-home?...”

 

_“You are standing in my home...right now...so no…”_

 

“A-Ah right! And what a lovely home it is!...” _Why would you submit yourself to these conditions?! This is just heartbreaking to LOOK at! Let alone live in!_ “I wish I brought a housewarming gift!”

 

_“You lie...but ok…”_

 

“H-Heh...ok then...do you need...uh…”

 

_“I need...help…”_

 

“That’s right you need-....h-help?” Parappa was down right lost by this point. _She wants help?...But she refuses it?...from pride, ego, denial, resentment and humiliation...but it’s also hard to give to her?...The hell?! How do I help with that!..._ “Um...ok...help. Well. How can I help you?...”

 

She doesn’t reply

 

“Come on you gotta know what you need for it if you know you need help!”

 

_“I need help…”_

 

“And I wanna help you! But how?!”

 

 _“But it doesn’t matter…”_ the figure soon stands upright, showing to be bigger than Parappa, but not by much. Similar to Katy, Lammy or Paula’s height. She holds something over her head _“You’re like them…”_

 

“W-What are you gonna do with that…”

 

 _“It doesn’t matter…”_ She swings it down, before it hits him square in the face, he notes what it is. It’s a guitar.

 

Parappa wakes up in a white void.

 

“WHOA...ugh...ok...here’s ‘phase two’ now right?...alright so what madness is this…” He looks around to see nothing but an empty white abyss in every direction “A white room...how nice…” He shrugs in annoyance “At this rate, with these dreams I keep having, I might as well be put in one…” His hand slaps himself as he says this “OW!...ok...yeah...don’t think negatively...got it…wait...” He looks down to see his hands and legs moving on their own “Ok this is fun...ok since you apparently know the way to go, then I’ll just sit back and watch…” His autopilot trip simply annoys him further until he notices something in the distance.

 

His body comes to a stop as he’s now within range of properly seeing what the object is “Huh?...oh hey it’s that!...Person?...again? Well since I have control of my body again...let’s see who they ar-...I can’t move...great…” Suddenly the ground, or lack thereof, begins rumbling beneath his feet. Soon after platforms begin to rise, catapulting him off to where he spotted the figure “WHYYYY MEEEEEEEEE…” He lands with a thud “Ow...Ugh….” After he pries his face from the ground he looks around to see that many platforms rose. They were all actually guitars. He shakes his head and refocuses on the figure. They’re still hard to determine what they are, but Parappa still tries to help nonetheless “Uh...hey there!...I think we might’ve gotten off on the wrong foot back there!...” _granted you are just a figment in my dreams…_ “And I still think I can help you!..” The ground beneath them begins rumbling again “Uh oh…” The floor beneath him breaks way and as he falls, he is immediately caught by the figure.

 

_“You can’t give me the help I need…”_

 

“W-Wanna bet? I’m persistent when it comes to helping others! That’s a fact that I look through to the end! That’s a Parappa Guarantee!”

 

She stays silent as her grip begins to slip _“I find that hard to believe…”_

 

“I-I’m the beacon of b-believing! It is my c-catchphrase after all!” _Please help me up…!_

 

_“Persistent...very well...I am certain you will meet the real me out there...well...you already have...but do you remember I wonder?...I just hope you have...what you need to help…”_

 

“I do- wait...real you?...” _You’re just part of my dreams! Aren’t you?_ she lets go of his arm, watching him fall into the abyss.

 

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” Parappa flails helplessly about as he falls near endlessly. He looks back up to the figure still staring down “I-I WILL DO MY BEST TO HELP REAL YOU! B-BUT COULDN’T YOU TELL ME WHAT I’LL NEED??...” She simply looks away “H-HEY!...” Her form becomes slightly more manageable to see, but due to the distance it is still quite the challenge. Parappa soon lands onto the ground, the pain wasn’t real, but it didn’t stop it from feeling real “Agh...at least...i’m still...in one piece…” Suddenly the figure hovers over him again. He would’ve scream had he the energy for it “Why did you let-”

 

_“A guitar…”_

 

“Wha-”

 

_“Make sure you have a guitar with you…”_

 

“...w-will the guitar help you?...” Parappa feels his vision fading, he was waking up.

 

_“Not directly...but it will start the process of getting through my stubborn skull...from that point on...it’s all you…”_

 

“T-That doesn’t explain anything! WHO are you!...Where will I even FIND the real world version of you?!” The dream starts dissipating faster, but before he completely wakes up, the shape of the figure is now much more manageable. The shape seems familiar, but he couldn’t tell who it was...the pain in his back and head weren’t exactly making it easier, nor was the fact that he just woke up.

 

“G-GAH!” Parappa forces his eyes open, upon doing so, he finds himself staring at Lammy directly face to face “W-WAAAAH!”

 

“S-Sorry!...”

 

“W-Why were you just hovering over me?!...”

 

“W-Well see...I woke up and decided to go and relax on the couch with m-my new guitar and then I heard s-screaming from your room and wanted to check..b-but when I got here you were on the f-floor!...I-I’m sorry!...”

 

“On the floor?...” Parappa looks to see he was now on the ground. _That explains the realistic pain…_ “And I was screaming??...Oh...that’s...embarrassing...don’t apologize Lammy that’s my bad for having the uh...well I wouldn’t exactly call it a nightmare...anyway sorry for interrupting your time to break your new guitar in!...wait…” Parappa stays staring at Lammy.

 

“W-What is it? D-Do I have something on m-my face??...”

 

Her body matched the figure’s down to the money “...Say...you uh...don’t need help with anything...guitar related by any chance do you?...”

 

“W-Wha?...No?...I’m fine with everything on that front...why asking?...”

 

“Ah...no reason at all! Just uh...curious!”

 

“Well I’m f-fine. T-Thanks for asking I g-guess?...”

 

“Well I’m fine now! You can go back to testing your new guitar! It’s all good here! Sorry again for making you worry…”

 

“W-Well it’s alright n-now seeing as it w-wasn’t anything bad!...” She stands up “Still t-though...I’ll be just down t-the hall if YOU need h-help!”

 

“Gotcha!” With that, she leaves his room “Phew...Why the heck did the thing look like Lammy??...It clearly isn’t her...the guitar requirement and the shape are where the similarities end...wait...I still need a guitar!...” He bolts out of the room “T-There actually is something I need help with!”

 

_What am I gonna do lugging a guitar around after I get one??_


	14. Jammin with a Lamb, Practice for the Ram

“So you’re telling me you left the guitars we made back in that other place??”

 

“W-Well i didn’t t-think we needed t-them…sorry…”

 

“No...it’s ok. You do have a point, why would you need em when you have better ones already?” Parappa scratches his hair under his beanie.

 

“W-Why do you even need a g-guitar?...”

 

“Ah...that’s...a bit of an explanation…” _I actually have no explanation...and trying to tell you my dream will probably cause you to laugh at me…_ Parappa’s eyes roll about the room until he can think of something “I...just...wanna…” _Quick, say anything!_

 

“Wanna?...”

 

“Learn how to play one!” _Well...that’s as good a reply as any other I guess...wonder what she thought of it?_

 

“O-Oh!...y-you do?” Lammy’s hands find themselves drifting to her new guitar “I...can...help with that!”

 

 _Oh dear...well uh…_ ”G-Great!...h-haha...now I just need to get a guitar!...”

 

“Well, I’d hand you either of my two guitars, but I rather not risk anything...happening to them…”

 

 _Sheesh it’s not like I’d BREAK em or anything_ “A-Ahahaha...t-that’s fine!”

 

“I-It’s not like I don’t trust you with em...it’s just I just got this one after thinking it’d be impossible and my original one is a rather sentimental one that I’m a tad overprotective on and-”

 

“Lammy don’t panic! I’ll just get a new one. Now the question is...should I go for the store by the shopping row-”

 

“To expensive, and not even worth the price.”

 

“Ok...how about the one that’s across the street from beard burg-”

 

“Shoddily made to match their bargain bin prices.”

 

“...Alright, then how about that place next to the record store-”

 

“You’re better off using a Guiro by that point, it sounds better than anything sold there.”

 

“Wow you uh...really know your stuff…” Parappa stares at her wide-eyed for her quick criticisms on the music shops.

 

“Oh!...uh...yeah I guess I do when it comes to guitars. When you play one for so long, you come to see where it’s actually worth getting one to use.” She simply plays a riff on her new guitar.

 

“Well how about the shop YOU work at? Think that place would have what I need? After all, that’s where you got this one!”

 

Lammy stops playing as the guitar nearly drops from her hands “U-Uh...I...r-recommend NOT g-going there…”

 

 _Where the heck did her bravado go??_ “Is the place really that bad??”

 

“U-Uh...sure we can uh...s-say that…”

 

“Any...particular reason?”

 

“U-Um...oh would you look at the time!...The others should be awake soon! I should really head out and buy the stuff needed in order to get breakfast ready! S-Sorry Parappa, but we’ll have to continue this another time!” She bolts to her room in a mad dash, a few moments later, she rushes out of the house altogether after getting suitable clothing and is seen running down the street from the window.

 

“That was...odd…” Parappa tilts his head as he places a finger on his chin “I’d even say concerning, but I can’t really invade over little matters. If she says no then it’s a no. Hmm...that just leaves Paul’s place. And seeing as we BOTH used that place, i’m guessing that’s fine.” Parappa shakes his head, causing his ears to flop about “Really wish she didn’t bring up a Guiro...still have bad memories from the thing...Bah that’s not important now! Breakfast will have to wait, I need a guitar and quickly!” Parappa runs off to his room to get better dressed and also runs out in a hurry, but not to the extent that Lammy took.

 

* * *

 

“Alright so I just gotta keep driving on down this path and I’ll be there before I know it!...say that’s a large crowd of people...what’s happeni-” Parappa drives up to see that a building had caught ablaze, the sight leaving him in a terrified awe as it brings up rather...unwanted memories “...H-Holy sh-”

 

“MOVE MOVE MOVE!” The fire fighters shouted, snapping Parappa out of it, as they scattered around the place, hoses ready.

 

“Puddle sir!” the firefighters await their chiefs call.

 

Puddle simply stares at the fire “Man...this is some heavy Deja Vu men…”

 

“Do we have enough to put it out sir?”

 

“It’s not if we have the water, but rather if we have the time to save the building and everyone in it…Not again…” He stares at the ground in a PTSD induced flashback.

 

Suddenly another fire truck appears as more firefighters appear from it

 

(“ALRIGHT MEN! THIS IS WHAT WE WERE HIRED FOR!”) The Ex Tempo’s march out of the truck and rush into the burning building, each and everyone one of them lining up on specific parts and floors of the building, holding it together.

 

“S-Sir! The new recruits are holding the building steady!”

 

“Well I’ll be damned...ALRIGHT, THEY BOUGHT US TIME! NOW LET’S PUT OUT THAT FIRE REAL GOOD!”

 

“WITH THE FUNK!” The hoses began blasting water at the building that was now more stable.

 

“Alright, you, you and you will be coming with me inside to escort any trapped civilians out of there!” Puddle says as he points to three corresponding firemen.

 

“ROGER!” The three dogs say in unison as the storm in.

 

Puddle rushes after them but stops at the entrance of the building, whispering to himself “Heh...where you new guys ten years ago? Could’ve helped a lot back then…” He nods to himself before continuing inside.

 

Parappa simply stares, amazed at how efficiently the Ex-Tempo’s managed to help in this situation until he closes his eyes with a smile “See Bunsen? Ur? Fire doesn’t have to destroy after all.” With a prideful nod he resumes his drive.

 

* * *

 

“Ok PJ so!...What do I gotta do?”

 

“Well it’s pretty much straightforward if you just follow what I do Matt.” PJ waves his arm around the ingredients “The orders are quick to prep, only thing to really be wary for is how long you let some of them bake or others blend. Don’t wanna ruin anything before its done.”

 

“Got it! So I’ll just follow your lead! You’d think it’d be easy for Chop Chop to teach Noodles and Pinto that wouldn’t it?”

 

“Well Noodle’s case is self explanatory, and for Pinto...eh...she seemed like she was keen on just being the waitress.”

 

Matt thinks on it “Well can’t argue there, given both of their track records. Although given how smart Pinto is, you’d think she’d be above acting like the cutesy little girl.”

 

“On the contrary, that just shows how smart she really is. She knew they’d eat it up And she also knew what to apparently do so that they would KEEP eating it up.”

 

“Yeesh that’s astounding, and a bit scary when you think about it.”

 

“Relax, in the end she’s still just a kid having fun.”

 

“I guess, it’s just astounding to have a kid so young with a brain so big! She started actually using it since she was like...six right? She even made that weird little blue thing that tags along with her always. Uee was it?”

 

“Bingo! Course with help from her dad, similar to Parappa and Boxy boy.”

 

“Wait, Parappa made him?”

 

“Again with help from his dad, so because of that Parappa feels as if it was mostly just his dad.”

 

“Ah I getcha.” Matt taps his fingers on the counter “So-”

 

“No I will not continue this chat. You’re trying to stall for time to avoid dealing with the eventual customers.”

 

“Pffft whaaaaat. No i’m noooooooot.” sweat started to emerge onto his face as a failed attempt at a smile plasters itself on his face.

 

“Matt relax, recall that Parappa, Tamanegi AND Paula will have your back here.”

 

“Yeah...I know, but it’s just still a LOT of people i’ll have to deal with…”

 

“Again relax, it’s not like someone gonna bail out on us-” PJ is silence by the sound of the cafe door opening “Oh? Who could that be? Tamanegi said he’d take a while…” Paula walks up to the counter, wearing a hoodie that cover the top half of her face from being seen “Oh, you’re early Paula.”

 

“Hey Paula, what’s with the new hoodie?”

 

“Oh it’s just to not make any on lookers worried.”

 

“Worried?” The two boys say in unison. Paula then pulls down the hood revealing a more bandages that are wrapped around her head, even covering her left eye!

 

“Whoa what happened?!”

 

“The blow to my head was apparently much more...not good then what we presumed. Even temporarily lost vision in my left eye.”

 

“Why do you sound so calm about this?!” Matt says as he fumbles his hands in place in an exaggerated manner.

 

“Oh because I already had it checked out, did so the second we cleared things with Chop Chop. Docs said I was smart to at the very least try to bandage it up, slowed down what would’ve been a real bad mess. I’m talking full on blindness! Thanks to Parappa’s quick thinking, I got off with just temporary half blindness for about a day or two. Still gotta deal with the pain of the injury itself on my head though till it heals. Other than that I’m ok, hence why I didn’t want anyone to worry.”

 

“Oh man, it’s still a cause to worry! Just don’t overexert yourself...either way you can’t work like this!” PJ states as he rubs his forehead.

 

“That’s why I’m here early. I came to tell Chop Chop that I’ll have to be benched for a few days till my visions fully restored, can’t really do much with only half my depth perception.” She looks around “Where is he anyway?”

 

“Out gathering more stuff, he didn’t stock up since Noodle’s was here taking care of it. Now that we’re back he had to make a big trip. We’ll pass the message for you.”

 

“No, i’d rather tell him myself. I asked for the job, i’ll take responsibility for my own actions on why I can’t arrive for it!”

 

“You have no responsibility to take! That injury was out of your control!”

 

“You try explaining that to a doctor.”

 

“No need, Tamanegi already made me feel like a child explaining a fever dream when me and Parappa tried explaining it to him…”

 

“You see?”

 

“Fine fine, just take a seat and wait for him.”

 

“It’s just a slight headache inducing hit, it’s not like i’m just gonna drop and faint on the spot! Sheesh.” Paula rolls her eye and then simply stares at PJ with an annoyed glare.

 

“Ok! I’m sorry I decided to be worried for a friend of mine!” PJ returns the annoyed glare to her.

 

Matt simply stares at the two of them back and forth, then crosses his arms and speaks up “You sure you two broke up?” Both immediately turn their gaze to Matt, he can feel the anger seeping off of them “E-Eheh...p-poor choice of words…” he immediately braces for impact "Can't you two take a joke?!"

 

* * *

 

“And here we are! Chuck’s Custom Guitars! Sales*Repairs!” Parappa parks his car and hops out “It’s the last place that wasn’t criticised to the ground by Lammy so this is my choice by default!” He runs on inside and upon heading in he sees all the racks filled with guitars “Wow...this place usually doesn’t all the stocks full…” He looks to the counter to see Paul and Deto laughing between each other as they seem to talk about things only they’d get “Yeah that explains it.” He walks up to them.

 

“Well hey! Look who we have here! If it ain’t the town star!”

 

(“Oh laddie! Didn’t think you’d be visiting me at my new place of business so soon!”)

 

“Hello to the both of you! Man this place is packed to the brim with guitars!”

 

“Well that’s thanks to the fun motivation brought to me thanks to my new buddy! Really does make it easy to chop even more trees down for fun!”

 

(“Ahem!”) “Agreed! T’was but a fine combination! There was instant chemistry and the guitars just filled the shelves! Now we’re fully stocked and have to wait to be bought out before we can carry on! But I guess it’s better this way, the trees can grow back in that time!” Both of the laugh as if they brought up an inside joke.

 

“Well that’s great! It even seems as if the quality of the guitars improved even further!” Parappa says as he glances by the selections.

 

“That they have! Also an end result of our new enhanced work!” Paul gives a hearty laugh, causing his gut to shake “Since ya hear, I take it you’ll be buying one?”

 

“Yeppers!”

 

Paul nods, but then scratches his head “That’s odd kid, I thought you didn’t play the guitar ever since you accidentally turned both your made one and fancy one into Guiros...”

 

“Well I mean I don’t, but-”

 

“Buying a gift for someone then laddie? Is it for the lamb lassie? Or the cat lassie?” Deto says as he chimes in.

 

“No its!-”

 

“Oh that’s right! I forgot about them girls! You trying to win em over?”

 

“No! The guitars for me! I...need it for something…” Parappa tries to avoid explaining the actual reason “I wanna learn to play!” _I did it again!_

 

“Oh! Well that’s great to hear! Never hurts to branch out what you do! Just pick one out and we’ll help send you on your way with it!”

 

After a bit of browsing, Parappa finds a guitar that catches his eye and decides to take that one. Once he talks with the duo, he pays for it and is off.

 

“There goes a satisfied customer!”

 

“I hope the learning process goes well for the lad. But i’m sure he’ll be fine!”

 

“If it goes as well as the boy’s singing front then he’ll be better than fine!” Paul nods in confirmation of himself then begins thinking “I wonder if I can hire him for something I’ll be planning in the future…”

 

“Oh right! You’re plannin on proposin to your burd ain’t ya? Who was she again...that there idol from hell, Mistress Yoko wasn’t it?”

 

“The very same! I just hope she says yes is all…”

 

“Oh come on there! With how you say things are between the two of ya since yer time datin, I’m sure it’ll go smoothly! Especially with the gift you’re planning on makin and givin before ya even propose!”

 

“Hope you’re right on that, don’t really have time for jokers.” He crosses his arms as he snorts out smoke.

 

“Oh have more faith in yerself! Anywho what did you have in mind for the furry lad?”

 

“Well in case things do go well! I’d plan to hire him as the wedding singer!”

 

“Oh how nice! Well all I can do is hope all goes well for ya!” The two clutch their hands in a heavy handshake.

 

In the meanwhile, Parappa reaches his car and sets the new guitar in the seat next to him “Alrighty! Time to keep this with me now! Oh but I don’t have time to get back and eat something...I’ll just eat something at the cafe! Might as well since we’re gonna be starting soon.” He hums happily as he drives off.

 

* * *

 

“Alright time to go eat something!” He leaves his car with the guitar strapped on his back, but upon heading inside, he is shocked to see PJ and Paula launching objects at Matt, who hides behind a table, using it as a shield “What the hell did I miss??”

 

Matt is the only one to notice Parappa and quickly calls out “H-Help!”

 

Without hesitation Parappa heads off to help him while avoiding the objects flying about, within moments he arrives behind Matt’s makeshift blockade “What the heck did you do?”

 

“Why do you assume that this is my fault?” Matt just watches Parappa as he crosses his arms and furrows his brow “Yeah...alright...this was my bad…I maaaaay have made a poorly timed joke from not reading the room properly...”

 

“Sheesh, Ma-san has rubbed you fully if that’s the case...oh man let me help you out of this. Come on.”

 

“I go out there, I may die.” Matt huddles into a ball and falls onto his side, trembling in fear for his well being.

 

“Fine ya big baby, I’ll help you out of this. They may be mad at you, but they won’t try to harm me! I just got here!” The second Parappa stands up, he is conked in the head by a plastic jar, instantaneously knocked by it.

 

“Well...can’t say I didn’t expect that…” He gets up and runs off to Parappa’s side “Aw man…H-HEY! QUIT IT! I SURRENDER!...YOU GUYS KNOCKED OUT PARAPPA!”

 

“Lying won’t get you out of this Matt!” Paula yells from the other side of the cafe.

 

Matt picks up his unconscious friend and waves him around “This look like a lie to you?!”

 

The objects stop flying as PJ and Paula run up to him.

 

“Aw hell…” PJ stares at the unconscious Parappa before flicking Matt on the forehead.

 

“Ow!”

 

“This is your fault you know.”

 

“Yeah yeah...can we just stop? I AM sorry...it was just a poor attempt at a joke…”

 

“Poor is an understatement…” Paula says before also flicking Matt on the forehead.

 

“OW! I DO bruise rather easily you know!...”

 

“Oh suck it up, I nearly cracked my head open and am here staring at you with only half my vision! If _I_ can be alright with that, you can handle light taps to the head!”

 

“...wow way to make me feel like a wimp by comparison…”

 

“Man. Up. What happened to the Matt that apparently knocked over a big bad fire fox while also stopping him from offing your friend?”

 

“He stayed behind back there with any actual danger…” Matt groans “Look I get what you mean, and I do have my moments. I just rather prevent moments of that regard in a more moderate fashion so it doesn’t NEED to come to that...”

 

Now PJ interjects “You weren’t like that five years ago. Where’d your bravery go?”

 

“It went down the toilet along with my pride when I didn’t bother helping Parappa during that warehouse nearly crushing us. And then being called lucky by the docs for just running away…”

 

“Not like you could’ve done much to begin with. None of us could have. We all felt bad, but it’s by no means a reason to make sure you bubble wrap EVERYTHING.”

 

“I know that _now._ Parappa made me see that with him, it’s impossible to try to be that safe when he’ll go headlong into a problem to fix it no matter what!” He groans in self aggravation as he smacks his own head “I both love and hate that he’s got such a big heart…”

 

“You’re telling us…” Both Paula and PJ force out a chuckle before PJ cargo lifts Parappa over his shoulder.

 

“Come on let’s get him onto a chair, and then clean this place up...we open in under an hour…if Tamanegi sees any of this he’ll blow open his layers!...”

 

“Ewwww...I did NOT need that mental image…”

 

“Same here...ugh...that’s the classic PJ bluntness at work!” Matt laughs to himself earning another flick to the forehead from the bear.

 

* * *

 

“Ten minutes till we open!” PJ shouts out

 

“Ugh...my head…”

 

“Parappa’s finally awake!” Matt shouts back “So Paula, aren’t you gonna...you know head home and rest?”

 

She lifts her hood back up “Nope, at least not yet. I wanna speak with Parappa.”

 

“But Chop Chop said you were good to go.”

 

“I know, still wanna thank him for the quick thinking.”

 

“Gotcha!” Matt walks back to where Parappa was.

 

“Ow...where am I…” Parappa continually rubs the bump on his head until he remembers “OH!...the cafe! MATT!”

 

“Hey! No need to yell! I’m right next to you!”

 

“S-Sorry...well...you seem ok now!”

 

“Yeah and all it costed was you getting hit in the head!”

 

“Lucky you…” Parappa scratches around his back until he notices that the guitar he had strapped on was no longer on his back “H-Hey where’s the guitar I had????”

 

“PJ put it in the back of the kitchen.”

 

“Phew…”

 

“What up with that anyway?”

 

“Ah...I just…” _Might as well give him the same excuse_ “Wanna learn to play one is all.”

 

“Cool. Paula’s out there sitting at one of the tables, she wants to talk to you before she heads home.”

 

“Head home?? But we open in-” He stares at his watch “Seven minutes! Wow I was out cold...guess there’s no eating here either for me…”

 

“You didn’t EAT-” Matt was about to go off on a tangent, but Parappa quickly beats him to the punch.

 

“I’ll work out something with PJ in the kitchen, so don’t start. Now I’ll go see what Paula has to say in the meantime.” Matt facepalms in anger as he watches Parappa walk off.

 

“Hey Paula!” He continues speaking as she slowly removes her hood “What’s with you bailing out on us? You look like you’re in perfectly fine conditiooooOOOOOOOH WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR EY-” Paula shuts him up by shoving a donut in his mouth.

 

“Calm down and let me explain first! Look, after we came back from that weird place and finished up here, I went to the hospital to get myself checked out because I may have not told you guys that my vision was getting just a slightly bit blurry. Docs patched me right up and said that it was thanks to the slight bandaging that I managed to prolong what would’ve been a bigger problem long enough for me to get it fully treated! My eyesight will return by tomorrow or the day after. Of course I’ll still have the bump and the headaches for a little while longer, but not as painful! And I gotta thank you for that, after all it was _your_ quick thinking with the bandages.”

 

Parappa forcibly swallows the donut in one gulp “Ow…” he rubs his throat before replying again “Well, i’m glad you’re going to be fine. You probably should’ve said all that BEFORE you pulled the hood down, but I digress. I just did what I thought was the smartest thing to do! I had the bandages on me after! So...you’re welcome! Although I really only had them because Katy, Ma-san and Lammy made me keep extras incase the ones I have now became to worn down or dirty or just plain ineffective. So you should be thanking them instead of me.”

 

“Were they the ones to tell you to help me? From what I recall, Ma-san was busy with the Tempos, Lammy was unconscious and Katy was angry at me at the time.”

 

“I mean yeah, but-” She shoves another donut in his mouth.

 

“Just accept the thanks already.”

 

This time he manages to chew the donut efficiently before swallowing “S-Stop doing that!...”

 

“Will you accept the thanks?”

 

“Yes yes!...”

 

“Then I will. Here’s the remainder of the box so you can eat them on your own. They were given to me by Chop Chop as a get well soon type gift, but I happen to overhear that you skipped out on eating breakfast.”

 

“N-Not by choice!...”

 

“Excuses, excuses...now go eat!” She stands up and places the hood back up “I’ll be off now.”

 

“Won’t you need help?”

 

“Oh don’t worry! I only ran into three things on my way over here!” Parappa stares at her in fear of her well being and simply gulps “I’m KIDDING…” She sighs seeing that her attempt at lightening the mood failed greatly “Well, take care.”

 

“I should be the one telling YOU that.”

 

“Likewise.” She winks with her visible eye before sliding out of the cafe.

 

“Man, sometimes I wonder if it’s a good thing that we all stay the same as our younger days” He places another donut in his mouth as he just shrugs it off.

 

* * *

 

“Oh man, what a day….” Matt stretches his back and arms “Guess this is something I gotta get used to!”

 

“Well for your first day, you did great! Almost mixed up an order or two, but that was quickly handled!” He pats his friends back before carrying on “I can already see you going about as if you’ve been here all along!”

 

“Well with complementary motivation like that I can only hope!” They fist bump before PJ pops in.

 

“Hey, glad to see you’re making our new recruit feel very welcome!”

 

“Uh...PJ it’s just me-”

 

“Matt shut up and let me finish.”

 

“But! Erm...ok.”

 

“Since we recruited another male member! It’s time for what Parappa and I planned since way back when! I don’t even think we can remember how far back!”

 

“Where you guys expecting to have more recruits?...”

 

“Well we figured the cafe would’ve garnered enough popularity for newcomers…but I think it’s because of said popularity that we may have appeared to be...I dunno, high standard?” Parappa says with a sad whine.

 

“Well those guys don’t know what they missed! Honestly working with you two can have!...Mixed results…”

 

“HEY!” Both shout at Matt from that remark, but he simply laughs at them.

 

“You two aren’t exactly proving me wrong!”

 

“Whatever, me and PJ planned out a snack fest with the would be new guy, but the only one who eventually opted to join was Paula, when we tried inviting her, she called it all a dumb thing and decided against it heavily...it was probably for the best as it was meant for a guy and not a girl after all.”

 

“It didn’t hurt to TRY and invite her, but she could’ve gone without the demoralizing…” PJ grumbles underneath his breath once he mentions this.

 

“Well I mean, this is Paula, what you guys had in store probably just didn’t appeal to her.” Matt says trying to cheer them up.

 

“Oh no doubt about that, but still! It’s something me and PJ planned with utmost emotion!”

 

“Sheesh. How about we get off this topic and you just tell me what you two wanna do with me. Something about a snack fest?”

 

“Well yeah! Think of it as a mini binge initiation type deal!” Parappa fist bumps the air.

 

“Did PJ think this up?”

 

“Rude! How dare you accuse me of- yes. Yes it was mostly me.”

 

“Heh, aw hell why not! Nothing wrong with stuffing your face everyone once and awhile!”

 

“Exactly!”

 

“Matt don’t encourage him…”

 

“To late! Let’s eat!”

 

“Words I wanna hear!”

 

“Alright. Guess we’re eating!” Parappa just shrugs it off as he straps the guitar on his back and  along with PJ, brings in the snacks.

 

* * *

 

The trio slowly strut down the street as Parappa holds his hands around his gut, eventually stopping to whine in discomfort “Ohhhh...I should not have let myself try and go against PJ all out…” Parappa clutches his stomach more tightly in pain.

 

“You’re just realizing that THAT was a mistake just _NOW?_ ”

 

“I’m an optimist, I figured I could give it a shot.” Parappa covers his mouth before releasing a painful burp “But that was probably the biggest mistake I’ll ever make…”

 

“You can’t beat the king, you can only humor him.” PJ lifts his arms to the sky triumphantly as the slowly descending sun beacons off of him.

 

“I don’t know if being the king of having a black hole for a stomach is something to be proud of man.”

 

“Matt sometimes you can’t be picky over your own ridiculous superpower.”

 

“This does not qualify as a superpower.” Matt turns his attention back to their hunched over friend “Right Parappa?...Uh...You ok man?” Parappa stayed in a ball as his face began turning purple.

 

“Uh oh...that’s a heavy hit of deja vu...quick we gotta find a bathroom! Stat!” PJ plucks Parappa off the ground and zooms off with Matt following right after.

  


After enough running around, the trio eventually find a bathroom for Parappa. After he’s done, PJ decides to tease him over it “Sheesh, glad we found a bathroom! Ironically it’s the same exact one as when this little problem happened the FIRST time!” PJ can’t help by laugh loudly at the memory.

 

“Please don’t...I really don’t wanna remember that...like...ever again…”

 

Parappa’s reply just gets Matt to laugh along with PJ “I don’t think anyone would, but it’s just the fact that this happened to you AGAIN. Can you blame us for laughing?”

 

“...whatever...I’m calling it a day. I’ll be at the Expo for a majority of the day tomorrow so don’t expect me to be at work tomorrow. I already informed Tamanegi sensei.”

 

“Yeah yeah...man, Paula calling out as well messed up some things huh?” Matt shrugs.

 

“Well whatcha gonna do about that? Can’t be helped.” he turns around “Well later guys.”

 

“Later man, I’m gonna head off to. Need to catch up on my driving lessons that I’ve been missing for the week.” As Parappa disappears in the distance Matt adds on.

 

“You? Driving lessons? Who’s teaching you if it isn’t him? Mooselini?”

 

“Nope. Leo.”

 

“Why him??” Matt huffs, offended that he wasn’t an option to teach his friend how to drive.

 

“Oh just...taking him up on an offer after him and I had a small chat.”

 

“Well I just hope he’s a good teacher…” Matt grunts as he kicks a can that’s on the ground away.

 

“He is, no worries. What’s up with you though? What got you all upset all of a sudden?”

 

“Well how come _I_ wasn’t an option to help teach you?”

 

“That’s it?” PJ sighs “Didn’t take you to be offended by the little things. I didn’t wanna bother you guys. And as for Leo, he was simply a good countermeasure.” _As in, it’s his punishment_ “So that’s why.”

 

“Well, not much for a reason, but I know it’s all i’m gonna get out of you….” Matt kicks the ground in frustration “Ok! Just hope I can be of assistance to you as well with something else in the future.”

 

“Of course, don’t worryyyyyyy. You should know that I always keep you and Parappa in mind when I need help, but for now you should probably help Parappa more than me. Just know that I do understand the friendly gestures.”

 

“I’m glad you do! I’ll leave you to it then. Later man.”

 

“Later.” The two nod and part ways.

 

* * *

 

“I’m back!” Parappa unstraps the guitar from his back and heads for his room. He doesn’t get a reply and simply shrugs it off “I’m sure they probably went out somewhere.” As he heads to his room door, he hears voices from the other side just as he grabs the doorknob “Wha?...” Parappa leaves his guitar by the wall then places his head to the door to listen in.

 

_“He’s here! I can’t go through with this!”_

 

_(“Oh just grow a spine already! Beside you offered it to him and ALREADY planned the whole thing out!”)_

 

 _“Yes! That was an impulse action that i’m quickly regretting!_ ”

 

_(“Regret THIS!”)_

 

_“H-Hey Ma-san! S-Stop it! W-Waaaaah!”_

 

There’s a loud thud that hits the door from the other side, immediately Parappa opens the door only to have Lammy fall on top of him “Whoa!...oof…”

 

“Owowow…” Lammy rubs her head until she notices who she’s on top of “E-EEEEP…” she wastes no time in getting off of him “I-I’M S-SO SORRY P-PARAPPA!...”

 

“It’s cooooool...ow” Parappa peels himself off the ground ”...what where you doing?...”

 

“I-I-I wassss….”

 

(“She was setting up a surprise for you. She wanted to make the lessons she promised you start immediately the second she would see you with your new guitar, but as expected, she instantly started backing out of it-”) Ma-san intrudes explaining the situation, only for her to be intruded upon.

 

“I-In fear that I w-wouldn’t be a good t-teacher!”

 

Ma-san huffs (“Yeah...in fear of that...totally…”)

 

“Aw Lammy! You didn’t have to be afraid of that! You make a great teacher, no matter the task!”

 

“H-Heh...thanks…” _Phew…_

 

(“Barf…”) _Figures brainless would believe spineless...ugh...what do I see in him again?_

 

“I wouldn’t say it if it weren’t true! And hey Ma-san? What’s with the bandage on your dynamite?”

 

(“Huh? Oh this. I uh...figured that it might help seeing as my fuse is kaput and all...”)

 

“I’m sure you’re fiiiiiiiine Ma-san! But that aside, if anything that does make it look-”

 

(“Ridiculous? Stupid? Pointless?”)

 

“Well no...I was gonna say adorable. In a...funny out of character type of way.”

 

(“Ah...of course…”) _Oh yeah…you endearing piece of-_

 

“A-Anyway! I t-think I’m just gonna h-head to my room! Not l-like I can teach y-you anyway! Y-You didn’t get a g-guitar.”

 

“I did actually. It’s right over there behind you!”

 

“Wha-” She turns and stares directly at the new guitar. The body is black and orange, while the neck is red with pink and the head is blue and purple “Oh…” _Huh...he has nice tastes in guitars…_

 

(“Dude it looks like every decade genre of music barfed all over your guitar…”)

 

“Hehe...yeah it does look the part don’t it? But hey! I liked it and therefore I bought it! That’s as good a reason as I need!”

 

Lammy can’t help but giggle while Ma-san rolls her eyes, both immediately reply in unison “You are _such_ a dork.”

 

“And I will not deny that!” He crosses his arm “Doesn’t mean I won’t take a little offense!”

 

(“You are not obligated to take offense to this since you admit you’re a big dork.”)

 

“Whatever.” He smiles “Anyway, I’d love to take lessons from you Lammy!”

 

“I-I uh...um…” her hands grab both her guitar and his new one “Guess I’m a new teacher now!”

 

“Well with me, you usually are!” Parappa’s tail ways gleefully until “Hey wait where’s Katy?”

 

“Oh! I got her to go on and thank Leo for the belt she annoyed off of him. It’ll probably be a while till she gets back.”

 

(“Yeah and I ain’t cooking till she’s here. So you’re gonna have to wait on that.”)

 

“That’s fine by me...kinda...wanna wait on eating for a while…”

 

Both Ma-san and Lammy look at each other before back at him (“What did you do?”)

 

“Something I...rather not explain…just know I’m...full...for lack of a better word...”

 

(“Uh huh…”) Ma-sans glare drills it’s way into his psyche.

 

“I’m ok! Look I ate beforehand and now I’m kinda...wanting to stray away from eating for a bit…” Ma-san’s glare refuses to cease, causing him to lose his balance “I-I’m serious!...it was jus-”

 

(“Stop. Your face is getting purple so I get what you’re trying to hide.”)

 

“I-I don’t get it...w-what happened?...”

 

(“Don’t worry. It’s nothing bad. He’ll probably need to wait a while till his guts ready to accept food again.”)

 

“Y-Yeah what Ma-san said! I’m good soooo, no need to worry over me!”

 

“...” Lammy simply ruffles her hair in confusion “Alright. Well if you wanna start your lessons just pick a room for us to practice in I guess.”

 

“Oh! Well you were trying to catch me by surprise in my room so why not there still?”

 

“Seems good.” Lammy walks into his bedroom carrying both guitars.

 

Parappa immediately scuttles next to Ma-san and whispers to her _“Thanks so much for not saying it out loud!”_

 

(“You really shouldn’t be thanking me for that. Katy filled me in on the story of your little…’accident’ when you trying to impress that daisy gal way back when.”) She shoves him towards his room (“While it is gross, i’m curious as to what the hell you did to be in that situation _again_.”)

 

“Eheh...eating binge initiation with PJ to welcome Matt to the Cafe…I may have gotten just a tad competitive with PJ...just a smidge...”

 

(“You are such an idiot…”) as she shrugs she slightly smiles (“But I guess I am to after what me and Paula got everyone into. Now get in there and learn how to play your new guitar already!”) She gives him a swift kick that sends him flying into his room.

 

Parappa plucks his face of the ground and looks over to Lammy “Hope I’m not a pain to teach!”

 

She tosses his guitar towards him after he gets up, a grin plastered onto her face “You’ll be fine. Just try to not get left behind in my dust from awe.~”

 

Parappa holds his guitar in a position similar to how she’s doing “So that’s what you expect of me eh?~ I’ll be sure to surpass your expectations!~”

 

“Puh-lease, you’re jamming in my field now!~”

 

“Then let’s rock Jammer Lammy!”

 

“It’s on Parappa the Rapper!”

 

Ma-san shakes her head with a deflated chuckle as she listens to the two from outside the room (“I swear you two are so alike at times it’s ridiculous.”) she leans on the wall with a fake sigh as she listens to their playing.

 

* * *

 

“Ok...so Leo should be here...but he’s not...great…” Katy slams her head on the steering wheel causing the horn to blast out “Ughhhhh...just how long am I expected to wait…” _Of course he’s busy once I’m being forced to thank him…_

 

A car pulls up to the front of the club, alerting Katy. After a bit comes out PJ and Leo.

 

Leo collapses onto his knees once he’s out “Ohhh...why must you accelerate so much when driving...”

 

“It’s natural to me, besides I do it in a way where I’m still being safe on the road.”

 

“But not the people riding with you...oh i’m gonna be sick…” He dizzily gets back up, trying to remove his helmet until PJ stops him.

 

“I think you have company so you might wanna hold off on taking this off.”

 

“Huh?...” They both look towards the van as Katy hops out “It’s Katy! Why is she here?”

 

“I would say that she’d also want driving lessons, but she already knows how to drive.”

 

“Don’t even joke about that…” His helmet emits a sweatdrop as PJ chuckles.

 

Katy walks up to them with smoke emerging from her head as she approaches Leo angrily “Where were you?! I’ve been waiting all this time to say thanks to you!” She begins flailing her arms aggressively towards him as he tries to block the hits.

 

“Say thanks?! Then why are you trying to hit me!...”

 

“Say thanks for what?” PJ’s voice causes Katy to stop trying to smack Leo as she turns her attention to him.

 

“PJ? Why are you here?”

 

“I believe I asked a question first.”

 

“Well I wanted to thank him for the special belt he gave me yesterday.” She creates a Katy clone that points to herself

 

_“I’m the reason it’s special!”_

 

PJ simply lifts his shades to stare at the second Katy then to Leo “You gave her something that does THAT??”

 

“I said I would think it over! But she wouldn’t stop asking, so I gave it to her so that she would stop asking…”

 

“Why am I not surprised…” He lowers his shades then looks back to the original Katy “Well I’m here for the driving lessons.”

 

“Oh riiiiight...Leo did bring that up before we went to that place in the pond.”

 

“Did he now? Well he was still making good on that, and as for you. Aren’t you gonna say your thanks?”

 

“Oh right. Thanks for the belt, it occurred to me that I may have forgotten to thank you when you first gave me it.”

 

“Oh that’s fine...you were rather distracted by it. Sorry for making you wait.”

 

“It’s fine now. Had I remembered that you were helping PJ, I wouldn’t have gotten upset over wait...or you know...not waited at all and only arrived till you were done!”

 

“I suppose so…” Leo looks towards PJ.

 

“Don’t look at me. You know very well you ‘owe’ me the ‘time’.”

 

“...Yeah...I knowwwwww…” Katy’s tail bends into a question mark as she looks at the two talk between each other before Leo continues on “Well...I can’t exactly return the time you waited for...but I can try to make up for it if you like?”

 

“Make up how?”

 

“Well since I’m done with PJ’s lessons for today.”

 

“I didn’t say we were done for to-”

 

“ _Since_ I’m **_done_ ** with PJ’s lessons for **today.** ”

 

“Ok. We’re done for today.” PJ throws his arms to the air as he heads back to the car.

 

“Want me to take you along the town for the night? I feel like I owe a lot more than that, but it’s what I can offer for now.” He taps his helmet “I will have to take PJ along with us since I’m his ride back home though.”

 

Katy’s tongue sticks out as she begins thinking. Eventually she snaps her fingers causing the clone Katy to vanish “Can we do that tomorrow morning?”

 

“Oh...uh...why?”

 

“Well the shop I work at is closing for a bit of maintenance all day tomorrow. However It’s gonna be dull since Ma-san and Parappa have something to do and Lammy seems to wanna do something else as well. So I’m gonna be bored out of my mindddddd by myself. Ya dig?”

 

“I mean...that’s rather unconventional-”

 

“You offered!”

 

“Yeah...yeah I know…” A loading bar appears on his helmet before an error takes over “Ok! Then I guess my offer is for the morning! The scenery stays the same here regardless cuz...you know...no sunlight!”

 

“How does everyone here deal with that? Isn’t sunlight kinda...you know...heavily needed?”

 

“You say that as if everyone stays here. This big ol town is more of a tourist attraction if anything! Ironically people who live here go elsewhere for tourist traps!” a smiling emoji appears on his mask “That’s not to say this place is bad to be in! The houses here are equipped with a source of light equivalent to sunlight so that the daily people get used to the actual sun as well as get what they need!” His smile turns to a frown “Of course...my place isn’t outfitted as such…”

 

“Why not??”

 

“Because I live…” He grabs her by the hand and pulls her to an angle that can see what's behind his club. He points to a tall building, bigger than his club as it breached the sky! “There...the place so kindly gave me the...top floor…so I get the luxury of sun directly in my face at all times in the morning and afternoon...”

 

“Yeesh that...sounds like it sucks a lot…”

 

“You have NO idea…” He shrugs “But I learnt to live with it. Anyway alrighty! Just give me a call over when you want to actually start the apology trip.”

 

“Will do!” She walks off to her van as PJ walks up to Leo again.

 

“Well that was awfully nice of you.”

 

“She’s partially my mom. It’s kinda in my blood to be a good boy. Same goes for the other gals. Does make sense though since I am part dog.”

 

“What you didn’t inherit from Parappa in appearance you inherited in heart it seems.” He chuckles.

 

“Whatever **_Uncle PJ_ ** , so you wanted to chat?” He puts so much emphasis on calling out his uncle.

 

“Yeah. Let’s head inside.” Both of them head into the club, but as the door closes Katy’s ear twitches in the distance.

 

“Uncle PJ?...” She slides into the driver's seat of her van “Why would he call him that??...” she shakes her head to get the thought out “Maybe I misheard him...oh forget the what if’s! I gotta get home now!” She quickly drives off.

 

* * *

 

As Katy pulls up to the outside of her home, she notices a group people outside cheering towards a window, even the neighbors “What’s going on?...” She forces her way through the crowd, and the second she opens the door the other people try to get in “H-Hey!...no intruding in our place!...” she closes the door and immediately locks it “Sheesh it’s not even that fancy an apartment…”  she heads upstairs and upon opening the door she immediately calls out “Hey guys i’m here i’m sorry I was waiting for Le-...guys?” She hears weak guitar playing from Parappa’s room. Ma-san stands by the window where the crowds cheering can be heard.

 

(“Bout time you came back.”) She huffs (“You missed quite the performance I gotta say.”)

 

“Performance?” Ma-san replies by tilting her head towards Parappa’s room to which Katy goes towards. She opens the door and pokes her head in “Hello?...” She sees both Parappa and Lammy as they can barely hold the guitars in their hands. Lammy’s hands cramp up from the overuse and the blisters, but they refuse to let go of the guitar. Parappa’s bandages have been entirely worn away from the constant strumming of the guitar, he barely keeps a good grip on it as his hands tremble from exhaustion, but they also refuse to drop the guitar “What the hell happened here?...”

 

“H-Haaa...you can’t...hold it right anymore!...I win!...”

 

“Y-Yeah right...you can’t...even strum yours...anymore!...so...I-I win!...”

 

“Neither of you won anything! You both look like your arms are gonna fall right off!”

 

(“If anything, I’d say the crowd won.”) As Ma-san says this, both Parappa and Lammy look at her.

 

“C-Crowd?...” as they say this in unison Ma-san motions them towards the window. When they walk over to it, they see the massive flood of people that gathered around. Said crowd immediately cheers once they see the guitars in their hands seeing that they’re the source of the music.

 

“Wow...to think we attracted this crowd with that lesson turn standoff…”

 

“E-Eheh…” Lammy turns to Parappa “Wanna...call it even?...”

 

Parappa nods as he holds his arm out “For now, but once I learn to play. We’ll be at it again!”

 

Lammy grins as she grabs his hand “You’re on!” Both immediately let go as they hold their own hands in pain, forgetting how weakened they were.

 

(“Pride above pain, that’s both honorable and stupid.”)

 

“Oh boy...Mind filling me in on what happened as I help patch up their hands Ma-san?”

 

Ma-san shrugs with a sly grin (“Sure, anything to recall what happened. Moxie was certainly high I can tell you that right off the bat.”)

 

“I can tell after witnessing this…” She pushes the two along “Come on you two…”

 

After a bit of cooling down and explaining, Katy merely groans at the situation that took place prior.

 

“Y-Yeah we may have g-gotten out of hand...just a bit…”

 

“A bit? Lammy you drew in a crowd!”

 

“Well there’s nothing wrong with that. Doesn’t she generally do that? Don’t ALL of you generally do that?”

 

“That’s when we play together as a band purposefully! Not trying to attract a mob of fans or paparazzi to our home!” Parappa flinches as Katy shouts at him.

 

“Yeep...yeah….that would explain why you guys picked such a quiet, out of the way neighborhood…”

 

“Well...it’s not like we didn’t expect this to eventually happen...but it would’ve been nice to go a little longer without the overbearing clamoring. Gotta keep a quiet normal life from time to time you know? Can’t ALWAYS have the hussle and bussle.”

 

“Yeah I understand you. And I...erm...apologize...it’s mainly my fault since I got the guitar and everything… Lammy wouldn’t have offered if that weren’t the case.”

 

“Yeah...Lammy told me earlier today you wanted a guitar...why though? You never really had interest in one ever since the Guiro incident.”

 

“Guiro incident??” Lammy tilts her head in confusion as she stares at Parappa.

 

“A-Ahaha...yeah a funny thing that happened...thanks to PJ…” he frowns but immediately regains his composure “But that’s not the point! The guitar was...for uh...something I wanted in particular!”

 

“What an out of the blue urge…”

 

“Hahaha…y-you know me!...Always out there!...” He struggles to maintain eye contact.

 

“Right...well. I gotta say, I must’ve missed one hell of a guitar off!” She smiles before grinning mischievously “For something that was supposed to be a simple teaching process. It sure became quite a duo dessert!”

 

“I-It wasn’t anything l-like that...j-just me g-getting a competitive streak is a-all.” She buries her face in her hands.

 

“Whatever it was Lammy, I still did learn quite a bit as I was doing my best to catch up.”

 

(“And judging by the crowd, I’d say you caught up quite quickly.”)

 

“Psshh. Nah. I don’t think I could’ve caught up THAT easily to her. She’s still leagues above me.” he rests his hands on his hips with a smile, as he praises his new teacher.

 

Katy chimes in “You’re such a dork, you know that?”

 

“I’ve been told.”

 

“I’m sure you have. Now come on Ma-san! Let me help you cook due to taking so long to get back!”

 

(“Ain’t saying no to help!”) They both head off as Parappa walks up to Lammy.

 

“Hey, thanks for all this. It honestly caught me off guard that you offered to help on the fly. You even tried to make it like that of a surprise party!”

 

“H-Hehe...yeah...I guess it, I dunno, made me happy to hear you wanted a guitar?...” She bashfully rubs her shoulder “Something in me just...wanted to help with that…”

 

“Well I’m glad!” _The dream person didn’t tell me that I couldn’t LEARN how to play the guitar. For all I know it’s probably a requirement!_ “I’d be glad if you can continue to teach me after we eat! Hopefully it won’t end up another competition.” he shrugs “I wouldn’t mind if it did though, just gotta be gentle on our hands!”

 

She perks up instantly “I-I’d be glad to!...” She smiles in a way that makes his heart skip a beat “It’d be nice to have another instrument player here!...but uh...think you can help me with my singing? I wanna...be able to sing like you and Katy...but everytime I try with Katy I just get super panicky because I think about MilkCan and worry over me singing horribly on stage…”

 

“I’d be glad to, as I’m sure you’d be great! Although you don’t really need help since you’re already such a fantastic singer!” He pats her on the back “Of course I’ll still help if you really want me to!” They both simply smile and nod at each other.

 

After the four of them eat, Katy decides to ask Lammy what it was she had planned for tomorrow before she went off to teach Parappa some more “So Lammy, what was it that you were gonna do tomorrow?”

 

“O-Oh!...right!...that…” She takes a deep breath before turning to Parappa. She tries to force out words as her mouth struggles to open. Eventually she shouts out “P-PARAPPA W-WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE F-FOR ME TO ACCOMPANY YOU O-ON YOUR LITTLE F-FAMILY OUTING!...” She closes her eyes and tilts her head down as she tries to avoid looking at him, knowing his reply would be a no. She however is surprised once he speaks up.

 

“Sure! I don’t think my dad or Pinto would mind!”

 

She raises her head back up as she stares at him “Are you s-sure?...”

 

“Of course I am! The more the merrier is something my dad would say when it comes to inventions!”

 

Lammy simply smiles widely with glee “O-Ok!”

 

Ma-san and Katy only stare at the duo with their mouths open.

 

_“Huh...guess she does have a spine. Where the heck has it been then all this time?!”_

 

_“W-Wow...she made a move like that so easily… Why didn’t I think of doing that?!...”_

 

Parappa notices the two of them and speaks up again “What’s up? You two wanna come as well?” They quickly snaps themselves out of it.

 

(“Sorry, no can do. Gotta work and all. Papa-Ma’s still kinda miffed, what with me being gone for a week with no form of communication.”)

 

“I’d love to!” _But then I’d just be a third wheel...and clearly Lammy’s trying so hard to start something...ARGH...be the bigger person...you have been helping her more than yourself after all_ “But I can’t either.” Katy struggles to think up an excuse until she recalls what she and Leo agreed on “Leo’s gonna be showing me all around Neon Heights all day tomorrow!”

 

“He is???” The trio say as they look at her.

 

“Yep. Said he wanted to make up for causing me to wait so long for him to get back when I was trying to thank him. And this was the best he can try to do! Of course he is still adding on once we actually are going about.”

 

(“Wow. A famous celeb offering to take you around one hell of a town. Must be a dream for him given how much of a fanboy he is.”)

 

“Well yeah. But he was rather calm and not fanboying as he offered. Showing that he was serious that it was mostly for an apology. Which is respectable! He’s been raised well is all I can say on it!” Katy then sneezes as a sense of irony seems to faze by her, much to her confusion.

 

(“Of course there’s also the possibility that he’s making it a date.”) Parappa’s ear twitches as Ma-san brings that up (“I mean, think about it. A town bathing in neon lights. The town itself is always cascaded by night, allowing for the lights to just shine on, in what most would consider a romantic environment.”)

 

A wave a jealousy slowly enters Parappa’s psyche “I doubt it’s that Ma-san, Leo doesn’t seem like the type to WANT to date yet!”

 

(“While his lifestyle choices are sporadic to a point that what you say may be true, you also have to take into account how much of a fan he was. Now recall this. When you hit it big and some of your female fans managed to spend some time with you, what was their first innate instinct?”)

 

“...To hit on me… So much so that I needed to have Sunny next to me at all times just to get them to buzz off…”

 

(“Bingo. Who’s to say this isn’t his attempt?”) She shakes her head (“It’s probably a sly tactic that he had in sto-”) Ma-san is clocked on the head by Katy (“OW!”)

 

“While you do make a valid point Ma-san. Leo doesn’t seem like the type to do that. Honestly he seems to give off a weird...familial air? I dunno. I can’t put my finger on it…” She sneezes again “Blegh...point is. That doesn’t seem like his goal. He really is just being a bro about it and trying to make up for his mistakes, whether they were warranting a big flashy apology or not. Kinda like...a dog trying to be a good boy! Or a son trying to apologize to his mother after messing up big time!” Katy is now in a sneezing fit, once she stops she growls in anger “WHAT’S WITH MY NOSE?!” She immediately places a close pin over it “It’s not like there’s pollen or anything that I’m allergic to nearby!...”

 

Lammy hands her a box of tissues “Maybe someone’s talking about you?...T-They say you s-sneeze a lot when you’re being talked a-about behind your b-back…” She then scratches her ear “Or irony...when you talk about something that’s more under your nose than you think...of course I don’t think it’s the second thing. So...I hope whoever’s talking about you is at least talking about nice things…”

 

“Same here...although I rather they stop talking about me in general…” Katy then growls lightly “It’s probably my mom and dad...blegh…” She stands up “I’m heading to my room for the night. You two try not to keep the lessons going on for to long alright? Not just because Parappa needs to maintain his sleep order for his body’s sake, but because you two _will_ be going to an expo early in the morning after all.”

 

“Right!” The duo say in unison.

 

“Good. Night you three.” she walks off.

 

“N-Night Katy!”

 

“G’night Ka-” Ma-san abruptly speaks up to taunt Katy again, cutting Parappa off.

 

(“Have fun on your date tomorrow!”) She begins laughing heavily (“Try not to do anything to craz-”) Parappa instinctively flicks her on the back of the head (“OW WHAT’S WITH THE TWO OF YOU?!”)

 

“Katy herself said it’s _not_ a date.”

 

(“I’d expect to hear that from Katy herself, but what got your panties in a knot mutt?”)

 

“Nothing! I’m just saying that it’s not a date is all!” He crosses his arms.

 

Ma-san’s sly smile returns (“What are you? Jealous or something?~”)

 

“Don’t be ridiculous!...I just...know how annoying the topic can be when it comes to fans that pester you over it!”

 

Ma-san laughs. _He’s totally jealous._ (“Right. Alright. You have a point and I apologize! Just go enjoy your lessons already!”)

 

“I **will!** ” He gets up with gusto “Let’s go then Lammy!”

 

“U-Uh...right!...” She glances between the two of them. _What...the heck just happened?..._

 

As Ma-san watches the duo head off out of sight, she rolls her eyes. _Would you look at that Katy? The mutt got jealous over you! If that ain’t a sign that he’s got some interest in you, then I dunno what is with him! Oh wait till I tell you about this!_ She hops off her chair and heads over to Katy’s room.

 

Meanwhile with Parappa and Lammy.

 

“Parappa...a-are you ok? You seem a-a bit...upset…”

 

“Huh?...Oh! Yeah I’m fine. I dunno just Ma-san’s teasing got to me is all. I’ll get over it!”

 

“You s-sure?”

 

“Yeah! No worries! Now before you start my next lesson, let me call my dad to tell him that you’ll be comin with!”

 

“G-Good idea!...”

 

As Parappa scrolls around to get to his dad’s number, he can’t help but get lost in his thoughts. _It’s not a date...Leo’s just being a bro...like Katy said… Why do I care so much over this???..._ He is snapped out of it by his dad’s voice, who he managed to call subconsciously “O-Oh! Hi dad! Look I kinda gotta tell you something!”

 

_Tomorrow’s gonna have a lot going on...What’s gonna happen at the expo?...What’s gonna happen with Katy?...What’s...gonna happen here?... Guess I just gotta wait and see…_

 


	15. I wanna know more about you!

The quartet simply finish breakfast and immediately exchange their words of encouragement as they slowly walk towards the stairway door.

 

(“You three enjoy yourselves!”)

 

“You sure you can’t convince your dad to let you go with either of us?”

 

(“I could. I COULD do that, but is it worth going through his elongated spiel over the importance of communication? Nuh uh, I’ll take my lumps thank you very much.”)

 

“Well that’s about as grown up a response as we’ll get from her.”

 

(“Sticks and stones.”)

 

“Whatever. Well Lammy! Hope you and Parappa enjoy yourselves while you learn about the nerd gear!”

 

“It’s not nerd gear Katy!”  


“Of course _you_ would say that, you’re a nerd! It’s in your blood!”

 

“Just because I come from a lineage of inventors doesn’t make me a nerd...d-does it?”

 

“I h-honestly don’t mind...i-it’d be nice to learn about technological t-things...w-who knows. Maybe y-you’ll be the next b-big name to join t-them with mind blowing i-inventions…”

 

“You think? Parappa the inventor...doesn’t have that same ring to it...But i’ll still give it a go! After all that’s why I decided to go with my dad in the first place! Aside from...you know...trying to apologize to my family for being a menial shut in for a year.”

 

“I know y-you’ll get the i-inspiration you n-need!...But why b-bring the guitar?...”

 

“Oh uh... “

 

“Yeah why **are** you gonna take that with you?”

 

“Just...because…”

 

(“Just let him. Maybe he just wants to show off to his dad and sis.”) Ma-san scoffs (“I tell ya, they just learn how to play and already they’re off thinking they can perform like an angel!”) She turns her back, snickering below her breath.

 

“P-Parappa isn’t l-like that!...Right?...”

 

“Uh…” _well that reason IS technically more sensible than just saying ‘a girl in my dreams told me to!’ Of course that isn’t really saying much…Alright lemme fix this…_ “I...had…” He sighs “A weird dream…One where this weird...enigmatic person appeared in it...she was in a rather...sorry state...”

 

(“Weird dream?”)

 

“Enigmatic person?”

 

“S-She?...”

 

“Yeah...see...she’s...actually a real person! Apparently...I made contact with THEIR subconscious in the dreamscape and well...She wants uh...help.”

 

“H-Help? With w-what exactly?”

 

“That’s...the thing...she didn’t specify...only told me that I would need a guitar to start the process of helping.”

 

“That clarifies nothing.”

 

“You’re telling me. She said that the guitar was apparently meant to ‘get through her thick skull’? From that point onwards it’s on me with what I need to do to help her. Thing is I don’t know WHO she is or WHERE she’ll be…”

 

(“So long story short, you plan on carrying that thing around until you find this chick and help her?”)

 

“Well it’s not like I could say no! Dream or not, she’s still a person in need of help!”

 

“Parappa…” Katy sighs “You do realize that you maybe...DREAMT it all up? Because this WAS all a dream after all… For all you know, this girl doesn’t even exist!”

 

“I thought so to! But she spoke rather...out of line for a dream...it was all serious...and sad...And she looks...so familiar…Maybe it’s a friend I made and they’re in need of big help!...I just gotta do this!” As he says this, Lammy recalls what he said to her the morning prior.

 

_Say...you uh...don’t need help with anything...guitar related by any chance do you?_

 

_Could he have dreamt about...no...no that’s crazy...then...maybe he dreamt about me? I don’t need help...or...was it my feelings subconsciously reaching him?...It did make me really happy when he said he wanted a guitar…_ Her eyes turn to spirals as her face glows red “O-Oh maaaaan…”

 

“Lammy you aight? You ain’t lookin to good…”

 

“H-Huh?...OH!” she quickly tries to calm down “Yes! I w-will be! E-Especially now!” _Definitely now. This means that me asking to tag along WILL actually lead to something!...I hope...please tell this will end well for me…_

 

“I still have my doubts Parappa...but I can’t stop you from taking the guitar-”

 

Lammy quickly intervenes “I’ll t-take mine as well!”

 

“...Why?...”

 

“I c-can give him a f-few extra l-lessons along the drive t-to the place!...”

 

“You are encouraging...nevermind. Fine just...try not to let that get in the way of Parappa and his family’s trip.”

 

“I w-won’t!”

 

“It will all be fine Katy!” Parappa starts strumming his guitar, creating a gentle melody.

 

“Good!” Her phone vibrates “Oh! That’s Leo! Gotta go!”

 

Ma-san takes her opportunity to spark some more fun (“Enjoy your _date!_ ”) The gentle melody quickly spikes down into a scratchy mess, similar to nails on a chalkboard. Ma-san mentally fist bumps. _Booyah! Katy should’ve definitely noticed that!_

 

“Parappa? You alright?” Katy quickly turns to face him. He simply stares at the ground as his hands tightly clutch the guitar, any tighter and he would either snap the strings or the entire neck of the thing.

 

“...Yeah...I’m good...just uh...fingers still...sensitive from last night is all…”

 

“Really? You were playing such a nice tune then all of a sudden-”

 

“I’m **GOOD** ! Everything’s **GOOD**!” His head forces itself upright as a very fake smile grows on his face. He speaks through his teeth as to maintain the smile “Have. Fun. On. Your. Date!…”

 

Her ear twitches “Yeah...I uh...will. It’s not a date though.” She laughs awkwardly “Anywhoooo...I should go! Later you guys! Have fun with your respective time passers!” She bolts out the door and out the exit.

 

“U-Uh...Parappa...M-Mind easing up on y-your guitar?...Y-You’ll break it if y-you hold it like t-that for much l-longer…” Lammy says as she tries to get him to calm down.

 

“Yeah...you got a point there...I’ll just...ease...up…” His fingers begrudgingly peel off from the guitar neck, as if they were rusty hinges that went without oil for ages.

 

“Y-You feeling ok y-yourself Parappa?...”

 

“I’ll be fine...just...need to get my mind off of things…”

 

(“While you do that Mutt, I really should be heading off now. So you two try to enjoy yourselves! Be on the lookout for dream chicks in need of guitars!”) She cackles as she walks down the stairs and is seen through the window heading down the street.

 

“We should probably wait outside as well. My dad will be here soon to pick us up.”

 

“R-Right!” She taps her fingers “Y-You...gonna need a-any help c-calming down?...”

 

He takes a deep breath to calm down, her words bringing him back to a neutral state of mind “I’ll be fine Lammy, but thanks for the offer!” this time he smiles sincerely as he grabs her hand and tugs on it “Well come on. Can’t just wait up here!”

 

“R-Right!...h-heh…”

 

As the duo head outside, they spot Katy speaking to Leo while in his car.

 

“You’re gonna be needing these.” Leo hands Katy some dark sunglasses.

 

“But isn’t the place we’re going to completely void of sunlight? Why do I need the shades?”

 

“Ohoho trust me...the neon lights may be pretty, but the deeper in town we go, the stronger they get. And boy howdy will they burn off your retinas if you’re not careful.”

 

“Yeesh, how do you deal with that?”

 

“You get used to it. Of course I also have this helmet.” He laughs to himself as Katy notices Lammy and Parappa, she waves goodbye to them as Leo begins driving off, only to see Parappa merely eye Leo with a smile that gave a heavy air of passive aggression. Once they were out of sight and hearing, Leo tries to speak up, only to nearly have his ears blown out by Katy squealing in delight “Well now I’m gonna need some context…”

 

“He got JEALOUS! Over me being with another guy! Can you believe that?!~”

 

“I’m sorry what.”

 

“Parappa! He is super jealous!”

 

“That explains the feeling of murder and death I felt off of him...but why though?”

 

“He thinks we’re on a date and that must’ve triggered something in him!”

 

“But this isn’t a date though…”

 

“That’s what I told him! But I guess Ma-san’s teasing jokes might’ve been taken a bit to far that now he thinks otherwise! Last night she told me that she noticed him get jealous, but I didn’t believe her. Now after WITNESSING it…” she trails off as her tail curls into a heart.

 

Leo chuckles “Well, it’s nice to see you so happy over a rather inconvenient way of finding out your crush is even more into you than you thought.” A frown appears on his helmet screen “I just wish I wasn’t the guinea pig that invoked his anger…”

 

“Oh come on it’s not like Parappa’s the kind of guy to assault another one over something like that...I think~...”

 

“Hey there. My safety with the truth matters more than your wacky ways of finding out just how much he’s into you.”

 

“Relax~...This was enough to lift my spirits up…~ After what happened last night…”

 

“That being?”

 

“Well Lammy out of the blue asked to tag along with him on his trip to a science expo!”

 

“That’s today?! I erm...mean...really now?”

 

She looks at him with a questioning gaze, but quickly gets over it “Yeah...and he said yes. And that really just...hit me hard…”

 

“Why didn’t you just ask to join them?...”

 

“Because...Lammy worked her courage to the max just to ask him...She clearly wants to start something...and...if I go as the third wheel she won’t do anything…” She reels back as realization hits her face “Oh no…”

 

“What now?”

 

“He does have some emotions for me...but also her...ugh...this is hard… A lot of good having a chance is when she has just as big a chance…”

 

“Why not strike while the iron’s hot then?”

 

“And intervene on something Lammy’s trying to do on her own?! Hell no! I’d never forgive myself!...”

 

“Fair enough, just try when you can.”

 

“Who knows when that will be…”

 

* * *

 

Parappa and Lammy watch as Katy drives off with Leo.

 

“L-Lammy…”

 

“What?...”

 

“I change my mind...I think I will need your help c-calming down…” Parappa’s eye twitches uncontrollably, like a malfunctioning machine.

 

“R-Right!” She ponders at what to do until her instincts innately kick in. She wraps him in a tight hug, as much as she wants to slink away from doing so. She can’t help herself, and luckily, neither can he.

 

Parappa returns the hug as he starts calming down, his tail wagging with glee. “Thanks~...” _Nothing beats a great hug from a dear friend and a pretty girl~...wait...what was that last part?_ Before he can fully question himself Lammy speaks up.

 

“No problem~...Glad that it worked!...” She tries to let go, but Parappa refuses.

 

“A bit longer please?...” He stares with sad puppy eyes.

 

“...Ok.” _Who could say no to a face like that? Not like he needed the face to convince me to not let go~..._

 

After a while of waiting, Parappa’s dad eventually arrives. To which they break the hug.

 

“Well you ready to go?”

 

“O-Of course! I just hope they aren’t u-upset with me intruding on w-what was basically a family only outing…”

 

“Please! My family would never! My dad was ecstatic to have you along! I’m sure Pinto is the same!”

 

The door to the car opens up, Papa Rappa waves to them to come in. From the inside of the car he along with Pinto are seen, but there is also another guest with it being Guru Ant.

 

“Guru! Why are you here?” Before Parappa can get an answer, his father intervenes.

 

“He’s back to staying with us again and he offered to help as an exchange for staying with us.”

 

“But I thought you and Takoyama were living together? Did you two hit rocky waters?”

 

Guru immediately waves his arms in defense “No maaaan...TK-YO kinda messed up and now the place needs renovatin...So in the meanwhile we can’t be there what with it bein kinda...blown up…”

 

“What d-did Takoyama-san d-do?...” Lammy says wary of the octopus hairdressers ecstatic streak.

 

“All you really need to know is that he got...way to into the groove...and before you knew it, the place was a wreck...At least he still has a backup home. It’s a really small place though so I couldn’t tag along with. And the only other place I really know of was technically your place. After all, when I was small I kinda just stayed around with no one really noticing. Can’t really do that since I’m BIG now…so rather than just bum about for free, I figured I’d help your dad. Course I forgot he creates a lot of wild things that pose a rather incredible risk to my health…” He shakes his head ”But I already offered so, what can you do. It guarantees a roof over my head till this all gets resolved. Besides, I missed you guys, you’re like a second family to me.”

 

He wasn’t wrong, after the whole noodle incident, shrinking Guru Ant was a rather...puzzling task. The device that Papa Rappa had that caused the whole size predicament in the first place met it’s untimely demise at the hands of a overused remote. And trying to recreate it wasn’t exactly a simple process. To a point that the attempt was given up. Guru Ant had to adjust to his new life. And so he stayed at the Rappa household, seeing as it’s where he was to begin with, and just integrated himself into their life. He became that of an older brother/Uncle figure to Parappa and Pinto and it stayed that way until he and Takoyama hit it off. It was rather unexpected, but heartwarming nonetheless. Eventually he moved out because of it and it was a rather upsetting moment for the Rappa siblings, so seeing him back again is a rather exciting thing, but also a shocking one for Parappa.

 

“Well it’s nice to see you again nonetheless because the feeling is mutual!”

 

“I’m glad, now you two get in! We are in a rather hurried moment aren’t we?”

 

“O-Oh right!” Both Lammy and Parappa hop into the car.

 

The drive was as long as they expected, but it certainly wasn’t monotonous as the two older adults talked between themselves while the two young adults sat in the back with Pinto. Pinto had chosen to sit directly in between the two of them however, cutting off any chance Lammy had at making advances “Um...Pinto...missed your bro?...”

 

“Yes.” The response was quick, flat and sharp. All the things pointing to one obvious thing, Pinto was not happy with Lammy.

 

Lammy simply recoils in her seat as her arms wrap around her stomach. Parappa notices this and tries to chime in “Lammy you...feeling alright?”

 

“Oh I guess I could be better…”

 

“What’s wrong?...”

 

“N-Nothing!...Just a little...anxious is all...the usual…”

 

“...Mind givin me another lesson about now?...”

 

“S-Sure!” As Lammy replies she begins sensing a sharp burning gaze looking at her. She doesn’t look towards the source, she already knows who it is. She struggles to keep her composure “B-But maybe not right n-now? H-Heh…”

 

“Nonsense! Wouldn’t hurt!” He grabs his guitar “Let’s go!”

 

Lammy swallows roughly “O-Ok…”

 

Before Parappa gets to pluck a chord, Pinto tugs on his arm “Hey bro?”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Why didn’t Katy choose to join us?...” Pinto’s words cause an emotional dagger to jab itself into Lammy’s heart.

 

_That explains the hostility...makes sense...Katy is like her sister figure given their history...to a point it would make sense that she would want her actual brother and her to be together…_ Lammy whimpers. _What’s worse is that Katy doesn’t even feel that way about Parappa!...if she found that out she’d be heartbroken...and probably blame me…that’s a terrifying thought. Luckily she won’t find out about th-_

 

Parappa’s hands tightly coil around the guitar neck once more “Oh...she’s...gone with...another friend to enjoy the day…”

 

Lammy flinches. _Oh no..._

 

“Another friend?...”

 

“Yes...one we met...at a new club we went to...he decided to take Katy to traverse the town over…”

 

“He???....”

 

“Yes...so she agreed...and are currently at their date…” The final sentence mortifies Pinto as multiple thoughts begin entering her head, shattering a collection of happier thought she created involving a future with the two people she’d hope would get together. With this new, albeit incredibly incorrect info, Pinto began panicking on the spot until she squeals in devastation before collapsing onto her seat. Her eyes faded and a comical little spirit version of her leaving her mouth, signifying that she was out cold. This turns Parappa’s resentment and anger over Leo into worry over his little sister “P-Pinto?!...” He drops his guitar.

 

Papa Rappa quickly calls out “Everything alright back there?...”

 

Parappa fumbled with what to tell him, but before he could even try, Lammy spoke up for him “Nothing Mr. Rappa! Pinto just fell asleep! And…she looked so adorable I just couldn’t contain the squealing!...” _Hopefully that was believable…_

 

“Oh...well alright then carry on! But uh...try to keep the squealing down? Kinda need my ears drums to not be blown out while I’m driving...”

 

“Will do!...S-Sorry Sir!...” After he quiets down, Lammy turns her head to Parappa and Pinto.

 

“W-What happened?!...Why did she just up and faint!...”

 

_Oh you lovable ignorant goof…_ “I...couldn’t tell you if I knew!...which I don’t!...All I do know is that she’ll be fine...she won’t be happy, but she will at least be ok…”

 

“Oh man...maybe it was something I said??...” He quickly gasp “D-Do you think she picked up that I was upset over a friend and that got to her? Because I’m usually NEVER upset at a friend!...And that triggered bad flashbacks!”

 

_How is THAT a conclusion you reach?! Wait...upset over a friend?...Leo or Katy? Why?_ “Upset over who?...”

 

“Oh it doesn’t matter now! Not anymore at least! I can’t be letting things like this get to me! Otherwise I’d just be back at square one.” He whimpers “i’m sorry Pinto...Big brother should’ve known better…”

 

_I don’t know who to feel bad over more...Parappa or Pinto...._ “Well...while I don’t think that’s the case, it's good that you caught yourself and are now putting an end to it before it became an actual problem.” _Doesn’t exactly do much for Pinto, but I’m sure she’ll get over it once she figures out they’re not really dating. Now how am I gonna cheer YOU up now though?_ She closes her eyes until it hits her. _Well...Pinto is out for the count...making this a lot more easier…_ “Hey Parappa?...Still want those lessons?...It might help you ease up for the remainder of the ride.”

 

“...Yeah, that’d be nice…” He picks up his guitar “Know any nice uplifting beats?”

 

“Do I! This is me you’re talking to. You should know that I have ways to help myself calm down with a guitar~”

 

“Heh. Let’s have at it then.” He glances once more at the knocked out Pinto before they begin to play for the remainder of the ride.

 

* * *

 

“And shades on!” Leo announces to Katy so that she can take cover.

 

“Yikes it really is a luminescent glare.” Katy says as she struggles to watch even with the shades on.

 

“Told you. And at the same time it’s still quite dark. And it’s not even noon yet!”

 

“I can see that…” She looks around the sides of the car “Soooo...what’s there to do here?”

 

“You name it. This place prides itself on having the most out there things you can ask for. If you got a specific yet ridiculous request. Chances are, this place can hook you up.”

 

“Really?...” Katy looks up to the non visible sky “Hm...place got a roller rink?”

 

“Didn’t peg you as someone who’d be into that.”

 

“You wouldn’t be the first to say that.” She smiles “Well?”

 

“Yes it does!” He makes a quick left turn before parking outside a building adorned with blue neon lights “And it’s right here!”

 

“Huh. Convenient. So anything I should be aware of doing or not doing?”

 

“Just enjoy yourself. That applies to every place here!”

 

“Anything to expect?”

 

“Just expect a lot of cheesy music to be blasted. As well as people who never skated in their life acting like they’re born professionals.”

 

“So a classic rink feel. Phew.” She claps “Well, no point standing outside! Let’s go!” She grabs Leo and drags him in.

 

The duo quickly rent out their skates and waste no time getting into the main point of the place, the rink itself.

 

“WOOHOO!” Katy leaps into the air with a triple spin before landing flawlessly on her feet “Man I haven’t been in one of these in like forever! But I still got it~”

 

“I’d certainly say so, you’re catching everyone’s eyes!”

 

“I have that effect on people~”

 

“Doesn’t seem like you have modesty though!”

 

“A little guilty there~” She twirls “But I mean. I’m not wrong~”

 

“Ain’t denying that. No matter how you perform, it’s a treat.”

 

“Thanks doll~” as the duo skate about Katy decides to question Leo “Hey how come you haven’t removed your helmet?”

 

“I’ve told you, I can’t do that.”

 

“But you’ve clearly done it. How else do you eat?”

 

“When no one’s around.”

 

“But clearly your fans have seen you helmetless, Niles saw you helmetless, and now I’m sure even PJ saw you helmetless.”

 

“E-Eheh...what makes you think PJ saw me…”

 

“Well when I was waiting for you, I saw you two arrive and you tried to take your helmet off, but PJ stopped you.” She huffs “So clearly he’s in on it! I wanna know!”

 

“No.”

 

“Whaaat. Are you ugly or something?” As Katy says this, Leo nearly trips and falls.

 

“E-Erm...no...i’m not ugly...my mom and aunties told me I was quite the handsome young man...as do the fans who saw me before I donned this headgear.”

 

“Then what’s the deal man! Take it off!”

 

“No, now please stop asking…”

 

“Fineeeee…” She rolls her eyes. They stay in silence until Katy speaks up yet again “So you were really shocked when you heard about the expo. Why’s that?”

 

This time Leo does collapse onto the ground “Ow…”

 

“Whoa! You alright?” Katy skates towards him and helps him up.

 

“Ugh...yeah I’m ok...the helmet helps! And the jacket and jeans I have are well padded!” He taps his shoulder “Still stiffs up my shoulders and back quite a bit though… Anyway, I wasn’t shocked! Well...maybe just a little...but it was because-” A spinning hourglass appears on his monitor ”I wanted to go there myself! But I guess I forgot when it was…”

 

Katy crosses her arms as she continues skating while dragging him along with her tail “Your helmet gave away your lies, but whatever…”

 

The duo skate like professionals compared to everyone else. They leave everyone else in as they glide along the rink in tune with the music that was playing. It began appearing as if they were dancing while the were skating, but whatever it was. It was captivating to all who saw them. After a small while longer, the duo leave the skating rink and are in the car once more “Where to next?...”

 

“How many places can I choose to go to?”

 

“As many as you want. The day doesn’t end until you want it to.”

 

“Wow really? Man talk about the deluxe pampering treatment.”

 

“Like I said, I owed that much and then some.” His helmet emits a thumbs up.

 

“Well alrighty...before I think up a place I wanna go to...how about we check….Ooooh! That place over there!”

 

“Uh...you sure?”

 

“I ask for it, therefore we go to it!” She fists bumps the sky repeatedly.

 

“Aight…” The duo arrive to the interior of the building Katy chose, walking down a hallway as they near a large door..

 

“What is this place?”

 

“The place you decided to go to was a giant amusement playground!” Leo pushes the door open, only for the two to be enveloped with a wave of laughter.

 

“Wow...look at everything here! Look at those slides! And that humongous jungle gym! It stretches to the roof and goes all the way down there! It’s like the length of three football fields and the height of a windmill!” She gasps “Is that a laser tag arena!”

 

“Uh...yeah?” Leo stares at the girl as she acts like a smitten child who had never seen a playground or amusement park. Or this case a combination of the two “You do realize they have more things here than just the ones you pointed out ri-”

 

She grabs Leo and drags him along as they head off to the arena. Once they arrive, her joy greatly multiplies “They have set types of it to increase the fun!”

 

“Uh-huh…”

 

“There’s one where you play as cowboys against outlaws!”

 

“Katy you’re a grown woman…”

 

“A grown woman who wants to be a cowboy!”

 

“Wouldn’t it be a cowgirl?...”

 

“I say cowboy, I’m gonna be a cowboy!” Her tail cracks on the ground like a whip.

 

“Meep!...yes ma'am!...” _Still a child at heart, should’ve figured as much. She IS the same in the future after all._

 

Katy uses her tail as a lasso and ensnares Leo as she drags him along “C’mon Pardner! We gotta show y’all how great cowboys are compared to all them yellow bellied convicts!”

 

“Whoa heyheyheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey!”

 

* * *

 

Lammy and Parappa stop their playing as the car comes to a halt, immediately they garner applause from Papa Rappa and Guru Ant “That was an ode to the ears you two!”

 

“Man Parappa, you astound me everytime I see you. Truly mature indeed. But I hope this doesn’t mean you’re givin up rappin!”

 

“Of course not! Just learning to play for someone’s benefit!”

 

“Well whoever that person is, they certainly got you to branch out in a great way son!”

 

“Well honestly I gotta thank Lammy for giving me lessons!”

 

“O-Oh it’s no real b-biggie!...I-I’m sure you’d d-do fine w-without me!...”

 

“Of course not! When we return home, I gotta make sure I begin helping you gain confidence in your singing!”

 

“E-Ehehe!...ok!”

 

Parappa, Guru and Papa Rappa all leave the car. They converse over who’ll carry the sleeping Pinto. Lammy was about to do the same but jolts up and flips around when she feels someone tug on her sleeve. When she looks down she sees Pinto awake, but with a sad expression this time.

 

“At least take care of him…” the small puppy stares at the confused lamb, who only looks in fear of what she would say next.

 

“W-Wha-”

 

“You also make him happy...I could hear it in the music...Please don’t break his heart like Sunny did…” She hops out of the car, leaving Lammy stunned. She comes to when Parappa calls her over.

 

“You aight?”

 

“Yeah! I just...got caught off guard is all…”

 

“By?...”

 

“I-It’s nothing!” _Just the fact that I think your sis gave me her ok to hook up with you?..._ When you think about, Lammy is right and wrong at the same time.

 

“Well...if you say so! Come on then, let’s head on in! Pinto woke up and got Dad and Guru to move on!”

 

“R-Right behind y-yo-” Lammy is silence when Parappa grabs a hold of her hand.

 

“Let’s go!” he dashes off, dragging her along.

 

“S-Slow d-down!...” It wasn’t the fact that she couldn’t keep up, no her legs could easily keep up and surpass what he was currently running, it was more so the fact that the simple hand holding had removed what little air she had left in her lungs “I-I can walk on my own!...”

 

Parappa obliges and lets her hand go free “S-Sorry…”

 

_Wait!...NO!...darn it!..._ “I mean!...Um…”

 

He stops and turns to her “Yeah?...” She struggles to lock eyes, it just makes it more difficult to get her point across “You can tug me along...just...um...ask first?”

 

“Gotcha!...” He extends his hand “Well...may I?...”

 

“...You may~...” She extends her own hand to which he gently grabs. And rather than pull her along, he slowly guides her to the main area “Honestly you certainly can run with ease, even with pants that sag so much! How do you manage without them sagging constantly?”

 

“Uh...w-who knows! M-Maybe I just learned how to run better?...” _The real answer is a secret, but I ain’t telling anyone that! It’s to embarrassing!_ He awkwardly fumbles his free hand around, mustering a halfhearted giggle.

 

Lammy catches on, but doesn’t add on, the way he turned down the question is similar to how she does when she rather not answer either “Ok.”

 

“Yeah- wait huh?...”

 

“If the real answer is too much to wanna say, then you don’t have to say it. I know what it’s like to want to keep things to yourself.” She feels his grip tighten.

 

“Thanks, Lammy. It’s nice to have someone who doesn’t try to get everything out of me!”

 

“Well I wouldn’t want it happening to me! I can only assume you are the same.”

 

He giggles again, this time with actual emotion within it “Well, you’d be correct! Now come on! Let’s go see what there is to see in a varied place like this! I already see so many out there inventions! I don’t get why my dad didn’t bring in anything…”

 

“Maybe it wouldn’t be fair.”

 

“Eh? Whatcha mean?” He stops in place.

 

“Can’t be hogging all the attention!” Both share a laugh.

 

“When you’re right, you’re right!”

 

* * *

 

“Well pardner, I’d reckon you’re a good shot~ Guess that fancy schmancy hat o’ yours isn’t an obstruction to your vision after all!” Katy tips her hat towards Leo.

 

“Course not sheriff~ I can see clear as day!” Leo twirls the toy pistol and slips it into the holster.

 

“Clearly! You were shootin convicts left and right before they even came into field of view! One moment fit as a fiddle, the next, boom! Tagged on that their marker on their chest with our laser toy pistols! You sure that noggin gear o’ yours ain’t helping you out?” the cats sticks her tongue out as she playfully accuses the helmeted boy of cheating.

 

“Have mercy! I would never! Them crooked folk simply could muster the ability to stand up to me! And what’s more, you sure you ain’t guilty of foul play either? You sure are one helluva crack shot. Moreso than me I’d say!”

 

“Can’t be blamed for pure innate skill pardner. Y’all could’ve done the same ifin ya didn’t rely on that hear fancy hat~Why not take it off and get a breather?”

 

“I’m not removing my helmet Katy.” Leo grabs the laser toy and quickly fires to the left, eliminating another member of the convict team.

 

“Pleaseeeeeeeeee.” Katy grabs Leo’s and her own laser toy and without looking, quickly fires them behind herself and eliminates two more “You look ridiculous with the cowboy hat on top of the helmet! And the cowboy clothes OVER your jacket and leather jeans! You look like a mess…” She hands Leo his laser back.

 

“Ok, first of all, rude. Second of all, it’s because I can’t take it off!” Leo fires off above as another contender simply bellows out a sad ‘Aw…’

 

“What is it glued onto you?” She fires off behind Leo, but the voice that replies simply gets upset ‘Hey I was on your team!...Ah whatever...not like I would’ve actually managed.’

 

“No! I mean that as in, you aren’t supposed to see me!”

 

“But whyyyy...PJ got to see...that fact alone is offending meeeee…”

 

“It’s not like I WANTED to show him!”

 

Before Katy could add on, the speaker turned on and informed the duo that they were the last ones left “That means we win!”

 

‘The remaining two will now have a duel against each other! The victor will be the last one to not be tagged!’

 

Both of them stare at each other, then quickly vanish into the terrain to hide. The lights in the arena began to turn on to both give away their cover as well as make it a bit more difficult for their lasers to hit their mark. At this moment they kept firing the moment they noticed the other peek out from one cover to another, but neither one could hit each other “Just throwin this out there, you may wanna give up now Leo!”

 

“I’m gonna go on a limb and say you’re not gonna take no for an answer?” Leo immediately dodges a light that was aiming for him “I’ll take that as a yes.”

 

“Sorry doll! Can’t be spendin mercy to any convict on the battlefield!”

 

“This is sheriff abuse!”

 

“This cowboy ain’t hearin it! She’s the queen of laser tag and has been since as far back as I can remember! Almost as instinctual as dancin on the dancefloor! And you’re the queen’s next victim!” She dives to another cover while firing a beam to hit Leo, but he quickly runs away. While he runs off, she takes the opportunity to go to a mini hiding spot in the higher ground. _Alright, since I made it seem like I’d be chasing him, he’ll be expecting me to strike from the low path and try to sneak around and catch me off guard! Unfortunately for him, I’m up here! And I have the vantage point of the entire place from here. If he pokes out for even just a second...BANG! He’s done for!_ She hears a shift in spot not to far off “Hm?” She sees something move “Gotcha!” She pokes out from the hiding spot and attempts to fire, but as she pops out she herself is hit in the chest by the laser toy.

 

“Bang! You’re out pardner.” Leo says from underneath Katy’s hiding spot.

 

“W-Wha-...how did you...how COULD you??...” Katy fails to pronounce anymore words, she is completely dumbfounded by how he could’ve possibly found her out.

 

“Confused as to how I figured you out? When I was young I had someone who was close to me ALWAYS do that as one of her finishing tactics. She would always expect the runner to anticipate her creeping along the ground level with them. And she was right, they never expected her to be ABOVE them! And so I took that knowledge with me. And wouldn’t ya know it? It worked to my advantage~”

 

“But you were over!...” She looks towards the spot where she saw something move, but upon closer inspection, it was Leo’s cowboy hat attached to the scenery “N-No...t-that’s not possible…No one ever knows how to deal with that tactic...because I thought it up!...how is that…-”

 

“Don’t think to hard on it and just accept it. The queen’s…” He blows the tip of his toy pistol before holstering it again “Been dethron- h-hey...d-don’t cry!...I-It’s just a game!...” He quickly starts panicking once he sees tears leaking down her eyes “Uhhhh...U-Uh...i-is there anything I can d-do that’ll get you stop crying??...”

 

“C-Can we get ice cream…”

 

“S-Sure!...” _So that’s who I got it from...I thought it was from dad…_ “Let’s go, there’s a place down the street that has some great ice cream!...”

 

“Any good burger place here to?...”

 

_Yep...it was definitely her...heh, I’m glad._ “Yes there is, it’s in this building though. So what do you wanna get first?”

 

“The ice cream...that way when we come back here...I can get on the slides and climb the way high up monkey bars once I’m done eating the burger!...”

 

“I’m starting to question if you’re really upset and are just using this to get more pampering out of me.” she stares at him with sad eyes “Okok. Let’s go.” She stops the sad face then looks at him cutely. It taunts him in an impish manner.

 

“Let’s!”

 

* * *

 

“What’s this thing right here sir?” Parappa says as he hovers over an oblong device.

 

“That my impressionable young lad is something akin to a fax machine, but it’s actually something more! With help from an odd fellow who claimed they were from hell of all places, very strange, this device can actually send people to far off distances! At least that’s what the fellow told me it would do once he helped me make it…” the inventor of the device, a walrus man, says as he scratches his head.

 

_Huh...that sounds a lot like the thing Yoko had...I wonder…_ “S-Sir...a man with a pumpkin for a head w-wouldn’t have been the one to help you make this now would he?” Lammy asks, already knowing the answer.

 

“Why yes it was! You happen to know him?”

 

_I’m guessing this is either to have a spare one in case they end up getting stuck up here and need to get back to hell...or they broke the original one and plan of claiming this one eventually as ‘theirs’..._ “U-Um...vaguely. J-Just happened to hear this h-happen before is all.”

 

“Sir how does it work?” Parappa says as he gets near the machine and stares at it rather closely.

 

“Like this!” the inventor pushes Parappa into the machine, and immediately he gets sucked in.

 

“W-WHAAAAA-…” Parappa’s voice fades into nothingness as the machine stops whirring. His voice is soon then again heard from the air as he was transported to the ceiling “AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” He plummets downwards like a cartoon character careening down a cliff.

 

“Oh...that wasn’t supposed to happen...he was supposed to be sent to the side hallway. Oh dear this is bad…”

 

“I-I GOTCHA!...” the distressed lamb skitters along the ground with her arms held out as she tries to catch the falling Parappa. She closes her eyes, and in split second after, she is slammed onto her back. Parappa is safely in her arms as she holds him tightly. “Owowow...c-caught you…~”

 

“Phew...yeah...thanks a bunch Lammy!... Are you ok though? I landed on you pretty hard…”

 

“I don’t m-mind! I’m ok k-knowing that you’re o-ok.”

 

“I’m terribly sorry dear boy...it seems this device is currently malfunctioning… I don’t understand, before I came here it was working just fine…” he helps the two of them up “I didn’t anticipate that to happen...I hope you can forgive this old fool...he should’ve done a few more test checks before gleefully giving you that test run…” He bows in sorrow.

 

“Well...logically I should be upset...but for the most part we are fiiiiiiine?” he glances over to Lammy, the lamb nods “Yep! Both fine, so it’s all good sir. Neither of us got TO hurt from this!”

 

“Thanks you both. I was one of the main presenters later today what with giving demonstrations on what my invention does...now I definitely need to make sure what’s wrong…”

 

“Whoa...glad we could help prevent what would’ve been chaos!”

 

“Y-Yeah...to think what ELSE c-could’ve gone wrong…only w-wish we weren’t the t-test dummies that figured that out, b-but like Parappa said! W-We weren’t to hurt from it so w-we’ll look it over!” She rest her hands on her hips “I still suggest you get it working before you hit the demonstration floor, otherwise drop out to prevent any more accidents!” He stuttering fades away as a more stern air emanates from her. No guitar needed as her mind was already instilled with anger, or rather what the equivalent of anger to her was with what she could muster, let’s settle for really strong upsetness, over Parappa’s little tumble.

 

“Y-Yes of course! Right away!” He quickly begins working on the device to put in full working order.

 

Parappa stares at her with slight awe as they walk away from the inventor of the fax machine esque device “Wow. No guitar needed for that!”

 

She huffs up steam from her nose as if she were a bull “Guess I was just very miffed at him! I know he didn’t mean to do that. By all means he expected that to fully work and that’s understandable, but would it have killed him to test it first?!”

 

“Well I mean he is rather old...a fall from that height probably would…”

 

“Ok but regardless! That put you in harms way and I just won’t stand for it!” She closes her eyes, stops walking and just sits on the ground with her arms crossed. Realizing that her body would follow her words literally, the action simply causes her to turn red, but she doesn’t get up.

 

“Lammy.”

 

“Nope.”

 

“Lammy…”

 

“Not getting up.”

 

“I get that and all. And while flattering to be so defensive of me...you kinda chose to start sitting in the middle of a doorway…”

 

“Say what.” She opens one her eyes slightly to peer around and spots that he’s telling the truth. She opens both her eyes fully and turns her head to see a crowd of people have built up behind her, wanting to go through “O-OH MY GOSH…” She gets up and scoots out of the way “I-I’M SO SORRY E-EVERYONE!...” She bows apologetically as the people resume walking on by.

 

“Eheh...sorry y’all.” Parappa also bows as the people head on.

 

Once they’re all gone Lammy fumbles in trying to word an apology “I-I...-”

 

“Chill Lammy, no harm done there! Just a bit of an awkward scene is all.”

 

“Y-Yeah but I greatly e-embarrassed you!...”

 

“Eh...i’m more used to that scenario than you know of.”

 

“T-That doesn’t make me feel the least b-bit better at all!... If a-anything it makes me feel worse that I p-put you back into that scenario a-again!”

 

Parappa holds both his hands up in front of her to the best he can manage given their height difference “Re. Lax! As I said, i’m used to it! Besides in a situation like this? I tend not to let it get to me since I won’t really be seeing the people here again. Their opinions on me don’t break me, and it shouldn’t break you either. And if by chance I do end up seein em again…” He pulls out his microphone “I just let em see-” He pulls over his guitar “The better side of me!”

 

“T-That’s one mature thought process P-Parappa...”

 

“I didn’t struggle to be mature for nothin after all! But in all actuality I have PJ and Katy to thank for that. Along with two others.”

 

“T-The other two being?...”

 

“Sunny and, believe it or not, Joe.” Lammy doesn’t speak up, she simply blinks twice in disbelief “I’m serious! It was...a weird circumstance...see...remember how I said he was a good sport when I was the one who ended up with Sunny?...”

 

“Vaguely…”

 

“Well during that time he was a bit more...uh...conservative with his words.” He glances left and right “He was still typical Joe, but there was some good intent mixed in with his endless spiel now and again. Like with this. On the day after the duo rap with me and Mushi that won over Sunny…”

 

* * *

 

_“Oh man oh man...today marks the first day of me and Sunny as an actual couple!...And I am FREAKING out...I might have been over my head with all this...I mean I do want to be with her, but what do I do to make sure I STAY with her?? Aw man datings hard…”_ The young pup skitters back and forth out on the sidewalk _“I’m supposed to be meeting her today at her house to see what we should do for our first date...but what if something goes wrong? What if EVERYTHING goes wrong?? Would people judge us for being a couple?...W-Would they judge her for picking someone like me?...”_ he stops in place and begins whining as he pulls his beanie over his eyes _“Her life’s gonna end up filled with constant stares and ridicule and it’s all thanks to meeeeee…….”_

 

_“Sheesh, you make it sound like if she was dating me in the end!”_

 

Parappa quickly turns around and lifts his hat to see who spoke up, it was Joe Chin _“Joe?? Why are you here?...”_

 

_“Can’t a guy take a simple walk along the town on a nice sunny day?”_

 

_“Joe we’re at the edge of town in the rural home portion, it’s incredibly cloudy, and we’re literally steps away from my front yard.”_ Parappa crosses his arms _“You clearly wanted to see me.”_

 

_“And is there any harm in that dear friend?”_

 

_“Considering what you’ve been putting me through all day yesterday and the day before? Yes, quite a lot actually. And i’m being generous in not counting what happened before those two days!”_

 

_“Ouch, that’s some venom you’re hitting me with old friend!”_

 

_“We’re not friends Joe…”_

 

_“Oh that’s just rude! Why would you go and say such a thing Parappa? Is it because I’m two years older than you?”_

 

_“Age has nothing to do with it! Did you seriously not hear what I just said? It’s pretty self explanatory as to why we aren’t friends…”_

 

Joe scoffs _“Alright alright, I get it. And I apologize alright? Look I came over here to…”_ he sighs _“Congratulate you…”_

 

_“I’m sorry wha-”_

 

_“The better man, won the fair lady’s heart in the end!”_

 

Parappa stares at Joe with confusion before speaking up _“Sunny’s not a prize to be won ya know…”_

 

_“And yet you competed for her much like I was, were you not?”_

 

_“Moving along...it’s not like you to flat out admit this sorta thing...what’s up?...”_

 

_“I am seriously just here to congratulate you!...I don’t have a reason...only shattered pride…”_

 

_“Alright...well thanks. It takes a big man to own up to the mistakes he’s been doin.”_

 

_“And there is no bigger man than I!”_

 

_“And immediately I take it all back.”_

 

_“Sorry...force of habit…”_ Joe scratches his signature chin _“Carrying on, what about you? Why aren’t you continue YOUR walk? You clearly have somewhere to be, but here you are all gloom and doom over your new relationship!”_

 

Parappa sulks _“I really wish you didn’t hear all that…”_ with a quick roll of the eyes he resumes _“Yes I am worried over this...why wouldn’t I be?? I don’t know the first thing about dating! Especially when it comes to keeping Sunny happy!”_

 

_“I’m sorry I’m in a bit of loss for words here.”_

 

_“That’s a first. Why?”_

 

_“Well for starters, everything you just said is...well it’s really a big fat lie.”_

 

_“How?!”_

 

_“Well you say you don’t know how to date, but all your actions in trying to improve yourself to be the girl you love say otherwise. You chose to want to make her happy in that regards through odd means. Ruffians came to her face? You learned to fight. She seems happy at the prospect of travelling? You learned to drive. And when it came to her birthday, you bought her a cake you picked from your heart rather than your brain.”_

 

_“What do you mean by that?”_

 

_“Don’t be a fool! I saw with my own eyes! When you saw the two cakes, rather than pick the flashy expensive one. You bought the classic daisy one. That alone is another innate touch! It also put me in a bind as there were no more flower themed cakes!”_

 

_“...I did do that didn’t I?”_

 

_“And when I…’accidentally’ ruined it. What did you do?”_

 

_“I learned to make one.”_

 

_“Atta boy! You do know what to do with dating, because it just will come to you, like all this did! You can and will make her happy. Just make sure she also strives to do the same for you! It isn’t fair if just ONE side of the relationship is piling on the love!”_

 

_“I know she will!”_

 

_“Good!”_

 

_“But…”_

 

_“But?...”_

 

_“What about any onlookers? What if they just...don’t like us being together? Don’t like her being with me?”_

 

_“Now this is where I draw the line and have to call you an idiot. Which is really bad considering it is I, who is calling you an idiot. Parappa old boy, WHY should any of that matter to you?”_

 

_“Well it’s just...they could make her life hell over me...and just plainly berate me at the same time…”_

 

_“And again, the thoughts of others should affect you, becaaaaause?”_

 

_“Well they-”_

 

_“They can’t break you. They will never break you. Words are sharp yes, but I must ask you this. What do you think of the daling Miss Funny?”_

 

_“I love her with all my heart!”_

 

_“And what did she tell you after your performance with the MC yesterday?”_

 

_“She loved me with all of hers…”_

 

_“And that’s?”_

 

_“Real love…”_

 

_“And love is strong enough to not heed the words of others. No. YOU are strong enough to not let any words affect you as is she. Being together simply increases this fact! What another thinks of you is nothing that should keep you up at night when the fact is...Will you really ever see this person again?”_

 

_“No...but...what if I do?”_

 

_“If you by chance DO meet those rather rude fellows. Then you do the obvious thing.”_

 

_“What’s that?...”_

 

Joe pulls out a microphone with a ribbon on it to make it seem like a present. It is incredibly expensive and flashy, but with all the glamour and adornments, it’s more of a trophy than an actual microphone. It doesn’t seem like Joe noticed that fact. On the end of the handle there is a tag that says ‘I’m sorry for everything’. Joe then hands the microphone to Parappa _“You let them see the better side of you!”_

 

* * *

 

“Wow...to think something so confusing yet sweet could...come from a guy like him…” the shy lamb tilts her head in slight disgust “Where did THAT Joe go??...”

 

“I wish I knew…” Parappa sighs “Unfortunately we’ll never know now...what with him...well you know…”

 

“Heh...y-yeah…” She rubs her arm before she lets go an extends her hand “W-Well...why not get your mind off of it by helping me see more t-things around here?...”

 

He smiles weakly “Sure~...” He grabs her hand and they continue walking off. They stop when they see another inventor holding a weird device with multiple screens.

 

“Oh hello! Are you two young lovebirds interested in what my little side project is?” Says the female crane inventor as she looks towards the two.

 

“L-Lovebirds?!” the two shout as the separate their hands.

 

“Y-You misunderstand Miss! I was just escorting my friend around!...”

 

“Y-Yeah t-that’s all it is!...” _I mean I’d like it to be that, but not like this...I rather it be by my own way...really struggling to find an opportunity though…_

 

“I see. I’ll tell you, the newer generation of people sure are much more lenient with their friendships! Back in my day you even stand next to the opposite gender and you were automatically in a shotgun wedding!” She cackles at her own joke “So I take it you two are curious in my little device here?”

 

“H-Heh...yes Ma’am…”

 

“Well it’s nothing TO extraordinary. Just a little uh…” she taps her beak with her finger “Quality of life, obscure convenience? I guess is a way to word it.”

 

“W-What is it M-Miss?...”

 

“Well my young miss! This is simply just a multi scale reader! It’s pretty much multiple scales in one! Balance scale, weight scale, richter scale, geiger scale and so forth! Any type of scale you require. Guarantee it’ll be on this here device!”

 

The two young animals stare at the crane before Parappa decides to speak up “Wow that is an obscure convenience.”

 

“It really is, it’s only for the working lehman in the field of science or mathematics such as engineering!”

 

“I can see that! My dad could’ve surely used one of those back in his hay day.”

 

“Well that’s the hilarity of having something you’d never know you needed until you don’t need it anymo-...huh?” She quickly notes the device shaking like crazy within her grasp “This is odd…”

 

“What happened?...”

 

“The richter scale is going crazy…”

 

“W-Wait...d-does that mean t-there’s gonna be an e-earthquake?!...”

 

“That’s what I don’t get...by the readings it’s a force from way underground...but not one that’s as threatening as an actual earthquake would be...it’s as if something was trying to dig out from underneath the ground...we should be feeling the shockwaves right about...now!” as she finishes the ground starts shaking hecticly. The people start tumbling over as they struggle to maintain their balance. Lammy and Parappa hold onto each other to prevent the other from toppling over “And it should be finished...right about...now!” The sudden violent ground movement comes to an immediate halt just as she says “Whew...what a ride! Strange though...earthquakes don’t ever happen around here...wonder what could’ve happened…” she glances at the two shaking animals before her “Oh! Are you two alright?”

 

“Y-Ya huh…”

 

“S-Sure we c-can call it t-that…”

 

“Good! Well everything's all fine and dandy now! I suggest you carry on watching what others have made!” the duo simply nod before forcing their feet to move on “Such a joy to have such young people interested in the technological field!”

 

Back with the old walrus inventor, as he’s trying to fix his device, it starts to violently bounce about “Ah bugger...looks like I’ll have to drop out from the demonstration time after all.” He grabs the fax machine device and holds it steady “C’mere you! We gotta put you under lockdown until this event ends. Don’t want you causing any trouble to the others here!” He heads to the main room and converses with the people hosting the event, within moments he then places his device in the back room and straps it down so that it doesn’t bounce away “I’ll be dismantling you by the end of today! I only wonder what could’ve caused the malfunction...it was going so well…” He leaves the device as he sadly walks away.

 

Back with Parappa and Lammy the two finally shake off the fear from the earthquake as they try to talk to regain composure “So...that was uh…”

 

“T-Terrifying?”

 

“Yeah it could’ve gone better…but she was kinda right! It didn’t hit like an actual destructive earthquake would! It still shook the ground like one though…”

 

“S-She could’ve given it a b-better description though… S-Something trying to d-dig its way o-out? No t-thank you…”

 

“Oh relax Lammy! What on earth could be below us, besides hell, that would want to burst through! Let alone here at a science expo?”

 

“Well I dunno...still off putting…”

 

“Well don’t let it get to you! Oh! Gimme a sec, shoes untied.”

 

“A-Alright. I’ll just keep g-going onwards. C-Catch up when you’re d-done.”

 

“Roger that!”

 

Lammy glances around to see what manner of inventions there are. _Would that be safe to check out with Parappa? No...to sharp… How about that? No to disproportionate it size...it might topple over judging by our luck so far… Oh! That seems sa-_  The device she’s currently staring at uppercuts its inventor out of the building, mortifying Lammy. _And I immediately eat my words…_ she places her hands in her pockets as she keeps on looking about, huffing defeatedly when she can’t pick a thing to visit. Just then from the corner of her eye she sees something spark from the distance. “Wha?...” the spark grows brighter “T-That doesn’t seem safe...I should probably w-warn someone who works here to check on that…” she looks around but no luck “Oh man...maybe it’s nothing b-bad?...I-It could just b-be someone finishing u-up their invention b-before unveiling it!...Oh...even I don’t believe that...maybe if I s-see it it’ll calm me down…” She heads on over to the main room and walks towards the source of the spark in the backroom.

 

The door opens slightly allowing the anxious lamb to spy on what’s inside. Immediately she spots the device the walrus was trying to fix. She aggravatingly rolls her eyes.

 

“I should’ve figured…” She turns around and tries to head back over to Parappa, but not a second after, the device begins making a noise as if it was going to print something out “That...does not sound good…” She returns to staring at the machine and her fear was well warranted as the machine prints out a large piece of paper. The paper soon gets upright as someone all to familiar peels herself off from it.

 

“Man I HATE havin to do that again...wish the damn path connecting Hell and the overworld wasn’t busted...UGH. Just my fucking luck…” A black sheep says as she begins stomping on the ground aggressively.

 

“No…”

 

“And why the hell did I end up here?! I set the thing to send me to where that walking anxious mess of a redhead was! But all I see is a nerd’s supply closet! Man I’m gonna carve that idiots pumpkin head wide open when I get my hands on him…” she cracks her knuckles angrily as she pictures the one who told her the path would work flawlessly.

 

“Nooooo…”

 

“Someone there?! Show yourself!” she pulls out her guitar and begins walking towards the door.

 

“Eep!...” Lammy quickly backs off from the door and runs off “NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONOOOOOO…” she runs to different rooms trying to hide away from the girl she just saw, who she believes is following her. _Why is SHE here?! Why NOW?! I don’t want go through ANOTHER battle right now...wait…_ Lammy immediately recalls what happened earlier today, something she was sure was not gonna be the case.

 

_“And she looks...so familiar…”_

 

_She looks like me, she plays guitar and it’s the only thing she responds to before listening to reason...they’ve even MET...no...it IS her...why…What could YOU possibly need help with?!...and from him no less...wait...maybe I can keep him away from her?...He doesn’t know it’s her that he has to help, but if he SEES her it might tip him off…_ Lammy tries to calm her thoughts until she feels something tug at her shirt “Huh?...” She turns around and sees a downtrodden Parappa “Parappa!...w-wait...what’s w-wrong?...”

 

“...I uh...I’m sorry...it’s just...I gotta a text from Katy who was checking up on us to see how we were doing and...I got upset again...heh...already I fail at trying to keep Pinto happy by not getting upset at a friend…”

 

“W-Wait but why are you u-upset??...”

 

“...I couldn’t tell you if I knew...just something in my gut is just...so angry right now…”

 

_The heck does that mean??..._ “C-Can I try to help you calm d-down again?...”

 

“If it’s alright with you, I’d like to calm myself down to get better used to this. Mind if we walk by ourselves for the time being? I wanna air out my thoughts on my own in the meanwhile.”

 

“O-Oh...ok…” _And there goes any chance I have at trying to set up any semblance of a date...well at least he’s away from Ram-_ she looks around to see that Parappa had already left. She quickly spots him heading off in the direction of where she spotted Rammy _You have got to be-_ she quickly runs after him “P-PARAPPA WAI- E-EEP!” She stops and hides behind a wall due to spotting Rammy again.

 

“Huh?...” Parappa turns his head, but continues walking, to see who called his name “I could’ve sworn I heard someone call my nam- OOF” He bumps into someone due to not paying attention to what was in front of him “Ohhhh...my head...I’m sorry, I didn’t pay attention to where I was going…”

 

“No kidding! Pay more attention where you walk idiot!”

 

Parappa looks up to see who he bumped into “Geez I said I was sor-” the two stare at each other, Rammy’s gaze squints into that of annoyance while Parappa simply stares like a goof. He sees a spark flare up in the corner of one of her eyes. _It’s you! You’re the one that wants help!..._

 

“Hey creep, why not take a pic? It lasts longer.”

 

“I-I’m sorry, just...you’re familiar…” The night of MilkCan’s first concert flashes into his mind “THE NIGHT OF THE CONCERT!”

 

Literal fire ignites in Rammy’s eyes “Tch...”

 

“U-Uhhhh…Y-You know...the o-one where I a-accidentally mistook you for my friend…?”

 

“I. Remember.”

 

“E-Eheh...you don’t sound to happy about that fact…”

 

“Oh. I’m sorry I’m not happy for the girl who people mistook for me, allowing her to take my place in things that were mainly mine…”

 

“...A-Ah...I’m uh...sorry...um?...”

 

“Rammy…”

 

“Yes!...R-Rammy!...” _A name like that adds on to the irony…_

 

“I’m aware of how her similar name also helped in her theft of my career.”

 

“H-How did you know I was thinking that…”

 

“It’s ALWAYS the same thing with everyone! The appearance! The names! The fact that we both are ace guitarists...EVERYTHING! ARGGGGGGGGHHHHHH” She holds her guitar over her head, a pose Parappa recalls all to clearly from his dream, and she slams it to the ground. The ground violently shakes as all the inventions in the building start stuttering and bursting with electricity whipping off of them.

 

“H-Hey hey hey! N-No need to get angry over it!... Um...R-Rammy why are you here?...”

 

“I was looking for that career stealer...the damn machine was supposed to take me to her...but instead it ejected me here in this dork utopia…”

 

_She doesn’t know Lammy’s here...that’s...probably for the better…_ “A-Ah...I see...that explains what happened to the old guys device...you were in the middle of using it yourself!...H-Haha…” He taps his fingers together nervously “S-Say uh...Y-You wouldn’t happen to need help right?”

 

“What do you mean by ‘needing help’...” Her voice grew sharp.

 

“I-I don’t mean it like there’s anything w-wrong with you! I mean l-like are you upset with anyth-”

 

“I’M UPSET WITH EVERYTHING THANKS TO HER!” she slams her guitar again “AND THEN I GET AN ANNOYING MUTT IN FRONT OF ME! TELLING ME THAT I NEED **HELP**!” She slams it once more, knocking Parappa onto his face.

 

“P-Please listen to me!...”

 

Rammy was about to hit him over the head with her guitar, until she noticed his guitar that was strapped to his back “Heh...you play guitar?...A miserable hound like you?”

 

_This is what she meant by getting through her thick skull isn’t it…_ “U-Um...well I wouldn’t say that...I-I recently...like REALLY r-recently just learnt how!...H-Hehe...s-so I wouldn’t say that I p-play nono! T-That’d be an insult to actual g-guitarists everywhere! S-So-”

 

“ ** _CAN IT_ **!”

 

“Yes Ma’am…”

 

“You want me to listen to what you have to say?”

 

“I-It’d be nice y-yes…”

 

“Then play against me.”

 

“W-What?”

 

“You fucking heard me.”

 

“B-But I recently learnt h-”

 

“Don’t give me that crap. I can see it off your face. You did just learn, but you learned…” She growls “From **her** …” She scoffs “So you’re at a competent level at the very least…”

 

“You think I’m competent?...” He gets off the ground and stands upright.

 

“Don’t even go there. I’ll just say that she would make a decent enough teacher in getting even a poser such as yourself ready to go…”

 

“I-I still don’t think it’s f-fair-”

 

“ **_ENOUGH!!!_ ** ” She rubs her forehead “Fine, what can **_I_ ** do to make it ‘fair’ for you to accept my challenge?”

 

“S-Sing?...I-I’m mostly a rapper before I d-decided to g-get this guitar and-”

 

“Sing?” Rammy groans “Now I remember...you’re also a big hit like my life stealing doppelganger...The dumb, town rapping hero or some shit like that…” She crosses her arms “Now I see why Raparra, AJ and Kitty hate this place.”

 

“D-Did you just say Rapa-”

 

“Fine. I accept your dumb request…” She holds her guitar over her shoulder as she presses her index finger of her free hand against his nose “Normally I choose not to sing in public, but in this case. It’d be fun knocking you down a peg by flooring you in both playing the guitar AND singing!” She topples him onto this back “I don’t want anyone hearing me though so we’ll be jamming in that back room over there where I came from. It was empty enough for my voice to not be heard out of. And stable enough to bring the house down!” Parappa utters a pathetic gulp before nodding “Good boy. Let’s go!” She picks him up by the neck of his shirt and carries him along.

 

Lammy quickly sees this and sneakily follows after the two. _THIS COULD NOT GET ANY WORSE...LIKE SERIOUSLY WHY MEEEEE...POR QUE ME PASA TODO MALOOOOO…._

 

Rammy opens the door to the back room and chucks Parappa in before walking in herself “Get ready Mutt.”

 

Parappa quickly grabs his guitar and holds it ready in position. _I can’t do this...I can’t do this…_ Parappa begins remembering his dream, he recalls the sad state that Rammy was in. The pure sadness and despair emanating off her locked away subconscious. Parappa looks to Rammy and sees the spark in her eyes again as if it was her subconscious final attempt at asking for help. “...I can do this. I-…”

 

Parappa regains his vigor as he stands in a pose similar to how Lammy stands when she’s about to play with MilkCan “THAT’S MORE LIKE IT! HAHAH!” Rammy laughs maniacally as she dons the same pose, but mirrored.

 

_Stage 3: The visitor from Hell_

 

“JUST GOTTA BELIEVE!”

 

“RAVE IT TO RAMMY!” They both strum their guitars “MY GUITAR IS IN YOUR **FACE!** ” The clash guitars before pushing each other off and returning back to their readied pose. Staring at each other with determination.

 

_My mind, my heart and my very being. All of it. It can feel your true nature! I WILL breakthrough and help you with your sadness! Mark my words Rammy..._


	16. A wiener is you

Katy finishes the ice cream she had with happiness as the tears that were once on her face evaporate entirely. Leo could swear he could see the word ‘JOY’ floating above her head.

 

“Nothing like ice cream to cheer a gal up~”

 

“Well, I’m glad that’s settled with.”

 

“Hey now, there’s still the burgers! And the chance that I may want more ice cream~”

 

“Yes yes taskmaster.” He laughs to himself as Katy lightly punches his shoulder.

 

“Rude! Come on! Let’s get those burgers!”

 

“Oh so no seconds in ice cream?” 

 

“Shut up, and let’s go.”

 

“Aight.

 

The duo head back over to the previous building to eat some more, after that happens they head on over to the massive child playground portion.

 

“The burgers were nice. But chunky and beard burgers have them beat. Fo Sho’”

 

“Hard to get accustomed to other brands when you’ve grown up with something you assume is better.”

 

“Could go without the lessons Socrates.” She playfully rolls her eyes and ends with a wink “Come on! We gotta hit the slides and the giant climbing jungle gym!”

 

“Aren’t you a little to big for those things? Plus we just ate a ton so isn’t that probably a bad idea?”

 

“Pffft, you clearly don’t know me then! My stomach is tougher than that! I could eat thrice what we just ate and still do all these things with ease.”

 

“Then why not go to the amusement park half of this place like the indoor roller coaster or the gravitron?”

 

“My stomach can’t handle that!”

 

“But you just said-”

 

“I’m also a hypocrite when it comes to things I like and don’t like.”

 

“You don’t say.” an annoyed face lights up on Leo’s helmet.

 

“Oh cheer up! It’s my choice in the end ain’t it?”

 

“True true…”

 

They head on over to the building wide slides that acts akin to a fast travel system more so than slides, but they are fun nonetheless for the rockband cat. They enjoy their time until Katy shouts to Leo that it was now a good time to head on over to the other thing. Leo exits the slide and waits outside the one where he heard Katy, but no one comes out.

 

“Huh?...” He peers in, but it’s still empty “Did she leave before me?” He turns around, but just then Katy slides out and dive kicks Leo onto the ground “AUGHGHGA…”

 

“THAT’S for beating me at laser tag!”

 

“This is beyond petty...ow...sorry…”

 

“Apology accepted!” She dusts her hands off and walks off of him “Come on then! To the giant jungle gym!”

 

“I’ll be there in a bit...gonna stay on the ground for a little while longer till I get the feeling back in my spine…”

 

Katy rolls her eyes with her arms crossing “You are such a wimp.” She helps him up “Come on I know you’re fine.”

 

“I am, but that doesn’t mean my body ain’t in pain though after that!”

 

“Whatever. Catch up when you can!”

 

“I will I will. Just enjoy yourself in the meanwhile.”

 

“You can count on that!” Katy zooms off and begins climbing on the multi barred obstruction. She hops from bar to bar as she goes even higher.

 

“Uh...Katy be careful from up there!...” Leo shouts from his position on the ground.

 

“Re-Lax! I’m totally fine!” Katy keeps climbing, missing a sign that said ‘Do not climb past this point if you are bigger than the designated size’. She begins going along the monkey bars portion which was an elongated row over the entirety of the building. There were no bars below, allowing for a terrifying, yet fun, leg dangling experience from the tip of the ceiling to the ground below “Wow this is so over the top...I LOVE it!” As Katy goes from bar to bar she soon stops in place when she hears a creaking noise “Huh?” The bar she is currently latching onto plops out of place “Well...this is bad…” She begins plummeting towards the ground “W-WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

 

Leo watches mortified as his helmet screen cracks “MO-....OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE LEGS MOVE!” He bursts towards where she’s falling and his jacket lights up. It molds off onto his back as it turns into a jetpack, allowing him to dash off into the air. He flies off towards Katy, catching her mid drop.

 

Katy simply stares at Leo “You have a  **_jetpack?!_ ** ”

 

“I am NOT giving it to you! Also WHY is that more important that you divebombing to the ground?!”

 

“Well it’s not like I was in any real danger…” She points down “They have a safety net for this kind of occasion…”

 

“W-What?...” Leo looks down and sees the mentioned net that would’ve caught her effortlessly “O-Oh…”

 

“Can we go down now?...”

 

“Y-Yeah...let’s go down...” Leo begins descending while holding onto Katy. As they slowly go down, Katy notices his Jacket is no longer on. He’s wearing a red and blue sleeveless tee with a star on the center, the star has a frog icon in the middle of it. She could also see the fur on his arms, they were blue. She looks towards his cracked helmet screen. This caused the helmet itself to become a tad see through. She couldn’t see the entirety of his face, but she could see his eyes. They were vertically oval, much like hers, but the pupil color was brown like Parappa’s.

 

“Hey Leo?...”

 

“Yeah?...”

 

“Think we can go back to your club?...”

 

He warringly looks towards her “Whyyyy?”

 

“That’s the last spot I pick. I’m calling it a day, right now I just wanna dance.”

 

“Oh um...aight.” The land on the ground and Leo gently places Katy down.

 

“Mind giving me a sec? Gonna message Parappa and Lammy.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Just wanna check if they’re fine and stuff.”

 

“Aight take your time. My club ain’t going nowhere.”

 

As Katy types away she questions Leo over his jetpack “Just how many things did you ‘borrow’ from your dad?”

 

“Eheh...quite a lot of stuff…”

 

“Won’t he be needing em?”

 

“Technically no...they...kinda were for me. I just took them before they were ready to be mine when I decided to run away.”

 

“Uh huh…” Katy was curious over something, but she couldn’t figure out a way to word it “You have nice fur and cute eyes...reminds me of...oh I dunno…”

 

“Come agai-” Leo looks down to see his jacket is currently his jetpack and that his screen is heavily cracked “EEP…”

 

“Relax that’s all I could see...what are you? You don’t seem to have a tail, at least a visible one.”

 

“Uh...w-who knows…”

 

“Right…” She finishes typing “Done and done!”

 

“That took a bit. What’d you say to him?”

 

“Oh you know. ‘How’s it goin?’ ‘Are you and Lammy doin ok?’ ‘Any mind blowing nerd stuff revealed?’ ‘I know what Leo looks like!’ ‘Could you bring me a souvenir!’-”

 

“Wait was that second to last thing?”

 

“Ohhhhhh...I dunnoooooo...Just potentially caught on to what you’ve been hiding!”

 

“You do not know…”

 

“How do you know? You’re clearly a cat!” Leo freezes in place.

 

“W-Wrong…”  _ I mean...she kinda is. _

 

“I could feel the dread from here boyo! And I sent it all to him!”

 

“You did not!”

 

“How do you know? You can’t see my phone~” Leo tries to grab the phone from Katy “Whoa there~ Sorry~ No touchy!~” she sticks her tongue out as she winks at him.

 

“Give it here!”

 

“Nuh uh~” She keeps avoiding Leo’s grasp while continuously taunting him “Not there!~ Uh oh!~ So close!~ No cigar!~ Oooooh you almost got it!~” She then tosses her phone up in the air “Whoops!~”

 

Leo reaches up and snatches it “GOT IT!” Katy immediately grabs onto his helmet.  _ Did I really just fall for that... _

 

“AND I GOT YOU!” She plucks it right off his head, revealing what he’s been hiding.

 

“E-Eheh...well...that happened…” Leo stares at the girl in front of him, but she stares back more intensely. A mix of emotions try to express themselves on her face at the same time. Unlike PJ however, she immediately pieces together what’s happening.

 

“Y-Yo-Y-You’re…”

 

“Huh?...” Leo gulps “I’m?...”

 

“M-My kid…” She begins wobbling “ **_O-Our kid…_ ** ”

 

“U-Uh...n-nooooooo...I mean...w-whose kid? W-Whatcha talkin bout….h-h-hehehe…”

 

Katy stays wobbling in place as her imagination starts running wild causing her to stumble in place exponentially “Y-You are…” Her mind goes rampant as one song soon begins flooding her thoughts, cutting off what little control she had on her body.

 

All that she can hear and see is the song that is beginning to play in her mind as everything else, fades out of existence to her.

 

Within her mind there is nothing but PaRappa Town, all normal, bright and lovely! Parappa and Katy are walking hand and hand down a street during a gorgeous sunny day, both staring happily at each other as stars and hearts glisten in their eyes. On said held hands, each have a ring. Beautiful diamond rings that signified their relationship. Parappa and Katy were wearing matching shirts that read ‘Parents to be’. They tilt their heads, enamoured heavily, as they begin singing, Parappa leading off.

 

_ “Time for you and me to have a family!” _

_   
_ “With a baby, we should live so happily!”

  
“ _ Could be a boy or girl  _ whichever we don't mind at all!”   
  


“Our newborn treasure shall bring  _ tons of love, and peace to all!” _ __   
  


“Uh- _ huh!” _ The light flares up as the setting changes, Katy’s stomach is now marginally bigger.   
  


“I can buy him trucks and tree house!”   
  


_ “I can buy her rings and a doll house!” _   
  


_ “The child must be strong!  _ The child must be sweet!”   
  


“We'll give, _ our child, _ love fore _ ver long!” _   
  


_ “Doesn't matter strong or weak cuz it's our own!” _ __   
  


“If it's good for you, it's good for me, we're not alone!”   
  


_ “The thumping beats of our new baby sounds so heavenly!” _ __   
  


“I can't believe that we created life, just you and meeeeee!” 

 

“Ind _ eed!” _ Her stomach is now even larger after the light cloaks everything again.   
  


_ “You can give him food, change his diapers!” _   
  


“You can pay the bills, do the dishes!”   
  


_ “You can babysit!” _ __   
  


“Only if I'm it!”   
  


_ “Why don't we just flip a coin?” _

 

“No!”   
  


_ “I will do the work!” _   
  


“I'll be glad to work!”   
  


_ “Time for you and me to have a family!” _   
  


“With a baby, we should live so happily!”   
  


“Could be a boy or girl whichever _ we don't mind at all!” _   
  


_ “Our newborn treasure shall bring _ tons of work, and peace to all!” The light flares one final time as the duo are at a home around a crib, they pluck a baby out as they both hold it close while they huddle up in a new family hug. Kissing the baby before each other.   
  


**“Our newest** **_little baby!_ ** **”**

 

Once the song ends Katy’s brain begins shutting down as she falls over onto her back. Completely out for the count. Her tail curling into a heart before her collapse.

 

“K-Katy!” Leo panics as people start to crowd around them “P-Pay no mind here y’all! S-She just took a look at me without my helmet off and f-fainted!...F-Fangirls am I right?...h-hehe…” They all release a collective ‘Oooooh’ before carrying on to their own activities. Leo heaves a relieved sigh “Oh boy...I gotta get ya outta here...what a mess…”

 

* * *

 

**Lesson 1:**

 

_ Aight chillax Parappa, she said she doesn’t like singing...so maybe she’s no good at it? So far she seems to be the opposite to Lammy in every regards...maybe I’ll get lucky! _

 

_ “Back from Hell… _

_ Need I...Ring a bell?” _

 

_ “Rammy, is that a name that you’ve heard? _

_ Thinkin of beatin me? That’s just absurd!” _

 

_ “You’re gonna fall! You’re gonna fail! You’re gonna get de-stroyed!” _

 

_ DAMMIT SHE HAS THE VOICE OF AN ANGEL!...And a sadistic one at that…  _ “I’ll stand tall! I’m gonna prevail! That’s something I’ll-avoid!”

 

_ “Feel the fire burning deep inside of me, boiling hatred and- agony! And it’s all because of that cursed red sheep!” _

 

“No that simply can-not be! Who you really angry at, her or me? Care to just listen, I got a promise that I plan to keep!” Both strum their guitars in a heavy metal beat as they circle around each other, their playing ignites life in the machines around them as they start bouncing up and wildly.

 

_ “NOOOOOO. I won’t listen! It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matterrrrr to meeeee.” _

 

“My victory is written. It does matter and I’ll make ya see!”

 

_ “Here my beat and flow will e-ra-di-cate and de-cap-i-tate all your hopes and dreams!” _

 

“Well ya gonna have-ta-wait cuz I don’t get-da-hate! My future isn’t as it seems!”

 

* * *

 

Leo, whilst driving with the unconscious Katy, suddenly sneezes greatly out of the blue “Augh...what the heck was that about?!?!”

 

* * *

 

_ “Pitiful faces, lost in her traces…NOOOOOOO”  _ Fire burns around her from the sparks the fly off her chords as a pillar begins sending her upwards.

 

“Keep your bases! Calm your graces! Here we GOOOOO!” A pillar erects under Parappa sending him after her.

 

_ “Think you can keep up? Think again! Down to hell you go, that’s where you’ll be sent!” _

 

“Think I can keep up? Of course, now and then! Oh is that so? I ain’t spent!”

 

_ “I’m gonna put you down, gonna know your place!” _

 

“Can you do it out of town? While we’re in space?” Both are now in space suits as they wobble in space on their toppling pillars. Lammy watches in horror from below.

 

_ “Doesn’t matter, where or when! My desire, my fire, will win in the end!” _

 

“Now all you doin, is treatin me like a hasbeen. When in reality, I still got tricks you can’t comprehend!!”

 

**Lesson 2:**

 

_ “It doesn’t matter...not at all to me… _

_ But this I will win! I’ll make you see!” _

 

_ “She took it all from me, but not this! _

_ I’ll finally win and leave this abyss!” _

 

_ “You will stare and you’ll cry with a yelp, _

_ As you reap what you sow, trying to give me help!”  _ the twinkle in her eye returns again causing her to stumble on her pillar. Rammy dizzily regains her composure, but her demeanour becomes softer for a bit before her anger takes over over again. Not fully however.

 

_ “IT DOESN’T MATTER! NO IT DOES NOT MATTER. I’LL MAKE YOU SEE THAT THERE’S SO MUCH MORE TO ME THAN JUST A DOUBLE!” _

 

“IT SO DOES MATTER! IT SHOULD ALWAYS MATTER! YOU ARE! ALWAYS BEEN, BUT LEAVE HER OUT, NO NEED TO CAUSE TROUBLE!”

 

They ignite a shockwave that cracks their pillars heavily.  _ “Nooooo, leaveeeeee me beeee!” _

 

“Not until i’ve helped you! Can’t you see?...”

 

_ “HELP THIS YOU DAMN INFERNAL MUTT!”  _ Her next chord flick causes the pillars to shatter and drop the two of them  _ “Noooo I will be left alooooooone. Agaaaaain.” _

 

“This isn’t how I’ll let your story end!” Neither of them panic, they simply glide downwards while continuously singing and playing.

 

_ “My fates intertwined, I must win to be freed of this inner pain! Doubled down, tossed around and left to rot!” _

 

“One to the other, but no fightin needed! Black and red, bruises on the heart that’s beatin! I know there’s more to you than you’ve got!”

 

_ “Demeure allure? Insecure? Inferiority galore? What does it matter? Compared to her, my life’s already out the door!” _

 

“Demeure allure? Insecure? Inferiority galore? You mean her or you? Are you less than or more??”

 

_ “Hell no! I’m bold, with a style that won’t grow old! But that is all you’ll ever be told!” _

 

“More like so cold, your style is certainly one to behold! But in the end, you still neva got the gold!” Lammy spots the two skydiving towards the ground at a hectic speed, this leaves her at a loss of what to do. She could try to catch Parappa, but Rammy would spot her. It’s not like the plan was feasible however, from their height and velocity, trying to catch him would probably not end well for either of them…

 

_ “You’re one to talk! You’re so sad, by the end of this you’ll be in a body bag!” _

 

“What’s wrong? Why ya mad? Your anger is a facade, but now it’s time to end the gag!” Two stray rocks from their respective pillars glide below them, and the two quickly find their footing on them. They use the rocks as a makeshift hoverboard to slow their decent as they glide much more manageably towards the expo.

 

**Lesson 3:**

 

_ “I can spit the fire, and keep a good tune, _

_ But you’re just a flat out liar, lookin like a goon!” _

 

_ “Freefallin, skydivin or whatever you please it, _

_ I’m still the best one here, and so you betta just quit!”  _ The spark fades away as she regains her brash attitude once again.

 

_ “Here we go so I hope you’re ready to recede!” _

 

“Not when I just gotta believe!”

 

_ “Nooooooooooooooo! It just doesn’t matter to meeeeeee! All that I care for is that I must impede!” _

 

“It should matta! Don’t just let things just be, or else in the end it’ll be your heart that will bleed!”

 

_ “Sing against meeee, in this song of anger and agonyyyyy! You will submit, you cannot resist my beat!” _

 

“Sing with you! In a tune that invokes camaraderie and harmony! I’ll never give it up! I won’t be burned by this heat!”

 

_ “Troubling faces, messed up traces of...fameeeee. Lost to the fault of that copycat doppelganger! I’ll make sure to bring. Her.  _ **_DOWN_ ** _!” _

 

“Things end up hard, they need to be earned. Life ain’t no easy game! Don’t blame the others for what is normally hard to gain! That way of thinkin and actin will never happen as long as I’m around!” The rocks they’re riding on shatter even further as they reach the hole they made within the roof over the back room. They make a safe landing however as the electronics that were forced into powering on by their playing catch them due to one being a machine that was a cat wash, but because of its malfunction, created large bubbles that catch the duo who are back in their regular attire. As they safely land on the ground the machines encircle them as they begin repeating Rammy’s lines like a broken tape recorder.

 

_ “You cannot stop me! Why can’t you let me be? I am the one that knows that this is right!” _

 

“You wanna bet? You wanna test me? I said I’ll help and here you’ll see! I’m simply here to stop this plight!”

 

_ “All you’ll do is get in the way, I must make her pay! I know today is the day!” _

 

“That’s how it’s gonna be? Then I gotta, in-ter-vene! Not while I got something to say!”

 

_ “Buzz off! You’re no hero, just a flashy talking, fake steppin  _ **_Z_ ** _ to the _ **_E_ ** _ to big _ **_RO!_ ** _ ” _

 

“Stick and stones won’t be breakin my bones! I’m the young pup who will make the crowd sing and say-”

 

The machines stop repeating Rammy as they finish the line Parappa was about to say  **“Ho!”**

 

“Say Ho Ho!”

 

**“Ho! Ho!”**

 

“Say Ho! Ho! Ho!”

 

**“Ho! Ho! Ho!”**

 

“Now scream!” The inventions release a loud static whir as they collapse on the ground, seemingly out of power.

 

Rammy ruffles her hair in anger, her tiny tail whipping to and fro as her eyes start spiraling  _ “Why does it matter to you?! What I do! You’re just a nobody. So you better just flee!” _

 

“Why does it matta? It just who I am! So you won’t get me to scram, gotta help you with your plea!”

 

_ “JUST LEAVE ME BE!”  _ the inventions once again jolt about as they fire off electricity that rebounds off of Rammy’s guitar towards Parappa.

 

Parappa dodges the bolts as best he can “YIPE!- WAIT! I MEAN-” Parappa gets hit by one of the bolts, he gets comically electrocuted as his body flashes like an x-ray. This was a sign that he dropped the beat  “O-O-O-O-O-O-O-OOPS!...” Parappa drops to his knees once the shock stops, Rammy laughing as she increases the intensity of her strumming, causing the devices to levitate into the air once more. Parappa gets back up as he stares at her dead on. Though dazed, he still refuses to yield even with a slight blunder. This angers the ewe again, however...

 

**Lesson 4:**

 

_ “Persistent, resistant and all to inconsistent! _

_ The only one with the problem is you! That’s existent” _

 

_ “Why you keep at it if you know that I won’t allow it!-  _ Rammy’s eyes grow technicolored as she moves like if she were the one zapped by electricity, her guitar playing becomes more disorderly and flat. The spark in her eye flaring in and out of existence, struggling to get her to yield much more effectively thanks to Parappa’s constant persistence in playing against her. Rammy however, still keeps on trying to best the dog, but her eyes grow more psychedelic as they vibrate with a garbled assortment of colors showing how hectic her mental stability currently is  _ “M-Maybe there is a problem I may have to admit!”  _ She slaps herself after saying that line outloud.

 

_ “Weak voiced, shallow step and rundown like a back alley! _

_ Get ready you damn mutt cuz here comes the finale!” _

 

_ “NOW YOU’LL FINALLY GET TO SEE THE REAL ME!”  _ Rammy scowls heavily due to saying that line, but can’t stop herself as her head ‘malfunctions’ further with more confliction between her inner self and outer self.

 

Parappa’s eyes widen “Have I finally managed to see your hidden side free?!”

 

_ “NONO STOP IT, IT DOESN’T MATTER! IT’LL NEVER MATTER! LEAVE ME BE, LEAVE ME BE, LEAVE ME BE!” _ She strums to an exaggerated degree that she snaps one of her guitar chords.

 

“I’ll get to you! I just gotta breakthrough! Your facade I will shatter! Can’t stop me, can’t stop me, can’t stop me!” Parappa’s next riff ends up blowing Rammy back from the intensity, causing her to fumble even more so than she already is.

 

_ “I’LL NEVER MATTER, I’LL NEVER MATTER! I’M JUST SOME SIDEGRADE TO THE BETTER GUITAR QUEEN!” _

 

Parappa flinches, her playing was become more and more faulty, she wasn’t even holding her guitar properly anymore. He had achieved his goal and was nearing victory, but he didn’t exactly feel good about it. Nevertheless he kept playing and singing, but Parappa didn’t know how to continue from her line. So his brain defaulted to what it usually did in a situation like this, repeat his instructors verse… “You’ll never matter, you’ll never matter! You’re just some sidegrade to the greater guitar queen!”  _ W-WAIT! I-I DIDN’T MEAN TO SAY THAT!... _

 

Another of Rammy’s chords snap  _ “W-WORTHLESS...I AM SO WORTHLESS NOW...SO USELESS, USELESS USELESS….U-USE...LESS…” _ Her voice was breaking, but Parappa was breaking entirely.

 

_ NOOOO...THIS ISN’T WHAT I WANTED…  _ “WORTHLESS! YOU ARE SO WORTHLESS NOW! SO USELESS, USELESS USELESS USE LESS!”  _ WHY CAN’T I STOP REPEATING HER?!?! WHY CAN’T I CONTINUE WITH MY OWN LINES LIKE HOW I WAS DOING MOMENTS AGO?! _

 

Two more of Rammy’s chords snap, the voice breaking stops as she flat out cries the next verse _ “USELESS! I’VE ALWAYS BEEN USE-LESS...I DON’T MATTER! I DON’T MATTER! I DON’T MATTER! I’VE NEVER MATT-ERED!...NOOOOOOO I’M JUST A WOOOOOOOOORTHLESS DOUBLE NOOOOOOOOO. LOSER. LOSER. LOSER. LOSER. LOSER. LOSER!  _ **_LOSER!_ ** _ AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH _ **_”_ **

 

**“It doooooooesn’t matteeeeeeer…”** The machines that hover around Rammy chant this on repeat tormenting her further. It’s the only line of hers that they now choose to mimic.

 

_ “NOOOOOOOOOOOOO NEVA DID! I’M THE WORST GIRL IN EXISTENCE COMPARED TO PRETTY PERFECT MISS…! LAMMY RAMMY LAMMY RAMMY LAMMY RAMMY LAMMY...r-ra...m...my…”  _ The final two remaining chords snap as she yells in anger, resentment, pain and anguish. She begins slamming her guitar on the ground repeatedly like a jackhammer. The entirety of the building shakes violently as it feels as if the place was about to be knocked entirely to the ground from her tantrum, however...her guitar breaks first. Rammy then falls to her knees as her hands wrap around her head. She tries to also cover her ears to avoid hearing the continuously chanting machines who still sing.

 

**“You neveeeeeeer matteeeeeeered...”**

 

**“Will neveeeeeeer matteeeeeeer…”**

 

Parappa stares in complete horror of what he had done, but his hands continue to play. He had won, but the song was still not over...his hands were on autopilot as they strum to the chanting of the machines. He hated his hands, he wished to break the guitar so that they could no longer strum it, but alas he had to watch as he continuously added to Rammy’s pain. Parappa had won this battle, but it is the first time ever that Parappa wished that he instead could’ve lost.

 

Lammy, who had watched the whole ordeal was overwhelmingly happy that he had won...but she also feels the pain that both Rammy and Parappa are feeling. It was a bittersweet feeling through to the end.

 

After a while, his hands stop strumming, and the devices die out as they fall to pieces onto the ground. Parappa throws his guitar out his hands, completely disgusted with himself, and runs to Rammy. Rammy stays huddled down, teardrops hit the floor, but there is no crying, or sniffling...only the air of complete and utter devastation “H-Hey...R-Rammy.”

 

“Go away…”

 

“I...c-can’t do that you know…”

 

“...I know...you won...yadda yadda...story of my fucking life…”

 

“Hey now come on…”

 

“Come on nothing...I lost to you...a fluke of a guitar player...a broken record of a singer...but I guess that’s expected of me now…”

 

“...this has been eating away at you for how long?”

 

“Since I ran into that stupid...always better than me redhead...Always one upping me…”   
  


“S-She doesn’t do it intentionally you know…”

 

“Like I give a damn if it’s intentional or not...she still does it…”

 

“A-Ah…” Parappa was at a loss for words. She wasn’t wrong with that logic.

 

“My life spiraled down the shitter after I met her. She stole my job for Yoko...and so I challenged her...and I lost seven times in a row...I took my lumps, I cut my losses and wanted to end it at that...but no...when it came to my job as a freelance guitarist...it was hell...every time I got hired...she always ended up being taken in place of me last second...this happened time and time again...for the past five years…” More teardrops hit the floor “I couldn’t catch a break...I was deemed a pathetic waste of space...I was called the inferior one despite the literal personality of my ‘clone’ being the definition of inferior...it hurt...It got to me...but I would never admit it...I went rampant at my house...but you know that...you saw it in that damn head of yours…”

 

“So you…”

 

“Knew about you? Yeah…I didn’t expect it to happen so soon…I thought it was my brain telling me…’you can finally regain what you lost starting here!’, but no...it was just more...failure… It affected me so much that I couldn’t even get hired anymore...I’ve hit rocky waters with my girlfriend Kitty...and...I just...”

 

“Wanted to get back at her one last time?...”

 

“If I won...I thought I could end it all…”

 

“But if you lost?...”

 

“I would  _ end _ it all myself…”

 

Parappa’s heart stops, to hear someone blatantly tell him that they would kill themselves was certainly not something anyone wants to hear “You’re...not gonna do that anymore though right?...”

 

“I don’t fucking know...my life’s in shitty shambles as is...so why bother stickin around when that’s all I got?...”

 

“What if I could help?...”

 

“You can’t help me…” She plucks her face from her hands “No one can anymore...why would they want to anyway?...”

 

“No one deserves to be in pain…”

 

“I’m a nobody...so do I still count?...”

 

“You are a somebody! Can’t I help make you see??...”

 

Rammy sighs in defeat “Well I did lose to you and that was our condition...even though I really rather not…” She looks towards him “Tell you what...I’ll hear you out...if you can get me to laugh and smile…”

 

“Is...that all?...”

 

“Yeah...good fucking luck getting me to do that now though…”

 

He extends his hand to her “Trust me when I say, that won’t be a challenge!” He gives her the signature Parappa smile and thumbs up with the hand that isn’t extended out towards her “When it comes to helping out another, I got what it takes! Care to walk with me to prove it?”

 

Rammy stares at him in silence, swapping between his face and his open hand.

 

Lammy watches the two from the door in a tizzy.  _ SAY NO!...wait...that’s terrible of me!...S-SAY YES!...b-but what about m-me?...S-SAY!...I don’t know…  _ Lammy collapses onto her knees and begins to cry herself.

 

Rammy takes a long deep breath “Sure.” And grabs his hand. He quickly helps her up. Parappa picks up the guitar he tossed to the side and places it on his back.

 

“Glad to hear it. Now let’s get out of this room!...I don’t wanna see the inventors of these things that we inadvertently destroyed...or get chewed out for the hole in the ground and roof…” they both share a nod as they head for the door. Lammy notices and quickly runs off to hide. From her new wall, she watches them walk off and simply stares at the ground dejectedly. She is brought to her senses when someone tugs on her tail.

 

“E-EEEEEEEEEEP!...o-oh...P-Pinto it’s you…”

 

“Were you just rejected?...” Pinto points to her eyes.

 

“...” Lammy quickly wipes the tears from her eyes to give her the true answer, but as she looks up she sees Parappa trying his best to make Rammy smile and laugh “...Yeah...I think?...But I think it was for the greater good I suppose??...I don’t know...I didn’t even get a clear moment with him...and now I probably won’t anytime soon...”

 

Pinto looks towards where she was looking “She your sister?...”

 

“N-No!...”

 

“Relative?”

 

“N-Not that e-either…”

 

“Friend?...”

 

Lammy stops and thinks about an answer for that last one “...after today...m-maybe?...Depending on what he does...”

 

Pinto notices the hesitation and tries to change the subject “Wanna look at some of these things with me?...I wanna get to know you better! I think I judged you to badly on the way here…”

 

Lammy wipes away the last of her tears and smiles “I’d like that very much.” She grabs the tiny fourteen year olds hand as she leads her off with her back towards the wacky invention filled groups.

 

* * *

 

Katy blinked her eyes open slowly, immediately clutching her head which pounded as if Ma-san was hitting her with her drumsticks “Gah...where am I?...” She sits at the edge of the bed she woke up on as she scans the room she finds herself in.

 

“My place.” Leo speaks up. His clothes were different, he didn’t even bother hiding who he was to her anymore.

 

“Leo...augh...my head…”

 

“Well you did drop and hit the ground pretty hard when you fainted...plus it seemed like your brain was exploding from the inside as well at the time. So I would assume you currently have one hell of a migraine!”

 

“Yeah...now tell me this…” She taps her fingers together “Are you my son?”

 

“Eh…you’re half right with that assumption.”

 

“What do you mean by that?”

 

“You’ll see eventually if i’m correct with my timing...but for now I guess I should explain the things I’m able to. I am Parappa’s son. That much is true.” His tail unwraps itself from his waist. It’s long like Katy’s, but the end is bushy much like Parappa’s tail “I have come back from the future to help my dad out in preventing something that negatively affects his state of mind and his life. It affected him so badly that it spread to EVERYONE…”

 

“Well I mean it would make sense. Parappa is the beacon of joy to all he involves his life with! To have that go south...you go down with him.”

 

“Yeah well...I didn’t like what was going on...so young, idiotic, eight year old me got himself sent back-”

 

“You were EIGHT when you went back in time?!”

 

“Let me finish before you choose to get upset with me like PJ did.”

 

“Alright…”

 

“I used an invention of my dad and grandpa that they accidentally made. It was a car that could travel through time. I thought I could go back in time and help my dad with the event that horribly affected his life. However...I overshot my target time period...and so I spent 12 years of my life trying to survive TO the point that I could help my dad and you all. So with the help of Mushi and a few others, I managed to make a living. Unfortunately...I forgot what the event that hurt my dad so badly was...all I can remember is that it happens around this age period of his life…”

 

“So that’s why you were so cool with Mushi...who else helped you?”

 

“Some people who are unfortunately long gone...the only few remaining people are just Mushi and Nana K.”

 

“Nana K? Who’s that?”

 

“Not even I know! She was just a nice lady who helped me out once she found me. I told her about my ‘mission’ and she quickly helped me find my way towards staying alive. And so with skills I learned and inherited from my family, i.e. you guys, I became ‘Leo Steps! Performer extraordinaire!’” He slumps into an open chair “Now don’t get me wrong...with a family like you guys, it was only natural I would follow in my dad’s footsteps and become like that anyway...but I didn’t enjoy this because it wasn’t that I was doing it for myself...it was that I was doing it to survive and help out my dad discreetly…”

 

“So that’s why you grew sick of the lifestyle…”

 

“And it’s also why I stopped and dropped out for now since I had hit my target year.” he yawns “This entire journey was mentally, physically and emotionally exhausting...and to think it could’ve been for nothing SOOOOO many times throughout.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Well...I may not remember the event that messes up my family’s life, but I do recall thanks to these books I ‘borrowed’ from them, that there are certain...intrusions along the way. My dad has a habit of finding himself into trouble it seems.”

 

“You have NO idea…”

 

“Yes and so I decided to lighten the load with his current adventure that he’ll be in.”

 

“What do you mean by that?”

 

“The next big problem he’ll face is one hell of a jerk. Who has...HAD...a ton of pawns. Thanks to my involvement in the music scene I was able to confront and lower the amount of supporters the guy had. Making it all the more easier for my dad to deal with him when the time would come! Unfortunately...this kinda made him act earlier than I would’ve hoped…”

 

“So now you made a problem bigger…”

 

“No no!...I think...Look I came back to help you guys and my dad and help I will! I won’t let him do anything to you all! In my effort of helping I may have changed some things, but they didn’t affect the overall time period!”

 

“The heck does that mean?”

 

“Well you see-” Leo feels his body static up again “Oh! Right on time! Now look here, this is what I mean by you being half correct with calling me ‘your’ son. See...as you said...Parappa seems to be apple in all your eyes right?...and likewise with him?”

 

“W-What’s happening to you…”

 

“Answer my question please.”

 

“Y-Yes?...”

 

“Well now I am living proof of his current incompetence! Watch as I now turn in the son combination of him and Lammy!” The static blur encases him entirely, however once it stops…

 

“Um…”

 

“I’m sorry to have made you assume I was an instant deal maker-”

 

“That’s not Lammy’s hair color…”

 

“Yes I know that’s not Lammy’s-...What?”

 

“Lammy has red hair…”

 

Leo rushes off to his dresser mirror to gaze at his current form “Oh no…” What he sees is that he does in fact look like a sheep...but not the one he anticipated. He had black and gray wool and black hair at the top while his blonde hair that made his pseudo dog ears were still there. His horns were longer than what they looked like if he were Lammy’s son, but he wasn’t, he was now...Rammy’s son “Ohohoho nohohoho...Dad you are one son of a bit-”

 

* * *

 

“Uh...knock knock!”

 

“Fuck off...”

 

“Yeah that was a bad attempt…” Parappa scratches the back of his head “But uh...can’t blame me for givin it a go!”

 

“Yes I can…”

 

“Yeah you can…” The two awkwardly walk about as Parappa still tries to do something to get her to crack a smile and laugh.

 

“So...how about these wacky inventions am I right? H-Hehe…”

 

“Feh…”

 

“Yeah real borin!...”  _ Man I am sucking at this...well I can’t really expect otherwise...I am trying to breakthrough five years of stored pain and suffering…  _ “Uh...wanna go outside for a bit to get a breath of fresh, non hell air?”

 

“Whatever…” As the duo head for the exit, Parappa continuously tries every method capable of inducing laughter, but Rammy is still stalwart with her depressed state of mind. Eventually, Parappa’s will feigns as he starts giving up...the two then slump on a bench outside and both heave a heavy joint sigh. Rammy takes this time to pull out a cigarette and lighter from her pocket and quickly lights it and puts it in her mouth.

 

Parappa notices her smoking and simply looks at her sadly, she glances at him and rolls her eyes, she then blows a puff of smoke. The wind blows it directly into Parappa’s face and the pup dramatically begins coughing up a fit as if he were choking, and exaggeratedly falls off the bench onto the ground “GACK...AGH…”

 

Rammy’s eyes continuously dart towards what he’s doing on the ground, twitching like an absolute moron on the floor. Rammy soon then snorts a giggle out, but immediately covers her mouth. Parappa notices this, and decides to play it up a notch as he spazzes out even further before doing one final stretch and collapsing on the ground limp. His tongue sticking out as he holds out a flower. Rammy’s mouth twists into a smile as she bursts out laughing “N-No fahahahahair!...”

 

Parappa hops onto his feet “All’s fair in the name of helping!”

 

“B-Buhuhuhut you didn’t even trhihihihy for this one!...”

 

“That’s the funny thing about getting someone to smile and laugh. Sometimes you don’t really need to try. Guess my dislike of smoke came in handy for something! Who knew?”

 

“Yohohohou jeheheherk!”

 

“Sticks and stones won’t be breakin my bones~ Now I do believe you gotta hear me out~ Care to accept my help?~”

 

Rammy manages to stop laughing and looks at him with a cocky grin “That was slightly underhanded. Didn’t think you could do such a thing...alright. You have my interest, I’ll listen to you I guess. Now how do you expect to help me?”

 

“Well for starters, with the obvious thing! Wanna be friends?” He gives a beaming smile as he faces her. She simply blinks at his proposal.

 

“That is the most stupid thing I’ve ever heard.”

 

“Oh...s-sorr-”

 

“But hey, I’m in no real position to call anything stupid if I look in a mirror so.” She smiles back “Sure mutt. I’ll take your offer.”

 

“Great! I know I’ll do my best to help you! And I’ll do even more so to help rebuild your life and such!” He clings onto her with a big hug.

 

“H-Hey! Did I say you could hug me?! Stop with the contact you clingy mutt!...” Despite her words, she doesn’t really do anything to shove him off “Come on...people are staring…I’m gonna start regretting my decision here…”

 

“S-Sorry!” He latches off.

 

“Ugh...whatever...just try not to do that again...or at least not with people around…” She crosses her arms “Alright...now aside from that...what would friends on the overworld do?”

 

“Well we’d just enjoy what was going on in the immediate area! And currently? We’re at a science expo!”

 

“Yeah sorry, not a fan of geek related things.”

 

“Now now come on! Give it a chance! I can guarantee there’ll be things here that even you can’t help but be interested in!”

 

“I highly doubt that.” She blows another puff of smoke “But i’m your tagalong now so why not?”

 

“You’re gonna have to get rid of that though...can’t smoke in there…”

 

“Fiiiiine…” she drops the cigarette on the ground and stomps it to extinguish it “Sheesh what a pain…”

 

“Why smoke at all? It’s bad for you!”

 

“Honestly? I couldn’t give two shits about what the hell this does to my insides. All I care is that these things help soothe me down when I enter anxiety hell.”

 

“Eventually they’ll do the opposite…”

 

“That’ll be a while, I just started recently so I’m gonna ‘keep calm’ till then.”

 

“If that’s the case then quit it while you’re ahead.”

 

“No!”

 

“Ugh…fine…come on let’s go see what there’s left to see.”

 

“Fine by me.”

 

* * *

 

“Why do you look like that??...” 

 

Leo drags his hand along his face before turning back to Katy “Ok. As you know, my dad is Parappa, but my mother...currently varies. I will change appearance based on who my dad currently has on his mind…”

 

Katy puts two and two together “HIS JEALOUSY!...THAT’S WHY YOU LOOKED LIKE YOU WERE MY KID!”

 

“Bingo. Now the girl on his mind is who he subconsciously assumes he’ll ask to be with him. And clearly. The girl will say yes. Originally I would switch between being your son, Lammy’s son, Paula’s son or Ma-san’s son. Now it seems I may have altered the past a bit to much because now I have a chance of being Auntie Rammy’s son…”

 

“Rammy?...Who’s-...” Katy recalls someone constantly calling Lammy out throughout the years of her career “H-HER?! AUNTIE?!”

 

“Yeppers.”

 

“HOW?!”

 

“Well...after today...she’s gonna be your new roomie!”

 

“WHAT?!”

 

“Lemme explain. See this part of history is staying the same. Parappa and her meet at the expo! They never told me what happened that caused them to be friends...but after today they slowly become so overprotective of each other! Think of a good cop, bad cop duo! Rammy is naturally aggressive, but with Parappa around she’s tame. Parappa is naturally going for the better and would like to handle things passively, but with Rammy around he sparks up a moxie streak that both gets him into and out of trouble. They become like inseparable twins! However...thanks to me it seems that they now have a possibility of being more than just friends…”

 

“Now how does she end up our new roommate?”

 

“She says that she better head off to hell again, but her only options of returning are currently closed off for a good while. So Parappa being the generous soul that he is-”

 

“Offers her to stay with us…”

 

“Bingo!”

 

“Oh joy...Lammy is not gonna like...LAMMY! HER CHANCES OF ASKING-”

 

“Yeah they’re destroyed...she had no chance today thanks to Rammy’s arrival...and she won’t for a while after...However! Thanks to Parappa, Rammy is much more tolerable of Lammy! Eventually becoming true friends! Even a motivator towards Lammy becoming more assertive, as well as being overprotective of her to! Like a big sis! Unfortunately in the meantime before that happens...Lammy will see no feasible chance of getting near Parappa in the romantic sense…”

 

“Oh no…” Katy rubs the side of her head “I mean it’s nice that they become great friends and destroy the bad past they had...but to have the time in between that be a struggle for Lammy...oy vey that’s not gonna be fun…also Auntie?”

 

“Oh! I call all of my dad’s female and male friends Auntie and Uncle! It’s a bad habit of mine. You all tried to get me to stop it, but that just made me wanna do it more to a point that now I can’t stop it.”

 

“So that’s why you called PJ Uncle…”

 

So you heard us?...heh…”

 

“I thought it was my imagination...why didn’t you tell any of us who you were?”

 

“That’s not exactly easy...also I risked ruining everything...such as getting rid of my canonical mother…”

 

“Who is your real mother?...”

 

“Can’t tell you.”

 

“Well...how are you sure you haven’t already ruined your mission?...”

 

“Because I’m still changing.”

 

“What?”

 

“Once I stop changing and end up looking like my canonical body...then I’ll know I failed and changed the timeline...right now I’m still changing so it shows that my future will still be the future of this timeline! I haven’t made it an alternate timeline yet!”

 

“How do you know so much?”

 

“Grandpapa Rappa gave me a book on it!” He pulls out the book he tried giving to PJ “Here!”

 

“Time Paradoxes and you-” She throws the book to the side “I am not reading that.”

 

“Uncle PJ did the exact same thing...honestly it wouldn’t hurt to read...saves me the explaining…”’

 

“YOU can explain it to the TWO of us later.”

 

“Fine fine…”

 

She crosses her arms “What else can you tell me?...”

 

“Well not much...but while I think up some things I can say...you gotta promise to not tell ANYONE else!”

 

“Why not?!”

 

“This will most likely complicate so many things! It may even ruin everything!...”

 

“...” she rests her head on her hand “Ok…”

 

“Good...thank you...ok so...yeah...once Parappa’s back he’ll be bringing Rammy with him…Will...you let her stay with you two?...”

 

“I don’t know...how can I sure you’re telling me the truth about her??”

 

“Well...here!” He pulls out the photo he showed to PJ and hands it to her “As you can clearly see. She’s part of the group dynamic! Granted it currently shows her as my mom due to...well yeah as you can clearly see.”

 

“Oh man...you’re right…” she groans “She’s the dream girl he’s been talking about isn’t she…”

 

“Dream what now-”

 

“Well now that it’s like THAT! I can’t say NO to him since he’s trying to help her…” she slaps her forehead “I’d be a hypocrite if I told him to kick her to the curb…Oh...I’m sorry Lammy…”

 

“I’m sorry…”

 

“So now that I know why you were panicked over the expo AND what you look like and who you really are...I’m just exhausted...but hey! It does make sense as to how you were also light on your feet with skating, like me! And how you could best me in the laser tag! I clearly taught you!”

 

“Bingo.”

 

“Man what a struggle to keep this a secret…” she looks at the apartment she’s in “Nice place though...The sun really is a bother though…” She covers her eyes as she tries to find the shades she had. Leo hands her a new pair.

 

“You get used to it against your will…”

 

She places on the new sunglasses as she looks at him “You look nice to…you certainly inherited little in appearance from Parappa...but there’s still some little traits...like your eyes, nose and tail. Also blotches in your fur are white like his! And the blonde part of your hair making dog ears that look like his ears! I’m amazed that something like that is possible!”

 

“Future you said the same thing to me growing up!” He self consciously grabs his hair “But thanks I guess..”

 

“Your personality is so weird...I can’t get a definite grasp on what it is. The only thing that stays the same is that you’re kind and always worry over the others around you. I can take a hint to who passed that down.”

 

“Yeah...as for the schizophrenic rest of me...that’s all the cause of constantly swapping who my true mother is...I inherit that from you gals as well...but swapping it isn’t exactly fun for my mental stability. Sometimes I’m rarin to go! Ready for everything! Then the next thing I know I’m incredibly angry over everything! Even little things set me off! Next I’m either incredibly competitive or incredibly reserved! Knowing it’s for the better to just lay low till I can manage. And finally I’m overly anxious about EVERY little thing! I panic and worry if things will go this way...or that way...I fear interacting with others in case something goes wrong…” He sighs “And NOW i’m gonna be heavily crude and snarky...just my luck…”

 

Katy soon feels bad due to being a contributing factor in his poor life “I’m sorry…”

 

“Don’t be. I chose to go through all this. And I still will. To make sure I can change all your conjoined future! And by extension mine! I mean I managed twelve years without ruining anything! What’s the harm in letting you and PJ in on it?”

 

“Knock on wood…”

 

“Relax! It’ll be fine. Trust me!” He gives a thumbs up. The demeanor he gives is equal to Parappa’s “All you gotta do is believe!” A flash happens as she hears Parappa’s voice instead of Leo’s. Katy has to rub her eyes to make sure she really is talking to Leo.

 

Katy smiles “You really are his son.” she claps her hands together “Though it isn’t a definite guarantee that you’re my son...I will dote on you from time to time if that’s fine!”

 

“I mean yeah? Won’t it be awkward though?...I’m a twenty year old dude and not an eight year old kid so...”

 

“It’s not awkward unless you make it awkward!”

 

“And you DEFINITELY stay the same in the future...that I can safely tell you.” He rolls his eyes playfully before ending it with a wink. After he winks he changes into an orange and red lamb “Oh would you look at that...he must be doing something sweet right about now…” he then reverts back to his cat appearance “Aaaaaand he fucked it up...”

“Yikes...poor Lammy…” 

 

Leo tosses her the cellphone he got from her “Wanna call?”

 

“NO! She’ll question how i’ll know!”

 

“‘Best friend’ senses?”

 

“...Not a bad idea...but no! I’ll help her once they get back...seeing as Parappa’s gonna be busy with Rammy…” she rubs the side of her head again “Can we go dance now at your club? I’m in one hell of a mindfunk and I need to dance this tension off…”

 

“You got it!” They head out the door.

 

“How do you commute when you’re at the top floor?”

 

“Eheh...about that...you better hold on tight when going down the elevator…”

 

Katy gulps once she hears him mention that.

 

_ My poor sweet boy...what hell have you gone through for 12 whole years?... _


	17. The Time of our Lives

“Look Rammy! An anti gravity machine!”

 

“Yawn…”

 

“Oh over there! A multitask household bot!”

 

“Tedious…”

 

“Uh...over there! It’s uh-...what is that?” The machine they stare at simply uppercuts another inventor out into the atmosphere. It is the same device Lammy saw prior.

 

“Whatever it is, it’s mildly entertaining...and i’m bored again…”

 

“Well how about that! A...cat...wash…”

 

“Fucking why?...”

 

“U-Um...why not?...”

 

“Fair enough…” Parappa sighs in relief, but then his father and Guru Ant call him over.

 

“Oh! Rammy this way!”

 

“It better be something good…” she dejectedly follows him.

 

“Over here son and!...Lammy?”

 

Rammy growls lightly before turning her nose to the air “U-Uh no dad! This is Rammy! Another friend of mine!”

 

“Oh! Is she related to Lammy?”

 

“FUCK NO I’M NOT-” Rammy looks to Parappa and sighs in annoyance “No. I am not related to her.”

 

Papa Rappa and Guru Ant glance at each other then at Parappa “E-Eheh...she’s uh...not fond of being grouped up with her…”

 

“Alright…my apologies Miss.”

 

“That’s cool...sorry Miss R …” Both Guru and Papa bow.

 

“Yeah whatever...so what did you wanna show us?”

 

“Oh right! Well they’re about to start showing inventions that have been stored in the scientific hall of fame!”

 

“Great...old nerd stuff that was impressive enough for nerds to store it in order to show the nerds of the newer generation…”

 

“Oh come on Rammy! It might have something that’ll catch your fancy! Never know!”

 

“Whatever...let’s go…” She heads off before the three.

 

“Son she’s uh…” Papa Rappa scratches under his hat, trying to think of the word.

 

“Colder than a sea banche?” Guru adds on.

 

“Well I wouldn’t have worded it like THAT!”

 

“Can’t help it, girl’s immature as hell.”

 

“Oh you two! Leave her be! I’m trying to help her out of a big problem…”

 

“Help her? Seems like you’re gonna end on the short edge of the stick there man.”

 

“Guru’s right son...think that’s for the best?”

 

“Yes! Trust me when I say I know I can and that she NEEDS the help!”

 

The two older adults stare at each other with their arms folded before looking back to Parappa and saying in unison “If you say so.” Then they walk after Rammy.

 

“Sheesh...guess I have my work cut out for me!...” Parappa follows.

 

* * *

 

“So Lammy...you’re the guitarist in Katy’s band right?” Pinto asks with a tilt of her head.

 

“Yes I’m the guitarist in ‘our’ b-band. And probably the b-biggest of the three...wish I kinda wasn’t but...eh can’t control who the p-people go gaga over…”

 

“Why wouldn’t you enjoy that?”

 

“Well two r-reasons, the first is I’m...no g-good with popularity or attention...I rather a-avoid interaction or publicity whenever I c-can. And the second reason is...I don’t w-wanna usurp the attention...we started M-MilkCan as a joint idea...so I w-want us all to be on an equal footing…” Lammy holds her head in sadness.

 

“That’s pretty admirable!” Pinto looks up towards Lammy’s face “And how goes it with the everyday life with Katy and your drummer!”

 

Lammy perks up “Great! I mean at first glance you would figure the three of us would never get along given our clashing personalities...but honestly? That made it all the more better towards WHY we get along so well. Because we’re not just the same person plastered in a group like most bands or groups used to be...and still are! We’re just our own, individuals that support the others cons, while being helped by their pros! It’s a trio that i’m glad to be a part of and probably always will be for the rest of my days!” She smiles happily.

 

“Hey you didn’t stutter at all telling me that!”

 

Lammy’s smile drops as her face turns red “O-Oh yeah I-I-..”

 

“Nono! That’s ok! It’s nice when you have more passion and confidence in the words you speak!” The small puppy gives her a smile similar to her big brother’s.

 

“I didn’t know being such a sweetheart ran in the f-family.” She giggles lightly “You’re a sweet kid Pinto. I’m glad I got to see this side of you to!”

 

“Thank you! I’m sorry again for...giving off the feeling of death…” She sighs “Kinda a bummer with Katy though…”

 

“I should probably fix that little mistake. She’s not on a date, Leo’s just making up for something. But Ma-san, our drummer, kinda taunted Parappa to the point that he now believes it is…”

 

“S-So they’re not?”

 

“No.”

 

“Well that’s a bummer to…”

 

“Huh?...”

 

“Cuz i’m now rooting for you to!...”

 

“O-Oh!...um...t-thanks Pinto!...H-Hehe…” Pinto grabs onto Lammy’s hand like a little sister to a big sister.

 

“No problem! Now come on! Let’s go look at the cool stuff they have here!” She drags the lamb with her

 

“W-WHOAAAA!...Y-You sure do have an interest in this sorta stuff d-don’t you Pinto?”

 

“Well yeah! I like making stuff! It’s cool to see what can be made from what! Dad says I have the brain power to probably do better than the people here!”

 

“Wow. That’s some heavy praise.”

 

“I mean I guess he’s right, I did skip a few grades due to my IQ level.”

 

“Is that so? You’re one smart puppy!”

 

Pinto’s tail wags from the praise “I’m glad you think so! I hope to be a big name in the science field one day!”

 

“A smart kid like you? You’ll go far I’m sure of it!” _I’m glad I got to see this side of you sooner rather than later._

 

* * *

 

_“And first off, here we have the device that lead to the discovery of how space travel would come to be! With this prototype satellite! We eventually evolved the tech into that which would become the satellites of today! Or even our own rockets and spaceships!”_

 

“Wow...to think that dinky little thing would be what inspired space travel!”

 

“I’ve seen better smaller things than that at a-…”

 

“R-Rammy please don’t finish that sentence…”

 

“Pffft...pansy.”

 

_“And up next we have here the this old box right here! This little box here before it went kaput could reignite memories of old! The device would later see a cease in usage due to causing problems within the neural system if the target was trying to dig up things their psyche tried to purposely forget! This would later become the inspiration of Movie theaters, television and even cell phones of today!”_

 

“Now that’s one heck of a use for something that used to damage heads!”

 

“I’m just glad it inspired tv and cell phones.”

 

“Eheh…” This would go on as Rammy would find little to no interest in the objects. She almost walked out until…

 

_“And last but most certainly not least! This final device was made by Papillon Rappa!”_

 

“Hey dad isn’t that your name?”

 

“Oh no…” Papa Rappa pulls at his shirt collar.

 

The show floor opens up tremendously as a massive object rises from the depths below _“Here we have the massive behemoth of a weapon created by Papillon at the age of nine! That’s right! Thirty three years ago today!”_

 

Parappa and Rammy stare at the massive weapon before them “Your pops made THAT?!”

 

“I’m just as surprised as you are...dad?...”

 

Papa Rappa scratches his head “Ah...you see...remember when you called me and explained what the MC told you?...”

 

“...you mean…”

 

 _“THAT’S RIGHT FOLKS! Flashback three decades ago! There was a massive clash between a group of centaur-esque beings that boomed in the genre of rock and roll! Clearly with such a pedigree in their own singing and rocking talents they thought themselves the better and wanted to overwhelm all else! Then an accident struck! Merging them all into one titan of a beast! Were it not for Papillon’s massive weapon over here! Many people would not have seen the light of tomorrow! This music and rhythm powered ballistic boomer is the reason so many towns got to exist in the first place! Such as the quaintly named PaRappa Town that Papillon takes residence in!”_ A spotlight turns on and strikes down on Papa Rappa _“Now give a hand all you young aspiring scientists of tomorrow! This gentleman right here is one of seven that allowed you all to even exist in our happy little future of today! Now give him the round of applause on this momentous day!”_ Everyone claps, but Papa Rappa did not want any of it.

 

Parappa recalls the night of Mushi explaining everything “The Magna Groove Cannon...so this is what it looked like…”

 

“The hell were you fightin old man that made you have to invent that?!”

 

“Monsters...once people that didn’t wanna go down so easily...and became on giant abomination...and this was the only thing that could bring it down...I’m not proud of it...but I didn’t really have much of a choice…”

 

“But you saved so many people dad!”

 

“But not everyone...I couldn’t save Potter’s little sister or the entirety of Garden Love...I couldn’t save the Flambeyonds or the Cruisin’s...I couldn’t help the people I cared about...I couldn’t even save my older brother!...”

 

“I have an uncle?!”

 

“You HAD an uncle…” He looks to the ground “One I failed to save thanks to my own selfishness and incompetence…”

 

“O-Oh…” _But when I spoke to everyone...they didn’t mention my dad’s brother dying...something doesn’t add up…_ Parappa is snapped out of thoughts by Rammy elbowing him.

 

“Man you didn’t tell me your old man was a rugged war vet!”

 

“Eheh...slipped my mind…”

 

“OR THAT HE BUILT A FUCKING MEGA CANNON! Thing looks like it could blow up anything! Point it at the moon, boom it’s gone!”

 

“Yeah...first I’m seein it for myself actually…”

 

“If THIS is what these shut ins are capable of making, then this is certainly a hell of an interesting thing after all!”

 

“Glad something caught your fancy!” _Just wish...it was something else...although...it would make sense that this would be interesting to you. So I guess this is how I’ll get your attention...sorry dad...I’ll have to use you as a middleman here…_ “Uh hey dad! Mind uh...telling us more about that thing!”

 

“I uh...don’t think I have it in me to- W-WHOAAAAA! H-HEEEY!” A stampede of people begin carrying Papa Rappa away “WHAT’S GOING OOOOOOOON!”

 

“D-Dad!”

 

The stampede begin asking Papa Rappa question over his big invention and others he made at the time and what he currently makes now “UNFORTUNATELY SON IT SEEMS I’LL BE PREOCCUPIED AGAINST MY WILL FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP!...I’LL SEE YOU WHEN IT’S TIME TO GOOOOOOOOOOooooooo…” His voice fades off when he’s fully out of sight.

 

“Aw man…I wanted to learn more about his stuff...but I am not fighting against rowdy nerds just to find out more…”

 

“Sorry Rammy…”

 

“Nah, don’t sweat it. I should be the one apologizing, don’t get used to that though. Anyway, I was wrong. There are interesting things around here. Wanna show me more?”

 

“Gladly!” The duo walk off to inspect more of the expo, but as they wander about, they end up bumping into…

 

“OOF…”

 

“ACK!...” Both Lammy and Rammy fall over onto their rears after colliding into each other.

 

“Lammy! Rammy!”

 

“Gah my-...wait…”

 

“Owowowow...huh?...uh oh…”

 

“YOU!...YOU WERE HERE AFTER-...” Rammy calms down and turns to Parappa “So you knew huh?...”

 

“I...wanted to avoid you relapsing back to how you were…”

 

“Ugh…” She sighs “Thanks…” She glares at Lammy “You know...forget it...he’s right. I’m to exhausted to be dealing with this petty mess…frankly I just don’t want to go back to attempting to kill myself over it.”

 

“Y-You were gonna w-what?...”

 

“How about a temporary ceasefire till I just get off this damn mess that i’m in with myself?...” She scoffs as she holds out her hand in an attempt to be civilized.

 

Lammy swallows roughly as she forces a smile “I-I guess t-that sounds n-nice!...T-Though I rather it be a c-complete c-ceasefire!...”

 

“Maybe...I don’t know right now…”

 

“U-Uh...s-still…” She grabs Rammys hand “I’m o-ok with that i-idea nonetheless…” She struggles to say the next sentence “You...w-wanna try becoming friends o-ourselves?...”

 

“Don’t get ahead of yourself...I’m not that over it yet...I’m currently tolerating you thanks to this guy right here…” Parappa chuckles awkwardly once pointed to “Us as friends?...I don’t know about that...I just can’t picture it after all I’ve gone through by your hands. Intentional or not.”

 

“I-I never meant for any of t-that though…”

 

“Yet you still did it…”

 

“H-Heh...c-can’t help that...o-once a g-guitars in my hands...I just...g-go with it…”

 

“But you didn’t have a guitar in your hands…”

 

“T-The g-guitar was...in my...m-mind…” Lammy sheepishly backs off on instinct.

 

“...Uh huh…course it was...”

 

“I-I’m serious...s-someone t-taught me that t-to try and get over m-my anxiety…”

 

“Well I’d say they overdid the teaching…” She turns around “But what fucking ever I guess…” She goes back to Parappa, then turns her head to her again “You two tagging along? I can only assume you arrived here with him so...what?”

 

“Of course we are! Uh…” Pinto tries to address the black sheep by her name.

 

“Rammy.”

 

Pinto looks to Lammy then back to her “Um...you sure you aren’t related?...”

 

“We’re sure…” The two ewe say in unison as the two groups become on and carry off. When Lammy tries to walk near Parappa for an emotional stability booster, she’s cut off by Rammy who does the same, forcing Lammy to backoff from confliction.

 

The day comes and goes as the roles are reversed for the two ewe. Rammy actually finally enjoying herself happily...while Lammy is left with dread and despair and loneliness. “Hehe...I honestly can’t believe I enjoyed myself…”

 

“Told you I could help out!”

 

“Yeah, so you did. And I’m…” her mouth tries to say the next word, but struggles due to never saying the word unironically “T-Th-a-nkf-f-uuuul…” she rubs the sides of her mouth to relax and soothe it from the pain “Ow…”

 

“Did you...never use that word before?”

 

“I never give any form of thanks that isn’t false or sarcastic...this was a first and it was a struggle just to say it…” She continues rubbing her cheeks “But I don’t regret that. I really am...that word...to you! You really did perk me back up quite a lot. And to think you’re gonna help me out of the bind I’m in with myself!” She stops rubbing “Honestly...didn’t think a person like me warranted any help...and not like I would ever ask...I’m to prideful and stubborn...so it was just...deal with it...or have someone actually offer by their own accord...and obviously the second was never gonna happen. But to my blessings...it finally did.” She smiles. It’s a regular cute smile that you would never expect her to be capable of such a thing, but there she goes “I’ve been a bother to you today long enough. I’ll go back to hell for today.” Lammy’s ears perk up at the sound of that.

 

“You’ll be back right?...you won’t do anything to harm yourself in the meanwhile?...” Parappa says with a puppy whine following after.

 

She chuckles “Yessssss. Don’t worry dude. I’ll be fine now that I know I have someone who has my back.” She turns and waves “Rock on Mu- Rock on Parappa, see ya next time.” she goes on her way as Parappa waves back.

 

Lammy watches the duo and sighs, to which Parappa’s instincts kick in once again “Lammy you ok?”

 

“Oh y-yeah I’m fine!...c-could be better, b-but I am happy that you...f-found who you w-wanted to help…”

 

“Thanks but...are you upset with who I have to help?...”

 

“N-No! Not at a-all!...” _I think…_ “It’s all g-good here! R-Really!”

 

Parappa doesn’t buy it, but smiles nevertheless “Well let’s go get my dad. I have singing lessons that I owe to you! Especially more so since you were such a good sport over Rammy’s inclusion!” He rests his knuckles on his hips “And I wanna hear you sing some more! We’d probably draw that crowd in again with our voices!”

 

“H-Hehe...y-you think s-so?...~” She starts overheating from the happy attention that the dog is giving her “Yeah! Jammin with Rammy made me wanna hear you sing again! Speaking of Rammy I hope she gets to hell ok.”

 

Pinto speaks up as she tugs on her brothers shirt “That is if she ever moves from that spot over there!” She points towards Rammy, who stands still in place twitching.

 

“Wha?...Hey Rammy! Something wrong?...” Parappa shouts to the paralyzed ewe.

 

Rammy slowly turns around with her teeth bared and clenched as angry tear streaks pour out from her eyes “I-I have no way TO g-get back to hell…”

 

“WHAT?!” the two dogs and the lamb say in unison.

 

“T-The main path to get here is fucked up...and the path that I took here...kinda blew up when we finished our face off…”

 

“Oh...riiiiiiiight…” Parappa ponders for a second, before snapping as a light bulb appears above his head “I KNOW! You can come stay with us!” Lammy internally screams, donning the pose of the action of the same name, at such a pitch that she shatters into pieces externally. Pinto merely facepalms at her brothers incompetence.

 

I’m sure Katy will be fine with it! Oh...right...Katy…”

 

Rammy walks up to the dejected dog “You sure about that?...”

 

Parappa shakes his head, the thoughts still in his mind, but he tries to perk up for Rammy’s sake “Yes! I’m certain she won’t mind! If anything she has to now that she knows there WAS someone I did have to help!”

 

“How many people you already rooming with?...”

 

“The entire MilkCan band!”

 

“That’s THREE other people man! I think that’s a bit to crowded don’t you think?? I mean I could just find a place under a bridge or intersection. Or a bench. Rather not go into that.”

 

“NO! I assure you things will be fine!”

 

Rammy glances at Pinto scooping up the Lammy fragments on the ground “Uh huh...sure…

 

* * *

 

“My stomach...oh man I’m about to vomit...that elevator is a safety hazard…” Katy says as she holds her stomach as her head becomes purple.

 

“Welcome to my daily life!” Leo says, unfazed, completely used to the mess they just rode.

 

“How can you be so fine with that?!”

 

“Five years of that tends to grow on you. Better than taking the stairs anyway.”

 

“I am helping you find a new apartment! No questions asked!”

 

“I don’t have to pay for my current one.”

 

“I cannot find a deal better than that so nevermind!” Katy sighs “Let’s...just head to the dancefloor...and did you really need your helmet again?” Katy stares at the helmeted Leo, the screen fixed.

 

“Yes! Can’t be having people see me!”

 

“But everyone in this town knows what you look like!”

 

“And you never know when you’ll bump into someone new.”

 

“You are stubborn…” she scoffs “Let’s just go.” They leave the large building and drive off towards Leo’s club, on the way however.

 

“So you never told me about that getup. You say it was gonna be yours...but that means it was already that size to begin with. You clearly weren’t this tall as an eight year old...and judging by the initials on each article of clothing...they were clearly gonna be hand-me-downs.”

 

“Good eye. The helmet was actually Uncle PJ’s and Auntie Sweety’s! PJ used the music related functions for his DJing career, and Sweety used the other parts of it for family things, such as the emotion scanner to see whenever PJ or their daughter were hiding something they didn’t wanna get off their chest, even though they really should’ve. Or the lie detector function for maximum overmom mode!”

 

“PJ and Sweety start a family?! That’s so cute!”

 

“Yeppers!”

 

“But tell me that later when he’s around so I can tease him in revenge! For now carry on!”

 

“The Jacket Jetpack was Paula’s. She wanted to achieve a lot of things in the air. Mainly an old dream of hers being ‘getting lost in the clouds’ or actually ‘reaching for the sky’. Also a little showboating in the air from time to time! The Backup Dancer belt was YOURS! You wanted more flashy things around whenever MilkCan was playing at their gigs! The jeans I have on allow for immense flexible movement, they adjust to everybody movement flawlessly, and even help go further! Also give me better move altogether. Whenever I just wanna go faster! It belonged to Lammy. The shoes I have also help with mobility as well as jumping and other leg coordinated action! They’re even capable of sticking to any surface allowing me to walk up walls! These were Ma-san’s! And last but not least, the gloves I have on allow for any form of grip. No slip. No pain. Blister prevention for when playing a guitar. Built in heating and cooling pads for when drumming, playing the piano or remixing for an extended period of time! It also let’s me punch the more harder in case I need to discipline anyone who’s being a bad sport in the club. It never comes to that though thankfully. And as you would expect. They belonged to Rammy.”

 

“Wow your get up is just a culmination of things that belonged to all of us...and did Matt not give anything?”

 

“Who do you think helped my dad MAKE these?” He chuckles “Why do you think they look like this specific style?”

 

“Aaaaah...that explains a lot. No wonder you look nearly similar to his current get up.”

 

“Yup!” He stops the car as they arrive at his club “And voila! Here we are~”

 

“Great! The dance floor is calling my name!” She hops out of the car and sprints off, but stops mid way “I just hope Lammy’s doing ok about now…”

 

“I’m sure she’s doing fine.”

 

“I mean I suppose she is...but I’m really curious as to what Parappa did that had you flash to being their child for about under a minute before reverting back to our child…”

 

“With Dad...it’s REALLY hard to tell...anything could set off his attention of the current girl on his mind. Be it civilized, heart driven, brain driven...probably even perversion driven…”

 

“Gross…”

 

“He is a guy. And...granted I am as well so…eh? I dunno.”

 

“Guys are weird, but not Parappa! He’s to pure for that. And as should you be! You are his son!”

 

“I guess you got me there.” an ellipsis appears on his helmet screen “Let’s get to dancin already!”

 

“Okok! Let’s!” They rush in.

 

* * *

 

“Honestly Parappa...I seriously don’t think this will work out in the slightest.”

 

“Beats just sleepin on the streets! If anything I’ll give you my room for the time bein if need be!”

 

“I don’t feel like that’s a good idea…”

 

“Why’s that?”

 

“I can’t imagine the three of them being happy that I’m taking your room.”

 

“But you’re not taking it. I’m giving it to ya!”

 

“I hope they buy that.”

 

“They wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiill! Trust me alright?” Parappa crosses his arms “Wonder what’s taking my dad…”

 

“That was a long line of people. I wouldn’t be surprised if he still had people to talk to.”

 

“I guess you’re right…”

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile with Papa Rappa, he is finally finished with handling the mob of questioning people “Phew...alrighty! Is there anyone else that has anything else to say?...Last call!”

 

“I do. If you pardon my late intrusion.” A older man walks up. He shocks Papa Rappa. He was a humanoid man. He wore a red vizor that had pointed edges diagonally upwards at the end of the corners. His hair was white and jagged in a bizarre style. His smile was grand and bared all his glimmering teeth. He sports a red bowtie with an odd symbol on it. He wears a blue and red suit and pants with black pointed shoes. He sports white gloves that tug on his shirt collar.

 

“Oh! A regular human! Rarely see any of you interested in this field! You all usually end up as reporters!”

 

“Well...you’re not wrong there. I am a host in television media! Covering info on the big hits of the music industry! Adding them along in my studio casting ascending their fame!. Of course I have a heavy interest in the technological works. A byproduct of electrical engineering is the future is music I always say. But we have yet to reach that when we have yet to acquire a proper data understanding of the media we have today!”

 

“What a weird profession...but I ain’t one to judge! I’d be happy to answer what you have to ask Mr…?”

 

“Bohemian Tycoon Sound-Proof.”

 

“Huh...fancy name! Can’t help but feel like it’s familiar…” Papa Rappa scratches his head.

 

“Don’t be silly old boy! I haven’t really made much publicity with my name!” he smiles slyfully.

 

“Yeah...yeah you’re right! My apologies Mr. Tycoon! It’s just you name...for some reason reminded me of someone horrible…”

 

“Oh? Well how horrible was this individual?”

 

“He ended up starting a massive war between so many good hearted and innocent people...he caused the deaths of hundreds!...it was a huge mess...I ended up having to build THAT to stop people who were led astray…”

 

“So you are the one who built this then right? And it’s powered by music correct?”

 

“That it is. I didn’t feel right just building a flat out weapon of mass destruction, so I added that. A bad heart can carry no real rhythm! So no terrible people could truly use it! Another reason was that it’s meant to regulate the strength of the thing...if it didn’t have it...it’d just be terrible...point it accidentally at one thing...and it’s gone...terminated...erased…”

 

“I see…” He chuckles lightly under his breath to not be heard “And you built this to kill that terrible man?”

 

“Well...at the time if he was around? I would’ve used it to wipe him out...but no...it was to stop the group that was completely poisoned by his words… But I...I never saw the man...I don’t even recall his name...they never told me! All they called him was BoTy! And I could never understand why…”

 

Bohemian chuckles as his bowtie glows “Yes...that is a puzzler~...”

 

“Hey sir how old are you? You seem so young, but your voice is that of an older gentleman! I can only deduce you’re older than me! And i’m already forty two!”

 

“Smart hound! Would you believe me if I told you I was actually reaching triple digits?”

 

Papa Rappa’s eyes widen “H-How?!”

 

“I have to come clean old boy. I am not human. At least...not anymore. You see an accident struck me...a young individual wielding a guitar that was also a weapon! Came at me and slashed me to pieces! Can you believe that? Five years ago!”

 

“H-How are you alive?...”

 

“That’s the beauty of it! I have had this body in reserve, built in secret over a fear of mine. Aging to dust. I was contemplating switching my conscious here to extend my life, seeing as a machine can outlive flesh and blood! But I could never manage because I always assume I could figure out something for my real body...then of course I was brutally assaulted! For no reason mind you! And he made my choice for me! And honestly? I have to thank him. Now I am a being made of flesh and metal. I can outlive every single thing now. My career can extend for ages, allowing me to eventually achieve my dream!”

 

Papa swallows roughly “W-Wow that’s uh...quite a tale...do you hate that young man?...”

 

“At first I did. He was a rather unyielding lad. All I did was wanted him to become part of my media, but he refused...and then attacked me! But then he made me see the drawbacks of a body made of flesh. They expire far to easily! And so with this body I can do what I couldn’t easily do with a flesh body. I don’t suffer exhaustion or pain. I can’t suffer any illness. And I have no need to consume anything so I can keep working! Even more so since I don’t require sleep! What was once hatred is now a strong sense of decency to pay him back for the generosity he’s done for me! He opened my eyes!” the booming voice of Tycoon can’t help but curdle Papa Rappa’s blood “And you old boy...don’t you feel the grievances of age catching up?”

 

“Well I’d be a liar if I didn’t admit to that…”

 

“Then why not follow my footsteps? You are a genius mind! To lose it would be a waste towards the world!”

 

“I’m afraid I can’t do that. I just couldn’t find happiness in that life. I’m not genius, just a fun guy with a curious brain. The prestige of all the newer generations of inventors means nothing to me if I can’t age alongside my family...And I could never ask them to do that either...they have their own lives. Their own group of people they care for...their own opinions on immortality! I could never do it even if everyone in existence did it! Life would get boring...nothing would change...it would stay stagnant along with the people...That’s not living…”

 

“You are a fool…”

 

“And I’ll happily admit to that! That’s my way of thinking on the matter and that will never change! And I’m glad for that fact!” He tugs at his shirt happily “I’m happy being the caring father of two amazing children, both of which inherited my, and their late mother’s, curious brains!”

 

“Really now?...”

 

“Yes sir! And not only that Mr. Tycoon, one of them may even be on your fancy media as well!”

 

Tycoon immediately regains interest “Is that so?...” He leans in “Who?...”

 

“Oh that’s simple It’s-...WHOA! IS THAT THE TIME?! I HAVE TO GET GOING!” Papa Rappa picks up his things “You were an interesting guy Mr. Tycoon! I hope you find joy in your eternal life!” He runs off.

 

“Yes...I most certainly will...bah...it doesn’t matter who it is. I’m sure I’ll figure it out eventually...heh...or if they’re like you? They’ll come to me!” Tycoon turns around and walks off.

 

* * *

 

“Man Parappa, I didn’t think your old man was this popular among the scene of science...just worries me over the invention he’s bound to make me test out…” Guru shudders in fear.

 

“Oh come on Guru! Dad wouldn’t do anything harmful to you! You should know us better!”

 

“I mean I don’t doubt that, but I just hope after today he isn’t inspired...I mean did you see that BIG thing?! If he’s capable of making THAT-”

 

“DAD WOULDN’T MAKE A THING LIKE THAT AGAIN!” Rammy, Lammy, Pinto and Guru stare at Parappa due to being caught off guard by his sudden outburst “U-Um...I mean…he wouldn’t have a reason to…”

 

”I guess...sorry man…” They all stay silent in the awkward tension around them until they hear someone

 

“SORRY SORRY!” Papa Rappa runs up to them “Oh man...there was just so many people with so many questions...I just couldn’t find the time to escape them...so I just had to answer them all...phew...At least I’m back now!” He notices Rammy “Oh, is your friend coming with us?”

 

“Yeah! I invited her over to my new place.”

 

“Y-Yeah...he did do t-that…” _unfortunately…_

 

“And I guess I agreed to it.”

 

“Well alrighty then! All aboard! We got a long trip back!” Everyone nods as they pile into his car “And away we go!”

 

* * *

 

“Man. Having this huge place to myself is so nice…I can dance...sing...do absolutely anything...especially since you’re the owner and technically my kid...I wonder...HEY CAN I-”

 

“You are not gonna run around naked through the entire inside of my club.”

 

“Aw come ooooooon…There’s always a crazy time when a member of a band does something so out there! Granted I would never do anything of the sort in public cuz I’m a huge weenie, I can’t help but not wanna try to be apart of that in a secluded place!”

 

Leo plucks off his helmet “No means no!”

 

She crosses her arms “As your partial mother I order to you to let me.”

 

“You have no jurisdiction over me! I’m as old as you!” Katy simply stares at him, doing a pose a mother would when they catch their child being a brat “Hah! Like that’ll work on me!...” Her eyes squint as they burn a hole into his psyche “Y-You’re not g-getting to me you k-know!...” Her tail whips the ground with the sound echoing throughout the whole club “N-Not working!...h-heh…” she begins tapping her foot along with her tail slapping the ground “ALRIGHT!...I break to easily...I’ve been raised to well…” He sighs “Let me just lock the door to prevent any unwanted visitors from seeing you…”

 

“Yes!” She fistbumps the air.

 

“This is bad parenting!”

 

“No this is me conditioning my son to not be a prude!”

 

“But you don’t know if you are my mother or not! The other three...er...four, have just an equal shot!”

 

“While that maybe true, you still listened to me didn’t ya?~ That means I still have some jurisdiction over you regardless!”

 

“...yeah whatever...” He locks the door.

 

“Great! Now you take your stuff off to.”

 

“HUH?!”

 

“Well duh, I can’t do it by myself! I’d wimp out halfway!”

 

“CAN’T YOU ASK PARAPPA, PJ OR MATT?!”

 

“No! They’re boys!”

 

“I’M A BOY!!...” Leo takes massive offense to the previous sentence.

 

“A boy who had a one in fifth chance of coming from me!”

 

“OR THE OTHER FOUR GIRLS! SPEAKING OF WHICH WHY NOT THEM?!”

 

“Lammy would never be caught dead doing such a thing. I don’t know Rammy that well so no. Ma-san would secretly record me and blackmail me forever. And Paula would turn it into a competition comparing bodies and force you to judge. And would you really wanna do that??”

 

“Nghhh…” Leo’s eye twitches as he struggles to comprehend Katy’s way of thinking.

 

“Well then?” Leo stays there, foaming at the mouth in confusion “Am I gonna have to assert my motherly dominance again?”

 

“NO!....Fine!...ugh…you are so crazy...”

 

“I’m fun!”

 

“How is this fun for me?!”

 

“You’re helping the band leader of your favorite band! I.e. your mother! Also awww you love your mother’s band the most~ I just caught onto that! You are such a sweet boy~”

 

“I feel as if my kindness is now my downfall.” Leo’s face turns green as his eyes spiral “I’m gettin dizzy…”

 

“Oh come on! It’s just a little fun! Not like anyone’s gonna find out are they?”

 

“No, but not like that matters to me anyway…”

 

Katy’s joy turns into a serious aura “Wait...Why not?”

 

“I uh...already may have had...a bit of skin...show on some...album covers of mine...during my career…”

 

The serious tone fades away “Oh is that it. Phew...man you had me worried there. No son of mine-”

 

“Or the other four”

 

“Is gonna exploit his own body for a dumb gain!”

 

“Oh now you choose to be the sensible parent…”

 

“I’m outgoing, not an idiot. My ways of having fun maybe a tad to much at times, but they’re still sensible and within reason!”

 

“I suppose so…but again...like you yourself said, you’re partially my mother. And that’s the part that I’m just off about.”

 

“But right now I’m currently NOT your mother! Current Katy is just some other gal! So no weirdness there! Like I said, it’s not awkward unless you make it awkward!”

 

“What kind of backwards logic is that?!” Leo stops. _Of course...I’m in no position to talk...I did end up going back in time only to struggle like a complete moron for twelve years straight…_ “Ugh...Fine.”

 

“Look look, if it helps...think of this as catching up!”

 

“Catching up?...”

 

“Well yeah...you missed twelve years with your family...they never got to see you grow up into the Leo of today...that’s heartbreaking...I can only imagine how that must’ve been for you…” she looks to the ground “I just thought I could help you have fun and make up for that with the people of the current time…”

 

“I uh…” _I don’t GET her!...She’s like the most responsible AND irresponsible person!...huh...like me…oh wow._ Leo stares at Katy who only stares at the ground.

 

“It’s fine if you don’t want t-OOF!...” Katy is silenced by a shirt hitting her in the face “Waz-huh?” It’s Leo’s, and when she looks up she sees him doing as told.

 

“Well don’t just stand there! Wanna catch up or not?!”

 

“Atta boy!” She bounces in place causing Leo to rolls his eyes as he carries on.

 

After the clothes fly off, the duo line up at the entrance of the club like racers about to run off. They then look at each other.

 

“Ready to go partner?”

 

“Not really...can’t believe I actually let you talk me into this…”

 

‘Well if it makes you feel better. I’m not ready either! To be honest I didn’t actually plan on this going through!”

 

“YOU WHA-”

 

“Up up up! But since it did, why not go through with it? After all, it’s all in good fun!”

 

“...Yeah...ok…” He smiles “This is probably the craziest thing I’m ever going to do...”

 

“Likewise!”

 

“You don’t count!”

 

“Oh shush!” Leo’s helmet lights up red from the counter it’s placed on “Well you better get ready!”

 

Leo’s helmet lights up yellow “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

 

“That’s the spirit!” Leo’s helmet lights up green.

 

Both of them release a joint gulp as the helmet says go and they run off like crazy lunatics, screaming for no comprehendable reason. They run and run and soon the screams turn into laughter as they play about like young children streaking around their own homes when their parents are away. After a while they finally stop and get redressed again.

 

“That really was fun!”

 

“Gotta admit, I did enjoy that to surprisingly…”

 

“Told you! A mother knows best!”

 

“Yeah yeah~” Leo dusts off his helmet as there’s a knock at the door.

 

“I’ll get it!” Katy runs off, but stops midway “And the best part is, no one will be the wiser cept us!” She carries on and opens the door and is greeted by PJ “Whoa! Hey there PJ! What are you doin here?”

 

“Oh hey Katy. I thought Leo would’ve taken you back home by n-” PJ notices Leo is without his helmet on and quickly sprints past her, sending her into a topspin, to try and put the helmet on him.

 

“A-ACK! P-PJ STOP! SHE KNOWS!...”

 

“She does?...”

 

Katy manages to stop spinning as she dizzily faces the two “Y-Yeaaaaah...he told meeeee…”

 

“Huh...I figured Katy would be the last person you let in on given her talkative nature…”

 

Katy shakes her head to recover out of her dizzy state “RUDE! I’ll have you know I am probably the MOST trustworthy in this situation!”

 

“She plucked the helmet off your head didn’t she?”

 

“Yes…” Leo looks down.

 

“Even if I didn’t! I’m sure my own son would tell me!”

 

“Katy you have a one fifth chance to be his mother!”

 

“Still his mother by a sliver of a chance!”

 

“Leo you sure it’s best she knows?”

 

“Well...yeah! I know I can trust her! Katy may be fun and aloof, but after today I know I can have her word on keeping this all a secret!” Katy smiles as she crushes Leo in a hug.

 

“MY SON TRUSTS MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!”

 

“I’M...NOT...YOUR SON...GUARANTEED...NOW PLEASE...LET ME BREATHE…” She doesn’t hear him or let him go as he faints from lack of oxygen.

 

“Uh Katy...you’re crushing the life outta your partial kid…”

 

“Huh?...” she looks at Leo who’s eyes say the letters ‘K’ and ‘O’ as a comical little ghost flies out of his mouth “O-Oops...Guess I got to overemotional…”

 

“I can see that.” PJ pats her on the back “Well until he wakes up, mind telling me what happened? And what he told you? I wanna compare what I learned to what you learned.”

 

“Sure I guess...but uh… he was my ride home...I hope he wakes up soon…”

 

“Relax! I’m fairly confident in what I learned from him! I even drove myself here! So I’m sure I can take you back.”

 

Katy recalls seeing Leo nearly vomit from riding with PJ “U-Uh...t-that’s ok! I’m fine with w-waiting. He wanted to drive me around from start to finish anyway.”

 

“Ok.” He huffs, clearly upset “Now talk!”

 

“Alright! Well...for starters...I’mma have a new roommate thanks to Parappa…”

 

“Is it Rammy?...”

 

“So you know about her to?”

 

“Yeah thanks to him. He said she entered our lives after the expo. Which was today so-”

 

“You knew and didn’t tell us ahead of time?”

 

“I didn’t KNOW she’d be your new roommate!”

 

“Fair enough…” She snaps her finger “But hey! Leo tells me she’s gonna be a sweetheart!...eventually…”

 

“In the meanwhile?”

 

“In the meanwhile she’s gonna usurp Parappa’s attention…”

 

PJ reels back into a chair as his arms go behind his head “Joy. That won’t become problematic to our group dynamic.” He glances over to Leo “So i’m sure he filled you in on his appearance thing?”

 

“He showed me it!”

 

“Oh did he? I wonder what Parappa’s thinking about right now to be thinkin of you.”

 

“He’s probably jealous right now.”

 

PJ nearly chokes on his laughter “Jealous?! Him? Over you?? This I gotta hear.”

 

“I’m serious!” smoke comes out of her head “Parappa thought Leo was taking me on a date and he started getting all twitchy! He even stared at Leo like he was gonna rip his head off! Leo can testify to that!” She looks at the unconscious cat “After he wakes up!”

 

PJ still chuckles in disbelief “I mean I could believe it if it was Sunny, but now it’s just so amazing that he’d rebound so quickly! And towards you no less!”

 

“Geez...offense taken to the max…”

 

“Sorry, but what I mean by that is. It’s shocking that he’s now actively with interest. Parappa was one to-” PJ remembers what he promised Parappa “Um...nevermind. Point is. It’s astounding. Now that means he has a heavy thing for you! And now that means you can make a move! Go for it!”

 

“I know...but I can’t...I’ll be spending my time helping Lammy cheer up…”

 

“Huh?” PJ then recalls what Leo said about Rammy “Oh yeah...doppelganger from hell…”

 

“There’s more to Rammy than just that! But uh...close enough. Yes Rammy is the reason why she’ll be needing to be cheered up…”

 

“Well that’s upsetting.” He tilts his shades downward “And you’re just cool with having a girl like that invade your lives?”

 

“Well I saw the picture...she had her arm wrapped around Lammy and vice versa so they clearly end up the best of friends!...and besides the whole point of Parappa becoming our roommate was to cheer him up. And he said he was meant to help Rammy! So if I don’t let him help her I’ll end up being a hypocrite…” She drags her hand along her face “I’m kinda forced into letting her from my own words...Ma-san’s gonna be so angry with me...and Lammy’s just gonna struggle throughout the time we have to house her…”

 

“Would it have been the same had Leo not told you I wonder?”

 

“Since it is the future, I’m sure Parappa would’ve convinced me regardless…”

 

“That’s probably true.” PJ scoots around the ground until his chair gets caught in something “Huh?...” he looks down then quickly turns his gaze to Katy, unamused “This wouldn’t happen to be yours would it.” Katy stares at the object in his hands, it was her bra.

 

“U-Uh…” She’s shushed by PJ tossing it to her face.

 

“I don’t even wanna know…”

 

“E-Eheh...good because I’d rather die than tell you…”

 

“What the hell did I barely just miss as I arrived?...”

 

“Nothing you need to concern yourself with!”

 

“Just put that back on…”

 

“Don’t gotta tell me twice…” she heads off to Leo’s private quarters to place the bra back on as PJ out of reflex slaps Leo upside the head so hard he wakes him up.

 

“OWWWW?!”

 

“Oh hey...the slap of life.”

 

“WHAT THE HELL?!”

 

“You weren’t doing anything questionable before I arrived were you?”

 

“I am under parental obligation to not be able to tell you.”

 

“Fine. Just tell me if it was your idea.”

 

“It was not.”

 

“Alright. I apologize.” He slaps Leo again.

 

“OW. WHAT NOW?!”

 

“For letting her go through with whatever it was.”

 

“Well it’s not like I could say no!”

 

“Yes you can!” PJ crosses his arm “Don’t be an idiot!”

 

“She’s partially my mom! She took advantage of that fact.” He slouches “I’m to much of a well raised child to not obey his mom’s wishes…”

 

“Oy vey you inherited to much of Parappa’s kindness…” He leans back “Well I mean it didn’t seem like a bad thing given how happy she was when she opened the door when I arrived. So whatever it was, I guess I’ll let it slide.”

 

“I’m learning more about you two then I’d want to...being an adult sucks…”

 

“Moreso when you mess with our little group. It’s like a pack mentality thing.”

 

“That I do know because you’re still like that even then.”

 

“Good. Glad to see we always have one another’s back.”

 

“Who’s back we got?” Katy says as she walks back over.

 

“Nothing” PJ readjusts his shades “Just talkin to Leo about stuff.”

 

“Yeah...only talkin...definitely not smacking another up the head for things out of his control…”

 

Katy looks at the two confused “What did I miss?”

 

“Nothing.” The two reply together.

 

“Okaaaay...well uh Leo...mind taking me home now?”

 

“Gladly.” He hops out of his chair as he grabs his helmet.

 

“Really?...Still with the thing??”

 

“PaRappa Town hasn’t seen me without this on and they won’t get to!”

 

Katy throws her hands to the air “Alright, forget I asked. I’ll be waiting in the car.” She storms out.

 

“What’s her deal?”

 

“It’s probably the fact that you give her hope in her love struggles. And seeing you trying to stay so secretive is probably an offense to her.”

 

“Well so-rry! Not my fault I don’t wanna ruin everything I’ve worked for in twelve years!”

 

“I understand that perfectly. Good luck getting her to see that, or any of the other girls for that matter whenever they find out.”

 

“God I don’t even wanna think about that...”

 

“I dunno, it might be entertaining to watch.”

 

“For you maybe!”

 

“And that’s all that matters.” He laughs as Leo scoffs and leaves the building.

 

* * *

 

“Well that was a fun time. Learned some good things, some troubling things and got to even have some fun in a variety of ways!” Katy says as she dances within her seat.

 

“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”

 

“That’s an understatement! By the way I gave you one hell of a body!”

 

“Katy please…” a flustered icon appears on Leo’s monitor.

 

“Please nothing! This version of you clearly inherited more than just my face!”

 

“Eheh…”

 

“Your as slim as I am! Possibly even slimmer! Got any pointers on that?”

 

“No just...eating healthy…”

 

“You? Eat healthy? With hips as big as yours?!”

 

“That I can’t help...I inherited from-”

 

“You can’t pin the blame on me! My hips aren’t THAT big!” _Yet anyway._

 

“I was gonna say dad…”

 

“Say what.”

 

“Why do you think he wears such baggy pants! And how else do you think they don’t sag anymore?!”

 

“Oh my g-” Katy covers her mouth to stop the onslaught of laughter about to burst out “Now that you mention it...t-that’s very o-obvious thinking about it n-now...p-pffft...”

 

“You’re free to laugh, but I don’t think that’ll earn your way to his heart any time soon.”

 

Katy chokes on her stifled laugh “E-ERM-AHEM! Laugh? Who would laugh at their friends genetically large rear that their future son will inevitably inherit? Not me, no sir!” Leo’s helmet emits an eye roll.

 

“Right...well we’re here...and it looks like they beat us by a while...although it looks like Parappa and Rammy decided to wait outside!” Parappa spots them from afar and begins waving towards them “This is our last stop for today! Hope you enjoyed your time. Take care and goodbye!”

 

“What’s with the accent?”

 

“Tried to sound like a tour guide...sorry…”

 

“Pffft don’t, it doesn’t suit you.”

 

“I noticed.”

 

“Well thanks again. And goodbye!” She leans in to whisper without being heard by anyone else _“Take care son~”_ She kisses his helmet monitor.

 

_“Mother please…”_

 

 _“You called me mom! Eeeeee!”_ she hops out of the car all happily as she walks over to Parappa. However Katy notices that he’s frozen in place. The look of dread being plastered onto his face. She quickly walks up to him “Parappa? You alright there?”

 

“I’m...fine...thank you...for...asking…” He shakes his head as he watches Leo drive off.

 

 _Oh...Oh he misinterpreted the kiss on the...uh oh…And I can’t even explain myself…_ ”Uh...sure...anywho...who’s this?...”

 

He calms down with a deep breath “Katy! Now first off I want you to meet Rammy!”

 

“Yo.” Rammy lifts her hand.

 

“And...don’t get mad but...I kinda offered her to stay here-”

 

“Sure she can stay.”

 

“Aw Katy please! Just let he- Did you say sure?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Wow I...thought it would be a lot harder than that…”

 

“Let’s just say I had a feeling…” she turns to Rammy “Well it’s nice to meet you Rammy!”

 

“You know who I am.”

 

“H-Heh...that I do…”

 

“So then why are you so nice…”

 

“Whaaaat. My lifelong bud Parappa here is offering to help you...and if he’s doing that then clearly you’re a good person! If you are to him, then you are to me!”

 

“...wow...I uh...huh...guess I underestimated you…” Rammy awkwardly scratches her cheek.

 

“Yes you have! Now what living accomodations did you plan for her?”

 

“She’ll be bunking with me!”

 

“Yes! She’ll be bunking with- WHAT?!?!”

 

“There it is.” Rammy rests her face on her hand.

 

“A-AHEM! I mean of course she will!” her eye twitches “Smart...innovative...thinking Parappa…”

 

Parappa blinks in quick succession, dumbfounded at Katy’s sudden emotional shift. He’s completely oblivious to the fact that he was doing the exact same thing moments ago “Uh...you got something in your eye Katy?...”

 

“I’m ok...now...come on...let’s get her in…”

 

“Uh...great! Come on Rammy!” The trio head on upwards and upon entering their place, they spot Ma-san and Lammy. Ma-san is on the couch reading a book while Lammy is on the floor, staring at the ceiling with a thousand yard stare.

 

(“Oh hey. You two are back.”) Ma-san looks up to see that they have a third person accompanying them (“Who’s the metal chick?”)

 

“Ma-san! This is Rammy, the girl I was supposed to help!”

 

(“You mean you actually found that dream chick in the real world?!”)

 

“Yes! Told you!” Parappa triumphantly crosses his arms.

 

“The hell is she saying?!” Rammy starts to get aggravated at not being able to understand Ma-san “If you’re gonna talk about me, at least do it in english so I can understand it...don’t mock me with the voice of a drowning person…”

 

Ma-san’s dynamite flickers out a quick spark as she willingly speaks english towards the rude new guest “What did you call my native tongue?”

 

“It sounds like an idiot who ended up drowning themself! What are you deaf to?!”

 

“Or maybe you’re just to stupid to comprehend it! Think about that?!”

 

“Oh no…” Katy and Parappa say as they facepalm.

 

Ma-san and Rammy stay at each others face as electricity sparks between their eyes in anger. They both rear back their fists as if to punch the other girl. Parappa and Katy close their eyes in fear of the worst, but it never arrives. Once the arms fly forward, Ma-san and Rammy grab each other in a hand shake.

 

“Gotta say, I like your bold, take no shit attitude.”

 

“You’re no slouch either mousey! Got that blaze that’s ready to go!”

 

“You’re cool in my book.”

 

“Likewise.” Both Rammy and Ma-san end up laughing between each other as Katy and Parappa stare in bewilderment.

 

“What just happened…”

 

“I...think they became fast friends...huh...didn’t see that coming….”

 

“You and me both Parappa…”

 

“Yo what’s your name.”

 

“Rammy, what’s yours?”

 

“Mar, but call me Ma-san. Now why you here?”

 

“Looks like I’m gonna be under the same roof as you.”

 

“Is that so? Come on then. Lemme show you around!”

 

“Sounds good to me!” The two walk off as Parappa snaps out of it and trails after.

 

“W-Wait Ma-san that’s m-my job!”

 

Katy walks up to Lammy and sits next to her once the three of them are out of hearing range “Hey Lammy…Are you...ok with all this?...”

 

“I WANNA DIIIIIHIHIHIIIIEEEE…” She slams her face into her hands as she begins crying hysterically on the spot.

 

Katy wastes no time in hugging her sobbing friend “N-Nonono! Please don’t cry!...” Lammy just cries harder “Y-You’re gonna get me c-crying…come o-on…”

 

Thankfully the others didn’t manage to catch the two crying on the spot before they managed to stop. Lammy stayed on the couch, completely out of touch with her current surroundings. Katy wanted to help her as much as possible, but it seemed to be far more difficult than originally thought “Katy...can I j-just be left alone…?”

 

“I can’t do that and you know it…”

 

“Yeah I know…” She huddles up against her knees “Just thought you could...h-honestly not feeling a-anything right now…”

 

“I’m sure things will be alright in the end...come on…”

 

“With her h-here?...I doubt it…” she sighs “Think you c-can make her go back to h-hell and cut connections w-with Parappa?...”

 

“I...can’t do that…”

 

“...I know…”

 

Katy hugs Lammy again “Trust me Lammy, things will get better eventually… Why maybe you’ll even become good friends...and look back on today and regret even wanting to send her back to hell…”

 

“W-Wishful thinking much...t-that’ll never happen…”

 

Katy remembers the picture. How the two seemed so inseparable “Never say never…”

 

“I’ll g-give it a go t-then…” She uncurls “B-But I don’t expect much…”

 

“It won’t happen in an instant! Rome wasn't built in a day you know?...I mean...it’ll probably go along quicker if you threw in your part…”

 

“B-But I d-don’t want to…”

 

“Would you rather feel like that for the rest of your life?...”

 

“Wouldn’t hurt…”

 

“LAMMY!...”

 

“L-Look...I just...don’t p-picture myself ever g-getting along with her…”

 

Katy winces “Would you...do it for Parappa’s sake?...”

 

“No…or yes?... I don’t k-know…” She sighs as she throws her head back “T-This is just t-to much for me… I-I feel as if this is my k-karma for even coming in contact with R-Rammy… I accidentally destroy h-her life...she p-purposefully takes away the guy I l-love...and after I had a g-great chance of actually going s-somewhere with it!...” Katy didn’t have the heart to tell Lammy that the day was destined to be ruined for her “I feel l-like I’m not even gonna b-be able to be near Parappa…”

 

“Well...not while she’s around him…unless of course...you became friends with her!...”

 

“Ugh…” Lammy rubs her eyes “I’ll give it a shot...if it’s my only chance at trying again…” She gets up “Guess I have to g-go chat w-with her to break the ice a-again…”

 

“T-That’s the spirit!...” She gets up as well “I’ll go with! I’ll be emotional support! As well as the fact that I’ll also have to be friends if I want to be able to be near Parappa at all.”

 

“Ma-san made it l-look so easy…”

 

“Well you gotta recall that it’s Ma-san.”

 

“A f-fair point...come on…”

 

The duo walk off to meet up with the other three. The rest of the day goes by with mixed results. Ma-san and Parappa stay the only ones with actual connection to Rammy while Katy and Lammy fall flat. Eventually it reaches night time to which Parappa leads Rammy to the room they’ll be sharing.

 

“Huh...quaint little place. And you have good taste in artists.”

 

“Thanks! Although you’re free to change things up as you see fit.”

 

“I didn’t really bring much...hell I don’t even have a guitar anymore…”

 

“Oh!” Parappa removes the one from his back “You’re free to take mine!”

 

“No can do. For a novice. You can still work wonders on it. I could never take that, my pride as a guitarist wouldn’t let me.”

 

“Eh, but I only got the thing to help you to be honest...and after what I did during our face off...I’m...kinda...upset with myself...so I don’t really wanna use it for a while…”

 

“Tell you what. I’ll borrow it till I get my own, and I’ll give it back once you feel like using it again.”

 

“Sounds fair!” his tail wags.

 

“You get to happy way to easily.”

 

“Well what’s there not to get happy about?”

 

“The fact that i’m basically intruding on your room and taking your guitar?”

 

“But I offered both of them to you…”

 

“Doesn’t exactly help me feel any better over it.” She groans “Anyway what about sleeping accomodations?” She stares at the bed “I think we can manage to both use it?...”

 

“No need!” He opens a closet and pulls out a mat “I have my accomodations all set!”

 

“No.”

 

“No?”

 

“That shitty thing? You’ll be feeling the floor right through it!”

 

“Yeah it is a tad worn...but it’ll suffice. Don’t worry about i-” Rammy plucks him by his hat, he clings on by holding onto the hat “H-Hey! What are you do-” She tosses him onto the bed.

 

“You are not sleeping on the floor.”

 

“Neither are you!”

 

“Then I’ll sleep on the couch in the main room.”

 

“Not that either!”

 

“And I thought I was stubborn.” She facepalms as she drags the hand off her face “You are one hell of a persistent guy.”

 

“Well If I let you do either then I’m basically not helping and just throwing you back to the condition you were in at your old place!”

 

“You didn’t have to bring that up…”

 

“Ah...sorry just…”

 

“I get it...ugh…fine!” She sits at the edge of the bed “You stay at your side, and if you do anything funny I’ll break your arms…”

 

“Do I look like that kind of guy?...”

 

“Well you are to happy for your own good…” Rammy sighs as she lays back.

 

“What does that have to do with anything?...” Parappa plucks his beanie off and tosses it onto the counter next to the bed.

 

“Sorry...it’s just a stereotype of people from the overworld that started in hell.”

 

“Huh...well I can only assume we aren’t looked upon very well…”

 

“No you guys aren’t. Not one bit.”

 

The duo then begin to hit the hay, Parappa sleeps soundly until he is awoken by the person next to him. He passes it off as not that big a problem until he is accidentally kicked off the bed “WAH!...” He gets back up slightly miffed, but still calm  “Anything bugging you?...”

 

“I can’t sleep…”

 

“I figured that’d be eventually be a problem. Um...anything you normally do?”

 

“One thing, but I am not doing it.”

 

“Why not? If it helps you sleep no need to be embarrassed over it!”

 

“I usually sleep naked.” She stares at him with the most deadpan expression to emphasize that she wasn’t doing it.

 

“Yeah I agree don’t do that…”

 

“Clothes suckkkkk…”

 

“You sure you wouldn’t rather just let me sleep on the mat?”

 

“No. Pretty sure the cat would bite my head off if I did that. She kinda filled me in on some shit you yourself have been through.”

 

“Oh...but it’s nothing compared to your struggles.”

 

“I guess.” she motions around some more “Ugh…”

 

“Maybe we can talk you to sleep?”

 

“Eh?”

 

“I figured boring you to sleep would probably be easy…”

 

“...not a bad idea…” She adjusts herself “Why not. Give it a go.”

 

“Um...when you brought up Kitty, AJ and Raparra...they wouldn’t happen to-”

 

“Look like you and people you know?”

 

“Yeah…”

 

“Yep. Raparra’s a spitting image of you, cept he’s not a blondie. His hair is black. Kitty is basically a purple version of Katy. And dunno if you know any bears, but AJ is a toy panda.”

 

“Sounds like a spitting image of PJ. He’s a teddy bear.”

 

“Pfft...and here I thought you couldn’t get any dumber than a toy panda.”

 

“Hey! PJ’s a decent guy!...when he’s not asleep or stuffing his face or taunting me…” Parappa blows out a puff of air from annoyance.

 

“Damn. AJ’s more of a sleep deprived anorexic…”

 

“I’d assume since so far everyone seems like opposites…anyone for Ma-san?”

 

“Kitty probably knows. I don’t really know anyone else. At least I don’t think I know anyone else you know...I need to see to be able to tell you if I know their look a like or not…”

 

“Fair enough.” Parappa hops back onto the bed “What’s hell like? My only exposure to it was Miss Yoko inviting me to sing with her once.”

 

“It’s pretty much like here. Just darker colors here and there. But everyone is literally the same. Everyone has a doppelganger.”

 

“Wow.”

 

“I mean there are some extra faces...you know...skeletons...ghosts...other dead people who got sent there rather than just rest in peace up above.”

 

“Huh… I wonder how Lammy got sent there when she accidentally died…”

 

“Pffft...beats me...who knows what shady stuff she may or may not have done during her time up here!”

 

“Lammy doesn’t seem like the type to do that sort of thing…”

 

“Let me have some fun believin! I know she would never. Honestly she’d probably die even trying? Like i’m not even fucking kidding. If she even tried doin anything remotely assertive she’d probably die on the spot.”

 

“Eh...that’s up in the air recently. I mean she was like that in the past, but not anymore now. At least not around me.”

 

“Is that so? That’s a shocker.” Steam comes from Rammy’s nose “That’s a bit annoying…”

 

“How come?”

 

“I figured she’d at least grow a spine during the times I kept breathing down her neck...but nope…”

 

“I think it’s that very reason as to why she’s still as anxious as she is...some people don’t learn with negative reinforcements…”

 

“Feh…She needs thicker skin…”

 

“I’d say the same could apply to you.”

 

“WHAT?!”

 

“I mean you were kind of in shambles yourself weren’t you?”

 

“Tch…that doesn’t count…”

 

“And why not?”

 

“Because…”

 

“Because?”

 

“...because I…”

 

“Was gonna kill yourself for not beating her over what was once a petty thing that you ended up making evolve into something that destroyed your entire life on its own. When all you could’ve done was talk to her at any given time and settle it like grown adults. Am I wrong?...”

 

“...no…” Parappa hears a faint sniffle.

 

“Look...people enter hard times. Sometimes it’s hard to admit that… Would you believe me if I told you I was slowly trying to kill myself to?”

 

“You?”

 

“Yes me! I locked myself inside my old room for an entire year...only left to use the bathroom. I didn’t eat, I didn’t sleep...I was trying to waste away, but I never did.” He sighs “I wanted to die each passing day after an accident that I blamed myself for. But the negative effects never happened...at least not on my body...just my state of mind...and that was even worse. I needed help, but didn’t wanna accept any.”

 

“Did people barge their way into your life to help?”

 

“Yes actually. My two original childhood friends PJ and Katy. They had enough and wanted to do all they could for me so I could…”

 

“Stop being a little bitch?”

 

“Eheh...wouldn’t word it like that, but pretty much yeah. And that’s when I saw that I could be helped...if I let the help happen. I was purposefully locking myself out for what? I could’ve had this pit in my stomach gone since day one...but I was stubborn… And once I realized all that…”

 

“What then?”

 

“The pain hit me physically...the year of not doing what I should’ve been caught up and...I got lucky to still be here! I really don’t wanna relapse into that state of being again, but honestly...with new blue skies come dark clouds and I just worry I could end up back at square one. I’d lose myself! And I don’t want that. Not just because I don’t want to see myself become a shut in again, but because I don’t want my friends to suffer over my own stupidity.”

 

“Yeah well lucky you...you have friends that look out for you as such...I don’t really have that luxury.”

 

Parappa turns to her “We’re friends now...aren’t we?” Rammy’s eyes widen “I wouldn’t lie to you, and hey! The others would become your friends to if you let em.” He smiles “Just note that I do have your back for whatever, whenever. I really am your friend, now until the end of time! So you’re not alone when it comes to this.”

 

Rammy huffs as she turns to her side, facing away from him “I think I just got the urge to sleep.”

 

“Um...ok! Glad that you did! And g’night!”

 

“Night…” Parappa rolls away from her as he settles back into trying to sleep. He is prevented once again by Rammy’s voice “Hey Parappa?”

 

“Mhm?”

 

“Thanks…”

 

“No problem friend!”

 

_This seems like the start of something great! Things can only get better for all of us from here on out! I just know you’ll fit right in Rammy!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters done instead of one! Thought I'd work on these two together since my free time is gonna be taken due to me heading on a trip without a computer for about a month! I'll see if I can manage a chapter before then or during the trip, but until then I hope you enjoy and don't mind the pause!


	18. Black Sheep of the Family Part 1

_Day 1 with Rammy_

 

The morning arove as usual. The ram wakes up to a new occurrence. The sun beaming down on her face. She groans as she rubs her eyes with one hand. She tries to use her other hand as well, but it’s currently holding onto Parappa as if he were a teddy bear. Once she notices, she quickly shoves him off the bed, waking him up.

 

“GOH…” He gets back up “Morning!”

 

“Did you know I did that?!”

 

“Of course, it woke me up in the middle of the night.”

 

“And you didn’t bother to get me to stop?!”

 

Parappa chuckles cheekily as he puts his arm behind his head “Well you seemed like you were missing a teddy bear. Couldn’t really stop that since it did help you sleep better.” He shrugs “Plus you can’t blame me for that since I didn’t do it.” She conks him on the head “GWAH…” he drops to the ground clutching his head.

 

“Doesn’t mean I can’t get mad at you!”

 

“Point taken…” He puts his hat back on “But seriously. You just abruptly grabbed me as if you were having a nightmare! I just couldn’t wake you up after that! Especially given how hard it was to even GET you to sleep…”

 

“Blegh...fine...you tell anyone I did that and you’re dead ya hear me?”

 

“As if I could! I know when to keep things that are obviously meant to be hidden...well...hidden!”

 

She crosses her arms “Fine, but I would rather you not know about that at all…” She sighs “I did...have a teddy bear...helps me sleep and is just...calming you know?”

 

“Well that’s nothing to be ashamed of! Hell Lammy used to have one as well! If it weren’t for the fact that she lost it, she’d probably still have it even now.”

 

“Yeah but for a girl like her? It’s obvious and easy to pass off! Me? I’d be ridiculed more so than I am now…”

 

“Aw don’t think like that! People up here are a lot nice than people in hell!”

 

“While I don’t necessarily doubt that, you still see how I currently look like right?”

 

“Ok you make a good enough point…”

 

“Exactly!” She hops off the bed, to which Parappa covers his face “The hell’s up with you now?”

 

“Y-Your shirt got lift up…”

 

“Huh? Oh how about that. And?”

 

“And?! Where’d your modesty from last night?!”

 

“I didn’t wanna end up sleeping naked. This is literally nothing. The top half I’m cool with cuz whatever. It’s mostly the bottom half that’s a big no unless it’s someone i’m real comfortable and close with with like my girl-...ex...girlfriend....”

 

“Well speak for yourself! I’m not used to seeing that!”

 

“You live with three other girls. I extremely doubt you go through a day WITHOUT catching them nude or near nude.”

 

“I refuse to answer that.”

 

“Pffft...Lemme guess. Katy or Lammy?”

 

“Both…”

 

Rammy bursts into laughter without hesitation “And you worry over me?! Thahahahat’s ridiculous!”

 

“Just...fix your shirt please…”

 

“Maybe later, right now mind telling me where the bathroom is?”

 

“Down the hallway that direction to your right…”

 

“Much obliged.” She snaps her finger into a finger gun as she leaves the room and heads for the bathroom.

 

“Oh dear...when I wanted to adjust that way with the girls...I never anticipated ever having to extend that offer to a girl who could care less about being caught topless...this will certainly keep things lively around here with a personality like hers that’s for sure…And why didn’t she have a bra?! How was her life in hell compared to here?!”

 

The morning comes and goes as per usual, the only difference being the normally talkative Katy and Lammy are replaced by a now more talkative Ma-san and Rammy as the former duo become silent. After they eat they all head off to their respective jobs, minus Rammy who is left to do as she pleases..

 

“Here’s a spare key in case you decided to go and explore the town or whatever...and please don’t destroy anything…” Katy says as she places a set of keys in her hands.

 

“Sheesh I didn’t peg you as the kind to be overly responsible.”

 

“I am plenty responsible when need be. Now i’m off. Come on Lammy.”

 

“Right behind you…”

 

“You two work together?”

 

“Yep, and I’m not telling you where.”

 

“Does Ma-san work with you two?”

 

“Nope, she’s with her father at the town pharmacy.”

 

“Phew. Alright.”

 

Katy’s eye twitched upon hearing her response “Why the sudden relief?”

 

“In case I got bored and wanted to go chat with someone.”

 

“Of course…” _While she couldn’t have possibly made that sound more offensive if she tried...at least it gets her off Lammy’s back for the time being…_ “You could just head off with her now you know.”

 

“I’ll think it over. Don’t wanna bug her, she told me how much of a pain her pops can be from time to time.”

 

_Oh sure, you respect her easily and instantaneously…_ ”Whatever you wish. Anymore questions? I really gotta go.”

 

“None. Have fun ya uptight mess.”

 

Katy ejects smoke from her nose and ears “Yeah ok…” _I honestly hope it doesn’t take to long for her to become nice to me and Lammy...crap I didn’t ask Leo how long it’d actually be...oh joy…_ Katy runs off to her van with Lammy and drives off without hesitation as to escape the other ewe faster.

 

Rammy watches from the living room window to see said van haul it through the streets “Temper temper...sheesh.” She rolls her eyes and continues watching. She sees Ma-san and Parappa walk down the street, but then head in opposite directions once the street split “Hm…”

 

At Chop Chop Fruits Cafe, Parappa arrives to be greeted by PJ and Matt.

 

“Ey man. How was your day yesterday?” Matt says as he leans back on a chair.

 

“Eventful is all I can say, and even that’s an understatement!”

 

“Do tell.” PJ adds on as he rests on the counter.

 

“Well what’s there to say? Just that I saw a lot of interesting things. Learned a bit more bout my dad’s past...and uh...made a new friend.”

 

“Oh?” Matt makes the chair lean forward “New friend you say?”

 

“Well yeah! And it’s a...bit of a long story...it all kinda started with me needing to help someone...which is why you saw me with that guitar!” as Parappa figures out how to word the rest, Matt and PJ are caught off guard by a new figure behind him.

 

“Uh...is the new friend a female by chance?...” Matt says.

 

“All black and gray in color?...” PJ adds on.

 

“Looks like she could pose for a heavy metal band member?...” They say together.

 

“Uh...those are remarkably suspicious and accurate guesses...yes actually...how’d you know?” They both point behind him prompting him to turn around “RAMMY!”

 

“Sup”

 

“H-How’d you find out where I worked?”

 

“Followed you.”

 

“Ah…”

 

Matt leans towards PJ _“That’s totally not creepy…”_

 

PJ leans back _“What if I told you I kinda anticipated having a new…’friend’ added to our circle...and that this isn’t even the tip of the iceberg as to what you should expect from her.”_

 

_“I’m slightly terrified...she seems scary.”_

 

_“I can hear the two of you loud and clear ya know.”_ Both PJ and Matt panic and scoot away from her as she intrude on what was supposed to be between them “You know if you’re gonna talk about me, at least have the balls to say it in my face…”

 

“U-Uh...don’t be serious! We...were just messin with ya!...” Matt tries to avoid making eye contact “H-How could we be rude to a new pal of Parappa!...”

 

Rammy walks up to him and grabs his head, motining it to force eye contact. The color drains from Matt as he sinks to the ground, cowering on the floor “Pfft...wimp...any sign of conflict and his fragile masculinity hits the road….”

 

“Ehehe...Rammy that’s just cuz Matt is usually the kind of guy to mediate things from getting rather...bad.” Parappa rushes off to try to snap Matt out of it.

 

“Him? If he melts that easily then that’s wishful thinking to the max! Little shit can’t handle any from of a struggle!”

 

“Hey hey hey! No need to bad mouth my friends about anything they can or can’t do!”

 

“And why not if it’s true? If anything it’s constructive criticism.” Rammy plucks Parappa away from Matt “And it should help him mature out of that. World ain’t all sweets galore especially with you babying him.”

 

“He can manage enough already! It just takes a bit to get that side of him to awake that in him. He doesn’t need a gal like you makin it harder on him than it already is!”

 

“And what are you gonna do to stop me?” She continuously pokes Matt in the face, angering PJ who charges at her, but before he makes contact, she grabs him and suplexes him onto the ground. He is out cold as a snot bubble begins to expand and recede.

 

“R-RAMMY!...”

 

“What? They started it…”

 

“B-But you didn’t have to piledrive him into the ground!”

 

“I didn’t piledrive him. I suplexed him. Big difference.”

 

“Why do that at all?!”

 

“They pissed me off...they were clearly talking shit about me...and when I talk back they get all weak in the knees because they expect I can’t fight back at bullshit?”

 

“Ah…” Parappa freezes up...she wasn’t wrong. They did in fact deserve it. Especially for assuming that Rammy wouldn’t do anything in retaliation.

  


Matt manages to finally speak up again “P-Parappa y-you can’t s-seriously b-believe her…!”

 

“She...kinda does have a point...you two did offend her...and got all defensive when she doesn’t take it…”

 

“B-But I mean c-come on!...s-she’s the walking definition of terrifyin-” Rammy stomps her foot in front of him, just barely missing his crotch, as she breaks a hole in the solid concrete floor “WAHAHAHA I’M SOOOOORRYYYYYYYY!...” He curls up in fetal position as he sucks his thumb.

 

“I have arrived again with our stock for today- What goes on in here?” Chop Chop says as he sees the two downed boys then looks at Rammy. Fire burns in her eyes “I see. I’ll return later.” He books it.

 

“H-HEY TAMANEGI SEN-...he’s gone…” Parappa stares the the unconscious PJ and immobile Matt “Oh man...I’m alone now and I have to deal with the oncoming lunch rush…”

 

“Relax, if those three are incapable of helping you run this place. I’ll manage their place!”

 

“R-Rammy no offense but that’s not exactly a good idea…”

 

“Why not? What exactly do you do here?”

 

“Well Tamanegi who you scared away and PJ who you knocked out cold were on chef duty, while me and Matt...who you probably gave nightmares to for about a week...were on table to table duty…”

 

“Hm…” she snaps her fingers “I’ll handle the mooks out here. You go and handle kitchen duty.”

 

“Uh...Are you sure you’ll be able to handle the entirety of the people out here?...”

 

“Pfft. Can I manage?...I’m a natural with people!”

 

The day goes by as it usually does once PJ and Matt are dragged behind the counter. Parappa manages kitchen duty easily, but Rammy is not so...fortunate… The customers begin complaining over lack of service, lack of decency and any other reason they can think up. They all begin complaining in a group.

 

Matt slinks up to Parappa after calming down by a marginal amount “Parappa! You have to stop this man…”

 

“Stop it how?!”

 

“Maybe make her see that she can’t handle that group of rowdy people. And apologize to us while she’s at it…”

 

“I have faith she can manage!...and that’s a no to the apology...you guys are still in the wrong.”

 

“SHE POWERBOMBED PJ!”

 

“He’s well cushioned thanks to his body so he’ll be fine. Granted a bit sore...but fine nevertheless.”

 

“Why are you so ok with this?!...”

 

“Because she’s someone I gotta help!...” _That and I’m afraid she’ll do that to you if I don’t stop your complaints...and you’re not a teddy bear with a soft body…_ “I know that this is just a rough patch she’s going through...she’ll get over it and you’ll be friends with her before you know it!”

 

“FRIENDS WITH THAT WALKING NIGHTMARE?! HELL NO!”

 

“Oh come on…” Matt forces his body to get up and drags Parappa to look over the counter.

 

“SEE?! SHE CAN’T HANDLE IT! AND BY EXTENSION, BEING FRIENDS WITH US.”

 

The duo stare at Rammy who’s suffering the brunt of the yelling from the piling customers until…

 

**“ENOUGH!”** Lammy forces her arm through the table of the male customer with the head of a spoon, who started the entire mess. His first reaction is to stare at her, wide eyed and jaw dropped. His second reaction is to release a light squeal of fear “Now you’re pretty much a whiny little shit now ain’t ya? Piling on a group over me? Now that I don’t mind. Then it occurred to me this is the kind of shit you put my new friend over there-” She points with her thumb over her shoulder towards Parappa without even looking “Through, and that...really irks me…” She cracks her knuckles of the fist that annihilated the table by just stretching her fingers back “You are probably one of the worst types of customer...I’m sure you get away with a lot of shit by convincing a lot of random joe’s and jane’s to start yelling with you by makin them also think they’re ‘suffering’ like you.”

 

“I-I don’t-”

 

“Don’t what?...do that?...then what do you explain what just happened now?”

 

“B-But you were-”

 

“Understaffed? Yeah we are. And your first instinct is to berate everyone cuz you thought yourself the superior special snowflake?”

 

“N-No not at-”

 

“And now you’re trying to defend yourself? That’s a new low there guy...and I frankly won’t sit idly by as you do that…” She leans in to him “Now you’re gonna tell me...do you put them through all this?”

 

“I-I like t-to think I d-don-”

 

“Are you saying that because it’s the truth? Or because you don’t want me to be elbow deep where the sun don’t shine?”

 

“A-Ah…”

 

“Truth. Now.”

 

“I-Is there anything I c-can do as an apology?...”

 

“I ain’t answering that.” She holds her fist in front of his face “Plus...you just admitted to being an asshole of a customer...now that right there pisses me off…”

 

“I-I’LL APOLOGIZE!....I-I’LL EVEN START TIPPING!...HELL I’LL MULTIPLY THE TIP BY TEN!...A-AND I’LL ORDER EXTRA E-EVEN IF NOT HUNGRY!...M-MORE MONEY FOR THE H-HARD WORKERS R-RIGHT??...h-hehehe…” The poor man struggles to think of another way to apologize to prevent himself from suffering pain.

 

“Just for today?”

 

“N-NO E-EVERYDAY!...”

 

“Good boy.” she backs away from him then turns towards the rest of the customers with her free arm on her hip and the other arm still a fist, but now pointed towards them “And how about the rest of you?”

 

“W-WHAT HE SAID!...” They all drop to all fours in a japanese style apology pose.

 

“That’s what I thought. Now you pathetic lot are gonna wait to be served. Only one guy is on kitchen duty right now. Am. I. Clear?” They all nod at such a velocity, it’s a miracle their necks didn’t break.

 

Matt, as well as PJ who awoke just as all that was going on simply stare with their eyes bulging out of their head and their jaws literally dropped to the floor. Their attentions turn towards Parappa after they hear him pompously clear his throat. When they look at him, he gives them the smuggest ‘I told you so’ look.

 

The day carries out surprisingly calm, and when it comes to close the place up for the day, the customers all leave in an orderly line as they gossip amongst one another. Paula sporting her shades from her first time visiting club fun, watches the surprisingly organized line as she listens to their petty gossip.

 

_“That was terrifying...I didn’t realize that Parappa got a bouncer as a friend…”_

 

_“Bouncer? She was more like a prison warden!”_

 

_“Or one of those money collectors they send after you when you have a large debt...She looked like she was ready to strip me of my kneecaps…!”_

 

_“No kidding…”_ the chat goes on like this as people compare the mystery girl to various brute muscle jobs.

 

Paula decides to ask what’s up, her hood and glasses prevent her from being found out “Hey what are you all talking about?...”

 

“Parappa’s new girlfriend...she’s like a walking nightmare!...Step out of line and she’ll snap you like a twig!”

 

“New Gir-...uh...thanks for the info.” Paula carries on her route towards the inside of the cafe before being called out by the line.

 

“DON’T GO IN THERE! IT’S A DEATHWISH!” Paula shrugs as she chooses to ignore them and head on in. As the door opens, the jingle is heard, prompting a voice to be heard.

 

“HEY, WHAT PART OF CLOSED DID YOU NOT UNDERSTAND!” The yell startles Paula who stumbles and replies quickly.

 

“I’m just here to visit my friends!...” her only reply is an annoyed ‘Tch’

 

As Paula walks up she hears Parappa talk to both PJ and Matt.

 

“Ok you two, I think you have something to say to Rammy!”

 

“Yeah…”

 

“You’re right…”

 

They both clear their throats and together in unison say “We’re still waiting for you to say you’re sorry.”

 

**_“CHOP!”_ ** Parappa chops PJ in his right leg and Matt in his left leg causing them both to drop instantly.

 

“OW…”

 

“WHY…”

 

“That is NOT what I meant…” Parappa angrily crosses his arms.

 

“Ugh...fine...I’m sorry for getting mad at you for berating my friend…”

 

“And I’m sorry for calling you scary when you clearly are…”

 

**_“PUNCH!”_ ** Parappa punches their arms, clearly angry at their wrong choice again.

 

“FINE...I’m sorry...yes you were right...Matt could use a better morale booster and getting a better spine…he can be a wimp at times...”

 

“And I’m sorry to...You’re not scary...just properly assertive...you were in your right to suplex PJ who can be an ass at times…” Both Matt and PJ look angrily at each other.

 

“Well I guess I’ll accept a half assed apology. “ She squats down to them “Honestly...you two are pretty aight. Could be a bit better here and there, but eh. What can you do? Everyone has flaws.”

 

“Thanks…” _This girl...becomes a sweetheart...Leo what the absolute hell...how long till then?!..._ PJ gets back up “I never had the ‘honor’ of introducing myself proper. I’m PJ.”

 

“And I’m Matt.”

 

“So I take it all your friends are gonna be this diverse man?”

 

“I’d like to think of myself as diverse, but hopefully in the good kind.” Paula says catching all their attention as she walks up “Names Paula, and who might you be?”

 

“Rammy. And what’s with that get up?”

 

“Eh, don’t wanna show people my bandaged head. And the glasses are to protect my eye at the moment.”

 

“The hell happened to you?”

 

“Nearly cracked my head open. Nothin much.”

 

“Shiiiiiiit. You certainly have more in you then these two if you can casually walk that off. Nice.” Both Matt and PJ stare at Paula in amazement at how she gained Rammy’s respect far easier than they could. She only shrugs once she notices them.

 

“So Rammy, what brings you here?”

 

“Decided to tag along with Parappa to see what he does for a living. Tweedle dee and Tweedle dumbass over here got up in my face. Suplexed one and made the other piss himself. Had to fill in for the two of them. Got a disrespectful group of ingrates to be more respectful of the staff. And now I’m here talking to you.”

 

Paula barely holds back a laugh after hearing PJ and Matt’s new nicknames as well as what happened to them. This prompts an angry joint reply from the two of them “DON’T LAUGH!”

 

“K-Kihihinda...hard not to... “ She calms down “Since PJ doesn’t really wear pants, I can assume he was the one body slammed into the ground.”

 

“You’d be correct…” PJ scoffs.

 

“And Matt...oh boy I can’t even say I didn’t instantly guess that’s what happened to you because then I’d be lying.”

 

“Thanks for the friendly input…” Matt rolls his eyes as he leans against the wall.

 

“Well, that’s quite the thing to hear. You working with us?”

 

“Naw. Just a one time thing. But you work here? With them?”

 

“It used to be just Parappa and PJ. Matt joined when I had to take a few days break thanks to this.” She points to her eyes “But I’ll be back working here tomorrow.”

 

“If that’s the case then I have another reason to just stop by and visit.” she smirks to which Paula replies with her own devious smile.

 

“I’m cool with that.” She raises her fist, Rammy meets it with her own as they fist bump before chuckling.

 

“Parappa stares at PJ and Matt “See why can’t you two be like that?”

 

“I’m sorry, but I ain’t warming up to THAT anytime soon…”

 

“I’m with PJ...I don’t think we’ll be friends that easily…” Both their replies just earn a sad whine from Parappa.

 

As the group part ways, both Rammy and Parappa walk back to the house in tow as they decide to chatter along the way.

 

“Hey. I gotta come clean on something.”

 

“Hm?”

 

“I did not have any faith in myself at all with the people...I’m not really a natural.”

 

Despite this being obvious, Parappa replied as if he didn’t know “Whaaaat? You kidding? You see how you handled them?”

 

“Yeah but...to tell you the truth...I...was literally about to just huddle on the floor myself…”

 

“O-Oh…” Now Parappa was legitimately caught off guard.

 

“Heh...the pressure reminded me of how it was in hell and I was so close to just breaking down in front of everyone…”

 

“How did you manage then?...”

 

“This is gonna sound so fucking corny…” She sighs “The fact that you were just...in the immediate area.” She places her hands inside her pockets “I just felt...I dunno...something… What felt like I was on the verge of shattering suddenly stabilized and the next thing I knew. I was about to send them on a one way trip to hell if they didn’t calm their shit.” She laughs as she looks up to the sky “What you told me last night rang in my head the entire time...you had my back...and hey...during that entire thing. You really did have my back. At any given moment you’d go out and help me if things were to go south.”

 

“Well you’re not wrong. Had things gone differently I would’ve stepped in to help like that to as you said! And I’m glad my words got through to you!” He snaps “Well...I got paid a little more than usual...thanks to you obviously! Want some ice cream? Or anything else? To munch on during the walk back?”

 

“Can we get hot dogs?”

 

“Sure! I know a great place thanks to PJ!” He motions for Rammy to follow as they run off.

 

_Day 5 with Rammy_

 

“Rammy. Wake up, I gotta get ready for work.”

 

“Five more minutes…”

 

“You said that the past two houuuuurs…”

 

“It has not been two hours…” She motions with her free hand for her cellphone, upon getting it she checks for the time to see that he’s right “Ho shit...my bad.” She lets him go “Guess I’m getting to used to using you as my teddy bear!”

 

“As well as more and more ok with leaving more of your shirt off.”

 

“Huh. Guess so. Soon the pants might even be dropping!”

 

“I’d rather that not happen.”

 

“Dunno. Again I said that’s a matter of my comfort with my surroundings. That’s currently you and what can I say? You’ve grown on me.”

 

“That’s both flattering and slightly concerning!”

 

“Whatevs. You should be- Hey wait...two hours you said right?”

 

“Yeah?...”

 

“Did you eat anything?”

 

“Nope...I’m sure my breakfast should be on the table...but I’ll have to hurry and drive off from how pressed for time I am or eat it on the drive there.”

 

“Sorry man. You get ready, I’ll see if I can heat it up.”

 

“Thanks! Gonna drop by again?”

 

“Need you even ask?”

 

“Got me there!” he places his hat on backwards “Just tag along with me in the car then.”

 

“Gotcha, and also-” She grabs his hat and fixes it up “That’s better.”

 

“Whoops! Thanks!”

 

She smiles “No prob!”

 

One quick prep up later. Parappa finishes eating along with Rammy and the two then head off towards the car.

 

“Buckled in?”

 

“Yes mom.”

 

“Hey, can’t help it. Was taught by my driving instructor!” He drives off.

 

“Aight.” Rammy leans out the open window “So the other three left?”

 

“A while ago. But Ma-san passes her hello. The other two...they left without a word.”

 

“Eh...figures.” She sighs sadly “But I guess it’s to be expected…”

 

“What do you wanna be their friend after all?”

 

‘Eh...I dunno...probably not that...but couldn’t hurt to have them at least on talking levels with me…”

 

“I understand…Things will pick up! I’m sure of it!”

 

The duo arrive at the cafe as Parappa rushes in to avoid clocking in late.

 

“Parappa! Where you been man?!” Matt asks as he rushes in.

 

“Eheh...I guess I just overslept is all…”

 

“While that is good for you given how you’ve been. How did you manage that?” PJ says as he eyes him warringly.

 

“Uh...who knows!”

 

“You’re clearly hiding something!” Paula pokes at him to get him to answer.

 

“I’m hiding nohohohohothing!”

 

“Trust the guy, it’s not like he’d lie to you three.” Rammy says as she joins in on the group.

 

“Oh hey you’re back. For the fifth day in the row...”

 

“Miss me?~”

 

“Yeah, but don’t worry. My aim is getting better!”

 

“Pffft. What a joke.” She pokes him on the nose “Admit it, I’m growing on you as much as you’re growing on me you giant coping toy!”

 

“I’d hate to admit it...but yeah...you’re growing on me...like a parasitic fungus! But growing on me nevertheless.” He pokes her on the nose. Both eye each other aggressively before locking hands onto a table.

 

“Oh no not again...Guys we open in seven can’t it wait till after we’re done?...” Paula says as she watches the two arm wrestle.

 

“Relax P. This’ll only take a minute!”

 

“Is that so Dingleberri?~”

 

“Can it! Our record so far is tied two to two...and I’m making it two to three!”

 

“Sadly that three belongs to me!” The two go at it as they now ignore any more feedback from the three around them.

 

“I just don’t get it…” Matt says, scratching his neck.

 

“Get what Matt?”

 

“You and Paula and now even PJ got used to her like BAM...no problem...yet with me she can’t even give me the time of day to even try…”

 

“Well it’s not like you’ve even made an effort to reach out to her...PJ inadvertently did when Paula got them to get back at each other with this revenge competition…”

 

“But WE have nothing to build a friendship off of!...”

 

“Don’t know less you try.” Parappa walks towards the kitchen after Paula “Come on, they’ll be at it for a while. We still gotta work.”

 

“Yeah...I know…” Matt follows.

 

The remainder of the day goes by with it’s new routine ever since Rammy arrived. Once the competition between Rammy and PJ started, the customers decided to take part in who would be victorious for the day.

 

“RIP THE BEARS ARM OFF!” One group was shouting

 

“SMASH THAT RAM THROUGH THE FLOOR!” Another group retorted with.

 

“God DAMN are these guys more bloodthirsty than ever…” Parappa says as he watches the mess go on while handing out orders.

 

“Can you blame em? Rammy’s brashness got to them. Not like it’s a bad thing since they still follow the ‘rules’ that Rammy laid out for them since the first day she arrived so at least they know the pecking order.” Paula says as she collects finished trays and plates.

 

“I’m more amazed by how calm you two are by this…” Matt says watching from behind the counter.

 

“My new pupil. Life goes on in strange ways. Sometimes the biggest surprises come from places you would never expect.” Chop Chop says as he materializes out of nowhere behind Matt.

 

“WAHHH! T-Tamanegi sensei don’t do that!...” Both Parappa and Paula laugh along with Chop Chop.

 

The struggle between the two carries on until both their arms give way and they slam down in the center of the table, ending it in a draw. Both of them reel the arms back to stretch and relax them as they simply looked at the other.

 

“Not bad di-...PJ. Gotta say, you’re starting to get the better of me.”

 

“Wow. Didn’t think it’d be possible for you to say that legitimately with actual feeling behind it.” They both give a cocky grin “But thanks regardless. I gotta say you’ve really been keeping me to my paces. Trying to get the better of you has certainly motivated me into getting healthier SO that I can best you. Never thought I’d see this side of me.”

 

“Heh. I’ve noticed. Pretty soon you’ll probably suplex ME into the ground!”

 

“As much as I would love to do that. I don’t think i’d want to.” He stops stretching his exhausted arm as he crosses both and leans on the table “Like I said. You’ve grown on me as well. Just not like a parasite and more like an actual bud.” They lock hands again, but this time simply shake as they nod with vigor “Agree with me?”

 

“Hell yeah I do! You really are an aight guy.”

 

“Likewise. Glad I got to see that for myself.” Rather than end the handshake like in regular fashion, they instead ram their heads together into a haphazard headbutt.

 

“H-Hahaaaaa...got a thicker skull this time didn’t yaaaaa…”

 

“I’d saaaaay…” both fall over backwards, but quickly get back up signifying they were ok.

 

The day comes to a close and they all leave work as per usual. Only PJ and Paula tag along with Parappa and Rammy this time instead of splitting ways. Only Matt is the one to part off.

 

“So how are things going for you up here Rammy? You seem to be adjusting pretty well.” PJ tilts his head in patience of her answer.

 

“It’s all good really. Not that different from hell cept everyone here is probably squishier and that damn burning thing in the sky is a real nuisance while trying to sleep…”

 

“You mean the sun?...” Paula adds on as she glances towards the descending sun “Well...it would make sense that a person below the ground would find that annoying…but what do you lot normally do for light?”

 

“Fire.”

 

“Oh…”

 

“Lava.”

 

“I see-”

 

“Glowing souls of the damned-”

 

“OK! I got it after the first alternative.” Paula shakes her head “How do you live with that??”

 

“How do you live with THAT?” She points back towards the sun.

 

“...uh...touche…”

 

“Now that aside. It’s all good. Cept of course where I’m stayin…”

 

PJ scratches his head before chiming in “Yeah...that does seem like it might be a tad...cumbersome...what happened?”

 

“Gah...it’s the cat and Lammy…”

 

“Huh…” _I’m not surprised about Lammy. I was informed beforehand, but Katy is a shocker...she seemed...marginally fine after Europa told her about it...what could’ve happened?_ “Hmmm” PJ removes his sunglasses “Did you by any chance...do something to upset Katy? Because with Lammy...it’s a rather no brainer she’d probably not wanna...interact with you...but what’d you do to Katy?”

 

“NOTHING! I literally arrived and kept to myself! She said it was ok to stay with them all...course...when Parappa brought up my sleeping arrangements...that’s when her tone took a nosedive…”

 

Both Paula and PJ become curious and in union ask “What does that mean?”

 

“Well Parappa offered that I-”

 

“U-Uh...we better hurry back! It’s gettin rather late!” Parappa tries to run off, only to get caught by both the bear and the fox as the grab on tight to the back of his shirt, preventing his escape.

 

“Parappa…”

 

“What did you do man…”

 

“I...simply did what any helpful friend would do in that situation!..” The look to Rammy.

 

“He offered his room. Bed and all. I wasn’t ok with that. He wasn’t ok with my alternative. Now we sleep in the same bed.” Rammy shrugs nonchalantly while PJ and Paula simply stare at Parappa.

 

After a while with the proper context and explanation, the duo still don’t give either Parappa or Rammy an easier time. The ease up when Rammy speaks up again.

 

“Relaaaaax. It’s not like he does anything. He’s not that kinda guy. And even if he was, he’d know better than to try it with me!” she grins as she cracks her knuckles causing Parappa to flinch “Course I know he can’t and I do enjoy teasing him from it! He’s to much of a soft boy to do anything!”

 

“I am NOT a soft boy! I can be assertive when need be!”

 

“Then how come you freak out everytime you catch me with my shirt-”

 

“HEYHEYHEY! Don’t need to unveil that publically!” His reaction just gets Rammy laughing hysterically.

 

“Point prohohohoven!” after her laughing fit, PJ and Paula simply force context out of Parappa out again. Of course once the context is given, it doesn’t exactly help the situation Parappa finds himself in.

 

Meanwhile with Lammy and Katy…

 

“I didn’t t-think I’d ever g-get to a point where I’d r-rather be with Niles than at my own h-home…” Lammy sighs as she slumps over.

 

“Come on Lammy...I know you don’t mean that...is our boss really better than Rammy?...”

 

“Yes…”

 

“Really...oh my god...” _I’m sorry Leo...but I REALLY doubt your words…neither Lammy OR me are able to warm up to her at all…_ “I guess it’s understandable...but not only did Ma-san managed to become friends with her, but so did Paula…” her tail twists about “Hell I think even PJ is starting to get along with her from what I heard?...So it wouldn’t hurt to try and get to be on at least speaking terms with her…”

 

“Speak for yourself...I’m sorry but I just c-can’t manage that in the s-slightest…” She stands back upright “Katy...that girl is a nightmare...E-Every time I play against h-her I barely win by the skin of m-my teeth!...I never w-wanted to lose given what it’d cost me because I wasn’t aware of what’d happen to me if I d-did! Now granted my f-fear may have been irrational...usually i-is… because I’m sure R-Rammy can’t do anything s-supernatural...cept always seem to t-turn up everywhere...but the f-fear was still valid nonetheless… I can’t just g-get along with her...I’m t-the pocket definition of a-an anxious m-mess of a person...and she’s the textbook definition of a person r-riddled with anxiety’s worst n-nightmare! AND SHE’S LIVING IN THE SAME HOUSE AS ME! IN THE SAME ROOM AS THE GUY I LOVE!...”

 

Lammy’s words stung, mostly because, Katy loved the guy to. Hearing Lammy bring up that part often whenever asked about how she was doing the past few days really started to wear thin on Katy’s heart and tolerance, but Katy usually held back...until now “I...like him to you know…”

 

“Huh?... I d-didn’t quite catch that...you s-spoke to low…”

 

“I said I like him to you know…”

 

“O-Oh. Of course y-you like him you’ve been friends with him s-since what seems like f-forever! But you don’t get i-it! I l-love the guy and I f-feel as if that shadow of m-mine is out to t-take hi-”

 

“I LOVE him to you know…” Katy couldn’t get anymore blunt than that. It hurt that she even had to get blunt towards her to begin with.

 

“C-Come again…?”

 

She sighs as she walks on ahead “Let’s find a bench first before I explain myself...tired of just standing around…” Lammy quietly follows. Once the duo find a bench, Katy begins explaining herself “Alright...now before I say this...I wanna say that in no sense of the word does this mean I’m trying to take him from you as well…Hell if anything I probably wanted you to end up with him more than me...”

 

“B-But why...i-if you had feelings for the guy...w-why not act out on them y-yourself…?”

 

“Because it was harder for me…” She leans her head back over the bench “I...first gained what at first was a crush on him...when we were like nine? Eight? Probably even seven… Point is, since waaaay back.”

 

“T-That long?!...”

 

“Mhm...and you know...young kids usually never think up much and always assume...it’ll go away. Because the whole child mind of ‘ew that’s grossssss’ and whatnot. But nope not me...the little crush grew to full on infatuation and...before I knew it...I was already heartbroken and rejected.”

 

“H-He turned you down?...”

 

“Not exactly...he did turn me down in a passive sense of the word...see...I’m sure you recall me telling you wayback...that we were super close...like family close.”

 

“Oh yeah?...O-Oh...I...think I caught o-on…”

 

“Yep...so...hard to go for being a girlfriend when you’re treated like a sister...heh…”

 

“Yeah that...would t-throw a wrench in t-things wouldn’t it…” _Also explains Pinto’s emotions a LOT more now…_

 

“You have no idea...but I digress...with those emotions buried away...I thought I could just...pass it off...he was still my friend...and that was fine enough for me! Since I cared so much for him, I would obviously want what was best for him in the end! At least that’s what I made myself believe...cue age fourteen...Parappa meets…”

 

“Sunny…”

 

“Bingo…” she sits back upright “Now...I see Parappa immediately move as if cupid shot his arrow almost instantly...I was shocked...it was cute!...And I wanted to help...but...on that very same day...PJ caught on that I-”

 

“P-PJ knew as well?...”

 

“L-Let me finish before you get upset with me...anywho...yeah PJ did know...and well...he wasn’t exactly happy with my choice of how to handle it...so he told me that if I wanted to fully lock those emotions away and go with my plan of helping Parappa hit it off with Sunny...I should get a hobby.” She turns to Lammy “I tried many things. Some stuck, some didn’t. For example I found my love of poetry that way. And eventually that lead me to learning to want to play base...I could write lyrics...so why not learn to PLAY music with em?...Cue...”

 

“Me and Ma-san…”

 

“Correct again...now I was happy that I could quickly make friends! Hell I was even happier that we even made a BAND!...that was the best day of my life! And I even thought I finally got over it all!...The only thing that made me slightly unsure was the fact that Parappa was in the same room in one of the practice rooms...but after me you and Ma-san rocked the house...I felt...at peace ya know?”

 

“This h-happy ending is short lived i-isn’t it…”

 

“Yep...cuz...you fell in love with him….you had the same reaction to him as he had to Sunny...And...you were now my new friend...even closer than Sunny...and so I wanted to help YOU… I stopped trying to help Sunny and Parappa, but to my dismay...Parappa hit it off with her all on his own…” She groans in heavy sadness “I felt as if I let you down...but at the same time...I also felt jealous...and slightly betrayed...course I didn’t pay much attention to that as I just went off and did my thing of helping you!”

 

“I-I noticed...you s-started to do a whole lot more t-to try and get us together...even though he was already with s-someone…”

 

“I thought I could make something out of nothing...cue our first live concert…something was so close to happening from nothing! That shaken soda can was really well timed! And I didn’t even have anything to do with it! I dunno who it was-”

 

“That’s...t-thanks to Rammy...b-believe it or not…”

 

“....well...suddenly my thanks towards her evaporated...anywho...yeah! B-But...then I got jealous again...what could’ve been a fun situation to push you to together...i kinda stopped at every possible turn...and Ma-san caught on-”

 

“D-Did everyone know b-but me?!...”

 

“Eheh...it’s not like I wanted them to know...e-everyone kinda figured it out by catching me slip up once...PJ got me to admit it flat out when he wasn’t sure if I was in love with him or not. Ma-san caught my tail curling into a heart whenever he did something nice to me… Matt caught on after he bumped into me during a class swap and our books got mixed up...he took my notebook and I got his...and he saw what was supposed to be seen by my eyes only… Paula caught on to me when I caught onto her in the same thing-”

 

“P-Paula also loves him?!...What’s n-next...gonna t-tell me Ma-san does to…” Katy stays silent “Y-You’ve got to be kidding m-me…” She huddles up onto the bench.

 

“C-Carrying on...Ma-san caught on...so I told her to stop me in case I ever got out of line and prevented you again...and it worked!...through painful motivation I managed to help you out!...but…”

 

“Parappa was t-to faithful to the girl of his d-dreams…”

 

“Yep...they were together for four years until…”

 

“The accident that n-nearly took him a-away from all of us…”

 

“Mhm...At that point I didn’t really care for love...I just wanted him alive…”

 

“W-We all did...but I know what you m-mean...I felt the same…”

 

“Yeah…” _Should I tell her about the kiss?...no...not yet…”_ Well...flashforward a bit...remember our first time heading towards Club Rainbow?”

 

“Y-Yeah...the accidental call Parappa g-gave us…”

 

“That’s when...what I first thought wasn’t fair was now...an even shot?...and at the same time...I’m just at a loss...because I want YOU to have a better shot!”

 

“But w-why?...you’ve clearly loved the g-guy longer...hell I feel like a m-massive jerk f-for requiring your help preventing you from getting any chance…”

 

“Lammy Lammy Lammy! I chose to help you through my own wishes. The point of this story was that I ALSO feel annoyed and aggravated at our intruding new guest...I feel as pressured down as you do, but I at least wanna try and get on good terms with her.”

 

“I don’t get w-why…”

 

“I just have a slight feeling that...if we give her a shot...we’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

 

“I’m already surprised e-enough as is to see that ALL m-my friends love the same guy as me...g-god I feel as dense as P-Parappa…”

 

“Trust me Lammy, NO ONE can be as dense as Parappa.” They both share a laugh “Come on. Let’s see if we can try to get friendlier with her…”

 

“Ok…” Katy wraps her arm around her shoulder as they both head off home.

 

_Day 16 with Rammy_

 

“This is something I just have to get used to isn’t it?”

 

“Hey, not my fault you’re outrageously fluffy. Your hair is like a second layer of fur! Seriously what shampoo or conditioner do you use? This fluffiness is seriously unnatural.”

 

“Just a...regular old run of the mill one?...I don’t know if it’s just my natural genes...or the fact that hell is just probably rough all around...but that can’t be! You’re soft to.”

 

“Eh it’s probably the soap I used when showering here.’

 

“No when I hugged you the day of the expo, you were fluffy then to!”

 

“Please don’t bring that uuuuuup.”

 

“Whyyyyyy.”

 

“I don’t enjoy being pictured as soft. That’s all.”

 

“But you are and that’s ok! You’re soft in the literal sense and figurative fluffy sense!” He hugs her while in her grasp.

 

“Stooooop.” She shoves him off the bed again, but Parappa manages to save himself with a handstand as he flips back onto his feet.

 

“Here we go! Not this time!”

 

“Wow. Only took you sixteen days to finally get used to that.” She rolls her eyes playfully as she hops off the bed to stretch.

 

“What with the stretching?”

 

“Gotta keep my muscles limber. You know I never thought I’d be busting stuff up here MORE than I used to down in hell.”

 

“I dunno if that’s a good thing...but I mean at least you’re keeping your body in check while you physically break things...” He shakes his head “Now if only I could do something about your smoking habit.”

 

“Hey. It calms me!” She then stops stretching “Course...you do as well now a days...more effectively to...so I dunno really.”

 

“I’ll get through to you on that eventually!”

 

“Speaking about eventually. You finally got used to me without my shirt on! You didn’t fidget at all once upon waking up.”

 

“That’s out of my control. You’re not giving a shit attitude towards it has worn me down.” He huffs “I guess it’s for the better! Now you can no longer tease me over it!...” Parappa turns his head away once she resumes stretching “Wish...I could say the same about your dropping pants…”

 

“Pfft. Well they’re not completely off! And blame yourself! You’re like the definition of a comfort zone!”

 

“They don’t need to be to still be revealing! I can see your butt clear as day!”

 

“Wanna see more?” She sticks her tongue out at him.

 

“I’m not amused.”

 

“I am!” Her tail shakes about as she teasingly tugs at her pants.

 

“I’m out!” Parappa walks towards the door.

 

“Hahaha! Relax man! I won’t.”

 

“Now at least. But eventually those will come off as well!”

 

“Aw relax. You’ll get used to it like the rest of me!”

 

“I know I will and that’s what upsets me.” He chuckles “But I got myself into this by offering to help ya. And you know what? I don’t regret it. You’ve certainly spiced up my day to day life more than I thought possible! And you’ve gotten along supremely well with PJ, Paula and Ma-san!...Wish Katy, Matt and Lammy were the same…”

 

Rammy gets herself dressed up before replying “I mean...at least Katy and Lammy are even SPEAKING to me now…only wish it was a tad nicer...but I mean it’s to be expected given who I am.”

 

“At least you’re giving them a shot! Takes a big person to let the heavy past go to just start up fresh.”

 

“I’ve got you to thank for that. You’ve rubbed off on me as much as i’ve done so to you!”

 

“Which I am all to thankful for! Now come on! Let’s go greet the day.”

 

“Could you have worded it anymore wimpier?”

 

“Oh hush up that’s a fine way to word it!”

 

“Fuck offffffff!” She sticks her tongue at him.

 

“Make me! Now come on.” the duo leave to room.

 

Later in the day…

 

“How does everyone ease up to her so quickly?...seriously...she’s like the embodiment of a toxic personality…” Matt angrily rebounds the basketball off the wall as he continues grumbling “Seriously what was Parappa thinking?!...bringing her into our life…” Matt rebounds the ball once again, this time he does it with such force that it rebounds all over the place. It stops when it makes contact with the back of the head of someone much much larger.

 

“HEY! THAT HURT!” He turns to face Matt “WHO YOU THINK YA ARE TOSSING THAT AT MY HEAD?!”

 

“S-Sorry!...I-I was just t-tossing the ball around a-and accidentally threw it at the w-wall to hard and I l-lost control of-”

 

“Aw for the love of...you play ball then?”

 

“Y-Yes?...” Matt’s only reply is the ball getting tossed at his torso with massive force that it sends him flying back into a wall “ACK…” The ball bounces away from him as he drops to the ground.

 

“Just so happens I do to. Coulda gone pro, but didn’t wanna deal with all them agents and crap. Tell ya what. If you can beat me and my buddy ova here. I’ll ignore ya stupid mistake. Course if ya lose...your head becomes my new ball!”

 

“I-I would rather keep my h-head on my s-shoulders please and thank you…”

 

“Then WIN idiot.” Both begin walking up to Matt

 

“U-Uh...g-guys come on!...W-We can work this out!...E-EEP…” They’re stopped as the ball hits the main one in the back of the head again.

 

“WHO HAS THE BALLS TO DO THAT TO ME AGAIN?!” He turns around in rage.

 

The ball easily rebounds back into Rammy’s grasp as she looks at the two harassing Matt “Compared to you? I probably have the most balls. And I ain’t even got none!” She sneers “Course this counts to I guess.” She launches the ball and hits him square in the face and bounces back into her hand.

 

“HEY, YOU GOT A DEATHWISH?”

 

“Yeah I do, and it’s got your name on it buddy.”

 

“Pfft. Yeah, keep on talking.”

 

“Fine then. Don’t you think you walking parade floats need to understand that it ain’t fair to challenge a guy to a 2v2 when he’s the only one of his two?”

 

“Not our problem. What you gon do about it?” The original man says

 

“Yeah. Be his partner or somethin?” The smaller, but equally meatheaded man adds on.

 

“Yeah actually. Dunno why, but you two just piss me off for some reason. Normally I could care less about any idiot getting himself caught up in a scrap, but that idiot over there ain’t just any idiot. He’s an idiot I happen to know.” Matt’s eyes widen as he watches Rammy continuously try and defend him “And so I think if you’re gonna make a bullshit challenge. Ya might as well oblige by the rules.”

 

“You know what, fine. If it means I get to turn your head into a ball to!” He laughs along with his cronie as they get on the opposite side of the court. Rammy and Matt huddle over on their side.

 

“R-Rammy what are you do-”

 

“Parappa says you have what it takes to go pro. Is that right?”

 

“H-Hey let me spea-”

 

“Is. That. Right?”

 

“Y-Yes…”

 

“Then how bout you help me show some poser meatheads their place in the pecking order?”

 

“I-I can’t do t-”

 

“Parappa said you knocked over an armed big dude with ease. These two shouldn’t be that much harder given all they have is that pathetic excuse for a style.”

 

“B-But…”

 

“Relax. You got Rammy on your side. And Rammy doesn’t lose…when it comes to fightin at least…”

 

“Why the sudden last second change…”

 

“Relax. That’s another thing. Right now is this thing. Now lets fuck up some faces!”

 

“I-I swear you have a fetish for hurting people…”

 

“Somebody gotta get the hurt one way or another!” She passes the ball to Matt as she cracks her knuckles “HEY DUMBER AND DUMBEST.” The two look towards her and Matt “YOU DUMBASSES READY?!” they growl as they nod “Good…”

 

“R-Rammy I…”

 

“Trust me man. We got this.”

 

“I-I…” Matt swallows roughly before calming down “Alright...I’ll believe you…”

 

“That’s the spirit!” She turns back to him “When the fights about to break loose. You just gotta Rave it Rammy!”

 

The game starts and the floor soon trembles as the two giant behemoths run around the court after Rammy and Matt. What they have in size and strength, they lack in sensibility and mobility. The smaller duo easily pass by them, but the problems arise when it comes to actually scoring. The bigger duo’s heights make it a simple task of blocking the net. That’s when Rammy gets an idea.

 

“YO! Mac!”

 

“I-It’s Matt-”

 

“Not important! These guys are clearly gonna net block the entire time right?”

 

“I would to if I were that big…”

 

“That sad fact aside. Think we have a way of landing a basket?”

 

“No...they cover EVERYTHING just by standing! And even if we shoot over they can just stretch their arms out!”

 

“You’re not seeing the obvious picture. Look at these walking steroid stereotypes and their inflatable muscles!”

 

“What are you getting a-...” Matt catches on. Their ridiculous physic was making a perfect stairway towards the basket.

 

“W-We won’t be able to pull that off…It’s stupid to even try...”

 

“This is Rammy you’re talking to! Sensibility doesn’t exist here!” She takes the ball and immediately hops up the giants body as she avoids his grasp and stomp bounces off his face and slam dunks the ball.

 

“HEY!”

 

“NO FAIR YOU WEREN’T SUPPOSED TO FIND A WAY THROUGH!”

 

“S-She actually did it…” The ball bounces towards the middle, it was now up for a new point. Matt grabs the ball and slowly inhales before calmly exhaling “Here goes nothing!” Matt charges at the running bulk monsters as he uses them as a stepping stool. Stomp jumping off the smaller one to leap towards the net and dunk the ball in “GOT IT!”

 

The game went on like this. Whenever the bigger duo got the ball, the smaller duo could easily snatch and score on their way up. No matter what the bigger duo tried, all they ended up doing was giving the smaller duo an easier time scoring. Soon the match time ends at the score of 68 to 0 as both of the brutes collapse from having their faces stomped in multiple times.

 

“Guah…”

 

“Oh man...that ain’t right…”

 

“HEY! QUIT YOUR BELLY ACHIN AND GET UP!” Both of them immediately listen to Rammy “Attaboys. Now you’re gonna apologize to…Matt here and then get the fuck out of here. And never show your ugly mugs again.

 

“O-Or else what?...”

 

“Or else I stop holding back and cave your skulls in with my foot!” She stomps the ground, forcing her foot through the pavement deeply. Both brutes scream and run away instantly.

 

“WE’RE SORRY! WE’LL MAKE SURE TO NEVER MESS WITH YOU AGAIN MAAAAAAAN!”

 

“AND MAKE SURE TO STAY AS FAR AWAY!” Rammy says as she yells at the duo running away.

 

Matt walks up to Rammy in awe “You...actually saved my skin there…”

 

“Eh, it weren’t nothin.”

 

“But it was something! To me at least...You stood up for me when you didn’t really need to! I-Is there anyway I can repay you?...”

 

“Well for starters you can help me get unstuck...my foot is currently clogged up tightly in the ground…”

 

“O-Oh!...” Matt grabs her arms and immediately begins pull to get her out. With a ‘pop’ noise, she’s freed.

 

“Thank you kindly.”

 

“Nooooo problem...now uh...what got you to wanna help me?...Why are you even around here? You mostly tag along after Parappa…”

 

“Ah...about that…” Rammy scratches her left ear.

 

“What happened?...”

 

“Might as well tell you… Here’s what happened…”

 

* * *

 

_“Huh...where you three going?...”_

 

_“Sorry Parappa no time to explain, gotta go.”_

 

_“S-Sorry Parappa…”_ Both Katy and Lammy rush down stairs with Ma-san stopping in front of the two.

 

_(“Katy booked us a gig at Leo’s club for today. And apparently he got us a few concerts to play at a few towns over to. So we’ll be gone for a couple days…”)_ She scratches her cheek _(“It’s so out of the blue as well...like when’d she make the reservations and the call?? And why without all our ok on it! It really grinds my gears…”)_

 

_“MA-SAN!”_ Katy shouts from outside.

 

_(“Blegh...gotta go. Hope you to take care, we’ll be back soonish?”)_ she rushes out leaving the duo dumbfounded.

 

_“Huh...you’d think they’d tell me beforehand...I feel offended…”_

 

_“I think I know why it was so out of the blue…”_

 

_“Why?...”_

 

_“Well recall eleven days ago-”_

 

_“The day you and PJ became full friends?”_

 

_“Yeah. That night after they finally let you breathe…when you were feeling down and asked me to help teach you guitar?”_

 

_“Uh-huh?...”_

 

_“Well...I think you may have...offended Lammy by asking me instead of her...and I guess as a means of her not wanting to speak to you...Katy helped her plan this…”_

 

_“Oh...B-But it’s not like I didn’t try to ask her! She wouldn’t even listen when I asked…”_

 

_“That’s probably thanks to me...she still doesn’t want to be within arms reach of me...which is where you currently are at so…”_

 

_“Ahahahaww maaaaaan…”_ He whines like a puppy who got in trouble _“I’m being blamed for something that I didn’t do...joy…”_

 

_“Aw come on...don’t let it get to you!”_

 

_“How can I not?!...The worst part is they didn’t even tell me about it!”_

 

_“Guess they were that pissed?...”_

 

_“Ugh...I can’t believe this…”_ He sighs _“I gonna go take a walk around town...need to air out my thoughts...”_

 

_“Oh, alright let me just-”_

 

_“Alone if you don’t mind…”_

 

_“...Ok. I’ll go...check up on the others then.”_

 

_"Ok. Just be careful with what you do…”_

 

_“Oh have faith in me!”_

 

_“Heh...I do I do…”_ Parappa quickly gets ready and heads out the door.

 

Rammy just waits a bit before speaking to herself _“Man...I can’t seem to avoid trouble with her can I?...Now I got him upset because she doesn’t wanna even try to make amends fully...great...I’m mad...I wonder if I can find PJ to spar with him and vent this out…well I won’t find out by just standing here!”_ Rammy herself gets ready and rushes out the door.

 

* * *

 

“And...that’s what happened.”

 

“Yeesh...sounds like you’re having one hell of a day…”

 

“You have no idea, but luckily the fantastic meathead brothers helped me vent my frustrations with their faces!”

 

“Eheh...g-good to hear…” Matt scratches his nose with a slight air of fear “Hey uh...Rammy...I…”

 

“Ugh...this again...Look I’m sorry about making a bad first impression on you that day alright?!...”

 

“N-Nono...what I wanted to say was...I may have misjudged you… You’re actually a pretty great person to be around. When...i’m not in the direction of your anger…”

 

“Heh...is that so?”

 

“Yes!! I’m upset it took me half a month to see it!”

 

“Better late than never right?” She chuckles.

 

“I guess that’s one way to look at it.” he nods “You’ve really opened my eyes, and saved my hide! Mind if I also get to call you a friend?...”

 

“Hm…” Rammy smugly dons a fake thinking pose.

 

“Come on...i’m sorry…”

 

“Heh...yeah you can. Only if I can as well.”

 

“Of course!”

 

“Then alright!” She actually begins thinking this time “So...know anything fun to do around here? Parappa’s usually my tour guide but uh...yeah…”

 

"OH um...I think I know a few places you may enjoy? I’m not fully sure.”

 

“Can’t hurt to try em.”

 

“Great, then let’s head off!”

 

“Your lead.”

 

Rammy would never admit it, but Matt was actually a great day planner. Certainly showed her a fun time. She could only wish he was always this energetic.

 

_The damn clone of mine and the blue cat can’t open up to me? That’s ok...it may hurt, it may suck, but hey. I at least got the other guys to accept me...huh...friendship is weird...But I’m their friend so...guess I’m weird? I don’t mind it, but I do wonder...will they miss me...when I go back to hell?...If...I go back to hell?...What if...I just stayed up here?...............Can…I even do that?...._


	19. Black Sheep of the Family Part 2

_Day 21 with Rammy_

 

(“You two are being more immature than how you’re describing Rammy to be…”)

 

“How?! You know it’s true! She stole Lammy’s spot as Parappa’s teacher!” Katy huffs as she tries to calm down.

 

(“Bull. Shit. Parappa tried to reach out to Lammy, but every single time he wanted to get close, she scooted away to avoid Rammy! Even when Rammy wasn’t even in the vicinity! Of course he’d ask Rammy when he thinks YOU don’t even wanna teach him anymore!”)

 

“H-He seriously tried asking m-me?!...” Lammy’s eyes widen at her own lack of perception.

 

(“Yes! I should know because he wouldn’t shut up about it! So I had to listen to it…”)

 

“Oh my god… I’M AN IDIOT…”

 

“No you are not. It’s still his own fault for not being away from her OR taking into account our standing on the matter!”

 

(“HE DID. Just because you’re angry to a point you DON’T wanna accept the truth of the matter doesn’t mean it never happened…”) Ma-san growls (“I never thought I of all people would be the only telling someone else **they’re** too angry to better handle a situation…”) She crosses her arms and gets up (“I ain’t fine with this...you two are behaving like spoiled brats...Rammy hasn’t done ANYTHING to you! All she’s doing is taking a bit of time from Parappa, that’s cool, a coping person would do that with the only source of help they can get. Want that to stop? BE. HER. FRIEND! You’d help her cope at the same time so even if you assume she’ll be an ass towards you, she can’t at that point since she’s being helped by you! And you’d get to be around mutt again…”)

 

“Easier said than done…”

 

(“No...no it’s not...but I don’t care. I still got my role as MilkCan’s drummer to fill. So that’s all i’m saying as I tag along by necessity…”) She walks out on the two (“For a girl who learn to accept a lot from someone thanks to him...you really seem to have no shame in putting her on the spot for the same error you’re committing now.”) She’s gone after those words are said.

 

“GAH!...what does she know…” Katy angrily punches the wall.

 

“C-Compared to us?...A-A lot really...s-she brings up so m-many valid points...I’m just t-tired from all this...I’m pinning t-the blame on Parappa for actions he didn’t even d-do...and R-Rammy who hasn’t really been aware of what she’s d-doing!...just like how I was with her...k-karma sucks…” Lammy grabs a pillow and hugs it close.

 

“Feh...it’s just that damn air of arrogance and ego! I just can’t take it…”

 

“Well...t-that’s Rammy in general...h-heck that’s everyone f-from HELL in general…b-but the point we’ve b-been purposely overlooking is that s-she hasn’t really DONE anything from it with us...t-towards us she’s just e-extremely passive...”

 

“BUT SHE!...” Katy takes her time to think. Aside from her first day of being with them, Rammy in no way did ANYTHING to or with them. She stayed distant and extremely passive. She made no snide remarks or crude gestures towards them. She didn’t insult or offend them. She didn’t hurt them. Everything was simply an amalgamation thought up by her and Lammy’s imagination. Ma-san was right. They WERE too angry to see the reality of how things went on. She didn’t even try to give her a chance “My heart got in the way of my common sense…” She clutches the sides of her head “I am such a dumbass…”

 

“You and m-me both…”

 

Back at Parappa town the group of five sit at a table at beard burgers.

 

“So if we had chunky burgers yesterday, why are we going here today?” Rammy asks as she simply reclines on her seat.

 

“Eh...favoritism management!”

 

“A dumb way to put it, but Parappa’s basically correct. Plus we have a pal who works here.” PJ points towards Noodles “There he is over there.” Noodles waves to them.

 

“Huh...cool fro...it almost…”

 

“Looks like noodles?” Parappa, PJ, Paula and Matt say with the most serious expression.

 

“Uh...yeah actually...kinda does.” They all laugh leaving the girl incredibly confused.

 

“It’s a long story Rammy.” Parappa huddles closer “But I’ll fill you in later. Right now we relax and eat!” He slumps as his happiness declines “Wish ALL of us were here though…”

 

“I know what you mean. Sweety rarely tags along if the guys outnumber the girls so that’s why she’s not here either. I tried telling her we have another girl here, but no luck.”

 

“Sweety?” Rammy slumps her head to the side.

 

“His girlfriend. Sweety Bancha!”

 

“Oh her name IS Sweety?” She recenters her head “That must make pet names easier!” PJ shrugs.

 

“You know I’m amazed how quickly Leo managed to score them so many jobs in a row!” Matt says just counting the days that the trio are still gone for.

 

“It’s not that far fetched. With a status like his, he probably has LOADS of connections.” Paula says with a slight sigh “Must be nice to just have that ease…”

 

“Who’s this Leo guy?”

 

“Oh he’s a recent friend of ours. Rather strange dude, but he means well! Course he is rather mysterious since he never takes that helmet of his off! Hey Paula you know what he looks like under that?” Matt says as he rubs his chin.

 

“No clue! Everything that ever had a picture of him had him with the helmet on. Anything that talks about him always mentions how vague he is. In fact apparently only people in Neon Heights knows what’s under it. Anyone outside of the place who say they catch him always give a different tale from the last. One said the saw him with cat ears, another said they saw him with horns! The list goes on.” Paula taps her head “I wonder...think Leo is actually more than one guy tagging in and out a day? Maybe that’s why he’s so great at multiple things!”

 

PJ coughs up his drink. _Well...you’re half right about the more than one aspect...just...it’s still the same guy…_ “Paula I doubt it’s multiple dudes masquerading as the same guy. That’s just highly illogical! How could they all have the same voice?”

 

“The helmet probably has the same voice to use as a modifier!”

 

“Ok that’s fair, but what about body type? That’s harder to mimic.”

 

“Ok ok so there are flaws in my little accusation...but still! It’s just odd!”

 

“He sounds like quite the character.” Rammy rolls her eyes.

 

“Guys can we...not talk about Leo?...” Parappa says as he presses his thumbs together.

 

Rammy’s tone changes “Huh?...something up?”

 

“No it’s just...I rather not hear about him...he did kinda help Katy and Lammy avoid me…” he then lowers his voice to not be heard _“And a few other things…”_

 

PJ frowns as he looks away from his downtrodden friend. _Huh...without context this must be killing him...course even with context it wouldn’t be any better...plus i’m sure this is also that jealousy bit that Katy filled me in on…_ “Come on Parappa. He didn’t do that. He offered to all of us that if we ever wanted to start playing out in front of a crowd again, that we just ask him! And I guess Katy just got that urge for MilkCan to go out and rock some more.”

 

“Yeah well he seemed to have responded pretty quickly given how instantly he got a job for them...MULTIPLE jobs for them...it’s all to convenient…”

 

“Well I’m sure he’d tell you WHERE they are if you asked him. Or maybe...you know...ask him yourself over what happened! He’d probably tell you.” _But if Katy told him not to say anything then you’re out of luck because he’s such a Momma’s boy…_

 

“That’s a great idea! I’ll go visit him!”

 

“Why not just call him over the phone...he gave all of us his number…”

 

“Well I wanna handle this face to face…”

 

“Uh huh...I see…” _I fear for Europa’s safety…_ “But how can you be sure he’ll be at his club??...He’s currently helping the girls…”

 

“A busy guy like him? I’m sure he has to make constant stops back there.”

 

PJ sighs. _That is slightly true...he does seem to always pop back over there…_ “You have a good point with that…”

 

“Exactly!...but not today...today I just wanna hang out with you guys. So I’ll deal with him tomorrow…”

 

“Alright man.” _I’m gonna have to warn Europa to be careful…_

 

“Feh...This Leo guy sounds like a mixed bag now…” Rammy puffs smoke out her nose in angry defense over Parappa.

 

PJ tenses up. _Uh oh...is she...synchronising with his emotions??...she was rather indifferent on him literally moments ago...and now she’s giving off an air of destruction towards him like Parappa is...wow...he was right…these two have grown close...unfortunately now it looks like they wanna murder him...maybe I’m just...thinking to deep on this…? Lemme check…_ “Hey Parappa...a few days from now there’s gonna be a festival in town...wanna come with me and Sweety to enjoy the festivities?”

 

Parappa immediately perks up, and to PJ’s shock, Rammy also cheers up. Without even noticing Parappa’s condition! “Sure! That sounds great!”

 

“Sure as hell sounds like it! Mind if I tag along?”

 

 _THEY ARE SYNCHRONISED….WOW…_ “Not at all, I’m sure Sweety would love to meet you Rammy.” PJ nods as sweat drips down the back of his head. _I’m...amazed...like wow...if that’s the case then she will become friends with Lammy and Katy...but...when?...Did Katy’s choice of leaving to play with her band instead of trying to meet Rammy halfway mess the timeline up?...I hope he can fix it…_

 

“Something on your mind PJ?”

 

“Wazzat? Oh no. Just thinking about stuff. Nothing big, just a puzzler.”

 

“Alright.”

 

“Sorry for the wait guys, Dad’s old tools have started breaking down lately making it difficult to make burgers.” Noodles fumbles around his afro “Trying to fix it has stressed me out so much that my hair is starting to fall out in clumps!” He plucks out a tuft of his fro.

 

“Yikes...I’ll check with my dad to see if he can help you fix it after we eat.”

 

“Speaking of which. Mind not doing that while we have our food man?”

 

“Whoops. Sorry...I’m too tired to think rationally right about now…” He tosses the furball aside “I’ll leave ya guys be…” He hobbles off.

 

“Beard Burger Master’s beard burger making devices are on the fritz huh?”

 

“Sheesh Matt try saying that five times fast.”

 

“Well what else would I call them Paula! That’s what they are!” Matt chomps down on his burger “Tongue twisters aside. Think your dad can help fix em?”

 

“Don’t talk with your mouth full Matt…” Paula takes a sip of her drink as she looks away. Matt’s reply is to take another bite of his food.

 

“Well he might be able to. Him or Pinto. I’d give it a go, but I fear I might break them down further…” He sighs as he eats a fry.

 

“Aw don’t belittle yourself before you even try!”

 

“Paula’s right, can’t be thinking you’ll fail if you haven’t even given it a go.” PJ swallows a burger in one gulp.

 

“Well, maybe I’d test that when it’s not for something so crucial.”

 

“Very well.”

 

The group leave Beard Burger after they finished their lunch break, Parappa taking a bit longer to leave the premises due to phoning his father.

 

“Are all your days this...quiet?” Rammy stretches her back after yawning.

 

“If we’re lucky.” The three of them say in unison.

 

“Huh...not the reply I thought I’d get...how ominous…” She blinks twice before shaking her head “What do you guys normally go through?”

 

“It’s mostly a matter of what we get dragged into by being around Parappa. Or what we cause that Parappa has to fix.” PJ sheepishly scratches his cheek.

 

“Dudes a magnet for insanity. I wonder how he manages...” Matt stares off into the distance vacantly.

 

“Every day or so we have a few things happen that are just really...out there.” Paula’s eyes sparkle as she gets lost in the bewildering confusion that is their history in PaRappa Town.

 

Rammy stares at the three before blinking once more in concern “Wow…”

 

_Day 22 with Rammy._

 

“Alright. I’m gonna be off. I’ll be back when I got the info I need.”

 

“You sure you don’t want me to tag along?”

 

“I just wanna talk to Leo is all. Don’t need to threaten him.” _Or maybe I should, but I dunno yet…_

 

“Very well. Just take care man. I’ll go see what else there is to see in this town.”

 

“Gotcha. See ya soon Rammy!” Parappa gives a quick wave as he heads towards his car and tosses his things in the seat beside him “Alright...hopefully I can get a lock on where they are so I can go to them and see if we can work this dumb thing out…” He drops his head on the steering wheel, causing the horn to blare out “This is building up so much stress in my gut...I don’t like it...How was I supposed to know things would go in this direction?...” He plucks his head from the steering wheel “No use getting down now! Gotta a guy to interrogate!” As he tries to step on the gas, the car suddenly bounces slightly, as if someone snuck in “Huh?...” Parappa looks around, but doesn’t see anything “Weird...must’ve been my imagination.” He resumes driving off.

 

“This is the dumbest thing I’ve probably ever done so far in my life, but hey! He clearly needs help, but won’t ask for it! And it’s in my best interest to help him after what he’s done for me! Besides...what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” Rammy finds a comfortable position to recline in as she hides in the trunk of Parappa’s car.

 

The drive towards Club Rainbow in Neon Heights was slightly longer than usual due to Parappa’s constant doubt and hesitation, but he eventually arrives. He storms on in the club as Rammy sneaks out of the car away from his sight and hides until he leaves.

 

Parappa bursts through the door, and to his better surprise, Leo IS here “Hm? HEY! Parappa my man! To what do I owe the pleasure!”

 

“Not in the mood for formalities...Leo mind telling me where MilkCan’s at right now?...” Parappa’s brash demeanor hits Leo like a truck.

 

“Oooooof...save the animosity for rap battles man...Anyway...I can’t tell you where they are...client’s privacy and all that…” _So this is what Uncle PJ’s call was about...oh boy..._

 

“But your client’s are my three friends...surely they wouldn’t mind their ROOMMATE from going to them for a chat…”

 

“Eeeeeh...sorry man...that was Katy’s orders…” His helmet emits a sweatdrop icon “She told me no one was allowed to ask for their location…” He pokes him on the nose “Especially you...even told me to do this and everything in case you came to me to ask…” He pulls back his finger from his face “What did you do to them?...”

 

“NOTHING!...and who are you to just listen to every little command as such?!” Parappa heats up in anger.

 

“Sorry man, don’t take it personal. But when I offered you guys any chance at jammin job opportunities, that also includes any little specific requests as add ons.” He taps his helmet “Plus she was like...really not happy over the phone...couldn’t really say no. All three of them could kick my ass if they so pleased soooo...yeah…”

 

Parappa struggles to calm down “So you aren’t telling me anything then??...”

 

“I’m sorry! I can’t...not unless any of them TELL me that I can…now if you don’t mind...I really gotta go...I came back here to grab some stuff for them. And I really must get going, or i’ll be too late to arrive for their gig tomorrow…”

 

“I’m going with you.”

 

“Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.” He flails his arm about in front of him “That’s a big nono. She was pissed off at you man, if you storm in on them now you’ll most likely make things worse...and how does that help anyone?...”

 

“HOW WOULD YOU KNOW?!...”

 

“I just think of it as common sense to read the room?...” Leo’s helmet emits a soft light “Come on man brighten up. Things will get better! I’m sure their anger will blow over and will want to speak with you again before you know it! Just...wait it out alright?”

 

Parappa growls “Not like I have a choice...fine...” He turns around “If you get any word on them allowing me to go, you contact me immediately…”

 

“Sheesh...I will…” _Never thought I’d get such a sour chat from my own father…_

 

“Good…” He stomps out of the club.

 

“Eheh...n-nice chat with you to...oy vey…” The door closes as it’s sound echoes through the establishment, but a few moments afterwards it opens up again “Gah...ok Parappa what do you wanna ask no- Oh...hello there…” Leo stares at Rammy who angrily looks at him.

 

“You’re this Leo Steps guy?...Huh...you look like a massive twink…”

 

 _I have no control over how my body ends up...blame my parental genes…Would future you have said the same?...you were always so nice to me..._ “Thank you for that...lovely input...Nice to see you Urami.”

 

“The heck you call me?...”

 

“Gah...sorry...slip of the tongue. I meant to say Rammy.” _I’m so used to you being nice I forgot you didn’t GET this nickname yet...after all it’s Lammy who helps you GET the nickname in the first place…_ “Freelance guitarist, originating from hell. One amazing rocker second to none...except...yeah. To what do I owe the pleasure of you meeting me? Looking for a job offer yourself? I could help ou-”

 

“CAN IT.”

 

“Oh dear…”

 

“I was gonna lightly rough you up with a chat after Parappa left...but he left rather heated...and that got to me. So before I continue askin what he was askin...I think I ought to make you apologize to him first…”

 

“Apologize? I did nothing wrong...I just kept my word that I would do my best for whoever asked me of something… The girls at MilkCan asked and gave me specific orders! Not my fault they didn’t want him finding them…”

 

“Gah...fucking figures…”

 

“Look can’t you just calm do-” Leo swerves to the side avoiding a table that’s thrown towards him by Rammy “Oh no…”

 

“I ain’t calmin down. Reason or not. You still peeved him off, and so you gotta apologize.”

 

“I can’t just apologize for baseless anger that he got himself into with!” He bobs to the left, avoiding a jab from her “Rammy please-” He weaves to the right to avoid a kick “Let’s be civilized here-” He jumps back to avoid her overhead body blow “Come on…”

 

“Come on NOTHING! Now quit dodging!” Leo continuously avoids her strikes as he motions around her “I SAID QUIT IT!”

 

Leo steps down on both her feet and catches both her hands within his own “THERE! Alright?! Now you can’t do anything else! Now can we please just calm down and talk this through like reasonable adult-” Rammy rears her head back as she drives it forward into Leo’s helmet, shattering the face screen in one go and causing him to stumble backwards and let her go.

 

Rammy dizzily shakes her head to get the glass bits off as blood slightly trickles down her face, once she regains her balance she looks towards the man in front of her “Hah...they don’t call me Rammy for nothin…”

 

Leo regains his balance as he stands back upright. His face completely visible to the girl in front of him. “I really wished you wouldn’t do that...but like you said...with a name like Rammy...it should’ve been obvious to me…” Rammy stays transfixed on his face, it strikes her like a hammer on a nail. His face looked like her doppelganger.

 

“What the...you related to her?...”

 

Leo sighs “Slightly...but not exactly…” With his face fully exposed, he decides to remove the helmet fully as there wasn’t really a point to keeping it on “Man fixing a cracked screen is easy...but a flat out shattered one?...That’ll take a while...Luckily I have a few spares…”

 

Rammy is now even more disturbed with his appearance. He looked like a cross between a sheep and a dog! A very specific sheep and dog. Rammy’s replies however are more akin to PJ’s first reaction “Who or what the hell are you…”

 

“Currently? I guess you can call me a shepherd!” Rammy simply stares at him angrily “Tough crowd...well, you don’t look like you’d believe me even if it is the blatant truth.” Leo rubs his face, trying to wipe the blood trickling down his forehead “Gah...I’m lucky the glass bits missed my eyes…”

 

“I’m not an idiot...don’t treat me like one...so just explain and i’ll see…”

 

“Alright alright.” Leo manages to dust the glass shards out of his hair as he finishes wiping the blood off. He tosses a handkerchief to her “Might wanna clean that blood of your face as I tell this to you.”

 

“Fine. Just hurry it up.”

 

“Well. Who do I look like to you right now?”

 

“That’s a stupid question...you look like Lammy...mixed with a bit of Parappa…” As she says this Leo immediately changes shape.

 

“Are you sure about that?”

 

“What the fucking hell?...Now you look like the damn blue cat Katy mixed with Parappa!”

 

“Great. Hopefully this makes my tale the more believable. I am from the future-”

 

“Bull.”

 

“I am Parappa’s son-”

 

“Bull.”

 

“And I traveled back in time-”

 

“Bull.”

 

“You gonna listen or what?”

 

“I already don’t believe you.”

 

“But you clearly saw me change in front of you. Can’t argue with that can you?”

 

“Special effects. No biggie.”

 

“Feh...whatever. Well I’m telling you the truth, Parappa IS my eventual father that I have come back in time to help out of a bind...that I forgot what was…”

 

“You are a dumbass. Can’t even make a believable excuse…”

 

“While I will agree that I am in fact a dumbass, I will argue that it’s not an excuse. Although you are fair to call it vaguely believable.” He tosses a photo at her, she catches it between her fingers without much effort “Here’s some more evidence, it’d be hard to forge that.”

 

“With the shit you have available to you? It’d probably be easy…”

 

“I have video evidence as well if you’re this much of a nonbeliever. Hell. You were probably the person who spent the most time with me aside from my mother and father that you even told me things that I can tell you that would prove me right. Because you never told anyone else these things!”

 

“Bull. Shit.”

 

“You used to have a teddy bear. You couldn’t sleep without it so adjusting to overworld life was difficult. The bears name was Grunge. Aside from your anger towards Lammy, you are actually also very jealous of her not because of her career meddling with yours, but because you think she’s better than you in appearance and personality wise. Hell you even think she’s prettier than you. You actually do want to get along with Katy and Lammy, and in fact they were the first two people you wished opened up to you before the rest and not having that happen devastated you, but you would never admit i-”

 

“SHUT UP!” She chucks another table at him, however she misses by a longshot as he doesn’t even need to dodge this time.

 

“Am I right then?”

 

“Fuck off...it’s all lucky guesses…” Her face is red with anger and embarrassment as she huddles down.

 

“Auntie Rammy, I wouldn’t know this if it weren’t the truth! Hell the reason I’m close to you is thanks to how close you were with Dad during my birth and life so forth! Guess to you I was just a new smaller Parappa.”

 

“The fuck you call me?”

 

“Auntie.” He rests his face on his hand “I have a bad habit of calling all my dads friends Auntie and Uncle.”

 

“Feh...that’s...endearingly dumb.”

 

“Maybe so. But I love the names. You all are like family to me. It helped that you all treated everyone like family...and hey. I can give you a little spoiler. You do get along with the two of them and do become friends in the end.”

 

“Now that’s massive bullshit...cuz I don’t picture that happening…”

 

“Neither did Katy when I told her. But she wanted to give you a shot all the same.”

 

“So you’re the reason why she was so ok with it when she first saw me the day of my arrival.”

 

“I will take credit for that much yes.”

 

“But then Parappa kinda messed that up a bit…”

 

Leo frowns “What did my dad do this time…” The entire explanation simply dumbfounds Leo as he sighs in massive dejection “What a mess...the timeline is already getting all warbled...luckily I’m still changing so it’s not completely a lost caused for me...I’m sure I can fix this and set it on the right track.”

 

“Speaking about you changing. What’s up with that?...You keep swapping between a cat and a sheep...” As Leo tries to explain, immediately he changes again...but this time “And now...you look like me…”

 

“Ho boy...get ready for a big explanation…”

 

The explanation was indeed long and had to be done multiple times due to Rammy’s continued disbelief. She did believe him in the end however “So I was originally just a close friend huh?”

 

“Pretty much...but I guess my interfering now made you a contender for my dad’s heart…”

 

“I didn’t think he’d think of me that way…”

 

“Hey now. Don’t be pinning ALL the blame on him. Another main factor to me looking like this is because the girl he thinks about will inevitably say yes to him asking. So that means, you clearly think the same of him.”

 

“I DO NOT!”

 

“My face doesn’t lie Auntie.”

 

“CHANGE IT!”

 

“I can’t exactly do that. I only change when his mind is on another one of his friends.”

 

“Blegh...wonder what got him to think of me right now?...wait...how long have we been talking?...”

 

“It’s been about...TWO HOURS...HOLY CRAP I’M LATE…”

 

“Shit...Parappa’s been home and is probably wondering where I am…” Rammy sighs “This time junk is messing with my head…”

 

“I’d love to explain more, but I kinda don’t have the time…”

 

“Who else knows about you?”

 

“Just Katy and PJ really. You could ask PJ and he’d tell you the things I told him and Katy!”

 

Rammy nods but then pops another question “...Think you can drop me off back at PaRappa Town?”

 

“AUNTIE I’M LATE I CAN’T JUST-”

 

“Ahhhhh. Right now….the timelines different isn’t it? I’m no longer just auntie...hell...looking at your face like you told me...it’s not lying that currently...I’m your mom.”

 

“B-Butdatjus…”

 

“And as your ‘mom’...I say you have to drive your mother back to her current home!”

 

“H-HHHNNGGGAABBBGNNN...OK! BUT LET’S HURRY!...Katy will skin me alive if i’m any later…”

 

“Good boy.”

 

“I’m hating this already…”

 

_Day 29 with Rammy_

 

“THANK YOU AND GOODNIGHT MIRROR CITY!” Katy shouts on her microphone as the band bows before leaving the stage.

 

“You three were as amazing as usual! That’s another group of fans for MilkCan!” Leo fistbumps the air.

 

“Heh...thanks Leo…”

 

“Y-Yeah thanks...”

 

“What’s wrong with you two?” Leo continuously looks between Lammy and Katy before Ma-san speaks up.

 

(“Go on you two, tell him.”) The duo sigh before nodding.

 

“W-We…”

 

“Want to stop this mini tour…”

 

“And j-just go back t-to our friends…”

 

“Oh is that all? That’s simple!”

 

“But we’re still kinda in the middle of our jamming tour…”

 

“Well I can organize it so that your next concert is the last for the trip, that won’t be to hard. The thing is we just need to find a place for your concert.”

 

“Great!...c-can we invite our friends? I...wanna revoke the order I gave you...”

 

“Sure thing Katy! But first let’s see where we can send you...Hm...That’s to far and would be an inconvenience to them...You already played there...That area requires you to go overseas...This one by plane...OH!”

 

“What?” The trio say in unison to the excited helmeted man.

 

“PaRappa Town’s having a festival in two days! They still need a main music act for the star attraction! Where else to rock out then your hometown right?~”

 

Stars illuminate in their eyes as they once again together go “THAT’S PERFECT!”

 

“Thought so! And hey, for added bonus. It’s in the place you three had your first ever live concert as well!”

 

“Wow, it’s l-like it was fate or s-something...h-how convenient!” Lammy ponders the odds, but shrugs it off from happiness.

 

“Ok. I’ll get set it up. You girls go rest up. Gonna have a long drive to get back to PaRappa town.” The trio nod before walking off, as they’re out of sight Leo immediately pulls his phone out and calls Parappa.

 

_“Leo?...”_

 

“Yo. You told me to call you when they told me if it was alright to meet them.”

 

_“F-FINALLY?”_

 

“Yes! Buuuuuuuut.”

 

_“But?...”_

 

“You’re staying in PaRappa Town.”

 

_“WHY?!...”_

 

“Cuz they’re coming to you guys! At the festival that’s happening in two days. They’re gonna be star attraction!”

 

_“Oh...You could’ve said that first! You nearly made me crush my phone in my hands!”_

 

“Sorry...Wanted to surprise you with good news…”

 

_“Well...it kind worked. But thanks nonetheless. And um...sorry for my anger towards you...after calming down I kinda realized I went off on you improperly…”_

 

“You had your reasons. Do I agree with them? Eh can’t really say. In the end, patience is a virtue!”

 

_“Indeed! Alright, gotta hang up. Gonna have to invite everyone else.”_

 

“Alright. Ciao!” He hangs up “GREAT! Things are starting to get back on track! Phew...this little hiccup in time was starting to scare me…” He takes a deep breath “Alrighty, now time to set up their gig…”

 

Back with Parappa, he is literally jumping for joy from the news “WOOOHOOO THEY DON’T HATE ME ANYMORE!”

 

“How could anyone stay mad at a guy like you?”

 

“Beat’s me, but they clearly managed just fine.” Parappa shrugs “But that doesn’t matter now because they found it in them to forgive me! And hey this means they’ll finally give you another shot Rammy!”

 

Rammy turns her gaze towards the ceiling “I hope so…”

 

“I KNOW so! Now I gotta call Paula and Matt and tell them to tag along with us and PJ and Sweety! Then I gotta tell PJ that we invited them. That’s a lot of calls...”

 

“I’ll head on over to PJ’s to tell him.”

 

“Really? I can just call him-”

 

“I wanna talk about some stuff with him anyway.” She gets up “It’s just something random though so no need to worry.”

 

“Alrighty! Man it makes me happy to see you branch out to my other friends on your own! You really have started recovering on the stability front!”

 

“Again for like the nth time. I have you to thank for that. I honestly didn’t think I’d ever bounce back, but here I am. And i’m also enjoyin it.” She smiles “And I don’t even care that I turned into a partial softy over it! Honestly think it suits me.”

 

“The Rammy from twenty nine days ago would never say that!”

 

“The Rammy of then was also too stupid to know what was good for her!” She grapples Parappa in a headlock “But luckily she wasn’t stupid enough to avoid making this guy her friend!”

 

“Ack! Easy!” He taps his hand on the floor like a wrestler who wants to throw in the towel, but stops as the grapple turns into a hug “Huh?...”

 

“...thanks for everything…”

 

“...anything for a friend ya know?” He hugs back as the two stay in the embrace for a while. After the time arrives for the hug to break Rammy immediately speaks up.

 

“That never happened. Understood?”

 

“Heh...understood!”

 

And with that, Rammy’s off while Parappa proceeds to call. Once Rammy arrives at her intended destination she tries to knock on the door only for the door to already open. Before her stands a pink bear.

 

“Oh! Hello!”

 

“Ah...hey there-” Rammy recalls a name PJ brought up and goes out on a limb to call the new face in front of her “Sweety right?”

 

“Yes! How’d you know?”

 

“PJ mentioned the name. Speaking of which, is he in there? Wanna talk to him about stuff.”

 

“Yeah he’s in there. We were actually going to go out somewhere for the night.”

 

“Aw bummer. Sorry to intrude on you then. But I still got one thing I gotta tell the two of you before I head back. It looks like MilkCan’s coming back to play at the festival you and him invited me and Parappa to. So Parappa’s calling the others to get them to tag along.”

 

“Oh! That’s great to hear! It’ll certainly perk everyone back up that’s for sure! Uh...Rammy was it?”

 

“Correct.”

 

“Ah good! Thanks so much for the heads up! I honestly don’t know why PJ didn’t invite them in the first place…when I asked he just said he was testing something! Honestly it’s hard to tell what’s up with him.”

 

“Heh...with a blank expressionless face like his? I can only assume.” Sweety giggles at Rammy’s bluntness.

 

“For sure!” Sweety then stops to think “Hm...wait here!” She heads back inside the building much to the rams confusion. Said confusion grows as the building starts bouncing around in place as if an argument was going on.

 

“What the fu-…”

 

Eventually Sweety walks out of the building with PJ who now has a red mark on the side of his face in the shape of Sweety’s hand as well as a bump atop his head “Great news! You get to tag along with us!”

 

“Um...ya sure?...Cuz I can just come back another time-”

 

“I already convinced PJ as you can see.” She points towards the DJ bear as he simply blinks in unamusement.

 

“Yeah...convinced...we’ll go with that…” He sighs before turning to Rammy “Well, I can’t exactly say no to my girlfriend so guess you’re with us! And neither can you so you’re with us whether you wanna be or not!”

 

“But!-”

 

“Uh uh Rammy, you’re with us as he said!” Sweety crushes Rammy in a hug before putting her in a cargo hold over her shoulder.

 

“W-WHOA H-HEY!...” she struggles with in her grasp as PJ looks her in the eye.

 

“Told you.”

 

“Ugh…” Rammy crosses her arms in a huff as her face turns red.

 

The night goes by rather adorably, but Rammy just can’t help feeling like a third wheel throughout everything, and they constantly try to assure her it’s fine.

 

“It’s fine. I really am ok with you being here Rammy.” PJ winds his arm “Actually I’ve been meaning to ask you somethin.”

 

“That’s a coincidence. I had some things to talk about to with you to.”

 

“Huh. Well you first I guess. I assume that’s why you went to see me in the first place.”

 

“Yeah it was, but uh...don’t feel right just stopping what you two are doing for that.”

 

Sweety crushes Rammy in a hug again “OHHHHH YOU CAAAAAN”

 

“HGNHH…”

 

“I mean we intruded on what you were doing by bringing you along with us so it’s fine if you do the same to us! Really!” She and PJ both nod.

 

“ALRIGHT...LET ME...BREATHE…” Sweety let’s Rammy go. After she drops she immediately tries to inhale all the air that was squeezed out of her lungs “T-Thaaa...nks…”

 

“My bad!...don’t know my own strength at times!...”

 

“Haaaaah...gotta say it’s weird being on the receiving end of pain…” She motions her neck around to remove an annoying crick “Well uh...Sweety not sure if you’ll understand what I mean when I say this but...uh...PJ.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I know what’s under the helmet.”

 

“Under the hel-...OH!” PJ’s eyes widen as much as they can for his facial expression.

 

“What does that mean dear?”

 

“Uh...a spoiler! For a show we got into!”

 

“Oh. Well don’t tell me! I might wanna get into it if it interests the two of you!” She plugs her ears and looks away. PJ takes the opportunity to approach and whisper to Rammy.

 

_“D-Don’t talk about it outloud!...”_

 

_“Why not? It’s not like if Sweety knew about it, it’d affect time!...Would it?...I don’t really know...the whole thing messes with my brain...”_

 

_“It won’t affect it immediately, but it might start a chain of events that could fuck over Leo’s mission. And honestly, I rather he not fail to prevent Parappa from being unable to stop something big. I would figure you ALSO wouldn’t want him to fail if it means that it’d affect Parappa negatively right?”_

 

_“Well of course!...But he has us! He has ME! I won’t let whatever that is, happen to him!”_

 

_“Very admirable and completely noble. Unfortunately you were already his friend by that point and it clearly still happened so...it’s very obvious that we couldn’t do much…”_

 

 _“Gahhh...don’t use logic on meeee…”_ She rubs the sides of her head _“I never thought I’d get this much of a headache from a dude who claims to be my best buds kid...only to actually BE his kid…”_

 

_“Like it or not. He gave a ton of evidence supporting the fact that he IS Parappa’s son from the future.”_

 

“Who’s Parappa’s son from the future??...” Sweety says as she stares at the two of them.

 

“WAAAAH!” PJ recoils back from Sweety’s sudden intrusion.

 

“Aw fuck…” Rammy simply bounces backwards from surprise.

 

“Pffft...Parappa’s son from the futureeee? You misheard us. Why would we ever say something like that?” Sweety only stares at PJ with her arms crossed. Wanting an explanation “Eh...you see...uh...Rammy take over.” He passes the torch as he forces himself to fall asleep on the spot standing up.

 

“Oh real fucking classy man…” Rammy facepalms from the action of the bear “Well. I know when I’ve been caught. But mind if we go to a place not so public if you want me to explain?”

 

“As long as you really do explain what you mean…” They both walk off, but they forget and leave PJ behind. Once at a destination they assume to be private, Rammy begins “Alright...I don’t fully have the complete grasp over this but…” She scratches her head before snapping her fingers “Actually truth be told i’m sure you’d be as skeptical as I was when I was told. That aside, Leo’s apparently Parappa’s son from the future.”

 

“Huh...guess that means I was right.”

 

“Yeah I know right? It was a shock to me- what.”

 

“Well yeah, after the night of our first time going to his club. It was odd that he was such an incognito figure. Ma-san, Matt and Paula all seemed to know him and I decided to look into him a little more. They mentioned his talents and I couldn’t help but compare them to this little group of ours. And to my surprise, it matched up.” She places a finger on her own cheek with a wink “So I boiled it down to three things. A, he was a stalker, but that was debunked due to how trapped into his own town he is to a point he couldn’t have the time or energy. Plus he was really nice! He wasn’t at all creepy like stalkers tend to be. B, he was a super fan, which almost was the real one until I noticed he didn’t really fanboy as often when everyone wasn’t together when going to see him and instead acted like a lifelong friend. As if he already knew everyone...which led to. C, through some oddball scenario, he was someone’s kid or relative from the future! And wouldn’t you know it? He was Parappa’s kid! Darn...I was banking on Matt’s adopted kid given his style, but hey. The result was still a dog for a dad!” She giggles

 

“...You managed put all that together and didn’t bother telling anyone? Or Leo himself?”

 

“Honey this is PaRappa Town! What DOESN’T happen around here? And well I couldn’t exactly talk to him about it. It’d be rude and he’d probably deny it all anyway. As for the rest of my friends...well they wouldn’t really believe me because at the time it all seemed illogical.” She shrugs “But hey guess it’s not THAT illogical anymore. Who figured it out?”

 

“Apparently PJ caught him. Then Katy. And lastly me.”

 

“Oh so not everyone knows. Wonder how they figured him out…”

 

“Well I nearly blinded him in my way of figuring him out.” Sweety just stares at her with widen eyes “What?”

 

“You nearly made the future son of your new best friend blind?!”

 

“Not like I knew he was his son at the time! And I was angry! Angry that he made Parappa angry! So I bashed my head into his and saw his face that way.”

 

She rolls her eyes but her smile returns “About that! What’s he look like?”

 

“Eh...that’s...the rough bit explaining...I think PJ can tell yo-...” She looks around “Uh...I think we forgot to bring PJ…”

 

“W-Wha…” She looks around “D-Did we leave him behind??...”

 

Back with PJ, he wakes up abruptly “Weh...Ok now did Rammy explain every...thing…” PJ looks about to see they had ditched him “HEY! WHERE DID THE TWO OF YOU GO!...”

 

Once the trio reunite and fully explain to Sweety, she simply sighs. “Honestly I blame you PJ for Parappa being in this situation with his heart to begin with!”

 

“Why me??”

 

“You taunted him and put the ideas in his head. Now he’s slowly falling for them. You’re putting poor Leo’s ACTUAL mother at risk here!”

 

“I could help him out if he TOLD me who his real mother is.”

 

“It’s for the best that he doesn’t tell you, you’d probably mess it up dear!”

 

“Oh have faith in me...I’m not Parappa…”

 

“Exactly. You’re not. So don’t think you’ll be able to handle something he himself will have to.” The two bicker as Rammy watches.

 

“Uh...It’s not my part to speak up, but Leo did say not to meddle or tell anyone that we know who he really is as to not mess up things any further…”

 

“Yeah well-...wait...any further?” Sweety frowns towards Rammy.

 

“Yeah...turns out he’s as consequential in his actions like his dad...Meaning he both helped us avoid things...but we’ll probably have to deal with new things in the end thanks to him…” PJ scoffs “And he tells me not to meddle...what about him and all he’s already done??...what’ll happen now…”

 

Rammy collides her fists together “I ain’t worried! Whatever we have to deal with now, I’ll certainly make it regret wanting to come across us! Plus Leo himself said he’d not let anything happen to us, but I ain’t one to play the damsel!” steam ejects from her nose as she stomps the ground like a bull.

 

“I’ve noticed...oh dear this brash moxie of yours will probably be a reason towards us running into the new trouble after all.” He chuckles “But you’re not wrong with one thing. I am not gonna go down as the one who needs saving...not this time…”

 

Sweety shakes her head with a slight grin “While you two tweak your sensibility away, I will say this. It’s certainly going to get even more livelier around here. I just know it.” She giggles “For better or for worse, you all always seem to mix yourselves into the situation and make it turn out alright in the end. So i’m not worried.” She turns away from them “But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take care nonetheless!” She laughs as she cargo grabs Rammy again.

 

“H-HEY! NOT AGAIN…”

 

“Oh yes again! I have a fun place I wanna take you to!”

 

“Sweety your definition of fun and Rammy’s definition of fun may greatly differ.”

 

“WHAT HE SAID!”

 

“Oh hush! The both of you will be eating your words before you know it! Now let’s gooo! We still have the rest of the night to have fun with!” She runs off with Rammy screaming in her grasp and PJ embarrassingly following suit.

 

* * *

 

“Ok! So now that we have that settled, it’ll be just two days till that all goes down!” Parappa happily dances in place until he hears the door open.

 

“I’m baaaack…”

 

“Oh Rammy!” He runs off to greet her “That must’ve been some chat you were ha-...ving…” He stares at the ewe who is cladded entirely in pink “Lookin…”

 

“Not. A. Word.”

 

“I was gonna say you lookin nice.”

 

“...t-thanks…”

 

“May I ask...how did this happen?”

 

“While...trying to talk to PJ...I ended up getting roped up with him and Sweety’s date...by the end of it...Sweety invited me to a clothing store...and...she thought it’d be nice...as a symbol of new friendship...that the two of us buy and wear...the others style…”

 

“Well you rock it if that’s one thing you’d like to hear.”

 

“T-They said the same thing...but I just feel…”

 

“Off?”

 

“No...strangely enough...I do kinda...like it...I meant like...i’ll be made a bigger fool for wearing this…”

 

“Who in their right mind would judge you for wearing something you enjoy? Nobody up here that’s for sure! And as for hell? Feh what do they know? Nothing that’s what!”

 

“Heh...if only it were that easy to convince myself right away…” She shakes her head “But you’re right! Ain’t nobody gonna tell me what I fucking can or can’t wear!...Justttt...don’t expect this to be a common thing…”

 

“Heh, I figured so no worries. You do you.”

 

“Proper response. Good boy.” They both share a laugh before Rammy interrupts herself “Aw fuck...PJ never got to tell me what he wanted to say...I’m sure it wasn’t that important...or else he’ll contact me another time.”

 

“He’ll probably tell you the day of the festival since we’re guaranteed to meet him there.”

 

“You’re right. For now...I’m changing out of this. I may like and I may have gone soft, but prolonged exposure to this might mess with my brain and I ain’t havin that!”

 

_Day 31 with Rammy_

 

“Man this place is just amazing! Sometimes I forget how fun a party our town can create when nothin crazy is goin on!”

 

“I’ll say! Wish the girls would hurry up though...it’s a simple festival, not a royal ball! I see no need to get this dolled up for it…”

 

“Girls gotta flaunt their style man.”

 

“I’m starting to think living with four women is beginning to make you side with em more often.”

 

“No maaaaan, I just respect those who got a fashion streak they gotta share.”

 

“You mean like you and your love of baggy pants?”

 

“Hey don’t bring my pants into this PJ.”

 

“Why not? Why is that the only type of pants you wear anyway?”

 

“I’m not answering. In fact i’m not even continuing this conversation.”

 

“Fine.” The two stare away from each other in awkward embarrassment “You sure Matt couldn’t come?”

 

“He said he’d be busy all day today.”

 

“But Tamanegi gave us the day off…”

 

“Apparently it’s family related. And from what I can recall. His cousin runs a clothing store...but I would think she’d shut down for the day to enjoy the festivities...guess not.”

 

“Eh, it’s not for us to question so who knows.”

 

“Yeah I suppose your right...still wish we all could’ve been here.” As Parappa sighs, Sweety, Paula and Rammy all speak up in unison, attracting Parappa and PJ’s attention.

 

“Heeeey!” Sweety wore a yellow venus bandeau dress with a heart pattern all over along with pink shoes.

 

“Sorry we took so long boys!” Paula was wearing an orange strapless crop top with blue jeans and a new variation of her white jacket as well as her signature blue shoes.

 

“...” Rammy stayed silent. She wore a pure black traditional Chinese dress of all things! It had silver lines around the sleeves, neck and lower sides. It had letters on on the front and back, but they were in Japanese. Parappa stared at the letters on the front of her dress until he managed to decipher it.

 

“Warui...beibei...OH! BADASS BA-” He is immediately shushed by Rammy shoving her hand towards his mouth. She placed a finger over her lips signifying that the last thing he should do is read out what exactly the words said.

 

“P-Pffft...well...it’s fitting to say the least Rammy!” PJ poorly stifles his laughter as Rammy turns to him and simply gives him the middle finger with her free hand causing him to fully let loose his laughter. Rammy huffs as she turns around, clearly too embarrassed to say anything. Parappa takes this time to read the characters on the backside of her dress.

 

“Kokoro...teishi...That’s Heartstopper!” Rammy angrily turns back around and flails her arms at the dog who whimsically defends himself “Heeeeeey, stooooop. I just wanted to reaaaaaaaaad. Your dress is right anywaaaaaay.” He chuckles as she slows her ‘attack’.

 

“This wasn’t my idea of an outfit…” She crosses her arms as her face turns red. Only for both Paula and Sweety to speak up.

 

“But it fits you girl! You work that dress splendidly! And like Parappa said, both words fit you! I doubt any guy will be able to keep their eye off of you!”

 

“Like I care about that…”

 

“Well obviously not, but it doesn’t hurt to just stop, drop and break some hearts right?”

 

“No...but I’d rather break faces instead…”

 

The girls just giggle “We knoooooow~”

 

“Whatever...can we just...go have fun or whatnot? The less I have to think about me wearing this the better...Even if it does suit me…”

 

“As you wish ya badass babe!” Parappa says as he immediately runs off.

 

“W-WHY YOU LITTLE!...” Rammy ejects steam from her ears as she runs after him “COME BACK HERE!”

 

“You’ll have to catch me first!” Within seconds the two of the are lost in the wave of people who are also enjoying the day.

 

“We should probably go after them.” Sweety says as she stares at the dust trail.

 

“It’s not like she’ll actually hurt him.” Paula scoffs

 

“No, but she’ll probably take it out on someone else.” PJ states as he eats a donut he got from classically nowhere.

 

“Oh...right…” They all run after the dog and the ram.

 

The festival grows in magnitude and splendor as the day goes by increasing the enjoyment of the group as they wander around to witness it all.

 

“Man, more and more booths are opening up by the minute!”

 

“I’ll say, this might be one of the biggest events to happen to us in a while that wasn’t chaotic or bad.” PJ as he eats another donut.

 

“Dear where did you even get those?”

 

“Did you already forget who you’re dating?...”

 

“But you were getting back into a healthy lifestyle…”

 

“I am, but come onnnn. Today a day to just cut loose and enjoy yourself!”

 

“Alright…”

 

“Good! Now let’s check out the food booths!” He vanishes instantaneously as Sweety just groans dejectedly.

 

“I guess it’s too much to ask him to keep a good lifestyle?”

 

“Relax. He started his better streak thanks to wanting to keep up with me. If that’s what it takes to help him out then I guess I gotta butt heads with him again.” Rammy smirks as she crosses her arms.

 

“Normally I’d be against this sort of thing, but i’ll make an exception for this occasion.” She sighs before angrily walking off to find him.

 

“Well no use in just standing around, might as well look around as well while she looks for PJ!” Paula grabs both Rammy and Parappa by the arms and walks off while dragging them along.

 

The first booth they stop at is selling clothes which earns an obvious sigh from Rammy and Parappa until the see the man who’s currently in charge of the booth.

 

“Matt?!” the three say, spooking the guy into turning around.

 

“Huh? OH HEY! Was wondering when you’d guys pop in!”

 

“Dude you didn’t mention that THIS is why you were gonna be busy!”

 

“You didn’t ask Parappa.”

 

“...alright I’ll accept that.”

 

“Heh. Sorry for that, cousin asked me last second before you called to help her out during the festival. I just couldn’t say no.” He motions his arm around the merch “Now I get to help sell these nice duds made specifically for now so I have that keeping happy.” He chuckles “Y’all buying anything?”

 

“Sorry Matt. Already kinda spent buying mine, Sweety’s and Rammy’s new get up for today.”

 

“Aw bummer, that’s alright.”

 

“I’ll see what I can buy!” Parappa happily glances at the wares as Rammy follows suit.

 

“Sure I guess I can glance around to.”

 

“Glad to hear it! Just pick what you find appealing and I’ll help with the rest!”

 

“Got what caught my eye!” Parappa holds up an orange visor cap as well as a blue denim jacket.

 

“Huh. The colors are certainly a blast from the past. And a hat that’s not a beanie? How blasphemes! But it’s still orange so maybe not!” He smirks “How about you Rammy?”

 

“Hm...got this peakin my interest.”

 

“Uh...you...sure?” He stares at the pink vest she’s holding.

 

“Would I be holding it up to you if I wasn’t?”

 

“Uh...got me there. I was just...a bit curious...is all…” He nervously chuckles “I think you’d look good in it!...”

 

“Don’t try to save yourself...I already know it seems out of place for me to want to wear these colors…I just started gaining a fondness of em thanks to Sweety.”

 

“E-Eheh...really? Well no shame in that. Especially if you’re openly admitting that to me!”

 

“Yeah...but don’t go telling anyone else that!”

 

“Roger that!”

 

While Matt helps bag their objects, Parappa turns to Paula “You sure you don’t wanna try lookin? You might find something and I’m sure I can spend a few to get it for you.”

 

“No. If I start, I’m sure I wouldn’t stop and I don’t think you have the financial upkeep to keep up with me.”

 

“Yikes...thanks for the heads up...but...nevermind all that, just go and pick. It just doesn’t feel right to me you know? That me and Rammy get to buy something and you get nothing but to just watch.”

 

“Alright…if it’ll make ya happy.” Paula glances around and immediately she gets to urge to take multiple things, but manages to just barely restrain herself “I...managed to get something!...and just...one thing!...”

 

“Huh. I’m impressed! And you said you’d end up getting multiple things!”

 

“Y-Yeah...h-how bout that!...” Matt watches Paula’s pathetic display at self restraint as he rolls his eyes.

 

“Hey Paula, you gonna pay for those other things you’re hiding behind your back?” Paula’s colors fade from her body when Matt calls her out “Forget it, I’ll just buy em for you. No need to destroy your sanity to hold back or Parappa’s wallet either.”

 

Both Paula and Parappa force out a pathetic laugh “Thanks Matt...”

 

The day goes on as people start migrating towards the place where the live music event is said to happen and our main group head along as they await the show to start “The show’s gonna start soon! And I just can’t WAIT!” Parappa bounces up and down in excitement until a hand places itself on his shoulder.

 

“Easy man, we’re just as excited!” it was Matt.

 

“Hey you made it here!”

 

“Yeah, my cousin was merciful in letting me watch the show with you guys. And with that here I am!” he smiles as he looks to the stage that is still covered.

 

“I can’t believe they’re playing here! It’s such a nostalgic blast from the past!” Parappa resumes bouncing up and down.

 

“For you maybe! We had to set up the after party in that run down old warehouse!” Matt says with slight disdain.

 

“None of us saw their concert live like you did!” Paula adds on.

 

“I accidentally ended up killing Lammy so I rather not remember that day…” PJ ends the chain as everyone simply stares at him.

 

“Haha that’s hila-...wait...YOU WERE THE REASON SHE WENT TO HELL?!” Rammy’s gaze emits a fiery glare that PJ can feel heavily. It feels as if it was burning his cotton skin off.

 

“E-Eheh...yeah now that I say that out loud...I guess I am responsible for that…” He gulps in heavy fear “I should start running now shouldn’t I…” He closes his eyes “Actually, why bother I’m not in the shape to be able to outrun you so please try being a tiny bit gentle in manslaughtering me….” PJ awaits for the pain, but the pain does not come. When he finds the courage to open his eyes he simply sees a crying Rammy who holds on tightly to Parappa’s hand for emotional stability. The other three were just there staring, unable to say anything. PJ wasn’t hurt physically, but emotionally? He was destroyed. He’s basically the reason she’s in this mess at all! “I uh...i’m sorry...I know that really doesn’t do much...but after only realizing that I’m technically the culprit of your...decaying state...it’s all I can do…” He removes his shades and tucks them away into his shirt pocket “I...well...for what it’s worth...you are free to...get revenge on me if you want to…”

 

“...”

 

“Yeah...I wouldn’t want to talk to me either…” He sighs “I’m...gonna watch...separately if you don’t mind.” Before he can leave Rammy grabs his arm.

 

“It’s...all good…” She wipes her face “So you were part of the reason. I guess I did already get back at you by slamming your head into the ground!...heh...and it’s also not fair...you’re a chill guy and that kinda makes it hard to get angry with you...kinda like with him…” She lifts up her hand, pulling Parappa up into the air “Even if I wanted to get back at you, I just couldn’t bring myself to. And I’m not really that angry...mostly disappointed...in you, myself...a lot of things!” She taps her head with her knuckles “But not like I haven’t learned from it this past month. If I managed to get over my feud with who I originally thought to be the culprit. I can certainly overlook it with the real culprit. Especially since I already got used to him.”

 

“Heh...thanks.” They shake hands as to break off the bad air. This action causes the remainder four to breathe a sigh of relief. As that happens the curtain rises to the sound of Leo’s voice over the speakers.

 

 **“HELLO EVERYBODY! Now I know a majority of you know me, and a majority don’t. But that’s not the point. For now, I am a nobody as a trio of somebodies will be performing for you all! A band of three you all should know very well!”** The curtains raise as the MIlkCan girls stand poised and ready to jam.

 

Katy speaks to the microphone in front of her “HELLO ONCE AGAIN PARAPPA TOWN! MAN DO WE MISS JAMMIN IN OUR HOMETOWN! ISN’T THAT RIGHT LADIES?” Both Ma-san and Lammy shout in their mikes.

 

**“YEAH!!!”**

 

“EXACTLY! NOW Y’ALL READY TO GROOVE?!” The love of their hometown is not missed at all as the roaring wave of fan love hits them instantly. Katy turns to Lammy “Just like back then. You ok?”

 

“Course I am! MilkCan’s always on my mind. How else do I stay grounded away from my negative thoughts?”

 

(“Cut the sap for after the show! We got eardrums to pop!”)

 

“Don’t gotta tell me twice! Ready girls?~”

 

 **_“LEAVE IT TO...MILKCAN!”_ ** With the strike of each of their instruments, a wave of full on nostalgia hits every single person in the room. Everyone was organized in the exact same position as that fateful day.

 

“Heh...it really is just like that night.” Parappa smiles “A night I’ll never forget.”

 

“Well yeah, how could you forget their first ever live performance?” Rammy says as she also smiles.

 

“No of course that’s something I could never forget! That goes without saying! I was referring to another reason on why I’ll never forget that day. It’s also the first time I actually got to meet you.”

 

“Gahhhh...you sappy dork…”

 

“I can’t help it! Ever since we met again, that day has flooded the thoughts in my head! And if it weren’t for that day. I probably wouldn’t have gained the urge to find you and help you. So I will always be thankful of then, because I have you as a friend now!”

 

“Heh...I should punch you right in the mug man...seriously don’t say things like that or my face will spring a leak again. Already had PJ make me cry, don’t join him.”

 

“I’m not doing it with ill intent you know!”

 

“I know.” She smirks before tapping him on the head “But I can only handle so much gooeyness before even I keel over! Haha! Now come on. We got a show to enjoy!” she averts her attention to the playing band.

 

“That we do!” He gazes towards the trio as well.

 

Along with PJ and Sweety however.

 

“Do you see Matt or Paula??”

 

“Nope...lost them in the crowd...how about you Sweety, ya see Parappa and Rammy??”

 

“Same thing! Vanished into the mosh pit of people…”

 

“Ah bummer...hey...maybe we can use this time to explain to Leo that you’re in on his secret.”

 

“How do you plan on gaining his attention? He’s transfixed on helping the girls! Not to mention he’ll most likely say no to any chats currently and even after the show!”

 

“Good point...hm…”

 

“What are you thinking up?...”

 

“Well for this to work I need to make sure Parappa’s attention is transfixed onto Katy…” He looks towards the band as he plucks out his shades and chucks the glasses towards Katy. They smack her square in the face as the land perfectly over her eyes. The crowd gasps as they wonder if she’s alright, but she quickly resumes playing. PJ glances over to Leo who begins fritzing at the seems as he holds onto his helmet “Got it!...”

 

“What was the point of that??”

 

“This trick always works on Katy...and since he’s currently Katy’s son…” He pulls out a laser pointer from his shirt pocket and shines a red light in front of Leo.

 

“PJ dear that’s not going to-” Leo immediately dives for the red dot as PJ moves it around “You have got to be kidding me…” Leo continuously chases after the dot that PJ moves away from the stage and towards a side room that’s near him and Sweety. Once close, he shines the laser in the room and Leo dives in after it.

 

“HAHA! GOTCHA!” The door behind him shuts as the bears are now with him on the inside.

 

“And we got you!”

 

“Sorry Leo! That dot was PJ’s idea!”

 

Leo’s helmet emits a lollipop icon with the wrapper labeled ‘Sucker’ “HOW DID I MANAGE TO FALL FOR THAT?!”

 

“Katy always falls for it, so I assumed you would to if you were Kat Leo instead of Lamb Leo.”

 

“UGH...What do you want…wait...DUDE DON’T SAY THAT IN FRONT OF HER-”

 

“She already knows.”

 

“WHAT?! I SAID KEEP IT SECRET-”

 

“She figured it out on her own.”

 

“HOW?!”

 

“Oh I just did a little digging and comparing is all! It was either you being a stalker, a super fan, or a relative! Options A and B didn’t fit soooo...process of elimination!”

 

“Huh...I didn’t realize it was that easy to figure out my identity...why didn’t you come to talk to me about it?!” Leo’s helmet emits an angry face.

 

“Well that would be rude! I would basically accuse you of being a stalker or super fan! I don’t have it in me to call good people out like that…”

 

“Oh joy...the most sensible person to probably tell my secret to and she was too sensible to want to even try asking...Honestly you’re way more aloof now than you are in the future.”

 

“How am I like in the future?...”

 

“Much more stern, but I assume it’s because you are a mother by then.”

 

“I AM?! BOY OR GIRL? WHAT’S THEIR NAME? WHY DID WE NAME THEM THAT? HOW ARE THEY DOING?! IS PJ STILL ON HIS HEALTHY STREAK?!”

 

“What did the last one have to do with you wanting to know about our future kid Sweety?!...”

 

“Yes. Girl. Lacey. You named her that from the lace patterns all over her body. I have no idea, I haven’t seen her in twelve years...and uh...I don’t know...he’s kinda...sleeping most of the time...and kinda eats a lot...but again...gone for twelve years so...no clue.”

 

Sweety immediately fans her face to prevent herself from passing out from a mixture of emotions “Oh ohhh...Oooooooohhhhhhh…”

 

“H-Hey Auntie Sweetie calm d-down!...”

 

“I can’t calm down now! You overloaded my head with such amazing things! And calling me Auntie did NOT help that!”

 

“You asked! That’s not MY fault!...And I call all of you Auntie and Uncle...”  He turns to PJ “UNCLE DO SOMETHING!”

 

“I have no control over her. Once she gets going there’s little anyone can do to stop her.” He shrugs “But that’s not the only thing we wanted to ask.

 

“What is it now…”

 

“You think they’ll get along today?...” Sweety calms down from hearing PJ ask this.

 

“That’s right...He told me about the whole situation with Rammy and the other girls...they do get to be nice friends in the future right?”

 

“YES!...It’s just...Katy’s little choice to go into a mini tour almost messed that up...luckily the festival happened at a perfect time! As well as their option to want to make things right! Just like how it’s supposed to happen! They become friends at the end of the month! I was so relieved you have no idea…”

 

“Are you SURE it’ll go smoothly?”

 

“Uncle what could possibly go wrong to ruin this?”

 

“D-D-DON’T SAY THAT LINE! NEVER SAY ‘WHAT COULD POSSIBLY WRONG’ BECAUSE THEN THINGS GO WRONG!...”

 

“Oh you’re overreacting. That’s just a tall tale!” He walks towards the door “Look! Everything is fine. The girls are back here having the time of their lives playing. The others are having the time of their lives listening!” He opens the door “See?” He closes it “Any objections?”

 

“Well...no.” He grumbles “But still...things always seem to go wrong when that’s said...and knowing our track record...that’s an add on…” He grabs his head and shakes it side to side “It’s all too much stress on the mind!...I just want things to be alright…”

 

“They WILL be!”

 

“He has a point dear...so far nothings happened… Like he said, what could possibly go wrong?” Hearing his own girlfriend say this causes him to flinch in place “Oh come on now...you’re letting this get to you! Fine...we’ll wait it out in here if you’re that neverous…”

 

“You two do that, I still have a job to do.”

 

“Wait wait wait! Before you leave, may I see what’s under your helmet?...”

 

Leo sighs “Well since you already know who I am…” He plucks his helmet off revealing his cat head “See?”

 

“Wow! It really is a near spitting image! Were it not for the tiny qualities from Parappa also intertwined with it!”

 

“Heh...I can explain more to you another time. For now I still got a lot to do!” He places the helmet on and leaves the room.

 

The two bears simply wait it out until PJ looks towards the door.

 

PJ sighs as he turns to Sweety “I don’t get how you both can be so chill about this.”

 

“Well he clearly knows how things go, besides it’s not like HE could affect their friendship. The only one capable of screwing up right now is Parappa. And right now, that’s clearly impossible for Parappa to do.”

 

“Maybe you’re right...I am letting this get to me…”

 

“Yes you are! There’s nothing that will happen! Now let’s enjoy the show PJ!”

 

“Alright alright...let’s.” The two head out to watch their friends and enjoy the night.

 

The trio playing glance down at the audience. Lammy scans the room in a specific spot and just like their first night here. She spots Parappa and Rammy next to each other, same as way back then. _They didn’t know each other back then and that alone was terrifying if they were to accidentally come across each other...now they DO know each other...and that’s its own can of worms. But I know things will be alright if I give her a chance!...what could possibly go wrong?..._

 

The musical performance by MilkCan comes to an end as the crowd starts disbanding after one more final round of cheer. Parappa and Rammy head over to an area mostly populated by food booths.

 

“You hungry?”

 

“Starvin. Didn’t eat much at all today thanks to wearing this thing. I didn’t want to many people seeing me wear this if they weren’t distracted by something else.”

 

“I still say it suits you ya badass babe!”

 

“Shut uuuuuuup”

 

“Haha, Alright alright. Whatcha wanna get?”

 

Rammy thinks about the options they would likely have “Hmm...how about hotdogs on a stick? Think they have any here?”

 

“Ohhh a classic! I’m sure there’s gotta be a booth sellin em! Nothing beats a good weiner.”

 

“Pffft...don’t word it like that.”

 

“Whatcha me-...oh...HEY!...” He starts fluttering his fists onto her arm.

 

“Not my fault you don’t think before you speak!”

 

“You’re the one who brought up hotdogs though!”

 

“Still can’t blame me for that!” Parappa stops his little assault.

 

“Fine...let’s just go see if we can find anyone selling them.” As they head off and check the booths they find one with Noodle’s running it “NOODLE’S! Whatcha doing here?”

 

“I think it should be as clear as day my man.” He points to the sign on his booth “Selling both noodles and burgers here. Speaking of which mind passing your dad my thanks? He was a lifesaver in fixing my dads machines!”

 

“Will do man! Say you know if a booth around here has hot dogs?”

 

“Whoa man, don’t know any of the sort. Pretty sure you’re gonna need to go on a dating website for that.”

 

“NOT THAT TYPE OF HOT DOG!” Parappa buries his face in his beanie as Rammy drops on the ground laughing.

 

Back with the girls and Leo who are packing up. PJ and Sweety walk up to the four.

 

“Yo Leo.”

 

“Hm? What’s up.”

 

“Sweety wants to chat with you.”

 

“I said I wouldn’t have the time. I’m busy helping them.”

 

“I’ll take over.”

 

“Noooo. I can manage.”

 

“To late. Give me that.” PJ plucks the objects out of Leo’s hands.

 

“Hey! Just because you can hold more things doesn’t mean you’ll work better! You won’t put the things away as fast as I can!”

 

“All I need is a lil motivation.”

 

“Where are you gonna get that??”

 

Katy spots PJ and immediately gets angry “HEY! PJ! WHY THE HELL DID YOU THROW YOUR SUNGLASSES AT MY FACE?!”

 

“Right there.” PJ books it as Katy chases after him followed by Lammy and Ma-san leaving Leo annoyed.

 

“Well then...guess I’m chatting with you Auntie.” They both head off to the room they were in prior “Alright Auntie what is it…want to know more about your future family I take? I can’t really say that much cuz of time rules and the fact that I missed out on a lot of-”

 

“Can you tell me who your real mother is?” She asks with the most determined face.

 

“What...no why?”

 

“Well I’m gonna be your guaranteed Aunt! And you can trust me that I’ll keep it to myself!”

 

“Still no!...”

 

“Do you not trust me?...”

 

“It’s not that it’s just...i’m scared that I might ruin her chances in the long run…”

 

“I’ll help her!”

 

“NO!... When Parappa and my mom got together it was by their own means...no help from any outside source...and I wanna keep it that way…”

 

“But as you said things are starting to get a bit wavy in how it’s going now. Right? What if a different girl is the one who wins in the end?”

 

“...Egh...you’re...not wrong...but…”

 

“I won’t help, but if I see that she’s starting to lose...you can’t really blame me for WANTING to ensure you keep your canonical mother. Right?”

 

“I guess...where did this urgency come from?”

 

“Well once you told me about my future… I started thinking. I instantly got into the mother instinct just from the thought alone. How was Katy when you informed her?”

 

“She instinctual tried being a mother…”

 

“What about Rammy?”

 

“Her aggression lowered tremendously. And one thing they both did was use their motherly status to bend me to their will.” Sweety laughs at that fact.

 

“Well...you see? What I’m getting at is...A mother wouldn’t want to lose their child would they? Just like a child wouldn’t want to lose them as well.”

 

“I know...but i’m not my canonical mother’s son yet...so I don’t why they feel they urge to be that way...it’s all so weird…”

 

“It’s just a heart thing. There’s a long complicated way of explaining, but that’s the short version. A matter of the heart, a matter of the love. Regardless of time period. It’s clearly still there.”

 

“...Alright...but tell no one alright?...Not even PJ…”

 

“I won’t!” Leo leans in and whisper to her who his true mother is, Sweety immediately gasps in joy “Haha! I had hopes it would be her!”

 

“Did you now? Heh...well she is my mom.”

 

“I’m glad! And like I said, I won’t do anything unless her chances of being your mom start feigning.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“Now...what’s your real name. I can’t imagine it’s Leo Steps. That’s just a...tacky name…”

 

“Well gee...sorry I came up with it when I was eight and used it as my new name at fifteen...but you’re right it’s not...My names Europa Rappa. However I would appreciate if you would still refer to me as Leo regardless.” He takes his helmet off “Europa is as good as dead. And who took on from there had to be someone who needed to do whatever it took to ensure his mission wouldn’t be a failure. That became the new Europa. Leo. Only PJ and a few others knows my real name and he also knows not to say it. Not even to anyone else who already knows my secret. It’s best that in case everyone of you figure me out that I stay Leo. Got it?”

 

“Crystal clear. Quite sad though...by the way PJ mentioned that...you stop changing if you fail your mission...care to explain that?...”

 

“Well since you already know who my mom is. If I end up permanently looking like my real form. That means the timeline is no longer connected. My future becomes an alternate reality and this timeline will have its own future. My efforts will have been in vain and...well...my future will never change...I’ll save my dad of today...but not my dad of my time…”

 

“How can we tell that you stopped changing for real and it’s not just Parappa subliminally thinking of her for that long?”

 

“Well...imagine he doesn’t have my mom in mind. Like he’s super transfixed on say...Rammy. But I appear in my real body...that’s a clear indicator that I stopped changing…Heh...it’s always so terrifying whenever I change...because I’m always on edge with ‘Oh god...did it finally disconnect?...’ whenever I turn into my canonical body...I always panic...and then I change again and I end up relieved…but only for a small bit...”

 

“That must be so stressful…”

 

“You have no idea...I never know if and when it’ll happen...I’m always doing my best to prevent it...this entire ordeal with Rammy nearly tore my heart in half...I didn’t change as much!...I’m just lucky it’ll all finally blow over today…” He sighs as he collapses onto his knees “I’m just so stressed…twenty four seven...” Sweety places her arm on his head and simply strokes his hair in a calming manner.

 

Back with PJ and the girls. Ma-san and Lammy are trying to pry Katy off of him.

 

“K-KATY!...S-STOP I’M SURE HE DIDN’T M-MEAN IT!...”

 

(“WHAT...SHE SAID!...DAMMIT DID YOU BURY YOUR CLAWS IN HIM? WHY THE HELL IS IT SO HARD TO PULL YOU OFF!...”)

 

“I SAID I WAS SORRY!....OWOWOWOWOW...STOP YOUR GONNA TEAR OFF MY X PATCHES!...”

 

Katy angrily grunts as she hops off of the teddy bear “Fine...next time you think about pelting me with your glasses in the middle of me playing...DON’T.”

 

“Duly noted...ow…” He gets back up in pain “Owowowow...mutilating me aside...it IS nice to see the three of you again.”

 

“Yeah...I may...have been a tad impulsive in just...up and signing us off…”

 

(“A tad?!”)

 

“Listen. Me and Lammy realized our mistakes and came here to try and make up for it. Don’t add to our own ineptitude.”

 

Ma-san throws her arms up (“Whatever. I’m out. Gonna go play a dart game.”) She walks off leaving the three to carry on.

 

“Feh...rude. But...she’s right...we were pretty...much…”

 

“S-Stupid…”

 

“But we learned that and decided to head back and apologize! Luckily the perfect place to do so was right here in our own hometown!”

 

“I’ll say.” PJ rubs the scratch marks on his belly “Well...isn’t there two specific people you two need to speak with first?”

 

“I-I know! T-That’s what I’m gonna d-do now!” Lammy runs off.

 

“As for me...I’m...gonna wait on that until Lammy’s done her piece.”

 

“Why not do it together?”

 

“Well...I mainly wanna talk to you about some things.”

 

“That would be?...”

 

“I told Lammy that I also love the guy…”

 

“Ah...well...this will be a long chat...carry on.”

 

As we return with Parappa and Rammy, they finally managed to find a booth selling the food item they wanted “Honestly, what’s with everyone and assuming that just because i’m a dog, that whenever I ask for that specific food item they think I’m looking to mingle! They all know my first sweetheart was a daisy! So they should expect as much extraordinary factors from me…”

 

“I mean...wouldn’t you take a jab at that joke if it walked right up to you and asked?”

 

“Didn’t think about it like that...but still no! I don’t have in me to be that distasteful!”

 

“I can tell.” Rammy takes a bite out of her snack “Truth be told. You should probably fix that and get an upgraded sense of humor.”

 

“Whaaaat? I’m already a funny enough guy as is!”

 

“Well you never know what you’ll need to draw in a crowd.”

 

“I’m an unparalleled rapper! I don’t need to rely on jokes! Besides there’s a lot more to me that can appeal to anyone!” He starts twirling his hotdog on a stick “I’m a lot more diverse and dexterous then you know!” The food item slips out of his fingers and flies up into the air “M-My hotdog!...” as he looks up to see where it went, it flies directly into his face, splattering ketchup and mustard over his eyes “GAAAAAH! CONDIMENTS IN THE EYES! IT BURNS!...”

 

“Whoa whoa! Hold on lemme get that for you!...” She approaches the panicking dog as he flails about aimlessly “Hey!...hold still!...i’m trying to help you here!...”

 

“Hold still?! This is incredibly painful!...”

 

“I’m TRYING to stop that! Now come on...get on your tiptoes so I can wipe your face easier Don’t wanna bend over. ” Parappa does as ordered, but he is still to short for her to reach with ease “Ugh...why are you so short...alright…” She bends over to properly clean the condiments that are splattered all over his eyes and the rest of his face.

 

Lammy manages to find the area where she saw the two originally head off to. She wanders around until she manages to spot the duo. However…

 

“Hey...did you hear the sound of glass breaking?...” A man with a tuba for a head states to his pal.

 

“Yeah...and it sounded painful…” A man with a rice cooker for a head replies.

 

Now from a proper perspective, it would be obvious to tell that Rammy was cleaning Parappa’s face off. But from Lammy’s angle, her point of view was different. She only saw what appeared to be Parappa and Rammy, kissing each other. And with that, her heart broke. It shattered into a million pieces. Lammy didn’t want to see anymore. She ran. Ran away crying. Not wanting to deal with anything anymore. Katy, PJ and Ma-san spot her running as far away from the festival as fast and far as her legs could manage. They saw the tears streaming down her face and immediately ran off after her.

 

“L-LAMMY!...”

 

(“H-HEY WAIT UP LAMBS!...”)

 

“Parappa...what the hell did you do now…” PJ angrily sighs as he runs after Lammy with the other two.

 

As Leo and Sweety stayed within their moment Leo collapses fully onto the ground. His body spastically changing between all his body types as he clutches his heart “AGH...”

 

“E-Europa??...”

 

“W-What’s...happening...to me…” the area around him starts swirling with static as he struggles to get back to his feet “My body...it all burns...it’s like...i’m being pulled apart…” Sweety dismisses the threat of the electricity as she grabs onto him and helps him back up. She bites down as the electrical pain he was dealing with transfers over to her “Stop...you’ll only...get hurt in...the process…”

 

“I don’t care about that now!...What’s happening?!...”

 

“I...think the timeline...is on...the verge of disconnecting...no...what happened…” The static distortions stop as Leo struggles to maintain his stance on his own. He stops changing as he finally regains his balance “It...finally stopped...wait...WAIT...W-WHO DO I LOOK LIKE?!...”

 

“C-Calm down!...you’re not your real body!...The timeline is still alright!...”

 

“W-What happened?!...W-Why did that happen?!...W-What’s going on…” Leo drops to his knee as he grabs his head in pain, he begins crying on the spot “T-Things were supposed to go right today...why didn’t they go right...why didn’t they…” Sweety immediately hugs the crying mess.

 

“I-It’s gonna be fine!...the timeline is still fine...they’ll manage!...You’ll manage...I know things will be alright in the end...it’s just...gonna take a little while longer now…”

 

**_Day 46 with Rammy…_ **

 

_What do you do...when your hearts broken...and there’s nothing to put it back together with?...I don’t have it in me...to play my guitar this time..._


	20. The simple things in life

“Lammy...wake up...girl do you not sleep at your house?...ugh...I should fire you, but Katy would just rehire you…” Niles crosses his arms after giving up on trying to wake the lamb up.

 

Lammy opens her eyes weakly, no motivation to wake up whatsoever “Sorry Niles…”

 

“What in the name of music happened to you?...these past two weeks you’ve look as if you’ve been mugged in a dark alley then tossed into a grinder…”

 

“H-Honestly...that’s probably a better f-fate than what actually h-happened…”

 

“Girl look at me. Look. At. Me.” Lammy begrudgingly obliges “What do you see?”

 

“A-A blue and pink m-mosaic stained g-glass man yelling at m-me…”

 

“Smart ass little...no. What’s engrave in my body?”

 

Lammy groans, clearly not wanting to deal with this “It says ‘learn to leave all the problems behind’...sorry N-Niles...but that doesn’t really apply to me...because I can’t really...leave any of this behind…”

 

“And why the hell not? What on earth could have affected you so much that you end up like this??...Your meek exterior aside, you’re usually a hardened gal of rock and roll!”

 

“You wouldn’t get it...”

 

“Ohohohoho...Try me.”

 

“Sorry boss...but the answer is s-still n-”

 

“It’s a boy isn’t it.”

 

“...”

 

“Oh for the love of...what is wrong with the youth of today I swear…” He rests his fingers on his forehead before looking back towards her “Alright, out with it. Who is it and what did he do.”

 

“Why would I t-tell you?”

 

“Well for starters your current state of being is not only affecting your working standards, but you look like you just got out of a pigsty!”

 

‘Gee...t-thanks…” She slams her head down onto the counter.

 

“Cut that out, I want to try and help you so you can return back to your...slightly less upset self.”

 

“Ugh...it’s...a friend...who I a-always wished could be...just more than a friend...but he seems to h-have fallen...for my d-double…” a puddle of tears manifest under her face as she still keeps it pressed to the counter “I can’t say I don’t deserve it...I did p-push him away and ran from my problems...and because I d-didn’t opt to fix it...I guess I lost him to her as well as any progress towards asking him myself I may have had…”

 

“Oh woman up!” He peels her face off the counter. Her makeup is smeared off from her tears as she looks like a flat out mess “Ew…” He lets go as her head drops back down.

 

“Ow…”

 

“Whoops...my apologies…” He wipes his hand clean with a tissue, he then places the entire box next to her “Said friend wouldn’t happen to be the rapping dog our town is well known for would it?”

 

“The v-very same...man people can r-read me like a book…” She gets up as she begins plucking tissues from the box to clean her face off with.

 

“What a mess. Honestly I was never a fan of his work, but I’d be a liar if I didn’t call him endearing enough to grow on me.” He grunts “ _He_ is the reason you’re upset? The guy doesn’t seem like he could upset anyone…”

 

“He kinda made out with my doppelganger…signifying they fell in love...on the night of my return...that’s...kinda a big kick in the stomach…It shows that he got by pretty well while we were gone...”

 

“This sounds like it needs more context...did you talk to EITHER of them during the two weeks you spent moping?”

 

“Zilch...couldn’t bring it in myself...I just ran and ran...to my old apartment...it was still vacant and so I decided to go there for the time being…”

 

“How long is the time being?”

 

“Forever…”

 

“My god you remind me of my sister…how annoying…”

 

“Niles…”

 

“What?”

 

“What do you do...when your hearts broken...and there’s nothing to put it back together with?...”

 

“Well naturally I fully break being a man of glass an all that. So if one thing breaks, so does the rest. So because of that, I become hardy, not to let things scratch me up at all. Any frailty means it all comes crumbling down if you make a single mistake. Of course that probably makes me a hardass, but I could care less. Now naturally this way of living isn’t for everyone. So MY personal advice towards repairing that broken piece of yours is...do what you always do. Rock out on a guitar.”

 

“I don’t have it in me...to play my guitar this time…”

 

“Oh joy you’re really serious about this...how sad...agh...if only Katy didn't call out for the day...she’d probably be better at handling this than I can!...”

 

“I’m...k-kinda the reason as to why she didn’t want to come in…”

 

“Oh great...so she has no idea what to do. I never thought I’d have to put my foot down in manner of being soft on an employee but I guess there’s always a chance for everything...Alright...explain the full on scenario. Your emotions. The emotions you feel emanating off the mutt and black ewe.”

 

“Why…”

 

“I have a few ideas for a solution. But to single it out. I want to pinpoint the exact room I have to read in order to come to that conclusion. As in from when this ALL started.”

 

“...K.”

 

As the explanation went forth, nearly two blocks down two construction workers were loading up a truck.

 

“Say man, the back door of this truck seems a little loose. You shake to much and you’ll lose your cargo. Think we should do something about that?”

 

“It’ll be fine man! Besides we’re in a hurry, we don’t really have the time to fix it right now.” He starts inputting something on his phone.

 

“Whatcha doin now?”

 

“Setting the location we gotta go to into the GPS inside the thing!”

 

“Why? We know where to go.”

 

“Man did you forget that this truck is from the newer models...the ones were they can drive themselves? All I gotta do is set the spot while we’re inside and it drives on it’s own! We just moderate to see it doesn’t do anything stupid. Watch I’ll show ya.”

 

“Wait but shouldn’t we be inside first-” The truck begins rushing off on its own as he drives down the street wildly and out of control “That uh...doesn’t seem good.”

 

“You’re telling me…”

 

“What you set the coordinates to??”

 

“I didn’t finish...I just typed in PaRappa Town…”

 

“But we’re already here...and it’s still going...you don’t think that things gonna wildly drive around the whole town constantly until it runs out of fuel right?”

 

“Now you know we both know the answer to that, but I’m gonna be the optimist and say that, that might not be the case.”

 

“That’s fair, we’re less liable that way.” He lifts his hard hat and scratches his hair “Say uh...with that thing moving crazily as it is...won’t it end up losing the steel beams we put in it?...Cuz of the faulty back door?”

 

“We only put three, but still you’re right. And to that I say, we didn’t see or do anything.”

 

“Roger that man.” The two quickly hightail it out of there.

 

* * *

 

“LEO!...Open up...I need your help with this…” Katy repeatedly bangs on the door of Club Rainbow, but no response “Come on...please...son…”

 

“I take it you didn’t read the ‘Closed until further notice’ sign on your drive here?”

 

“W-Wha?!...Oh...PJ...and Sweety?...”

 

“Yes I’m in on it to...heh…” _Hell I know more than the two of you...but I promised not to tell…_ “Also not to upset you or anything, but so is Ra-”

 

“I know...Rammy also knows…”

 

“Oh?...Leo told you?...”

 

“Nope...she told me herself.”

 

“Ah...I’m actually surprised that-” Sweety flinches at being cut off again.

 

“We talked at all?...Well...after the initial few days it wasn’t exactly like that, hell before we left for this tour we finally started talking...only...for things to go south immediately...When we came back to try and make things right...things just got more or more wrong. Were it not for Parappa and Rammy explaining the whole thing along with a few witnesses in the area…yikes.”

 

“I’m in the same boat, I tried to contact you over the explanation, but you never answered mine or Sweety’s calls…Parappa came to us on his to explain it the very next day.” PJ tilts his head “So then the whole kiss scenario...does LAMMY know the truth of the matter?...”

 

“Not a one...and she won’t even TALK to the two...and she won’t even listen to me let alone BELIEVE me if I ever manage to get the word in...or anyone for that matter. Ma-san, Paula and Matt can’t even reach her...she only pops in to work, but just stays silent…after that...POOF...she’s gone for the day again...”

 

“This is such a headache inducer...you know I figured Rammy would be here trying to get help as well seeing as the air between you two is moderately cleared…”

 

“She’s kinda...busy with Ma-san in trying to convince Parappa that there’s still a silver lining…”

 

“Crap...right...this entire thing is probably _murdering_ him...but i’m just happy he hasn’t relapsed…” PJ sighs as he clutches his heart “I’m honestly worried how long he’s gonna hold out for…”

 

“No kidding...my heart has been killing me all the while these past two weeks…”

 

Sweety frowns as she stares at the two of them. The sight reminds her of Europa’s breakdown as he started dissolving at the seams. Clutching his heart in pain. _If they feel this much pain...I can only imagine how he’s feeling…_ Sweety clutches her own heart “Hey Katy...how did you and Rammy get to erm...see eye to eye?...”

 

Katy sighs as she throws her arms behind her head “Well to call it a peaceful bond would be a lie since I nearly tried to claw her eyes out...once the truth came out though and even more explanations of the time while we were gone...I progressively started feeling more and more like an asshole…” she hugs herself “I realized I was the bitch I was making her out to be...and it...wasn’t a fun realization…It went down like this…”

 

* * *

 

 _“K-KATY STOP IT!...”_ Parappa struggles to keep Katy restraint and away from Rammy, who simply stands stationary, not even trying to defend herself.

 

_“STOP? HAHA OF COURSE I’LL STOP!...ONCE I TEAR HER TO PIECES!...”_

 

_“I’D RATHER THAT NOT HAPPEN THANK YOU VERY MUCH…”_

 

 _“THEN WOULD YOU RATHER TAKE HER PLACE?! BECAUSE I’M PISSED AT THE_ **_BOTH_ ** _OF YOU CURRENTLY.”_

 

_“WHY?!...”_

 

_“YOU KNOW DAMN WELL WHY!”_

 

_“NO...WE DON’T...CARE TO FILL US IN FOR WHAT WE AREN’T AWARE OF??”_

 

_“YOU SHOULD KNOW WHAT YOU DID!”_

 

_“BUT WE CLEARLY DON’T...WHAT GOT YOU SO ANGRY???”_

 

 _(“You know, as mad as I am at them as well, you could at least explain your anger to see if they have an explanation for it.”)_ Ma-san turns red from anger _(“Not like any excuse is WORTH listening to, but eh…”)_

 

 _“I don’t even know what happened...did you guys only come back to just complain about me further?...gah my eyes still sting…”_ Rammy doesn’t speak up, but hands a napkin towards him _“Thanks…now come on and tell me what happened…”_

 

The accusation came swiftly and landed on them like a brick to the head, this finally got Rammy to speak up _“YOU SAY WE DID WHAT?!...”_

 

_“You heard me. And it got to Lammy, which in turn got to me, Ma-san and PJ…”_

 

_“That’s complete and utter fallacy! Me and Parappa did nothing of the sort!...I was busy cleanin his face cuz he tried showing off and got hit in the face with his own hotdog! I tried getting the ketchup and mustard off!”_

 

_“I can attest to that...my eyes still sting...and will probably smell like a fast food restaurant for about a week…”_

 

_“I’m not buying that!...you two clearly could’ve made that up!”_

 

_“But we didn’t! Why would I make up something like that!”_

 

_(“Mutt, that sounds supremely ridiculous to be fact.”)_

 

_“Now while you make a great point there, the fact still remains that we’re telling the truth!...”_

 

The argument goes back and forth between both sides, eventually people start crowding around to which they have to cease in order to get them all to back off.

 

_“This is getting us nowhere, just ADMIT to what you did and we can just end this with much less retaliation…”_

 

_“Why the hell would we admit to something we didn’t do?...Like seriously...even in hell we gather evidence before we hecticly perform the blame game…”_

 

_“And where do you plan on getting evidence huh?! We’re out in the goddamn open! Now like you have a camera that caught everything!”_

 

_“No...but we do have something better! Witnesses!”_

 

_“Oh for the love of…”_

 

_(“As mundane as it may be, mutt has a point. With all these people around, their story has an alibi.)_

 

_“...Alright! Who can you attest to being a witness!”_

 

_“That’s simple. We go to where the food booths were. EVERYONE saw my...rather unfortunate accident…”_

 

_“Calling that an unfortunate accident is really pushing it on the boundaries of guilt…”_

 

_“I’M REFERRING TO HITTING MYSELF IN THE FACE WITH A HOTDOG AND NEARLY BLINDING MYSELF…”_

 

 _“Mhm…”_  Both Katy and Ma-san stare at him and Rammy with little remorse.

 

_“Just...come on…”_

 

They all head towards the section where the alleged accusation took place. And Katy immediately retorts _“Alright. We’re here, now go gather your ‘witnesses’ so that we can end this lie once and for a-”_

 

_“Yeah saw him get hit in the face with his own hotdog. Didn’t think anyone would ever be that dumb.”_

 

_“Oh hey! It’s the dope who nearly took his eyes out!”_

 

_“How dumb can you be? Didn’t your parents ever tell you not to play with your food?”_

 

_“Ouch man. Saw the whole thing happen and all I could do was feel bad...and laugh...like a lot…”_

 

_“Yeah I saw his dumb accident. But he should look on the brightside. His eyes are now temporarily yellow and red! He can use that as a distraction from that fact that he ended up hitting himself in the face!”_

 

 _“I am so sorry that you have to deal with him on a daily basis…”_  The last witness pats Rammy on her shoulder as both Parappa and Rammy turn towards Katy and Ma-san with their arms crossed.

 

 _“How’s that for evidence?”_ They say in unison.

 

_“...”_

 

_(“...”)_

 

_“Thought so…”_

 

_“But L-Lammy saw-”_

 

_(“S-She said it was you two-”)_

 

 _“Way of...g-getting back at...us…”_ As they say this in unison they are simply staring at remorseless faces similar to how they stared at Parappa and Rammy. The instant karma was not fun.

 

 _“As you can see. We told the truth and didn’t do the sort...Lemme guess...my double saw us doing...this pose…”_ Rammy grabs Parappa as to reenact the pose.

 

_“H-Heh...yeah...that’s what she described…”_

 

_(“D-Down to the money...oh boy...Lambs was at a bad angle to see what actually happened...Great…”)_

 

_“Where is she? I wanna clear up this mess…”_

 

_“We...don’t know...once she told us everything she just ran again...and by then we lost her...I...really doubt she’s gonna be going back to our home for the time being…”_

 

_“WHAT?!...B-But!...”_

 

_(“Look man...while we now know what really happened...you gotta understand that what Lammy saw and felt probably isn’t gonna go away as easily as just explaining it...Hell I don’t even think you’ll GET to explain it…”)_

 

_“Or if she’ll believe you…”_

 

_(“Luckily...we do now, at the very least right?...”)_

 

 _“...Yeah...that’s...true I guess…”_ Rammy glances at Parappa as his condition deteriorates at a rapid pace, instinctually trying to ease him up.

 

_“Come on man. My double may be a mess from time to time, but she comes through in the end doesn’t she? I’m sure she’ll wanna chat with you again in no time! I’m sure once this is all cleared up you’ll just laugh it off in the future! And you know that’s true given her track record that I KNOW you’ve kept up with. Am I right or am I right?”_

 

 _“Heh...yeah...yeah you’re right. I guess I should put that into perspective, but it’s just such a big mess that keeps getting bigger…”_  He shakes his head _“But you’re absolutely right with how Lammy is. I just...hope it is soon…”_

 

_“Atta boy. Look. Right now with Lammy gone on the...well...lamb. You just go and try to enjoy yourself at this here festival to not get anymore upset. Today’s the day they finally came back right? We just got into a little mix up that will cease before you know it. Now go out there and enjoy yourself! If not for your own sake then for mine!”_

 

 _“R-Roger!”_ He hightails it away from them. Katy and Ma-san stare at Rammy in disbelief.

 

_“How…?”_

 

_(“And so easily no less…”)_

 

 _“I got to know him as much as he got to know me. He was there when I wouldn’t let anyone else be...and he really helped me out...I wanna be there for him whenever he needs help...always…You told me of how bad a state he was in prior...Like hell I’ll let him get to that point again.”_ She places her hands behind her back as she looks over towards where Parappa ran off to _“I’d do a lot for that little guy you know?...”_

 

 _“...”_ Katy swallows roughly from guilt _“...Hey Rammy?...”_

 

_“What.”_

 

_“I’m...sorry...for everything…”_

 

_“Much appreciated...but...I’m not the only person you should apologize to.”_

 

_“I know that...and...one more thing…”_

 

_“I’ve already accepted you as a friend. Since before you even left on your elongated tour.”_

 

_“B-But I was a complete and utter bitch to you!”_

 

 _“Yeah. You were. Fucking hurt. But shit happens and you had your reasons. Do I agree with them? Fuck no.”_ She nods _“But I mean given the shit i’ve done? I’m in no position to criticize. Just...no more catfighting? Pardon my pun.”_ She extends her hand.

 

 _“...”_ Katy looks towards Ma-san.

 

 _(“Don’t look at me. I’ve been her friend. I’ve acknowledged I fucked up. She knows I’m sorry for it. This is all on you now and what you decide to reply with.”)_ She casually walks away from the duo. She sighs then turns her head to them _(“Although I will apologize for not trying to have a bigger say on the matter. Had I spoken up a bit more I probably could’ve prevented all this...or made it worse...who knows. All I do know is that it’s time to stop. I’m like that mutt, tired of conflictions that last more than they need to. So if you don’t mind. I’ll do what he’s doing and enjoy the remainder of the day while I still can…”)_ She calmly walks away into the crowd.

 

Katy looks back to Rammy before frowning _“...I feel like this isn’t enough...to make up for the shit I piled on the two...three...ALL of you…”_

 

 _“Maybe not…”_ she scratches her nose _“But fuck it, it’s good enough for me!”_ She smiles, her time with Parappa had truly rubbed off on her as her smile is slightly glimmering. The action causes Katy to tear up a bit before grabbing her hand and shaking it _“Heh...see. In the end, Leo was right.”_ Rammy’s words caused the poor saddened cat to flinch _“Oh yeah...probably should mention to you as well that I’m in on it to…”_

 

* * *

 

 

“And well...that’s what happened…”

 

“That explains why Parappa didn’t try explaining it to the rest of us on that very same day...he was trying to keep cheery...gotta thank Rammy for that one…”

 

“You and me both…” She wipes a stray tear from her face “The following days I just heard more and more things of what Rammy’s been ACTUALLY doing rather than what I _thought_ she was doing...Helped Parappa at his cafe...Saved Matt from an emergency room visit...so much!...and well...I don’t know...I’m currently a mess after realizing what I put her through...and it doesn’t help that she’s just...OK with it...but yeah...Leo was right...she is a sweetheart...heh...who knew…”

 

“Well...since he was right on that front...maybe he has a way to help us out of this?...”

 

“I...don’t know about that dear...after all Leo kinda vanished on you all after that whole ordeal don’t you remember?...”

 

“That is true, but I thought it was just to think of something...”

 

“Maybe you’re right, but all I know is. He must be feeling as down as you all. Wherever he currently is…” The trio sigh until Katy glances at the view of the rest of Neon Heights from where they’re positioned.

 

“...” She stares at the enormous building “Hey you two…”

 

“Yeah?...”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Follow me will ya? If he ain’t here. He’s either trying to keep himself cheery in Neon Heights or is probably sulking in his apartment. We won’t figure that out if we stay here doing nothing!...” The duo nod as they rush towards PJ’s car “First off, to the hectic place he calls a home!...” She heads to her van and immediately floors it, the bears following suit.

 

* * *

 

“So that’s it huh?”

 

“Yeah…” Lammy tosses the last of the tissues into the garbage “I don’t know if I should deal with him or not…”

 

“Well that’s up to you personally. After all I can only assume you’re...still acquaintances correct?...”

 

“I don’t know…after this he probably doesn’t think of me as such…”

 

“Well. That aside, I did manage to think up a solution to your downard state!”

 

“I’m all ears I guess...w-whatever makes the pain go away...or at the very l-least...hurt a lot less...”

 

“The answer is to listen to music!”

 

“And now my e-ears as no longer listening…”

 

“Listen you little smartass...I’m serious. Believe it or not. Music usually does soothe the mind when in situations like this! Why do you think people who suffered break ups, lost a loved one or are just plain miserable always listen to music?”

 

“...Alright there’s s-some truth to that...ok...l-lay it on me…”

 

“Well the reason I asked you for the full synopsis was to pinpoint what would be the best to get you out of your slump. I had a full group of songs in mind from different artists that are usually the perfect ones to listen to in a scenario like this. As you explained I was able to pinpoint down a better song! And now I know the exact one you gotta hear!” He enters his back room “Now where is it...Over here? No that’s a different genre...right here? No...that’s a different time period...Here??...No I don’t even know why I have this…” Things start to fly out of the room “Where is it?? I could’ve sworn I had it...gah...maybe I am a bit of a pack rat hoarder...Wait!...Here it is!...No...wait...feh...it’ll have to do.”

 

“That’s a perfect thing to hear when needing h-help…” Lammy rolls her eyes.

 

“I heard that…” NIles leaves the room and walks up to Lammy with a CD case in his hands “Alright. This is the song. At least the instrumental of it.” He hands it to Lammy.

 

“What’s this?...”

 

“It’s a song called erm...what was it...well the point is this is the song! Well...the music of the song. The vocals version is nowhere to be found...I could’ve sworn I had it in my personal bought collection but no...perhaps I left it at my home or it’s just buried under all the other songs! But I don’t have the time or patience to look.”

 

“Why don’t I just look up the song?...”

 

“Oh that’s impossible.”

 

“Whyyyy?...” She glances at the CD case to see a familiar person. It was Leo alongside a backup holo clone, their helmets however were rather different. The clones was gold while the real one was silver “This song’s from Leo?...”

 

“Yep! And what I meant was that it’s literally impossible to hear! It was only sung live once, but no one was allowed to record it. And when it came out on cd, only a really REALLY limited amount were made...so good luck finding that...I was one of the lucky patrons, but alas I can’t find THAT version…” he facepalms “I really need to organize my things better, but woe is me! The point is that what you described about your past leading into today, fits the bill on the feeling of the song! Why it’s almost as if the song was MADE for you! And that’s the best part of music, It almost always is! Except this one is more so!”

 

“It c-can’t really be that good or helpful…”

 

“Girl, the instrumental alone should be enough to get into your very soul to trigger some recovery vibes.”

 

“Let me give i-it a go then…” She pops the CD into a player nearby as she plugs in some headphones and awaits for the music to begin once they’re in her ears “Wow...silence...if t-this is a joke Niles it’s certainly n-not fu-” Lammy stops once the soft yet entrancing melody begins to play. It sounded futuristic yet spacey...and all the while it was as Niles said. She felt slightly more calm then she did the past few weeks and could only stare into the distance from sheer enthrallment towards the song. It left her speechless as towards what exactly she was feeling. “Wow…” Is all she could manage to say.

 

“Mmmmmhmmmmmmmm.” Niles smiled in a pompous manner as Lammy simply turned the volume up to continue listening.

 

* * *

 

“Good day and welcome to the town’s pride and joy and why we got the namesake Heights! Oh! You’re that girl that was with Leo that other day! You here to visit him?”

 

“Uh..yeah! Me and a few other friends of his are here to see how he is.”

 

“Well that’s good. He kinda holed himself up. Hasn’t really gone down the main exit. But I assume he has left the building...probably not on my shift, but I can’t tell! Surely you’ll be able to help him out?”

 

“We’ll see what we can do, won’t we guys?”

 

“Of course!”

 

“Yeah, and maybe he can help us out of our own problem in return.” Katy and Sweety elbow PJ in the gut “ACK...yes yes...him first…”

 

The trio walk up to the elevator before being stopped by Katy “Now with proper knowledge of this thing, I gotta warn you to hang on tight. As well as ask you both. Neither of you ate much did you?”

 

“Whyyyyy?” They say in concerned unison.

 

“Answer the question.”

 

“Well I didn’t...but he’s another story…” as this is said Katy pulls out a paper bag and hands it to PJ.

 

“Wha-”

 

“Make sure you keep as far away from me and Sweety as possible.”

 

“...Katy this is an elevator…”

 

“You won’t be saying that for long…” the trio head on in and up they go. The screams lasted about as long as the launch itself. Once on the top floor, the doors open, and the trio peel off from the ceiling of the elevator. They hobble out in nausea as they stop by a wall to regain balance and ease on their stomachs.

 

“What...the everloving...hell was...that…” PJ says as he tries to catch his breath from fear.

 

“I...think my...organs got rearranged...on the way up…” Sweety dizzily feels around her stomach and chest.

 

“I...told you...to hold on tight…” Katy covers her mouth for a second before sighing and resuming “Ugh...I didn’t eat at all this morning and I still felt like I was gonna vomit something out…PJ how the hell did you manage?...”

 

“Oh I didn’t, I just didn’t open my mouth and had to forcibly swallow it back down...twice…”

 

“Ew...could’ve gone without knowing that…”

 

“You asked.” He shrugs “But that aside. Leo lives on the top floor right?”

 

“Yeah...only room on this floor to.”

 

“That’s both nice and sad...Get to have the highest floor of a lovely place all to yourself...but be alone in the process...plus he has to deal with that death machine of an elevator…” As he turns around the sun peers in through the hallway window “GAH...What the hell??...I thought this town couldn’t GET sunlight…”

 

“He’s at the top floor. Literally so high up that all he gets to SEE is sunlight.”

 

“That just adds another reason towards the sadness!...” PJ pulls out two extra sunglass and hands them to Sweety and Katy “Even WITH these on it still to bright…”

 

“Let’s just head on in.” Katy walks up to the door and begins knocking on it “Leeeeoooo! You in there?...Open up!...” Silence is her only reply. Then they hear minor shuffling from behind the door.

 

“Go awaaaaay.”

 

“Hey you can’t just tell your mother to go away!...”

 

“You’re not my mom yeeeeeet…hell you’re probably not the one who’ll be my mom.”

 

“There’s a chance! And that’s all I need to talk sense into you!”

 

Sweety nearly chokes up. _Well...that didn’t take long...it would make most sense for her...but I wonder how the others would react if they saw they had a chance? How would they treat Europa?_

 

“My reply stays the same. Go awaaaaaay…”

 

Katy takes a deep breath and walks away from the door. PJ notices and immediately speaks up “What. You’re just gonna give up that easily??...” Katy stops after she reaches a certain distance and turns back towards the door “Oh…uh oh…” Katy braces her shoulder as she charges for the door. Upon impact the door flies away and knocks Leo off his bed and onto the ground.

 

“GACK…” He gets up and rubs his head before turning towards Katy “I’ll have you know this is an invasion of privacy!”

 

“I’m your mother. I respect your privacy, but I have to insert my parental dominance by coming in anyway.”

 

“One fifth mother…”

 

She stares at him, he’s currently a mouse “Despite the fact that you look like Ma-san’s son. You’re still mine to me!”

 

“I’ve been swapping between Ma-san and Rammy only these days…”

 

“Yeah that’s thanks to them trying to keep your dad as chipper as he can get. You could use some of that help as well.”

 

“Ugh...what do you want…”

 

“What WE want-” PJ and Sweety walk on in “Is to get your assistance with-”

 

“I can’t help with the Lammy/Rammy thing.”

 

“What do you mean??...”

 

“I’ve done my part to aid both you AND them and look what happened. I ain’t intervening anymore...my body can’t handle it.”

 

“Well in all honesty...he does have a point Katy…” PJ motions his hand in a motion to imply ‘there’s only so much one can do before failure hits hard.’

 

“But it’s my fault because I ASKED you to meddle!...Surely you can think of someway to fix this!...How’d it go in the actual way it was supposed to go down??”

 

“Lammy and Rammy got along on their own accord with slight help. After a full month since her arrival, but now we’re a month and A HALF past that...They supposedly saw eye to eye after Parappa and you set up something, but neither of you ever told me what it was...so I’m at a standstill there…”

 

“Can’t you think of anything?!...”

 

“Look currently I can’t think up of anything period. My mental state has deteriorated far more the past month than what i’ve suffered the entirety of my twelve years. Trying to think about anything just gives me a migraine...I’m just way to out of it…”

 

Sweety walks up “What if we...cheered you up and calmed you down?...Think you’d be able to manage something then?...”

 

“Probably...but Auntie I’m really not seeing that as a possibility…”

 

“Come to Parappa town with us!”

 

“What?”

 

“What he said. What?” Katy and PJ look at Sweety, absolutely puzzled as their faces turned into a confused blank.

 

“Well our town is never a slouch in keeping it’s people upbeat and cheery whenever we aren’t in the middle of the crises of the week. Surely it should be simple to cheer up Leo there!”

 

“Well you’re not wrong dear, but currently we kinda are in the middle of our crises...of the month…” PJ grimaces at the thoughts of what went down.

 

“Oh but Lammy’s sure enough keeping herself calm along with Ma-san and Rammy helping Parappa do the same! So there’s not THAT much to interrupt our attempt at helping him calm down.”

 

Both PJ and Katy nod in agreement as they glance towards Leo, awaiting his reply “...Well alright then...guess I got nothin BETTER to do…”

 

“Great! Then let’s move it son! Down that demented elevator we go!” Katy heads out the busted door with the bears.

 

“You all do that, I’m taking the scenic route as to avoid letting people know I left.”

 

“What scenic route?? There’s only the eleva- what are you doing…?” She watches as Leo grabs his helmet and puts on his jacket as he opens the glass doors to his balcony, he stands on the railing of the balcony and then turns to face them.

 

“See you at the bottom!” He falls backwards as he plummets downwards.

 

“LEO?!?!” All three of them scatter to the balcony he just dropped from as they all frantically look everywhere to see where he fell only to get knocked onto their rears once Leo flies back up.

 

“Chill outttt. I have this jetpack after all, remember?” He floats around the three as they each reply with their own emotion.

 

“Oh right...all this made me forget you had that...DON’T DO THAT…”

 

“YEAH WE DIDN’T KNOW YOU HAD IT! ONLY SHE DID AND SHE DIDN’T TELL US!...”

 

“WE SINCERELY THOUGHT YOU JUST DOVE DOWN LIKE A LUNATIC!...YOU ALMOST GAVE THE THREE OF US HEART ATTACKS...” after Sweety says this, anger fumes puff out of their heads as Leo rolls his eyes.

 

“Why would I dive off like a madman if I didn’t have something to ensure my safety?...How else did you think I get down AND back up whenever I wanted to leave without being seen leaving?...” They stay angry “Come on...i’m fine...if it really is that big a deal for you three…I’m sorry...”

 

“OF COURSE IT IS! WE THOUGHT YOU BLATANTLY ATTEMPTED TO KILL YOURSELF…”

 

“Oh relaaaax…” _Haven’t attempted to do that in five years…_ “I’d never do that. I’m not _that_ pessimistic...yet.” They still stay angry “Fine...i’ll go down the elevator with you three…”

 

* * *

 

“Thanks for letting me borrow the song Niles.”

 

“No problem. Anything to stop your bad work ethic. Once you feel like you’ve gotten better you make sure you return it alright?”

 

“I will. Don’t have to tell me that constantly.”

 

“Can’t be to sure. Already gave you that guitar of mine. Can’t have you taking all my lovely things!”

 

“Alright, I get it. Thanks again.”

 

“Remember not to let anyone get to you! Not even the two of them!”

 

“I won’t.” _Man, I know he’s only doing this to prevent me from dragging the place down, but he can be surprisingly nice when need be…_ Lammy places the small headphones back in her ears as she heads off, meanwhile the rest of the group arrive in Parappa town as they escort Leo about in an area not to far from her.

 

“So why not take your helmet off?...”

 

“No. I have no clue who these people are and having them see me will be-”

 

“But they don’t know you are. They don’t know what you are. We can hide ‘Leo Steps’ because they don’t see you as that. They’re aware of who the guy is, but now what he looks like under the mask. As long as you don’t really talk that much you can pass off as just a friend we’ve known and are just trying to get to have a good time.”

 

“Auntie that’s…”

 

“Sweety has a point son!” Leo covers her mouth as she nearly shouts out her line.

 

“Careful!...” He lets go “Well...the idea has some merit but...it’s still risky...what do you think PJ?...”

 

“Honestly? Let’s give it a go...As long as we don’t bump into Matt, Paula, Lammy, Ma-san or Parappa you’ll be fine.”

 

“Exactly what he said! Plus your body’s more feminine without all that clunky leather clothes on hiding everything! So you can pose as the girl you’re the son of! Especially given how big your hips and butt are! And currently you can either play off as Rammy or Ma-san as they have Parappa’s attention for the time being!”

 

“But Ma-san doesn’t have wavy black and blonde hair and Rammy definitely would never have a long blonde portion of hair connecting to her base black hair.. That might be tricky to explain if people get curious.” PJ taps his chin.

 

“Relatives! We can pose em off as a sister!” Katy’s tail whips to and fro from her constant solution finding.

 

“That could work…”

 

“I agree with her, it’ll definitely work!”

 

“WHY ARE YOU ALL TREATING ME AS A GIRL RATHER THAN A GUY?!...” The simply stare at him as their eyes scan him from head to toe. They end it off by staring directly at his face with the expression of ‘Have you SEEN your body?’ “You all upset me…but I still love all of you nonetheless...”

 

“Let’s just get you to my place so we can give you a change of clothes man.” PJ cargo holds Europa, who doesn’t even struggle as he just crosses his arms. As they head off, Parappa wanders the streets in an area away from them with Ma-san and Rammy right behind him.

 

“This is nice. Just walking down the streets, taking in the tranquility.” He sighs “To bad it’s pretty much short lived.”

 

(“Now you don’t know that for sure mutt.”)

 

“Yeah, things can pick up rather quickly for you.”

 

“Thanks for the emotional boosters, but I’m just starting to wear a little thin towards how much I can truly believe that…” He stares up at the sky “But hey...at the moment it’s all I got. So why not try my best to keep with it. What you two wanna do now?...”

 

Rammy and Ma-san quickly huddle up _(“I’m all tapped out on ideas...clearly it’s getting to repetitive for him…”)_

 

_“Same here…”_

 

_(“We gotta think up something…”)_

 

_“I mean he’s fine with anything...what do you like to do?...”_

 

_(“Honestly...with him? Anything. As long as he isn’t a sad sack…”)_

 

 _“Same...man we’re bad at this...hm…”_ She walks over to Parappa “Yo. What do you like to do for fun for yourself man? No obligations of help or anything of the sort. Just you on a normal, calm, no problems of the sort, day.”

 

“Well...either play basketball...sing...or just chill with all of you guys if y’all are able. I’m pretty boring heh…” He bashfully sticks his tongue out as his tail wags meekly.

 

“Well for anyone else, that would be a bit boring. However for a guy like you? It’s understandable.” she picks pats him on the head like one would with an actual dog “Nothing wrong with that, just think of something you’d like to do and we’ll hang. Right?” Ma-san nods “See?”

 

“Hm...Guess we could go to...oh! The pond! Haven’t really been there since the whole...pocket world incident. You remember the one I told you about while I was helping you learn Ma-san’s language?”

 

“Yeah I recall. One where you got stuck with a bunch of rock people and fire people. Sure. That good with you Ma-san?”

 

(“Sure, would be nice to see that place without the threat of being tossed in the middle of a group fued. It really is a sight to see.”)

 

“Great! Then let’s go!”

 

* * *

 

“Gah...these don’t fit me…” Leo struggle to fit on the next set of pants he is handed.

 

“It’s not my fault ya got a big ol booty!” Katy sneers as she watches her partial son fail to wear any article of clothing handed to him.

 

“Mother I could do without your added quips…” He gives up trying “Look. This idea is clearly not gonna work. So I’m just gonna go back to wearing my regular clothes.”

 

“Oh no you don’t! Me and Sweety are gonna make sure you get out of here in a nice casual incognito apparel! And that’s final!”

 

“Oh yeah? How you gonna manage that huh?” he smirks as he crosses his arms and closes his eyes in a pompous victory sense, but upon opening his eyes he sees something that freaks him out “U-Uh...why are you two getting closer?...” They giggle maniacally as they approach him with an onslaught of clothes “H-Heh...we don’t n-need to do this...r-right?...” They lunge at him “UNCLE PJ HE-” Help wouldn’t arrive as PJ was asleep on his couch a few rooms over. The whole ordeal shakes the entirety of the flat. This goes one for what feels like forever, but in actuality took about a half hour. Once finished, Europa is ejected into the room PJ is in like a cannonball. As he crashes into the floor, PJ wakes up startled.

 

“Wazzappahuh?...Oh hey...looks like they had to use drastic measures in order to get you to wear anything.” PJ’s only response was a pain groan as Europa refused to remove his face from the floor “Well if it makes you feel better. You look nice. Girls clearly managed to find both a fitting outfit in the figurative sense and literal one to!”

 

“Thanks…” Europa dejectedly gets back up. His new attire consisted of a purple and blue one off shoulder top. yellow sweatpants and pink legwarmers. His shoes were now blue ankle boots. The entirety of the blonde portion of his hair was tied into a ponytail as to hide the fake dog ear appearance the hair gave to better build his facade.

 

“The only slight problem is that I dunno if Ma-san or Rammy would wear this combo of clothes.”

 

“That’s the thing. They’re deciding on whether or not I should just act as a relative friend now given my limited clothing options. They wanted your feedback.”

 

“Well you pull of the girl look flawlessly for obvious reasons.” he chuckles.

 

“Get to the point.”

 

“We’ll try that. You could make it work if you, again, don’t talk that much. You open your mouth and the charade shatters instantly...your voice may be pretty girlish, but it’s still an obvious give away that your a guy if you keep speaking.”

 

“You are seriously not cheering me up in the slightest. You expect me to help you guys come up with a solution like this??...”

 

“We’re just thinking ahead. Now come on. You have your outfit all set. Go tell em the new plan is a go and we’ll be off to properly cheer you up.”

 

“As you wish...I don’t really see this working out all too well…”

 

With everyone instructed, they head out.

 

“Alright son don’t forget this!” She places a hat on top of his head.

 

“A giant sun hat?...”

 

“To hide your horns or dynamite stick! In case we accidentally bump into our friends who DON’T know your secret! We can play you off as a different person!”

 

“Well...that oughta help a bit more...thanks.”

 

“I do know best after all~” She smiles as she grabs him by the arm and drags him off “Come on! The faster we help you, the faster we help everyone!”

 

“H-Heeeey! I have perfectly functioning legs!....” Europa is dragged away as Katy refuses to let go.

 

Both bears simply chuckle at the scene before them.

 

“It didn’t take long for him to grow on her now did it? Even if the chance is up in the air that SHE’S his actual mother in the end.”

 

“H-Heh...yeah...up in the air…W-Well why wouldn’t he grow on her? The chance of seeing your child just up and walking in front of you is just an emotional experience in its own right!”

 

“But he’s not her guaranteed kid.”

 

“W-Well you uh...don’t know that for sure...h-heh…” She notices him become wary of her stuttering “I-I mean how would you feel if it were our future daughter who came back i-instead!”

 

“Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.” She sighs once he gets caught up in deep thought, completely

forgetting his concern over her faltering chat.

 

 _Boy it sure is hard making it believable that I don’t know who is mother is...especially when we’re talking about his mother right now!..._ “Well?...”

 

“I dunno honestly. It’d be weird, but I guess I see where you’re going with it. I’d feel inclined to get along with her and see how they are like and what we are like in the future.” He looks back to her “Of course I know for a fact that you’d be just like Katy with Leo.”

 

“Oh shushhhhh! You can’t blame me for being a happy mama bear!”

 

“Yes I can, now come on before we lose em.”

 

“Fine fine let’s goooo!”

 

* * *

 

“Wow...never thought an empty borin place like this could be sooo…” Rammy glances at the water as Parappa and Ma-san continue her sentence for her.

 

“Entrancing?”

 

(“Invigorating?”)

 

“Uplifting?”

 

(“Relaxing?”)

 

“Enoooooough. You made your points. And yes all of the above.” Rammy lays on the grass with her hands behind her head “How’d you guys even find this place?”

 

(“Don’t look at me. I found out about this place somewhat recently. The only ones who knew about it were mutt here and Katy.”)

 

“And I gotta say it was all Katy. It’s pretty much cuz of her that we even FOUND this place. It’s how we met even!” He smiles as he also reclines onto his back “The entire encounter was rather hectic, but I got to meet someone who was also struggling and needed a good friend. Like you believe it or not. And she would become someone really special in my life. We may not always see eye, we may not always enjoy what the other does at times, and we may even butt heads here and there. But in the end she’s someone I hold dear and depend on and vice versa. Just as I hope you can as well. Even you as well Ma-san.”

 

“Heh...ya big sap.”

 

(“Get used to that, cuz it all he does whenever his mouth feels like it.”) they both share a laugh with the happy dog.

 

* * *

 

The small group of four leave a music store after checking out it’s wares and head on over to an open fast food joint before they notice something bugging Leo. Leo sighs as he looks towards the happy people walking about “I wonder how dad’s doin right now…”

 

“Oh, i’m sure the other two have Parappa at ease. Judging by your fa-...”

 

“What is it Katy?...”

 

“N-Nothing...just...give me a hug…~”

 

“Uh...oka- OOF…” He is quickly silenced by her latching onto him “Man what got you in an affectionate mood?...”

 

PJ and Sweety watch from afar as they look to each other “Should you tell him or should I?”

 

“Let the girl enjoy her moment with her currently clueless son!”

 

“Heh...alright. She deserves to be cheered up to.”

 

* * *

 

“Man looking at the water makes me wanna dive in...but I didn’t bring anything to do that.”

 

“Just take off your shirt and dive in, isn’t that what most guys do anyway in general?”

 

“Yeah, but i’m not like most other guys. Cuz then I either have to put the shirt back on when i’m done, or keep it off till I get home and I’ll most likely get cold. That and I’ll both smell and feel like a wet dog...blegh…”

 

“You are such a mixed bag.”

 

(Ain’t that the truth.”)

 

“Hey I thought you guys were supposed to be on my side!”

 

(“Can’t defend you there mutt!”) Ma-san motions her wrist (“As a friend it’s in our best interest to show you when you’re being a dunce.”)

 

“Alright I’ll admit to me being a mess with how I go about handling things, but you really should see where I’m coming from with this.”

 

“What’s there to see? You’re just being afraid of the water for no damn reason!”

 

“I’m not afraid! I’m just thinking of the results after!”

 

“Sureeeeeeee.” Rammy snickers as she looks away.

 

“Alright fine, i’ll just dive right in right now to prove it to the two of you that I can to throw sensibility out the window!!” He forcibly pulls his shirt and beanie off as he then takes a beeline for the water, but he stops right as he reaches the edge.

 

(“Well...you goin in or what?”)

 

“I will!...Just uh...admiring the water!”

 

“Why are you taking steps backwards then?”

 

“Cuz...my running start was messed up! I wanna try again!” as he resumes walking backwards. Four hands grab him by the scruff of his neck and back as he’s hoisted into the air “H-Huh…” When he looks around, both Ma-san and Rammy have picked him up “H-Hey….w-what are you two gonna-”

 

“HELPING!” The rear back and fling Parappa towards the water as he flails about in the air before splashing down.

 

Parappa resurfaces as he spits water out of his mouth “THAT WAS UNCALLED FOR!”

 

“You weren’t gonna budge.”

 

(“So we helped ya budge.”)

 

Parappa just growls lightly as his head slightly submerges again, creating a bubble barrage by his mouth “Gee...thanks…” Once he leaves the water they help dry him off.

 

“Heh. Sorry man, but you gotta admit that you were basically asking for it.”

 

(“She’s right, if you just either did it on your own or fully admitted to your dumb irrational thinking. This wouldn’t have happened.”)

 

“Yeah I know…my bad…”

 

(“Tell you what, once all this is cleared and our friend circle is back as it should be, we’ll help convince everyone to go to the beach. How’s that sound?”)

 

“That’d be nice!” He regains the happy smile he had before he was forcibly tossed into the water.

 

“Geez man...you got a lot of hair to deal with. Wouldn’t it be easier to cut it?...”

 

“NO!...I REFUSE!...” He immediately recoils back as he grabs his hair in fear “I’d be lying if I didn’t think about it myself...but then I think about the actual process and that’s just gonna be a big no from me…”

 

Rammy rolls her eyes “Suit yourself Paraps.” She turns to Ma-san as Parappa resumes drying his hair on his own “What’s his deal?”

 

(“Nothing! Just a bad incident with a certain octopus hairdresser. Left him with a phobia, can you believe it?”)

 

“Not a one, but i’m seeing it in front of me so eh. I’ll just nod my head and move on.”

 

(“You and me both sister.”)

 

Once dried off, the trio decide to head off elsewhere. Once out of the grotto they begin discussing where to go next, to a point where it becomes Ma-san and Rammy insisting on going to a place the other prefers.

 

“No I insist, we go to YOUR pick.”

 

(“And I say, no we’re going to the spot YOU picked!”)

 

“Guys come on we can just go to both spots…” Parappa is ultimately ignored as they keep at it. The rapping dog groans as he facepalms and walks in place staring at the distance to see what there could be, and in the corner of his eye...he spots Lammy “Is...that really her?...” Without hesitation, he’s off.

 

“Okokok, let’s just ask Parappa how he thinks we should handle this!”

 

(“I’m alright with that. Mutt what do you think we should do?”) They both notice Parappa has left (“Parappa?...”) They quickly scan the area around, only to find nothing on where he is or went.

 

“HOW DID WE LOSE HIM?!”

 

(“GAH…HE PROBABLY LEFT WHILE WE WERE INDECISIVE...”)

 

“What do we do now??”

 

Ma-san quickly pulls out her phone (“I’m gonna text Katy to see if she can help us find him…She’s hopefully back in town by now…”)

 

* * *

 

After visiting the scenic locales and meeting the quirky people all over, the group relocate out in the middle of a main crossing before Leo speaks up again.

 

“Gotta say, PaRappa Town’s a nice place. Extraordinary faces all around. Fun locales…” Leo slumps over “I just wish I didn’t have to play off as a girl to enjoy the area…”

 

“Aw but you make such a cute girl!~” Katy bounces around the tormented soul.

 

“That is not boosting my morale…”

 

“But you gotta admit you make a convincing girl.” PJ says as he slaps Leo on the back of the shoulder

 

“I AM AWARE…” He plucks out a wad of papers from his pocket “At least sixteen dudes mistook me for one as they clearly tried to hit on me. Hell they all even gave me their numbers...BLEGH…” Disgusted, he throws the papers to the wind as the three around him laugh uncontrollably.

 

“Come on that just shows how good of an actor you are!”

 

“Of course I’m a damn good actor Katy! Paula made sure of that…” Leo scoffs “Probably TO good an actor…”

 

“Aw come on! The entire day was fun and you know it!”

 

“...Yeah...ok I will admit that. Through the hiccups, it was a very enjoyable day.”

 

“See! My plan was a success!” Sweety nods solemnly with a victory smile. Immediately after Katy’s phone beeps.

 

“Oh! A message from...Ma-san?...” She quickly reads the multiple messages sent. _“If you are back in PaRappa Town, please help us find Parappa. We may or may not have lost sight of him and have no clue where he could have ended up.”_

 

“How do you lose sight of him?!....how distracted could they have been!” Leo fumes in place until static encases his body, forcing everyone to look at him once it stops “What?...”

 

“I think we found where Parappa is…” PJ rubs his head as if it started to ache again.

 

“Oh no no noooooo…” Katy begins panicking in place.

 

“Don’t tell me…”

 

“Yep...He found her…” Sweety holds up a small mirror to his face, he was now a red sheep.

 

“W-We gotta go now! This will not end well if they try handling it themselves…” as Katy says this they all nod and run off.

 

* * *

 

“Ugh...Niles was right...this song is like an enigma...I can’t find anything on it...even the name!...” Lammy sighs as her pacing slows “Maybe...I could call Leo?...No he might be unable to answer...should I visit?...I don’t really wanna ask the others to drive me there...and my motorbike is in Katy’s van...maybe I’ll get a bus to take me there…” She turns the music up louder to stop her anxiety from building from overthinking. From the distance however she swears she could hear something faint.

 

“L..my!”

 

“It’s probably just someone calling out to a person they see on the street…”

 

“.am.y!”

 

“Wish they’d reply so they’d stop yelling…”

 

“La...mmy!...”

 

“Wait…” She turns down the volume.

 

“Lammy!...”

 

“Oh no…” She forces herself to turn around as she removes one earbud. To her dismay, it was him.

 

“Finally...whoa man...been calling out to catch your attention for the past two blocks…”

 

“...” _Maybe...this will help me talk it through?..._

 

“H-Heh...oh you’re listening to music! That’s why!” Lammy reinserts the removed earbud “Um...Lammy?”

 

“What is it…” _Why did you have to show up again..._

 

“I uh...have been trying to talk to you since the past two weeks...but you kinda...vanished…”

 

“I did do that I suppose...why bother yourself with looking for me?...” _You cared enough to look for me...what for?..._

 

“Because I wanted to see what happened and how to clear it all up! You see it was a mistake-”

 

“It’s always a mistake isn’t it…” _Just like me...and trying to speak to you..._

 

“What?...”

 

“My mistake of leaving...letting things go down...but then I made the mistake of wanting to come back...only for it to be late…” _It hurt...but I didn’t think leaving would undo all that i’ve been trying to build up...returning just made it hurt so much more worse...and yet I still want to be here...because you’d probably help make it go away..._

 

“W-What do you mean…”

 

Lammy sighs as she turns around to resume walking “What I mean is…” _How...do I say it?..._ She turns her head to look at him “I don’t...really wanna see you again...I don’t know for how long...but I know that I don’t wanna see you now...” _Something...doesn’t feel right..._

 

“...” Parappa places his hands in his pocket and looks down, then after a few seconds he looks back up with a smile “If that’s what you want, then I’ll respect it. I’m sorry for bugging you.” He turns around.

 

“...” _Why does this feel like I said...the wrong thing?..._

 

Parappa’s calm walk turns into a heavy sprint as he runs. Running to get out of her sight. Out of anyone’s sight. He didn’t want to be seen, or talked to. This felt familiar to the ewe who was watching. The last part that finally connected the dots were tear stains on the ground were he was previously standing.

 

“...no...I-I didn’t…” _I...worded it wrong…_ “Didn’t mean...to...s-say all that…” _No...I knew what I was saying...but I was still upset...and…_ She chokes out the next words “Don’t...go…” _Why can’t I move...why can’t I run after him...I told him the wrong thing and…_ Lammy’s body continues on its original destination. _It’s...to late...I already said it...I can’t just apologize like nothing even happened after that…_ A sigh turn whimper escapes her mouth as she simply raises the volume once more. Crying as she walks off. Eyes closed, not caring where her legs took her. Ignorant to all around her.

* * *

 

“Come on...he could be anywhere…”

 

“Well we just gotta look ha-AAAGH…” Leo falls onto one knee as multiple jolts of electricity surge from his body.

 

“L-Leo??...”

 

“G-Gah...man this feels like...what happened...two weeks ago…only not as severe...”

 

“Two weeks...when you just left!...W-What happened?..”

 

“I...can fill in for him there…” Sweety helps Leo up before looking at Katy “When the whole incident went down...Leo’s body here began...fritzing...heavily. He even said he felt as if he were being ripped apart…” She glances at the disguised boy “During that he violently swapped between all his appearances...which made me wonder what happened with you all...but I think Leo managed to figure out what the whole thing was…”

 

“I did...what happened to me was the timelines almost disconnecting...but the shift wasn’t exactly a severe one guaranteeing it...no...it was a slight one that could be fixed somehow…”

 

“Sweety you knew about this and didn’t tell me or Katy??”

 

“I couldn’t!...I promised not to!”

 

“What was the shift…?” Katy watches Leo struggle to say the rest.

 

“Well...basically...for a brief time period I wasn’t able to swap between three of my appearances...the reason for that was that you got so angry at Parappa that your answer towards his eventual ask changed to no...the three were you Ma-san and Lammy...but not long after that happened I could go back to being able to turn back into the child of either you or Ma-san’s...but not Lammy’s…”

 

“That’s because...we were absolutely livid with him at the time…and she’s still...” Katy rubs her head, gaining a massive headache “So a quick spur of emotion can change so much...but you were able to turn back into Lammy’s potential child to now!...”

 

“That’s right...I was...not anymore though. Currently...it looks like they met...and...as you predicted…” Leo sighs “It went south immediately...I don’t know what happened but Lammy’s future answer changed back to no…He’s clearly got her on the mind, but my body ain’t changing to that specific one.”

 

“Oh man...we have to find them now!...are you gonna be ok?...”

 

“I’ll be fine. What matters more is that we have to find the two of them! Now come on!” He runs off “WE HAVE TO GO N-AUGH…” He slams into Rammy and Ma-san, who were also running.

 

“Ack…”

 

(“Oof…”)

 

“Rammy! Ma-san!...” The duo look up to see Katy.

 

“You...wouldn’t happen to have found him would ya?...”

 

“Sorry Rammy...no dice…”

 

“Aw fuck…”

 

(“Dammit...this is our fault...we kinda got distracted and the next thing we know...he’s gone.”) Ma-san punches the ground.

 

“Don’t worry. We know where he should be!...well...where he was supposed to be...not sure if he’s there anymore…”

 

“WHERE?!” They say together.

 

“Eheh...he found his way to Lammy…” Dread envelopes their faces as Katy mentions that.

 

(“GAH...DAMMIT…This is becoming a mess really quickly again…Huh?...Oh sorry, forgot we knocked you down uh...Who are you?”) She stares at Leo, who is currently a blue cat, but the hat hides his eyes and his ears.

 

“U-Uh…”

 

“She’s my cousin!...She came by for a visit and I promised her I’d show her around!...She even went as far as help as look for Parappa. Her name’s...Leonora!”

 

Rammy immediately puts two and two together, she snorts at the made up name “N-Nice to meet you Leonohohohora…~”

 

“...Nice to meet the two of you as well…” He gets up and holds onto the hat “I’d uh...like to keep the formalities short...we got someone we’re looking for right?”

 

(“Right!”)

 

“Then let’s go!” Leo runs off with everyone behind him. Ma-san catches up with Katy.

 

(“Didn’t wanna be rude, but your cousin has a deep voice.”)

 

“Eheh...tell me about it.”

 

Through constant running and searching, the conjoined group eventually give up in trying to search for Parappa. It isn’t until they decide to head back towards to the park that they find him on a bench.

 

“Found him…” They all huddle around him, but he pays no mind to any of them.

 

“Hey man...you ok?...” PJ gets no reply as Parappa stays on the bench, immobile.

 

(“I take it you found Lambs?...”) There is nothing but silence.

 

“Hey is there...anything we can do to cheer you up?...” Parappa sighs once Katy finishes.

 

“No...not really...If anything I think I wanna be alone.” He covers his entire head in his beanie.

 

Everyone looks at each other before back to Parappa.

 

“You’ll...feel better if you tell us what happened you know.”

 

“Maybe I will PJ, but right now...I just don’t feel like remembering what happened…”

 

“Would you rather return to the state you were in that hurt everyone just because only one person hurt you?” Rammy crosses her arms sternly.

 

“...” He hops off the bench “Fine...just talk, but I wanna walk back home as we speak…”

 

* * *

 

“Ouch...I...didn’t take Lammy as the type to get that upset…or say that specifically.” PJ scratches his head “I mean that’s something I’d expect from Katy, Ma-san or Rammy, but not her.

 

“HEY!” Katy starts flailing in place.

 

“ALSO HEY!” Fire burns in Rammy’s eyes.

 

(“Eh that’s a fair assumption.”) Ma-san shrugs.

 

“But...I guess I deserve it…I’m the one who upset her so the least I can do is respect her wishes…” Parappa drops his head “No matter how hurtful it may be…”

 

“That’s not true! Lammy isn’t the type to just say that of her own true intent! She’s just hurt. After all, recall how you were when you were hurt? And you managed to get over it with help! This situation isn’t as severe as yours, but she’ll still need some form of help.”

 

“I know and I also know that help won’t be from me…not until she says so anyway…” Parappa turns his attention to Leo “By the way...I don’t think we’ve met...who are you?”

 

“Oh she’s just a cousin of mine who decided to visit! And I uh...promised to show her around.”

 

“Ah...well...sorry that this was your introduction to our town…”

 

“Oh no no don’t worry over it! My visit was still enjoyable nonetheless and I chose to help everyone in finding you!”

 

“Well thank you kindly...also wow you have a deep voice…”

 

“H-Heh...yeah i’m aware…”

 

“S-Sorry!...That was insensitive of me...uh…”

 

“Leonora…”

 

“Huh...nice name.”

 

“Thanks…” Everyone except for Ma-san and Parappa giggle profusely against their better judgement despite the tension of the situation.

 

The group continue their walk as they try to think up ways to help cheer the sad hound up. With varying results, but the end result the same.

 

“Man is their anything we can do to help you?”

 

“Not really PJ...again i’m not really in the mood to be helped right now…I just wanna sleep this off for today…”

 

“Sleeping is good. Would help you relax, but at the same time. Resorting to that instead of trying to uplift yourself beforehand isn’t. Why not try thinking up ways to help out Lammy?”

 

“There’s not really that much to think about if she currently hates me.”

 

“For the nth time Parappa, she doesn’t hate you.” Sweety shakes her head at having to constantly bring this up.

 

“Could’ve fooled me...look you guys weren’t really there when she said it, so you can’t tell the emotion that I felt from it. And it was not a happy one.”

 

“Ok you have me beat there...dogs do perceive that better than anyone else…” She gives an awkward chuckle “Still, you can probably do better if you think up something rather than continuously moping around…”

 

“I tried that when the three of my roommates left for an extended tour, then when they came back this happened. So you can clearly see my fear of trying to handle this again…”

 

“Also fair...alright it’s probably better if I stop trying to help...you seem to have a reply for everything...” Sweety dejectedly backs away towards PJ “Man I have no way of getting to him...how do you do it?”

 

“I tease him or just slap him up the head. If I change his emotion, it becomes really hard for him to try and pull this sort of thing constantly. He’ll either be to angry or to embarrassed to properly think up a reply.”

 

“Huh...so that’s why you do that…”

 

As the group continue walking they make it towards an intersection in which…

 

“Uh oh…” Katy spots Lammy crossing the street. Completely slouched over and upset.

 

“What do you mean by ‘Uh o-’ Oh no…”  PJ also sees the lamb.

 

“What the fuck are you two seein that’s getting you to ta- aw hell…” Rammy quickly tries to go in front of Parappa to prevent him from spotting her.

 

(“Ey don’t leave us out of the loop yoooooou gotta be kidding me…”) Ma-san goes on to help Rammy.

 

“What are you guys seeing that i’m noooooooot good...” Sweety immediately taps Leo’s shoulder and points towards Lammy causing him to panic.

 

“Alright mind telling me what’s up? Why are you all actin so strangely all of a sudden…” He shoves Rammy and Ma-san out of the way “Oh...that’s why...well that’s fair I guess…” He tries to go back behind the duo until Leo points out-

 

“Hey anyone else feel the ground beginning to shake violently all of a sudden? Almost like a-

 

 **“RUNAWAY TRUCK!”** shout the people on the street as they scramble away from the road. All except for Lammy, who is lost into the music she’s listening to.

 

“Yeah tha- WHAT?!” Leo spots the aforementioned truck. It drives crazily down the street towards Lammy “WHY ISN’T SHE RUNNING?!...”

 

“LAMMY RUN!” Katy jumps and flails her arms about to try and get her attention.

 

(“LAMBS GET THE HELL OF THE ROAD!”) Ma-san follows suit while also trying to ignite a fire from her dynamite

 

“SHE CAN’T HEAR IT OR US WITH THE HEADPHONES SHE HAS ON!” Sweety points out the things in her ears

 

“JUST HOW LOUD DID SHE PUT THE MUSIC?!...” PJ yells out as he to join Katy and Ma-san in trying to grab her attention.

 

Before they can all run to try and help, Parappa had already sprung past them all in a mad dash. He catches up to Lammy before the truck does as he tackles her away from danger, semi knocking the two of them out. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief followed by Katy rushing in on the two to check if they’re alright. However as the truck continuously drives uncontrollably, it loses its cargo as the door holding them back breaks. Three large steel beams are let loose and begin tumbling down the road towards Katy’s direction.

 

“KATY!” Everyone shouts to the cat who notices far to late as she's within the middle of the crashing beams path. Katy closes her eyes awaiting the worst.

 

**“KICK! PUNCH! CHOP!”**

 

Katy reopens her eyes to see the beams destroy and in pieces on the ground around her feet. After hearing those words she assumed Parappa helped save her, but he was still conked out on the ground with Lammy. When she looks forward she see Leo. The band holding his hair in a ponytail was broken so his hair returned into place as his hat flew off, completely exposing who he was.

 

“Aw man...my hands...aw but forget that, are you alright?!...” Leo quickly turns and scans Katy to see if she wasn’t injured.

 

Katy manages to move again, the fear mostly gone “I-I’m fine...thanks...but…”

 

“But what??...” He goes back to scanning “Did one of the pieces hit you??”

 

“No..not that. Your...hat…” She points to the hat on the ground.

 

“My ha-...uh oh…” Thankfully everyone had left the area to avoid getting run over, but there was still the group they were in. Lammy and Parappa were currently out, but Ma-san was staring directly at him. Leo instinctively grabs the hat and places it back on “H-Heh...nothing to see here…”

 

(“So can I get an explanation as to who this gal really is?...”)

 

Everyone sighs with Leo being the first to speak up “Well for starters...I’m not a girl...and second off...it’s me Leo…”

 

(“That explains the voice...now, explain to me why you look like that…”)

 

“We can handle that for him...right girls?” PJ says as the others huddle up.

 

“Yeah...we can.” They say in unison as they all, minus Katy, approach Ma-san. Katy instead checks on her two passed out friends.

 

* * *

 

(“I can see why’d you hide it, but in that case why not wear your usual get up?...”)

 

“I’d still draw attention to myself. The helmet seems to always attract attention…”

 

(“Can you blame them?”)

 

“No...not really.”

 

(“Soooo...a chance to be my kid huh?...that’s...wild.”)

 

“Yeah...that’s about an accurate response I’d expect from someone being told that.” Leo scratches his neck as he fixes his hair back up into a ponytail after being given a new band “Anywho...these guys wanted me to be more casual so I could better hide in without being suspicious of anything. Could’ve gone without being a girl, but eh...I still enjoyed my time regardless...till this happened…”

 

(“So that’s how you knew where Parappa was. Man this must be quite the annoying mess to have to deal with.”)

 

“Well...yeah it’s cumbersome, but…” He flickers into the appearance of his red sheep form before flickering back into his blue cat form “I think things are starting to fix themselves…”

 

“Y-You looked like Lammy for just a sec! That means…” Katy looks between Leo and the two on the ground that begin motioning around.

 

“That she’s starting to come around? Both the waking up sense and the whole, she wants to end this mess sense?” Once Leo says this, both Parappa and Lammy groggily begin to wake up.

 

“Oh thank goodness…”

 

Lammy rubs her eyes as the earbuds pop out of her ears. She then notices that Parappa is right next to her, doing the same action “W-WAH…” She looks around to see everyone. “W-What happened?...W-Why am I on the ground?...”

 

(“Parappa here had to dive tackle you to get you out of harm's way. Your lack of attention almost made you roadkill at the hands of a runaway truck.”)

 

“W-What…” She looks at the street to see skid marks all over.

 

Parappa lightly chuckles before speaking up “Heh...I know you said you didn’t wanna see me for a while...but I couldn’t just let that happen...my apologies…”

 

Lammy could feel the emotions kicking her in the stomach. Even with all that she did and said, he still went out of his way to do THIS for her. Everything within her was doing all it can to get her to admit the truth of the matter. Lammy sighs as she tries to force it out “A-About that…”

 

“Hm?...”

 

“W-When I said all that...I wasn’t…”

 

“Wasn’t what?...it’s all good you know...I understand that I fucked up and-”

 

“No it’s just...I…I…” Parappa as well as the rest simply stare at her waiting for what she has to say “I g-gotta go…!” She quickly gets up and runs off.

 

“L-Lammy!...” Parappa extends his arm out forlornly before letting it drop to the ground “Well...guess she’s still upset…”

 

“On the contrary man...it seemed like she couldn’t find the words to say to either thank you or apologize.”

 

“Maybe, but I guess the current result is still the same… At least I know...she doesn’t flat out hate me…” He gets back up “Come on. I change my mind. Let’s go find Matt and Paula. I wanna see if we can do something together, and try to cheer back up.”

 

“Roger that. They should just now be leaving the cafe..."  _I feel bad just leaving it to those two..._  "You all ok with that?” Everyone nods with PJ as they all head off. Except for Leo who stares at something Lammy dropped. Katy notices and walks back to him.

 

“What’s wrong son?...”

 

“Lammy was...really caught up in this song...Wonder what she was listening to…” He picks up the player and places an earbud in. Instantly, he smiles.

 

“W-What is it??”

 

“I know how to help fix this now!” The joy reanimates itself back onto Katy’s face as well as Leo turns towards the direction that Lammy ran off to and sprints away.

 

_Finally! The silver lining is here! All I need to do is get her to go see me...and then from that point on...it’s all up to Parappa and Katy...here goes nothing!_


	21. A friend in need

Lammy stay on a bench as she stares at the sky, wondering why she ran away and if there is anything she could say or do. Unfortunately.nothing comes to mind “Man...w-what do I do…”

 

“What do you think you should do Lammy?”

 

“EEP...W-Who are you?...” Lammy panics upon seeing the disguised Leo.

 

“Uh...cousin of Katy...names Leonora.”

 

“Oh...Katy n-never mentioned you...”

 

“Do you think she’d ever want to talk about her family?”

 

“...Good p-point...what brings you h-here?...”

 

“Wanted to visit and see the sights. Then I got caught up in seeing what happened with you and Parappa.”

 

“Ah...i’m...s-sorry for that...I take it you saw me run off then...seeing a-as you’re here right now…” She rubs her left arm “Things h-have just been a huge m-mess recently…”

 

“Don’t worry, I opted to tag along. I even chose to follow you out of my own free will. Speaking of which. You dropped this.” Leo hands her the music player.

 

“OH!...I-I didn’t even notice that I dropped it!...T-Thanks Leonora…”

 

“No problem. You seemed to have been deeply locked within the song when you almost got run over. Why is that?”

 

“Well...my boss recommended the song to me to cheer me up. Well the instrumental since he couldn’t find the full copy of the song...and it worked!...then I bumped into Parappa and my negative emotions seeped out and vented towards him by accident...by the time I wanted to undo what I said...it was to late...so I tried listening to the song again to try and cheer up...but it was taking a bit longer than the first time as I had him on the mind…” she rests her face on her hands “It almost worked...till I had to be saved by him...then I just felt the guilt even more.”

 

“Well you really shouldn’t. He wouldn’t want it that way would he?”

 

“No...he wouldn’t…” She places the earbuds back in her ears “I just don’t know...I wanna fully calm down before I can try to hear him out and fix things up...and maybe he can help me finally get along with Rammy…but I just can’t bring myself to...”

 

“Why?...She hasn’t really done much to affect you all right?...”

 

“She’s with the guy I love...she TOOK the guy I love...And...it’s just...to much...look I may have always beat her by chance when it came to our competitions...but...she’s just...so much better than me in everything else...she can speak her mind...she’s stronger than me...doesn’t need to hold a guitar to build that up...Confident...headstrong...prettier than I...everything…”

 

Leo was astounded to hear what Rammy would tell him in the future come from Lammy’s mouth as well “...would you like to know the name of the song you’re listening to?”

 

“Y-You know it?...”

 

“Yes! And my cousin told me that you know the guy who sang it! So you could go to him and ask him about it. He’ll be more than happy to perform the song to you. You could even go now! I’m sure Katy would be overjoyed in taking you there!”

 

“Are you sure?...”

 

“I know I am.” Katy speaks up, drawing Lammy’s attention to the fact that she had been sitting next to her the entire time.

 

“W-WHA...W-WHEN...H-HOW…” Katy sticks her tongue out with a nod of her head.

 

“Who’s to say it wasn’t my cousins idea as she kept you distracted?~”

 

“...” Lammy looks to the ground “So you…”

 

“Heard all that?...yeah...but I’m not gonna FORCE you to fix things if you feel you aren’t capable of it yet. I know how you are, and I’ll only help once I know you’re ready to ask for it. Just make sure to ask me alright?”

 

“Alright...r-right now counts to that?...”

 

“Exactly!” She winks “I clearly see how much that song was of a big help, and if my cuz here knows what it is, it’d make sense for you to listen to it firsthand from the guy who sang it right?”

 

“Right...um...Leonora?...Mind telling me the song?...”

 

“Of course! You two just go on to Leo and tell him to play for you the song. ‘Instant Crush’! Don’t forget!”

 

“T-Thank you!...” She get’s off the bench and bows.

 

“Oh! You don’t need to do all that, i’m just helping out with how I can. Now I suggest going now! Leo might not be waiting in his club for much longer!”

 

“Right!...L-Let’s go K-Katy!...” Lammy runs off while Katy scoots towards Leo.

 

“How exactly are you waiting at the club?! You’re right here!...”

 

“Simple. Just call or text PJ and tell him to meet me at his flat, I’ll change my clothes and jetpack my way back in a jiffie! I’m certain i’ll be able to beat you there!”

 

She pulls out her phone “You better son...You gave her such big hope...don’t break it…”

 

“I won’t! Just make sure that once I do help her out, that you help Parappa think up a way to get the two ewes to get along! Like how it happened in the regular timeline!”

 

“I will. Now go! I messaged him and he’s on his way.”

 

“Roger!” Leo runs off to fulfill his end of the action.

 

* * *

 

“Katy...you sure your cousin was right with Leo being here?...That sign says the club is closed till further notice…”

 

“Uh...ignore that. Leo just doesn’t wanna accept people for now. But I know he’ll accept us!” Katy’s eyes glance by her left wing mirror, in the distance she sees what looks like a jet flying towards the club. Upon closer inspection it’s Leo sputtering by in a hurry.

 

“Are y-you sure?...”

 

“Totally!” She looks back to the mirror and sees that he vanished. She then looks forward and see Leo zig zag across the sky poorly, before ultimately crashing through a window in his establishment. This causes Katy to floor it.

 

“W-WHOA!...W-What with the sudden speed boost??...”

 

“J-Just uh...w-wanna help you ASAP…”  _ You didn’t need to risk your safety in order to beat us here you idiot… _

 

“O-Oh...t-thanks!...B-But please keep it manageable...y-you’re causing everything to f-fly everywhere back h-here!...”

 

“Sorry…”

 

The duo arrive and knock on the doors. They open with a dizzy Leo barely managing to stand up behind them.

 

“Yooooo…”

 

“Leo!...what happened to you??...”

 

“Oh nothing much Katy...just took a small tumble is all!...hahah...ow…” Leo turns his neck as his helmet emits a sad face “So what brings the two of you here?”

 

“I’ll leave it to Lammy to answer that!” Katy pushes Lammy forward to reply, much to the lambs dismay

 

“O-Oh...y-yeah...I guess I d-do...h-heh…”

 

“Well i’m all ears!”

 

“W-Would you mind...s-singing a song?...I found o-one that h-helped me calm down...b-but I didn’t know the n-name...now I do a-and would appreciate it if you c-could sing it!...” She shuffles in place, embarrassed to even be asking.

 

“Well i’d be glad to! What’s the song you wanted me to sing?”

 

“I-Instant...c-crush if that’s..o-ok!...”

 

“Oooooh...that song. Man I only like...sung that once and made it like literally impossible to hear. Reason being was that it was meant for specific ears that it just didn’t reach. So I tried to cease the places it could reach. Course if you’re asking. How can I say no?” He motions for them to come in “You’ll have to give me a bit though to prep my voice.”

 

“O-Of course! T-Take your time.”

 

“Thank you! Now if you excuse me...I’ll need her assistance!” Leo grabs Katy and drags her away.

 

“W-WAIT! I CAN WALK ON MY OWN!...”

 

“Now  _ you _ know how it feels!” Katy groans as she’s tethered away like a plastic bag while Lammy watches, lost without context.

 

* * *

 

“Sounds like we missed a lot…” Matt as as he looks down to Parappa.

 

“No kidding...sucks that we had to work rather than try and help you out…” Paula sighs after hearing what they missed due to being the only ones working at the cafe.

 

“Well...someone had to hold the fort down while we were kinda...occupied.” Parappa moves his fingers around from feeling guilty “Sorry we couldn’t really uh...help out as much.”

 

“Don’t worry over, trying to patch up things is probably the better thing to do right now.” Matt shrugs with a half hearted smile “Just wish the attempt was a success.”

 

“You and me both. But I mean she doesn’t full on hate me...so I can try to fix it I guess? Gotta wait till she decides to wanna see me though what with her saying she kinda wants to keep her distance.”

 

"Again man, I still don’t think that’s the case given how she acted after you saved her from being flattened…” PJ stops walking “Honestly you should do something about it while ya can, but I understand you wanting to respect her choices. However i’m sure she’ll probably call that off before you know it! Hell it may even be today, because you never know! She might have only said that from hurt feelings alone!”  _ Hopefully Katy and Europa can pull that off...but we can only wait and see. _

 

“And I thought I was the optimist of the group!” Parappa elbows his gut gently “With a guy like you around Peej, I can certainly attempt looking at the brighter side a whole lot more in an easier manner.”

 

“I am a coping toy after all.”

 

“You calling me a little kid?..”

 

“Well you fit the size.”

 

“Stooooooop…” Everyone laughs lightly, including Parappa himself “Gotta keep reminding myself to be around you all more often whenever I start faltering in the joy department. The more of you guys I’m around the easier it is to recover and stay like it.”

 

“Yeah you really should Paraps. I don’t want this to become a regular thing.” Rammy frowns “Granted I’m technically the reason any of this happened at all so…”

 

“No. It’s mine. I guess I didn’t properly handle it as well as I thought I could. Had I tried to see how I could better connect all of you it would’ve gone better.”

 

“Don’t toss yourself out with that assumption. After all look at how MY first encounter with her was. I was slammed into the ground with ease! From that point on I stubbornly went to get at her back! I even changed my lifestyle temporarily to do so!” He smiles the same way he did as when he played the dj at Club Fun “So it shows that sometimes things are better left handling on their own.”

 

“Same here. Were it not for her saving my ass, I’d probably never give her the chance.”

 

“Me and Ma-san were sensible enough to just give her a go from the get go!” Paula fistbumps Ma-san as the guys roll their eyes.

 

“As you can see, there are moments when your help will be needed, and there are moments when it’s best to see things handle themselves. Isn’t that right you two?” The both of them smile and nod “Exactly!”

 

“Heh...I’m just glad you all managed to accept her with ease. And hey, that just shows that once this is all over. Lammy will as well.”

 

“Uh...yeah!”  _ Europa said that you’re gonna actually need to help there....I hope you can think of something. _ “Everything will go by smoothly, but maybe you should help her out once she decides to talk to you again. It’d probably make things easier.”

 

“I’m gonna have to agree with him there Paraps, Lammy and I just struggle when it comes to seeing eye to eye after things started getting worse between the two of us… So I openly welcome the help here.” She scratches her nose as a single sweatdrop falls across the side of her face.

 

“Then expect me to help as much as I can!” 

 

* * *

 

“So I gotta do what again?...” Katy pats her chin with her tongue stuck out in recap.

 

“I’m gonna need effects to bring across the bigger emotional feel that i’m planning on showing! But I won’t be able to control that many backup dancers. You hide along the back and summon yours to help along! You still have your belt right?”

 

“Of course! I always carry it on! Never know when it’ll come in handy~ Like now!”

 

“Good! Also…” He rummages in a instrument rack and hands her a bass guitar “Here!”

 

“Whoa whoa hold up!...I don’t know the song you gotta play!”

 

“Listen first. Look my hands are kinda….in heavy pain. I can’t hold my guitar up properly let alone play it. So along with the music that i’ll have playing, I want you to play along with it in order to give more of a power output to the back up dancers, my suit and the club effects!”

 

“This seems so flashy and over the top…do you really need all this?...”

 

“Look...I have...several doubts that the song itself will full help her...so...I’m gonna be showing who I am…” He removes his helmet. His body finally able to take the lamb form again “If she sees me it’ll probably help out her thought process. And then I’ll explain the whole dealeo once the song’s over.”

 

“That could work! Having Lammy see a chance that she can still win him over will certainly pick her up tremendously!”

 

“Exactly! Quick thing though, do you remember how to change the shape of your backups like I told you?”

 

“Nope!”

 

“Oh boy...Ok lookie here because this is how you can make it so these guys don’t look like the one wearing them. Have the image of what you want them to look like in your mind and then touch the belt. Otherwise it just makes a clone of yourself.” A back up of Parappa appears in between the two of them “Recall how you know they’re like in your heart…” The Parappa shakes his head, as if waking up, before looking up at Katy and speaking up.

 

_ “Hi Katy! Where are we? Oh...Leo’s club...” _

 

“Wow!”

 

“Perhaps a bit to accurate…” Leo sighs before continuing “And lastly have the beat flowing through you and the belt will pick it up and fill the clone in on what it’s gotta do, based on what you’re already trying to do!” Leo starts humming as his helmet lights up with a small simple beat. The Parappa’s eyes widen.

 

_ “LAMMY!...S-She’s still not upset with me is she?!...W-What can I do to help! Need me to sing? I gotcha covered!” _

 

Katy smiles before looking back to Leo “Well clearly I remember the first and last part! But the second part caught me by surprise. I’m amazed I didn’t need to do that for the clones of me…”

 

“Well you answered that yourself. Why would you? No one knows you better than yourself! So you already had the answer subliminally. Like I said, it’ll create a clone of you if you don’t really focus on a specific person before creating them. And the acting portion is all apart of the mind, and you already have your own personality built in! So for that, the steps aren’t needed in that regard. Like I said, this is only in case you wanted to change the shape. Never know when you want diverse back up dancers or vocals or anything of the sort during a gig!” Leo snaps, sending the clone Parappa away.

 

“‘Neat! That will certainly come in handy~ Alrighty, so what clones are you gonna need specifically?...”

 

“Ok, this might get a bit tricky...I want you to create clones that look like me, but with the helmet on.”

 

“Uh-huh?”

 

“Then during a certain point, the clones are going to have to take their helmets off. I want you to instead replace my head with Parappa’s, Rammy’s and Lammy’s heads on them instead.”

 

“You really thought this through…” Katy taps the side of her head “That’s a lot, but it doesn’t sound difficult to do. Alright!” She picks up the guitar and strums it, multiple clones are brought up in the shape of Leo “WOOO! Let’s do this!” She starts jamming in place. The clones mimicking her pose until she throws her arms in the air. The clones toss their helmets and show different heads of Parappa, Rammy and Lammy.

 

“Excellent! We’re ready to go!” They both fist bump the air before heading off. Leo lowers the lighting to the entirety of the building.

 

Lammy notices the darkening area and immediately panics “U-Uh...is...this part of the song?...I m-mean I understand atmosphere and everything, b-but at least warn a g-girl first…” The light on the stage illuminates as it starts changing in shape. The floor around her also starts moving around “W-Whoa!...h-how flashy is this g-gonna be?...”

 

A green light illuminates the stages as it appears to look similar to the festival that happened two weeks ago. Smoke emanates as the green and violet strobe lights appear all over the place. As the smoke becomes slightly clearly Leo appears as the melody begins to play with a snap of his fingers.

 

“Whoa…” The beat was the same that Lammy was listening to when given to her by Niles. However witnessing the effects that seem to compliment the beats made her mind clear as she just listened on as Leo began to sing.

 

_ “I didn't want to be the one to forgeeeet... _ __   
_ I thought of everything I'd never regreeeet... _ __   
_ A little time with you is all that I geeeet... _ __   
_ That’s all we need because it's all we can take.” _ Two clones spin from behind Leo as they begin dancing on instinct.   
  
_ “One thing I never see the same when your 'round _ __   
_ I don’t believe in him… his lips on the ground... _ __   
_ I wanna take you to that place in the ‘Roche’ _ __   
_ But no one gives us any time anymore...”  _ More back ups appear, but not on the stage with the main three. These dance with the light effects to add a more psychedelic feel. __   
_   
_ __ “He ask me once if I'd look in on his dog…”  Leo waves his hand in a circle, creating a light image of Parappa’s head.

__   
_ “You made an offer for it, then you ran off…”  _ A red line floats around the image of Parappa, ending up as a heart. __   
  


_ “I got this picture of us kids in my head, _ __   
_ And all I hear is the last thing that you said...”  _ An image of Lammy’s head appears in his other hand, the heart however vanishes. __   
__   
_ "I listened to _ **_your_ ** _ problems. Now listen to  _ **_mine_ ** _! _ __   
_ I didn't want to anymore, oh oh ooooh...”  _ The small Lammy head had mini fumes emit from its face as the Parappa face turn to a frown. The Lammy head frowns as well as they both vanish. __   
__   
_ “And we will never be alone again... _ _   
_ __ 'Cause it doesn't happen every day!”  Katy’s bass is heard as the Lammy image returns with a full body this time, a heart held within her hands.

__   
_ “Kinda counted on you being a friend... _ __   
_ Can I give it up or give it away?...”  _ The image sadly looks down as it lets the heart go. __   
  


_ “Now I thought about what I wanna say _ _   
_ _ But I never really know where to go…”  _ More clones start appearing for the areas higher up, these dancing differently than the rest. The Parappa image reappears as well, also with a full body as it stands in front of the Lammy one. The Lammy images fails to speak a word to him as it struggles with what to say.

__   
_ “So I chained myself to a friend... _ __   
_ 'Cause I know it unlocks like a door.”  _ The Lammy image is suddenly yanked away from the Parappa one. When it tries to run back to him, she is tethered back by an unknown force. The Parappa image runs up and tries to tug the image free, but no luck. __   
__   
_ “And we will never be alone again! _ _   
_ __ 'Cause it doesn't happen every day.”  Suddenly the Parappa image ends up getting dragged back. However the duo reach out to each other as the binds snap, the images crash into each other and vanish.

__   
_ “Kinda counted on you being a friend... _ __   
_ Can I give it up or give it away?...”  _ The Lammy image reappears flat on her face. The heart she dropped earlier within her grasp, she reaches out for it, but it floats away. __   
  


_ “Now I thought about what I wanna say. _ __   
_ But I never really know where to go... _ __   
_ So I chained myself to a friend...”  _ The image gets up and runs after it. She ends up finding another image of her. The other Lammy had her wrists in chains, the chains were attached to the heart she’s been chasing. __   
__   
_ “Some mooooore agaaaaain….”  _ The free Lammy image looks down sadly as they both vanish. __   
__   
_ “It didn't matter what they wanted to see... _ __   
_ He thought he saw someone that looked just like me!”  _ Lammy reappears as she sees the Parappa image reappear. She chases after it, only for it to be speaking to an image of Rammy. __   
  


_ “The summer memory that just never dies... _ __   
_ We worked too long and hard to give it no time.”  _ As the Lammy image walks away, a younger image of her and Parappa run by. They looked like the age of when they first met at the age of fifteen. Three more versions of the duo run by representing their time at the ages of sixteen through eighteen. The visualization at the age of nineteen has only Lammy staring at a hospital bed before vanishing. The original Lammy image then turns around towards the Parappa and Rammy image and runs back to them. __   
  


_ “He sees right through me, it's so easy with lies... _ __   
_ Cracks in the road that I would try and disguise.”  _ The light on Leo’s helmet dims as the Lammy image returns to where the other two were. She stops, unknowing of what to do now, but the Parappa image simply extends his hands. He grabs the Rammy image’s hand in his left, and the Lammy image’s hand in his right. He then brings them together, causing their hands to meet. __   
  


_ “He runs his scissor at the seem in the wall... _ __   
_ He cannot break it down or else he would fall...”  _ The ewe images shatter as they end up getting trapped within a heart. The Parappa images grabs one of the stray shards and tries to slice it open to free them, but struggles to do so as he fears damaging the heart. He drops the shard and falls to his knees, holding his head in pain. He along with the heart that contains both the Lammy and Rammy image pieces simply vanish again. __   
  


_ “One thousand lonely staaaaaaars…hiding in the coooooold... _ __   
_ Taaaaaake iiiiit... Oh I don't wanna sing anymooooore...”  _ The light on Leo’s helmet fades entirely as Katy’s playing takes over. All the backup Leo’s grab their helmets and remove them. They toss them away revealing the faces of Lammy, Rammy and Parappa. All of them appear sad, but they continue dancing. Except for the real Leo who stops dancing entirely, and only sings from this point onwards. __   
__   
_ "I listened to  _ **_your_ ** _ problems. Now listen to  _ **_mine!_ ** __   
_ I didn't want to anymore, oh oh oh…”  _ The original two back ups remove their helmets. The one on Leo’s left had Parappa’s head. The one on his right has Rammy’s head. __   
__   
_ “And we will never be alone again! _ __   
_ 'Cause it doesn't happen every day... _ __   
_ Kinda counted on you being a friend... _ _   
_ __ Can I give it up or give it away?…”  The two backups grab Leo’s arms and begin tugging on him. Yanking him as if they were trying to pull him apart.

__   
_ “Now I thought about what I wanna say. _ __   
_ But I never really know where to go... _ __   
_ So I chained myself to a friend... _ __   
_ 'Cause I know it unlocks like a door.”  _ They tug harder before letting go and watching him drop to the floor. __   
__   
_ “And we will never be alone again! _ __   
_ 'Cause it doesn't happen every day... _ __   
_ Kinda counted on you being a friend... _ __   
_ Can I give it up or give it away?...”  _ They walk up to him and pick him back up. __   
  


_ “Now I thought about what I wanna say. _ __   
_ But I never really know where to go... _ __   
_ So I chained myself to a friend. _ __   
_ 'Cause I know it unlocks like a door…”  _ They look at his helmet and then grab his hands. __   
__   
_ “I don't understand... don't get upset... _ _   
_ __ I'm not with you…”  Leo let’s go of their hands and grabs onto his helmet.

__   
_ “We’re swimming around, _ __   
_ It's all I do, when I'm with you…”  _ Leo takes it off. Revealing a face similar to Lammy’s. However much to Lammy’s awareness. His head was severely different from the other Lammy heads that the clones had. __   
__   
_ “And we will never be alone again _ __   
_ 'Cause it doesn't happen every day _ __   
_ Kinda counted on you being a friend _ __   
__ Can I give it up or give it away…”  The lights go from green and violet to a deep fuchsia as Leo’s entire outfit turns pink as he drops onto one knee.   
  


_ “Now I thought about what I wanna say _ __   
_ But I never really know where to go _ __   
_ So I chained myself to a friend _ __   
_ 'Cause I know it unlocks like a door…”  _ Light swirls around his wrists as they materialize into chains. __   
__   
_ “And we will never be alone again... _ __   
_ 'Cause it doesn't happen every day. _ __   
_ Kinda counted on you being a friend. _ __   
_ Can I give it up or give it away...”  _ The Parappa and Rammy backup grab the chains and hoist him back upright. __   
  


_ “Now I thought about what I wanna say… _ __   
_ But I never really know where to go.... _ __   
_ So I chained myself to a friend... _ _   
_ __ 'Cause I know it unlocks like a door...”  Rather than chain him away, they walk up and release the locks on his wrists, setting him free. As the song ends all the backups except for those two vanish. The remaining two hop over to Lammy and extend their hands out, wanting to escort her over to Leo. Lammy warringly grabs on as she walks up with them. Once next to him. The final backups vanish and Lammy simply stares at Leo who struggles to maintain eye contact back.

 

Katy hops down from where she was perched and runs up to the two “Heh...this will be one hell of a thing to explain to you.”

 

“....” Lammy pulls out her phone and simply begins typing on it.

 

* * *

 

“You know I always wondered…” Parappa stares at a vacant lot “I wondered if we could...you know petition to rebuild or remake places. Such as that large place that went down in a fire ten years ago. Or that warehouse we used to hang out in…” He snaps his fingers as he thinks up something better “Or to reopen club fun!”

 

“Well...you gotta recall that the reason they haven’t been rebuilt by now is that there’s no real interest in them anymore.” PJ becomes slightly disheartened “You’d think the club would’ve managed interest, but after Mushi heading on out and with us doing our own things...guess the hooks the place had were lost. Plus now there’s a lot of clubs EVERYWHERE in places around. Like with Club Rainbow for us. So with situations like that we don’t really have much...not unless we got lucky with people with interest…” 

 

“PJ makes a point...we can’t really manage with just us…”

 

“Shame to...i’d love to go back there...so many memories…”

 

Parappa sighs after Matt, Paula and PJ end up saddening themselves, but before he can speak up his phone vibrates “Huh?...” upon checking his phone, he smiles “Well. I’ll find my own way to bring attention to that, but for now let me get your attention with this. Lammy forgave me!”

 

Everyone is immediately elated while PJ breathes a relieved sigh before smiling.

 

* * *

 

“T-This...explains why the song c-correlated to me so much...I...g-guess I taught you it…d-didn’t I?...”

 

“Eheh...bingo.You once told me a song that you had in your heart that you could ‘feel’ during your struggles in love. It wasn’t until much later that you turned it into a song that could be heard…” Leo shuffles in place “You...never sang it in public though...the only time you did was to me only…Heh...sorry for uh...using it for my own gain...but if it makes you feel better....I only sang it live once and made it really hard to get…” He bashfully rubs his head, but Katy speaks up, ignoring that portion of what he said as she instead is caught interest by.

 

“Huh...I figured you’d sing it to me to at the very least…” Katy’s ears drop in disappointment.

 

“Eheh...she didn’t wanna upset anyone with her sadness!...I mean she got over it...it was more of a vent thing that she would do every once and awhile…”

 

“I guess I can understand that. Sometimes some things are better left to the person themself to handle…”

 

“I-I’m still s-sorry…”

 

“Don’t be! That’s future Lammy’s decisions! You’re clearly not future Lammy yet! But even still, you have your own rights on how you wanna handle things. It may sadden me, but I as your bestie I understand!” She winks as she grabs Lammy’s hands.

 

“Well...I guess s-seeing the whole e-explanation via dance and s-storytelling...Do I have a chance?...”

 

“Of course! You clearly see my face don’t ya?”

 

“But...am I your real m-mother?...”

 

“Ah...can’t spoil that...but have the comfort in knowing right now...you may be. And i’m alright with that...Mother.” He looks towards Katy “And...also mother...this is already awkward…” Both giggle before hugging each other “Aww! Now that’s just sweet~” They quickly pull him in for the hug “AIEEE…Alright fine...~”

 

Once the hug ends, Lammy stares at the duo and meekly asks “Um...I...really w-want to get along with Rammy...h-honestly...my feelings aside...I just wanna stay friends with Parappa if it means I can interact with him at all...and that means with her to...S-She seems like a nicer person after all...and y-you say we get along really well…” She shrugs “I wanna s-see how that goes...but I need help…”

 

“I can help there!” Katy bounces with determination “I think I can manage something! I just need to make a call! I have an idea and it involves a certain someone! Also you!” She grabs Leo and yanks him away as she runs off to the backroom.

 

“H-HEY!...”

 

“Oh m-my...I hope it does help me…”

 

Once the duo are away from Lammy, Katy begins calling Parappa “Why do I need to be apart of this?”

 

“Well. I saw how that song clearly got to her, and I thought ‘Hey! Why display a performance for Lammy AND Rammy showing that it is easy for them to get along!”

 

“But that was a song that was literally meant for her!”

 

“And I doubt that it’s the ONLY song you’ve heard! I’m sure the two of them have had plenty of songs that symbolize their friendship that you can use!”

 

“Eh...I mean...I guess...but I don’t know if that’ll work…”

 

“You don’t know if you don’t try! Now shush! He picked up!”

 

* * *

 

“Huh?...Now what…” Parappa pulls out his phone again “Oh it’s Katy. You guys keep walkin, I’ll catch up when I’m done.”

 

“Alright, don’t take to long!” They all carry on as Parappa answers the phone, hearing some slight arguing on the other end “Hello?...What happened?...”

 

_ “So I take it you see that Lammy forgave you?” _

 

“Yeaaah?...”

 

_ “Great! You can thank me and Leo for that~” _

 

“What?! How? When?-”

 

_ “We’ll tell ya later! You mainly gotta thank Leo for it, that’s all i’m saying! Now this is why I’m calling. Lammy wants to get on better terms with Rammy, but wants help doing so because she’s still the tiny bit doubtful over givin her a chance. Mind helping out?” _

 

“Of course! Ironically mere moments ago Rammy asked for the same thing!”

 

_ “Wow really?...What luck!” _

 

“My thoughts exactly! But uh...how do we help?...”

 

_ “Gotcha covered there. See here’s what we gotta do…” _

 

The call went on to a point the others wondered if Parappa would ever catch up to them, and just when they were about to turn back he appears.

 

“Gaaah...that went longer than expected…”

 

“What the heck did she want?...” Paula asks as she stares at the exhausted Parappa, tired from running all the way to them.

 

“Let’s just say...we’re gonna have to head over to Club Rainbow this Friday!” 

 

“That’s in two days...what the heck did you you two set up?...” Rammy tilts her head in heavy curiosity.

 

“A joint gig. And so she wants you guys to join in and watch!”

 

“Huh…alright.” Rammy shrugs it off.

 

“I have no qualms. If anything this is good!”  _ Very good even, that means we can finally cut this to a close...man  _ “How bout the rest of you?”

 

“Count me in. Everything can finally go back to normal now.”

 

“What Matt said, and we can party while that happens!” Paula stampers in place happily.

 

(“If it’s a gig she’s asking for, chances are I’m gonna be needed. Either to play or for moral support. I couldn’t miss it even if I wanted to. Which I don’t because I also wanna relax and see this end to.”)

 

“I’d be happy to join since I’m invited!” Sweety smiles as she clasps her hands together.

 

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world man!” Rammy nods happily.

 

“Perfect! Then in two days! We go!” Parappa points forwards as the sun beacons off of him for dramatic effect.

 

“What are you pointing at?...”

 

“Ah...sorry...just wanted to...nevermind.” He rubs his arm as his face glows pink from embarrassment.

 

* * *

 

“And that’s that!”

 

“So what was supposed to be me singing and dancing, became YOU two singing and dancing?”

 

“Hehe...I might have gotten way into the moment and forget the full gist of it…”

 

“No worries Katy. After all it was you two alone that helped them originally.”

 

“Well I still want you as apart of it for the effect dealeos! What you did now was to good to pass off!”

 

“You know...you can do that as well...I can show you how to, it’s really eas-”

 

“Uh uh! Why do that when I have you son!” She smiles in a manner that makes him unable to deny.

 

“Alright...come on Lammy’s waiting. Go inform her on the day.”

 

“Gotcha! Come on!” She grabs Leo and yanks him away again.

 

“WHY MEEEEE…”

 

After the duo inform Lammy on their planned ‘gig’ she simply sighs in relief that she’ll finally get to relax again.

 

“I have to go and say that I’ll no longer be staying at that other apartment...and I gotta return this disc to Niles…”

 

“You were at your old apartment the entire time?!...wait...NILES gave you that disc??...”

 

“Yes and yes...I-I’ll explain o-once I’m b-back home…i-if you’ll let me go ba-” Katy crushes the lamb in a hug.

 

”Of COURSE you can go back! It’s your home as much as it is the rest of ours!” She lets go of her as they both turn to Leo “Well we’ll be seeing you in two days!”

 

“And I’ll be waiting! Although I’ll be keeping my helmet on if you don’t mind. Please be keeping this a secret ey Lammy?”

 

“I will!...um...can I...c-come back here to just...c-chat with you?...Like whenever?...”

 

“Sure, but may I ask why?” He raises an eyebrow with a calming but confused smile.

 

“Well...y-you clearly hung around me a-a lot...so you know my...v-vent tactics… I would l-like to know h-how to calm down during major struggles...i-if that’s alright…”

 

“Of course it is. You’re welcomed any time. After all you have my number.” He gives her a thumbs up before they say goodbye and drive off.

 

Meanwhile in the distance, a few faces watch from beyond in spite.

 

“Gah…seeing him speak with them is sickening…” Bruter says as he speaks to the four that follow him after watching Leo disappear into the club.

 

“You know Bruter, maybe it would’ve been better had you not taken up Leo on his offer…”

 

“Don’t ya think I know that? Honestly I thought that runt and his posse couldn’t do shit… Now I’ll admit getting caught off guard by him was the worst mistake I’ll ever let myself make. Man if it was a challenge battle I’d best him any day...ah but fuck it. We can’t set foot near that place anymore anyway.” He growls as he walks off “Come on let’s get out here…” As they five of them walk off. They are stopped by a large limo that drives up nearby them. The window to the seat way at the end opens up.

 

“Hello there you fine dressed fellows. Would any of you happen to be the proprietors of this magnificent specimen of a building over there?” It was Tycoon.

 

“Man if we were, why would we be standing way out here?” Bruter fumes as bubbles start rapidly overwhelming his fishbowl helmet.

 

“Because you may be leaving for the day. Is that so bad an assumption?” She smiles as he bow tie glows.

 

“No. But the answer is also no. We do not own the place. Unfortunately that position goes to an undeserving softy…”

 

“Oh? And you don’t sound too happy to be talking about them.”

 

“Why wouldn’t I? Asshole constantly undid what I was doing for the benefit of the place...and then ended up getting us evicted from my own words with a lucky call...Needless to say I hate that guy…” Bruter’s posse share his anger as they all grimace.

 

“Oh he’s a fellow gentleman is he? I was planning on making him an offer to join my circle of...talent.”

 

“Don’t even think about it unless you want to lower your overall quality man. He ain’t worth it…”

 

Tycoon laughs “Is that so?” He rubs his chin “You clearly despise the lad...but thanks for the heads up. You saved me from a poor business choice.”  _ Of course I don’t actually believe these fools, but playing with their anger seems fun… I don’t really like to have competition when it comes to establishments either. If I can use these fools to mess with him, I can play off as the hero in the end and offer my assistance when it comes to recuperation...two birds with one stone!  _ “How about this? Since you helped me out, I’ll help you out! You don’t like him or his little club her correct?”

 

“Yeah...I’d like to bring him down a notch...or just flat out take him to the ground...him and his stupid worthless club!”

 

“I may be able to assist with that! Come on in and join me the lot of you! I’ll be able to supply with objects you’ll need to take him down a peg.” The five of them think it over amongst themselves before Bruter turns back to him and nods. The doors open and they all hop in and immediately the car drives off.

 

After a moderately long drive they arrive to a building in the middle of nowhere, its size beats Club Rainbows, and even the hotel of Neon heights. The car drives in through the entrance as it stops in the center of the main room. Everyone exits and Tycoon leads them over to a specific direction. 

 

“Careful where you walk. There are tons of twists and turns for the many rooms I have that you may get lost if you don’t follow me.”

 

“Sheesh man...talk about your overdone spectacle...you wanted to invite HIM into this?? Talk about a dodged bullet.”

 

“And that’s precisely why I thank you for the warning! Now come come. This way right here through this large blue doors!” As the group walks through they are greeted by a man who wore an outfit similar to Tycoon’s his hair was black however and did not wear and form of glasses.

 

“Ahhh big boss! You returned!...with strays? How odd you are never to pick up those without any semblance of talent!” He head extends from the body revealing him to be a cyborg and not an actual human. He hovers over Bruter “This one’s so...scruffy and slimy...no good traits to work with whatsoever…” Bruter swings for the head, but the robot simply recoils back.

 

“HEY! Who asked you?!”

 

“Touchy touchy. Why if you can’t handle any criticism then you aren’t fit to be-”

 

“YISMUN!”

 

“Yes B-Boss man?” The cyborg recoils in fear.

 

“I didn’t not approve for you to berate my guests of honor.”

 

“G-Guests of honor?...THEM??...”

 

“Yes. For you see they saved me from a poor business decision and I opted to repay them by helping me...demolish a waste of talent!”

 

“Oh...OH! I see! Like Minded people! I am terribly sorry…” He bows before the others before retracting back up “So then Big boss I assuming you’re wanting to give them the ‘scout’?”

 

“Yes. It should pose simple for them to use. Lead them to it.”

 

“Right away! Follow me please! Mind telling me your name you devilish man with an outrageous jawline and...jaw!”

 

“Cut the kiss assery... Name’s Bruter.”

 

“And what a fine name it is!”

 

“Whatever...the Shrimp, Crab and Lobster are Temp, Coco and Rocky respectively. The dame’s name is Tundra.” The trio all nod while the swan scoffs.

 

“A lovely bunch! Now if you look over here. You’ll see the ‘scout’ right over there.”

 

“You mean that weird lookin car?”

 

“Well yes it is a car, but that’s for the mobility factor for...THIS!” The car extends as the back opens up and out pops out a mini cannon.

 

“Whoa...what the hell?”

 

Tycoon walks up “You see here, i’ve reverse engineered this device to be made in a model of vehicle from my product line while keep the schematics of the cannon. Granted the size had to be shrunken down to fit in the vehicle, and it still has the blasted restriction.”

 

“Restriction?”

 

“The cannon can only gain power and fire if there is a steady income of music.”

 

“Pshah! That’s nothing! My boys, tundra and I can easily fit that quota with the greatest of ease! Ain’t that right.” All of them grunt in agreement.

 

“Excellent! I can as well, but I rather not trivialize myself with having to deal with that. But trying to remove the restriction is proving to be a problem in its own right. However back on topic. I will loan you the Scout! Simply do as you please in blasting the fools club down a notch!”

 

“Won’t the authorities get in the way?”

 

“Will the authorities be able to stand up against your newly acquired firepower?”

 

“Good point…” Tycoon snaps and Yismun tosses Bruter a set of keys “Heh...got a target practice zone?”

 

“Drive the Scout to that room over there.” Bruter nods as the five of them pile in the car and drive off. Once they’re gone Yismun walks up to Tycoon.

 

“Boss...those five seem like the most inept people i’ve ever seen…”

 

“Oh believe me...they completely are!”

 

“And you’re helping them?!”

 

“Of course. Because they’ll be doing the damage, not I!”

 

“You think that club owner will take this lying down?”

 

“Well of course not, but it’s either they die and prove to truly be worthless, or survive and show that I need to get them under my wing as soon as possible.” He chuckles “I simply want to topple their establishment and then be the one to lend a helping hand as these fools take the fall.”

 

“But with the Scout they’ll link the crime back to you Big man!”

 

“If it comes to the fact that these bumbling imbeciles are to be captured. You are to make sure they get a clean getaway back here. They can become our menial labor and I’ll work my ‘magic’ with that fresh face of talent and increase my dream’s progression! The only problem will be if the lad from five years ago appears…”

 

“Oh but he dropped off the face of the earth Big man! I doubt he’d be anywhere nearby!”

 

“True, but one can’t help but be wary...now hush up. Our guests return.” The five of them drive back up to them with demented grins on their faces.

 

“This baby can pack a punch...and we’ll be able to bring him down with ease! Way down...six feet under…”

 

“Good! Now do you plan to strike now?”

 

“No. Friday.”

 

“Why wait?”

 

“He’s planning something big from what I overheard! Him and the one that helped him swindle us...We’re gonna strike when they all line up like sitting ducks!”

 

“I see...well then...you’re free to take the car. And take this. Simply press the button to come into contact with me alright?”

 

“You got it...say...what’s ya name?”

 

“Simply call me Tycoon! The gracious benefactor!”

 

“Got it Tycoon. Thanks for this lovely opportunity!”

 

“A pleasure my boy! Now drive off and prepare! You only have two days after all.”

 

“Right! Come on let’s get our vocal chords prepped guys!” They drive off with massive speed as they are watched by Yismun and Tycoon in disgust.

 

“Absolutely pitiful...but I do enjoy bending them to my will~”

 

“It truly is a glorious sight when you do so! Honestly who knew that strays could provide such a fun menial work force for yo-”

 

“Ah Tycoon! You’ve returned!”

 

“Speaking of which…~” Tycoon turns to look at a large dog man with a well built physique walking towards him.

 

“I must say old boy it is certainly nice to have you return early! Did the deal transaction go by smoothly?”

 

“No James my dear deskman it has not. But it will go better come Friday!”

 

“It’s Joe old bean.”

 

“Yes yes that’s what I said Jeremy.”

 

“Ah...nevermind. So why Friday and not today? I thought you’d said you’d be giving them an uh...what was it...offer...they can’t refuse...right?” Joe ponders as to what Tycoon meant by those words.

 

“I was, but someone seemed to want to do it more than I. And I being the generous soul that I am! Offered them the opportunity! Like with me picking you off your feet and helping you out!”

 

“And help you did! After I ended up being cruelly evicted from my hometown...my wife to be and I thank you!”

 

“Exactly! I helped them out in a similar manner! Aren’t I such a saviour?~”

 

“The best old bean!”

 

“Yes...the very best~...”

 

* * *

 

**“WELCOME ONE AND ALL ONCE AGAIN TO CLUB RAINBOW! Now i know we had a little topsy turvy time with my scheduling, but I assure you things are BACK on track and ready to go! Why this is even supported by the fact that the masterful Parappa the Rapper and the lovely Katy Kat from Milkcan planned a duo performance! Are you all excited?!~”**

 

**“YEAH!”**

 

**“Then keep that excitement building!”** Leo snaps, allowing music to play as he hops off the stage and heads to the back room to meet up with the aforementioned duo “Everyone’s a waiting! And Rammy and Lammy are even close to each other! This is gonna work flawlessly!”

 

“I can only hope...and uh...Leo?”

 

“What is it my man?”

 

“I uh...gotta apologize for my hostility against you recently...I may have uh...simply let somethings get to me...I don’t even know what those things are! And I took em out on you...but you really are just a cool dude...even if you are eerily mysterious.”

 

“Eheh...save it for when you guys are all fully patched up ok?”

 

“Roger that! Imma go hype up the crowd some more! Don’t take to long Katy.”

 

“Oh I won’t be to slow! But you can’t blame me for wanting to be a tad fashionably late.” She winks cutely as Parappa rolls his eyes and walks off. Katy then speaks to Leo “You know...I worry how his emotions will handle this…”

 

“Currently?...I uh...dunno how to explain it…”

 

“...What do you meaaaan?...”

 

“Um...this…” He plucks his helmet off. As expected his head currently resembles Lammy. However it also resembles...Rammy. Leo’s head is divided as half of it is red and orange while the other half is black and gray. 

 

“Whoa...how-”

 

“He’s apparently thinking of the BOTH of them equally at such a massive amount….”

 

“...Hey...why not take your helmet off?...”

 

“NO! Paula, Matt and Parappa don’t know my face!”

 

“Why not let them in on it?...”

 

“I...I can’t...Paula and Matt maybe...but dad himself?...I’m...heavily against that…”

 

“But think of how easy things could get if we ALL knew!”

 

“I mean yeah, but…”

 

“Look...just...expose your face! It’ll be a massive help for Lammy and Rammy to get along...and after that you can just get Parappa in on it…”

 

“Mother I can’t…” He places the helmet back on.

 

“But you won’t even try to help us fix this?...it’d help so much...you don’t even know...”

 

“Gah...I…”

 

“...Just play it off as a special effect then...we’ll explain it to Parappa another time I guess…”

 

“I’m sorry…” He looks to the ground defeated.

 

“It’s fine. Come on just get your guitar. Let’s not keep everyone waiting.” She sighs as she walks off.

 

“Ok…” He grabs his guitar and follows after.

 

The music they play rallys everyone.in the building, their friends included. The duo play as they try to get the two ewes to get closer towards each other in an attempt to ease them, but it was easier said than done. Slowly progress was being made however as the duo started shuffling closer to each other. The music started getting more energetic as Parappa and Katy played as if they were children again whenever they would try to cheer up the children at school during dreary days with their singing back in the day. Eventually the duo begin speaking and dancing next to each other. Leo takes Katy’s words into account and sighs as he stops playing his guitar and begins removing his helmet. The crowd’s dancing slows once they notice what he’s about to do as they gasp, but before he can fully remove it, the club violently shakes as if it was hit with something.

 

“WHOA…”

 

“W-What the hell was that?!...” After Parappa announces this, everyone begins panicking and scrambling about prompting Leo to speak over the microphone.

 

“EVERYONE STAY CALM! DO NO PANIC!” Another blast hits the club as it violently shakes causing the ceiling to begin to break apart “Ok...so much for calm…” Leo snaps his fingers causing a staircase to unearth itself from the floor of his stage “EVERYONE! DOWN HERE! FOLLOW THE PATH AND IT’LL LEAD YOU SAFELY OUT IN NEON HEIGHT’S MAIN STREET!” Everyone pours in without hesitation until it’s Parappa’s group left “You guys to. Get in there and run.”

 

“What the hell will you be doing??...”

 

“Inspecting the damage.” He runs to the outside of his club.

 

PJ grabs Leo mid run “LEO ARE YOU CRAZY?! DO YOU NOT SEE HOW STRONG WHATEVER THAT THING OUTSIDE IS TO BE SHAKING THIS PLACE?!”

 

“I’ll be fine PJ. You guys, run now. As the owner of this club, the safety of its patrons is what comes first.”

 

“And you???”

 

“I’ll be fine. I promise you if the situation proves to grim. I’ll be back to escape as well alright?...”

 

“You better…” PJ turns to the others “We gotta get out of her now!” They all nod and run down the stairs as Leo exits the building.

 

Once he’s outside he sees a car wildly driving around the building and firing from a cannon perched on the back. Driving the reckless vehicle is a face that simply enraged him. He runs out to ‘greet’ the drivers.

 

Parappa meanwhile stops running midway as he turns back to look at where they came from.

 

“Parappa what are you doing?...”

 

“He’s taking forever...I don’t think he’s gonna be joining us guys…” The ground violently shakes.

 

“He’ll make it! Right now we gotta GO!”

 

“Yeah...i’ll go alright…” Parappa runs back to where danger was as the rest watch.

 

“P-Parappa!” Lammy chases after him, but another tremor causes the roof of the tunnel to come loose. She’s saved by Rammy who manages to hold the thing steady.

 

“GAH...H-HEAVY…”

 

“R-Rammy?!-”

 

“D-DON’T JUST LOOK AT ME LIKE A FUCKING IDIOT...G-GO!...Y-YOU GONNA HELP HIM AIN’T CHA?...” Lammy looks at her and nods with determination as she runs off towards Parappa “You better keep him alive…” PJ and Katy yank Rammy back as the ceiling crumbles. The path back towards the club is now blocked off “Heh...thanks...that was a close one you two…”

 

“WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!...” they both shout at her.

 

“If she wasn’t gonna go help him, I would’ve. Hell you both would’ve done the same if you were much closer to avoid the falling rocks.” She stares at the rest “All of you would’ve done the same...now come on. If we head out we might be able to snag a cab back over there to help them ASAP.”

 

“We gotta hurry if we’re gonna do that!...” Matt says as everyone continues running again.

 

_ Those two will manage...after all...they're the most extravagant out of all of us... _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, this is the current chapter I am able to write up on a computer! Starting from tomorrow i'll be on a trip that will limit my writing abilities. If I can manage to keep a proper upkeep on my tablet I'll do so. Otherwise updates may cease till September. Thank you for reading.
> 
> Also I take no credit for the song. That glory belongs to Julain Casablancas as well as Guy and Thomas, or better known as Daft Punk!


	22. Rock and Roll, my life pays the Toll

“KEEP FIRING HAHA!  KNOCK THAT EYESORE DOW- ogh...what the hell Temp watch where the fuck you're driv-” Bruter stares at Leo, barely holding their car back by simply keeping his foot on the hood “ing...Temp run him over!”

 

“YOU THINK I'M NOT TRYING? IT'S LIKE I'M STUCK IN A MUDPIT! IT WON'T BUDGE!”

 

Before Bruter can bark another order, Leo speaks up “Bruter.”

 

“FIRE THE DAMN THING AT HIM!”

 

“AT POINT BLANK? WE'LL GET HIT TO!”

 

“Bruter…” Leo begins trembling in anger as his helmet begins cracking.

 

“THEN GET HIM OFF!”

 

“BRUTER HE'S HOLDING THIS HEAVY HUNK OF METAL AT BAY WITH ONLY HIS _FOOT_ ! EVEN IF HE'S STRUGGLING HE'D **EAT** ME IF I TRIED TO MOVE HIM!”

 

Leo’s helmet bursts open like a walnut showing his irate expression to the five of them as he speaks up for real with an insane smile all the while as his eye twitched “SO BRUTER! NICE OF YOU TO STOP BY! NOW MIND TELLING ME WHATCHA DOIN?~”

 

“What am I doing?”

 

“YEAH! BEING A PSYCHOPATHIC THIEF AND ATTEMPTED MURDERER?~”

 

“Thief?...”

 

“YES THIEF! CUZ THIS HUNK A JUNK YA RIDING LOOKS EERILY SIMILAR TO MY CAR. AND MY CAR IS NOT EXACTLY THE EASIEST THING TO COME BY. SO LOGIC CLAIMS YA STOLE IT~”

 

“Well sorry to break it to you.” he swaps places with Temp “WE were gifted this car by a gracious benefactor.”

 

“Who would give you something like this to drive around publicly…”

 

“Like hell I'm telling you! Also...attempted murderer?~...” Bruter switches the gear to reverse causing the vehicle to drive off from Leo’s grasp.

 

This causes him to fall onto his face from loss of balance “Gwah…!”

 

“AIN'T GONNA BE JUST AN ‘ATTEMPT’ IN A MINUTE!” He returns it back to how it was as he attempts to crush Leo under the car. Before the car can connect with its target however… “Oh COME on! How are you scrawny punks able to even have such strength?!” Lammy and Parappa hold the car back the same way Leo was moments prior.

 

“I-It’s...all...in the…m-mind!...”

 

“Stand...my...ground….and…”

 

 **“KICK!”** both of them punt the car backwards as they help Leo back up.

 

“Bruter can we bail now?”

 

“No. If anything that counted as fighting words!” the group bicker amongst themselves while the other two help Leo to his feet.

 

“L-Leo are you ok??...”

 

“Wait...THIS is what you **look** like under that helmet?!” Leo wanted to so badly to scream, but his anger towards Bruter made him ignore the fact that Parappa could see him clear as day. He was angry, upset, distressed and any remaining combination of emotions ranging between. Leo’s eyes spiral as he hastily removes the guitar from his back.

 

“IF MY COVERS BLOWN, THEN GUESS I CAN DO WHAT'S NEEDED!” He pulls a chord by the base of the strings on the guitar body. The body revs up and whirs in a manner similar to a chainsaw as Leo holds it over his head and slams it to the ground much like how Rammy would when upset.

 

Both of the bewildered spectators watch Leo’s mad actions “Why do you have that…and why would you do THAT with it??” And similar to Rammy he causes a shockwave, granted Leo needed the aid of his enhanced guitar. The ground vibrates heavily as the spot under the quintets car rises flipping them around in the air.

 

“BRUTER I THINK IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT WE SHOULD EXECUTE A TACTICAL RETREAT! THESE THREE AIN'T RIGHT!”

 

“Bah. So we're in the air, we'll be fine. If I recall...that kiss ass of a robot said in case we flip over I just gotta...press this!” their car lands flawlessly onto the ground as they drive away and fire a blast from the mounted cannon towards Parappa and Lammy. They both immediately scatter but Leo covers their ground.

 

“Wuh oh…” Leo holds up his guitar like a bat “I hope my guitar doesn't break from this…”

 

“Leo what are you doing! Move!” Parappa flails his arms as Leo slams his guitar into the energy blast. He is promptly met with immense pain as the blast connects.

 

“AGGHHH...IMMEDIATE...REGRET!...” he barely manages to slam the blast into the air, where it explodes harmlessly “Owowow...oh man...fuck doing that again…” Leo grabs both his arms in an attempt to soothe them from the pain.

 

“KEEP FIRING!” the group constantly supply the cannon with enough music to fire in a barrage.

 

“Aw fuck…” Before Leo can brace for impact, Lammy grabs him and hauls him away “T-Thanks...kinda bit off more than I thought I could handle from my anger…”

 

“Don’t w-worry! Emotions g-get the better of us more often than w-we’d like to admit...Look at me after all…”

 

“Yeah but your emotions didn't almost get yourself killed!”

 

“But they almost did for me!” Parappa says as he runs up to the two of them “Now come on we gotta escape these guys!”

 

“P-Parappa they're in a car! We can't o-outrun T-THAT!...”

 

“I'm trying to be an optimist here!...”

 

“If you'd let me go, I could help make sure we can stay safe!..”

 

“Yeah, after what we just saw you do I highly doubt that!”

 

“Do either of you have a choice? Or is Lammy’s guitar ALSO an electronically enhanced chainsaw/cannon?” they both look at each other before sighing. Lammy then let's go to which Leo immediately turns to the speeding car “Here we go!”

 

“Wait I just noticed you said your guitar was also part-” Leo plays a quick riff that gathers up an electrical charge in the neck of his guitar. The head of the guitar opens up and fires a blast similar to one's being fired by Bruter, only smaller. It nails Bruter as he's driving. The car goes wild as he loses control.

 

“Bullseye! May not fire as deadly shots, but they still get the job done~”

 

“BRUTER KEEP IT STEADY!”

 

“Ahahaha...I can taste purple…” Bruter quickly shakes his head to recover from his daze “Alright. I'm pissed even more now!” He reverts the cars direction back towards the trio.

 

Said trio end up reaching Leo’s car “Alright. Time I finished cleaning this mess up!”

 

“What do we do?”

 

“You two? You go back to escaping! Thanks for the save, but your help is no longer needed.”

 

“I ain't going! You're gonna die out there!” Parappa refuses to budge.

 

“A-Also I should a-add on that we sorta...c-can’t…” Lammy chuckles nervously “The path...is g-gone...we're kinda stuck with having to deal with them to...h-heh…”

 

“Oh you have got to be...ok...get in the back. I have another idea then.” the two nod and rush in as Leo starts driving off “And the plan starts NOW!” Leo hits a switch that causes the back seats to rise as the seat turns into a platform for them.

 

“W-WHOAAA!...W-WHAT’S WITH THIS?..” Lammy struggles to maintain her balance as she constantly topples around until Parappa holds her steady.

 

“LEO A LITTLE HEADS UP WOULD BE NICE!”

 

“You want a heads up? DUCK!”

 

“Wha- YIPE…” Parappa grabs Lammy and drops down as they barely dodge another blast from Bruter “WE'RE SITTING DUCKS UP HERE!”

 

“Not for long! Take this!” Leo tosses his guitar. Parappa barely catches it.

 

“What the hell do you want me to do?? I don't know how to work thi-”

 

“Plug the head into that socket by your feet!”

 

“Huh?...um...alright…” once done, the guitar gets encased in a box as a cannon sprouts out behind them. It matches the one the other car has with slight decal differences “W-Why do you also have one…”

 

“I'll tell you once we get out of this ok! Now PLAY!” Leo tosses Lammy her guitar. She fumbles as it bounces in her grasp before finally keeping it steady.

 

“W-WHAT?”

 

“The thing is charged by music, just like theirs! Play and fire!” Leo moves to a different direction to avoid getting hit by another blast “ANY TIME PLEASE....”

 

Lammy quickly plays a riff that gives the cannon enough to fire one blast that hits around the other car, surrounding it in smoke “D-Did I do it?...” the smoke clears as they see Bruter with a blank expression.

 

“Alright. Ok. Yeah. WHY DO YOU HAVE ONE TO?” Bubbles erupt from Bruter’s helmet.

 

“Told ya you were a thief. I own the only one! Meaning that car is a replica! But none of you five seem capable of doing that so...again. who gave you that?”

 

“I'll tell ya over my dead body!”

 

“Currently? That can be arranged ya lunatic!” Leo turns the car back around as he tries to drive into Bruter’s car.

 

“How about...NOPE!” Bruter turns the car around “He who destroys and runs away gets to destroy another day!” He turns his cannon around as he keeps fleeing “Which includes today!” the cannon doesn't fire “What?...HEY! SING YOU IDIOTS!”

 

“Maybe once my stomach catches up to me…”

 

“Same here…”

 

“I think I just threw up my stomach…”

 

“GAH!...” they drive out of sight as they disappear into the pathway to Neon Heights.

 

“I'm going after them!”

 

“Why?? We finally got out of that! Why would you head BACK into danger??”

 

“You really wanna let those idiots keep a car like THAT?”

 

“...Fair point…”

 

“A-And our friends are heading to Neon Heights right now! Think of that plus all the o-other innocents that are g-gonna get into the crossfire!...”

 

“Alright Lammy!...So we just gotta blast them away?”

 

“That's the idea… You guys ready to make music?”

 

“If it means helping everyone, then you got my assistance!” Parappa plucks out a microphone.

 

“N-Not really no…” Lammy shivers in place until Parappa walks up to her.

 

“Why not?...You have a guitar in your hands and everything!”

 

“Because I don't have the slightest inkling that we'll be fine…t-this is gonna go south so f-fast...I fear for your safety…”

 

“And I'm worried over your safety to! Everyone's safety! They're gonna be counting on us...because we're the only ones capable of helping…”

 

“D-Do we have to be… L-Leo looks like he could cover it well enough on his o-own!...”

 

“I could try that if you please. My original plan was me doing this. I'll just summon a backup dancer to drive while I-...” Leo tries to summon a clone, only for his belt to fizzle out “My belt got fried as I tried to smack that blast away...oh man...If I denied your help I would've been boned…”

 

“W-Wonderful…”

 

“See Lammy?? We HAVE to help! And I know we'll be able to do it! After all, you know how everyone was on about your playing and my singing. If there's any merit to their words. This big cannon will be pumped with enough juice to send Bruter packing! He'll never show his ugly mug here again after he sees what he's been messing with!” Parappa grabs her hands “it's all gonna be ok. I'll make sure you’ll be ok. Ok?” Lammy struggles to say another word until Leo speaks up.

 

“And I'll make sure he'll stay ok to” he winks in a manner similar to Katy with an added nod. Lammy looks at Parappa one more time. With a slight heat forming at her face she sighs before lifting the guitar with pride.

 

“If I can believe in you. Then you know you can leave it to me!” Parappa beams before twirling the microphone in his hand.

 

Leo smiles before getting stunned by an electrical current from his body for a split moment “My head…huh?..” he spots the car they've been chasing as he tries to calm his headache “Look alive! We finally caught up!”

 

“Ready to Jam Lamb?~”

 

“Only if...no fair I don't have a way to rhyme your profession with a nickname of yours!” they both chuckle as the ready themselves.

 

_Stage 4: Neon Heights Fright_

 

“Well well well...looks like you guys really ain't smart if you came running after us! The boys got their second wind and are raring to go! And you're driving right in our line of sight...guess now this is fate giving me the proper chance against the two of you! This is for that night…”

 

“In your dreams! We beat you then, we'll beat you again now!” the two say in unison as Leo floors it.

 

**Lesson 1**

 

“Your up Temp!”

 

The shrimp hands the wheel to the crab as he hops onto the back of the car as the cannon marks its aim. Temp rubs his throat before looking at the trio with a creepy smile, then he starts.

 

_“BEAT GOIN, THE BEAT BEAT GOIN!_

_CAN YA KEEP THE BEAT UP, THERE'S JUST NO KNOWIN!”_

 

_“IMMA ROLLIN AND A GOIN CUZ I'M KNOWIN THAT I'M THROWIN ALL THESE BARS AT YOU,_

_SO WHATCHA GONNA DO?”_

 

_“I'M THE ONE OUT OF FIVES, THAT'LL STRIP YOU OF YOUR LIVES!_

_SO DON'T GET SHOOK,_

_CUZ IMMA SHRIMP YOU JUST CAN’T HOOK!”_ Lammy immediately starts strumming in key with Temp’s singing.

 

_“Who are you to me? Just some wannabe.”_

 

“Who are we to you? Well we'll make ya see!”

 

_“Who are you to me? Just a crash and burn!”_

 

“Who are we to you? Well just watch and learn!”

 

_“I ain't got time, for a little man like you!”_

 

“You're a shrimp ain't ya? So you're little to!”

 

_“I ain't little, I'm immaculately compact!”_

 

“You're just delusional, that's a certain fact!”

 

_“Who are you to judge, ya freestyle no-bo-dy!”_

 

“I’m the singing police, oh woe is me!”

 

_“You think you can beat me by spitting rhymes like those?”_

 

“You're one to talk, you're all washed up, got the hose!”

 

_“I AM THE SHRIMP THAT AIN'T NO WIMP CUZ I GOT NO EQUAL!”_

 

“More like a hog, running against this dog! Meh I'll just wait for the sequel~” Both cannons fire their attack. While Bruter’s was the energy ball that it's been firing the entire time. Leo's became a flat out laser that pierced through it and zapped Temp on the spot. Once the laser finishes, he falls backwards into the open seat. Dazed and defeated.

 

**Lesson 2**

 

“Are you kidding me?...You lost to THAT Temp??...ugh...Coco you're up…” Coco passes the wheel to the lobster as he hops to where Temp was standing. The crab punches his claw fists together as he aggressively clears his throat. He begins.

 

_“CAN YA KEEP THE BEAT? KEEP THE BEAT BEAT GOIN!_

_GONNA LOSE THIS FIGHT, YEAH YOUR CAR THEY BE TOWIN!”_

 

_“HOT AS FIRE LIGHTIN DYNAMITE,_

_YOU CAN'T STAND UP TO MY MIGHT!”_

 

_“CATCH THESE CLAWS, THAT'LL BREAK YOUR LAWS._

_AS I PINCH PINCH PINCH,_

_AND WATCH YOU FLINCH FLINCH FLINCH!”_ Lammy manages to maintain the changing beat, keeping Parappa on track.

 

_“I am the man that you don't undastan. Gonna beat you in this fray!”_

 

“You are the man that we don't undastan? We’ll just serve you on a platter or a tray!”

 

_“You cannot cage me, you cannot cook me. I am maniac cuz I am to unruly!”_

 

“We cannot cage you, we cannot cook you? You're just a fool, that sure is truly!”

 

_“What do you have over me? There's nothing to see!”_

 

“The answer is clear! It's our harmony!”

 

_“You two really think you can keep up with a guy like me?”_

 

“You already lost, I'm sorry that's just how it be.”

 

_“Man you two are pompous, ya can't beat what's flawless!”_

 

“Is that what you think? Cuz you're more like a flawed mess!”

 

_“You know I don't really know if you got what it takes.”_

 

“Psyched out as you talk to a mirror? You already lost cuz thems the breaks!”

 

_“Is that what you think? Man that's a pity.”_

 

“It'll be a fact as we beat you, no matter the town or city!”

 

_“I'm reeling as I'm feeling my shell peeling at those beats that I know you be stealing.”_

 

“You are dealing with your truth concealing cuz you keeling over at my raps, for you there is no healing!”

 

_“I AM THE CRAB THAT'S GOLDEN LIKE A CASH GRAB! AIN'T EVER STOP MY FORCE CUZ MY VOICE WILL NEVER GET HOARSE!”_

 

“More like a drag, worse then when my pants sag. So move along now, it's time for the next course!” the cannons fire again. Bruter’s blast is even bigger and it doesn't get pierced through this time, but ultimately gets pushed back and nails Coco dead on. He slinks into a newly vacant seat, out cold like Temp.

 

“Are you SERIOUS?!...”

 

* * *

 

“Hey boss man. I've decided to tap into the surveillance cam on those stooges car and get a load of this.” Yismun waves for Tycoon to walk closer.

 

“What is it?”

 

“Look at the outfit of the other driver. Looks unfortunately familiar doesn't it?...” he points to Leo in the camera feed.

 

“Well I'll be...it looks like dear boy Europa’s...he's clearly an ally of him if he sports that style...well the cat himself didn't show up, but this is just as nice a result. Perhaps we can recruit this weirdly cross colored sheep instead.”

 

“My thoughts exactly big man!”

 

“What about the ones accompanying the lad?”

 

“Oh them? I can't tell who or what they are, let's zoom in- GAH!” the camera feed dies once it gets zapped due to Coco’s defeat “Blasted failures!...”

 

“Enough. We got more than enough information by simply seeing who one of them is. It will suffice for the while.” Tycoon turns away “These five have proven themselves to be quite useful to keep around. When they fail, make sure you're able to escort them back here.”

 

“Really now? Ugh...you're the boss. You're free to make your calls.”

 

“They've done more in a single day than you have in the span of your existence under my wing.”

 

“Understood…”

 

* * *

 

“GET UP YOU TWO!...God dammit…-”

 

**Lesson 3**

 

“Rocky you're up!” The lobster nods as he gives him the wheel. He hops to where the previous two were as he punches the air in a boxer style. With a quick clearing of his throat he begins.

 

_“LEAD THE BEAT, FEEL THE BEAT, NEVER LET THE BEAT DROP!_

_GOING GOING GONE AS I TAKE THE BEAT TO THE TOP!”_

 

_“CAN YOU KEEP THE BEAT UP LIKE YOUR FREESTYLE?_

_CAN YOU STAND UP TO ME AND MAKE IT WORTHWHILE?”_

 

_“I AM THE MAN WITH THE PLAN, AND I DON'T THINK YOU UNDERSTAND._

_THAT WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING IS CATCHING MY HAND!”_ unlike the previous two, Rocky gives Bruter’s cannon enough energy to fire constant blasts at Leo's car.

 

“WHOA!” Leo's driving turns into constant zigzags to prevent him or the two he's  carrying from getting hit “You guys still got this!”

 

_“You are nothing but a nuisance in our side!”_

 

“You just can't handle our amazin stride!”

 

_“You ain't nothin but pretty whisperer!”_

 

“You just cranky, cuz of us singing ‘Love Together!’~”

 

_“Why is it that you two don't know when to quit?”_

 

“Cuz you see this standoff? Yeah, we'll be winning it!”

 

_“You both ain't winning nothin, but a blast to the face!”_

 

“Clearly you don't know which side is the real musical ace!”

 

_“I am built big and strong just like Notre Dame. So think long and hard, or else you'll meet your downfall!”_

 

“Is that your ticket to fame, is it what you claim? We already thought ahead and we'll be giving you our all!”

 

_“Your all is a stretch, as it feels a little sketch.”_

 

“Not a distance I can't fetch! Cuz we're almost at the homestretch!”

 

_“You guys are hanging by a wire, the fates have answered to my desire!”_

 

“Your tenacity we don't admire. Watch as you start seeing things get dire!”

 

_“You two are limpin and wimpin out, as I'm rilin and stylin on in!”_

 

“We are here runnin and gunnin on through and we keep on goin cuz we knowin that we'll win!”

 

_“I AM A LOBSTER, THE MOBSTER! THEY CALL ME KING FREAK, BUT I'M JUST SUPER UNIQUE!”_

 

“That is sad, like superbad! You've hit your peak and so I guess I'll see ya next week!” the blast launched from Bruter’s cannon is massive as it provides a decent struggle against Leo's laser. They stay interlocked in a clash before the energy ball fails to keep the beam at bay as it slowly gets shoved backwards much to Rocky’s misfortune. He stubbornly tries to hold the blast at bay with his bare hands, but that proves to be his downfall as the blast goes through his arms to the rest of his body, taking him down like the previous two.

 

“I hate all of you…” Bruter foams at the mouth.

 

* * *

 

The tunnel escape that all the club participants have taken finally leads to its exit as they all walk out of a hole in the floor of the Neon Heights largest hotel!

 

“Hi welcome t- W-WHAAA!...Where are you all coming from??...” she watches as person after person comes out of the ground “I didn't even know this place had a second basement…” the deskgirl scoots towards the employees only room as she runs off to avoid having to deal with everyone.

 

The main group finally escape the ground as they head outside the hotel.

 

“We made it out!...Now we just gotta find them…” Matt scans around the area for a vehicle to drive back to the club until two wild cars drive before him in a wild chase as they shoot each other.

 

“I think we found them…” Sweety says as she stares at the second car, terrified for the safety of the two people standing on an extended stage from the back of their car.

 

“Great...how do we even catch up to them to help??...” Paula states as she angrily stomps in place. Near moments after a car drives up to them.

 

The door opens to reveal Rammy “Get in!”

 

“Rammy?? Where did you even get that?”

 

“Found it.”

 

“How did you even get IN it without damaging it?” Paula is quickly answered by the backdoors opening, revealing PJ and Katy.

 

“We helped.” PJ says nonchalantly.

 

“Now get in!” Katy says as she hops in her seat, to which the others immediately oblige.

 

Sweety quickly turns her attention to the driver “Wait wait...Rammy do you know how to drive?...”

 

“Pffft. Do I know how to drive...Of course I don't!”

 

“WHAT?!” they all shout in surprise.

 

“Relaxxxxx. I own a motorcycle so this should be simple...now let's see… I think I just need to stomp on this thing!” she slams down on the gas as the car launches itself wildly down the street, Rammy cackles in delight as the remainder of the group all scream in fear.

 

* * *

 

**Lesson 4**

 

Bruter growls before sighing and handing the steering wheel to Tundra as he takes his stand where the three before him all failed to stop Parappa and Lammy. He takes a deep breath before looking straight at the opposing vehicle.

 

“This looks like it's gonna be it Lammy!”

 

“I'll say! He looks like he's about to break his teeth from how hard he's clenching them!”

 

With one final baring of his teeth. Bruter begins.

 

_“GOTTA GET UP, GET UP, GOTTA GO._

_GOTTA KEEP THE RHYTHM GOING, GOING WITH THE FLOW.”_

 

_“BET YOU TWO THINK YOU'RE THE HEROES,_

_BUT I'M GONNA DROP THAT SENSATION DOWN TO ZEROES.”_

 

_“I AM STUNTING AND I'M TRICKING,_

_CUZ YOUR ASSES I AM KICKING.”_

 

_“THE BEAT NEVER STOPS, AND NEITHER DOES THE FLOW!_

_YOU'LL BE DONE IN AN INSTANT FROM WHAT? YOU WON'T EVEN KNOW!”_ Three lasers fire from Bruster's cannon, zapping the three of them head on in a massive chain shock.

 

“ZZZZTTTTZZZZ…” Parappa spasms heavily in place as he spirals around the platform.

 

“BZZZZZZBBBBBZZZBBB…” Lammy gets electrocuted heavily to the point she's temporarily lifted off her feet.

 

“AGHGAGAHGAGHAAA…” Leo ends up forcibly swapping between his body shapes against his will as his hands let go of the steering wheel, causing the car to lose control until he manages to force his hands back on and keep it steady. Once the electricity stops, the three are left heaving as they try to recuperate from the shock “What the hell…”

 

“P-Parappa I don't t-think this'll b-be it…”

 

“Yeah...I noticed as I was being barbecued…”

 

“B-But I r-refuse to go...d-down...so...e-e-easily…” Lammy stumbles in place as her vision gets a tad blurry.

 

“Lammy?...” Parappa heads to her side instantaneously to keep her steady.

 

“Aw fuck...getting zapped while holding a large metallic object was not the best thing to have happen to her...Lammy get down here and take the wheel! I'll cover for yo-”

 

“N-NO!...” she forces herself steady “N-Not while HE'S the current one up!...” Bruter laughs maniacally from the distance “I'm...s-staying in! To take him d-down!...I refuse to let...him...hurt either of you…”

 

“Lammy you take another bolt like that head on and I don't know what'll happen to you!...” Parappa stares at her with pleading eyes.

 

“What about you? You were holding a mike.”

 

“It's small! You're holding a guitar that's almost as big as you!”

 

“Ok then, guess we just gotta make sure...that we outplay him then...right?...”

 

“Lammy!...I just got you back...doh…” Parappa ruffles his hair as he turns back to face Bruter, then calls to Leo under him “Leo if you see her stumble once more, you're tagging in for her. Got it?”

 

“Don't gotta tell me twice!”

 

“Sadly that won't be happening...cuz we're gonna beat him before I start falling!...”

 

“I hope you're right…”

 

“I can help with that!...I just gotta be quicker to avoid the bolts…”

 

“You do that...man I wasn't expecting Bruter to pack those pipes…”

 

“You're telling me…” Once they catch up again, the music resumes.

 

_“Still standing? Y'all are pretty dumb.”_

 

“Barely any scratch, just a little numb.” Lammy sings the verse instead of Parappa this time.

 

_“Can you keep it up ya wannabe hero?”_

 

“We'll show you we can keep on going ya absolute zero!”

 

_“I have the misfortune of having you in my way on this day, but now you'll finally pay!”_

 

“Here we are again and is that for real? Here's the deal, your lips you should forever seal.” Lammy bats away the beams that the opposing car fires that are unable to be dodged. She does so flawlessly where as Leo nearly got himself electrocuted to death when he tried.

 

_“Is this the beat that you think you find unique as a way you'll win?”_

 

“I think it's neat that you still think that we're weak, cuz right now you better inform your next of kin!” Parappa takes over singing again as Lammy finds herself preoccupied with deflecting the blasts.

 

_“Right now is a time that you should go down, drop dead and just piss off!”_

 

“Down and away for me cuz I am no clown, unlike your head of lead, now watch me turn my head and scoff.”

 

_“Ya two already lost as the cost for deciding to even go up against this boss!”_

 

“We won't be tossed by your exhaust because it seems your at a loss!”

 

_“Y'all better quit while can or else you'll fall to the better man!”_

 

“You can’t escape from the L you owe, as you lose to the better duo!”

 

_“I am the vocal king that'll knock you outta this ring! You'll be burned by my heat as you fail to carry this beat!”_

 

“We won't lose to this ruse that you choose to use! We are wild while you're mild so we hope you don't get to riled!”

 

_“Do you think this is a test? You're both fools as I leave you in the dust like a pest!”_

 

“You say it like the rest, but sorry to say you're facing off against the best!” Lammy returns to take the verse again.

 

 _“OOOOOH. CAN YOU KEEP THE_ **_BEAT?_ ** _THIS IS NO ORDINARY_ **_FEAT!_ ** _WIN AND YOU MAY GET A_ **_TREAT!_ ** _OTHERWISE YOU'LL FACE_ **_DEFEAT!_ ** _”_ four massive beams fire from his cannon.

 

Parappa and Lammy nod as they sing in unison from this point on “CAN WE FEEL THE **BEAT** ? IS IT REALLY, SUCH A HARD **FEAT** ? GUESS YOU'RE OWING US A **TREAT** , SINCE YOU'RE FACING NOTHING BUT **DEFEAT**!” They launch their own four beams as the opposing lights clash and struggle against each other.

 

Temp gets up to help Bruter _“_ **_BEAT_ ** _GOIN, THE_ **_BEAT BEAT_ ** _GOIN! CAN YOU KEEP THE_ **_BEAT_ ** _UP? THERE'S JUST NO KNOWIN!”_

 

“ **BEAT** GOIN, THE **BEAT** **BEAT** GOING! CAN WE KEEP THE **BEAT** UP? YES, WATCH IT FLOWIN!” one of the four lasers gets pushed back to Bruter as it zaps Temp once more.

 

Coco gets back up to assist the two _“CAN YA KEEP THE_ **_BEAT_ ** _? KEEP THE_ **_BEAT BEAT_ ** _GOIN! GONNA LOSE THIS FIGHT, YEAH YOUR CAR THEY BE TOWIN!”_

 

“CAN WE KEEP THE **BEAT** ? KEEP THE **BEAT BEAT** GOIN! GONNA WIN THIS FIGHT, WITH OUR RHYMES, THEY BE OWNIN!” the second beam flies back and begins zapping Coco.

 

Rocky leaps back up to give it his go _“LEAD THE_ ** _BEAT_** _, FEEL THE_ ** _BEAT_** _,_ _NEVER LET THE_ ** _BEAT_** _DROP! GOING GOING GONE AS I TAKE THE_ ** _BEAT_** _TO THE TOP!”_

 

“LEAD THE **BEAT** , FEEL THE **BEAT** , NEVER LET THE **BEAT** DROP! GOING GOING GONE AS WE FINISH YOU WITH A **KICK, PUNCH, CHOP**!” the third beam goes and blasts Rocky.

 

Bruter’s bowl becomes a geyser as he sings his verse to try and take them out _“GOTTA GET UP, GET UP, GOTTA GO! GOTTA KEEP THE_ **_RHYTHM_ ** _GOING, GOING WITH THE FLOW!”_

 

“GOTTA GET UP, GET UP AND GOTTA GO! GOTTA KEEP THE **RHYTHM** GOING, CUZ WE'RE WINNING THIS YA KNOW!” the fourth and final beam gets sent back, but not all the way as Bruter tries one last attempt.

 

 _“THE_ **_BEAT_ ** _NEVER STOPS, AND NEITHER DOES THE_ **_FLOW_ ** _! YOU'LL BE DONE IN AN INSTANT! FROM WHAT? YOU WON'T EVEN KNOW!”_

 

“THE **BEAT** NEVER STOPS, AND NEITHER DOES THE **FLOW**! YOU'LL SEE THAT WE'RE RESISTANT! YOU'RE DONE! THERE'S NOWHERE LEFT TO GO!” the final beam gives way as Bruter gets electrocuted massively along with the other three. Once the chain blast stops the four all stumble as they fall. Bruter is the only one to not pass out as he drops to his knees in exhaustion. Gasping in defeat.

 

“We...We did it!...”

 

“W-We really did...he's down!...”

 

“HAHA! I KNEW you two could do it!”

 

“It's all f-final o-” Lammy gets hit by a blast that knocks her onto her back. Luckily the guitar absorbed the brunt of the attack. However... “WAHA...ow...h-huh?...M-MY GUITAR!...” the guitar falls off the car as he tumbles down the street, farther and farther away from her “N-No...N-Not now…”

 

They all turn their attention back to the other car. They had not won. The silent Tundra stood there laughing.

 

**Lesson 5**

 

_“It's been thirty four ticks since the moment that you bored me,_

_Didn't want my pretty hands dirty, but guess that's how it gotta be.”_

 

_“Don't you two know defeat? Why is it a lesson that we gotta repeat._

_Imma a cruisin, I ain't rusin, and I know you choosin to get such a heavy bruisin.”_

 

_“The finale? More like finally!_

_Finally time to end things as they should've been! I'm gonna do you in!_

_These four fools, are just my tools!_

_For my own play until you got in their way._

_So don't feel bad that you're about to suffer doomsday!”_ she cackles like a witch as a simple big blast, similar to the ones Rocky spawned, flies out. Leo tries to drive away from its path, but this one is stubbornly homing in. And it's target is the downed Lammy.

 

“LAMMY!” Parappa tries to help her, but the constant car turning makes it hard for him to get close easily.

 

 _Why won't my legs move??...Why can't I get back up and move??..._ “C-Come on...I-It’s all in the mind...it's all in the m-mind...it's...all...W-WAHAHAHAAAA NOOOOO!...” Lammy closes her eyes and braces for the inevitable attack. However nothing happens. She hears the electricity crackle, but she herself is unharmed. She opens her eyes wearily until they bolt wide open at who she sees in front of her, taking the full force of the blast.

 

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH…” Parappa flashes with an epileptic light as he takes it all. The blast eventually stops as he falls onto his face.

 

“PARAPPA!...”

 

“DAD!...” Leo begins fading in and out of reality slightly.

 

Parappa peels himself off the ground weakly as he tries to stand back up “You...cheap...shot…” he manages to stand, but not very well “H-How dare...you try and hurt...my best...friend…”he wobbles greatly “I'm...gonna make...you...re...gret…” he falls back onto the ground, out cold.

 

“N-No...nonono…” she forcibly commands her body to get up and move towards him “No...i-i’m...sorry…”

 

Tundra cackles louder as she watches Lammy cradle the unconscious dog. Crying like a mess. Leo however yells in anger as he slams his foot on the gas so hard, he stomps straight through the floor of the car, destroying it “YOU MESSED WITH THE WRONG GUY YOU BI-” he is silenced once he sees Parappa's body slide down into the passenger's seat next to him. His hat missing “Wha…”

 

“Keep him safe…” Lammy's voice draws Leo's attention. When he looks up he sees her wearing his beanie and a mask. The mask was the one her grandfather had handed to her before heading off to his permanent rest. She was crying, but she was stern, angry, upset. She was so many emotions in one at that very moment. One thing was clear to her for once. All those emotions finally agreed on one thing. Take. Her. Down “I'm finishing what we started…” she holds up Parappa's microphone to which Tundra laughs again.

 

_“Look at you, little baby thinking she ain't worthless, but you ain't nothing but a giant mess!”_

 

“I am not gonna stress. What'll happen by the end of this? I'll let you take a guess.”

 

_“Big words from a big wannabe, is the little meek honey tryin to frighten me ya see?”_

 

“It ain't a lie cuz I'll succeed, all your words I will impede!” Lammy stumbles, the weariness gained from the bolt she suffered from Bruter, plus the recent blast that knocked her guitar away, was starting to pile on the strain.

 

_“Aw, is the little baby unable to take a shocking? Cuz all I see you doing is trembling and gawking~”_

 

“Just keep it up with your mocking, cuz in the end it's your world I'll be rocking!” A blast ejects itself from Leo's cannon as it hits Tundra in her face. She shakes it off and is immediately enraged at the ewe.

 

_”Half bird, half diva. Can't handle my super feva! Cool as ice, ain't it nice, with a beat that no matter who, it can entice!_

 

“I'm a shining star, that's gone very far, compared to me? Nothing is what you are! Compared to my funk, you sing like a drunk. As I have fun in the nonexistent sun cuz I know I already won!” another blast hits Tundra, but does effectively nothing except anger her even more. However Bruter, Temp, Coco and Rocky all suddenly become dazed.

 

_“Part witch I'm amazing! Eyes on me they'll be praising! Your little zaps do nothing but emphasize that your weak! Honey your future is starting to look bleak~ It's for the better that you no longer speak~”_

 

“I'm holding on real tight, getting ready for a real fight! And here I go, cuz didn't you know? I am a master! And you? A walking, talking disaster!” another blast hits Tundra, this time actually managing to shock her temporarily. The four below her act as if they had just woken up from a coma.

 

 _“SUPERHERO, THAT IS I! SUPER ZERO, THAT IS YOU, OH MY~ I AM THE DEALER, FOR YOU THERE IS NO HEALER! I WILL CHILL YOU TO THE BONE CUZ I AM FULLY IN THE ZONE!”_ Her cannon fires a gargantuan energy ball towards the Leo's car.

 

“Oh my...um...L-Lammy?...” Leo begins sweating bullets as he is unable to avoid the ball. Lammy watches the ball inch closer, she knows that she can't stop it with the blasts she's currently making, it was a sign that trying to sing like Parappa wasn't exactly getting her anywhere. How did he manage she thought? And just then it was clear to her. He was simply being honest with himself in his words, whether he follow his instructor, or improvise. Lammy then takes a deep breath before continuing.

 

“I am anxious, and I'm scared. Sometimes those things leave me impaired. I lack the bark and the bite, but I still got loads of might. Will I ever get over these things? I doubt it. But even with that said, I won't split! I am the girl that will keep on going even when things get dim!” the cannon mustered enough to fire a laser again at the ball, but the ball pushes down even further as it gets even closer despite being kept at bay “CUZ I'M DOING THIS FOR ME...AS WELL AS HIM!” the laser fires at such a strength that it straight up annihilated the enemy attack as it simply heads straight towards Tundra who simply watches in horror of her incoming defeat at the hands of someone she dubbed worthless.

 

“How is this possible…to lose...to YOU?!...” the beam makes contact as Tundra is blasted into the air and held there by the potency. Her feathers are immediately fried right off as she stays in the constant beam fire until it finally let's up, letting her drop into an open seat, utterly defeated. Lammy had become victorious for the two of them. Leo's cannon falls apart after its finished firing.

 

Lammy falls onto her rear, completely out of it “H-Haha...I...actually did it…” she slowly gets back up as she slides into the passenger's seat, carrying Parappa back within her arms as she to starts fading to black herself.

 

The other car starts sputtering from constant abuse as the four males look at each other confused.

 

“Hey...Where the hell am I?...” Temp says as he looks about.

 

“W-Who the hell are you guys?...” Coco says backing away from the rest.

 

“Are we...in a car?...” Rocky taps the withered vehicle they're on.

 

“Why is no one driving it…” Bruter’s add on causes them all to look at each other.

 

“AHHHHH, RUNAWAY CAR! ABANDON SHI-” the four of them are shut up as Tundra gets back up. The four act as if they were being possessed as they follow her next command.

 

Back with the trio, Leo glances over to the two in the passenger's seat “Come on Lammy… hold out for a little bit longer…I'll get you guys to help as soon as possib-”

 

“FIRE!” shouts Tundra as another massive blasts launches itself to them.

 

“Oh no...come on jetpack jetpack jetpack!...” his jacket glitches up similar to his belt, leaving him without options as he looks back towards Lammy and his past dad “...WELL THANKS FOR RIDING THE LEO EXPRESS, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED BUT YOU TWO ARE GONNA MAKE A FORCED DROP OFF…” he presses a button next to the wheel as the passenger chair starts rumbling.

 

“H-Huh?...” Before Lammy can get fully aware, the seat ejects itself from the rest of the car as the two fly up into the sky avoiding the next blast “WOAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!...” Leo on the other hand...

 

“Come on come on!...great...my seat eject doesn’t work. Well...this will hurt...can't say it's the worst I'm about to go through though…” the ball engulfs the entirety of his car as the electricity crackles on the spot near endlessly. Any sound Leo would be able to make is overshadowed by the sound of the blast eating away at the ground.

 

“HAHAHA! NEVER MESS WITH A WITCH YOU ANNOYING-” Before Tundra is allowed to finish her victory dialog, another car rushes by as it slams into her car and sends it and the five of them flying into a nearby wall.

 

The car that hit them finally stops as it reverses to where the other car used to be and where the ejected seat is dropping. The doors open as Rammy immediately runs out, but the others fall out onto the ground one by one, completely nauseated.

 

“WHOA WHAT A LIGHTSHOW…” Rammy stares at the giant ball of light that still keeps going as her attention then swaps to the seat above her “Wuh oh...I gotcha!...” she manages to catch it as she helps her double off of it “What the hell happened to the two of you?!...”

 

“F-Forget that!...we…” she stumbles “We'll be fine!...currently Leo is getting v-vaporized in that ball!...”

 

“What?!...Well how do we stop it??...”

 

“I...I don't know…” the two stare at the light show before Lammy hands Rammy Parappa “Place him in the car, let him recline on something comfortable…”

 

“And you?”

 

“I'm gonna be ok!...ugh…” she almost falls over until Rammy catches her.

 

“Like fucking hell you are! You're in a worse condition than he is! And he's the one unconscious!”

 

“This is not the time to be bickering!...ugh…”

 

“I'll say, now get in the damn car!”

 

“N-” Before they're able to keep at it, something ejects from the big ball of light as it lands face first in between the two with a guitar right after, nailing it in the head “L-Leo!...” between them stands the half and half sheep boy as he's coated entirely in soot. Smoke emanating from his entire body as he woozily gets up, placing the guitar on his back.

 

“You caaaaaaalled?~...”

 

“Ok I was wrong. HE'S in a worse state than the two of you! But he's still standing...sorta?”

 

“H-How are you even remotely ok?...”

 

“This...lovely getup...of mine~...also I wanted to eject sooner...but my car was stubborn~...if it weren't for...the fact that...my car was starting to compress...I wouldn't have been able...to squeeze out due to...the chair being pushed out~...” he lifts his right arm “Cheers to all of us for managing to beat them!...fist bump!~” he inches his arm closer to Lammy.

 

“Um...o-ok…” she obliges, but the second she touches his hand.

 

“OWOWOWOWOWOWOWWWWWWW!...” he falls onto his back clutching his right arm tightly.

 

“Something tells me that as his car started squeezing together, it may have broken his arm in the process…great. We have THREE people we got take in to a hospital now.” Rammy holsters Leo over her left shoulder as she carries Parappa over her right “Come on.”

 

“I'm telling you Rammy! I'm...fiiiii…-” she finally collapses as she falls backwards, only to be caught by Katy who finally managed to settle her stomach.

 

“What a mess…” she sighs “Come on let's get the three of them in the car. I think we passed a hospital about a few blocks back…”

 

“What about the five that did this??”

 

“What about them?” she points over to where the five were on the wall. They are now currently being deployed into a police car “It's safe to say they're done for…”

 

“Huh. Guess that wraps this up. Let's go then, the sooner we help these three the better.”

 

“Yeah, but you ain't driving! We're waiting till Matt’s fine so HE'LL drive us.”

 

“Aight. Fine. I can take a hint that my driving sucks.”

 

* * *

 

_Two hours later_

 

“And there you are miss! The bandages are now placed over the treated outer wounds. The scans show that you're fine internally as well, but for a safe bet it's still better that you take this recommended medication to prevent anything from starting up all.” the doctor writes down on her clipboard “I saw the whole event transpire from my office window! What the three of you did was incredibly reckless, but I suppose you lot were properly equipped to handle it better than our police force ever could of.”

 

“Hehe...y-yeah...I'm willing to admit that...t-thank you doctor…”

 

“Still to take a massive influx of something similar to lightning while holding a large metallic object was probably the most dangerous thing to have happen to you! I was worried you'd be in a grave state, but low and behold my surprise when I found you perfectly fine! You even woke up rather fast! You are one hardy lamb! Just like that dog! He was also pretty hardy! Not much wrong with him except...one...minor thinnnng…”

 

“W-What’s wrong with him?!...”

 

“Oh no it's nothing grave or permanent! But it may put a damper on his profession for a bit. His vocal chords where slightly ruffled up during the shock that he states he blocked from hitting you. He won't be able to sing for a little while till they heal. He's also not allowed to raise his voice for anything less he want to have constant throat pains.” she shakes her head “Tsk Tsk Tsk… what a pity. From what little I was able to hear, he had a nice singing voice. He'll make a full recovery in...let's see here...a week. Five days if a lucky minimum, ten days to two weeks if an unlucky maximum!”

 

“O-Oh...now I really feel bad about letting him take that for me…”

 

“Oh don't feel bad! He said he was fine with it as long as you were ok in the end! And well you clearly are! So he was elated! You should be to! He didn't let it get to him, so the very least you can do is not let it get to you either!”

 

“O-Ok…” she scratches her ear “Can I-…”

 

“Go see him? Of course! Although you may wanna get dressed! These medical gowns don't exactly hide much modesty from the back!”

 

“E-Eep!...thanks for the heads up!...”

 

After a quick dress up, Lammy finds herself walking the empty hallways to head towards Parappa's room. It stays silent until she feels the ground rumble, when she turns to an interconnecting hallway she sees Leo running away from his doctor with the remainder of her friends helping to chase after him.

 

“STOP IT! I DON'T NEED A CAST!”

 

“MISTER STEPS, YOUR ARM IS **NOT** SUPPOSED TO BEND THAT WAY! YOU ARE IN DESPERATE NEED OF HELP THIS INSTANT.”

 

“HOW DO YOU KNOW?! YOU DON'T KNOW MY BODY!”

 

“IT'S NO DIFFERENT FROM ANYONE ELSE'S ARM!” the chase vanishes from sight as soon as it reaches the corner. Loud noise can be heard a mere moments after. Once it all settles the doctor walks back to the other side with his hands on his forehead, behind him are PJ, Matt, Ma-San and Rammy holding him hostage as they lug him back to his room. Lammy simply blinks, unable to comprehend what went down, or why it even went down in the first place. Paula, Sweety and Katy spot her and walk towards her.

 

“Lammy! You're all set and done?” Katy says as she inspects every bit of her to see if she was alright.

 

“Yeah s-surprisingly...my body is all good from the outside. And they say my insides are perfectly fine...but t-to be honest I feel like overcooked mutton…” She wraps her arms around her gut “But that's not even the worst of it…”

 

“What happened?...does something else hurt?”

 

“No nothing!...Aside from getting blasted, but that's a d-different thing. No I just feel bad is all,  for having to let Parappa t-take a hit for me for not paying attention...it messed with his vocal chords and now he's kinda on singing p-probation for a bit…”

 

“What?? Aw man that must suck a ton right now for him…” Paula says as she thinks up the worst.

 

“Well the doctor said he was f-fine and ok with it…mostly because he w-was just happy I was ok.”

 

“Oh then why feel bad over it? He's fine and you're fine! Be happy it wasn't a lot worse! Plus you helped take down five lunatics to prison!" Paula gently nudges her shoulder.

 

“Guess there's t-that way to look at it. Come on, I-I’ll probably feel better talking to him.” the three other girls nod before following suit, as they near their Paula sighs and asks.

 

“Soooo...You three clearly know what's up with Leo...and with his face kinda...like that...care to explain?...”

 

“That's a...big story...WAIT!...Parappa!...he-”

 

“Yeah he saw his f-face...he couldn't really ask or question it at the time. Of course I-I’m certain he also heard him call him D-Dad before fainting so…-”

 

“Dad?? Alright now I really want in…”

 

“We'll be sure to tell you when we can. Right now let's handle things one problem at a time.” Sweety sighs as she pushes the door open once they arrived. The confrontation and explanation was brief, but still overbearing.

 

“I'm glad you're alright! And that you kicked all of them to the curve! Ow...got to excited…” Parappa rubs his throat a bit before going back to wagging his tail excitedly while looking at Lammy.

 

“Easy there!...I only took on the c-closing act really. You did most of work.”

 

“Most of the work? You gave me a steady rhythm to follow! Those guys kept swapping how the song kept going. If it weren't for your guitar, and occasional realigning verses I wouldn't have been able to manage a good flow at all!”

 

“Geez enough with the endless flattery! You both were great and let's just leave it at that!” Katy grabs both their hands and gets them to interlock with her own. Sweety and Paula join in.

 

“Hehe...guess that's acceptable. Where are the others? They should get in on this.”

 

“Currently? Restraining Leo so that the doctors can help him with his arm.”

 

“Yikes. Doesn't seem like he wants to be here.”

 

“Ya think?” Katy chuckles “Guess he has a phobia of doctors or something.”

 

“I still don't believe it...that he's my kid from the future...you sure you ain't pulling my leg?...”

 

“Would we?” Parappa tilts his head as he glances to all of them, Paula simply raises her hands in defense.

 

“Don't be looking at me. I just found out alongside you.”

 

Parappa hums as he places his hand on his chin.

 

“What are you doing?...”

 

“Testing something…” Just as he says this, screams are heard down the hall in the direction Leo was lugged off to. Sweety’s, Katy’s, Paula’s and his phone all immediately ring. Upon answering to PJ, Ma-san, Matt and Rammy respectively, all phones blare in Parappa's ears with the same line.

 

**“STOP THINKING ABOUT NOT HAVING KIDS IN THE FUTURE, YOU'RE CAUSING LEO TO FADE OUT OF EXISTENCE!”**

 

“YOU'RE WHAT?!” Three of the four girls yell at him instantly while Paula scoots away.

 

“I-I”m sorry!...I thought you guys were j-joking!...” he quickly stops his test as he grabs his throat again “Got to worked up again…ok...so...I'm his dad...well...now I feel like a heap of trash for getting upset at him for so long…heh...so...why did he bother coming back in time?...Just to meet me?...” the trio that we're already aware huddle up.

 

 _“If we tell him, he's bound to freak out…”_ Sweety says with a sigh.

 

 _“If we don't it'll freak him out in the long run…”_ Katy says as she glances back towards Parappa.

 

 _“M-Maybe it's best if Leo tells him, h-himself?...”_ After Lammy says this, they both think it over, then nod in agreement. They both then get behind Lammy and push her forward so that she explains that to him “H-Hey!...um...hi!...”

 

“Hello?...what were you three talking about?...”

 

“We'll we thought t-that it may be for the best for you to h-hear the reason from him!”

 

“Well that's a minor inconvenience, but I guess I'll do that seeing as I do owe him a better apology…and a newer one seeing as I almost made him no longer exist…” he chuckles nervously at the thought of having to talk to Leo in accord to that.

 

The entire group were all released with the trio given the ok to leave. They all head off, in the distance the blast had finally ended as a crater now takes its place. Leo's car was no longer existent. PJ, Leo and Parappa stray farther from the rest of the group as Parappa begins his questioning.

 

“So Leo, you gonna explain to me the deal with your guitar and your late car?...” Parappa gets no reply “Ok...yeah...I deserve the silent treatment...eheh...I'm still really sorry...about almost poofing you out of reality and all that…”

 

“Oh that?...pfft I'm not mad at that...who could be upset at their own father choosing to not have kids in order to test their legitimacy...causing them to almost vanish in the process!” his voice breaks as tears stream down his face “No noooo it's all!...really really….g-good…!...I'm perfectly ok...with...that…” he buries his face in his cast “S-Scuse me for a bit…” he separates himself from the group as Parappa looks down in shame.

 

“And now I gotta deal with the guilt…”

 

“He'll get over it. He's as hardy as you are...well not emotionally wise but he'll still be fine. After all you stopped in the end right?” PJ's attempt to cheer up Parappa fails as he only gets a grunt of regret from him.

 

“Right...let's just head back to his club to get into our cars and drive home already…”

 

“It's better you apologize in order to end the tension sooner rather than later…”

 

“PJ I don't exactly have a clear way of how I'm gonna do that!...also right now I just want to rest...I'm tired... today was just _not_ a good day...I don't have it in me to properly find a good apology...I'll just make more harm than good…”

 

“Alright. I can understand that. Dunno if he can though.” He shrugs “Better get him to at least stop crying and come back here. I don't think the girls will be happy to see their potential son crying off in the distance thank to his own dad.”

 

“I'll go do that…”

 

Meanwhile with the others, Rammy quickly calls out to her double.

 

“Yo Lammy, come over here.”

 

“U-Um...alright…” she quickly walks over to her doppelganger “What is it?...”

 

“Here. It got stuck in the roof of the car that I ‘borrowed’.” she hands her the guitar she lost.

 

“My guitar!” she quickly plucks it from her hands “Thank you so m-much!” she immediately grabs Rammy in for a hug “I t-thought I'd lost this for good!...”

 

“Heyheyhey!...I know you're happy and all, but come onnnnnn…” Lammy let's go quickly.

 

“Sorry!...”

 

“Eh...it's fine, you know who got me used to them~...”she quickly yanks Lammy back into the hug “Doesss...this mean-”

 

“Yes yes...I'd love to be your friend~...W-Would you wanna be mine?...”

 

“Of cour-!...I mean...yeah that'd be cool.” The two stay with in the hug till Lammy speaks up again.

 

“Thanks by the w-way.”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Having patience with me...saving me from being flattened in order to help him. Knocking that other car over, getting my guitar. A LOT r-really...I'm sorry for all the c-crap I ended up subjecting you to…”

 

“F-Feh. No worries! I found it as karma for me doing that exact same thing to you! Man karma fucking sucks but is it well deserved.”

 

“Well that's one way to handle the entire thing I g-guess...also...I'll try to be supportive of your relationship…”

 

“Come again?...OH...right we still didn’t...Look here you airhead. We ain't dating. What you saw was me wiping the morons eyes clean from nearly blinding himself after having a hot dog fall on his face from trying to show off!”

 

“...What…”

 

“You heard me, you were just at a bad angle that it looked like us making out.”

 

“...Well now I feel like an even bigger idiot…”

 

“Stop. That's back then, this is now. Now is no longer then so don't dwell over the little things.” they break the hug “That's what I learned to do thanks to him! And it certainly helped me out.”

 

“...”

 

“What?...”

 

“You a-are almost entirely different from how you were...b-back then.”

 

“Yeah well, staying up here with a buncha softies tends to do that to ya.” she scratches her cheek “I don't fucking know. I ain't a psychologist! But I do know that...I don't really care. I'm happy. Happier than how I was down there that's for damn sure!”

 

“A little rough around the edges, but overall a great addition to our little group I'd say!...hm…”

 

“What now?...”

 

“Something minor I'll work out with Katy and Ma-san. Don't worry about it.”

 

“Uh...cool I guess. Also...I got something I gotta get off my chest. I don't mean it as bad intent or anything rude or of the sort...just something I gotta admit to just get it out there.”

 

“What would that be?...”

 

“I...always felt...inferior to you in many ways than one ya know? Sure I can be brash. I could care less about what gets in my way. Fuck if I care, I'll still mow through it. I act as if I could take on everything. And well, that's usually how it was. Then you came into my life and...I saw something I would never admit to back then.”

 

“That b-being?...”

 

“Someone superior in every single way…”

 

“O-Oh that's to big a s-stretc-”

 

“Is it? When you arrived I saw someone who could rock out better. Handle things better. Overall acted AND LOOKS better! You were the ultimate package of a model guitarist! And you were so much more eye appealing than me. How could I compete against a prettier, better gal?...”

 

“...Y-You’re...joking right?...”

 

“Do I look like I would kid about my job as a freelance guitarist?...”

 

“No...it's just...hearing you say that...it's alarming…”

 

“I'd sure as hell bet after what I put you through…”

 

“Nono!...I mean as...that's...what I've been thinking with you!...whenever I won it always felt like a fluke...like I never really earned it whenever I went against you...someone strong and stable...much more prettier than me! It was always demoralizing...”

 

“Mk. Now I see that you're yanking my chain!”

 

“I'm telling you the truth! I don't lie! Especially over a topic such as this...why would I?...” both ewes look at each other in awe before chatting amongst themselves for the remainder of the walk.

 

Once at the club they all stare at the withered exterior.

 

“Yikes...Leo will you be able to patch all this up?...” Katy asks the red eyed boy.

 

“Oh don't worry about it! She's made of tough stuff! Why this baby can take on the world head on!” He pats the wall, and as he does the entire building begins rumbling violently “That doesn't sound...good…”

 

“EVERYBODY MOVE!” PJ shouts as they all scatter away from the crumbling mess. The entire building begins crashing down as within mere moments. The giant building that once stood before them was now nothing more but a pile of rubble.

 

Leo walks up to the wreckage before falling to his knees and hand in a defeated position. Everyone walks up to him in an attempt to cheer him up, to no avail as he doesn't respond.

 

“Come on Leo...it'll be alright. You just...oh boy...I don't know how to believe in a situation like this…” Leo starts shaking as noise that sounds like crying is heard “Oh no it's not all bad...I mean...yeah your occupational building and your car are completely done in and...ok...I have no way of talking to you without making it sound worse…” the sound is heard louder as it shows that it's not crying, but laughing instead “Is...something funny?...” the laughter gets louder and louder as he this his entire upper body back to cackle like a maniac.

 

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” The laughter ends up as a shout of pure unceasing rage as fire spews from his eyes and mouth in a manner similar to Katy getting angry at Parappa when he almost ruined Sunny’s party a few years back. It ends with him collapsing fully onto the ground in fetal position “My life is now twice as big a wreck as it was prior…”

 

“Oh come on now! There's no place to go but up from here! Just try and find a positive from this?...”

 

“I'll give it a go...but frankly...I'm not seeing anything...good come right after this…”

 

“It'll happen! Maybe not right away, but it's certain to happen someday!...” Leo just releases a dejected sigh “Um...just note that nothing else will get in your way now! After all, what can possibly go wrong?...” Parappa is met with the sound of eight facepalms “What? What did I say??”

 

* * *

 

_Two hours prior_

 

“MOVE OUT MEN! WE HAD ALARMS GO OFF AT EVERY CORNER OF THE THE ENTIRETY OF NEON HEIGHTS! DISPATCH TO EACH AND EVERY LOCATION!”

 

“Sir we don't have enough men!”

 

“Call for backup from the neighboring locales! We can't shirk our numbers! NOW GOGOGO!” the group of lawmen all rush out of their station as Yismun watches them as he reclines on a wall a few buildings down.

 

“And this is why built from the ground up beings are superior to flesh people! We aren't gullible enough to fall for mass chain false alarm~” He walks to the police station “Especially one I set up~” He heads to the holding room to spot the five that were recently arrested as he causes the cameras to fritz as he walks by to them “Hello! I see you managed to fail and get yourselves jailed after all!” his hand opens up as it plugs it's sockets into the electronic lock on the wall “But what I didn't expect was for one of you to be one of those special people my boss was looking for! Now I sincerely must apologize for my bad mannerisms a few days prior!” his hand finishes as the holding cell opens.

 

“Why are you here? Just to laugh?” Bruter says as he snarls.

 

“Easy there witch! I saw with my own eyes! Stop speaking through your puppets since I know you're the one pulling the strings.” Bruter and the three others fall limp as Tundra growls, refusing to look at him “Oh relax! Boss man said he'd get ya out in case you screwed up and here I am fulfilling that promise! What got your molted feathers in a knot?”

 

“The fact that I let them get them better of me…”

 

“I dunno, I'd say you still won. You knocked down the facility you wanted to and you even broke the owners arm! That had to count for something my dear spellcasting vocalist!”

 

“I DON'T CARE ABOUT HIM ANYMORE! IT'S THE **TWO** WHO HELPED HIM PUT ME IN HERE THAT HAS ME UPSET! Specifically that accursed girl who stripped me of my feathers…”

 

“Well no use moping about it in here, come with me back to Tycoon’s grand establishment! He enjoyed your help before on a whim, but seeing as you're someone who he was intentionally looking for, he's bound to support your endeavors further in exacting your revenge again in the long run!”

 

“I doubt it! That damn idiot had things to fight BACK with!’

 

“Yes yes I was aware, but currently? There won't be much fighting back. Not with a broken arm at least.”

 

“...are you sure he could provide efficient help?”

 

“Of course! Tycoon never let ANYONE down! All you have to do is...return the favor here and there for the help you require~...”

 

“I don't care what it is as long as I rip those fools to pieces…”

 

“Feisty! Divas certainly have a lot of bravado! But nevertheless. I'm glad I have your cooperation! Now please follow me so we can get out of this dreary place...it smells like coffee, donuts and broken dreams…blegh…” the six of them leave the station as they drive back to their main hub.

 

_Currently_

 

“So I take it there's more people like me if Tycoon’s _been_ searching.”

 

“There used to be. Some idiot by the name of Europa ruined boss man's plan five years ago…got rid of a mass number of supporters we had with us by ‘liberation’...or by flat out killing them...now only a few remain, with very scarce means of regaining what we once had.”

 

“Oh really? What's your ‘boss man’ looking for exactly?”

 

“Talent. Specific talent to be exact, and said talent is hard to come by these days as it only exists in remaining descendants of people from years back!”

 

“Why so picky? I'm sure there are tons of people who can satisfy his requirements.”

 

“Not exactly. The people of years back were so passionate about music, they were easily able to led to fight over it! Now that's something he's looking towards.”

 

“...Hmph...I know what you're talking about…”

 

“Oh I take it your elders told you about that little…’event’?”

 

“I LIVED during it as the same age I am now.”

 

“Oh you have me curious now. How exactly? For that to happen you'd need to be-”

 

“Reaching over 100 years of age?”

 

“Bingo. You flesh people don't exactly last very long.”

 

“You see these four who I've turned into my puppets? These are my most recent ones! The prior ones I've grown bored off and drained them of their years! I've done this every so often.”

 

“That's cruel... You're PERFECT! But if that's the case then that means you were part of… Cruisin’ Blues was it?”

 

“Yes. Sadly they're all but am enigma now.”

 

“Not exactly. The remainder who split off became a new group. Like minded people such as yourself! And they are all under boss man's wing!...is what I would've said had that blasted Europa not KILL almost ALL of them! Only ones left that are even remotely loyal to us are just a female dancing witch. A male flute playing warlock and the dancing witch’s mother. A rather cruel and sadistic blues sorceress! What was her name? Spec….something...I don't know. I could care less. From what she said, she was the apparent daughter of the head of the trio your side of the Cruisin’s ended up freeing.”

 

“Quaint. That's all but a distant memory so I don't bloody remember anything.”

 

“Another problem with you flesh byproducts! Never care to remember everything your eyes record. Whatever, we're almost there anyway. It's probably in your best interest to go back and assault that club owner again seeing as he's an apparent ally towards the boy that ruined everything we had going for us.”

 

“Why should your petty revenge plot matter to me?”

 

“Because that boy was as nightmare! If he catches wind of this, you're as good as dead if he finds our facility. You aren't really as threatening as the folks we had prior and he still snapped a majority of them like a twig! The ones who he spared simply ended up aiding him. And seeing as I doubt you'll aid him, that just leaves death and I know you don't wanna die.”

 

“Tch...guess I'm forced to do this now if I want my means of revenge…why did he even do all that?”

 

“I don't bloody know. All I can recall is him saying something along the lines of ‘You are to not mess with these people and these two very important people in my life!’ I was freshly built by boss man around that point in time so I didn't really get to do much in terms of scouting about. He kept going on about protecting a big group, especially two specific anonymi that he gave the people he had decided to assault a choice. “Either stand down and separate yourselves from Bohemian’s agenda. Or die here and now! Please stand down, I really rather not kill you!...’ and of course the smart members said no, because working for Tycoon is the greatest thing ever. And unfortunately he kept his word. He gave them the axe! Literally, his guitar that was enhanced up the wazoo to use as an axe or chainsaw or...whatever else he had hidden in it, slashed through our equal minded folk.”

 

“He sounds like an annoying by the book movie do gooder…”

 

“Now here's the annoying bit, despite actually being a massive thorn in our side. He was excruciatingly inept and incompetent. He was a very underwhelming fighter. That suit of his takes the brunt of most things for him and even then he ended up eating pavement more times than even I can count as he had his rear end handed to him time and time again. And he mainly relied on that guitar as I haven't really seen him in regards to hand to hand. It was a miracle he even got to overwhelm us! Everything he did was the result of a large fluke in his favor! It's as if he knew how things would go and planned accordingly for it before they even happen!”

 

“How the hell did you let an idiot like that kill your allies then?”

 

“We were certain it was the allies he made during his constant demolishing of our ranks. We even did away with them fairly easy! They weren't much compared to him, but no matter how many of his allies we took down nothing changed! In fact he just got MORE competent as we took lives! Once we found what we assumed to be the exact helpful ally, it was already to late. The final confrontation with him and Tycoon began. And boss man killed him! I swear I saw it with my own eyes, but then he did the impossible. He came back standing! I DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND  HOW! WE LEFT HIM WITH A MASSIVE HOLE IN HIS TORSO TO DIE! AND MOMENTS LATER HE HAS THE GALL TO WALK BACK AND TAUNT US! What echoes in my memory banks is that damn disgusting line…’I give up my future, so that you can save yours!’ what a sickening line...he arrived then and there right after I heard it. The mortal wound was gone! Instead the only one who died that night was his last ally. And what should've been an easy win for Tycoon just ended up costing him his mortal body. Now he's a superior robotic being, but the dream of his that should've been realized then and there has since been prolonged… now he makes do with what he has left, helping them with their own agenda as long as they return the helping hand.”

 

“I wonder if his help is even worth it at this point if one lone incompetent idiot did so much disruption in your efforts.”

 

“Well after Tycoon had his human body ripped to pieces, he just...dropped off the face of the earth...there's been no mention of a boy named Europa anywhere… so that's why it's annoying to see someone affiliated with him again...probably some other idiot who ‘wants to be a hero’...but all I know is boss just sees another ally in him.”

 

“Risky decision making really does not make me convinced in accepting your help, but I don't think I'll be getting assistance anywhere else so I have no choice.”

 

“And trust me my fair lady! You will get the help! It'll just take time. We are busy men after all thanks to him!”

 

“I better…I have to wait regardless...it's gonna take forever to recover my plumage...I refuse to do anything without my feathers back...” she smiles “I want her to see what it's like to be brought down to such a sorry state!”

 

* * *

 

“A-ACHOO!...Ugh...ew…”

 

“You cold?” Rammy says as she looks towards Lammy.

 

“No...weird...felt like someone was talking about me...I hope it wasn't anything bad…”

 

“Pfft. Who could down talk you? ‘Sides, you need not worry, you have me helping ya out in case something happens! And I guarantee you'll be ok! We'll all guarantee it!”

 

“Thanks...that makes me feel a lil better.~”

 

_But it's weird...what's gonna happen from this point on?...Everyone now knows who Europa is so does this mean a new adventure is about to start for us?...Will...we be ok?...O-Of course we will be! Nothing kept us down before! And now with more helpful hands! We're bound to be ok!...right?..._


	23. The start of something fresh

“Ugh...Where am I now?...” Parappa hops to his feet as he scans his current location “No good...it's all dark, bleak and destroyed…” he sighs “What kind of dystopian mess did I dream myself into now… Well if there's one thing that stays the same, it's that I gotta just wander around aimlessly till something pops up!” and he does just that.

 

The little stroll he takes bears a faster result than his prior dream that prophesied his encounter with Rammy. He soon stumbles upon a way younger, but familiar presence. Said presence is a crying faceless child. His dream was preventing him from seeing who it was.

 

“Whoa whoa little guy! Why are you crying?...” he tries to calm the kid down, but panics when he walks right through him “Yipe!...man would it kill my dreams to be kind enough to tell me when I CAN or CAN'T interact with who I meet!...” he groans until he hears the crying stop “Huh?” he looks back to where the kid was, he was now being comforted by a small axolotl girl.

 

_ “It'll be ok! There's no need to be sad! Tell me what's wrong, I can try to help!” the boy simply sniffles, unable to speak “Aw come on…” _ two more hands find themselves placed on the boys head. One of them was blue and belong to a veiled lady. The other shocked Parappa as it belong to a younger Mushi.

 

_ “Come on lil man! What's got you all in a tearful display! You're drawing in a crowd! Where's your old man or lady?”  _ the Mushi asks him. Parappa walks up to the flea man and inspects him until he is certain if it really is Mushi.

 

“Mushi?...what's going on here…”

 

_ “You look and feel like...someone close...but I've never seen you...tell me...who are your mother and father...why would they leave you to cry alone out here?...” _ the boys sniffling stops, but he stays silent. Two more hands find themselves holding his. They belong to boys slightly older than him. One a bear and the other an otter 

 

“Whoa! Where are they all coming from?...”

 

_ “Why cry so loud out in the open man? You're more emotional than my mama when she watches her soap operas! Surely you can crack a smile right? Or is crying all you know?”  _ the bear asks.

 

_ “Whoa my guy! You sure got some pipes on ya to be able to expel out all that negativity for such a long time! But you shouldn't let it be all ya express! You gotta also balance that with some groovy positive vibes hombre! Then Emile can teach ya how if ya want! That's me by the way!” _ once the otter finishes speaking, the boy finally looks up to see the five people around him, before they all disappear leaving Parappa alone again.

 

“Man...what was..that all about?” noise sprouts out from behind him causing him to quickly turns around. It was the sound of a guitar being played. It's player was the boy, now much older and much more talkative. The window next to him showed a sunny and warm area on the outside.

 

_ “Hey Nana K?” _ he speaks to the veiled woman from the previous instance.

 

_ “Yes? What is my boy?” _

 

_ “You think...I can actually pull this off?...taking on that man and his built up ranks?” _

 

_ “Emile and Milton’s deaths still hurt you don't they? You didn't have this doubt in you while they were still around. A young fifteen year old boy should not be worrying over these types of things...usually just dating and whether or not you and your friends should do something stupid today or not...not the deaths of those friends…” _

 

“Those two guys are dead?! How?!”

 

_ “I didn't think it would ever get this...serious…that I'd start losing people…” _

 

_ “I mean, when you plan to take on a mad man such as BoTy, it goes to show that he means business against those that don't see eye to eye.” _

 

_ “Well I guess that's something that was true when my dad took him on in the original timeline...I wonder how he coped…” _ his strumming starts becoming withered  _ “Hey Nana...your old group all fell for the guys sly lies right?...” _

 

_ “Yes...he ended up splitting our group as well in order to get us to call out three individuals he needed in order to further his so called ‘dream’. And I was stupidly apart of the half that wanted to help him free them, I can't use the excuse that I was a child either...of course back then I was all for it because I thought it would prove our superiority...as I was sweet talked by the boy who was such a slave towards BoTy’s lies into fully believing that. Said man was who would eventually become my husband and I would slowly come to learn that...I was wrong...I made many many mistakes amidst my life.” _

 

“You helped the guy that killed those two guys?? Why???” they simply walk through Parappa.

 

_ “So you on your own came to realize that?” _

 

_ “Not on my own, no. I owe that all thanks to my daughter.” _

 

_ “How so?” _

 

_ “A couple of years back, even before you arrived in our time period. My daughter made a friend. At first I was highly against, but let it go as I saw it as a chance for her to socialize and branch out...at the time she was just learning all the bad habits me and her father had...mostly her father's. And I was glad I did because...she changed. The boy was quite an influence to her! I eventually found out the boy was also a child of a survivor from one of the groups that were led into fighting thanks to BoTy, but they didn't choose to follow him at all, rather stop his mess. That group wanted nothing more but to get along with one another like how we all once were. And well he was certainly no different! His father's  _ **_and_ ** _ Mother's groups and my old half of the group HATED each other immensely, but these two had no ill will towards one another. You couldn't find a more closer pair!...hehe...she acted like their child rather than my own...and frankly? I probably would've found that better for her. She wasn't...happy under our household...her father was...blegh...I started seeing all my bad choices in life...I wanted to free my daughter from that...from her father who would potentially force her down the same road...and I'd say it worked...all it costed me was...my bond with my own daughter…” _

 

_ “Would you...undo it all just to keep her close?...” _

 

_ “Never. I value her own happiness, rather than my own...but I would never be able to tell her that...after all the damage I ended up causing...she'd never believe me.” _

 

_ “...Who is your daughter?...” _

 

“Yeah what he said...I wanna know to!...this sounds familiar…” Parappa asks, being ignored again.

 

_ “For her safety and yours, I think it's best I keep that knowledge to myself.” _

 

_ “That's fair…” _

 

“No it's not!...”

 

_ “Back to what you originally asked me. I believe that you can succeed in what you want to accomplish. Just like I believe in her. You will be able to best him. I know it. You just need to believe in yourself as much as everyone believes in you! Wouldn't your father do the same?” _

 

_ “...”  _ he leans against a wall as his playing picks up in emotion again  _ “Thanks Nana, you always know what to say~...I'm gonna go hang with the Queens to see if there's anything fun we can do to try and get my mind fully off this.” _

 

_ “Do NOT do anything illegal…” _

 

_ “I won't!...” _

 

_ “You said that the last three times. The first ended with you in a detention center. The second ended with you hanging for dear life with them at a waterfall and the third time I ended up finding you high off of something questionable you decided to do with them…you were buzzed for three days in a row...” _

 

_ “Eheh...t-they’re eccentric girls…” _

 

_ “And you’re to pure, sweet and gullible a boy. Also very impressionable from a group you just met not that long ago...your playing, dancing and singing has greatly inherited their style as has your appearance...is that my lipstick and eyeshadow you’re wearing??...” _

 

_ “Uh...don't worry Nana!... Say...why do you let me call you Nana anyway?...if it's not your name.” _

 

_ “Oh you just...remind me of my daughter is all. So I guess all the attention and love I wished I could've given her, I'm giving to you in hopes of relieving me of my guilt.” _

 

_ “Oh…” _ he stares at his guitar  _ “Once I beat BoTy...I wanna help you make amends with your daughter Nana!” _

 

She places a hand on his shoulder  _ “You existing...means I already have…~” _

 

_ “Huh??...” _ Both Parappa and Leo say in unison as the two in the vision vanish into dust, as Parappa watches the dust fade he sighs as it fly away forlornly.

 

“How does him existing mean everything's ok?? And that description...sounded familiar...really  _ really _ familiar...but why...gah...I can't remember! My minds all caught up on this BoTy guy! Who is he??...and he killed the two other kids from the previous vision??...ugh...this all just confuses me...who is this guy!...” he begins pounding his head with his fists, but as he does so the next vision appears. In front of him stands the same teenager. He's on his knees in a large rainstorm. The environment was seriously different from what he saw the vision prior, meaning its been a good while. In front of him are an alarming number of x’s scratched on specific parts on the dirt. It was obvious that they were makeshift grave markers that are in front of what seems to be a destroyed...warehouse. A familiar looking warehouse.

 

_ “Why...why am I so useless…why was I just so...unable to do anything?...and why were you all so ok with your impending demise...this place that you all took me to in order to hang out...it's now nothing more than a cemetery for you guys...” _ Thunder crackles along the sky  _ “If I couldn't even help any of you...what makes me think I have a shot at saving my dad…” _ as lightning flashes, it's shown that the teenager is Leo.

 

“L-Leo!?...W-WHAT HAPPENED?...” he runs towards him, but again he fazes through him “REALLY?...”

 

An older version of the Axolotl girl appears with two individuals behind her  _ “I told you he'd be here…he always comes here every time we lose another friend…just...moping and Immobile…it's barely a hangout anymore.” _

 

_ “Man...this is just...the worst...they're all gone...friends new and old...snuffed out...just like that…”  _ The first of the two people was Mushi and he only frowns as he clutches his head with all his arms.

 

_ “I'm gonna be sick...people are just so easily disposable to him...and we can't even alert the authorities or anything...we don't have the power or resources...”  _ The second was Nana K. She simply wipes tears away from under her veil before walking up to Leo and shielding him from the rain with her umbrella  _ “None of this is your fault my little one…This is all because of him...We'll help you sto-” _

 

_ “NO!...He's killing the people who are helping me!...I...don't want to lose you, Mushi or Amby…if he sees any of the three of you help me in the slightest...you'll be his next targets...I don't want that...I don't want to lose anyone else...” _

 

_ “...”  _ She places a hand on his head, rubbing his hair calmingly  _ “But what about you?...” _

 

_ “What about me?...if I can...If I can just get rid of BoTy...that's all that matters...with him out of the way, the events that happen to my dad won't happen anymore!...what happens to me after won't matter...because I'll have completed my mission...I can just vanish for all I care. My dad...my mom...my family...they'll all be ok…” _

 

_ “I refuse. I will never accept to that if you let yourself die afterwards.” _

 

_ “Why should that matter?...the future will change to be the newer better one...my dad will end up with my mom again and have me again in the future...me right now doesn't matter anymore after thi-”  _ both Nana K, and the girl who is now known as Amby, slap him across the race.

 

_ “No...never...the you of right now matters just as much as the new you that will eventually come by…” _

 

_ “You can't just...up and choose to die...you're my hero...you promised we'd do so much after this was all over...after I got better…I wouldn't have kept nursing you back to health each time you went down had I known you'd just take yourself out after all this was done anyway…what kind of friend would do that…” _

 

_ “...”  _ Leo glances over to Mushi.

 

_ “Don't be looking at me man! You know I could never help you argue against a lady. Especially if it's two lady's that have a good point and show that you did promise.”  _ he backs away, holding all his arms out in defense.

 

_ “Fine…”  _ He gets on his feet  _ “I'm done crying then. I've liberated a good amount of people that owe me for sparing them...and it's time they begin returning the favor...Amby...think you can get you sis and her boyfriend to sneak away from your mother Spectora to help us?” _

 

_ “My mother would kill all of us if she found us going against BoTy!...especially seeing that it's because we're helping you...You did kinda kill her entire group…” _

 

Parappa stares at Leo “You're a killer?!”

 

_ “You asked me to…” _

 

_ “I KNOW!...but I thought you'd be able to take her down to!... Then big sis Aqua got in the way and simply told you to leave her be, she could handle it...she still thinks mother can be saved and liberated to...just like her...plus she is trying to keep the facade going that they're still working for BoTy…” _

 

_ “Just...try ok?...time is running thin if he's getting this destructive...I'll contact Spinni and 16 Bits. If you can't get those two. Atleast contact Rize and Soren. If you can get all four of them though that'd be amazing…we need as much fire power as we can get…!” _ Leo tries to run off, but Nana K. and Mushi grab him before he can by his jacket.

 

_ “Where do you think you're going?!” _

 

_ “Man you aren't gonna get very far if you just haphazardly bum rush in! You need a plan!” _

 

_ “I have a plan...Kick. His. Ass.”  _ slips out of his jacket to escape their grasp as he runs off.

 

_ “W-WAIT! YOU'LL NEED YOUR JACKET!...WITHOUT IT YOU'LL BE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE IF HE HITS YOU ANYWHERE AROUND YOUR CHEST OR STOMACH!...”  _ Mushi panics in chase as Leo runs out of sight and reach at an alarming speed  _ “I can't keep up with him...this is bad…”  _

 

“What?! Then keep trying to get it to him!”

 

Nana grabs the jacket from him and hands it to Amby  _ “Sweety I'm sorry. But time is of the essence...he just signed his death wish and you are the only one to be of any help...go and see who you can get to help, then deliver this back to him PRONTO…” _

 

_ “R-Right!...”  _ she grabs it and runs in the opposite direction. Once she's out of sight, the two adults pace around until Nana speaks up.

 

“ _ K.K., do you think they have a chance?...” _

 

_ “Eheh...I...don't...I'd be lying if I said they did...a reckless boy...a terminally Ill girl...this has disaster written all over…” _ they fade away again as Parappa simply stares in horror.

 

“What the hell did he get himself into five years ago??!!...” Parappa stampers in place “W-Well he's alive right now...so he clearly won...y-yeah!...I'm sure he flawlessly avenged them all and this is all just a bad coincidental dream!” another vision pops up “Oh boy…”

 

In this vision, on the ground lies a bug man and a three dimensional pixel art being, both alive and unconscious. The cause was a giant hulking man who was roided out with tons of cybernetic enhancements, extra appendages and genetic mutations topped off with an out of place bowtie by his neck. Needless to say, he was horrifying.

 

“WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FU-”

 

_ “BOHEMIAN!” _ Parappa turns his head to the shout to see Leo staring angrily with the guitar held firmly in his hands.

 

_ “Finally! I was under the impression that you left these two here to die. After all that constant speal about how they'll get back at me for keeping them hypnotized. Honestly they were alot better when they didn't have free will, but you had to be the ‘hero’ and give that back to them. And them you have the audacity to let them walk to their own demise!” _

 

_ “Of course not. I would never as I was simply getting a little something from your ass kisser of a robot.”  _ he holds up a USB.

 

_ “HOW DID YOU-...”  _ the giant monster man stops and steps back, then begins laughing  _ “Wonderful! You truly are full of surprises! I thought keeping that with Yismun would be the safest bet, but in reality he was just as inadequate as I assumed he'd be! Tell me, did you destroy him?” _

 

_ “I was close to, but I was in a hurry, so I just took his head with me to show what I'm gonna do to you!”  _ He pulls out a robotic head and punts it to him. Bohemian catches it effortlessly.

 

_ “B-Boss man! H-H-Howzzit go-goin!...”  _ the sputtering head spoke to try and not get reprimanded.

 

_ “Yismun shut up.” _

 

_ “R-Ri-Right away s-sir…” _

 

_ “Alright. I'll bite. You have my files which contain the final step to make my dream reality as well as all the progress needed for it. Big whoop. What else? You can't break it. I made it nearly indestructible! I'll just beat you down and take it back. I don't see what you have in mind.” _

 

_ “Yeah. I learned the indestructible part the hard way. So I plan to do the stupider option!”  _ Leo opens his mouth and drops the USB down his throat. Nearly choking in the process  _ “AHACK!...Ugh...hah! Good luck getting that!” _

 

_ “Oh you miserable idiot…~” _

 

“You know I'm starting to see how your my son…”

 

_ “Now I'll do what I've been aiming for this entire time…” _

 

_ “You mean kill me? Just because you managed to do away with my forces doesn't mean I'll be as easy a score for you!”  _ he laughs  _ “But if you really want to experience the cold hard reality first hand!...Then by all means! TRY!”  _ the two lunge at each other, Leo's smaller size allows him to easily avoid the behemoths attacks as he constantly slashes at him. This goes on until Leo notices the lack of any real progress. He wasn't really harming Bohemian at all  _ “Finally see how hopeless you really are boy?” _

 

_ “A minor setback I'll admit…” _

 

_ “Tell me...is THIS minor?!”  _ his left arm coats itself in wires and metal shrapnel as he drives it forward, Leo managing to stop it with his guitar but barely.

 

_ “I...SCARCELY…FEEL IT!...” _

 

_ “Then let's show you how the world really works.”  _ Bohemian launches the arm upwards causing Leo's guitar to fly out of his hands. He then encases his other arm in the same materials and drives it forward. Piercing Leo like paper.

 

“LEO!...”

 

_ “H-HRRK…” _

 

“NOOOOO!...” Parappa immediately runs to his side, trying to pull Bohemian’s arm out to no avail as he's unable to touch either of them.

 

Bohemian laughs as he removes his arm from inside him. In his fingers he holds the USB that Leo ingested  _ “See boy? You had nothing on me! Now I'd say it's time to take out the trash!”  _ with a swift kick, he punts Leo's corpse along with the guitar far off into the distance. His body rag dolls in the wind as it leaves behind a blood trail. Parappa runs after it without hesitation. Once he lands on the ground, Parappa kneels beside him.

 

“No no noooo...Y-You’re gonna be fine!... Everything will be ok...Everything will be ok...everything...will…” he drops to his hands “It's not...how do things get better from here...is the Leo I know his ghost?...but...he broke his arm...how then?...”

 

Immediately Parappa hears Amby  _ “E-Europa!...”  _

 

“My mother?? Where is sh-”

 

She kneels by Leo, right next to Parappa, unaware of his existence still  _ “No...I'm to late...p-please hold on!...I-I can get you help!...I can...I can...what can I do…”  _ she falls over onto his body _ “Please don't die on me…” _

 

“Wait HE'S Europa?...I named him after my mom?...” two more people join her.

 

_ “WHOA!...HOLY SHIT LOOK AT THAT HOLE!... IF WHAT WE'RE UP AGAINST CAN DO  _ **_THAT_ ** _ THEN HOW DO YOU EXPECT US TO BEAT HIM!?” _ a white haired aquatic green beast man says  _ “HE STRAIGHT UP KILLED THE GUY WHO KICKED OUR ASSES WITH EASE!” _

 

_ “HE'S NOT DEAD!...” _

 

_ “Yo Aqua mind telling your sister that this is the definition of dead?” _

 

_ “No...she's right! Europa is alive...barely...but...alive nonetheless!...”  _ says another axolotl girl.

 

_ “You both are craaaaa- holy shit he is...gross…his eyes can still moveeee…”  _ The beast moves around only to see Europa’s eyes follow his every move weakly.

 

_ “We have to help him Sirius!...” _

 

_ “Uh uh! I only revive things that are already dead! And even THAT'S hard! How the hell do you expect us to fully heal a still alive but quickly dying dude?” _

 

_ “He's right Amby...that type of ability is very hard to accomplish…”  _ the bigger axolotl girl says to the smaller one.

 

_ “What if we helped?...four magic users are better than two!”  _ Two avian-esque people arrive. One male and another female.

 

“ _ Rize! Soren! Please help him!” _

 

“What she said! Please!” Parappa speaks as if they could hear them.

 

_ “We can sure as hell try...right Rize?”  _ the girl avian only nods when mentioned.

 

_ “That still won't work! You see the massive hole that is currently through him? You understand how much magic it would need to CLOSE it? As well as repair his bones and organs!? This is why we wait for them to be dead! They don't need the appendages!” _

 

_ “But at that point he won't be Europa anymore!...Just a typical reanimated grunt…” _

 

_ “Amby I'm giving you options!...sure they're not GOOD options...but it's something…” _

 

Parappa stares at the beast named Sirius in anger “I don't like you much at all…you sound as defiant as PJ…”

 

_ “You are a warlock!” _

 

_ “I was given the title by default because the previous one was killed! BY YOU TWO! I barely know what the hell I'm doing!...” _

 

_ “Less bickering, more magic-ing!”  _ Aqua says as she, Rize and Soren zap the dying boy  _ “As a magic user, it's instinct to never know what you're doing! That's how the magic happens! Now shut up and help us!” _

 

_ “Fuck it. Fine!”  _ He joins them as they only focus on Europa, but they struggle heavily to make progress as Sirius predicted  _ “See?...Nothing!...” _

 

_ “What if I helped?...” _

 

_ “NONONONONONOOOOO! You're on borrowed time as is! If you use your magic you'll annihilate what little time left alive you have yet! Just let us manage sis! You're too sick to do anything without killing yourself in the process!” _

 

_ “But you're not getting anywhere! At this rate he'll die before you make any progress…” _

 

“Listen to Amby!”

 

_ “Maybe it'll be ok? There's four of us here so we'll probably lower the strain for her?...”  _ Soren states with an agreeing grunt from Rize.

 

_ “Ohhhhhh…”  _ Aqua struggles to ignore the others.

 

_ “Think of it this way dear, Europa is the only one capable of saving us. And if we bring him back right now, we won't immediately die like how I'm sure we will once Bohemian realizes he didn't snuff out all forms of resistance…so it's either that or we die along with him. And frankly I enjoy not being dead.”  _

 

_ “ALRIGHT!...come on...but don't over do it…” _

 

The five of them begin channeling their focus towards Leo. They still make little progress until Amby decides to push her limits. She kneels towards the mortally wounded boy.

 

_ “Amby?...” _

 

_ “I'm giving up my future...so that you can save yours!...”  _ she grabs his hands within her own as her body starts fading away into bubbles.

 

_ “AMBY STOP!...” _

 

_ “Please make sure you save your dad...your family...and yourself!...do it for me?...please...I know you'll be able to do so much if you still choose to live on~...”  _ she fully fades away as the bubbles hover over his gaping wound. They encase Leo entirely as a blinding flash eliminates the scene.

 

“WAIT...WHAT HAPPENED?!...” Parappa scans about “WHAT HAPPENED THEN?!...” the final vision appears before Parappa. In it the four spellcasters lie on the ground far away from Bohemian’s field of vision and are all unconscious. Amby is not seen among them. Leo is on the back of the insect man as they hover in front of a severely beaten up and strangely dancing Bohemian, he's missing pieces of his extra limbs, his armor and other things in general. Leo’s suit was entirely different as the pixelart man woke up and became his temporary new get up. It looked like armor based on Parappa's original clothing style as bubbles hovered around his masked face.

 

_ “I HATE YOU...YOU ARE THE MOST ACCURSED THING IN MY LIFE! YOU RUINED EVERYTHING! AND NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES I BRING YOU DOWN YOU COME BACK TO SPIT IN MY FACE! HOW?! WHY?!” _ Bohemian yells as Leo chucks small round objects that constantly explode and force Bohemian to dance.

 

Leo chuckles  _ “Hey. The feelings mutual buddy.” _ he tosses his guitar up into the sky and immediately rears his fist back “ _ THIS IS FOR MY GREAT FRIENDS EMILE AND MILTON.”  _ He punches him straight in the mug sending him back “ _ THIS FOR MY BEST FRIENDS AND MENTORS, THE QUEENS!”  _ He slams his face again, cracking the metal covering his body and sending him downwards  _ “THIS IS FOR AMBY! MY FIRST AND MOST HELPFUL FRIEND SINCE I GOT HERE!” _ He hooks him straight in the chest, breaking through the metal plating covering his entire body, rendering him vulnerable   _ “THIS IS FOR MY DAD! WHOSE LIFE YOU CONTINUOUSLY RUIN IN MANY WAYS!”  _ He grabs his guitar back in his hands as it lands and immediately yanks on the chord, revving it up and slashes off his arms  _ “THIS IS FOR MY FAMILY, WHO ALL HAD TO SUFFER IT THANKS TO YOU!”  _ he slashes again, separating his upper body away from his lower body  _ “AND THIS IS FOR TRYING TO KILL ME!”  _ He slashes once more, decapitating the head and sending it flying upwards. As it flies back down in front of Leo, he only smiles much to the severed heads dismay.

 

_ “How… I had everything planned out...it was all perfect…how could a brainless idiot like you ruin it all…my plan was ready to build...and come five years I would be ready to bend everything to my whim...Where did your accursed second wind come from??...” _

 

_ “Simple! They all left it to me! And all I had to do to make sure their hope wasn't in the wrong hands was simply believe!”  _  He rears back his fist  _ “NO CUTTING CORNERS NOW!~”  _ he drives his fist forward  **_“PUNCH!~”_ ** Leo punches the unlucky head into the atmosphere where it vanishes into the stars.

 

Parappa watches with a smile on his face “Atta boy~...” Leo laughs before giving a thumbs up to the sky. 

 

_ “That was for you dad…~ For all of you!...”  _ he then falls back towards the ground from sheer exhaustion.

 

“Whoa there! I gotcha! I gotcha! I-” as Leo collides with Parappa, Parappa gets pushed down into what appears to be an ocean's depths “MPMH?!” the water begins swirling him down like a drain. As he gets swallowed away, his memory of the dream dissolves away almost entirely. Once sucked away he wakes up “WAAAAAH!...Am I awake?...for real?...” he is immediately kicked in the face by his bunkmate who was sent to the floor by his mad sprawl.

 

“Yeah...you're awake…”

 

“Ow...heh...sorry...had a...interesting...dream…”

 

“I could tell...man what the hell was that about you were like a maniac moving in your sleep and yelling and speaking every so often...course I didn't really notice it all since I was having my own weird dream…”

 

“What was yours about?...”

 

“Don't remember...it was about some dude...he felt familiar...Anywho said dude was fighting an overly equipped guy. Got his ass handed to him. Came back and handed it right back! And then he cut him up and-”

 

“Punched the head straight into space?”

 

‘YEAH! How'd ya know?”

 

“I had that same dream! It was about-...um...what?...” Parappa scratches his face “How could I forget!...it was stuck so vividly in my head! Gahhh...wait...LEO!...no that wasn't his real name, it was...was it Leo?...what the heck!...I could remember the other dreams easily! Why not this one??...”

 

“Same thing happened to me. Guess this means this dream doesn't wanna be remembered so easily!” Rammy scratches her head “Say if the dream was about him...do you think the rest also had the same dream? I mean it'd be odd if it was just us two.”

 

“I dunno...I just wish I remembered more of the dream...if felt so...important…”

 

Rammy pats his head before snagging his beanie and putting it on her own head “Well it's best you learn the history from your boy himself! You haven't spoken to him in a week! I'd figure you would love to learn more about your future self! I sure as hell fucking would if he would bother to tell me more! But for now I won't dawdle! I'm just gonna stuff my face for the time being!” she rushes out of the room.

 

“RAMMY! GIVE ME MY HAT BACK!...AND GET DRESSED!” he runs after her.

 

After the events that had resulted in the final three learning of Leo's presence. Things had been silent, nothing happened for the duration of a week and then some. In that time Parappa's vocal chords made a full recovery, but still he wouldn't find the urge to try and visit and apologize. Until after witnessing this dream of course. But before then, the group enjoy a regular breakfast morning after things were finally all good...relatively. 

 

“So we all had the same dream huh?” everyone at the table nods at Parappa's question “And we all forgot it instantaneously didn't we?” they all nod again, this time more awkwardly.

 

“Well at least you remembered it was about Leo! That's something! It means we can question him about it!...big bummer though. I wanted to see if we could see what happened prior to his arrival in our time!” Katy slinks on to the table, entirely annoyed.

 

“No spoilers for us it seems!” Lammy adds with a giggle.

 

(“Wish that was enough to satiate her! She should know that curiosity killed the cat!”) As Ma-san brings that up, the image of Leo getting impaled flashes quickly in Parappa's head, but he couldn't tell what it was due to the speed of it coming and going so it causes him to space out. Rammy quickly notices.

 

“Yo Paraps, you aight?” she doesn't get a reply, prompting her to tap her fist on his head.

 

“Yeouch! I mean uh...yeah I'm fine. Something tripped me up is all.” He shakes his head “I think I wanna apologize to Leo proper now. Mostly cuz I still feel bad, and I wanna learn more about why he's here!”

 

“If that's the case then we're coming with! It's not fair if only you get to learn about how you are in the future! Plus I'm sure the others will wanna know to!”

 

“K-Katy you know that Leo wanted to keep most things p-private...what makes you think he'll tell us?...”

 

“Well we all know now so what's the harm?”

 

“B-...actually that is a good point…”

 

“If that's the case then I have no objections to you all tagging along. Actually truth be told...that'd probably be for the better...I have done nothing but seem to make moments between us rather...awkward and strenuous…only bugging him about my problems...getting upset at him...almost erasing him...yeah I don't feel very good about my solo time with him…"

 

The four girls simply look at him.

 

“Yeeeeeah...we probably should help you out with a proper ice breaker…”

 

(“Hot damn Mutt, that's something I'd expect from myself or Katy.”)

 

“Hey don't group me up like that Ma-san!”

 

(“I ain't wrong though!”) she leans back in her chair as she rests her feet on her section of the table. Rammy and Lammy can't help but laugh much to Katy’s dismay.

 

“Sure, fine. Throw me under the bus like that! Let's just get going already…”

 

“Wait wait!...” everyone now turns their attention to Lammy.

 

“Yes?”

 

“I have something I've been w-wanting to discuss with everyone after me and Rammy finally reconciled...but I uh...haven't been able to work up the confidence in saying...hehe…”

 

“Oh yeah. That thing you told me not to worry over as you'd handle it with these two.”

 

“Yeah well...turns out I wanna include Parappa and PJ on what I wanted to talk a-about.”

 

“Huh?...well go on then!”

 

(“Well I'm all ears for whatever it is.”)

 

“I am to! You could have told us whenever ya know!”

 

“I know!...I was just...embarrassed...to try and talk about it...heh you k-know how it is. But I'm prepared to talk about it right now!...I hope.” she takes a deep breath “R-Remember how we made a little personal group among ourselves that we dubbed ‘Leavin to believin’?...” Everyone but Rammy nods “Ok sooooooo...I was thinking...that we...drop MilkCan and Parappa solo deal-”

 

“WHAT?!” They all almost fall off their chairs until Lammy motions her hands in the air to calm them down.

 

“Listen f-first!...I don't mean...that we flat out STOP...I meant that is in...we...you know...actually make good on the name in a better sense...we link up our groups...obviously with PJ…” she glances to Rammy with a smile “And Rammy to. As apart of it. With the name as the new name of our entire group!...one...b-big band!...” she shyly looks down once she finishes speaking. Holding her hands together and shuffling her feet and shoulders about in an attempt to calm her anxiety she gained over finally saying all that. She tries her best to make eye contact with her friends, but to no avail.

 

Rammy stares at the bashful ewe in shock over including her from out of the blue, she didn't feel like she deserved an inclusion with them in anything given her history. Meanwhile the other three simply hum as they think it amongst themselves. The make an array if faces as their thought process goes on, but eventually they all end with the same facial expression as they look at each other, a smile.

 

“Me and Ma-san say yes to that idea! It's amazing!”

 

(“Hell yeah we do! Sounds like a cool thing to do.”)

 

“How could I say no to an amazing idea like that Lammy? Of course I agree to that!” he smiles “See? Ya should of brought that up from the getgo!”

 

Lammy lifts her head up in joy as she looks at them all “Really?!~” Katy winks, Parappa gives a thumbs up and Ma-san’s dynamite sputters. Giving her, her answer. The four of them then look towards Rammy.

 

“Oh um...I dunno...you guys really want me included in a big thing like that?...” she reclines on her chair “I'm kind of a big fucking idiot...given my um...past grievances…I just don't want any of you to make a mistake with this is all.”

 

“How is inviting you into this a mistake? We'd love to have you apart of it!”

 

“Exactly! Heck, you basically are already girl! After all. You're one of us now, isn't that right?” Katy says with her hand extended outwards, Lammy and Ma-san’s hands extend right beside hers. Rammy simply stares at their hands as she slowly reaches out with her own, but as she makes her way her hand finches and recoils back. Parappa's hand grabs onto hers as he helps her go forward.

 

“You know, for what it's worth. I think you were always one of us from the start!” Rammy scoffs with a smile as she places her hand on top of Katy’s, the others stacking theirs right after.

 

“When did I become a full fledged fucking softie? Heh. Count me the fuck in!”

 

“Atta girl! Now let's go to PJ’s to fill him in on this as well while also setting off towards Leo!” Katy says as she disperses their hands.

 

“AYE AYE!~”

 

* * *

 

“Leavin to believin...that's what we are now huh?” PJ asks his small canine friend.

 

“Well yeah, that's what you agreed to man! Having doubts?”

 

“Not at all. I'm just bewildered. Why include me? I'm just a DJ.”

 

“PJ you're more than just that! Especially to all of us! You know we couldn't exclude you from this!”

 

He smiles as he removes his shades “Alright. Stop trying to butter me up!”

 

Katy and the others soon walk up the two “The receptionist said that Leo's not here. When we went off to check she was right! She says that he's possibly at the uh...ex...clubgrounds.”

 

“I guess he stopped moping and thought it was finally high time to rebuild?...” PJ states only to be answered immediately.

 

“He can't do anything with a broken arm! And like the doctors told you to inform us. That cast ain't coming off for months!”

 

“Katy you know how the guy is! For all we know, the broken arm of his means nothing to him! You gotta take into account he is Parappa's son after all so he inherited that overachiever streak from him.”

 

“Hey you say that like it's a bad thing! My actions have proven to be alright in the end!” Parappa crosses his arm as he blows smoke from his nose.

 

“Yeah the end, not the time during the way to the end though.” PJ rolls his eyes, his quip gets the others to laugh to the annoyance of Parappa.

 

“Fine! I'll admit that I mayyyyy have a constant problematic streak and all, but I mean come on! You can't blame me for trying to help whenever I feel I gotta!”

 

“We so can, but you'll just deny it and or give us the sad puppy dog eyes...and we fall for it every. Single. Time…” he flicks the dogs forehead “But this is something we'll discuss another day. For now we head off and try to stop your future son from injuring himself any further like an idiot.”

 

“Owww...fine let's go!”

 

The group all rush out towards their destination, and they immediately find the guy they're looking for.

 

“Would you look at that. He  _ is _ here trying to rebuild.” PJ states as he drives next to Katy’s van, staring at the helmeted guy. He's missing his jacket and belt however.

 

“Are you serious?! He has a broken arm! Oooooh my ‘need to kick my child's ass for being an irresponsible little shit so it's time to put my motherly foot down’ instincts are kicking in!...”

 

“What a title. And again, one fifth mother.”

 

“You need to one fifth shut up!”

 

“....what?” PJ's face twists into that of confusion for trying to comprehend what she just said.

 

Matt pokes his head from PJ’s passenger seat window “How about instead of going after each other's throats, you go for hi-...hey wait...he took the cast off!”

 

“Oh then I definitely need to smack him!” Katy catapults herself out of her car as she rushes off much like a lioness would as she pounces Leo to the ground.

 

“OW!...WHAT THE HELL!...Oh. Hey Katy.”

 

“Don't just ‘Oh. Hey Katy.’ me! Why the hell did you remove your cast!”

 

“Cuzzzzzz my arms all good?...”

 

“I refuse to believe that.”

 

“Oh really? Watch this!” he turns to a slab of broken metal on the ground  **“PUNCH!”** he punches right through it with his supposed broken arm. When he pulls his arm back, he motions his fingers to show he was all good “See? No pain, nor incorrect bending of my arm, hand or fingers!” the rest of the group walks up as they also question the guy.

 

“HOW? Your arm was beyond messed up! There's no way multiple months worth of healing could've happened in a few days!” Paula scans his arm to see if he was lying, but she finds nothing.

 

“Oh. A friend helped me skip the waiting process by a bit.”

 

“A bit?! You made a miraculous full recovery! Whoever your friend is, they're a miracle worker!...” Matt states against Leo's calmness towards the matter.

 

“Eh...I guess?...They don't think so, but who am I to disagree with you guys.”

 

“Can ya tell us who they are?...We could probably use help like that for whenever Parappa does something stupid again!” PJ adds on.

 

“Maybe later. For now I gotta get to work...man will this take a while...well on the topic of friends of mine. It looks like I'm about to need the help of another.” he pulls out his phone as he insta-calls a number, he only gets to say single sentence before the person on the other end of the phone hangs up “Well this ought to be an earful…”

 

“What are you talking about? They hung up on you d-didn they?” Lammy stares at him in pure confusion.

 

“You'll see in three...two...one…” a giant block crashes down from the skies in between all of them causing the group to all freak up. As the dust clears the thing the crashed rises to its feet, revealing a walking three dimensional 16 bit figure of a horse man that is slightly smaller than Parappa.

 

“I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU GOT MY PRIDE AND JOY DESTROYED! I HELPED YOU BUILD THE THING AND YOU CAN'T EVEN KEEP IT IN ONE PIECE?! WHO THE HELL DID YOU LET DO THIS!”

 

“You know very well who could've done this.”

 

“Oh great...the source of my misery is back in action...”

 

“You're telling me. First I get my club destroyed, then the five people responsible for it get broken out of priso-”

 

“BRUTER AND THE OTHERS ESCAPED?!” Parappa and Lammy both shout nearly toppling Leo and the smaller guy over.

 

“Ahem...yes...they did...by the benefactor they had...who turns out to be probably the last person I wanted to hear from again...Anywho I'll explain more on that later. For now let me introduce you to a friend of mine. This guy right here is called-”

 

“SIXTEEN-BITS!” Parappa shouts causing everyone to look at him.

 

“Yeah...how did you know that?...”

 

“Uh…”

 

“Ahahah! I see my reputation as a brilliant inventor and scientist is starting to pick back up again!” 16 begins hoping up in down in joy. Much like an old school rpg sprite characters victory animation in a video game.

 

“Ahahaww! He's such a cute little!...uh...whatever he is!” Katy plucks 16-bits off the ground and starts shaking him like a toy.

 

“HEY!...Lady put me down!”

 

“Aw little guy is cranky~”

 

“I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW I AM ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FOUR YEARS OLD!” Katy quickly chucks him to the ground as she wipes her hands on her pants before rushing over in front of Leo.

 

“You are to stay a hundred feet away from my boy at all times…” she shudders in disgust.

 

“Katyyyyy...leave the guy alone...he's harmless...he can't do anything to me even if he tried…” Katy huffs before pointing two fingers at her eyes, then pointing towards 16 and walking off.

 

“Katy? Oh then she's one of the people you were trying to save! Then these all are those specific people! Well they seem fine and healthy so that means they haven't even come in contact with our troublesome adversary! That means you're succeeding so far! Congratulations, your struggles weren't totally in vain!” he throws one arm upwards as it does a perpetual up and down motion as the others become puzzled.

 

The words of 16 causes the image of Leo being impaled to flash again in Parappa's head. Immediately he runs up to Leo and lifts his shirt up. However he is perfectly unscathed “Parappa what are you doing?...”

 

Parappa awkwardly stares at his chest. It was currently orange showing the fact that he was mainly thinking about Lammy currently “Uh…” To escape his blunder, he decides to just flat out ask “This may sound odd...but you ever...get...heavily injured here?...as in a really big hole being pierced through you kind of injured?” Leo's color drains as he puts on a fake smile.

 

“Whaaaaaaat?...p-pffft don't be ridiculous! That type of wound would lead to me dying. And I'm still alive so clearly that's a rather creepy thing to a-ask me dad h-hahahaha!...” a pixelated question mark appears over 16-bits head as he decides to spill it.

 

“Yeah you did. It was five years ago remember?” He turns to the group “He got impaled heavily like he was nothing but flimsy paper due to being an idiot and running in from anger alone to try and be a hero! Almost died if it weren't for five specific people saving his life for arriving just in the nick of time!” Leo shatters into pieces onto the ground as 16 realizes his mistake “Oh...was I not supposed to say that?...” As Leo puts himself together to strangle the pixel, he is grabbed both Katy and Lammy who immediately smash him in a hug of fear.

 

“WHAT DID YOU GET YOURSELF I-INTO?!...”

 

“WHO HURT YOU?!” Katy stares at 16 “I SWEAR IF IT WAS YOU...THAT HUNDRED FEET JUST BECAME A THOUSAND BUDDY!” flames boil in her eyes.

 

“It wasn't me! The most I wanted to do to him was simply squash him flat and crush all his bones!...” 16 immediately finches back as Katy’s head is engulfed in flames, giving her the appearance of a demon.

 

She yanks Leo's guitar off and holds it to the small man's face “ **THAT A THOUSAND FEET IS NOW A MILLION, AND YOU BETTER START RUNNING NOW!”** she shouts in a voice to match her appearance.

 

"Dayum girl, you sure you ain't from hell to?" Rammy says as she watches Katy’s head in awe.

 

“WAAAAIT! IT WAS WHEN I WAS STILL EVIL!” she pulls the cord and immediately slams it down inches away from him “AIEEEEEEEEEEEEE.”

 

“16 please shut the hell up…” Leo wiggles out of Lammy’s grasp on order to stop Katy’s anger “Katy...please...I'm fine...ignore the idiots words. That was all five years ago when I was alot more reckless than I am now…actually I'm still reckless but that's not the point. I'm all good. He's also all good. He was basically mind controlled and I helped free him.”

 

“By destroying my original body! It was probably for the better. I did download my brain into a giant orchestra robot of doom. So once I was rebooted, I couldn't exactly go back to that body. So he did the next best thing. He made this body and downloaded my brain here! And frankly I find this body alot nicer.”

 

“See? He's harmless now…” Katy calms down as the flames around her head extinguish, but she still stares angrily at the little robot man.

 

“Why did you pick such a retro inspired body?” Paula asks as she stares at the guy.

 

“I was playing a really addictive video game at the time and well...needless to say I had alot of inspiration…” he looks down to the little robot as he does an idle animation against his will “Like...A LOT alot…”

 

“Well...I mean atleast he likes the body...hey wait...is that why he's called 16-bits?”

 

“No that was just my name from the start. The body was actually very coincidental.” 16 states as he walks towards the clubs rubble “Alright. I hope no one here tries to harm me further because I'd like to get to work...Now let's see here...Leo you know that building this thing took us two years…”

 

“Yeah, well we built it from scratch then. So of course it took long. Now? We have a basis to go by.” he removes his helmet and presses a button on the side causing a hologram image of the club to appear before them “I have the schematics of the exterior, interior, what went where, what things got their power from and other smaller details see?”

 

“That cuts our workload to...seven months. Give or take any liberties we choose to do.”

 

“I don't have seven months! That place was my livelyhood!...”

 

“Shouldn't have let the place get toppled over then!”

 

“I HAD NO CONTROL OVER THAT…” as the two bicker, Rammy speaks up.

 

“Why not ask for help from your miracle worker bud?”

 

“Cuz they only heal physical wounds, not financial or business ones!”

 

“Some miracle workers…”

 

“They're not miracle workers! They are witch doctors!...don't think they have construction and engineering in their expertise!” Leo kicks over a slab of rock “Well. My life's getting progressively tougher...that aside...what's the reason for your visit this time?” Parappa attempts to open his mouth, but he's stopped by his roommates.

 

“We'll break the ice for you. You just wait back here.” all the girls scatter off and begin flooding Leo with tons of banter.

 

Parappa rolls his eyes as he decides to talk to his two male friends that got left behind with him “Well this works in my favor. I wanted to get some feedback on this ever since I learned he's my kid from the future.”

 

“That bein?”

 

“Apparently...all of em have a chance of being his mother...meaning-”

 

“Hooray, he can put two and two together!” Matt chuckles as PJ rolls his own eyes.

 

“You two knew?!”

 

“Man EVERYONE knew. Cept you of course. You were just the king of dense ignorance.”

 

“And neither of you thought it'd be a good idea to TELL ME?!”

 

“Parappa, we shouldn't have to tell you about that. That's something you yourself was supposed to pick up on your own. Plus it's common courtesy to not out your friends crush, especially if it's on another friend.”

 

“Especially if it's multiple who have the same crush target.” Matt adds on.

 

“And they say chivalry’s dead!” Parappa immediately recalls one of the symbols on his hat “Wait...I mean!...common courtesy! They say common courtesy’s dead!” he sighs at his save as PJ and Matt stare at one another in confusion “So is that why you brought it up before PJ?...”

 

“It was till you proved to be very hectic and unstable when it comes to rebounding.”

 

“I am NOT!...”

 

“Parappa...Leo is currently living evidence that you are…”

 

“WHATEVER!...Look all in all...this is just...so strange to me…”

 

“Yeah having your friends crushes outed to you, only to see that it's you they crush on must be...pretty damn shocking!” Matt shrugs with a cheesy smile plastered on his face.

 

“And you feel some things for them as you've clearly proven.” PJ states recalling everything Parappa had told him,  or what he see saw him subliminally do.

 

They both cross their arms and speak in unison “Got a girl in mind now?”

 

“It ain't that simple for me!”

 

“Boy don't we know it…~” they both ruffle his hair.

 

“I'm serious!...I...don't know what to do...this past week has been SUPER awkward for me…”

 

“It must seeing as you live with four girls who have the hots for you!”

 

“I feel bad for Paula as she's the only one without that privilege...hey why not invite her to live with you guys to?~” Both of the taunting boys laugh at the confliction of their smaller friend.

 

“With friends like you, who needs enemies…”

 

“Chill out man. Just don't let it get to you. They're all still the same friends you have. All that's different is that you know they love you, but it doesn't mean they're gonna act on it. Hell I'm pretty sure this probably will cause them to wimp out! So that's a win!...unless of course you WANTED them to make some moves.” PJ states solemnly as he places a hand on his shoulder.

 

“I DON'T KNOW!” he grumbles “I'll...see what happens...right now I just gotta keep this off my mind.” Parappa is called over by the girls "I gotta go.”

 

“Ok so what they've told me is that you wanna spend the day with me is that it?...” Leo asks with his arms crossed.

 

“Eheh...yeah...I wanna apologize...I've...not been the most fair to you...especially since I almost made you not exist anymore! I wanna make it up to you if I can...I've kinda just felt progressively guilty...especially after a dream I had...well...we've all had last night.”

 

“A dream??..”

 

“I'll uh...tell you along the way. If of course…you even want to.”

 

“Mmmm…sure. Why not. I can see you're trying to make the effort. You were never one to lie, especially to me.” 

 

“GREAT! Now to keep you two in check…” Katy pushes Lammy and Rammy forward “These two ladies will be with you along the way!”

 

“The fuck?!”

 

“W-We will??...”

 

“Yes! After all seeing a miraculous friendship sprout from you two will be the beacon these two lovable goofs need to get their own friendship going again!” both ewes stammer as Katy continues pushing them towards Parappa and Leo.

 

As this happens, Leo turns to the robot man “16, Looks like we'll save the work load for another day. For now mind fixing my jacket and belt? They've been fried and I can't fix em. Also a helmet I kinda...popped…”

 

“I'll do my best.” Before Leo can hand the things over, Parappa speaks to him.

 

“Hey 16. If it's to much a workload for you two to do. Why I don't just ask my dad to help you?...”

 

“That's cute, but you really shouldn't expect any old guy to just be able to handle such advanced machinery!”

 

“I'll have you know that Papillon Rappa is more than capable to help you both!”

 

“P-P-Pa-Pa-PAPILLON?” his body sputters and then spontaneously explodes. The words ‘YOU DIED’ appear above his pieces.

 

“W-WHY DID HE BLOW UP?!” Parappa freaks out as he constantly looks between Leo and the blown up body.

 

“Relax he's fine…” after Leo says this, a small picture of 16 appears along with the number one hundred and eighty four appearing next to it. It ticks down to one hundred and eighty three and disappears, followed by another box crash landing in the rubble. Mere moments after 16 is back again “See?”

 

“YOUR FATHER IS  **_THE_ ** PAPILLON?!”

 

“Y-Yeah?...”

 

“Ahem...then he is more than capable of assisting us. I'd even welcome it...erm…” he hops over to Parappa, in order to whisper to him “You uh...think he could give me an autograph?...”

 

“I'll uh...see what I can do…” 16 nods and hops away, and then begins andnngrily yelling at Leo.

 

“YOU DIDN'T TELL ME YOUR GRANDFATHER WAS THE GREAT PRODIGY PAPILLON! YOU MADE ME END UP INSULTING HIM!”

 

“You never asked. Now shut up and just help fix my things…” he hands him his broken and malfunctioning gear, only earning a growl from him.

 

“Fine, I suppose that's a fair enough response.” 16’s feet sprout small engines as he blasts off.

 

“Well. I say we're all set to go.”

 

Lammy and Rammy are finally tossed into their grasp as they look at the two.

 

“Guess we're coming with.”

 

“Sorry for the i-intrusion…”

 

“It's fine you two. Now Parappa, any plans?”

 

“How about we go back to PaRappa Town?...” Leo simply raises an eyebrow “Trust me! It'll be fun!” both ewes nod rapidly to seal the deal. 

 

“Ok…”

 

“Great! Let's go!” he shoves the three of them into his car as he quickly dives into the drivers seat and heads off.

 

_ Alright!...I have no idea on what to do with him…but I gotta try! I slightly remember him doing so much for me in that dream…I gotta do the same!...oh boy I hope this goes well... _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got the site working on mobile! Well mostly, so have a double chapter upload I got finished within my struggles of trying to get this to work.


	24. Fixing Bonds and Hellish Vagabonds

The four drive along in Parappa's car as they enter the town that shares it's name with the driver “Soooo...you got any places you wanna see that you have in mind? I'm certain you found some lovely spots when the others helped you out.”

 

“I'm just here for the ride, you offered to take me so I wanna see what you have in store for me.”

 

“Ahah...that I did…”  _ would it kill you to make it easier for me to do so?... _ “Well...any places you like from future PaRappa Town that we still have a years back now?...”

 

“I'm...gonna withdraw on that on account of me not being to PaRappa Town for a full twelve years...the closest was the outskirts at some old warehouse that's now a run down old mess at the edge of town...that a way. But I've since stopped going there come five years ago...around the time you hooked up with your ex if what I've read up correctly.”

 

“...That uh…” Parappa fully knows the exact spot he's pointing to “Sorry to inform you that...that place is now decommissioned…”

 

“I mean I figured the rickety old place would eventually come crumbling down...but I thought it'd last a few years on its own...unless of course people continued to hang out there in which case it makes sen…” The puzzle pieces click together in the masked sheep's head.

 

“...”

 

“Oh...that...accident...was at that...place...heh…” Leo removes his helmet, emitting a large amount of flustered steam “H-Hah...guess we both ended up…almost offing the other accidentally due to not thinking of the consequences…” the two keep their gazes as far away as possible from each other as the two in the backseat watch the sad display go down.

 

“Huh...I don't get what just happened…”

 

“R-Remember the accident Parappa suffered that we told you about?...”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“It happened at the w-warehouse they're talking about...”

 

“So Leo, the guy who spent his entire time here trying to help Paraps...caused the chain of events that he's trying to save him from in the first place to happen...earlier?”

 

“It uh...l-looks that way…how did you get to that conclusion so e-easily??...”

 

“I caved and read the book he kept asking us to read. It's actually a simple read and surprisingly entertainin.”

 

“...Ok that aside...how are we gonna help these two get along n-now!...”

 

“I mean we didn't really have a plan to do damn well anything prior so that plan stays the same. Improvise out the ass!”

 

“H-How do you expect us to manage that…”

 

“I don't expect us to manage anything. We just constantly keep at it and eventually something will work!” Rammy wraps her arm around Lammy as she brings her in “Listen here. We're the top two guitarists in existence! If we give it a go, then the magic will happen then and there! I mean look at this way, Paraps can't be mad since he was gonna get injured and dumped anyway without Leo's intrusion. And Leo can't be a little shit head about it since he's constantly at odds with no longer existing thanks to his own stupidity. So they're both equally idiotic and at fault!”

 

“R-Rammy…”

 

“What is it?”

 

“T-They can hear us…” she points forward to show that the car had stopped driving for a while now as both occupants in the front row seats look back at them with unamused faces. All color, except for a blue hue across their eyes, gone from their faces.

 

“...fuck…”

 

* * *

 

“Matt did you get any of that?...” Katy says as she pokes her head out from a bush.

 

“Ok so after discussing that both Parappa and Leo are idiots, Lammy got Rammy’s attention and then it got all silent, followed by Rammy saying fuck.” Matt says as he pops out from a trash can, his ears held out like at sonar device.

 

“Katy you sure we should be eavesdropping around them?...I mean doesn't this defeat the purpose of sending Lammy and Rammy with them?... “ Paula adds on as she peeks out of a tire stack.

 

“Not really. This is what we did when we set you and PJ up on that date years ago.”

 

“YOU WHAT?!”

 

PJ pokes out from a sewer gate “You didn't notice them?? They were super obvious.”

 

“And you didn't tell me??”

 

“I was under the assumption that you also knew. How else do you explain Parappa conveniently popping out from nowhere?”

 

“That's true...ugh I feel dumb…”

 

(“At least you're not as dumb as the four inside that car!”) Ma-san adds on as she pokes out from a big mailbox.

 

“Hey the cars moving again!” Sweety adds on as she moves from behind a tree.

 

“After it guys!” they all hide back in their disguises and rush off except for PJ who gets stuck in the manhole and promptly gives up and falls asleep soon after.

 

“Man, you would think with the task of saving your own dad, you'd be the utmost careful in not causing the events to happen earlier than they should.” Matt says as he scuttles along in his trashcan until he trips and starts rolling on its side.

 

“Just because our son has inherited Parappa's poor planning and awareness doesn't mean that this is in anyway his entire fault.”

 

“Wow Katy, that has got to be the most neutral stance on a matter I've seen you take ye- wait our son? As in collectively at once??”

 

“I'm tired of dealing with PJ correcting me with the whole one fifth thing. So I figured if I worded it like this, he couldn't smart ass his way out if it. Speaking of which where is he?” they all scout about as they chase after the car.

 

“I'm sure he'll catch up. For now we gotta focus on them! Look Matt has the right idea!” Paula adds as she watches Matt uncontrollably roll away.

 

(“Hmph...show off…”)

 

“I uh...don't think he's doing that intentionally.”  Sweety alerts the group to shut up and listen.

 

“HELP MEEEEEEEEEE...”

 

“...We should probably help him stop…” they all pick up the pace as half of them split off to stop Matt’s uncontrollable roll.

 

* * *

 

“...Look here...as Rammy rudely put it...I don't really blame you for that. It was more of an indirect thing if anything...and we did kind of anticipate the place wouldn't really last long. We just pushed our luck a bit to far that...well butterfly effect after that really.”

 

“Doesn't necessarily make me feel any better over what I've done to you and vice versa.”

 

“Ayiyiy…”

 

“Yeesh...you'd t-think that'd be a good enough topic s-starter right?...” Lammy whispers to the girl next to her who has several pieces of tape plastered over her mouth.

 

“Mpph phm Mmmm phmhp mhm…” (Currently that's a major impossibility…)

 

“Well now that's a s-stretch…”

 

“phm hmmm, mhmmm hmnmh mphm mm…” (I'd object, but look at me…)

 

“You b-brought that upon yourself…” Rammy simply punches her shoulder after being told that “Owww...you're not proving me wrong…” Rammy snorts as the car stops again.

 

“Well...here's the first stop I pick for us to enjoy!” the three other passengers look at their windows.

 

“The...shopping district?...” Leo slowly exits the car “Why here?”

 

“Well I figured you'd have in mind to buy some things as you're here! You know in fashion of how a child would ask of their parent?”

 

“...Parappa I'm a grown man...one who had multiple jobs that leave me with plenty reserve ‘pocket change’ that is sufficient enough for me to buy whatever I desire at the time…I'm not a little kid who wants to ask for ask toy...”

 

“Could you at least give me a shot? I'm trying my best to find something to bond with you over!...but I don't know how you are! Hell I don't even think future me would know either!...”

 

“DON'T...bring future you into...this…” Leo sighs “I  _ suppose _ I am going to have to be careful with my funds seeing as I have no source of income for the foreseeable future. Just wish I wasn't constantly reminded of how long I've really been gone…” He slumps over, visibly upset and homesick.

 

“Aw come on cheer up!...I didn't intend to make you home-...er...timesick!” the sheep boy huffs as his only reply “Now stop that! What you need is someone to hold you tight, someone to hug you!~” Parappa leaps onto him, embracing him within a tight hug.

 

“Gwah!...D-Dad stooooop…I'm the same age as you currently...this is awkward…”

 

“It's not awkward unless you make it awkward!”

 

“You and Katy are the wooooorst…” as he struggles to get Parappa off, Lammy and Rammy find themselves giggling at the spectacle.

 

Katy and Ma-san watch from afar as they talk amongst themselves, hidden in their disguises still.

 

(“Figures that'd be Mutt’s go to move.”)

 

“I mean you can't say that it isn't sweet and adorable to look at! Of course Parappa makes a ton of things adorable!”

 

Ma-san turns to look at Katy (“Dog bias.”) she blurts out to the once prior dog owner.

 

“it is not!” she turns to Ma-san, slightly annoyed.

 

(“Of course not, but I'm still gonna say it is. That aside, you sure we shouldn't have also gone to help stop Matt?”)

 

“I'm sure Sweety and Paula more than have it covered. For now let's keep on listening in!” 

 

(“Whatever you say…”) they both turn their attention back to the four of them, only to see that they've left (“Huh...that was fast.”)

 

“Which way could they have gone??”

 

(“And you expect me to know the answer to that  _ because _ …?”)

 

“You may have seen something I didn't! Sorry for trying to see if there was an answer.”

 

(“How about, instead of complaining, you use that energy of yours to actually LOOK for the-”)

 

“WAY AHEAD OF YOU!” Katy shouts from the distance as she rushes into a random store.

 

(“Ugh…”) she chases after.

 

* * *

 

“You know, I gotta agree w-with Leo here Parappa...you're kinda going a-about this the wrong way...he's not a baby…”

 

“I mean he's technically mine...only 20 years into his life!” he gives a half-hearted smile “I mean a parents child is always their baby wouldn't you say Lammy?”

 

“You sound like my m-mother…”

 

“Phm hmmm mhmhhmm m. Mhm hmm hnmp hhghh!” (I don't get it. He should be happy!”)

 

“Happy o-over?”

 

“mphm mmm hmm Hpm ghhg mhn nn!” (The fact he's getting attention at all!)

 

“See Rammy gets it!”

 

“You are c-clearly different as a father...he spoke so softly of you when he explained what little of the future he could to m-me...guess it must be a sentimentality thing...you d-don’t have him as a son yet so you're clueless!”

 

“Man with you two it's like I have an angel and devil on my shoulders…” just then an item conks Parappa on the back of the head “Ow!...” he turns to see Leo haplessly chuck item after item away behind him from a box he's inspecting. Clearly disgruntling the other customers.

 

“No. Nope. Hmmm...Nah. Ew no. Maybe

..uh uh. Possibly?...probably not. Oh hey!”

 

“Leo!...quit throwing things to the side!...you're disrupting the other people here!”

 

“Hey there, you wanna treat me like a kid, you'll get me as a kid! Now shut up and look at this! It's a book on world's most useless knowledge!” He flips through random pages “Like did you know that the plastic bit of shoelace is called the aglet! Or that oxygen is actually harmful to breathe? Oooh ooh! Ooooor one of the few words to rhyme with orange is door hinge?” Parappa grabs the book and dunks it back into the box.

 

“Stop! Why are you doing this??”

 

“I'm just doing what any child would! Bug their parent to buy unnecessary things that they don't need but want because of spontaneous emotion!”

 

Lammy stares at Parappa resentfully as Leo says that while Rammy laughs “Look Leo, quit it! I didn't mean for you to go at this...convincing...a length with me! I mean seriously, why will I ever need to know that door hinge rhymes with orange!”

 

“Well it is called useless knowledge for a reason~”

 

“E-nough!...” he grabs Leo by the arm and drags him out of the store with the two girls following right after.

 

This bad display of emotions carries on as they traverse place after place, Europa constantly bugging Parappa and Parappa getting more and more in his face. Leos condition gradually deteriorating all the while. Eventually the group decide to stop at a food spot for a quick bite to eat.

 

“Leo!...seriously what is WITH you??”

 

“Ahahah. What's with ME? Ohohoooh who knows, Mr apparently perfect~” Leo's eyes are noticeably red and slightly mixed in color as they start moving in their own in spiral motions. Parappa however, does not notice this “I'm not in the mood to be perstered again so tata~ I'll be waiting over there till you're all done snackin~” Parappa throws his hands in the air as his head slams onto the table.

 

Rammy laughs so hard the tape on her mouth forcibly breaks. “GAHAHAHAHA-OW!...AHAHAHA STILL FUHUHUHUNNY!...ouch…” she rubs her mouth trying to soothe it while also carefully removing remaining tape pieces carefully. Still giggling all the while.

 

Lammy decides to speak up to her double as she herself noticed Leo's deteriorating condition “Hey Rammy...you noticed Leo's eyes have been looking kinda...o-off?”

 

“Hehe...yeah now that you mention it...looked familiar.”

 

“Familiar h-how?”

 

“Like my eyes back when I was in hell within hell. All strained, pained and tired in all aspects.”

 

“...Explain…”

 

“Well I mean it as how I was when I was uh…” she taps her head “Kinda frail up here. So much mental deterioration.”

 

“Oh...come to think of it...he has been at constant odds since he first got here...you were like that from just five years of pain...he's been at it for twelve...how does he manage to c-cope?...”

 

“You don't really...cope with that...you either get help for it...or you suffer and try to hide it.”

 

“Um...let's say you don't get help for it...how long could you hide it?...”

 

“Well for me? I hid it pretty damn well in my opinion till Paraps got into my life again. At which I just...popped and broke down. But I did get help so I guess it was a...healthy needed breakdown?...” she rubs her chin in deep thought.

 

“P-Popped?...”

 

Rammy grabs her unopened soda bottle “Like uh...this.” she holds it up in between them “I mean everyone can hide alot of things, I know I could at the very least. However…” she begins shaking the bottle “That's not to say you're fine. You're just...tolerating everything. But tolerance has its limits...if you go past that.” she starts shaking more roughly “It starts getting more and more hard to hide it as people keep on pushing your buttons. And they just keep pressing and pressing while you do your best to keep it together…” she begins shaking it violently, the bottle vibrating like crazy within her hand “is it healthy to bottle this up? No, but what can you do. You don't have help. So after you've exhausted your endurance, your tolerance… you just can't take anymore…you're out in the open, vulnerable. And before you know it...one last thing happens and then…” the bottle cap bursts off as the soda erupts out like a geyser “Pop…”

 

Lammy's eyes widen immediately after the demonstration reaches it's conclusion “....H-Heh...heheheh...hahaha…b-but Parappa wouldn't end up doing that again to Leo like he did with you would he?...I mean with you he was prepped to fix it, and he at the very least knew what to do with you as a heads up...here...not so much…of course he won't do that! Right ParappaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!” she grabs the sides of her head as she screams intensely upon seeing the dog pester the guy with question after question in the distance. Leo was holding tightly onto his head as a flicker of colors emit from his eyes in a manner similar to Rammy when she was in her battle with Parappa more than a month ago. His eyes grow more and more bloodshot as they vibrate an assortment of colors, his pupils spinning around as they become nothing but full on spirals. Lammy has seen enough and runs out to the two “P-PARAPPA NOOOOOOO!!!” he doesn't hear her.

 

“WHY DON'T YOU ATLEAST TRY AND TELL ME WHAT TO DO?!”

 

“YOU DON'T  _ HAVE _ TO DO ANYTHING MR. RAPPA!”

 

“STOP THAT! I WANT TO FORM A PROPER BOND HERE!...”

 

“BY TREATING ME LIKE A LITTLE KID??”

 

“YOU SURE AS HELL MAKE A CONVINCING ONE FOR SOMEONE WHO CLAIMS THEY'RE AN ADULT!” Leo finches as he wraps his arms fully around his head “WHY WON'T YOU MAKE THE EFFORT TO MEET ME HALFWAY?”

 

“THERE'S NOTHING TO MEET!”

 

“I'M GIVING YOU MY ALL!...WHY WON'T YOU ACCEPT IT!”

 

“YOUR ALL SUCKS! I'D RATHER BE YELLED AT AGAIN FOR REMOVING MY CAST!...” 

 

“WHY DON'T YOU WANT TO TRY AND BE FRIENDS WITH ME NOW THAT I KNOW WHO AND HOW YOU REALLY ARE??...I WANT TO MAKE UP FOR BEING A HARD ASS HALFWAY INTO OUR PRIOR FRIENDSHIP!” Leo drops fully onto the ground, letting go of his head as he instead covers his face, he starts to fidget a lot while on the ground “Well??”

 

“Because…” the reply came out flat and monotonous.

 

“Because why??”

 

“Because…” he starts laughing behind his hands.

 

“PARAPPA STOP IT!...”

 

“Because. WHY?...” Lammy was to late.

 

“BECAUSE I'M A WORTHLESS EXCUSE FOR A SON! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I'M SO USELESS USELESS USELESS! BWAHAHAHAH! WHAT KIND OF IDIOT RUINS SUCH A SIMPLE MISSION CONSTANTLY TO A DEGREE THAT HE CAUSES THE PROBLEMATIC CHAIN OF EVENTS TO HAPPEN SOONER!” he bursts onto his feet as he runs circles around Parappa at an alarming speed. Dizzying him “I'M A MESS I'M A WRECK I'M THE STAR OF THE TRASH SHOOOOOOW! I RUINED SO MANY LIVES INCLUDING MY OWWWWWWWN~” He flutters into the air as he dive bombs down the street in a sonic boom, leaving a smoke trail on the ground and Parappa onto his back.

 

Parappa blinks slowly as realization hits him like like a delayed truck “...What have I done…”

 

“You have the AUDACITY to ask that _ NOW _ ??” Lammy shouts at the downed dog as she looks at him from above.

 

“Lammy can we not play the blame game unt-”

 

“It's not the blame game, it's you being told that you in fact did-”

 

“Fuck shit up to the extreme.” Rammy says as she catches up.

 

“...Yeah...that.”

 

“Are you two gonna berate me. Or are you gonna help me CATCH him??”

 

“A little bit of both really.”

 

“Yeah Paraps, sorry to say, but you were kind of an asshole to him even more than before.”

 

“Alright! Atleast run after him as you talk me down!” they all chase after the runaway boy, while the two ewes constantly inform Parappa of what he's been continuously doing the entire day with him “...Did I...really say and act like that?...”

 

“YES…”

 

“Sheesh man...did you really not hear yourself??”

 

“I just was at wits end...I just wanted to try something…ANYTHING…”

 

“You should've asked us! We may not have had a solution, but we probably c-could’ve offered better things to say…”

 

“Why didn't either of you step in before??”

 

“We tried, but you kind of ignored us and overtook Leo's attention…”

 

“And you taped my mouth shut sooo…”

 

“...man I suck at this…”

 

“We can discuss t-that later! Come on we gotta catch up to him before he injures himself!...Or everyone else!...” they keep on following the burn marks on the ground until they see him again, heading straight for a large row of people “U-Uh oh…”

 

“WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!” Leo cyclones around a trio of people, swapping their clothes between them before bursting off to the next assortment. He breaks through a giant piece of glass two people are carrying as he leaves a hole in perfect shape of his body through it. He then ends up running through people on his path, smacking them away into the air where they land, stranded in objects that are far from the ground.

 

“Sorry!...” Parappa tells the group of three that cover themselves in embarrassment over wearing the others clothes.

 

“W-We apologize for our f-friend!...” Lammy bows to the two people who were carrying the glass, they stare dumbfounded at how the entire thing didn't break.

 

“AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!” Rammy laughs at the people stuck on top of trees poles and buildings thanks to Leo ‘accidentally’ catapulting them there “Ihihihi’m sorry!...But this is all just so funny!”

 

“Rammy! Don't mock those caught in the crossfire!...”

 

“How can I NOT Paraps?? Look at them!”

 

“You should never make fun of people over things less you tempt fate and have it happen to you!” Parappa states while sighing and shaking his head.

 

“Pffft...yeah right. I don't see this happening to me.” Leo returns and cyclones around Lammy and Rammy. Once he runs off, their clothes have been swapped as they find themselves up a tree, tangled on branches.

 

“P-Pride cometh before the fall ey R-Rammy?...”

 

“Lammy shut up…”

 

“I warned you…” Parappa states while climbing the tree to help them down.

 

The chase continues once they're all back in solid ground, but they all stop once they no longer see burn marks on the ground.

 

“We lost his trail!...”

 

“Great, maybe we can use this time to change our clothes back.”

 

“L-Later Rammy! This is more important! We have to prevent him from causing more havoc!”

 

“What's the worst he can do?” Just then they hear his laugh in the distance, prompting them to run off and find him. Once they reach the source, Lammy panics.

 

“Oh no…” It was a hospital. And currently...it was having an after school sale.

 

“This...looks familiar…”

 

“Yeah no kidding Paraps...but I can't put my finger on it…”

 

* * *

 

Katy and Ma-san finally find them again as they huff in exhaustion “There...they are…”

 

(“Joy...I'm gonna...kick their asses...for leading us on…a wild goose chase…”)

 

“No cuz then you give away that we've been following them!”

 

(“Currently, I could care less about that!”)

 

“Ma-san please-...hey...where's Leo?”

 

(“Oh great, they lost him. At a hospital?...”)

 

“Oh this doesn't feel right...something about this hospital strikes me as familiar…”

 

(“Now that you mention it...yeah...but why?”)

 

The remainder of the group catch up to them as they themselves huff in exhaustion and aggravation.

 

“You...jerks didn't...bother helping us…” Paula says as she pathetically slides her hand across Katy’s shoulder in an attempt to slap her, but fails from being to tired.

 

“Really...could've used...your help...catching Matt…” Sweety says as she drops the tree she's been lugging around to hide behind.

 

“Everything hurts...hey what are you guys looking at?” Matt stares at the hospital that everyone else is gawking at “Why are we at a hospital?...”

 

* * *

 

Inside the establishment we have Cathy Piller carefully helping mothers to be get ready for their big moment.

 

“Great so far everyone. Just keep calm and all of this will go by smoothly with no hassle. Can't have you all stressing out, less we have an overwhelming BOOM now will we?” She and all the other ladies laugh until they hear something “Hm?...what on earth could be happening out ther-” Leo smashes through the wall as he dives through the room. The sudden unexpected action feels as if time slowed down as the caterpillar and all the rabbit woman watch him move in slow motion from one wall to the other.

 

**“PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTAAAAAAAAAAAAY BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYBEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!”** he smashes through the opposite wall, vanishing entirely.

 

“What in the world…” suddenly the entire building started rumbling. Cathy knew very well what was about to happen “Well this doesn't bode well…”

 

On the outside, the building shakes violently as does the ground around it, alarming the group waiting outside.

 

“W-What’s happening!...” After Matt says this, every window on the building shatters as a hole bursts open from the center of the thing. From it floods an entire tidal wave of bunny babies. Parappa, Rammy, Katy and Ma-san all snap their fingers.

 

“ _ THAT'S  _ why this place is familiar.” everyone screams as they run away, but they ultimately get swept up in the mass. After a bit they all get sent to the top of the wave as their heads poke out from a cluster of baby's. As they see each other, Parappa immediately tries questioning them on why they're also here, but before he's able to.

 

“Hello all, I'm terribly sorry for this...minor inconvenience, but if you could be so kind as to... **PUT THESE KIDS TO SLEEP WILL YA?...** I sound like as broken record at this point…” Cathy says as she pokes out in between all of them.

 

“What the heck happened??” Katy asks the caterpillar.

 

“ _ He _ happened…” She points over to a spot on wave that suddenly begins having music play as one of the baby's begin to sing.

 

_ “Mamamamamamamamamamamamamamamama!” _

 

“Mamama-ma mama ma!” a familiar voice sings along with a guitar riff.

 

_ “Papapapapapapapapapapapapapapapa!” _

 

“Papapa-pa papa pa!”

 

_ “Gimme some milk, gimme some food!” _

 

“Gimme milk...gimme food~...”

 

_ “Gimme the car! The one that goes vroom!” _

 

“COME ON KIDS! IT'S PARTY TIME! WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!~” out from behind the lead singer baby pops out a table that has Leo on top of it. He's wearing a bunny ear cap that covers his actual ears as he wears a bib around his neck. All the baby's laugh and cheer as they motion about leading to drastic movements in the tidal wave.

 

_ “I need to potty, or I'll be real naugh-ty!” _

 

“Naughty naughty, we are naughty kids!”

 

_ “Somebody hold me, somebody huuuuug meeeee!” _

 

“Oh poor thing, you're just like meeee…~”

 

_ “Maaaamama mama!” _

 

“Come on Mama's!” he turns to look at all the girls behind him.

 

_ “Papapapa papa!” _

 

“SO long Papa!” he kicks a bottle that was by his foot. It smacks Parappa square in the face. He then dives into the cluster of babies, vanishing again.

 

_ “SOMEBODY COME OVER QUICK!~” _

 

“YEAH I'M  _ HERE _ NOW~” Leo pops out from a much farther spot on a much bigger round table, almost akin to a stage.

 

_ “I'M GONNA START A TRICK!~” _

 

“OH OHHHHHHHHHHHHH~” Leo's guitar playing causes the babies to launch out everyone that's stuck. Everyone except for Parappa lands on an actual solid surface while he lands in another cluster, stuck again.

 

_ “CUZ HERE I GOOOO!” _

 

“CUZ HERE WE GOOOO OOOOH~” the tidal wave moves faster.

 

_ “DIDN'T YA KNOW?” _

 

“ _ THEY _ DIDN'T KNOOOO OHHHHHHHHHHHHH OOOOOH!~” they begin bouncing the platforms the others are on.

 

_ “I AM A KID!” _

 

“WE ARE SO WIIIIILD!”

 

_ “WITH NO CONTROL!” _

 

“NEVA BE MIIIIIILD! YEAAAAAEEEEAAAAH!”

 

The group watch the madness ensue until Cathy speaks again “I'll repeat... **NOW PUT THESE KIDS TO SLEEP WILL YA?”**

 

“How are we gonna manage that!...”

 

“W-Wait Rammy!...all we gotta do is what Leo's doing!...”

 

“I am  **NOT** wearing a bib.”

 

“No! We play to! With enough music, we'll eventually lullaby them to sleep! Or at the very least tire them out from excessive energy usage as we try and steer them around…”

 

“Now  _ that _ I can get behind!” both of them pull out their guitars while Ma-san and Katy arrive on their own stage table with their instruments ready.

 

“We gotcha covered to!”

 

“How and when-” Rammy asks as to how that was even remotely possible, but is quickly interrupted by Katy.

 

“Less talking, more rocking!” Rammy simply laughs and shrugs as they all get ready.

 

“GET READY FOR LEAVIN TO BELIEVIN!” the singing resumes.

 

_ “I THINK MY DIAPER IS WET…” _

 

“I think their diapers are wet!” Katy says with her tongue sticking out over disgust from not wanting to hear that.

 

_ “I THINK THE BED GON BE NEXT!” _

 

“I THINK THEIR HEADS GON BE NEXT!~” Leo punts the loaded diapers at the others heads. They all dodge the flying misses of grossness rather well.

 

_ “I WANNA GO, I NEEDA GO  _ **_NOW_ ** _!” _

 

“Need to go need to go NOW!” Katy smacks some back towards Leo, who also manages to avoid them.

 

_ “HOW MUCH MORE? I DUNNO NOW!” _

 

“How much more NOW?~” both sides continuously play dodgeball with the filled diapers.

 

The singer baby finds itself on top of Parappa's head from all the shaking “ _ YOU ARE THE PERSON WHO'S PARAPARRPARRPARAPA!” _ Leo picks up the baby off his head with his guitar and immediately tries to stomp on Parappa as he plays his guitar riff.

 

_ “OR WAS IT MAMA OR PARAPAPARRARAPARAPAPA!” _ both ewes stop his foot with their own as they play their riffs.

 

The tidal wave was getting progressively slower as the babies started yawning. They also began nearing the shopping zone again “ **NOW PUT THESE KIDS TO SLEEP WILL YA!”**

 

_ “Hey hey Papa, I'll be good!” _

 

“I just wish that he was good to!” Lammy says as she and Rammy topple Leo over into the cluster again with their guitars.

 

_ “Now can I please HAVE MY FOOD~” _

 

“COURSE WE CAN, LET'S HELP OURSELVES!” Leo pokes back out from the head of the tidal wave. All of them munch on every bit of food in the area. They also eat the decoration food that isn't supposed to be eaten. They even eat the food shaped signs! With that out of they way they approach regular stores.

 

**_“NOW PUT THESE KIDS TO SLEEP!”_ **

 

_ “PAPA CAN I GO AND HAVE THE TOY THAT MAKE THAT FUNNY SOUND-A!”  _ they burst right through them.

 

“COME ON PAPA, GET THAT FUNKY  **FUNKY** TOOOOOOOY!” an assortment of toys fly at everyone. They don't have the ability to dodge them all so they take a few hits here and there, but due to Parappa being stuck, he takes them all to the face unwillingly to the beat of the song.

 

_ “MAMA CAN I EAT THE FOOD THAT MAKE ME FEEL LIKE MILLION DOLLA!” _

 

“YOU TO MAMA, COME AND BRING ON THE FOOD!” The tidal wave slows down even more with Katy’s verse. It overwhelms another building that launches more objects, this time it's baby bottles already filled with formula. Every baby manages to get one plastered to their mouths slowing them down even more.

 

The singing baby yawns before singing his next verse  _ “I WANNA GO TO BED, RIGHT NOW MAMA!” _

 

“But it's time to have some FUN!~” Leo sings, trying to keep them going.

 

_ “BUY ME THE TOY BEFORE THAT, OH PLEASE PAPA!” _

 

“TIME. TO. GET.  **BUSYYYYYY** !” after the final verse is sung by Katy. Parappa grabs one of the toys that hit him and chucks it at Leo. It nails him on the back of the head and sends him to dreamland. The tidal wave stops as it goes into one more building. A mattress store. All the babies are asleep and safe on comfy mattresses while Leo falls onto the floor with a large thud.

 

“We did it!” the four girls shout in unison.

 

“Great job everyone, that was a successful day if I do say so myself. They only destroyed a quarter of the town this time! A marginal improvement over last time where it was more than half the town!” Cathy says as she begins picking them all up within her many hands.

 

“Way to rock girls!...yo...Parappa you alright man?...your face looking...kinda bruised…” Matt finches upon getting a good look at Parappa.

 

“Oh really? Hadn't noticed. I was to busy getting things hurled to my face as I'm unable to defend myself…” He rubs his face in great pain “But after what happened...I kinda deserved this…”

 

“Gonna need some context to that.”

 

“Why? I'm pretty sure you've eavesdropped enough to know what happened yourselves.”

 

“Ok first off. It was Katy’s idea! Second off we separated due to me rolling away uncontrollably!”

 

“And third! We lost track of you for the entirety! So we didn't ‘eavesdrop’!” Katy says trying to defend their names in a futile attempt.

 

“I'm too tired to care...I'm gonna let Lammy here explain my own ignorance induced downfall...I'm gonna...try and help my boy…” he walks off leaving Lammy on the spot.

 

“H-Hey wait!...ohhhhh...well this is what happened…” 

 

PJ walks up to Katy with a yawn “What I miss?...”

 

“We're about to find out...the hell have you been?”

 

“I...don't want to talk about it…”

 

Katy looks at PJ. She notices a slab of concrete around his gut like a tutu “Uh huh…”

 

Parappa helps the unconscious boy up as he places him onto a bed “Man...this was a mess to handle…and the worst of it is that I could have avoided all this had I just listened to different input or if you threw me a bone towards what I could've done…” he reclines on the bed “Or had I tried a bit harder in how to properly handle you… I don't have a son right now! And frankly being a parent scares me...I don't know what to do as one...but I guess that much was evident after today huh?” the boy next to him groans as he shuffles in place only muttering out a single line.

 

“I'll shut up now...I'm sleepy…~...”

 

“Hehe...you really do act like a kid...guess that part you inherited from me! Sorry for that.” He chuckles as he stares at the ceiling “I’m apparently an amazing dad to you in the future judging by what Lammy told me from what you told her, but frankly...l don't see it. A guy like me being that great? Seems to fictional to be true after today. But I did learn alot today regardless. Seeing as I learned that me and Sunny Funny never had a chance together after all…” He sighs.

 

“I'm sorry...but...I never met a Sunny Funny in my time...I don't even know what she looks like…guess she never came back to even try and make amends with you all…” Leo startles Parappa at his sudden waking up.

 

“Oh!...you're up!... How ya feeling?”

 

“My head is killing me…”

 

“Ah!...I'll go do something about that!” he hops off the bed only to run into Rammy’s hand “Why aren't I moving?...” he looks and sees he's being held in place.

 

“Chillax. I'll get something for his head. You see this? This is good. Keep doing this.”

 

“Um...alright…” he hops back up to Leo as Rammy heads off “So you don't know who Sunny is at all huh?”

 

“Nuh uh...Just the name that was mentioned in books of yours that I borrowed.”

 

“I see...I wonder who else you don't know...well uh...tell me who you do know? That isn't already obvious.”

 

“Alright...not counting the obvious...I know Great Uncle Guru...and his husband Great Uncle Takoyama-san.”

 

“They do get together. That's so sweet!”

 

“I know Uncle Noodles’ burger mom...Grandma Burger is nice if a bit greasy...but being a sentient hamburger would be bothersome…”

 

“Hehe...I know what you mean. I don't mind though since she smells like a beard burger twenty four seven! That does bother Noodles alot though…”

 

“Hehe...well on the topic of grandparents...I know Grandpa...er...your dad, GrandPapa-Ma, Grandparents Penny and Stamper Lamb. Grandma Noella Kat, Grandparents Raz and Blu Berri, Grandparents Tom and Laura Major, and Grandparents Eli and Bella Fox.”

 

“Let's see here….that's dad, Ma-san’s dad, Lammy’s folks, Katy’s...Mom?...you said just grand _ mother _ right?...”

 

“Yes sir.”

 

“Huh...so they divorce...good...but still for one of them to be allowed near you...neither was exactly a good...parent…”

 

“Grandma Kat was a joy to me though…”

 

“Strange...um...ok so after her was PJ’s folks, followed by Matt’s and Paula’s. You really love correlating everyone as a family member despite not being blood related huh?”

 

“I owe that to you. You're so friendly to all, that you treat em as if they  _ were _ family. And that rubbed off on me. The only people I don't treat like family are the other kids!”

 

“Other kids? Yeah that would make sense.”

 

“If I told you who they were. It'd spoil who isn't your eventual bride. Well there are four I can tell you. There's Lacey Berri. Olivia Major is Matt’s adopted daughter that he and his husband decided to get. There's my baby cousin Beat Rappa who's Auntie Pinto’s daughter and Private Wasabi.”

 

“Wow...wait...Private Wasabi?”

 

“Uncle Noodles son. Apparently not liking what your dad loved runs in the family for them.”

 

“That's a heated father son exchange it seems…” he chuckles at the thought of ruining noodles with the burning wasabi “You sure you can't just tell me their first names for the other kids? ”

 

“Noooo I don't wanna risk it.” he clutches his head in slight pain again “Ok so moving on…-”

 

* * *

 

“This ice pack should be enough for him. Now to get back over there- huh?” Rammy hears hears noise from around a corner in the street. She decides to check for herself as to what it is. The noise gets louder as the ground rumbles, followed by a giant hole opening up in the earth. From the hole rises a brown onion who has seen better days. His entire appearance is all dirty and hairy. Next to him rises a moose with a ballerina top and cargo camo pants. Her coloration is all white. In between the two of them rises and smaller shape, it's a dog. His black hair waves all over his face. His shirt is an eye stinging violet color that had the insignia of a cracked frog skull. The shirt itself was cover in what seems to be blood and grease. His scarlet pants were soaked in oil and ruffled greatly. This guy seemed rather scary for his diminutive size. Rammy quickly notices who it is and hides behind the corner “SHIT…IT'S RAPARRA…”

 

“FINA-FUCKING-LY…I swear to the burning abyss that every time the entrance and exit breaks, it takes longer each time to fix…”

 

“Raparra sir...we do our best to maintain its stability, but have you thought it best to no longer have i-”

 

“Shut the everloving fuck up you dying vegetable. We use it so that we as, …’doppelgangers’ that they so...cutely...name us, can come up and utterly decimate the real fakes…Or we would if you cowards didn't fucking cement your asses down there…I constantly have to launch your asses up here. I almost never get the chance to go myself, since then I've lost the urge. It ain't worth it.” he growls as he Imbeds his foot in the ground “AND THEN THIS FUCKING BITCH DECIDES TO GO AGAINST THAT AND BE BUTT BUDDIES WITH THE MARSHMALLOW PANSIES UP HERE…” he slams his other foot in “I hear that she became ‘GOOD OL PALS’ with my faker...that's the only reason they're sending me with you dipshits...I don't even fucking know this bitch and I'm being forced to drag her ass back to hell.” he forcibly removes his feet from the ground, not needing any assistance as he turns the spots into craters “What's the bitches name...Ramses?”

 

“Uh...Rammy sir…”

 

“Whatever.”

 

“If I may add on...they also may have sent you with us given that you're one of the...most…’Persuasive’ being in hell…”

 

“Hey, roadkill, I didn't fucking ask.” he punches the moose. It seemed like a regular punch, but the strength sent her flying through four buildings before ending up unconscious on a build board. “Hey Flop Flop. Get her.”

 

“That's not my...Right…Flop Flop.” the onion man runs off to where the moose was sent. 

 

“Sheesh this fucking place is already is ruins! How fitting…can't help but wonder over the fuck happened however. Alright ‘Rammy’...you're making a fucking mockery of what we are...I could care less, but they called me specifically so for that...I'm gonna have fun breakin ya pretty little neck!” He heads off in the opposite direction with a crooked laugh all the way as he walks to the rubble Leo caused.

 

Rammy rubs her forehead “I was afraid of this...like hell they're taking me back!...” she puffs up her chest as she storms back to where the others are. She spots them all huddled around Parappa and Leo.

 

“Can you atleast say their genders?’

 

“Fine...they're all daughters.”

 

“Looks like you and Noodles lucked out Parappa! Having the only sons of the group!”

 

“You could've had a son to Matt!”

 

“I could have, but future me clearly thought a daughter was better. No hassle with a crazy son~”

 

“Offense taken…” Leo sighs dejectedly as an ice pack nails him in the face “What the-”

 

“You were sposed to catch it idiot.”

 

“Ow...uh...yeah. My bad, thanks!” His appearance quickly changes to Rammy’s kid, causing everyone to look at Parappa.

 

“...I'm just grateful she's helping my son!...”

 

PJ whistles “This is gonna be so awkward for you all I can already tell.” 

 

“Not us though!” Matt taps PJ and Sweety’s back, but they only stare at him with a ‘Read the room’ look “Um...or maybe it will be…” he quickly tries to change the subject “So uh...Leo...you like your dad?”

 

“Of course I loved my father! He is the greatest dad-”

 

“Nono I mean… are you like your dad as in...you clueless for love with them other kids?”

 

“Uh uh...I don't see any of them like that.” 

 

“There was an unusual pause in the middle of that…” Katy stares at his face after Paula brings that up.

 

“Katy!...what are you doing??.. “

 

Rammy watches them all and sighs, completely relieved. The group that had become her own would always cause such fun moments to arise in such a short span of time. It calmed her and took her mind off of the current ‘search party’ that was after her. She carries on watching Katy interrogate the guy.

 

“There's a faded spark in your left eye!”

 

“What??...And that matters cuz?...”

 

“Parappa has the same one ever since Sunny left him!”

 

“I DO??”

 

“Yep! I've noticed for a while! Since you have it, that means you also lost a love! It's pretty faded so that means it probably happened when you arrived here! Who was it?? You can tell your Mama’s!”

 

“How do you even know any of this Katy??”

 

“Chop Chop taught me! He is the romantic sensei after all~”

 

“Chop who?...” Leo tilts his head, the name foreign to him, causing Parappa to rear back.

 

“YOU DON'T KNOW TAMANEGI SENSEI??...HOW?? YOU'RE MY SON AND KNOW THE KICK PUNCH STYLE!”

 

“Well...YOU taught me the kick punch style…”

 

“This is outrageous! Sensei is a real helpful guy!...at times…, but you can't go around knowing other people I know without knowing him! We're seeing him this instant!”

 

“UPUPUPUPUPUPUP! No way, you're not sneaking him out that easily. Now Leo, speak. Who'd you like.”

 

“...” He stares at the girls who all eye him intensely “Why does this matter to you all?...”

 

“A mother's son and his first love or love life in general is always something that gets their attention!”

 

“Then why is Sweety staring?? She doesn't have a chance to be my mom!”

 

“You kidding? Mother's gossip about their children's love lives all the time! Hearing it straight from the tap is much more enthralling!”

 

“But none of you are mother's yet…”

 

“But thanks to you, we know we will be!” they all say in unison as the boys laugh.

 

They all breathe down his face causing him to simply blink in bewilderment, he eventually sighs in defeat as he grumbles “....ace…”

 

“Huh?” they all force themselves closer.

 

“....L...y…”

 

“Come on! You're already this far! Spill it!”

 

“....Lacey…” the second he says this, a hand finds itself grabbing his head. He's dragged over to PJ by his hair.

 

“Care to repeat that buddy...I didn't quite catch that…”

 

He snorts “Yes your kid...cool it was minor infatuation that lasted at most two months...Nothing happened cuz it was around when I went back in time...that clear to ya?”

 

“Crystal…” he let's go of him, but he's immediately wrapped in a bear hug by Sweety.

 

“OHHHHHHHHHHHHH YOU HAVE MY FULL BLESSING! IGNORE PJ, HE'S BEING A STINKER~”

 

“SWEETY!...”

 

“BLAH BLAH BLAH~ TO HAPPY TO KNOW MY CHILD AND LITTLE LEO HERE WERE IN LOVEEEEEEEEEE~”

 

“How can I even be a proper defender against inadequate Suiters if you say yes to the worst one!” PJ is quickly pounced to the ground by his neck by the other girls.

 

“ **TAKE THAT BACK!”** they all breathe literal fire around his face.

 

“ **N-NEVER!...”**

 

Parappa and Matt blink twice before staring at each other “Hey man, can you believe this is our life now?”

 

“I dunno what you mean Matt. This was always gonna be our life, Leo just made it happen a little sooner.~”

 

Matt breaks into laughter “Why is it you're so mature and aware with stuff like  _ this _ instead of your love life!”

 

“Cuz this doesn't stress me out!...as much.” he sticks his tongue out.

 

“Whatever man~” he ruffles his hair from under the beanie.

 

“Hey!” Sweety calls over everyone's attention “Katy! Leo has another one of those faded sparks you said! Here on the right eye! It's also pretty old but not as much as the other one so this one is more recent!”

 

All the girls get off of PJ, as they do he angrily gets up “Oh so my daughter isn't good enough for you that you had to go after some random chi-”

 

**“QUIET!...”** Leo shouts, his eyes crackle similarly to how he broke down recently. Everyone stares at him as the babies that are all finally in Cathy’s arms wake up and begin crying.

 

“Whoa...that one clearly had much more of a grip on your heart…” Matt sheepishly pulls his shirt collar from the newly entered awkward air.

 

Leo rubs the ice pack around his head as he leaves the building. Everyone stares at PJ.

 

“What? I'm not in the wrong here! Stop staring at me!...” everyone except for Sweety crosses their arms, while she simply looks downwards. Completely disappointed in him “Agh...fine...I'll go apologize…”

 

PJ sighs in the most exaggerated fashion as he forces himself to go after the Ram boy. He finds the boy sitting on a sidewalk ledge, as he stares at the sky.

 

“Oh boy...Look...Leo I'm sorry for...what I said…” he sits down next to him “Clearly that love interest held a greater impact on you...I guess I got a bit touchy was all…” Leo doesn't face him. PJ recalls the he dream he and the rest shared, and immediately calls out “Was it that Axolotl girl?...”

 

Leo quickly throws his entire body to look at him “Amby??...You know her to?...Ugh...no...it wasn't her. She was like a little sister to me…” he goes back to looking at the sky “I don't know if you know them, but it was the lead singer of The Queens.”

 

“Never got to see them in my dream, you only talked about them like they were the best thing in the world!”

 

“To me...they were. Amazin gals...so strange, but fun...and they're gone... even her.” he slumps over backwards, the ice pack falls off.

 

“Huh...you act like Parappa after Sunny left…” he grabs the guy by the shoulder and pulls him over “I can't believe I'm being pushed into this situation...come on...Let me try and make it up to you…”

 

“It's fine uncle...i don't mind it…you just didn't know is all.”

 

“While I will agree to that, you still seem heavily out of it. I mean things have been driving you up a wall recently...and today was especially so.”

 

“Yeah things like this are getting to me...but by all means I'm fine.”

 

“You so are not.”

 

“Correct, but if I believe that I am eventually my body will believe it to.”

 

“That's unhealthy. Come on just give me an option to help.”

 

“i don't know any…so I just deal with it. And that worked for me so far!”

 

“Dealing with it to help others is nice, but you gotta let people help you in return! Now just how am I gonna do that…” he rubs his chin, the answer trying to come to him.

 

Parappa appears behind them as he pokes his head between them “I have an idea that help me and you with this whole thing!”

 

“Really? Oh man you're a lifesaver Parappa!”

 

* * *

 

“I immediately retract my statement…” PJ says as they all stare at Chop Chop fruits cafe.

 

“The heck did you take us dad?’

 

“Like I said before the girls dug into your love life, you aren't gonna go on without knowing Tamanegi sensei! He can also help you out here! Or at the very least give PJ a way to help you!”

 

“Alright. Let me correct you on that man. Chop Chop is great at teaching people how to defend themselves I'll admit to that. He's also great with love related advice and help, I'll yield to that as well. He's also great at teaching people how to take their mind off their anxiety, also something really really great that I'll admit to. But for mental health assistance or proper conversation help between people is  _ not _ his strong suit.”

 

“PJ come on! You know he'll have some sort of help!”

 

“Knowing him, he'll probably want me to either fight with Leo, sing with him or dance with him. All of which prove harmful to me.”

 

“How? You're a big guy!”

 

“Exactly! Leo's smaller and faster than me! If I tried to fight him, he'd turn me into into a sushi platter! He's also your son so singing against him is just me literally asking to make a fool of myself and I'd rather not dance either. Again he's your son so I'd rather not risk the chance of him getting to into the song as well and kissing me like you did.”

 

“Now you're being paranoid.”

 

“Listen, you're free to do this with him if you want. I ain't having it.” he turns to Leo “Would you settle for hugging me at stressful times? I am a teddy bear so maybe that'll help. I am a coping toy after all.”

 

“You also think of me as as kid?? Sheesh what's with-...” Leo stops after he remembers what he had done to day “You know what. I'll just admit defeat and accept your offer.”

 

“Good. Then we're golden, and I'm backing away from this inevitable train wreck.” he scoots away as Parappa rolls his eyes. 

 

“Well he took a cheap way out, but that leaves more insight for us! Proper father son bonding!”

 

“I'm terrified already.”

 

“Oh shut up!” he gets behind Leo and begins shoving him in the building “Prepare to eat your words!” the rest follow the duo inside. Chop Chop immediately lunges in front of Leo as he eyes him down intensely “Hey look at that! He already wants to get to know you!”

 

“What are you doing here you imitation?”

 

“I-imitation?...” Leo rears back, scared of the onion man.

 

“Or maybe not…”

 

“Yes. Imitation of two factors. One is that your presence feels eerily similar to my honorable friend here.” He pats Parappa on the shoulder “And two it's that I can feel it in my blood that you know the kick punch style...BUT IN A SLOPPY, DISGRACEFUL MANNER!” Leo quickly latches onto PJ’s arm, cowering.

 

“Well that stressful moment didn't take long to happen now did it…”

 

“Did you come to my establishment to insult me?”

 

“T-Tamanegi sensei! Cool it!...” Parappa quickly gets inbetween the scared ram and the aggressive onion “H-He’s...um...a-a family member!...” the onion, warringly raises an eyebrow.

 

“Is that so?”

 

“Y-Yes! H-He’s a cousin of mine!...he came to Parappa town on account of him figuring out I have a new friend who looks like him!...” he tilts his head towards Rammy’s direction “And as for knowing the Kick Punch style...I taught him from time to time...whenever he visited! But I just wasn't cut out to teach it effectively!...” He bows “I'm sorry sensei…”

 

“Hmm…” he doesn't move his gaze away from Parappa, he stares until he reaches an inner conclusion with himself. He then looks back to Leo, to which he hums to himself again “Very well. I can't sense a lie in that statement. You two are indeed related...and it does seem like you in fact taught him...very well. My deepest apologies for my unacceptable behavior!” he quickly stiffens up until he's straight as a wall, then drops to his hands and knees in an apology bow.

 

“U-Um...that's q-quite alright…you d-don’t need to do that...” Leo's trembling slows, but does not come to a full stop.

 

Tamanegi leaps back upright “To what do I owe this visit on your day off.”

 

“Well sensei, I was hoping you could help me and my...cousin here with some uh...advice?”

 

“Ahah! Excellent choice to come to me! To what may I assist you both in?”

 

“Getting...better acquainted…”

 

“But you are family are you not? Should that not be instinct by default?”

 

“We haven't exactly been keeping in touch...in fact we're so out of it that I kinda made him go crazy not that long ago...Hell...I've probably been the biggest jerk to him this whole time and he didn't really deserve any of it…”

 

“I see. Very well! The both of you, come stand by one another in front of me!” they both hesitantly oblige, and he quickly eyes them down again. Staring within their eyes deeply “Yes yes...I know exactly how to fix this situation.”

 

“Really? That's great sensei! What is it?!”

 

He gives a light chuckle as he nods his head

 

* * *

 

The tables and chairs were all neatly stored away as Parappa and Leo stand on opposite sides of each other.

 

“Boy, how did I guess it would end up a fight…” PJ groans as he facepalms “This will not end well…”

 

“Hey! You two sure you wanna go t-through with this??...” Lammy asks as she stampers in place.

 

“I've made up my mind, as did he!” Parappa takes a readying stance.

 

“Quite...venting through fighting...this shall be...interesting…” Leo removes his gloves and he then tosses them over to Katy.

 

“Why you'd do that?”

 

“Those gloves make it so I punch faster and harder. Wouldn't really be fair if I had em on now would it?”

 

“Eheh...good call…”

 

“Junbi?” Tamanegi says as he stands in the center of the room.

 

“What??..”

 

“He basically said. ‘Ready’?”

 

“Oh...yeah I guess…” Leo takes a stance similar to Parappa.

 

“Meiyo aru shiai o shimashou!” both ‘fighters’ nod as they run towards each other.

 

“I can't watch…” Katy hides behind PJ.

 

(“Speak for yourself! This'll be fun to watch!”) Ma-san plucks a popcorn bag from PJ’s shirt pocket.

 

“Hey I was saving that!...”

 

“Por favor, que Dios los deje sanos al final…” Lammy huddles down, repeating the phrase over and over.

 

“Look on the bright side...if by some miracle this works. Everyone's happy in the end!...Oh boy we better get that miracle...” Sweety sweats bullets as she watches the two boy's wrists connect.

 

Both of them bounce backwards with Parappa going in with and flurry of punches. Leo evading them all easily.

 

“We probably should've mention that Leo's good at keep away…” everyone looks to Rammy.

 

“You knew about that and didn't bother to tell anyone prior to Chop Chop suggesting this??” Matt’s eyes stretch from his head over to Rammy’s general direction.

 

“Well shit I'M sorry! I didn't expect we'd ever have to  _ fight _ the guy!”

 

“How the hell do you even know that??” Paula ponders the fact, although the answer was soon discovered.

 

“I maaaaay have attempted to brutally injure the guy when we first met…”

 

Katy pokes her head from behind PJ “We will talk about  _ that _ at home!”

 

“Relax! All I did was just shatter glass in his face!” a timer rings in Rammy’s head “Wait...I mean-”

 

“Rammy it's probably for the best that you stop talking, unless you wanna suffer Katy’s wrath like 16 did.” PJ says as he cups her mouth shut with one hand and holds Katy back with his other hand.

 

Back with the two fighting, Parappa begins getting annoyed with Leo's coward tactics “STOP DODGING ME AND FIGHT!”

 

“If you say so!” he rears back his fist “THIS IS FOR ALMOST DELETING ME!  **PUNCH** !” he ducks down and jabs his fast straight in the dogs gut sending him back.

 

“HAGH-huh?…” Parappa shakes his head “I let you get that one in!” despite Leo being able to punch through the broken remains of his club with ease, it wasn't really that painful, and he wasn't holding back. Was it the lack of gloves, did it really make that big a difference? Or was Leo just that low in the physical prowess aspect? Would explain him wanting to dodge over fight seeing as he did end up injured alot.

 

“Sure you did! Leo dives with another punch as Parappa goes for it head on, Leo swerves to the side at the last second “THIS IS FOR BEING A JERK TO ME FOR ONLY ATTEMPTING TO HELP!  **KICK** !” He drives his leg backwards and sends the dog flying across the room. Once again, despite the straight connection, it didn't really hurt that much to him.

 

“OOF...agh that...didn't hurt? Is that the best ya got?” 

 

“We'll see!” they both rush again, but Leo is unable to feign Parappa, who has caught on to his movements, as their fists are forced to connect heavily. Sending a shockwave that nearly topples Chop Chop over, impressing him all the while.

 

“Couldn't dodge that one huh?~”

 

“Grr...ow…” Parappa stares at the fist he clashed with. It's severely bruised by the knuckles, and Parappa didn't even hit him  _ that _ hard. His suspicion was right. Leo  _ was  _ incredibly frail “I'll show you…”

 

“Better believe you can win!” Parappa dives for Leo, but ducks under inbetween his legs, ending up behind him “THIS IS FOR CAUSING MY FRIENDS TO HATE ME FOR A MONTH!  **PUNCH** !” he punches him in the back, this time with actual attempted force, sending him flying straight into the wall.

 

“WAH...Agh…” he peels himself off to reorient himself.

 

“Now I see why he dodges alot, dude can't take a hit for shit…” Rammy sighs, upset that she was bested by that.

 

Before Leo can fully find his bearings, Parappa is already in front of him “THIS IS FOR LEAVIN A WAREHOUSE TO CRUSH ME AND RUIN MY LIFE WAY EARLIER THAN IT WAS SUPPOSED TO!  **CHOP** !” He drives both his arms forward as he cross chops Leo into the ceiling. Despite now knowing that Leo wasn't an equal to him, Parappa just got more aggressive instead.

 

Leo quickly peels himself off and uses gravity to his advantage as he stomps on Parappa and kicks him away like a ball “ **KICK** ! That was for forcing my mind to crumble over your own ineptitude!” the battle was heavily one sided. Leo could land consecutive hits, but if there wasn't much strength behind them, he would not be beating Parappa.

 

“Tamanegi don't you think this has gone on long enough??” Paula yells at the onion as she tries to get him to stop the match by punching him on his arm, but Tamanegi evades even more easily than Leo with Parappa.

 

“They still have not reconciled! They are close...I can feel it in my stem…”

 

“Can you maybe tell your stem to quit it? Parappa will kill the guy if this goes on!”

 

“The pain is good! It reminds us that we can still suffer! That we are alive! We let the pain go as it expels the hardships and grievances of the past with it! And then we recover both physically and mentally as we embrace the better times ahead!”

 

“Very philosophical!...AND INSANE!!”

 

Chop Chop ignores her from this point onwards. The battle carries on, Leo resumes avoiding him the best he can while attacking when able, Parappa continuously brute forces it instead. Both of them become more and more battered, but the end result was looking the same.

 

“Ready to...call it quits yet...boy?”

 

“In your dreams...you...broken record player…” both growl at the final word of the others taunt. They dizzily get to their feet as the perform one final rush in.

 

“THIS IS FOR BEING AN IDIOT THAT YOU'D LET YOUR LIFE END UP BEING RUINED!”

 

“THIS IS FOR YOU THINKING YOU SHOULD HAVE MADE IT YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX IT!” 

 

“Chop Chop, seriously!  **END IT NOW!...** ”

 

Tamanegi growls under his breath “But...they are so close to fixing this!” he sees how winded the two really are, especially the Ram as Parappa never let up once leaving him severely withered “This has been rather one sided against that one…” he finally decides to yield  **“YAMERO!”** they ignore him “ **YAMERO YAMERO!...”** before their fists connect, Parappa reels his arm back as his fist slides off Leo's arm. He performs a spin before elbowing Leo straight in the stomach, forcing him to the ground from the temporarily disabled breathing and motor skills.

 

“...!...”

 

Parappa immediately tries to perform and follow up to which Chop Chop stops by getting in front of him and smacking in the head with a fan  **“JŪBUN’NA!”**

 

“H-Hey!...what the hell sensei!...”

 

“YOU HAVE GONE TO FAR, YOU TRIED TO STRIKE ONE WHO NO LONGER HAS THE ABILITY TO FIGHT BACK! THAT IS STRICTLY AGAINST WHAT I TAUGHT YOU!”

 

“What do you mean?? He's still raring to go!”

 

“Tell me. Does  _ this _ look like he's ‘raring to go’?” he moves out of his way to show the other guy trying his best to get himself to stand. Failing each time.

 

“But...he was fine...moments ago!”

 

“He has not been fine at all around halfway through your sparring. I had hopes you would ease up to his level eventually, but you instead decided to overwhelm him further and further. It was my fault to not stop this sooner as I put to much faith that you'd not let your emotions get to you, but I was sorely mistaken.”

 

Parappa comes to the realization that he had been overdoing it. He learned that Leo was nowhere near his skill level and something within him wanted to take advantage of that...was it spite? Distrust? Pettiness that refused to go? He didn't know what but he hated it nonetheless “...I'm...I'm sorry…”

 

“This is something you can't apologize for. At least not to me.” he motions his head to the boy who looks as if he was about to vomit “You are free to make the attempt. He is family, so perhaps he will let this go if you are lucky.”

 

Parappa holds onto his own stomach from immediate guilt as he walks towards the downed boy “Hey...I'm..actually,...no. No amount of I'm sorries can make amends for what I've done. I knew you weren't on equal footing as me and I still went and overdid it…” his ears twitch as he doesn't get a single form of reply “Now I see why you wear that full outfit for as much as you do!...and why you fight mostly with the guitar rather than your own strength...you uh...kinda need them or else this happens! Hehe…yeah…” there is still no reply “I mean I'm not saying you're weak! Not at all! From the dream I saw, you were pretty capable on your own!...until it was brought up that you get hurt quite abit…” The boy manages to get up on one foot, as he does, Parappa hears him laugh “A-Are you laughing at my guilt??...”

 

“N-No I'm n-not!...This is just r-really funny and i-ironic to m-me~...”

 

“W-Wha?...”

 

“I should e-explain… Back when I was f-five...a random guy came in our house and tried to rob us at n-night while everyone was asleep...unfortunately for h-him...it was your home, so that was already his d-downfall. You made quick work of him with your fighting style t-that you sent him packing in the shape of of a pretzel!...” He manages to get back on both legs as his breathing steadies “When I saw that...I wanted to learn to do that to! You said it was called the kick punch style, but that you couldn't teach it to me as effectively as the guy who taught you. You never told me at the time who that was, so instead of being able to ask them, I kept bugging you. By the time I hit six you finally caved and decided to teach me. When it came to do a test on how I've been doing by age seven, the condition was if I could land a hit on you, you'd keep teaching me. If I couldn't, my tutoring would stop there. And as expected, I couldn't touch you. And that just got me angry...you either avoided me or stopped my attacks in your hands. So I just got so angry that I...took a cheap shot...I got you to hold out your hand in an attempt to block me again, but as you did, I spun inwards as I slid off your arm. And then I struck you painfully in the gut with my elbow! Your guard was nonexistent because you never thought I'd actually hit you! So you dropped like a brick!” he resumes laughing.

 

“I see the irony…”

 

“You were downed for the rest of the day! Mom got so mad with me that I was grounded for a week…but my own guilt was what made me feel the worst! Even after my punishment time was over with I still stayed in my room and refused to leave, and it wasn't until you had to go in yourself and say that you were fine and didn't blame me for it since you were kind of asking for it. That's why it's so funny to me. I got a taste of my own medicine!...hehe...I always wanted you to get back at me for it, but you were more than twice my size and my own father so that would not bode well with mother. However now that I am currently bigger than you and that you're also not my father yet…I decided to let things play out.”

 

“Is that why you agreed to this then??...You knew I'd get mad and hurt you??”

 

“I figured since you did say you were as hotblooded in fighting as me when you were younger as you tried making me feel better. It wasn't just for guilt purposes though as I still wanted to get back at you through venting all the same. Two birds, one stone. I'd say it worked out well in the end.”

 

“I COULD HAVE SERIOUSLY INJURED YOU!...YOU COULD HAVE ENDED UP WITH MORE THAN JUST A BROKEN ARM! WITCH DOCTOR PAL OR NOT! I COULD HAVE...I REALLY COULD HAVE…” he rests his head gently in Leo's stomach “Hurt you so much worse…” Parappa clutches onto his chest as the guilt both flows in and out in a repeating motion through his heart “I...would've regretted that some much...even more now…”

 

Matt leans over to PJ’s ear “What just happened?...come earlier today and prior, Parappa didn't even know how to properly emote with Leo...now...it's like a whole paradigm shift!...”

 

“I don't know either.”

 

“Oh but you do know PJ!” Sweet says as she cuts between them.

 

“What do you mean? I don't really understand the context.”

 

“Of course you do! When you were berating the guy over having a shared crush with our future daughter when he was younger! What did you feel then?”

 

“Angry at him is all, what of it?”

 

“You weren't just angry at him! You got defensive and bloodthirsty like any father would over their daughter when she ends up falling for a guy they don't approve of!”

 

“...Your point?”

 

“Your fatherly connection kicked in! Just like right now with him as his finally did!”

 

“Alright I can understand with myself slightly, but I don't really get with him...it's just like with Katy, Rammy and Lammy...how…”

 

“Yeah I'd like to hear that to if you don't mind.” Matt tilts his head, lost as can be.

 

“It's just like I told Leo on the night of the festival! It's a matter of the heart! A parental bond can surpass any time period if the love exists! And it doessss! It just took a while for Parappa's to kick in!”

 

“Seems...out there.”

 

“I mean I'd agree with you PJ, but the evidence speaks for itself.” Matt motions back to the duo who talk amongst themselves. He impishly chuckles “Does this mean we good on problems now? Or at the very least ready to move on to the next?”

 

“It's sad that I agree with that sarcasm. But that is basically our lives now.”

 

Leo plucks Parappa off of him “I guess this means you can better converse with me now?”

 

“Yeah.. guess it does. You...gonna be ok? I did one hell of a number on you…”

 

“You said you dreamed about the things I've done right? I'm guessing you've seen me get my ass handed to me. You should know that this isn't the worst I've been through.”

 

“That doesn't make me feel better!”

 

“Heh! Guess it wouldn't now would it? I'll liveeeee. I just need to wash my face to get myself in a decent enough condition. Lemme just get to the bath...room…” Leo goes back to one knee “This might prove a bit tricky…”

 

“I'll help you!”

 

“If it's fine by you Paraps, I'd like to be the one to help” Rammy appears before the two as she proposes the idea.

 

“Oh? Why's that.”

 

“Well he currently looks like me, so that temporarily makes me his mother right? So I figured I'd ought to do what any sort of mom like gal would do when their kid fucks up and gets their ass beat. Patch him back up.”

 

“Oh wow uh...can't argue with that logic...thanks Rammy!”

 

“Same here.”

 

“Then let's get going.” she helps the once again toppled guy up and off they go.

 

“Wow...I'm glad I managed to overcome that...finally…” Before Parappa can finish his sigh of relief, he's tapped on the shoulder, prompting him to turn around.

 

“My rather astray pupil. It seems you have lied to me about him being your cousin… mind informing me on the truth of the matter.”

 

“Ah...whoops…”

 

* * *

 

“Thanks again for helping me get over here Rammy.”

 

“Don't mention it. Also for a guy who got his body tossed like a ragdoll. You certainly don't act like it, I'm impressed you shook it off given how attached to the floor you were a good couple of minutes prior!”

 

“Really? I guess so. With what I've been through, kinda had to force my body back up despite what's been done with it. So for something like this, I did it instinctually. Guess I didn't notice cuz again, wasn't as severe those times. Although can't say I'd be capable to keep on fighting, but I'd sure as hell give it a go.” he splashes more water on his face as Rammy only chuckles.

 

“I know my chances of being your old hag are the slimmest of them all what with me not supposed to have a chance at all to begin with, but damn if you sure as hell don't act like me. How much time did you spend hanging around future me?”

 

“Quite alot. Concerned my mom quite abit with whether or not you'd be a proper role model for me in the long run, but I'd get so whiny if I didn't get to see you that it was the only way she'd get me to shut up. How ironic that a good amount of time after my arrival in the past, I'd make friends with a band that was basically SIX of you! Haha...my mom would've fainted on the spot if she found that out...especially if she learned they'd be my role models…and that the lead singer would steal my heart. Hoo boy she'd rip me, her and the rest of them to shreds...but someone beat her to the punch for that…”

 

“Man now I gotta know who these chicks were.”

 

“I'd be happy to talk about them again, but I worry I'd get to upset…”

 

“Naw man, I understand. It's co-” Rammy is interrupted by a shout from outside the restroom.

 

**“H-HEY! YOU'RE MY DOUBLE!”**

 

“...They did not just find me did they…” the voice was clearly the mangled onion man that arrived with Raparra.

 

“Who didn't?...”

 

“My…’search party’...”

 

“Your search...oh...OH...fuck I forgot this happens…”

 

“So then tell me...do I evade them?”

 

“Unfortunately not…”

 

“Will I be alright in the end however?”

 

“You end up my aunt don't you?”

 

“Heh...got me there.”

 

Back outside with the others we see the other onion man stare at Chop Chop.

 

“Now here we have an actual imposter it seems…”

 

“YOU ARE THE REAL IMPOSTER YOU PASTRY CHEF!”

 

“Nin’niku…” a voice from behind the other onion man speaks up.

 

“S-SIR…” the properly named doppelganger stiffens up.

 

“Why the hell must you interrupt our search…” a familiar body type appears before them all.

 

“B-But sir! My faker is right here!...you said you've wanted all of us to do what we can to follow the laws set for us in beating the real fakers!...”

 

“On your own time...not when we have something to do that I'd rather get over with quickly…”

 

“BU- HRRK…” with a swift punch to the stomach, Nin’niku is down for the count.

 

“Did I give you permission to talk back to me?” he stomps on him “Did I give you permission to waste our time?” he repeatedly stomps on him over and over “DID I GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO GO OUT OF YOUR WAY TO TRY AND ‘PROVE’ YOURSELF WHEN WE BOTH KNOW YOU'LL FAIL LIKE THE REST OF EM AGAIN!” he punts him through the wall with and swift kick. Parappa watches in horror at the dog who looks eerily similar to him. Was this what he almost did to Leo? “Fucking waste of space. Yo, faker onion man. Forget you saw any of this. I'll be dragging his sorry ass back to hell with me.” he snaps “YO MOOSADONNA, PICK UP NIN’NIKU THIS INSTANT!”

 

“Roger.” she goes over to the hole in the wall.

 

“Swear to god...why didn't they just get the dumb bitch’s ex to handle this…” Raparra’s gaze manages to notice the group, mainly Lammy “Well what do we fucking have here...if it ain't said bitch’s fake…” he walks over to her, his sheer intimidation alone prevents anyone from stopping him “You...you you you you... _ yooooou _ ...it's your fucking fault that I'm forced to do this…” Lammy quivers in place causing him to laugh “Oh my fucking...are you kihihihidding me? THIS is what that fucking failure lost to constantly? You look like you're about to expire from just looking at me!”

 

“I-I-I’m n-n-”

 

**“BOO!”**

 

“WAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!...” Lammy falls over onto her rear.

 

“GAHAHAHAH...oh my god...why even bother getting that girl anyway...she's already proven to be such a failure than thought possible. I mean to lose to...this is probably the biggest disgrace.”

 

“S-Stop talking b-bad about her!...”

 

“Pfffffft...Look at this! You're so pathetic you even defend HER before yourself! You know she wouldn't do the same for you.”

 

“S-SHE WOUL-” Lammy stops entirely, Raparra’s fist just barely an inch away from her face, it didn't connect at all, but that didn't stop Lammy from dropping to the floor as if it did.

 

“LAMMY!...” everyone rushes over to their fainted friend.

 

“HAHAHAHAHA-” Raparra immediately stops a punch that attempted to hit him from behind with his hand, without even turning to notice it “Well well well...Look who we got here…~” He flicks the fist away and turns around to see the owner. It was his double. They both eye each other down intensely. They slowly approach one another and once they're about an inch away from their faces, they begin walking in a circle.

 

“What are they doing?...” Paula quickly asks.

 

“Sizing the other up…” Tamanegi replies as he squints his eyes.

 

Music begins to play from seemingly nowhere.

 

“If it ain't my supposed fake...you must be Parappa…~ Gotta say it's a real displeasure to finally meet ya.”

 

“I can say the same, but I can't return the formalities…Ra-something was it?~”

 

The music pics up as the two stop moving and resume simply staring at the other. They soon begin.

 

_ “Do you know me? Do you not? That's a shame. _

_ Those in hell know my fame. _

_ Know that this ain't a game. _

_ I am a beast that's untame.” _

 

“Ooooh I wonder who this could be.

Is there a mirror in front of me?

Gotta say it looks shoddy.

Imitations are naughty~”

 

_ “Now that was real cute, _

_ Bet you think your wits a beaut. _

_ But this ain't amateur hour. _

_ Fortune favors the power.” _

 

“Gotta say it's unreal,

For this fake to meet the real deal.

What's he doing?

What idiocy is he brewing?”

 

_ “I ain't here of my own, _

_ Ya better make this known. _

_ I've come here to detect. _

_ A missing ram I must collect!” _

 

“Man you're wasting your time.

Just as bad as your rhyme.

Ain't nobody like that here,

So you better steer clear.”

 

_ “Fool me once, then me twice. _

_ Bet ya think ya cool as ice. _

_ But I won't fall for your lie, _

_ This is a truth you can't deny!” _

 

“I've ain't seen anybody as of late,

So why ya gotta interrogate.

So just be on your way!

Come man I ain't got all day.”

 

_ “You can't hide the truth, _

_ As a dog I am a super sleuth. _

_ So just spill the bean, _

_ Before I get mean…” _

 

“You mean? That's ridiculous.

Only thing you are, compared to me is meticulous!

So just back off jack,

Less ya provoke me to attack.”

 

_ “Now that's a real laugh. _

_ You know, I'd tear you in half. _

_ But say as you will. _

_ From this confrontation I grow ill.” _

 

“Calling it quits?

Realized your game is the pits?

Bout time ya backed out,

Messing with me is something you should doubt!”

 

_ “Boy you sure are cocky. _

_ I'd like to make your world rocky! _

_ But I'm a busy guy. _

_ For me time is on the fly.” _

 

“Sure it is.

Ya attempt, rapping wiz.

Don't make wounds you can't mend,

Just, call it an end.”

 

The music stops as the both snort out steam from their noses.

 

“Gotta say...you're pretty persistent faker…”

 

“You're the only faker around here ya fake...now go back to hell…”

 

“Heh...Nuh uh...with you here that means that girl should be magnetically nearby on your ass’s beck and call...So tell me...Where is she…”

 

“Not here.”

 

“You can't lie to me.”

 

“It ain't a lie.” both growl as they butt heads.

 

Back within the restroom, Rammy herself growls from their insisted search “Persistent little fuck…”

 

“Let me go clear them out!”

 

“Fuck no! You look like me! They'd mistake you for me and drag YOU back to hell instead! And once they figure out you ain't me, you ain't gonna be sent back peacefully…if they decide to let you go…”

 

“I can handle it!”

 

“Your missing four out six pieces of the clothes that allow you to ‘handle it’. Right now Raparra could breath on you and you'd go down thanks to Parappa doing eighty percent of the job for him!”

 

“Gah...why do they want to take you back so badly anyway??”

 

“It's a damn hell law. We ain't supposed to get ‘along’ with the people up here...let alone our ‘doubles’...but fuck that. I was a wreck down there. Ever since I decided to staying up here, shit has been going hell of a lot better for me. I am NOT giving that up… And they know that...that's why they sent Raparra...because I'm friends with his double and because he's one of the strongest out of all of us down there...if they couldn't talk me out of it...he would be the force needed to bring me ‘willingly’.”

 

“That's unfair…”

 

“Your fucking telling me...we've gone our lives under the fact that we are to supercede our…’doubles” in order to...reverse the roles...let them rot where we were born into...and I didn't really believe any of that until I met mine for the first time. But now...I no longer feel like following that belief anymore.”

 

“Why don't they just leave hell on their own?...”

 

“They fear the law...with people like Raparra existing down there, who would be batshit crazy enough to risk doing anything aside from taking their ‘fake’ down…”

 

“So that's why the trial happens…”

 

“Trial huh?...figures as much. Does it happen today?”

 

“No...but we are close to when it will...extremely close…”

 

“So that means we get out of this.”

 

“I don't see how…”

 

Back with the two dogs. The exchanges refuse to cease.

 

“I will get you to slip up sooner or later fakie…”

 

“I don't think you will. I think you'll fall for any  _ twitch _ I do and get disappointed in the end result over being fooled.”

 

“You so cannot pull that off Parappa Rappa. I know that because you're the opposite of me. I can lie my ass off and get away with everything. By that logic...you can't lie to save your life…” A single sweat drop falls from Parappa's face once he points out the truth, but nevertheless he stands firm to keep them hidden “Oh?...Nervous are we? Did I hit the nail on the head?~”

 

“Nah, just can't handle your odor!”

 

“Heh...keep it up for as long as you can...it won't hold up...softie…” just then Raparra smiles “Yo Moosadonna. Drop the useless garlic and start giving this place a good search~”

 

“On it.” she begins, everyone attempts to stop her, but they in turn are stopped by Raparra.

 

“You're wasting your time!...”

 

“And you're wasting your breath~”

 

“They're not here!”

 

“You keep saying that...but I don't believe you~...you're a bad liar~...”

 

“How would you know?”

 

“Because you fucking idiot...her fake is wearing her clothes... _ and _ your eyes have been looking over to that bathroom constantly since our little standoff~...”

 

Parappa's pupils dilate “I just…really need to use it…”

 

“Oh you will once we catch her in there. Moosadonna!”

 

“Already on it sir!”

 

“DAMMIT LAMMY AND PARAPS…” Rammy resists the urge stomp the ground to avoid immediately giving themselves away.

 

“Again, I don't see how we're getting out of this…”

 

“Come on...come on…there's gotta be something…anything!” as the two frantically think of their escape plan, the doorknob begins turning.

 

_ I am not going back there...I am not going to ruin my life again...they can't make me...they can't force me...I refuse to give up this life! So please...let us find a way out!... _


	25. Attention Getters

“You. Fucked. Up~ And you know why? Because they're-”

 

“NOT IN HERE SIR!”

 

“Not in there you-...” Raparra blinks and slowly forces out “What...was that?...”

 

“The bathrooms completely empty! Nothings been touched at all the entire day! Stalls are empty, every nook and cranny is just that as well. There's a window, but the damn thing looks like it's been sealed shut for ages. Like someone slammed it hard enough to not shatter the frame or glass, but just enough to get it wedged shut.”

 

Tamanegi steps up “That would be thanks to me. I have had to many customers up and escaping through that window to avoid paying. So I simple sealed it myself.” A bold lie on Tamanegi’s part, he'd never let a runner get that far into his escape plan. However they didn't know that. And what Parappa said after only made them believe the onion one hundred percent.

 

“Believable...wasn't I?~” Raparra snaps his gaze back to his double. The look of devastation turning into searing anger.

 

“ **NO** !” he runs to the bathroom and smashes the door wide open. He breaks the stalls to prove to himself if they are truly empty. He smashes the sink away and then attempts to break the window open, but it doesn't budge even against his strength. He immediately runs out of the restroom and begins smashing open ant feasible hiding spot Rammy could be in “ **NOOOO!”** fire ejects from his mouth as every broken thing comes up empty. His hair whipping about in the air wildly like tentacles. **_“NOOOOOOOOOOO DAMMIT IT ALL TO HELL!”_ ** he howls in massive frustration as he storms a back to Parappa. Huffing up smoke in his face each passing breath “Where...is she…”

 

“I've told you already you stubborn ass. No one like that is here or has since stayed here. She's long since hightailed it. She left what my friend Lammy's wearing as a memento to remember her by. Now you wanna fall for another one of my twitches?~” His reply simply gets Raparra to forcefully connect his head to Parappa's. The pain of the head slam itself was nothing compared to the unbearable heat emanating from him, but Parappa stayed strong.

 

“ _This isn't over...I'll be fucking back...I will get her...and if you're there with her at the time...I'm gonna break you...Believe in THAT…”_ he snarls as he plucks himself off, he then motions for the moose woman to come while hauling the garlic man. Once they exit Fruites Cafe, the group follow them to watch them jump back into an entrance they create. Before Raparra jumps in however, he turns back to them “Gotta say...it ain't wise to piss me off...people don't usually stay intact…but you've managed to piss me off to a point that it aggravated me just enough to want to brutally mame you...but at the same time lose motivation in everything...You got lucky...right fucking now I don't have motivation to do jack shit...so you have me out of your hair for a while...for now...enjoy it fakers…” with that he simply falls backwards into the hole, once done it seals up completely as if the entrance was never there. And following right after is everyone heaving a sigh of relief.

 

“Oh my god...never in my life did I ever anticipate I'd get scared shitless by a guy who looks like Parappa...I mean look at him! You think having a face like his could ever do you harm?!” Matt says as he pics up and dangles Parappa around.

 

“Matt, your TMI aside...you have a good point...makes me wonder how the hell OUR...lookalikes are…” Paula hugs herself in obvious fear.

 

“No joke...mine must be some fit monster of a bear…”

 

“No...you're in the clear PJ...Rammy told me that AJ was an anorexic and an insomniac...he probably sounds more unfit than you!”

 

“While I'm mildly offended. I'm still happy for that...now…WHERE IS RAMMY?!” everyone stuns up as they also realize that. If she wasn't in the bathroom anymore. What happened to them?

 

“T-TAMANEGI SENSEI WHAT ANGLE OF THE BUILDING DID THAT WINDOW LEAD OUT OF??”

 

“The back left corner of the building!” Parappa wastes no time running off with the rest behind him. The spot is empty.

 

“Where'd they run off to??!!” Sweet says as she scans about. Parappa's nose however catches wind of smoking.

 

“I think I have a clue…” he turns his head towards a direction where smoke is rising to the air. They all nod and follow the area of the smoke and in no time they find the duo reclining on the ground. Both smoking as their eyes are covered to avoid seeing if they've been caught “Oh thank goodness...you two are fine! It's just us! We got Raparra to beat it!...For now anyway!...” Both uncover their eyes and heave a sigh.

 

“That was as fucking nightmare for me...didn't think we'd get out of that as easily as we did…” Rammy sits up “Luckily we saw that window...but we then panicked when we saw that they could just use it themselves as well…”

 

“How'd you seal it shut??” she points her thumb to Leo who just starts to get up.

 

“I decided to chop the frame down to shut it and not let it be open again. I had the finesse, but not the strength.”

 

“I was the opposite. I had the muscle, wasn't gentle enough to make sure I could cover our tracks. So he told me to slam down on his hand the second he chopped. And I did...and thankfully. We got it on our first go. The rest is history as you can clearly see.” she sighs as she removes the cigarette from her mouth. She flicks it to the side before puffing out smoke one last time.

 

“It was scary...I couldn't do anything to help! I look like Rammy so they'd mistake me for her...and that'd complicate things…” he falls back to the ground, but before he can remove his cigarette, Katy grabs it for him.

 

“And you're with this because??...”

 

“I needed a stress reliever and PJ wasn't here?...So Rammy hooked me up?”

 

“Did it have to be smoking…”

 

“It's not like it's my first time smoking...or that I'm an addict…”

 

“Not the point! Just don't do it again…”

 

“No promises, but I'll do my best...so they're gone then huh?...”

 

“Yeah...trashed the place and everything out of anger...he wore his patience out and just...gave up and left.” Parappa growls just remembering it all.

 

“He is not taking that sitting down…” Rammy says as she knows what Raparra will do if he were to come up unsuccessful.

 

“Oh don't worry Rammy...he already gave me his threat…”

 

She rubs her face “Why the hell did you antagonize him so much??”

 

“He just...rubbed me the wrong way the entire time he was there!...Since I saw him...when he knocked his own fellow lookalike down! When he made Lammy faint…”

 

“HE WHAT??...OH THAT LITTLE...Gah if I wasn't trying to keep away from him…” she pounds on her head.

 

“Does this mean my antagonization is excused?”

 

“Hell yeah...should've broken his nose, but that wouldn't have ended well…” she crosses her arms “Little nuisance is a powerhouse...one of the strongest people down there...they use him to reinforce the laws, and he accepts cuz he has nothing better to do.”

 

“He's my double! Why not just sing??”

 

“No one can beat him or even come close to giving him an entertaining challenge. So he grew bored and sought whatever. That led him to fight after fight after fight...eventually he just became the definition of brute. You'd never beat him in a fist fight. He would be done with you in a flash…”

 

“Thanks for having confidence in me…” he gives a half-hearted smile “I'll cross that bridge when it gets to it!”

 

Leo rises up “Now hold on there! You getting axed by your double defeats the purpose of me being here! So Imma have to intervene-”

 

“Great idea! You can fight him and chop him up with your guitar!”

 

“W-What??...I can't do that!...my suit can't protect me forever against him! And if I KILL him that makes things worse for Rammy AND you! Besides he's...not exactly evil...just an asshole doing his job...this is how it happened in the future!...sorta…”

 

“You cannot be serious...so we're forced to deal with this?...” they all huddle around Leo.

 

“Alright story time. Yes, Raparra will inevitably get Rammy. This is the best, least struggling way to go about things.”

 

“How?? They'll take her back to hell!”

 

“She's still apart of the family in the future ain't she? After what I told you all?”

 

“Yeaaaah?”

 

“And so what does that mean?”

 

“It means that!...we get her out…” Parappa calms down, but still is annoyed by the thought of that guy taking Rammy.

 

“Yes!...one...major...new problem…” he sighs as he looks back to them “You guys...weren't supposed to meet Raparra today...his search today was supposed to completely fail...but Dad choosing to come here kinda...ruined that...The day Raparra did get a hold on Rammy was when he first met dad...now...he met dad today instead and has gained…a massive amount of hostility...I'm...afraid you're gonna _have_ to fight him on his successful ‘rescue’ mission judging by it…”

 

“Then I'll fight! If I'm lucky, I can end it there and she won't have to go back to hell at all!”

 

“You aren't...overpowering him at your current level and in no way will you catch up in time...also...even if by chance you do beat him...you can't kill him cuz again...it'd be bad for the two of you…”

 

“So you want me to just let them take her??”

 

“I would have said yes to that if this weren't the case...but if you just hand her to him during his anger period...all the pain he'd want to inflict on you will go to her…so you're gonna have to get him tired when he takes her…”

 

“Parappa's gonna die if he goes head to head with him!” Paula says as she shakes Leo in place.

 

“I have...a...solution!...stop shaking me!...”

 

“What's your solution?...”

 

“Ugh...I'm gonna...resize one of my outfits for you. Gotta make you last as long as you can till he becomes winded. The pants, shoes, belt and jacket. I have a good amount of spares so it'll be alright.”

 

“Get me a spare of your gloves to. I wanna hit him as hard as he hits me to make the process go by quicker!”

 

“I hope that's all you plan to do...don't antagonize him alright?...you'll make things get harder if you do…”

 

“Trust me!” he gives a thumbs up to which Leo groans.

 

“Fine...speaking of gloves...I need mine back...Where are they?”

 

“On the counter with your helmet and guitar. I say get em and let's go. Today was more than enough action, but really. I'm just waiting for the next thing to go wrong.” PJ says as pulls out a box of donuts “A times like these, it helps to indulge. Anyone else wanna join in?” multiple hands reach for the donuts as they all take his example. Leo however heads back inside with Tamanegi. A shout soon after, however, catches everyone else's attention.

 

 **“STOP! THIEF!”** it was both Leo and Tamanegi. Everyone rushes into to see a man wearing Leo's gloves and helmet hop over the counter. On his back was Leo's guitar and in his hands were bags of money taken from the cash register. Lammy awakes to the sound of the yelling and running, but as she gets up she just sees a guy jump over her. He turns to them and does a two finger salute before turning back around and beating it.

 

(“He's getting away!”)

 

“I got this!” Leo jumps over the counter in a superman pose, but falls flat on his face “I forgot I only brought one jacket and it was the fried one I gave to 16…” Sweet catapults him back up as she cargo holds the groggy Lammy as they all run after the crook, with Parappa last to leave as he turns to Chop Chop.

 

“Don't worry sensei! We'll get your money back!” and rushes off.

 

“At least with this I know to not doubt you my friend…”

 

The chase goes on all around town, with the thief keeping great distance. He keeps trying to go for for a vehicle to cement his escape, but is stopped each time by the group chucking things at him.

 

“We can't keep this up forever!...eventually he's gonna get away!”

 

“Way to bring up the obvious Paula! Although I gotta say...despite leading us on one hell of a chace...the guy doesn't seem THAT good at his thievin, all he's really doing is bumbling around...Heck it almost feels familiar...but I don't know why….” Matt imagines up potential culprits as he runs.

 

“Less thinking more action! HIYA!” Paula chucks a nearby ball at the thief. It hits the side of the helmet he stole and triggers it's music speakers.

 

“Oh Paula I think you may have made things worse…”

 

“What makes you say that Leo?...” The guitar that the thief also stole changes its neck back into the nozzle cannon. Since its pointed downwards and his back is pressed against the chords, he was actively playing it, and now with proper music being played thanks to the helmet. The cannon fires as it launches the thief away with his new makeshift jetpack.

 

“DUCK!” everyone dives down to avoid the incoming laser that's being fired.

 

“Now I see...my bad…” she gets back up “But hey! On the bright side, he can't control it!” Paula points at the thief as he struggles for a bit before flipping the guitar under him and landing his feet on it instead, turning it into a hover board “OH COME ON!”

 

“I forgot I could do that with it…’

 

“NOWS NOT THE TIME TO BE IMPRESSED AT WHAT HE CAN REMIND YOU OF! NOWS THE TIME TO CATCH HIM!” Paula storms down the street in an angry rush.

 

“Well she's pissed...but I don't think she'll be catching him…”

 

“You have any better ideas PJ?”

 

“Not a one Matt, but that doesn't mean I agree with this one!”

 

“Well not like we have a choice you two!” Sweety follows her example with Matt and PJ right after.

 

“I have my own idea…” Leo takes a turn down an opposite direction confusing the remaining people.

 

(“The hell is he going??”)

 

“Beats me! But he seems to have a better grasp at this then just blindly chasing after that guy! I'm following!” she rushes down the same path that he took.

 

(“Gah...how cumbersome…”)

 

“S-Should we follow?...”

 

“And lose sight of the guy Lammy? Nuh uh! Not happening!” Parappa attempts to follow in Paula’s foot stepts until he's grabbed by the neck of his shirt “URK!...Hey! Rammy why’d you do that?!”

 

“I...have my own suggestion. For it. You and Lammy are gonna have to stand behind me in a straight line and Ma-san will need to stand at my side.” the mentioned trio look and one another at and loss, but do as told “Great! Since the path back to hell is open, I can finally do **THIS!** ” Rammy stomps the ground as she runs, causing a red crack to break along the ground behind them.

 

(“Whoa…”)

 

“R-Rammy what did you do…”

 

“This better not alert that faker into coming back up here…”

 

“Relax! When Raparra loses motivation. He does not give a single shit to what happens! Not like it matters cuz this won't alert shit! Wanna know what I did?” a spot far behind them in the ground bursts open as a silver and black motorcycle erupts the ground and drives after them “I called my fucking sweet ride~”

 

“IT'S GONNA RUN US OVER!...”

 

“Oh chill the fuck out...there's a reason I made you all line up like this!” the motorcycle picks up the four of them as they all land on the back of the cycle unharmed. Rammy driving, Parappa behind her and Lammy behind and holding onto him. Ma-san was in the side car next to Rammy.

 

(“Not bad~...She's one hell of beaut!”)

 

“Thanks! I made sure she was always in tip top shape~”

 

“I dunno if it's amazing that you had the energy to do this, or sad that you cared more about your bike's condition than your own…”

 

“Paraps, don't start. Just know that in the end. My poor decision making is helping us out right now!”

 

“I rather not agree with that, but I don't have a choice...so I'll just admit defeat. Lammy what's your input on this?...Lammy?”

 

“AIEEEEEEEEEEEEE. GET ME OFFFFFFFFFFFF THIS THINGGGGGGGG!” Lammy clutches on tightly to the dog boy in fear of her well being.

 

“A-Are you scared?...But you **also** own a motorcycle!”

 

“I ONLY FEEL COMFORTABLE AS THE DRIVER, NEVER THE DRIVEN!...” she buries himself into his back, causing him to be squished inbetween the two ewes.

 

(“Huh...that's why you no longer let me drive it...actually thinking about it I think _I'M_ the cause of this fear...haha whoops!”) Ma-san laughs for abit before it declines into a sigh of dejection.

 

Rammy raises an eyebrow as they all shut up, but pays it no mind “I have no idea what happened, but you're all quiet now so that means my idea is a full on go! And good thing to, because incoming aerial asshole!” the thief is back within sight as the see him fly about. The running quartet that's under him begin slowing down from overdoing their run.

 

“Hey you four! You all should probably catch your breath! We got it from here!” Rammy drives by them causing them to collapse on top of one another “Whoops...sorry!...” she stays right on the flying thief’s trail, avoiding the laser he's forcing out of the guitar all the while “God damn, I have got to get my new guitar from whoever made Leo's…No offense to your guitar Paraps.”

 

Parappa removes his face from her back “None taken, but please reconsider. I rather not have to chase after YOU in the air like this!”

 

“Why not? It'd be one hell of a fun game!” She winks at him before returning her focus back on the flying man.

 

(“Great! We're near by, but now what? He's still in the air!”)

 

“That's why I wanted company! Yo Lammy, mind letting go of Paraps? Or at the very least chuck him at the guy?”

 

“I don't like this plan! Holding on to him is currently the only thing keeping me in one piece!...”

 

“Think of this way, if you land the shot and the guy goes down. I get to stop driving and you get off! WIN win!”

 

“....O-Ok…”

 

“Wait a minute, don't _I_ get a say in thi-” Parappa is cut off by Lammy who immediately launches him at the flying thief haphazardly.

 

“WAIEEEEE!” Parappa flails hecticly, but ultimately manages to get a steady trajectory. Until the thief notices last second and dodges out of his way.

 

(“Well, kinda saw that coming a mile away.”)

 

“WHOAWHOAWHOAWHOAWHAAAA!” Parappa panics as he aims straight for the ground, he's spared impact when he's caught by a familiar looking bass guitar.

 

“Gotcha!” Katy flicks him back to the motorcycle. All four of them look to see her and Leo riding atop the baby wave again, though much more manageable.

 

(“THAT'S your idea??”)

 

“His ideas working innit?~”

 

“Cathy said I had full permission as long as these little runts were asleep by the end of it! Katy coming along really helped since I'm still missing my own instrument.” Leo turns to the thief “Speaking of which, let's give ya a hand! Come on kids! Flying guitar man wants to play tag!” the wave sizes back up to a bigger height as the babies all try to pile over and grab the flying man. The helmet emits out an exclamation point as he quickly turns away “We'll lead him into an inescapable position, then you guys handle the rest!” the four of them nod and do the keep the motorcycle directly below him. Through constant leading turns, he is eventually forced to turn back around, but with no way to dodge if something got in his way.

 

“LAMMY NOW!”

 

“H-Here goes!...” Lammy follows her doubles orders and tosses Parappa again, the thief is left helpless here as they crash into each other,  causing him to fall off the guitar and drop the money. Ma-san manages to catch Parappa this time, but the thief meets with the ground painfully and instinctually tries crawling away.

 

“Oh no you don't!” Leo hops off of the wave and straight onto the guy, pinning him down “You have things that belong to me!” He takes back his gloves and plucks off the helmet, revealing who he was “Haha! I knew it!...I have no idea who this man is...it's another bunny though!”

 

“GASTER?!” Katy, Lammy, Ma-san and Parappa shout together.

 

“Who?” Rammy has the same reaction as Leo.

 

“Oh man...figures it'd be this idiot again…” The bunny man immediately comes to in anger after hearing him.

 

“GAZ GAZ! How dare you insult Gaster! The real idiots are you lot for getting in Gaster’s way! Gaster was minding his own business until he saw someone leave an open cash register and lots of cool sellable stuff on the counter! So why wouldn't Gaster take advantage of that!!”

 

“YOU STOLE FROM THE STORE I WORK AT AND STOLE FROM MY FRIEND!” _Granted Raparra is the reason the register was open...he kinda busted everything open...and we kinda forgot about Leo's stuff in the panic…_ “Regardless of WHY the things were like that, you still had no right! If anything it makes our reason for doing this as justified as all the other times you did this!”

 

“LIESSSSSSSSSSS GAZ GAZ!” he struggles under Leo's feet.

 

“Man, might filling those of us who are clueless in on this lunatic?” Rammy nods with this statement.

 

“Not much to explain that isn't already obvious...Gaster here is one of the recurring town nuisances...however we usually put a stop to him, but his perseverance is certainly never ending…”

 

“OF COURSE NOT! ONCE YOU RUINED GASTER’S PLAN OF BECOMING RICH! YOU ALL BECAME AT THE TOP OF MY REVENGE LIST! FOR AS LONG AS GASTER BREATHES HE WILL PESTER YOU OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND **OVER** AGAIN!”

 

“You don't really do much aside from being an annoying little shit...All your thievery and get rich quick schemes go south fast. Even your attempts at messing with us blow up in your face!” Katy's reply causes steam to eject from his eyes and ears.

 

“GAAAAAAAAZTAAAAAAAAH!”

 

“I see he likes speaking in the third person…” Rammy says as she throw a cigarette at his head to shut him up.

 

“It's an ego thing he developed...either that or a result of his own shenanigans blowing up in his face constantly...either way something damaged him.”

 

“GASTER IS PERFECTLY FINE! EVERYTHING GASTER DOES IS BY HIS OWN CHOICE FOR HOW GREAT IT IS!” he flails about.

 

“Easy there Laster. You ain't escaping me!”

 

“Don't...jinx it...he has a very slippery streak...no matter how many times we catch him...he always gets away…”

 

“Oh please!” he turns to look at Parappa “He's pinned under my feet! And there's the six of us here! He ain't getting away!” he turns back to look at the ground “Ain't that right Las-...ter…” he scans the ground, it's empty “H-How…” He's met with the sound of facepalms.

 

“Ugh...I warned you...whatever atleast he left the stuff he stole behind…” Parappa grabs the money he stowed away in bags and also hands Leo his guitar.

 

“Thanks...and uh...sorry for-”

 

“Forget it! I'm not upset at that since you apparently never knew the guy...luckily enough. I'm upset that I had to see his face again…” Parappa sighs.

 

“Well things worked out in the end!...sorta...I'm just gonna go put these kids to sleep...Hey Leo! You have your guitar now, so help!”

 

“Right!...” Leo hops back on the wave and they both resume playing, leading it away.

 

“Well that's that! Come on Paraps, let's get the money back to Tamanegi already!”

 

“Don't gotta tell me twice!” he hops back into position.

 

“W-WAIT! FIRST LET ME GET OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOFF!...” Lammy's scream echoes down the street the entire way back.

 

* * *

 

“Now this is the proper thing I want to see from you my friend! A solemn way to get the job done without an improper balance of your abilities!” Tamanegi says with a stalwart nod and toothy grin.

 

“Well I mean I kinda had to. If I had left it to myself I'd be running with them and failing to catch Gaster! It was Rammy’s and Leo's joint ideas that got everything to turn out ok.”

 

“Well at the very least you can admit to that. It's a passable start towards an apology. That aside, it was the scheme of that one again? One would think he'd get the gist after constant failures.”

 

“Not Gaster. The guy does not know the meaning of giving up.”

 

(“Just like you Mutt, only difference being is you don't fail and fall flat on your face!”)

 

“Of course not!” Just then, in Parappa's head flashes a constant barrage of a specific duck noise followed by constant demeaning messages from his past teachers. Especially Tamanegi who he just hears him constantly repeat ‘Again.’ over and over “Waaaaaaah…?”

 

(“...You alright there?...”) she snaps her fingers in front of his face, snapping him out of it.

 

“Whoa...I think I had a glimpse at an alternate timeline where I did nothing but constantly mess up…” he pulls his beanie over his eyes “This better not be a bad omen…”

 

“Relax my student. That type of vision is just your ego showing you what could happen if you let your hubris get the better of you. An outcome that will certainly not happen for you!” Chop Chop pats him on the head, calming his nerves.

 

“That's a relief…Don't think I'd be able to handle that…” he removes his beanie from his eyes “That aside, glad you could help me sensei and that I was able to help you. Thank you for your time and um...I'm sorry for my fakers destructive outbreak…”

 

“Do not apologize for your shadows aggressions. What he did is of his own way of handling things. Not much we can agree with about it, but just make do.”

 

“Couldn't you have helped me fend him off??”

 

“Oh most certainly, he does not hold much of a candle to I. However I also follow the...we shall call it ‘honor’...that these shadows follow...and think it's best suited that you handle it yourself!”

 

“Hey wait...if Raparra isn't a match for you…and I'm weaker than him...then how come you ran away from me when I showed up causing a fuss in your store man?...” as soon as Rammy says this, the four of them are ejected out of the cafe.

 

“Thank you for your visit my friends! I'd love to do this again, but I am going to be very busy fixing the place before I head home. It'll be a grueling task and the missus will probably peel my layers off for it if I'm late home so I need every second I can as to avoid it! Farewell!” he shuts the door behind him.

 

“He fucking dodged the question...the little liar can't handle Raparra at all…” Rammy huffs as she bares her teeth at the closed door.

 

“Rammy it's best to drop it now and not get angry over it in the long run. It was his way of trying to motivate me to handle it myself.”

 

“Could've worded it better…”

 

“Eh...that's not sensei’s strong suit…” Parappa dances around the topic himself “To be fair his wife _is_ pretty strict on him if he's late. He still has his TV show to do at night with her!...”

 

“TV what now…”

 

(“Oh hah, right. Forgot he also has his own fitness channel show!”) Ma-san laughs.

 

“First I'm hearing of it as well...I thought after his dojo shut down, he kinda...gave up on teaching unless it was private lessons?...” Lammy scratches her head in an attempt to understand “What's he do?...”

 

“Oh! It's his romantic karate channel!”

 

“Romantic what…” both ewes say in unison as they stare at the dog.

 

“You heard me! He has his own romantic karate show! Works to! Build a strong bond with your significant other as strong as the muscles you'll also be building up! And one heck of a weight loss regimen! He even gives romance tips and advice during the break sessions and the end of the program!”

 

“...Why??”

 

“Cuz he's also a romantic sensei?...It worked for me and Sunny back when we were dating! And...PJ but that was an accident…” Parappa recalls the first time he took part in the exercise “But that's another tale! Just know it's really nice despite the absurdity of the context!”

 

(“You would think that, I bet you still watch it from time to time!”)

 

“I do not!...” he hovers over her ears _“Atleast not ever since Rammy joined our lives...I uh...didn't want her to get any wrong messages from watching me watch that…”_

 

(“Pfffffffft…”)

 

“I-It’s not funny!...”

 

As Parappa and Ma-san have their own little chat. The two ewes decide to speak amongst themselves.

 

“So Lammy.”

 

“Hmm?...W-What’s up?...”

 

“I'm gonna help you get Paraps heart.”

 

“Oh well that's very kind- come again…”

 

“You fucking heard me. Look. Now with the whole Leo thing at hand everyone knows who likes him! Even he himself now knows you like him.”

 

“B-But by that logic, he also knows you do as well…”

 

“Fact, but an oversight. In the ‘proper’ future. I don't end up with him. At most we're the equivalent of siamese twins! And hey, that's a future I'm ok with.” she nods a bit “Maybe I should come out bluntly. I guess I do like the guy a smidge. And if he chose me on his own, I'd be down for it. I don't expect it to happen however so yeah. That's why I'm helping you instead! Cuz you're my double and having you win, means I partially also win! Double win!”

 

“I um...what?...” Lammy's brain was in the process of holding itself together.

 

“Don't think to hard on it. Just know that I'm gonna do my best to see you happy with the guy! That's a Rammy promise!” She smiles to which Lammy confusingly gives her own in response, until Rammy herself starts frowning “Course...now with the hell goons after me...dunno how safe it is to _be_ Rammy anymore…”

 

“Oh!...that's a good point…” Lammy quickly hops up “Well...since you're helping me, still need to wrap my head around that…, I'm gonna help you figure a way out of this! We all are! You can leave it to me!”

 

“Heh...never thought it'd get to a point in my life where you and I stick our necks out for the other.”

 

“You're telling me!...I don't mind it though...I kinda like having you as a friend more…~”

 

“The feelings mutual that's for fucking sure!~” she crushes the red one in a massive hug “Normally I'm not one to do this but dammit if Paraps didn't rub off on me!” she smiles greatly as she squeezes Lammy's lights out.

 

“That’s great...b-but… Y-You’re….hurting me...hck…”

 

“Ho shit...whoops…” she eases up on the hug, but as she does.

 

“C-Counter attack!...” Lammy crushes her in retaliation, at least attempts to.

 

“Whoa! Sneaky~” She chuckles “Ease up~ You're gonna squeeze the life outta meeeeeee.” Though her cries be as see through as can be, Lammy buys into in none the less.

 

“Sorry!...I wanted to try being the one that squeezes is all…”

 

“I wasn't-...I mean. Yeah. And boy did you nearly crush my lungs!”

 

“I did?...I mean yeah! That's what I w-was going for!”

 

 _Man do I feel slightly bad lying to her, but hey, by the end of this she will have the strength to actually crush my spine! Or at the very least a stronger confidence and stronger spine on herself instead!..._ “Well you succeeded!...For now! Gotta keep at it if you wanna keep doing that!”

 

“Right!...” as the two finish their chat up. So do Ma-san and Parappa as the remainder of their group reunite. Afterwards they fill in the four who missed the thief catching on who the bumbling thief was.

 

“So it was Gaster??...man that REALLY irks me then…”

 

“Relax Paula! We still got him in the end!”

 

“Yeah but I kept helping him accidentally so _I_ wanted to be the one to catch him!” she waves her arms angrily in the air as Matt tries to calm her down.

 

“How'd you manage to catch him?”

 

“Never mind that Sweety! Where in the hell did you get a motorcycle from??”

 

“Well...hell!” Rammy shrugs with a cheesy smug grin on her face.

 

“And as for catching him. Owe half of that to him.” Parappa motions towards Leo who yawns as he's once again wearing the bunny ear cap.

 

“Yeah sirrrrrrr… Me and Katy got on the tidal wave of kidzzzz again and cornered the boy!...and then they swooped in for the killlllll. I stomped on him and got my junk back!...and then he got away...but I still got my stuff! Yeah manzzzzz…” he constantly hiccups milk bubbles throughout his entire response prompting Ma-san to call out the obvious.

 

(“What the _fuck_ is wrong with him now.”)

 

“I maaaaaaaaaay have used the baby tiring tactics on him as we tried getting them to sleep again…just a little bit.”

 

(“And you did that because?”)

 

“...I wanted him to be as docile, aloof and out of it as possible to see if he would listen to me more as a son…”

 

“That's abuse of your motherly power over the guy!” Sweety says angrily, but is instantly ignored.

 

(“Did it work?”)

 

“Yeah it did! I managed to get some more stuff out of him, but only stuff like. Who was his most effective and favorite teacher in the past and how were the people he got to meet when he went back in time like! But he didn't speak much on that guess he's wanting to tell all of us...and no matter how many times I asked who his real mom was he wouldn't budge… I did figured out the name of the lead Queens girl though! Her name was Harper!”

 

“DO NOT TOY WITH YOUR PROBABLE SON’S EASILY PENETRABLE PSYCHE!...”

 

“Why nooooooot…”

 

(“I'm with her. Why not? His fault for not telling us about it when he makes it so damn interesting to wanna learn about!”)

 

“Because he can't tell us all of it! It'd mess things up for him!”

 

(“That sounds like a him problem.”)

 

“MA-SAN THE HIM PROBLEM COULD BE YOUR POTENTIAL SON PROBLEM!”

 

(“Bah, I should've made sure that I wouldn't let any future kid of mind be such talkative one...or at the very least not one that easily becomes an open book when subjected to baby subduing tactics!”) As she says this, a blue swirl envelops the dazed boy. Once it clears he looks around startled.

 

“What happened??...why is this thing on my head?” he plucks off the cap. Katy quickly runs up to him.

 

“Hey waaait!...I still wanna try an ask you stuff on your past!”

 

“And I say, no dice sister.” Ma-san blinks at his immediate change.

 

“Ma-san…” Sweety asks, also any dumbfounded.

 

(“Yeah…?”)

 

“As a small test...mind taking back what you said…”

 

(“Ya-huh…”) the swirl spirals around Leo again as he's back to a dazed condition.

 

“How...curious...it looks like you girls can at anytime change how Leo's like...oh that's so bad…”

 

“You kidding?!”

 

(“Yeah it doesn't seem so bad! We can fix him up like I did just now!”)

 

“I can turn him into a mini me!” Katy says as she bounces around.

 

(“Scratch that, you're right. This is a terrible power and responsibility to be given.”)

 

All of Leo's potential mother's stare at the now asleep standing boy, prompting Parappa to stand in between them and him “Whoa hold on there! My kid's been through enough! I don't need his would be Mama's messing him up already more than his guaranteed dad already has!”

 

“He's right...that'd be very cruel...Especially considering how he's doing all this for his dad AND us in the first place…” Katy says with a defeated sigh.

 

“You know you also could make it so he's a bigger Mama's boy than he already is to completely eclipse the Papa's boy side of him-”

 

“RAMMY!” the other girls shout.

 

“I'm kidding! I could never do that to Paraps! Sheesh I thought you guys were all used to a terrible sense of humor by now…”

 

“It's for the best that we stray from this topic as fast as possible…shame to...I wanted to know more…”

 

“You already learned who his favorite person in the past was! What more do you want!”

 

“Non obvious stuff!...Turns out his favorite teach in the past was...all of us…” as Katy says this, they all release a group-

 

“Awwwww~...”

 

“I had the same reaction. But I mean come on! Like that _wasn't_ gonna be his answer given who his dad is!” as she says this, they all shrug in agreement.

 

“Well if you're so curious, why not ask him about the dream visions we had. I'm sure he'll talk about that since he can't really deny us stuff we technically now know!” Matt says causing PJ to clunk him on the head “Ow!”

 

“Don't encourage her!”

 

“Well I'm sorry!...Now I'm curious to!...” he rubs his head “Curiosity killed the cat and infected the rest!”

 

“But the satisfaction of the answer brought it back!” Katy says with a harumph.

 

“Can you guys stop using that metaphor?...Especially when my son has a chance to be half cat AND has come to grips with death several times??...The subject makes me very queasy…”

 

The two of the them apologize “Sorry!...” as they do Leo wakes up on his own.

 

“Hazzawhat?...Where are we?...” he turns to see the group “Oh! Did we finish up with the bunnies?”

 

“Uh...yeah! And you kinda got tired yourself so I helped you on the way back!”

 

“Well thanks Katy.” he smiles for a bit before it devolves into a frown “Man...How much stuff do you guys go through in a day...and I was a cause for a good majority of it!...”

 

“Technically it's my bad for egging you on...but now's not the time for the blame game!” Parappa chuckles fruitlessly.

 

“I guess...anything I can do to try and make up for today?...” the group immediately replies.

 

“EXPLAIN THE DREAM WE HAD ON YOU!” the entire group nearly overwhelms the groggy man.

 

“W-Well...um...ok. I suppose I can...” he holds his helmet up “This thing has my memories in it so just tell me what you saw in your dream and I'll take a trip down memory lane with you all…”

 

“Your arrival! You met up with an axolotl, bear, otter, mystery woman and Mushi!” they all sit around him in a circle.

 

“Oh...my first day here… alrighty let's see if it recorded back then…” he presses a button on the inside of the helmet and it jumps from his hands. The screen glass emits a light in front of them all that plays as a three dimensional video.

 

 _“Little guy really doesn't wanna tell us his name. That complicates helping him quite a bit. Where could his parents be…”_ Mushi speaks as he appears in the vid.

 

 _“I do not know. He would not answer to me. Perhaps the children are able to get more out of him than us.”_ the veiled woman known as Nana K speaks up.

 

_“I'm hoping. Mrs. K. I'm not exactly sure what to do for a situation like this. I wanna help the little man, but how can you do it if you don't know the problem!”_

 

 _“Well you have to be patient. He is just an eight year old.”_ After Nana K brings that up. The three other children walk up to them _“Oh. Any update?”_

 

 _“Nada. He's really scared on talking about anything he's doing. When we asked if his parents would be mad at him he simply broke down again!”_ a bear child says.

 

 _“I have my work cut out for me if this is what is gotta teach to be positive…”_ the otter child says.

 

 _“He told me his parents aren't anywhere nearby and they're the reason he's here…”_ everyone turns their attention to the Axolotl _“W-What?...”_

 

 _“That's the most info we've gotten out of him! Was that the first thing he told you??”_ Nana K retorts, annoyed.

 

_“Yeah?...”_

 

_“Good grief...you should've told us…”_

 

 _“I didn't know!...”_ she cowers _“He seemed like he didn't want that to be known anyway so I wanted to respect that!...”_

 

 _“And believe me, I understand what you mean. However here we need to know as much to be able to help HIM.”_ she sighs _“I'll be keeping him with me.”_

 

 _“Uh...Mrs. K…don't you already...have a kid at home?...I don't think your husband will be alright with you bringing up another one out of the blue...he might get the wrong idea.”_ Mushi scratches his head.

 

_“I'm not an idiot. I'm not taking him to my house. I'm taking him to my business office. I have a mini house in there as I usually stay the nights from time to time from a heavy workload. I can certainly fit a small child there.”_

 

_“Well...alright. Not like I have a proper place to keep him! And these kids would probably have hidden him out in the open in a sandbox or something.”_

 

 _“HEY!_ ” the axolotl and bear retort in anger, but the otter replies on his own aloofness.

 

 _“How'd you know?...”_ the other kids facepalm at being called out.

 

_“Then it's settled! Alright, you three are still gonna need to stick around him. He'll be needing friends around his age and it seems like you three are all he has so far.”_

 

 _“I'm ok with that! I'm the same age as him!_ ” she turns to her and the other two kids “ _I'm Amby by the way!”_

 

_“As am I! I gotta help the dude cheer up! Emile never goes back on a promise! And the age gap isn't to big with me, I'm only two years older!”_

 

_“If he has to resort to me as a friend then I don't see this ending well. Especially if his other options are a girl who acts more like his shadow and a guy who probably never ate anything aside from candy his whole life.”_

 

_“HEY!”_

 

_“Hey yourselves! I'm just speaking the truth. But hey, not like I got nothing better to do so I guess I can tag along. Surely an eleven year old can keep the three of them in check. Milton, that's me by the way, can promise that much.”_

 

 _“Lovely input...oh I fear for this boy already…”_ she extends her arm towards the camera _“Come here sweetheart. I'll make sure you'll be alright. You can trust...your Nana K.”_

 

 _“Nana huh? Dislike your real name that muc- OOF…”_ Mushi is immediately punched in the side _“Right...got it...keeping my mouth shut.”_ the video feed ends there.

 

“Well that's it for my first day...at least as much as I can get...I could explain it but it wouldn't don't much justice…”

 

“Leave that for another day! I'm amazed you knew Mushi before I did! The kids and the lady though are outta my field of knowledge however.”

 

“That Nana K lady really seems like a piece of work...something about her seems to rub me the wrong way...dunno why…” Katy grumbles with her arms crossed.

 

“I don't know what to say there...Nana’s been my biggest help since I've been here...and I care for her deeply...hell she even got me to be the star of Neon Heights! It's the reason they love me there and why I have so many perks.”

 

“Mmmmmm...well I guess if she's THAT helpful then she's alright! Hope you'll let me meet her one day!”

 

“We'll see. For now what else did you guys catch…”

 

“Well can you give us more insight on the three kids you were with?” PJ adds on, legitimately curious.

 

“Ah...sure...I'll go pick a point where we're older though...as kids they were...um...highly...idiotic…” he presses the button on the inside again as he places it back on the ground “I should also mention I lost contact with Amby for years due to...difficulties in her family.”

 

“That's totally non concerning... Whatever, we're still learning something.” the helmet emits another video before them.

 

_“MAN OH MAN! THEY LOVE US OUT THERE!”_

 

_“Emile, they love LEO. Not you or me.”_

 

_“Man don't harsh my vibes!”_

 

 _“I'm telling it how it is.”_ the bear chuckles before turning to the camera _“That old nans plan actually worked for you! See? And she was worried we'd make a fool out of you!”_

 

The camera shakes as a familiar voice speaks up _“Nana’s not old!...and I dunno...your choice of wardrobe and what dance moves I should've done really...scared her.”_

 

 _“And that was harsh of her! Our sense of style is a natural born lady lure!”_ Milton crosses his arms as the camera speaks up again.

 

_“More like lady repellent! Every woman in sight ran away from you an Emile in a heartbeat!”_

 

_“They didn't run from you!”_

 

_“Yeah well I could've done without the attention.”_

 

 _“Why man? Milton’s right! What failed for us only helped you out in the long run didn't it?~”_ Emile dances in front of the camera.

 

_“My job here was to secure a stable place to hide into so I can finally begin helping my dad. Not flirt with women!”_

 

 _“Why the hell not? The past probably has loads of pretty ladies that the future can't replicate!”_ Milton smashes his face into the ground.

 

_“Forget the dames! They ain't worth the trouble you wind up in as you fall for em! That's why you gotta make em fall for you!”_

 

_“And you both question why you're still single.”_

 

_“Semantics! If there aren't any ladies to get, we'll move on to dudes!”_

 

 _“I_ **_LIKE_ ** _that plan!”_ Emile says as he gets off the ground.

 

_“This is why Nana doesn't like me hanging with you two.”_

 

_“Bah what does the old fern know? She can't know what's best for three young guys in the spotlight!”_

 

 _“It's MY spotlight boyo. That I graciously got thanks to_ **_her_ ** _plan.”_

 

_“Sheesh man. Teachers pet much? You need to do things on your own.”_

 

_“Normally I never agree with Milton’s stinkin thinkin. However here he makes a point! That old cougar is really throwing a wrench in our good time! You're young and fifteen! You have an entire town that's comparable to a city wrapped around your grubby little mitts! And you still wanna be the good boy and listen to Nana?”_

 

_“I'm just doing a job I set out to. I'm not here to be a diva…”_

 

 _“Doesn't hurt to try it! After all, you got no way back so why not enjoy the past life seeing as you're stuck with us!”_ the camera looks down to the ground, the vision of arms wrapped all around legs is the only thing shown _“Oh COME on! Did I really say the wrong thing again??”_ as Emile is heard saying this the sound of a door opening is heard and the two other boys panic _“IT'S THE FUN DESTROYER!”_

 

 _“BOOK IT MAN!”_ their feet are seen through the camera as they run away. The only voice heard is Nana K’s now.

 

 _“Those two are such idiots...and did they honestly think I couldn't HEAR them from the other room?...come on precious…”_ the camera is lifted up in the air _“Take this stuffy thing off...the public already saw you without it.”_ she places it on a counter. She is then seen helping up Leo himself _“Don't let those two get to you. They're just upset that the boy who used to be under them has since left them behind. And that they can't milk off the fame.”_ the feed of Leo matched his current ram body, showing that his appearance would change in the video to, as it kept hiding his true appearance.

 

_“I'm not upset at that Nana...I'm upset over the fact that they just brought up me being unable to head back…”_

 

_“Ah...yes that is its own problem isn't it? Well I wouldn't dawdle over it! If anything, if you're unable to find a way back. I'll do my best to make sure you grow up proper and healthy here! You already have a start as an amazing idol! The people here love you and you are clearly competent in earning funds! More so with a guy like Mushi to help you! Why you could even leave me and do things on your own as well if you pleased. You have the makings of having a great life here my boy. Even if you can't return, you can do so much here until you're finally able to find a way to do so!”_

 

 _“Heh...thanks Nana. But would you approve me just up and leaving?_ ”

 

 _“Well no, not really. Unfortunately I'm inclined to agree with something those two miscreants said. You are in fact young and still growing in multiple ways and being held back by a silly woman like me is not exactly...good.”_ she pats his shoulder _“It goes against me wanting you to grow up healthy does it not?”_

 

_“But I just can't leave ya! Who'd help you around the store! And other things! And besides I owe this fame to you as well! I danced to YOUR song that YOU sang as we just strolled around the town catching the people's hearts!”_

 

 _“I can handle myself! I'm not old yet...I've done the managing on my own before you arrived remember? And yes I suppose there's some truth there. But I was in this room with Mushi the entire time. You danced, played and sang along with it as you ‘strolled around town’. And that certainly helped you with the live camera footage. As did this...questionable attire. Honestly if it weren't for you being a handsome young man, you wouldn't be able to pull it off. Like how those two didn't!”_ Leo laughs in a sweet manner similar to Parappa.

 

_“Ok ok. But I'll consider it. I don't think I'd ever wanna separate from you Nana.”_

 

_“I've made you to much of a sheltered boy! I'll have to evict you then if that's the case!”_

 

_“Alriiiiiiight!...”_

 

 _“Now where was I...I had another reason for wanting to pop in...ah yes. Mushi got a call for you that he's absolutely ecstatic about as he believes it'll help you. He's still chatting so he asked me to pass the message to you. You've been invited to the most…’out there’ club in existence, the neanderthal ball. By invitation of the clubs owners, the Queens.”_ the video cuts then and there.

 

“You sure they were idiots as kids only?? Those two were the definition of idiocy and stupidity!”

 

“Yeah...they were rough around the edges...but they were still good friends at times whenever they knew they needed to be...whenever that was. Here's the next one!”

 

“Wait but, what about Amby??...”

 

“Oh don't worry, you'll see abit of her now! I remember her appearing a tiny bit here!” a new video plays out.

 

 _“WOOOOOOOOO! We just liberated a club of brain controlled teens!”_ the voice belongs to Emile who is seen running around in the feed.

 

 _“You really saved me...heh...I wish our reunion could've been better...I don't see you for six years. And when we finally get to meet again, I end up getting mind controlled into trying to kill you…”_ Amby is seen on the camera staring at her feet.

 

 _“Yo, but who has the gall to brainwash a bunch of musically aspiring teens?”_ Milton says as he storms into the feed.

 

 _“That would be thanks to some janky old creep by the nickname of BoTy!”_ the camera turns around to see six tall girls strut towards Leo, all adorned in black leather clothes. The girl who spoke up, speaks again, outing who she was _“Thanks for the help doll~ Not only did you so kindly accept my invite, but you even helped me keep our club here intact from a bunch of rowdy dancers~”_ the lead singer girl was a devil girl. Her body was violet and her eyes were yellow with brown irises. Her hair was orange and in a pixie cut. Her horns poked out wildly from the hair. Her small wings flutter each step she takes. She stops inches away from the camera _“You are the darling little Leo Steps ain'tcha?~”_ she grabs the camera and moments after its tossed aside. It lands in a position to still see what was going on. She is staring him down _“Yep. You match the guy~”_

 

_“Eheh...y-yeah that's me...and I'm glad I could help!...did you say BoTy?...”_

 

_“That I did~ Know him?”_

 

_“I-It’s who I gotta stop!..”_

 

_“Really now?~ Then my interest in you grew even more~”_

 

_“Eheh...m-mind backing away a bit miss?~...”_

 

_“Miss? How mean~ I just turned eighteen~ So I don't really deserve the old lady comments yet~”_

 

 _“And I just turned fifteen three days ago and I say, guys help me out here?”_ Milton and Emile look at each other before bowing and running away.

 

_“YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN MAN!”_

 

 _“TRUST US, THIS IS FOR YOUR OWN GOOD!_ ”

 

 _“Wha...hey!...”_ Amby growls at their cowardice as she lifts her finger and fires a mini bolt of magic at the girl in Leo's personal space. She deflects it with her guitar. It looks like the one Leo has currently.

 

_“Aw sweetie~ Don't mess with a grown up~”_

 

_“Can you stop making my friend uncomfortable and talk to him properly then?!”_

 

 _“But where's the fun in that?~ Right girls?~”_ the five behind her nod _“See?~ I'm just handling things the Harper way~”_

 

 _“And um...does the H-Harper way explain what she wanted with me perchance?~...”_ Leo speaks up.

 

_“Yeah...at first it was because I saw ya out on the news. Flashy kid wins over a whole town~ From a nobody to an idol in just no time flat~ I wanted to see if I could have ya for myself~”_

 

_“Oh that's v-very flattering of you!...But I'm a b-busy guy ya know!...”_

 

_“I can help you make time~”_

 

_“M-Maybe later!...What changed?...”_

 

_“Well. For starters my club was hijacked by that damn old freak. And I was forced into subduing a bunch of kids, but I can't really do that without hurting them to badly...luckily you came in with those lovely little marble things~ What do they do?~”_

 

_“Oh uh...these?...the two who ran off on me made them! They uh...force people to sing dance or play depending on where you throw it at them!...once they explode...the effect takes place!...”_

 

_“Fascinating...I doubt those two could have made it on their own~”_

 

_“You're right!...it was from plans that I made that I kinda just had lying around...and I guess they were bored and well...yeah…”_

 

_“So then it was a hundred percent your thinking~ Thought so~ And you said you also got a bone to pick with the freak-o right?~”_

 

_“Yeah?...”_

 

_“Then it's settled! Me and the girls HAVE to have you~”_

 

 _“HEY! LEO ISN'T YOU PROPERTY!”_ Bubbles spew from Amby’s mouth.

 

_“U-Uh...don't I get a say in this?...”_

 

_“Why would you say no?~ We can help supply you with some better stuff needed to take on the freak-o~ How'd you plan on doing it prior?~”_

 

_“Well uh...bludgeoning him with my guitar really…”_

 

 _“That's cute~ Why not use a real guitar like mine?~”_ she holds out her guitar and pulls the cord. Turning the body of the thing into a chainsaw that she slashes through a table with.

 

_“Whoa…”_

 

_“DON'T GET FASCINATED BY IT!...”_

 

_“It could be yours...if you become mine~”_

 

 _“Can I...offer anything else for it?~...”_ Leo tries backing away, but the six of them follow.

 

_“I'm all ears~”_

 

 _“Right!...Lemme uh...just think of...a way...to properly trade with you!”_ As Leo backs off, Amby constantly fires bolt after bolt that's quickly bounced off repeatedly. Leo eventually finds his back on a wall as Amby is restrained by the five other girls.

 

_“Well while you think up something. I for one think I should reward you for saving my establishment~”_

 

_“Oh you don't h-have to do that! I was just doing what any helpful guy would!...”_

 

_“I insist~”_

 

_“A-Alright...what's the reward?...”_

 

She presses her head against his _“I'm gonna teach ya how to kiss like a grown up~”_

 

_“I need an adult…”_

 

 _“Poor choice of words… I am an adult~”_ Video Leo screams at a high pitch that it cracks the helmet screen, cutting off the video. Everyone is simply left blinking at what they just saw as Leo stares at another busted helmet, red in the head.

 

“Whoa boy...I uh...heh...forgot that's how my first encounter with them was like…” once he picks up the helmet, he drops it upon seeing everyone stare at him “Why is everyone looking at me…”

 

“ **SHE’S** WHO YOU FELL IN LOVE WITH?!”

 

“I-It didn't happen then and there!... It was more of a...as time went on thing!... I saw her more as a fun and endearing person and she saw me less as a play thing and more of an actual equal!...She even offered me a position to join with them once it was all over...but unfortunately that never came to pass…”

 

“That's probably for the better!”

 

“But Dad, I'm serious! They do get better! I'd show you if my helmet wasn't broken!...”

 

“Now I'm in no position to doubt you, it's just here I am so gonna doubt everything about them. Hell in my dream I even remember Nana K saying they ended up influencing alot about you!”

 

“They did...my style...my preferences...almost everything about me I adapted off of them!... And I'd never give that up!”

 

“Argh...I guess this is one of those, you have to see it or have met them yourself type deals…” he taps his foot “Fine...I'll take your word for it…”

 

“We don't!” Paula, Lammy and Katy latch onto Leo like flies to fly paper.

 

“Aw let the kid live! Can't blame him for loving a girl like that!” Rammy says with a chuckle.

 

(“Rammy has a point. We're all in a similar boat for falling for Parappa. Or Parappa falling for any of us! Hell him falling for Sunny was out there for itself.”)

 

“Don't use me as an excuse to justify his actions!...wait...isn't that how parenting is supposed to be?...Aw darn it…”

 

“For once I'm happy that the parenting alibi is on my side!...”

 

“I'm more upset at the fact that you moved on from my future daughter to...that…” PJ glows green in the head “How...much did your preferences change??...”

 

“Beats me. She was just one hell of an amazing girl. Funny, charming, sweet, great friends, smart and could kick my ass if I ever stepped outta line. We could also harmonize like nobodies business…~ All the greatest essentials I like in a girl!”

 

“He really is a mini Parappa.” PJ groans as he remembers what Parappa had told him.

 

“Well I'm glad that I have something in common with him!...Just wish it was something better…”

 

“Same here...but I'd like to call this day to a close if you don't mind.” Leo states as he scratches his nose with an embarrassed sweat drop on his face.

 

“I think that's probably fair. We have a lot to handle on our own currently what with Rammy’s new rescue party…”

 

“Judging by the timing that this happened...you guys have between a week to a month to decide on how you're gonna handle this. Seeing as a month was when Raparra succeeded. However since he met with dad now...I dunno if it'll stay a month, or if he'll act sooner...I really gotta go and get that suit ready for you.”

 

“You do that, in the meanwhile we'll handle our usual town affairs.” Leo walks up to them all after Parappa states that.

 

“If at any given time you guys feel something's off or you need help handling anything. Call alright? I'll do my best to help you all, depending on the situation you're asking me to help with. Alright?” they all nod except for Parappa.

 

“Knowing your history, why would banking on you be a good idea? If you and I share a bad streak?”

 

“My ideas are still plenty helpful! After all remember that it was my idea that helped your idea in catching Gaster!”

 

“Alright...got me there…”

 

“Great! Now come drive me back-” As he tries to take a step away, he bumps into a lady holding a camera “Home…uh oh...” Leo quickly zooms behind PJ.

 

“There they are sir!”

 

An older human gentleman walks up with a microphone in hand “Well I'll be! Figures it had to be our town star fixing the place up from trouble again! Man oh man, aren't we lucky to still have are guy like you around Parappa! I gotta say, ever since the noodle incident, every problem be it minor or major always had itself fixed thanks to you! And I'm glad to always be on the case of catching it on the news!”

 

“Rodney sir we're live…”

 

“Oh let me spoil the boy! I'm only saying what the town also feels! Am I right or am I right denizens of PaRappa Town!” after Rodney shouts that to the camera, every building in the area erupts with gleeful cheer.

 

“Mr. Greenblat!...We're about to go live to other networks to you know, thanks to the new networking deal we got...so we kinda can't be as lenient with how we used to be when broadcasting…”

 

“Right there is that tiny little problem isn't it.” he turns to the group “I'll cut to the chase. The main reason for me looking for you is to promote this weird new broadcasting type deal that a majority of stations got, linking us to places far out there! And they figured we'd all should do a big take on the usual big things that happen in the areas of each news casting station. For us. That'd be you! And here you are already working at it! Clearing a street full of crazed newborns, managing to fend off disaster that happened at this here cafe! I can only imagine what happened. I just got a small synopsis that apparently a hell hound got loose in there? And right after its kicked out, Gaster appears again to try his hand at theft again! To which I learn that it's you lot that handled him!

 

“B-But Mr. Rodney sir...Gaster got away!...”

 

“Not exactly. We caught him and Groober failing to make a get away as their car crashed in a large hole in one of the streets leading to where you caught him!”

 

“Oh...whoops...I forgot to close the hole where I pulled my bike out of…” Rammy says under her breath as to not be heard.

 

“Wow...uh...convenient…”

 

“And if I'm to judge that broken helmet that the one hiding behind good ol PJ is holding, that's the mysterious idol of a town over, Leo Steps! You've unmasked him! ANOTHER noteworthy achievement for today! And we caught it all on tape! Now the world will know that he looks like this! Almost like this girl right here.”

 

“Um…” _uh oh...sorry Leo!..._ “Yeah...guess I did do that…”

 

“Splendid! And with that, we. Are. LIVE EVERYWHERE!” he focuses on his camera crew _“Hello all you new faces out there. I am Rodney Greenblat. Veteran news reporter here at good old PaRappa Town. Where I am here with our introduction towards where our news mostly comes from. This little in size, but not heart fella right here! The town joy that shares his name! Parappa Rappa!”_ the camera focuses on Parappa.

 

_“Oh!...umm...hi!...”_

 

_“Isn't he just radiating glee? Anywho, our story for today involves him-”_

 

“Why do I get the feeling that this is gonna lead to some problematic instances…” PJ says as the others all follow his paranoia.

 

“No kidding...branching out our news to others? Who could have helped with that...you'd need alot of money and time to collaborate that! And for what? Having people learn about us and vice versa? Not like the info will matter much if you can't really take apart in it. Maybe that's why? Incentive?” Katy's little statement gets the others thinking to deeply into it.

 

“Guys this isn't healthy to over speculate! I'm sure this is harmless! Why I'm sure whoever planned this isn't harboring anything sinister! Why would you over broadcasting?” Leo sneezes as Sweety says that “Bless you. Oh! Leo! Does this happen in the future?”

 

“Not to my knowledge...this is all new…”

 

“Hm...maybe that's a sign that something good's gonna happen!”

 

“But now the world knows one of my faces without my helmet on…”

 

“Ok...scratch that! That aside, I'm certain this will harbor nothing but good! What could possibly have changed from this that proves otherwise?~” everyone sighs in heavy dejected relief. Unable to find a proper middle ground in what emotion to feel as they resume watching Parappa speak to the camera with Rodney.

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile in Mirror City.

 

“Yes dad...I knowwww...I heard you the last twenty times…” a girl with a daisy for a head says as she talks to her yelling phone “Can't I get a word in with Mom? Well duh! It's called being level headed enough to talk properly! Something you've been lacking ever since you sent me here...why do you think I only prefer talking to her these days?” the phone yells louder prompting her to set it down temporarily “Get angry all you want...ugh...maybe listening to the tv will drown him out…” she turns the TV on and as she does, the phone shouts to be heard through the noise.

 

_“SUNNY FUNNY! DON'T IGNORE ME!...”_

 

“What!...I'm not gonna bother if this is how you're gonna be!”

 

 _“Alright, you want me level headed…”_ the phone takes a deep breath then sighs exaggeratedly _“Why do you want to move out of mirror city?...”_

 

“Because there's nothing here for me to do! Everything is just...handed out to you on a platter without much effort...I'd like this kind of treatment if I _EARNED_ it! Not for it be the flat out regimen of this place...there's little to no opportunity for me here...Nothing to achieve...the people here are so...bland and vain...the shiny gaudiness of the place is just a facade for how uneventful this place is...a while back this place had are concert held, but I didn't bother with it...why would I? If it's anything like the rest of here…I didn't wanna set myself up for disappointment…”

 

_“You've really had time to set your thoughts together on this haven't you?...”_

 

“Well I did have an entire year in here, soaking up all the _wonderful personality_ I've been shown…”

 

_“Stop, your sarcasm is obvious enough as is...oh boy...well what do you want from me! No one ever said safety would be fun!...When we came here I wanted what was best for you! That's why I had you move to the central part of the city!...clearly that had the opposite effect…”_

 

“You don't say…”

 

_“Ugh...fine. Your mother it is… let me get her.”_

 

“Take your time...as much as I would like to go anywhere, I think I know your end reply again…”

 

_“Please stop. I already feel bad enough as is…”_

 

“Somehow I don't believe you…” the phone goes silent, earning only a sigh from the flower girl. Her attention is regained however when the TV flashes greatly in announcement of something new “What the heck happened around here that warrants such a flashy announcement?...” she lowers the volume so those on the phone can't hear.

 

_“We will now be starting our cross network union by relaying the current live broadcast from the station located at PaRappa Town, brought to you by Rodney Greenblat as he interviews the main headliner!”_

 

“...What…?” she walks closer to the tv “Did I...hear that right?...”

 

_“Hello all you new faces out there. I am Rodney Greenblat! Veteran news reporter here at good old PaRappa Town!”_

 

“Oh my god…” Sunny’s mouth is quickly covered to prevent it from dropping wide open. As this happens the phone bounces around as it tries to get her attention.

 

_“Honey? Are you still there?? Your father said you wanted to talk with me again?...”_

 

“Oh! Um hi mom!...I was just-”

 

_“Still trying to convince him on letting you move out of that bland place?”_

 

“Yeah…”

 

_“Well…I have news that's bound to perk you right up!”_

 

“Gonna have to be pretty big to beat what I'm hearing off the TV.”

 

 _“Oh that's simple if_ **_that's_ ** _the competition!”_

 

 _Sureeeee…_ “Well then I'm all ears.”

 

_“Before your father passed the phone to me. He actually started talking about how maybe it would be better off to let you move to a new place!”_

 

“Wow...wait...REALLY?”

 

_“Yes really! You just have to pick a place and we'll give you the funds to make it possible!”_

 

“I see…” she turns to the tv again which has Rodney pass the attention to a familiar face.

 

_“And that about covers it! Parappa my boy, you got anything to say to the public?”_

 

_“Not really...just that I'm doing what I can to help is all…”_

 

“Heh...as per usual…~”

 

_“Lemme word it better. What if people wanted to come here themselves. Would you recommend this place?”_

 

_“Oh! Well with that, I sure can! This place is really amazing when you get over how hectic it can get from time to time! If you look past that then this place is a nothing but a pure joy to those who just wanna spend the time sightseeing! Of course in all honesty it's best to not look past the hectic times. It's those quirky bits that really add that spice of life to town! Love it or hate it. It's what gives it the feel that makes people love it here, what I believe is a hook for people wanting to move in for a new fresh pace. Or those returning who wanna just rekindle their love for this little place like how they used to! Point is everyone is welcome here if you're welcoming yourself!”_

 

“...Yeah…” she stares at her phone “But not like I'd be able to with them...bummer…”

 

_“Wait, Rodney sir! The other thing Parappa found out!”_

 

 _“Ah yes! Parappa here has also unmasked quite possibly the most enigmatic under the radar idol in existence!”_ A camera finds its way behind the mini group created blockade as Leo tries to hide his face behind his broken helmet _“Here we have Leo Steps! A multi achieving boy who has risen in the ranks of many a profession and worked with the best of em in the music biz! He's since become a household name as he slowly tried to etch his name out of the plaza de fame! Opting only to act around in his supposed main hub town of Neon Heights! A town just outside from our own! However it seems that even seclusion itself didn't save his face! Leo was known to never be without the thing on! And yet here we have our boy here catching him without it! Who else but Parappa!”_

 

“Oh...that's a new face...wait...town next door?...”

 

 _“W-With all due respect Mr. Greenblat...please stop looking at me…”_ Leo huddles up in fetal position from the massive influx of anxiety as the camera is forced to pan away from him.

 

 _“Well that's all we'll get to hear on it from him! But if you also wanna know more about him, visit here! These two are clearly great friends! If not, we recommend going over to Neon Heights yourself to see if you can spot him without his headgear on either! Just make sure you spot a ram to know you caught him!”_ Rodney winks towards the camera.

 

“Neon Heights huh?...” Sunny rushes over to a pile of brochures and pulls one that mentions that town “Maybe I could pass it off if I go to the town over instead…” she shuts the tv off.

 

_“Sunny...you still there sweetie?...”_

 

“Yeah! I am...say...mom...You and dad ever  heard of a town called...Neon Heights?...” she opens the brochure and scans the insides intently.

 

_“Can't say we have...I'll go look it up! Is it nice?”_

 

She smiles as she reads what's shown “Yeah. Real nice. It's a fun and entertaining place. And it's really close by to a place that can offer me a ton of opportunities! Not only will I be able to enjoy myself again, but I can do so much more again than simply sit by and be another pretty face!”

 

_“Well you clearly have so much fondness for this place that it'd be wrong of me to shoot the idea down! Where's it at?”_

 

“Oh don't worry over that bit! It's somewhere safe, that's all I know dad wants to hear!”

 

_“Well that'll win him over, but we still need to know! How else will we visit you?”_

 

“Oh just let me handle that! I wanna know where I'll be cementing myself first off so that I can make a route for you guys to take that's the most convenient! Just a straight away to me with no having to cross between other places!”

 

_“Oh that's such a hassle...but you were always one to take the extra steps ever since you met that boy! Such a hard worker streak! Well I'm ok with that then and I'll talk it over with your father! You just hold on, and in no time at all we'll give you the needed funds to move over there and settle in. Though please promise me you'll be alright?...”_

 

“Of course mom! Don't worry about lil ol me!... there hasn't been trouble and there won't be once I move again!” _Wellllll...at least none that I'll wanna admit...but that's for another daaaaay~..._

 

_“Alrighty! Let's look up just how much you'll need...POTTER GET OVER HERE! I'll be with you in a sec dear! Have to catch your father whos currently trying to sneak away! YOU AREN'T WEASELING OUT OF THIS.”_

 

“Don't worry to much over the money! I gotta handle a majority of that myself to! Otherwise it's still the same old deal of having things handed to me…”

 

_“And I understand completely! But just for this one last thing, let us help. Moreso your father who owes it to you ever since he got us to move since a year ago!”_

 

“Well...alright…”

 

_“Great! Now where was I...POTTER! YOU SO OWE THIS TO YOUR CHILD! IT'S YOUR POOR DECISION MAKING THAT LEFT HER FEELING THIS WAY IN THE FIRST PLACE!”_

 

Sunny giggles as she holds the phone out of her face “I can't believe I'm gonna be so close to them again...it's...like a dream…”

 

_I'm gonna see them again...I hope...they don't hate me...or have they...already moved on?..._


	26. Slashing fears right down the gears

_30 days before hell breaks loose_

 

“And so whaddya say?”

 

“I'd love to! Hanging out with your fam again is something I've been missing! Oh but I gotta text somebody first hand for a little insightone something. Oooooh this is gonna be great if its all clear!” Katy squeals in delight, causing a door to open with a tired Lammy walking out.

 

“Please keep it down...unless it's morning already in which case...still keep it down…hey wait. What are you two chatting about?” the two continue discussing as they accidentally overlook Lammy's addition.

 

“I'll fill in. Paraps old man called saying an old nerd friend of his invited him and other dork friends and their families to his nerdly get together dinner at his geek manner. His dad suggested bringing Katy along since she still feels like family to him! And so Paraps asked and here we are with her agreeing to it.” Rammy says as she glances at her fingertips “Need I explain anything else?”

 

“Aw...well that's nice for them. Why do you sound upset over it?...”

 

“Did you forget what I went and told you yesterday??”

 

“Yester...oh...well I mean what does this have to do with that?”

 

“Those two, alone and away from all other forms of interruption…”

 

“Katy's free to make an attempt...you're treating the moment as if I was already with him and he was cheating on me…” she giggles “I appreciate it, but I think it's for the best to just let this be alright? I wanna be with him, but not by completely shutting out any equal opportunity for the others…”

 

“Darned good conscious...it affected me to, so I was hoping you'd be able to say it so my mind would be able to go through with it. Guess no dice on that front either.” Rammy taps her doubles nose “Still...you completely ok with this?”

 

“In more ways than one! Just let things happen however they're meant to be alright? I don't wanna risk ruining anything!...I'd love to be with the guy, just not at the cost of ruining what was meant to happen...the guilt would eat me alive…”

 

“Man that's something… alright. How about this? I'll go with them to keep em in check and scout out what they do. Seem cool?”

 

“As long as you don't stop things blatant- wait are you expecting them to just take you with them? Isn't it just a family thing?...Katy's excuse is that she grew up with them! How do you expect them to just let you tag along?...”

 

“Ahem…” she walks over to the duo and taps Parappa on the shoulder, interrupting their personal chat “Hey Paraps...”

 

“Yeah Rammy? Something the matter?”

 

“You...gonna be gone for long?...”

 

“Oh well that I dunno. My dad's one to go on for hours when it comes to talking about stuff! And since this is a colleague of his, hoo boy. Why? Ya need something?...”

 

“Nah...not much...if your hands are tied then it's no biggie…” she dejectedly rubs her arm.

 

“Gah...right!...With everything that's happened recently you must be at the cusp of a breakdown!...and I'm here just about to bail on you!...” he scratches his face “What kind of friend am I??” he stands stalwart “No sir! I will not let that go by! I'll just take you with us! That's fine isn't Katy?”

 

“I mean it's an inconvenience...but you _are_ her biggest source of help. It'd be cruel NOT to! So I say bring her!”

 

“Thanks you two…” they both nod as they resume chatting, Rammy turns to look at Lammy with her arms crossed. The poor lamb simply stares awestruck. Amazed by how simple her double made it look.

 

“I…”

 

“I'll teach you how to do that when I get back. For now, you just try to work on approaching Paraps in general. While I go off to see how this goes. Not like I'll be able to stop anything that happens anyways...darn promise of peace…”

 

“Think of it this way Ura. Would _you_ like it if someone tagged along and stopped every advance you tried making?”

 

“Noooooo...I wou-...what'd ya call me?”

 

“O-Oh!...Sorry!...it's a little nickname for you I came up with!...It uh...means reverse. Specifically reverse side, which is what you kinda are to me!...hehe…”

 

Rammy stares at her double with a mixture of emotions “Ur-Rammy huh?...”

 

“No! Don't say it like that!...”

 

“Eh?...why not?”

 

“Cuz then it sounds like Urami...which means bitter...spiteful...grudge bearing…all those negative descriptions...”

 

“Is that so? Ha, what odds! Fits me perfectly!”

 

“No it doesn't...you aren't like that anymore…maybe this nickname thing was a bad idea...” Lammy's reply just earns a shrug from the double.

 

“Maybe not or maybe so. Look. I'm never gonna forget that part of my life. If I did, I'd be overlooking the better changes I had! So to up and pretend I wasn't like that is poor on my part. But here you see me trying to poke fun at myself through it! Doesn't that speak for itself?”

 

“I guess…man, you really are something else to be able to joke about this…”

 

“I mean I wouldn't be able to do this if it weren't you I was joking with. I even try this with someone else without you guys in the vicinity and I'll either breakdown or break bones. Either way something will wind up broken I can promise that much.”

 

“Eeee...glad you got us!...So then can I-”

 

“Keep the nickname for me. I like it. S’cute. Either one. Ura or Urami. I don't mind at all.” she smiles impishly as she turns around “Gotta get ready. I'll be sure to keep you updated over the phone if ya like.”

 

“You really don't need to do that. I'm ok with whatever happens alright? If they get together, then oh well on my behalf. If they don't, I still have a lot to go through with myself before I can make the attempts.”

 

“Roger roger.”

 

* * *

 

A car pulls up towards the front porch of a rather big and pristine building within the setting sun. As it settles down in its parking space, the passenger's speak amongst themselves.

 

“Ahhh. That was a lovely ride amongst the peaceful scenery! Wouldn't you agree Guru my friend?”

 

“Now you know I ain't one to deny a calm environments temptation, but I think the ride was TO calm if you catch my drift…” he motions to the back seats in which all four other passengers are deep asleep.

 

“Oh well that's upsetting…” Papa Rappa rolls his eyes before pressing on the car horn. The sound springs the backseat riders awake.

 

“I'M UP!...Oh...hey guys look we're finally here!” the three girls sitting with Parappa all sigh in relief.

 

“Man that had to be dad's longest and most drawn out tale on the longest emptiest road I've ever had to sit through!...Ugh man am I stiff…” she stretches out until pop noises are heard, causing her to fall back into the cushion in pain and exhaustion “Owwww…”

 

“No kidding...I was alright until I realized it was a story I already sat through years ago...ow my back...hard to use either of you as a pillow given how tiny you two are! Your heads jam right into my spine!...”

 

“You guys sound like you had fun. As for me, I fell asleep the second the drive started so I dunno what happened, nor would I like to given these descriptions.”

 

“You know I wish you all wouldn't treat me like an old Fogey… Although you are right in that I may have overdone it with the gab just a tad...my voice is already starting to grow hoarse…” he rubs his throat until Guru clears his own throat.

 

“We just gonna sit around here complaining about the trip or are we actually gonna try enjoying it now that we're here?” they all shout right as the leave the car in flash. Ending with him as the last one left inside “Well that's that.” he exits the car himself to catch up with the group heading towards the giant door of the estate.

 

“Hey I remember this place! It belongs to that one guy who I swear is a recluse… I remember coming here once when I was way younger due to you taking us then to. Don't recall seeing any instance of a family…”

 

“Oh don't be silly Parappa! He does have a family! I've seen them with my own two eyes! They were just out at the time of that visit from what he told me. Of course his wife passed on as well so it's really just him and his son. And a few household hands here and there!”

 

“This shut in has butlers and maids? Wonder how that turned out for him in the long run.” Rammy says with a scoff.

 

“Oh leave this poor old guy alone! He's clearly on the same boat as Mr. Rappa,Parappa and Pinto!”

 

“Sheesh...alright I'll yield to that. My bad.”

 

“I dunno Katy...Rammy and big bro are right...something doesn't feel right to me here…”

 

“Oh just drop it!-” Before Katy can continue defending the man they haven't even seen yet, the door opens revealing a portly old Warthog about half the size of Papa Rappa.

 

“Ah! You've arrived finally! Papillon my old friend, it's been to long.”

 

“It's great to see you as well Artio! Why the sudden urge to have a get together with all our old colleagues?”

 

“Oh did you forget?? You told me to celebrate the day if you know what ever showed signs of success!”

 

“You know what?...OH! It works?!?!”

 

“I'm calling you all over now aren't I?”

 

“ARTIO OLD FRIEND THAT'S AMAZING! HOW DID YOU-”

 

“Now now, my such energy I'm jealous of. Wouldn't it be better to invite your family and friends in first as well as explain to them what we're talking about? Instead of leaving them in the dark like a pack of sad stray puppies and kittens?”

 

“RIGHT! Sorry I'm just so happy-”

 

“As you should be given every attempt you tried with it! Only to finally garner amazing results as I carried it on in your stead once you got busy with other things such as your family.” he turns to the group and motions for them all to head inside. They all politely oblige and head on in. They are quickly given the rundown.

 

“Now son! You said you remembered coming here years ago right?”

 

“Yeah as I said just moments ago. It was very long though. Before I even met Katy!”

 

“Correct! And you don't remember why we went here right?”

 

“Nooooope…”

 

“Figures, you were still young. Well, you were the reason I'm came here, to discuss something with an old friend. And that something finally bore fruit! You see Parappa, back then at the time, I didn't know if it was just a childish spur of the mind or real intent feeling. But you said you had a dream where everything could be managed and sustained by music.”

 

“My...MY DREAM! THAT WAS A DREAM OF MINE!” he recalls bringing this exact thing up to Mushi and his roommates on the day he learned of the music war. However a bigger realization hits at the same time.

 

“Now with a heart as big as yours it was hard to say if it was just usual child imagination, and yet you kept the thought in your heart and mind even if you didn't make it vocal or obvious. It was then where I decided to talk to Artio over the matter. I wanted to help make your little dream a reality, but didn't necessarily have the...successful streak to bear results. With help from Artio and the others, I thought that could finally get somewhere. Time went on and I grew more busy with the family life, leaving me with little to no free time to help on that project. The passing of your mother cemented the fact that I just couldn't help with it any longer. You came first. So I passed it over to him so he could handle it in my place. I had long since forgotten, but here...he reminds me in the best way possible!”

 

“That being?...”

 

“Your dream is about to take its first steps into pure reality! You see the biggest problems with making music the source of everything, is making that line as literal as can be. Music can't exactly feed you or bathe you. It can't keep you warm on its own. So those were big hurdles we sought to fix. Artio?”

 

“Right! And here's how. Music can't feed you, but it can power ways that can! Be it creating a small garden of food given life by music! Need clothes? Turn the sound of emotion into silk and mold to the shape of what you want to create and wear! What sounds ludicrous, can actually be done! Every step and method towards being fully sustainable by music alone can be taken! The biggest and first step starts now at the unveiling! After dinner! Don't want to experience the magic of the future on an empty stomach, plus I'm sure you're all very hungry after that drive.” the younger four of the group all nod “Good! Now follow me so I can show you the others who are here!” Artio heads off with Guru, Papa and Pinto behind him. Katy and Rammy attempt to follow, but are held in place by Parappa holding on to the back of their shirts.

 

“What the…”

 

“Paraps what's up?...”

 

“I'm Leo's dad!...”

 

“...we know?...” they both roll their eyes.

 

“No! I mean, I'm the dad who's dream he also has! Who he ran away from!”

 

“Again we kinda knew this...well I did at least, dunno if you filled Rammy in.”

 

“I'll just smile and wave, it's much simpler.” Rammy yawns.

 

“Nonono! Brain let me word this properly...ok. Look. Leo said that I still didn't fully realize my dream even then before he went back in time. I was still in the process of fully completing it on my own with my dad. So...how does he explain this?...”

 

“That's a...very smart thing to point out…” Katy gasps until she remembers something “But wait, Leo said this happened in the future as well when I texted him about this trip, so this meetup is clearly supposed to be happening…”

 

“Maybe he lied to you? Or he forgot. He was eight when he left future Paraps after all.” Rammy cracks her knuckles to keep herself awake.

 

“Or maybe something happens...me and Pinto felt something odd about this place after all…”

 

“Parappa nooooo! This trip is meant to happen! Nothing bad will come from this! Leo just probably didn't pay attention to your actual results on the matter. Be happy! Your dreams of having a fun musically bound world are about to take its first leap into actuality!” Katy waggles her fingers in front of his eyes.

 

“Ok...it's just that really bugs me...but I guess things are fine…I'm sure my son just blundered up again slightly.” Parappa forces a fake smile as the thought refused to leave his head.

 

“Great! Let's go! I'm starving!”

 

“Same here sister!” Rammy and Katy rush off after Artio with Parappa lagging behind.

 

“...” Parappa stops and types into his phone before he fully catches up. Once he's finished he resumes running after them “What's gonna stunt the progress…”

 

* * *

 

“Now I'm glad you all could come to see our attempt at proving that an impossibility can be done! And for Papillon for placing the idea in our mind and hearts in the first place! We wouldn't have even attempting such a rather out there task had it not been for him!”

 

“It was my son's idea! I can't take credit for that! Even though we now share a view point on it.”

 

“Well...it was more of a passion driven idea that I thought would be simple to do...heh...kid brain ya know? But I just never wanted to give that up. And now I see I was right to do that! Thank you all for helping my father make my old wish take its start!” Parappa hops on top of the chair he's on and bows.

 

“Well said! Now before we begin, we may as well dine! I did invite multiple families here after all! And have had more than enough prepared for consumption. Um, if you all please would.” multiple people swarm out from behind him handing out food towards each of the other people sitting at the table, these were obviously the house hands that assisted Artio. As they handed out food towards the guests, Parappa took this time to scan the room. The other people here were familiar on account of seeing them during the expo. Minus their families. It seems that only his own family had a group interest in the field. Everyone else's seemed to rather do their own thing and only that.

 

“To each their own…” he tilts his head with an awkward chuckle, and soon goes back to looking at Artio. Next to him is sitting a rather tall, but young individual. It was another warthog “Huh...that must be his son…” next to the two of them however stands an yellow alien-esque female in much more extravagant outfit, showing her to be a higher type of house hand compared to the others. Presumably Artio’s personal aide due to his old stature “Weird…” Parappa is snapped out of it when plate finds itself in front of him.

 

“And that accommodates everyone now right? Well then! Without further ado! Let us dine in!” the guests don't hesitate to follow through. As everyone ate, Parappa noticed that the maids and butlers were waiting preemptively to pick up plates or resupply with seconds if anyone asked.

 

“Whoa...talk about heavy job dedication…” the feast goes by in an instant. The group of science men talk amongst themselves at the table, but the rest wander about the room chatting about any other topic with the others. The son of Artio is seen with the servants of his father as he carefully eyes each and everyone of them. Parappa takes this opportunity to converse with the son, but no avail as he just grimaces and turns his nose to the air, followed by him exiting the area with all the servants behind him. Before he can wallow in defeat, his father calls him over “What's up?...”

 

“We're about to begin, but it's best that you hear it first off with the rest of us here beforehand!”

 

“Alright!”

 

Artio claps his hands together “Good! Then let me tell you this young Parappa. When complications arise, why did this seem like a way to go about handling it?”

 

“Music always seemed to make things better! And I was always one to believe in the best outcome. So I believed that this would've been great to accomplish if everything could work out!”

 

“And they can! You see, to get music to work to such benevolent levels requires quite a mass of...miracle working as it should be expected. Now that is clearly not a thing one would want to say when it comes to science, but we have to make exceptions here. What you asked was at first an impossibility for fiction and fact alike. Until of course we decided to delve with both together!” he reaches for something in his coat pocket “This right here...is what's gonna make said impossibility a reality.”

 

“What...is it sir?...” Parappa stares at a small shiny orange marble like object in his hands.

 

“A union between the confines of science and the absurdity of magic my dear boy! I call it the Maestro lesson! It was made with the premises of creating an object that was akin to an infinite energy source as well as an object that could create matter from itself! Now this is ludicrously impossible to do at first because getting a lone essence to be able to do any of this is a massive order. And yet we have YOU to thank for its success.”

 

“I don't...understand.”

 

“Ok. Here's where I and the rest of them that had a hand in the Maestro lesson’s creation have to...admit to a few things. Even with science and magic, we were still missing a crucial component to work with. That was a strong enough musically influenced base that could work with such a task...that's you! We may have...tapped in on your adventures...your actions...your daily life as it were. All to gather what would be necessary data...and lo and behold! It worked. Although it is still an invasion of privacy that I deeply apologize for…”

 

“Wait so you were monitoring me to help make this thing? Since when??”

 

“Since your first dip into the realm of music...erm...around the time of...give or take at about age 14.”

 

“Since then huh...I'd be upset if the end result wasn't so groundbreaking…” he sighs “So then...I'm the reason this thing right here exists.”

 

“Correct! This is thanks to your life. And it will be the very thing that makes it so that music CAN be a source for everything. It learns and bases off the music in the area...just like how you did during your first two adventures and so forth! We just need to make a few more adjustments...this one on its own won't be helping much at its current state.”

 

“I figured given how tiny it is.”

 

“Yes, but I will say that for now, you should hang on to it. It is yours, so you should get to keep it no?” Artio extends his arm out to hand the small ball, but before he fully can, the lights in the entire building shut off.

 

Panic happens instantaneously as people scream and run about in the darkness. The sounds intensify when the noise of a rather hectic struggle go on, causing everyone to leave the room minus the main group. Once they fade away, a red light illuminates the entirety of the building. With an automated voice speaking _“Reserve power...engaged. Activating safety locks.”_

 

“What the heck was that about?...Mister Artio what haaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAH!..” on the ground lied only the upper body of the old inventor. He was sliced in two during the madness in the dark. The Maestro lesson rolls gently to Parappa's feet “W-WHA...WHAT HAPPENED? WHO WOULD’VE DONE THIS?!...”

 

“Holy fuck, someone killed the old guy…” Rammy rushes up to Parappa as she glances at the body.

 

“Holy… Talk about your misfortunes…” She backs away from the body, swallowing roughly ”...Well hey Parappa...I guess now we know why your dream still didn't go through in the future!...heh...Ho boy…” Katy rubs the back of her head as she stares uncomfortably at the corpse in front of her friend.

 

Parappa finches at Katy's words before kneeling over and picking up the marble “Except that this is the thing he came up with and it's still in one piece...can't...say the same for him…” he places it in his pocket.

 

“Well then I think you lucked out! You got to keep the breakthrough AND you're life!...You can still make that work even without this guy!” _Not really but I'm just pulling at any straws near me as to not freak out over a murder…_ “...of course...that's if we get out of this alive...seeing as we have a murderer in the building with us...and we're locked in…”

 

“Hell if they think they're killing us!” a phone buzzes after Rammy stands with bravado.

 

“Oh!...Leo finally got my message!...”

 

“I'm offended that you doubted me to a point you needed to ask Leo…” Katy tries to get annoyed, but the current situation prevents her.

 

“Quiet! I was clearly right to do so!...” he reads the message aloud.

 

_“Yes today is supposed to happen. Be careful as a murder will take place where the guy who invited you will bite the dust. You all survived obviously, but you have to be careful and not do any stupid. Continuously call if you feel like things aren't gonna end well. I can't really intervene since this is how it's supposed to go unless it's not going the way it's meant to. In which case I'll be over in a heartbeat.”_

 

“Oh gee, he knew that the old guy was gonna die. AND HE DIDN'T TELL US.” Rammy angrily stares at Parappa's phone.

 

“I mean he did say he can't intervene...plus he says we come out of it alive so…”

 

“A HEAD'S UP would've been nice...as to not freak out over this…”

 

“But Rammy, wouldn't telling us that we're heading into a murder joint cause us to freak out more?...”

 

“It's the principle Paraps! Isn't he here to make sure you're safe? Well it ain't safe now!” she yanks his phone out of his hands and begins typing at a wild speed. Within seconds she tosses the phone back into Parappa's hands “Done and done…”

 

“What did you do…” Before he's able to check the message, the phone rings outs prompting him to answer the call “Hel-”

 

_“WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T MOVE! SIXTEEN-BITS IS TRACKING WHERE YOU ARE THROUGH YOUR PHONE AND I'LL BE THERE SOON! STAY AWAY FROM ANYONE AND EVERYONE THERE! DO NOT TRY AND ASSAULT THE KILLERS!”_ the phone hangs up on the opposite end. Parappa turns his gaze back to Rammy.

 

“Don't look at me! This is for the best!” Parappa goes to the messages and checks for the one that she had just sent.

 

_“HELP ME! THE PLACE IS CRAWLING WITH MULTIPLE KILLERS RATHER THAN JUST THE ONE. THE PLACE IS ON FIRE AND IS COMING DOWN. I DIDN'T PAY ATTENTION TO WHERE WE ARE SO I CAN'T CALL FOR THE AUTHORITIES IF I CAN'T TELL EM THE PLACE! EVERYTHING IS OUT OF MY CONTROL...HELP!...”_

 

“...You lied to him…”

 

“It was for the greater good!”

 

“I'm gonna side with her on this one Parappa. If we can get a quick and easy get out of jail free card, then why not take it…” Katy taps her fingers in fear as she looks in every direction repeatedly to avoid being caught off guard.

 

“Mr. Artio didn't get that lucky…”

 

“He's dead! Just like us if we continuously press our luck each passing second by staying here!!...” she grabs onto him “Let's just find your dad, sister and Guru Ant and just get the hell out of here ASAP!...”

 

“Alright!...Look will you stop freaking out? The both of you!” He pulls his arm out of her grasp “You know I'd never let a lowlife get the two of you! And if it takes getting out of here immediately to prove it. Then come on!” they all rush up to the nearest door that's been locked by the security system “Huh...this part completely slipped my mind…” Parappa glances about until he spots what he's looking for “Bingo!” he rushes over to a circuit box and rips it open “Time to test my tinkering game as Papillon’s son…” He stretches his arms and hands out until small cracks are heard, he then beings. Both girls watch as sparks fly from the box as he continuously messes around with it. Alarms go off as other things in the room start activating and deactivating spontaneously.

 

“Well...this totally doesn't give us away or anything...Parappa come on…”

 

“I'm trying!...and I almost have it just...THERE!” he backs off as the box starts short circuiting and eventually frying out. The lock on the door before them is removed as the doors slowly force themselves open “Oh man...was cutting it really close...so these things blow themselves up if someone tries to hack or tamper with em...joy…” he shakes his head “Well hopefully we won't have to do this again!” they rush out the door and down the hallway. They run in search of anybody and eventually they in the distance they spot Guru who's cowering behind Pinto and Papa Rappa, as the latter inspect something in front of them “Dad! Man am I glad we found you three! There's a killer on the loose in here!...”

 

“My boy, we're already well aware on that fact…” Papa Rappa moves aside to reveal one of the butlers on the ground in pieces.

 

“GAH!...”

 

“Alright. This is just great. They weren't satisfied with the old guy that now they're killing off the people who helped keep this place in check...wonderful.” Rammy grimaces at the thought until Papa Rappa speaks up.

 

“Old guy?...so they did away with Artio then?…What a crushing shame…” he clears his throat “But he wouldn't really want his manner to be our graves now would he? If he were still here he'd do all he could to evacuate everyone! Just need to know where everyone is...they ran in a panic once the lights went off…” he grabs Guru Ant “We are gonna go look for em!”

 

“Now that's a noble thing to do, BUT HAVE YOU CURRENTLY NOTICED THAT PEOPLE ARE DROPPING LEFT AND RIGHT MAN?!...”

 

“Yes! I have! Even my old friend was one of them and that hurts! I wanna cry, but I can't because then I'd be a sitting duck!” he yanks him closer “As one of the only sensible adults here that hasn't gone into a screaming frenzy, I am bringing you, another sensible adult, into handling this situation by the horns! I refuse to let my children or their friends risk their safety while in this caged graveyard! I called for the police, but a lot of good that'll do if there's no one left to help by the time they get here!” He runs off dragging the terrified ant man with him.

 

“Wait don't I get a say in this?? Papillon come on man! I'M **SCARED**!...” his crying screams echo about until they vanish out of sight down the hall.

 

“Well...I don't think we'll be changing his mind anytime soon...not unless we get everyone else out first…which ain’t happening.” Katy says with roll of the eyes until Pinto grabs her by the hand.

 

“Katy...I'm scared…”

 

“Don't be! We'll be fine!” _literally, just gotta deal with people dropping every few minutes...if I had to guess it's probably the other people who worked here that'll be dropping...blegh…_ “We just gotta tough this out! For now it's probably for the best that we try and get out of here!...Now...which way was the exit…” the four of them look around the endless multipath hallway as its nothing but inky darkness and red lights everywhere.

 

“This is gonna be a tricky situation...alright we simply gotta stick together and hope we pick the right path!” Parappa tries to decide on a path to take until Ramm speaks up.

 

“That's alot of wishful thinking to go off of.”

 

“Well not like we have any better ideas Rammy...we're still waiting on Leo to get here…”

 

“Leo?...oh right...your club owner friend...wait why him?...” Pinto eyes the girl she's holding onto.

 

“Should we tell her?...”

 

“I mean...she is his family to, so I'm sure he won't mind if she knows…”

 

“Of course he fucking won't! Why would he bitch about this? He's currently got your safety on the mind rather than his own secrecy.”

 

“Yeah...thanks to you terrifying him with a lie…” Parappa grumbles before holding his head up with his hands “Alrighty...let's walk and talk. Pinto...well uh...for starterrrrrs....you're an Auntie!”

 

* * *

 

“YOU BUILT A TIME MACHINE!!” Pinto’s eyes sparkle as she stares at her older brother.

 

“Accidentally! According to him!...”

 

“BUT STILL! YOU BUILT ONE!...DOES HE STILL HAVE IT??...”

 

“He...totalled the car upon his arrival...so uh...no don't think he does…”

 

“Aw…Fix it!”

 

“I didn't build it! Future me and dad will!...Even so, I don't even know if he has anything left TO fix!”

 

“Irrelevant!” she relentlessly bombards her brother with the topic. The two older girls watch as Rammy speaks up.

 

“Man she got over the whole, ‘I'm scared’ bit within her real fucking quick.”

 

“Well science does take her mind off things. It's for the better. She's much more manageable like this than terrified.”

 

“I'm aware. I've visited them remember?”

 

“Then why are you so stunned by this?”

 

“Why get scared in general? She knows she'll be fine.”

 

“You think Parappa over thinks a situation? In her head it's much worse. But that's kinda something you get when you lose a family member and are at constant odds with losing another. A skittish mind.”

 

“Oof…” Before they can carry on with the topic, a door they're walking by begins rumbling.

 

“Stay behind me!...” Parappa quickly goes in front of Pinto, the door flies open and on top of him fall dismembered parts of another victim “WAHHHHH! GROSS GROSS. GET IT OFF!...hey wait...this body feels oddly metallic…” he inspects the parts to find out a new bit of information “This was a robot!...wait...what is this room?...” Parappa quickly dives in and begins tossing around objects during his inspection “This is...a charging station...are all the servants robots??...was Mr. Artio a robot?...”

 

“Well if not...guess we lucked out with only one casualty…and if so...why go out of your way to kill a bunch of robots?...” Before Rammy can get her answer the ground starts shaking prompting the four to vacate and back away from the room. Mere seconds after it collapses in on itself.

 

“Ho boy...Parappa almost got squished…”

 

“No kidding...Leo was right...I gotta stop doing stupid actions while here…” the caved in room rumbles and before long bursts out the yellow alien-esque woman whose arms are now rather large and sharp knives replacing her fingers. Her eyes gaze upon the four that stare at her “Hey look guys it's the murderer...Artio’s aide...who is also a robot…hehe...well guess it's not so much a murder and more so a robotic uprising...RUN!”

 

The four scatter as the robot slams down at where they were, her legs extend sending her after the group before she attempts to strike again. Parappa grabs Katy and dives out towards the left while Rammy picks up Pinto and jumps towards the right.

 

“We successfully survive against her??...” Katy watches the robot try and pluck her arms from out of the ground.

 

“Fuck that! We’re taking her down before she gets to take us down!” Rammy whistles which gets the aides attention. She goes for her once her arms are free “Oh hey. Whistling not good on your ears?” she ducks to avoid being slashed “Well don't worry!” she jumps to avoid again “You'll be put out of your misery soon enough!” through the wall bursts in her motorcycle as it slams itself into the robotic aide, crushing her into the ground as it drives away through another wall “Booyah! How'd you like that?!”

 

The robot gets back up and wipes away the skid marks that are over its face before looking back at Rammy.

 

“Ooooooh! She was made with a reinforced titanium combo alloy! Rust and weathering proof! Won't stain either and if it ever does, it's easy to clean off! Shiny to! Artio made her with a lot of love, and built to last! Very little can damage her body!” Pinto says as stars fill her eyes.

 

“Hey Pinny, don't fall in love with what's trying to kill us please. Clearly that love won't get you much seeing as it still got the old coot offed.” Rammy waits for the robots next action to avoid it again, but as it lifts its appendages, the house shakes again “Oh what the fuck now?!” the holes Rammy made with her motorcycle grows bigger as it causes the roof to drop debris straight on top of the aide.

 

“Success!...right?...” Katy looks back up to see even more debris falling causing the group's to split from each other to avoid being crushed. Now they're separated by a wall of broken junk.

 

“PINTO! RAMMY! ARE YOU TWO ALRIGHT?!...” Parappa rushes up to the debris wall to listen in.

 

“Paraps chill! We're fine, just got separated is all...and hey look at that! The building is coming down just like I said in my text!...so I wasn't _totally_ off.”

 

“YOU'RE THE REASON THE BUILDING IS COMING DOWN TO BEGIN WITH! CLEARLY WE WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO DO THAT AGAINST THE KILLER!” Katy yells at the wall of rubble.

 

“And what, we were supposed to outrun the thing till it grew bored?! Be thankful my idea buried the stupid bot six feet under!”

 

“WE'RE ABOUT TO ALSO BE SIX FEET UNDER!”

 

“Will the two of you calm down!? Now is NOT the time to be arguing! Look we gotta find our own ways out now. It ain't safe to just leisurely walk about now...even with the killer gone...so you two either find an exit, or a way to connect back with us! Got it?” Katy only huffs angrily.

 

“Got it man.”

 

“We'll do our best bro!...” the sound of running is heard, showing that the two quickly left.

 

“That leaves us. Come on Katy.”

 

She crosses her arms “You're awfully chill over this…”

 

“I mean yeah the buildings coming down, but hey!...the uh...killers dead!...doesn't do much for the person she killed but we avenged him!...”

 

“You and your adorable optimism...alright let's go find a way to regroup…” Parappa fists bumps the air as they bolt off themselves. And as they leave, the body that was under the rubble ignites, resulting in blaze that begins lighting the entire place on fire.

 

“I hope my dad's having good enough luck finding the actual non robotic people...and that they're all fine…”

 

“He should be alright especially now that he doesn't have a killer breathing down his neck! What should concern you is if they found the way out or direct all of us to it...this has gone from a potential fun trip to a nightmare inducer that will probably cost me some nights of sleep…”

 

“Oh it's not so bad! Look we found another main hallway path over there! See we're on the right-” rocks collapse over the pathway, leaving the two stuck without another option of escape “Track…” they stop by the new blockade.

 

“GREAT!...ugh...we gotta run back now and find a side path through all the many doors this place ha-” the path behind them collapses in on itself. The two are now stranded in an isolated zone “...We're dead…”

 

* * *

 

“Alright...so there are so many paths and none of them lead to anywhere promising...what luck...hey Pinny. Any lucky with at least turning the lights back on?...”

 

“Zilch…” she kicks the box she was trying to use, it falls apart and explodes instantly “Ugh...I can’t do anything from just small sources here or there...I need to go to the big source…”

 

“Wouldn't that be deeper inside the building?...Aren't we trying to do the opposite?”

 

“I KNOW! That's what makes this difficult...unless…” she reaches for something within her pocket. After abit of rummaging around she pulls out a small yellow circular box “Uee!...wake up!” the box jumps out of her hands and opens up. A little blue creature stares at the two.

 

“What the FUCK is that.” Rammy stares at the creature that simply looks back.

 

“Uee! A friend I made!”

 

“You made that?...huh…cool...what is it supposed to be.”

 

“...I dunno! What I do know is this! Uee! I need you to go through this little nook right here and find your way to the main command module! You gotta turn the security off and get the power back on! Can you do that little buddy?...” the blue creature salutes as it dives in the new little hole in the wall.

 

“Can it really do all that?...”

 

“Oh it's not a matter of if he can. Uee can easily do all that. It's a matter of if he will…Uee...gets distracted pretty easily...I'm banking on him breezing through this. We just gotta wait and see!...”

 

“Uh-huh...alright. In the meanwhile. We still gotta move. We can't really meet up with Paraps and Katy by just sitting around. Will he be able to find his way back to us if we move from here?...”

 

“He will! Uee’s very smart! Also very squash and stretch so I don't have to worry over him getting hurt!”

 

“Good, then let's get a move on! Let's take…” She rears her head back and slams it into the door before them, busting it open “This...path...here…ow…”

 

“Are...you gonna be ok Rammy?...”

 

“HOO YA!...” she slaps her own face “YEP! Just always dizzies me if I haven't done it in a while. Don't worry about it. Now let's go!” she picks up the fourteen year old and charges down the path.

 

“Wait but we don't know where this path leads!”

 

“It's better than where we were by default!”

 

“That's not saying much!...”

 

* * *

 

“We're gonna die here…”

 

“Katy stop saying that! We aren't gonna die!...”

 

“WE ARE SO GONNA DIE! WE HAVE NO WAY OUT AND ARE ON THE VERGE OF BEING CRUSHED!...” she screams at such a strength that she herself starts toppling the building.

 

“Katy! Stop accelerating our demise!..”

 

“SO YOU ADMIT WE _ARE_ GONNA DIE!...” she whines as she slumps to the floor in sorrow.

 

“Oh boy...I can't even get mad...this must be a real bad case of deja vu for you…” Parappa presses his thumb against his forehead “Oh man...look! This will not end up like the past two times you ended up in this situation. We won't be crushed and we certainly won't burn to death! Hell the place isn't even on fire! Unlike what Rammy’s lie to Leo said. We can find a way out since we aren't pressed for time!” The fire catches up to them as both blockades are now engulfed in flame. Katy blubbers as she bursts out crying “Ok...this is really messed up...I'm starting to lose faith myself...well at least we actually have a reason for Leo's help!...granted I'm pretty sure we caused this from panic alone...on the bright side, there aren't MORE killer robot servants! ...oh who am I kidding that's probably next…” he slumps next to Katy “Well...you can take solace in knowing I'll make sure you survive the longest...for what that's worth…” he huddles up next to her to try and calm her down, after enough time passes he plucks the Maestro lesson from his pocket “To think this is what we'll be dying over…”

 

“Oh yeah...what even is it?...You never got to fully explain…”

 

“Well it's called the Maestro lesson on account of it being made and based off...well me...it was how things were gonna be able to be powered by music in the first place…”

 

“That little thing?...heh...I'd believe it. You're small, yet you do alot.”

 

“Thanks for the compliment, but I clearly don't have anything to do here…”

 

_“So that's it then huh? The both of you are giving up just like that?”_

 

“WAHHH!” Katy and Parappa scoot away from the new voice. They soon notice it's Mama Rappa’s ghost.

 

_“Well that's not the reaction I'd assume you'd have since you're the ones who called for me to appear…”_

 

“We did?...” Parappa recalls the method of summoning her to a chat. He was close to Katy, and they were both thinking about a prior event which involved her so she was on the mind “Oops...sorry mom.”

 

_“I'll tell you what you should be sorry for! Giving up just like that! You've been in stickier situations you know!...hey where even are the two of you at?..”_ she hovers around the confined space.

 

“Dad's old friend, Mr. Artio’s, manner...the late Mr. Artio…”

 

_“Oh dear...well...Artio huh...sad to hear of his passing, but I do remember visiting here...and I can safely say you two aren't finished yet!”_

 

“How so Mrs. Rappa?...”

 

_“From what I remember, Artio had places here and there to make traversing his entire estate easier! Yes...it's coming back to me! Either of you, simply press this part of the wall right here!”_ both of the young adults look at each other before Katy does as told. The floor beneath them opens up, dropping the two into the unknown.

 

“WHYYYYYYYYYYYYY!” they both scream on the way down.

 

_“Oh...I thought it'd open up the wall...not the floor…well at the very least they're free!”_ she hovers after them.

 

“Where are we going?!..” Katy flails about in the air.

 

“I think the basement!...” Parappa endlessly flips around.

 

“Well...guess we should be happy that we atleast got out of that!...now what do we do for a landing??...”

 

_“It helps to not panic and keep your feet pointed towards the ground!”_ the duo are caught off guard by the fact the ghost followed them down, but they don't hesitate to do as told. Within moments they land on a pile of cushions.

 

“How the hell did that old guy's heart not give out from doing stuff like that…”

 

“Looks are incredibly deceiving…” Parappa hops to his feet and helps Katy up “Well we're now way below where we need to be...this might complicate getting back to Pinto and Rammy as well as finding an exit…”

 

_“Well you might have the motivation to get moving in a bit…”_

 

“...why?” they both turn towards the ghost, she points to a wall of flame heading towards them.

 

_“Don't worry! I'll hold it ba-”_ she fazes through the burning debris _“Oh right...I'm a ghost…run! Run and don't look back!”_ the two of them set their legs into overdrive to outrun the flame wall.

 

“This day is giving me more and more stomach pains as it goes by…”

 

“Yeah I'm not gonna lie...today is probably up there for really bad days...almost beating the day I got squished trying to save you guys…”

 

“It's currently behind the day I got your mom killed in my book…”

 

“You’re STILL guilty on that?...I told you it wasn't your fault! Mom was dead set on saving you! Heck we can even ask her right now!”

 

_“Right now I prefer you both not bicker so you can escape better…”_ she sighs as she trails behind them _“Although I will admit to you being right dear. Katy you really should let this go. Don't hold resent towards yourself, I wouldn't have preferred it anyway else if the result would always be that just one of us was allowed to escape. I would've made sure it would always have been you.”_

 

“...” While attempting to retort, Katy fails to keep her attention on running as she trips and falls over.

 

“KATY!” Parappa quickly springs back. The flames catch up almost instantly prompting Parappa to dive on top of the downed girl as they swirl by.

 

* * *

 

“I wonder if everything would have stayed the same had you guys not asked my future nephew on how things went...ignorance is a bliss after all…” Pinto states as she watches the madness ensue from atop the black sheep’s back.

 

“Alright! I made some errors, and I may have caused the building to start coming down AND be lit on fire, but come on! I only wanted to keep you all safe!...”

 

“Which I understand and appreciate! Others not so much if they were to figure this out. Not like you can prove to them that this was all supposed to happen without outing my nephew to strangers in the process.”

 

“I hear y-...OOF…” Rammy runs into a door that isn't as easily penetrable as the ones she's been battering through “Gah...damn…open you stupid fucking thing!” she repeatedly kicks the door, eventually giving up and attempts to whistle. Pinto quickly grabs her hand to prevent her poor decision..

 

“That's not the best idea right now…”

 

“...Riiiiiiight…” suddenly the lights return back to normal as they hear a lock from the other side of the door shift.

 

“YES! UEE DID IT!”

 

_“Power has been restored. A fire has been detected, extinguishing now. Building stability is being contested, maintaining now. All locks have also been removed.”_ the electronic voice says as its voice echoes while water begins dealing with the fire and the building begins trembling less and less... However the door before them opens to a maid robot immediately trying to stab the duo.

 

“Oh he did it alright…” the duo jump back, resulting in Pinto stepping on a specific floor tile that opens the floor beneath them, dropping them much like the other duo. After a good time dropping they land on some cushions as well “Well that was amazingly timed! Gotta thank Uee for the save!”

 

“I don't think that was Uee...and I don't think it was a full save…”

 

“What makes ya say that Pinny?...” the maid slams down behind them.

 

“She jumped after us…”

 

“Ok...FUCK you if you think I'm just gonna let ya try anything!” Rammy punches the robot, her fist, upon making contact with the machines face, causes Rammy’s entire body to warble from the shock of hitting something incredibly indestructible “OWOWOWOWOWOWOW…”

 

“So they were ALL made with the reinforced alloy. This guy must've been swimming in it!”

 

“Lucky us!” Rammy yanks Pinto away from an attack as Rammy dashes away from the murder maid.

 

“Where are we running off to?? You don't even know where we are!”

 

“It beats being next to that!...And why are there MORE killer robots now!?...”

 

“Your guess is as good as mine…” the two manage to escape from the new killers line of sight as they eventually reach a pathway embedded in flames “Oh man...the fire spread even down here…don’t think this will be easily put out...”

 

Rammy turns around “Let's go find another path then…” just as she does, her ears twitch at a noise in the distance, it forces her body to turn towards the fire.

 

“Rammy?...” Rammy runs in “RAMMY YOU'RE RUNNING INTO THE FIRE!...”

 

“SHUT UP AND LISTEN AROUND!”

 

“FOR WHA-” she quickly hears her brothers voice in the distance “B-Bro??...”

 

“Bingo! He's somewhere through here!...” Rammy scans the area in front of her as she runs “Just hope he wasn't caught in the fire…” Rammy bursts through a wall.

 

“Rammy quit doing that! Your head's gonna hate you!...”

 

“Shows what you know! I know what I'm doing!” she keeps on crashing through walls head first “I’M IN MAH ELEMENT!”

 

* * *

 

Parappa coughs heavily as he carries a woozy Katy out of the danger zone “Dang it...ugh...stupid heavy...smoke...trying to knock out my friend...and...almost me...as well…” he looks behind to see nothing but ruin then looks back to the tired cat girl “I'm...getting ya out of this...we're both getting out of this!...” Parappa sighs “With you on the verge of passing out...guess that kinda broke the link we had to speak with my mom...which greatly sucks cuz I could really use her specific help for this!...” Parappa coughs again before shaking his head angrily and taking a big sprint towards a clearing “I WON'T LET THIS FIRE BEAT ME!...” he fumbles over his own feet as he gets launched out into a moderately safe zone away from the threat of rubble or fire, for now anyway “Ohh...haha!...Not how I meant to get out, but we got out of it nevertheless! Isn’t that right Katy!... Katy you still with me?...”

 

The cat girl lays on the ground, motionless. Parappa slowly enters paranoia as he continually talks to her.

 

“Heh...ok now...we're safe...come on...open your eyes!...I-...I didn't let you get hit or burned...did I?...” he whimpers “Please wake up…”

 

The girl coughs abit with a weak smug laugh as she motions about “Gotcha…~”

 

“Y-You’re the worst!...”

 

“Now you see...ugh...what I have to deal with everytime I experience this with you guys...specifically you…” she boops him on the nose.

 

“Man...I don't like the feeling whatsoever…I'll uh...try to work on that…”

 

“Yeah you better…” the two awkwardly laugh as they stay within the silence. Still a distance away from the danger, yet close enough to hear the damage being done ever so slightly, but strangely less destructive than when they first got caught in it “You can...get off me you know...at anytime. Just a thought.”

 

“Ah!...I'll go do that!...heh…” he rolls off and watches her sit up, he follows her example “So...we're kinda at an impasse huh?...”

 

“Seems like it...one way danger...another way...also danger...I hope your dad managed to get to the other groups of people that were here...and I hope Rammy and Pinto get to reunite with us…”

 

“Yeah...I wanna get a move on to see if we can find either or...but…”

 

“Terrified of risking what'll happen next?...”

 

“Bingo.” Parappa leans back. He stays like this as he tries to think of a way out. This is to no avail as something in his mind bugs him as he shimmy’s in place.

 

“You can talk about it you know...what with Leo outing me and the others...I can see you clearly wanna…”

 

“Whaaaaaat? I have no idea what you're talking abouuuuut!”

 

“Don't...do that…”

 

“I'm sorry...I just...dunno how to handle this kinda knowledge...it's uh...mind-boggling to say the least.”

 

“For a guy like you? I'm not surprised.”

 

“Well cut me some slack! I figured if I talked it over one by one with you all it'd help! Not true though as this actually intensifies the awkward tension!”

 

“It's as marvel you lasted as long as you did with Sunny. You have no grasp on how a girl’s emotions work.”

 

“You're half wrong there! It's pretty much cuz I handle every situation as I would if I were talking to a friend! I have come to learn that this is in fact an awful thing to do.”

 

‘Well...you're half right there. In a sense...that _is_ stupid, but this is you. You’re just this...weird exception, given that that's just how you handle things. Normally a person couldn't really do this sorta thing without coming off as a jerk. But you have a justifiable reason given your history as well as the fact…” she plucks his beanie off to ruffle his hair “It's just the kind of guy you are!.............oh my god…” the hat drops from her hand as she stares at his head “Your hair…”

 

“What?...”

 

“Most of it...got burned off…”

 

“...come again?...” he runs his fingers through his hair, it was very much shorter, so short that it was barely going past his neck “Oh my...hehe...talk about your unexpected haircuts!...Well...now it's easier to manage I guess...still gonna have to cut the tips off to prevent any damaged ends from growing out into an unruly mess…”

 

“Well you bounced back rather quickly…”

 

“I mean...I can't really do much about this! ‘sides. It'll grow back.”

 

“You do realize you've been growing that out since BEFORE we met right?...”

 

“...oh...oh dear…” Parappa's colors fade when he realizes just how long it's gonna actually take to regrow the hair he lost. For now he'd have to deal with short hair adjustments “I've grown so used to long hair...it's gonna be weird just having my hair management...end so much more faster…” steam ejects from his face as if he were a malfunctioning machine.

 

“Whoa!...Calm down man!...it'll grow back!...um...how do I get your mind off this…” A scream is heard from nearby, gathering their attention “That works!”

 

The son of Artio runs down the hallway in their direction as he's chased by the aide robot, showing that she was still kicking, albeit with a burned off exterior. She was quickly trying to skewer the lad as he runs to them “HEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!...”

 

“Hey it's Artio’s son! And the aide is still alive!...and man does she look terrifying...while also reminding me of a movie character…”

 

“I know what you mean, but now's not the time for that! We gotta help the guy!”

 

“How do you propose we do that! Pinto already explained that she ain't going down easily!”

 

“Less complaining, more saving!” Katy picks up a bit of burnt rubble and chucks it at the robot, it breaks on impact as she keeps trying to impale the lad “Well that went better in my head…”

 

“HELP EFFECTIVELY!...”

 

“Ok my turn!...um…” Parappa takes a deep breath “Time to pull a Rammy!...” He punches the ground, causing the room they're in to shake and crumble. A pile of rocks crushes the aide yet again “Haha!...we're still in danger now…”

 

“Man you both suck at this…” the lad says as he finally stops to catch his breath.

 

“Hey! You aren't in a position to complain! I did save you! And also why are your dad's robots trying to kill everything?!”

 

“That's uh...my bad partially…”

 

“...Why is that?...”

 

“I...was upset at him talking about nothing but you and the stupid rock he made...that I wanted to regain his attention by upgrading his personal aide bot!...I...had no idea what I was doing…and then the house started falling apart and then got lit on fire! So I thought I'd try again with the other bots so they could fix everything!...I still had no idea on what I was doing…”

 

“YOU THINK?? YOU ENDED UP GETTING YOUR DAD SLASHED IN HALF!...AND PUT EVERYONE ELSE AT RISK!”

 

“I KNOW! I DON'T NEED YOU TELLING ME THAT! IT'S MOSTLY YOUR FAULT ANYWAY SINCE I DID IT TO GET HIM TO STOP TALKING ABOUT YOU!”

 

“I HAD NO CONTROL OVER THAT! I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ANY OF THIS WAS EVEN GOING ON!”

 

“YOU DON'T GET A SAY IN IT SINCE YOU'RE A FATHER STEALER!”

 

“AND YOU'RE AN IDIOT!”

 

“CAN THE TWO OF YOU SHUT UP?!” Katy gets the two boys to line up and bow apologetically.

 

“We're sorry…”

 

“Look! This guy is in fact an idiot that's getting us potentially killed, but we can't really bicker over this...unless he intentionally made them with the urge to kill.” she glares at him.

 

“WHY WOULD I WANT THEM TO KILL ME?!”

 

“A fair point, but I'm inclined to disagree.” the rubble explodes outwards as the aide roars with a cybernetic screech. It stares at the three as she attempts to impale them again. Parappa gets in front of Katy as the other lad simply screams.

 

“SAVE MEEEEEEE!...”

 

The mechanical monstrosity raises its appendages, but before it can strike, a saw is heard as something cuts through its midsection. It lays on the ground sliced in half through karma.

 

“Barely made it…” Leo heaves a sigh.

 

“LEO!” Parappa and Katy run up to the boy, surprisingly without his helmet from worry over the two. He was currently a cat “How’d you get in?!” He points to a Leo shaped hole in the wall “Oh…”

 

“AHHHHH AN EVEN MORE THREATENING KILLER!...” the other lad cowers in fear of Leo.

 

“Yes yes I'm glad I could save you guys as well...now...WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO MESS TIME UP THIS BADLY?!” as Leo yells at Parappa, the warthog lad is ensnared by the coiling arms of the robot as it shows its still not out of commission.

 

“In our defense...at the time when Rammy sent the message...that was all a lie...until Rammy tried fighting back rather than avoid the robot and turned the lie into more of a self-fulfilling prophecy…”

 

“I SAID TO NOT DO ANYTHING STU-...wait...YOU LIED TO ME TO GET ME TO COME OVER?!”

 

“She did it!...she was angry that you wouldn't help in general!...us being ok regardless was not enough of an answer to calm her down from the fact that we were still in a murder den…”

 

“I SAID YOU'D ALL BE FINE! GRANDPA STOPPED THE THING BY DISASSEMBLING IT!”

 

“You didn't say that last part!”

 

“I didn't have to! Because time was gonna go by as it should've! Honestly you asking me how today went was probably the biggest mistake...and I shouldn't have answered…”

 

“Don't be cruel!...”

 

“Uh...Leo...Parappa?...”

 

“WHAT!...”

 

“The helper bot is still alive...and she kinda ripped the other guy to shreds while you were both yelling…” she points to the corner as both boys look at the grotesque sight before them.

 

“Oh...probably should've made sure she was fully dealt with…” Leo revs up the guitar again and finishes the job, then looks back towards the newly dismembered body “...it's not that big a loss since he was gonna die anyway…” he stares at the corpse and notices something “And if it uh...lowers the guilt...he was also a robot!...a robot??...”

 

“I'm gonna be sick...robot or not, he was still a being who emoted like a regular person...although he _is_ the reason this is even happening…”

 

“Wait if HE'S the reason for the robots killer tendencies then why feel remorse??’

 

“He didn't purposely do it! He only did it to get his dad's attention!...I kinda usurped it as he was busy making this thing…” he holds the marble out for Leo to see.

 

“Spoiler alert...that things gonna break...I'm not sure how though now…”

 

“Oh well that's just lovely...today is just FULL of glorious news one after the other…”

 

“Well if it makes you feel better...I'm here now to help you out of this mess since it uh...is now a matter of time intrusion.”

 

“It doesn't…currently the only thing that can probably manage that is if I get to see either my dad and Guru or Rammy and Pinto ok immediately…”

 

“How do you expect me to do-” Rammy bursts through an already weakened wall with a rather reckless charge.

 

“AHA!...I told...you that I...heard them...over here!...” she stumbles in place as she grabs her head.

 

“Uh...tada?...” Leo shakes his hand in their general direction, before realizing he didn't bring his helmet.

 

“Rammy! Pinto! You're both ok!” Parappa walks up to the duo to inspect their condition.

 

“We are!...well I'm not sure about Rammy...she's been abusing her noggin quite abit today…” Pinto says as she rubs the sheep's head.

 

“I'M FINE!...THIS IS NOTHING!...MY HEAD'S BEEN THROUGH TOUGHER STUFF!...LITERALLY!...I ONCE SMASHED THROUGH…a steel...door…” she slumps over, clutching her head “I'm gonna...need a minute…”

 

“We kinda don't have a minute, the room we're in is coming undone…” Katy tries to get the girl back upright.

 

“Yeah she's not getting back up...she seriously put her head through alot…” Pinto hops off of Rammy’s back “But you're right! We have to go!...Me and Rammy were running from another killer bot!...they might find us if we just stand here doing nothing!...”

 

“I'll help carry her random citizen!”

 

“Leo we already told Pinto you were her nephew.” both Katy and Parappa say in unison, angering the future boy.

 

“SERIOUSLY?”

 

“She's your guaranteed aunt! She deserved to know!”

 

“So YOUR my nephew!” She latches onto his face “Tell me EVERYTHING!”

 

“I'm sorry auntie...I...can't do that...frailty of time and all that…”

 

“Aw phooey...Tell me everything you CAN tell me!”

 

“Maybe once we're out of this place a-ok…”

 

“I'm holding you to that!” she hops off of him, Leo quickly then helps hold Rammy steady.

 

“Katy since my hands are kinda tied here...you're gonna have to be the one that's gotta use my guitar to keep us alright.”

 

“I can so do that!” she quickly yanks the guitar off of him and holds it tightly “This is gonna be great! Especially now that I can smash anything that tries to harm us!”

 

“Maybe I should've given it to Dad…” he shakes his head “Whatever! Let's go find grandpa and get the hell out of here!” they all rush off down the only somewhat sensible pathway left. Eventually they manage to climb back up to level they were all at prior.

 

“Not having to deal with the security is really speeding up the process of getting out of here!”

 

“You can thank Uee for that bro! Although I sure hope he finds his way out soon…”

 

“He'll manage! Always has for you before! Now come on...dad should hopefully still be on this floor…” He kicks a door open, but behind it is another murder bot “NOT THIS ONE!...”

 

Katy fires a blast from the guitar, blowing up the robot before it can strike “Got it!...”

 

“That's like the eighth one seen on our way here...the guy really did mess them all up…”

 

“Oh, you found the guy who did this?...”

 

“Yes!...unfortunately he's now dead like his creator…”

 

“Ah...justice?...”

 

“Erm...sure we'll call it that...now… Where else to go…” The power shuts off again as now the entire area is pitch black, there is no reserve power kicking in “What the heck?...I thought Uee fixed this!...”

 

“This...isn't good…” A hole bursts from the floor, Uee is seen trying to roll away from another murder robot. It flies into Pinto’s grasp “You're ok! What happened?...” the little creature squeaks out an incomprehensible chatter “Darn it!...they found him fiddling with the main power system and broke it trying to get him!...” Katy blasts the new robot, saving the little lunch box monster.

 

“Well that's that...now we have no power to deal with anything…hopefully the locks don't re engage, but knowing our luck…”

 

“We can deal with that when it gets to it! For now Grandpa and great uncle are a top priority!...alright so that's nine robots plus the aide making ten...I wonder how many are left?...”

 

“Well a few were offed, but there's still a vast amount that are running around! Artio had a very large amount of them…”

 

“Joy...come on then...let's hope we don't run into another one…” as the group search about for the older dog and ant, but to no avail, Katy's call out was correct. The locks did in fact reset.

 

“ARGH!...I hate this!...I can't even mess with the circuit board either because there's no power!...Not like it’d even matter since it would just blow up right after!” Parappa angrily ruffles his hair.

 

“Maybe we can find a way that doesn't require going through a door?...”

 

“No way Katy! I'm tired of this entire thing as is! Screw using my brain, I'm using my force! RAVING TIME!” Parappa yanks the guitar from Katy and yanks the cord back exaggeratedly long. This turns the guitar into a type of mace, to which Parappa slams into the door, sending it flying into oblivion “How's THAT for a lock!...” the guitar sputters from the misuse as it malfunctions and shuts off, unable to be used as a weapon at all now as the neck pops off from the body “...Oops…”

 

“What the HELL influenced you to do that?!”

 

“I...I have no idea…”

 

“Don’t worry, the answer just hit me after I said that…” Her eyes dart over to Rammy.

 

“I’m...so proud...but you could not have picked a worse time buddy…” Rammy says as she talks to a wall.

 

“My guitar…” Leo stares at his broken keepsake, nearly dropping Rammy in the process.

 

“Er...Dad or Pinto can fix it once we get out!...”

 

“Don’t speak for me, I don’t even know how the thing worked!” Pinto is immediately shushed by Parappa shoving his hat in her mouth.

 

“But now how do we deal with the robots that come for us…”

 

“...Riiiiiiiight…” Parappa inhales regret as he thinks up a solution “We can manage! We've done pretty well so far!” A robot lands in front of them, shattering that faulty confidence in seconds. It roars as it stands in the doorway “I...gotta keep my mouth shut in bad situations…” Pinto, Leo and Katy all scream in an ascending harmony, causing the stone in Parappa's pocket to glow and release an energy wave that causes the lights to return.

 

_“Energy supply detected...rebooting security...door anomaly located at ground level.”_ a small alarm sounds at where the group is _“Would you like to fix the anomaly?”_

 

“YES!...” after they all shout, a metal door suddenly slams down, destroying the robot that was in the way.

 

_“Door will now expect repairs. We are sorry for the inconvenience…”_

 

“Oh man…the Maestro lesson! It saved us!...” Parappa plucks out the glowing orb “You know in the midst of all this, I had forgotten that stuff like THIS is what it's meant to do!”

 

“Ok...we have a portable power source!...this makes things easy again! Come on I have an idea!” Pinto grabs her brother and runs off to a screen on the wall “Make that stone do it's thing and power this up! I can probably find dad and the others with it!”

 

“Great idea! Katy mind helping me out?...”

 

“Not like I can say no in a situation like this!” she walks up to them with a huff “Why not, singing calms me down, and lord knows that's gonna be greatly appreciated right about now.”

 

“Great! You both do that! I'll just keep watch over the dazed hell girl while also keeping watch so we don't die due to fact that your singing will make us sitting ducks!” Leo reclines Rammy against the wall.

 

“He's right...and with your guitar kinda fried…”

 

“Don’t remind me...and besides! I have the gloves! Surely I can at the very least annoy them enough for you guys to do your thing!”

 

“I don't really like the idea turning my son into a meat shield...but not like we have a better option…” he grabs the stone and passes it to Pinto “Come on, if we do it fast enough, we may be able to spare Leo the struggle!”

 

“Right!”

 

The duo do their best to keep a steady rhythm going while still trying to be quick about it. It works somewhat well as Pinto manages to make do with what the small stone emits. She eventually gets her result.

 

“Finally! It looks like dad is...that a way! And he found everyone else! All unharmed, wonder how he managed that…”

 

“Well Leo did say he disabled the original one during the way this was supposed to go, I'd assume he dealt with the rest in the same manner.”

 

“Whatever the way, your dad is just as marvelous as the two of you! Of course he'd manage!”

 

“Guys this chat is lovely and all, but can I get a hand?...” Leo struggles in holding yet another murder bot in place as it repeatedly shoves him into a wall.

 

“I got it!...” Pinto dives back into the machination and when she pulls her head back out, a hole opens up beneath the robot causing it to fall. Before it can fully fall however, she forces the hole to close, crunching the robot in half. Leo slams his fist into the head of the straggling upper body of, and thanks to the bonus of the gloves, he breaks and stops it's movement.

 

“Whew...man that was painful...thanks for the save auntie!...”

 

“No problem!...boy is it weird to be called that by a guy who's as old as my brother…” she tosses the small stone back to Parappa “But I know better than to be weirded out by something as minor as this! Now let's get a leg up! Dad has everyone accounted for, and so all that's left is to get out of here!” she attempts to run off, but stops and turns back around “It maaaaaaaaaay be in our best interest to shut down all the remaining helper turn murder bots though…just so they don't...you know. Stumble upon innocent passersbys and turn them into swiss cheese.”

 

“Good call there. Just uh...how do we manage that?”

 

“I'm sure dad will think of something!...I hope…” with an air of hesitation, the group run off. And as Pinto found out, Papa Rappa was in fact in the destined spot. He was seen on the back of a murder bot as he tugged at wires while it struggled to shake him off..

 

“Now this one is needlessly jumbled...you were probably a prototype for something else he thought about doing, but he gave up halfway and couldn't be bothered to undo anything!” he rips a specific one out, causing it to fall apart at the seams “And thus you prove my point. Alright everyone, I got it again!”

 

“Yes, you got them. Now can we please get out of here man? My heart can't handle anymore…’excitement’...” Guru tries to move, but to no avail, forcing him to release a shaky sigh “Every second or so we bump into another of these things...we have everyone. No one’s dead and yet the longer we stay here we risk blemishing that achievement…”

 

“We don’t have everyone! We still gotta find my family and their friends!”

 

“DAD!” the two smaller dogs shout at the bigger dog with the other three trudging behind them.

 

“Well would you look at that stroke of convenience! Guess that means we can leave now!”

 

“Oh thank the big people in charge…” Guru falls onto his back, but immediately recovers back up in fear of leaving himself defenseless.

 

“Now what have you lot been up to?”

 

“We’d love to explain Mr Rappa, we really would. But for clarity’s sake. Let’s just get out of here…”

 

“Fair point! I had forgotten how hectic Artio made this place...It's like a fun house! Only if it were fill with malfunctioning machinery that wanted everything in plain sight dead. Huh...not really a fun house by then is it? One thing however. Where’s Artio’s lad? Couldn’t find him anywhere! You have any luck?”

 

“Ah… You see...about that…” Parappa struggles to explain his fate.

 

“He got offed gruesomely.” Rammy says as she speaks to a chair.

 

“...Yeah that… We also found out he was uh...a robot. So uh...despite being a casualty he wasn’t...erm...someone who can’t easily be brought back right!...eheh…”

 

“Oh dear...well that’s upsetting...and he can’t be rebuilt. Artio built him from the ground up as a robot meant to grow up as a regular being! So that includes...passing away.”

 

“Oh...wait...You knew he was a machine from the start?”

 

“Of course! Him and his mother were! Artio was a recluse after all as you said...so uh…’he made do’ is the nicest way you could put it…” Papa Rappa scratches his nose “I mean sure it’s not the most practical! But as a man of science and machinery, who am I to judge? Who is anyone!”

 

“Man can you defend your weird friend’s strange lifestyle later and please just get us out of here already??” Guru says as he begins shaking the elder dog.

 

“R-R-Right! It slipped my mind! Alright everyone! We just have to go...let’s see, this here is the foyer so...over there! Just uh...don’t step on any loose pieces of the floor. Can’t have any of you plummeting to the lower levels after all!” He calmly marches off with everyone wasting no time clinging right after. Parappa and co. explain the entirety of events they’ve experienced down to why the robots are like they are, but he adamantly continues forward.

 

“Dad I really think we should stop the other poorly reprogrammed robots…”

 

“I get what you’re trying to accomplish here son, but trying to find the remaining cluster of them while also trying not get overwhelmed by them is not easy in the slightest. It’s a daunting task that I can’t really do with this many innocent people around! It’s in my best interest to make sure they, along with you lot, get out this instant. And speaking of which, here’s the exit.” He presses against the door, but like the rest, it remains closed due to the system security “Hoo boy...now this is a puzzler…”

 

Pinto elbows her brother “The pebble thing!”

 

“Pebble...oh! Right!...But if I open the door he’s gonna try and deal with all the robots himself!”

 

“He clearly has it handled!”

 

“You kidding? If multiple appear at the same time he’s gonna be toast!”

 

As the two dogs bicker, Rammy hears a noise behind them all as she turns to look over Leo’s shoulder. Upon witnessing what was behind them she turns back and catches the two’s attention.

 

“Hey. You two don’t need to worry about your dad having to deal with the bots once we get out.”

 

“What makes you say that Rammy?...”

 

“Cuz they already found us…”

 

“Wha-” Both see the remaining robots approach en mass as their slow clanking footsteps increase in volume, getting the others to notice their presence.

 

“Oh dear...I don’t think I can manage with this many here at once…” Papa Rappa stares at the group as he begins counting them off “Hm...now what can I do…” he enters deep thought as he begins calculating a way out.

 

“Can you speed up the thinking process man??...We’re about to become chop suey here!” Guru says with his back against the door, trying to stay as far away from the robots as possible.

 

“And speed up I shall! Parappa, I take it you still have what Artio made?”

 

“Funny you should ask...what of it?”

 

“Well I have an idea on getting us out of here!...At the cost of draining the thing dry…”

 

Parappa holds on to the stone tightly “Well...I’d be a liar if i said I wasn’t forewarned...alright what do I gotta do?”

 

“Pump the thing up to the max, and chuck it straight at them!”

 

“You want me to SUPERCHARGE them?!”

 

“Close, I want you to overload them! Give them to much energy that their bodies can’t keep up with it and kaboom! They forcibly power off permanently!”

 

“...Are you sure that’s what’ll happen?...”

 

“Nope! Frankly that’s about a two point five percent chance of actually happening. Buuuuut we don’t really have a better option sooooooo.”

 

“Oh man... I wish I had your perspective on life dad…” he sighs before turning towards the robots “Man and my vocal chords recently got better...now I gotta blow em out again? Well it is for the greater good!...or at least a two point five percent chance at the greater good!”

 

“Thataboy!...Wait what was that about blowing out your vocal chords again?”

 

“Sorry! Busy charging the Maestro lesson!”

 

Leo sets Rammy down  and heads over to Parappa with Katy. Rammy forces herself up and hobbles over to the trio “I ain’t sittin out on this one! Potential concussion or not, I’m helping! More voices the better right?”

 

“I ain’t denying her help!” Leo shrugs with a deflated smile.

 

“Same here! You Parappa?”

 

”If you can manage without forcing yourself then by all means feel free to help us!”

 

“Does that same rule apply to me?” Guru says as he manages to force his body up to them

 

“You know I wouldn’t say no to an old teach! Especially one that’s so close to the family! But why?... I would expect you to be at the door to get out as fast as possible!”

 

“That is true, but in this scenario where the chances of getting out at all are slim to none, I’d figure why not ya know? ‘Sides, doesn’t look like i’ll ever get a chance to sing with you again if I don’t take the chance now man.Scared or not, can’t miss this opportunity.” Through his overwhelming fear, he settles down calmly and gives a sincere smile.

 

“Wow...i’m honored! Well hope I can make this worth it!”

 

“What are we chopped liver?” Leo says, miffed that they’re being treated as if they weren’t there.

 

“And why is he already playing it off as if we’re boned from the get go??” Rammy adds on, also miffed.

 

“Just let him have his moment!...as pessimistic as it is…” Katy finishes with a sly roll of the eyes, before her gaze returns to the slowly approaching bots. All five of them turn towards them before taking deep breaths. With hope placed on probability, they sing until the small orb shakes profusely within Parappa’s grasp.

 

“THROW IT NOW SON! OVER ALL OF THEM!”

 

“Here goes everything!...” Parappa winds up his arm before tossing the volatile stone at the cluster that’s even closer. Once in between them all it crackles as it whips out power towards all the robots and the house itself. The manor emits an epileptic light as everything powers on and off in repeated succession. The robots all writhe about before picking up the pace in their movement “Uh oh…”

 

“Well...game over it is…” they all brace for impact as the mechanical terrors lunge at all of them, only to stop in mid air. When the group all watch, the machines simply fall apart at the seams as the Maestro lesson turns to dust. The door lock disables as the house reignites and resumes falling apart.

 

“What are we all standing around for! It’s all finally over, so why are you all still standing as if you wanna meet a bad end!” Rammy’s shout snaps everyone out of it as they all flood out the door. Everyone heads to their proper means of travel as they all leave within the second they’re able, but Parappa and co simply watch the manor as it falls in on itself in its entirety.

 

“Well...farewell old friend. Gah...this was my fault...asking him to help with your wish got towards his son and well...this!”

 

“Oh don’t feel bad dad...I blame myself if anything.”

 

“It’s not your fault at all! You had that wish as a child! My child! Therefore my responsibility!”

 

“Oh come on let me take some blame for it!” The father and son combo go at it as they try to take the blame for the whole mess that went on.

 

“They’re gonna be at it for a while aren’t they?” Rammy asks as she rubs the side of her head, finally managing to keep steady.

 

“Yep!” Guru, Pinto and Katy and immediately reply.

 

“Great! Now you lot are safe, and therefore my job here is done! I gotta get out of here!” Leo activates his jetpack as he attempts to book it, but is grabbed by the leg and held in place.

 

“Now hold on there bucko! I don’t recall you being one of the invited people here! Mind informing me as to who you are and what your business was here?” Papa Rappa surprised everyone by simply keeping the young man in place in the air.

 

“H-Hey!...Lemme go!...I helped you guys out didn’t I?”

 

“You did! That’s a fact i’m glad for! What I wanna know is why? Don’t recall seeing you around.”

 

“Why does it matter?! Now lemme-” Papa Rappa pulls Leo downwards and lightly taps on the back of his jetpack, reverting it back into a jacket and dropping Leo into the dirt “UGH...ow...how did you-”

 

“It’s an old design of mine. Another thing I’m curious over. Why do you have it, if the only people i’ve ever shown my old blueprints of things I gave up on, were my children.”

 

“Oh fuck...dad didn’t mention that part…”

 

“Why not tell him like you told me?...Is it really that bad to fill us in on who he is?” Pinto says as she tugs on Katy’s pant leg.

 

“Ehhhh...given today? Most likely.” She whines “But seeing as your dad has multiple crosshairs on him...I don’t think we have the ability to say no…”

 

* * *

 

“REMARKABLE!...except for a few points here and there...my son falling into quite a sorry irreversible state...you stealing AND destroying what was such a boundary breaking invention, and you coming back in time to a point which things may unravel at the seams!...And yet it’s awe striking you even ARE here!” He experiences the wonder Pinto had and scans the lad in every inch “I must study you at once! Also do you have any remnants of the car you arrived in at all? Also what have you changed in your time here. And-”

 

“DAD!”

 

“What?”

 

“Can you stop hounding my future son with all that? He himself is in a fragile state and I don’t wanna have you pushing him over… trust me the end result isn’t pretty…”

 

“But this is the confines of time son! And the fact that it could very well change! All thanks to him!...And...well… I guess us if you wanna be technical about it…”

 

“Which I do...ugh...can you atleast take it easy on him? There are things he can’t-”

 

“I already know. After all it’s my knowledge he’s used to figure this out himself.”

 

“Oh...right…Theeeeeeen?”

 

“I will speak with him privately.”

 

“What makes you think I’ll agree with that??”

 

“I won’t tell a soul, plus I know how to handle this sort of thing better than you seeing as I was the one who had the information for you to take in the first place!”

 

“...Touche…” Leo rubs his arm “Ergh…I guess i’ll oblige...you promise you’ll keep it all to yourself?...”

 

“I haven’t lied to my family once in my life! And you’re my grandson, so that includes you!” He grabs the boys shoulders with a reassuring goofy smile.

 

“Heh..thanks Grandpa…~” he surprises the elder dog by grabbing him in a hug.

 

Parappa pokes in between them “Not to intrude on a lovely moment...but dad...mind fixing Leo’s guitar that uh...I ended up breaking…hehe...~”

 

“Oh right...that…”

 

“I’d be happy to! Might take a while though...seems pretty outta my field…” After this, the trio resume talking about Leo’s predicament.

 

“No fair...I wanna know more about the future to…” Katy huffs and crosses her arms as her mouth turns into a scowl, smoke puffs popping from her head.

 

“I think we all do, but you don’t have the luxury of being a mega nerd when it comes to time travel!” Rammy says with a heavy pat on the back.

 

“Hey wait...what about me!” Pinto asks as she bounces in place.

 

“You’re a mini nerd Pinny. And also, what’s your expertise on time travel hmmmm?” Rammy’s mouth shapes itself into the smuggest grin imaginable.

 

“...alright, I know when i’ve been called out.” She throws her hands in the air in defeat as she walks towards the car.

 

Guru approaches the two girls in slight shock “In a way, I can’t believe this is really happening. And at the same time, this is completely within reason given their family history. In a sense it’s kinda like murphy’s law ya know?”

 

“Only without the whole things going wrong portion.”

 

“You sure about that Katy?”

 

“Eh...I mean yeah there’s been some bad, but you can’t say it hasn’t been fixed and made better by the end!”

 

“I can agree with that. Little man has had a history of fixing things that go wrong. So I retract my statement. Still a marvel though, having his future kid coming here to prevent a bad thing from happening. I find it poetic actually, the savior getting saved. I like the sound of that...now that’s definitely a lesson worth learning!” He hums a tune as he walks over to the car.

 

“Oh he’s as free spirited as ever when calm.”

 

“I wouldn’t know, I rarely get to see much of the guy whenever I visit Paraps and Pinny at their house. So seeing his cowardice was an eyeopener for how much of a chill facade he had on.”

 

“It’s not a facade. Guru only has two major emotional expressions. Overwhelming fear and Calming happiness. So this is the norm.”

 

“Right. Well, speaking of the norm, i’m gonna lay down and nap. I may have my balance back, but my head’s killin. So for now, see ya.” She also makes her way to the car, leaving the cat to simply stare at that the two dogs and cat boy converse.

 

“What a day...at least this mess was our fault...although that isn’t exactly a better way to word this...at least nothing ELSE is gonna go off kilter…”

 

* * *

 

_“Turn right at the next intersection.”_

 

“Eeeee!...Just a few miles off from my destination! I’ll be there by the morning! I’m so nervous...but excited to finally be so close to them again!...But how am I going to go about this…” The daisy girl behind the steering wheel sighs “I can’t just...walk up to them...I didn’t give them a heads up...not like I could’ve just CALLED after a year absence...after...all _that_ …”

 

_“Go straight until you reach another intersection, in which you now must turn left.”_

 

“Maybe...I could ask the Leo Steps guy?...He’s friends with them apparently...and he is in the place I’ll now be staying at...wouldn’t hurt to try!” With renewed vigor, she drives happily.

 

_I’m...so...confused! How will all of this turn out?...If I can’t go to them...will I just have to speak through Leo?...Will he be alright with that?... No he probably knows who I am...and he might have been informed to not speak to me if that’s the case… Guess I’ll have to do a little styling to hide my identity! That’s it! This will go greatly!_


	27. Flowerbed of Memories.

_ 29 days before hell breaks loose _

 

“Sounds like you had quite the day yesterday.” PJ stares at Parappa in close proximity of his face “It’s weird looking at you with such short hair now…Plus I’m amazed you still managed to sleep at all at night after all that. I would’ve assumed it would’ve prevented you constantly.” PJ ends off as he and Parappa walk down a calm street.

 

“It almost did! Honestly the entirety of yesterday's events got the other two girls all caught up on how we could even let the situation get so out of hand…Especially Lammy...Hoo boy was she tearful…” Parappa tilts his head with a slight heat up of his head, the events of the early morning seemingly etched in his memory for the remainder of the day “Insomnia was something I really can’t deal with right now... So I asked Rammy for a favor.”

 

“Eh? That being?”

 

“Hit me over the head as hard as she could!”

 

“WHAT?”

 

“Funny, that was also her reaction.”

 

“Yeah it better have been...how the hell did you convince her to do it?”

 

“I kept bugging her till it was more of an unwilling snap rather than an agreement.” Parappa breaks eye contact as he steps in place from guilt.

 

“Of course…Poor Rammy...”

 

“Yeahhhh...she constantly apologized the moment I woke up…” Parappa chuckles weakly “I apologized myself and promised to make up for that, but in the meanwhile she said to catch some proper shut eye.”

 

“Is that why you’re with me?”

 

“Bingo.”

 

“Well then. I think I can help there flawlessly~”

 

“I know you can and that’s what I fear. This is your ‘specialty’ as I’m hesitant to call it. And frankly I worry over what you’ll want us to do.”

 

“Please, you can’t anticipate what I’ll suggest.”

 

* * *

 

“You know Peej, you’re right! I could not have anticipated this in the slightest…” Parappa sighs as he and PJ recline on the grass at the edge of the park.

 

“Told you. And you got worried over nothing.”

 

“I wouldn’t call it nothing…” Parappa embraces the nostalgia from that day “That day was when my life started becoming more and more eventful by the minute. So I find it more of a disrespectful thing to try and replicate it…”

 

“Oh you’re being ridiculous… If anything that should inspire you to try again and see what OTHER great things happen from it.” PJ quickly falls asleep to prevent Parappa from thinking up of a way out.

 

“H-Hey!...No fair!...” Parappa stares angrily at the sleeping teddy, but ultimately concedes “Well...I did promise Rammy...and when it comes to sleeping...you DO know best...fine…” He embeds his head into the grass again and closes his eyes.

 

“Good boy.” Parappa’s eyes immediately spring open as they stare at the bear who just replied, but all he sees is that he is still asleep. With a light mumble, he closes his eyes once again..

 

* * *

 

Through the doors of the Heights Hotel walks in an excited, but tired flower girl whose petals have been bent and pulled back as they stay tied up with the help of a cute and comically large pink bow. A few of her petals were dyed an assortment of colors as to not fully give away that she was the same flower girl to anyone. Her attire also took a massive shift as she wore more of a punk girl get up. Only to be topped off inconveniently with a sun hat to cover her eyes in a slight shadowy undertone to masquerade herself further. All in all she was one hell of a mess in choice of clothing, but giving she was half asleep, it’s an understandable reason.

 

“Man...finally here~...” She pulls up her cellphone “This...was the place they booked for me right?...”

 

“Hello to you in the distance! Welcome to the Heights Hotel! The place that gave our quaint little town and city hybrid the latter half of its name! What brings you here? Will you be staying or are you visiting someone?” A poodle desk girl calls out.

 

“Well that answers that for me!” She runs up to the desk girl at the front “Good morning! Or...whatever time it is...hard to tell when it’s all dark outside. I um...would like to check in here from a set ordered reservation?...”

 

“OH! You must beeeee…” She flicks through a little stack of cards “Miss. Sunny Funny! Yes yes, arrangements have been made for you! I’ll take you to your room right away! But first!” She turns around and looks at the many square slots on the wall behind her. She quickly rushes over to one and pulls out a set of keys, then turns back to Sunny “These are yours! On the topic, payment was received, but I must ask this. From what we received, it seems that you’ll be staying here for quite a long time. Could it be that you’re moving here?”

 

“Yes actually!”

 

“That’s lovely! I do hope you’ll come to love this place. However if this is the case, do you have any baggage with you that you’ll be needing assistance with?”

 

“I do, but I think I’ll handle that myself later today at night or tomorrow.”

 

“If you so please, but it’s no bother to me or any of the other staff members! So don’t feel bothered to ask!”

 

“Thank you. I'll think it over.”

 

“Very well miss! With that said, come with me right this way!” she leaves her desk spot and walks towards the elevators with Sunny right behind her “Now I must inform you that if you have a weak stomach, I insist you take the stairs.”

 

Sunny stares at the girl in confusion before blurting out “Oh what harm can an elevator do!”

 

“If you insist. Come on in.” she heads on in right after her as the door closes behind them. Once it ascends, only screams of fear are heard throughout the building.

 

* * *

 

_ “PJ!” _

 

_ “What is it man…” _

 

_ “You GOTTA help me!...” _

 

_ “What...now…”  _ PJ groggily raises his head to gaze at the panicking dog.

 

_ “You know very well what I'm needing help with!” _

 

_ “So you're gonna be a dad...join the club…” _

 

_ “How are you so calm and at ease with all this?!” _

 

He raises his shades to reveal red strained eyes  _ “Bold of you to assume I'm at ease… Haven't slept at all since I found out Sweety was preggo…” _

 

_ “Great...the only guy I had in mind for help is as big a mess as me…” _

 

_ “Rude…” _ he stands up _ “I'm atleast gracious enough to not be running around panicking like an utter spazz…” _

 

_ “Can you blame me!?” _

 

_ “For once...you're lucky I can't...How's the missus dealing with you like this I wonder…” _

 

_ “She's panicking as much as me!” _

 

_ “Oh of course she is...Where is she…” _

 

_ “With the rest of the girls...asking for insight just like me…” _

 

_ “She's smart. In fact, why don't we ask Matt? He's doing fine with his kid.” _

 

_ “Already tried. Him and Hayden are currently at a documentation thing cuz of said kid so no luck there…” _

 

_ “Oi vey...well you're overreacting. You'll be a good dad. As will I. Although I'll probably be better. Hehe...Parappa?”  _ he stares at the dog who's lost in deep thought as he mumbles to himself.

 

_ “Maybe we can plan for this...maybe I can build a nanny...or multiple nannies...or maybe if we're both to overwhelmed by this we can agree to pass off this child and maybe build on- OW!”  _ he's slapped in the head by PJ.

 

_ “I refuse to let you abort your kid in favor of building one instead!” _

 

_ “It worked for my dad's old friend!...” _

 

_ “You mean the old coot Artio? He eventually died from it!” _

 

_ “...I hate when you're right…” _

 

_ “That's not me being right, that's just me being sensible enough to know when something is beyond stupid!...my word are you in serious need of help...Alright walk with me…” _

 

_ “Where are we going?...” _

 

_ “To pick up my wife and yours...It looks like you two will need to calm down first before you can take in reason properly...seriously you make me look like I'm gonna be a professional dad by comparison. Luckily, me and Sweety will be enough to help you guys through it.” _

 

_ “Alright...let's go…”  _ everything suddenly fades to black.

 

* * *

 

Parappa's eyes spring wide open and they dart over to PJ “Dude...I just had the weirdest dre-...wait...did you happen to have the same dream?...Just asking for curiosity's sake…”

 

“Bold of you to assume that we both had a dream showing how incompetent we are going to be as father's-to-be.”

 

“So you did...man...that was...strange…”

 

“Strange isn't the word I'd use...furthermore. If you so much as have a thought about building a son again and I will hit you harder than the me from the dream did.”

 

“Duly noted…” He sits up “What the hell...why’d we have a dream like that?...”

 

“Beats me man. Although I can only conclude that it's a side effect from having Leo around.”

 

“I certainly won't doubt that...think it'll happen again?...”

 

“Dunno, but since I'm tired. Guess I'm about to find out for myself!” He resumes his slumber on the spot.

 

“...Dammit...I hope I get better...urgh...only one to find out then!” he also falls back asleep.

 

* * *

 

“A.e .o. .ka. Ma,..?...M.’am?... Ca. y.u he.r me?...” Sunny’s eyes weakly open as she peels herself off the elevator floor. A heavy ringing in her head prevents her from properly hearing the girl that’s with her. She is however fully awake from the shock...sort of.

 

“My everything…” She rubs the side of her head as the ringing slowly subsides.

 

“I tried to warn you ma’am.” she helps Sunny keep steady.

 

“Why in the world is your elevator like that…”

 

“Well, while it is a hectic thing to get on, you learn to get used to it. And as for our reasoning? With such a big place and so many floors and rooms and the like. We needed a form of getting everyone to their location as fast and efficient as possible. We had a vote, and the elevator won unanimously! Worry not for an escalator is also in the works! Although I doubt it’ll be much more bearable.”

 

“Oh boy...So in other words. Learn to get used to this...or take the plentitude of stairs?”

 

“Correct ma’am! Well with that being said, your room is right over here!” She quickly paces over to a door that has a room number matching Sunny’s key.

 

“Well thank you for escorting me here! Um...quick question…”

 

“Yes?”

 

“It’s...still...early in the morning no?...”

 

“Yes siree! We are currently at...10:24 AM!”

 

“I see...so then...why is it still dark outside?”

 

“Ah yes, someone who is new to the area would be confused on that. Well, the reason for all that is because of all the buildings in the entire area! They all are massive in size and their arching angles cause them to be more of a blockade towards the sunlight. In other words, our quaint place is void of any and all sunlight. Which is why we have these neon lights everywhere! And the buildings have specially custom made light bulbs that are manufactured to replicate the sunlight for those who plan on staying here for an extended period of time.”

 

“So there’s...no sun...anywhere here?...”

 

“Nope!...Actually...there’s one spot in the whole entirety of Neon Heights that has sunlight! And that place is apart of this very building!”

 

“Really?...”

 

“Yes! At the top floor! There is a singular room on that lone floor that garners it due to it being on top of the tallest place here! So it kinda is the only spot to get sunlight given how up in the air the place is!”

 

“Does anyone own that spot?...”

 

“Why yes indeed! Our towns idol! Leo Steps!”

 

“Wha?...But...why would he hoard a spot like that for himself…”

 

“Ohohoh he’s not hoarding it! When he became our town star and the time when this place was erected. The town unanimously voted on giving it to him! He was so happy he replied with words such as ‘Why would you put me up here, I will potentially melt away!’ and ‘I swear it’s like an oven over here, are you sure I can’t just be in a different room?’. Or especially ‘Ah help me, please help me, my tail caught on fire!’ And the like!”

 

Sunny stares at the air headed girl “And he just...said all that...calmly?...”

 

“Oh no he was screaming with joy!”

 

“...Right...joy…”

 

“He’s since grown accustomed to his new abode. Why all the questions about the sun though miss?”

 

“Well...I mean I am a flower…”

 

“Flower...OH! Right! Flowers need the sun! Almost couldn’t tell you were a flower given your...odd style.”

 

“I’d take offense to that if I didn’t agree with you. I was kinda on the verge of falling asleep in my car when I put all this on...as you can probably tell…”

 

“I am no one to judge!”

 

“Thank you...so um...you think if I’d ask, he’d let me stand around in the sunlight for a bit?...”

 

“I’m most certain! Our Leo is a generous soul! He’d gladly share the spot! Although he might be a bit touchy due to abit of media that happened two days prior. Now is that all miss?”

 

“Yes. Thank you very much.”

 

“Then I’ll take my leave!” She rushes over to one of the many elevators and heads down. Sunny walks over to another elevator as she waits for the door to open.

 

“So the top floor huh...well finding him was certainly no problem...and now I also have an easy way to talk to him!...I hope…” The door opens in front of her as she takes a deep breath and walks on in. She hits the top floor button and immediately holds on to brace herself as the door closes before her. Once again her screams echo along the building.

 

* * *

 

_ “So then she shares the delivery month with Sweety! That's poetic. Imagine if the day was the same to.” _

 

_ “I wish, but it's gonna be born the week of Christmas or New year's judging by the doctors statistics if she doesn't have any issues and needs to deliver earlier or later.” _

 

_ “Imagine you getting a Christmas or New year's baby. That'd be special! Speaking of which, you find out what gender the kid will be?” _

 

_ “Yep! It's gonna be a boy! However from what we saw in the ultrasound, seems like he's gonna look more like his mom than me. Which I don't mind actually! I think I prefer it.” _

 

_ “You would. So a boy huh?...that's...inconvenient…” _

 

_ “I'm offended. Now angry. Why??” _

 

_ “Eh...just wanted a buddy for my kid...but since yours is gonna be a boy I rather not...risk anything sparking up.” _

 

_ “And you called ME ridiculous...Peej seriously? They're not even born yet and you fear my son's just gonna up and take her to the alter??” _

 

_ “....eeeeehhhh…” _

 

_ “Oh my god…” _

 

_ “Look it's a very sensible fear!” _

 

_ “It so is not. You’re acting like such a bigger mess than me right now. My god did the tables turn as the months went by…” _

 

_ “They did not! I am still way calmer than you over all this!” _

 

_ “Then why fear for the future buddy?” _

 

_ “You know what. Fine. I embrace the future. Forget my ‘silly’ fear! I'm totally ok with this.” _

 

_ “Hehe. We'll seeeeee~” _

 

_ “Look just drop it for now… While we're still on this topic...you have a name planned out for your future kid? Me and Sweety are still thinking…” _

 

_ “Yes actually. She came up with the name and I fell in love with it and the idea for it instantly.” _

 

_ “Oh? This I gotta hear.” _

 

_ “She picked this name!”  _ Parappa smiles proudly before whispering into his ear.

 

_ “That name?... Huh… well. I think it's sweet.” _

 

_ “Yep. Hearing the name alone makes me happy!” _

 

_ “Wouldn't it technically have to be Jr?” _

 

_ “Well yes but...since...well...you know…” _

 

_ “I getcha.” _

 

_ “I mean me and her will call him Jr from time to time, but his name will ultimately be-” _

 

_ “I said I getcha. Relax!” _

 

_ “Alright alright! Sorry, just thinking it up again got me all giddy! Man I can't wait to be a dad! The moment just can't come soon enough!” _

 

_ “Ok...I'll admit...maaaaybe the tables did turn...just a lil~” _

 

* * *

 

Parappa wakes up much more vigorously this time “HIS NAME IS WHAT? WHAT DID WE PICK??...”

 

PJ opens his left eye “Easy man. It'll come to you.”

 

“How?!”

 

“I dunno. Why don't you ask your son LEO RAPPA what his name is~”  _ obviously he won't tell you that it's Europa, but atleast it'll keep you calm. _

 

“...oh...right…”

 

PJ chuckles “Well now I'm curious. What happens next I wonder.”

 

“Probably you trying your hardest to keep my son away from your daughter~”

 

“Oh shut up.”

 

“I bet you fifty bucks it's either you denying my son any interaction with Lacey or you coming to like my son!”

 

“Oh you're so on!” Both aggressively resume their slumber.

 

* * *

 

Sunny crawls out of the elevator as she rolls onto her back to catch her bearings “I’m...never gonna get used to that…” she groans until she’s forced to cover her eyes “Eeee...there’s the sun alright…” She rolls over and hops onto her feet “Despite the brightness, it feels nice~ Oh but it’s so limited from the windows...guess that’s just it’s way of telling me not to stall out...well. Let’s not waste anymore time!” 

 

She slowly makes her way to the lone door in the big room. Her hand reaches out exaggeratedly slow, trying her best to not knock on the door. She sighs as she gives up and pulls her hand back and turns around back to the elevator. However she trips and stumbles backwards, banging her head against the doors

 

“Ow!...” She covers her mouth and quickly scoots away from the door hoping nothing was heard. After a few moments of silence. She sighs in relief “Phe-”

 

“For the last time Fifi I don’t care that people saw me on the ne-... Who are you?...” Leo stares the distressed Sunny through his helmet screen as she can feel his eyes burn a small hole on her forehead.

 

“I-I’m new to the area and h-heard your place was where we could have a ch-chance of some sunlight…”

 

“Oh...Sorry...mistook you for one of the staff’s attempt of trying to ‘cheer’ me up… Why are you on the ground?”

 

“I...tripped and fell…” Leo walks up to her and extends his hand out.

 

“Well best get off the ground if you wanted to speak to me. Come on now.” She accepts his help as she gets back on her feet “So sunlight eh? Well you’re free to just stand out here, but...sunlights rather limited despite what the glare makes you believe. Hmm… While I think up a solution. You being new means you’ll be staying here?”

 

“Y-Yes!...I uh...moved here...And I was unaware of the place being void of proper light...you see the brochures of the place kinda skipped over that detail...and me being...well a flower...you can see how that would be a teeny bit problematic…”

 

“Yeah yeah I get it...Alright then...well I have a balcony inside that should suffice if you’re alright with that. It’s pretty high up so hope you don’t have a fear.”

 

“I-I’ll be fine! Thank you!...”

 

“Don’t mention it. I’d flat out give you the room if the townspeople didn’t do all in their power to make sure I don’t lose this room to someone else.”

 

“Ah...I see…”  _ Judging from what I heard, you’d probably wanna pawn this place off at any chance you got... _

 

The duo walk into the luxurious apartment as Leo speaks up again “So a flower person huh? That’s rare to see one around here. Aware of the lack of sunlight or not. It’s just a sight to behold.”

 

“Really?...I guess I can understand why. Most I’d assume prefer the calmer life rather than all the hustle and bustle.”

 

“Judging by your appearance, I’d say you’re the exact opposite.”

 

“Oh uh...nono this was a-”

 

“I’d say it looks nice. The world could use more people with… ‘out there’ creativity.”

 

“...Thank you.”  _ Maybe I should keep this get up... _ “Erm...so you’re Leo Steps right?...”

 

“Am I that easy to guess with this thing on my head?~ Yes I am he.”

 

“Why do you have it on?...If people know you’re a ram?”

 

“Oh...so you saw that newscast as well… To answer that. No. I am not. But I won’t be explaining any further. On the subject. You know me, but I know nothing on you. Seems rude to not introduce yourself proper eh?”

 

“You’re right!...I should apologize! My name-...m-my name…”  _ What do I tell him?!... _

 

“Yeeeeeessssss?”

 

“My name is…”  _ ummmm…say something...ANYTHING! _ “Poppy!”  _ Why would you use your dad's deceased sister's na- _

 

“Cute name, dunno why you were so stunned to say it. What’s the last name?”

 

“Oh my last name is!...Fleur! Poppy Fleur!”

 

“Ha. What a simple yet nice name.” he chuckles but quickly stops moving “Hold on...what time is it…?” He pulls out his phone “YIPE! I'm late!...Look, thanks for getting me to get up! Otherwise I wouldn't have checked! But right now I gotta go! So you do as you wish here!” he runs towards the balcony.

 

“W-Wait. You're just leaving me IN your place?...Aren't you worried I might steal things or claim the room for myself?...”

 

“Believe me. The entirety of this hotel wouldn't let that happen. Yet, I don't think you're the kind of person to do that anyway. Not like I'd stop you!” he laughs as he jumps of the balcony.

 

“W-WHOA WHOA WHAT THE HEY!...” she runs towards the balcony to see if she could try and catch him. To no avail. Seconds later she's pushed onto her rear from the burst of wind from something flying by. Upon closer inspection, it's Leo.

 

“SORRY FOR THE SCARE! SEE YA LATER!” he vanishes into the sky.

 

“Oh man what an eccentric guy…” she hops to her feet and glances over the rim of the balcony “Whoa...it really is quite a height...but if you don't mind...then this is quite nice~” she stands in places as the sun gleams off of her while a gentle breeze brushes by “Well...I shouldn't impose...though it was rather nice of him to let me enter as a total stranger! It's easy to see how he got along with Parappa if that's the case!” she makes her way to the door, but stops and looks around the place “It's properly kept in here...and yet it still seems like a mess...so empty and sad...hm...it needs a good touch! I'm sure he won't mind!” she smiles as she begins shuffling things around the room.

 

* * *

 

_ “Ok so then you guys are leaving to and want me to take care of Lacey I take it?” _

 

_ “Leaving to?...and um...yeah. If you would be so kind.” Sweety says as she stares at the tired dog. _

 

_ “Yeah everyone left already. Lammy, Katy, Ma-san and Rammy got a personal gig. Paula’s at the debut of her latest film that she starred in. Matt’s at his big game and Hayden’s being his cheerleader. They all left their kids with me seeing as I'm the only one not busy. And now you two are as well right.” _

 

_ “Correct...huh...sorry man. I didn't think you'd be the fall guy when it came to a babysitter.” PJ scratches his nose “I mean we aren't leaving immediately. So we have a few spare moments to help you out for a bit.” _

 

_ “If you two want, but I can handle it. Now Lacey’s upstairs huh?” _

 

_ “Yeah she'll be down in a bit. Where are the other kids?” _

 

_ “All in my son's room. They're distracted by watching a movie.” _

 

_ “I see...man I feel we started a trend once we became parents. The rest wanted to be parents to! Amazingly only you and Noodles ended up with sons.” _

 

_ “Just how life decides to work sometimes.” _

 

_ “So how is your kid anyway?..” _

 

_ “Jr? He's fine. Why asking?” _

 

_ “Uh...no reason.” _

 

_ “PJ decided on giving your boy a gift~” _

 

_ “SWEETY!...” _

 

_ “Haha! Why's that Peej?~” _

 

_ “...I just felt I end up being a tad to unfair to him from time to time and that he kinda feels resent towards himself over it. I don't want that to be the case so at the very least I thought I'd get him a lil something. But by no means does this mean my stance on him being near my kid changes or anything!” _

 

_ “Whatever man. Jr! Come here for a bit.” tiny footsteps are heard as a little boy hobbles around with a large helmet on his head. _

 

_ “Yes papa?...” _

 

_ “So that's where one of my spare helmets went…” PJ huffs. _

 

_ “Uhh...PJ got you a gift son!...hehe…say hello!” _

 

_ “Hi unca Beeway and aunni Sweedy!” _

 

_ “Jr! It's just PJ and Sweety!...Man you're stubborn…” _

 

_ “Oh let the kid call us that! We certainly don't mind do we dear?” she nudges PJ. _

 

_ “Meh...I guess not.” _

 

_ “You're encouraging the problem! Anywho. Go get your gift son!” the little boy shuffles over to the teddy bear. _

 

_ “Ok so. It's nothing to big. And honestly I think you got yourself a better ‘gift’ by pickpocketing my helmet, but here.” He pulls out a pair of sunglasses. These did not match his usual pairs that he commonly had as their design was much more out there “I saw you watching something on TV that looked so bizarre. Your face was glued to screen whenever the guy wearing this exact pair came on. So I figured you must like em, and so...here you go kid.” the little boy carefully takes the glasses and stares at them for a brief moment before looking back at PJ. His eyes were beaming as their shine could be seen from behind the helmet screen “Heh...yeah well I'm glad you like it! I suggest putting them on rather than my helmet.” he watches the kid scuttle away. _

 

_ “That was real nice of you Peej.” _

 

_ “Yeah well...don't expect a habit. Like I said it was just for my conscious. No way is that kid gonna grow on me.” he pulls out a bottle of water and begins drinking it. _

 

_ “Sure...if you say so...Oh! Jr! Get back here!” _

 

_ “Yes Papa?” _

 

_ “What do we say to someone who gives you a gift?” _

 

_ The little boy looks at the ground for a bit. Thinking very hard before looking at the bear “I wuv yu!” _

 

_ PJ spits his water out like a sideways geyser before gasping for air as the little boy runs off “WOOOOOOOOO BOY…” _

 

_ “Dear are you ok?...your face is red! You're not coming down with something are you?...” _

 

_ “Yeah what she said man...and...are you crying?...” _

 

_ “None of the above! This water was just really REALLY bad is all! Brought me to tears! And the disgust got me so worked up that my face turned red is all! I'll be fine just need to air out for a bit! Be right back!” he runs out of the house in a blur. _

 

_ “I should check on what's really up…” Sweety heads on right after him, leaving Parappa confused. She reaches the door and closes it behind herself as to have them not be heard “PJ what's wrong??...” _

 

_ “That...little...bastard…” _

 

_ “You mean Jr??...well that's not very nice! He's just a child! What did he do?...” _

 

_ “...He...won me over…” _

 

_ Sweety tilts her head “I'm sorry I had a hard time hearing that.” he mouth curls into a devious smile. _

 

_ “...He won me over…” _

 

_ She breaks into a small giggle fit “Just when I think you can't become an even bigger lovable goof...you prove me wrong~” _

 

_ “Yeah yeah…” _

 

_ Parappa chuckles lightly from behind the door as the dream ends. _

 

* * *

 

PJ's eyes open to reveal red strained eyes. Said eyes slowly motion towards his dog buddy who is simply laughing heavily “What's so funny…”

 

“You ended up getting won over by my son~”

 

“I did not!...”

 

“You said it yourself man~”

 

“Can we please change the subject…”

 

“Alrighty then. You owe me fifty bucks. Pay up.”

 

“Nevermind, let's go back to you tormenting me. I much prefer that…”

 

“Why you so against the truth? Leo certainly earned your heart!”

 

“Because look at Leo now! He's a mess!”

 

“I'd tell you to take that back if you weren't partially correct…”

 

“I'm fully correct!”

 

“Half correct!...”

 

“Stop that!”

 

“Never! It's not my son's fault he's like that!...”

 

“...You know you’re right…”

 

“Good! I’m glad we set-”

 

“It’s YOUR fault he’s like that!” PJ huffs as Parappa scuttles to his feet in protest.

 

“Now wait just a second-”

 

“Wait nothing! He went back in time to help you! Because of what happened to you in the future!”

 

“I have no control over that! I don’t even know how to prevent it because it hasn’t happened yet!...And I don’t know  _ what  _ it is I have to prevent!...And even if he does remember he’s not allowed to tell me thanks to what my dad told him!...”

 

“Even HE found out about him?...”

 

“Yeah turns out Leo’s entire get up was a red flag in dad’s eyes and that kinda turned into, him being let in on it…”

 

“Oh joy...ugh at this point I don’t know who to blame for any of this…”

 

“How about you not blame anyone?...”

 

“Only if you desist on that dumb bet.”

 

“That all? You got it.” Parappa drops onto his back again “Leo should currently be with dad right about now actually.”

 

PJ raises an eyebrow “Is that so? Why?”

 

“Well future dad IS who Leo got all the time safety info from right?”

 

“I see where you’re going with this. Alright so it makes sense for your dad to be the person to be told, but can he keep his mouth shut?...”

 

“Sure! Dad may love to blabber when it comes to his passion in what he works with. But huge breakthrough or not. Dad’s not one to go against family wishes just for what he himself wants.”

 

PJ feigns a laugh “Well it’s great to see him act like that from time to time. I'm amazed how fast he got used to Leo.”

 

“Pinto did to!...Although that’s because he’s living proof that time travel is possible.”

 

“Even your little sis is in on? Now i’m worried…”

 

“Oh relax PJ! Pinto’s not gonna tell anyone!...”  _ I hope… _

 

“Your sweating brow does not put me at ease…” They both sigh and stare at the sky “These dreams have been giving us some nice spoilers while also hiding so much from us.”

 

“No kidding…we got to hear about Matt’s future husband, but saw nothing on him. We know I obviously hooked up with one of the girls as Leo stated...and well...HAD Leo. But I didn’t see who I got with and Leo had the dang helmet on so I couldn't see his face either to help with that…”

 

“A big thing you also overlooked. Did you notice the place we were at since the first dream?”

 

“The place?...Why would that...actually...you bring up a good point...we were at this weird, giant and fancy looking house...and the following dreams had us IN the house so it’s clearly ours...but judging by future me’s context in the latest dream... **_ALL_ ** ten live in it…plus the kids but you know.”

 

“Exactly. And that place doesn’t look anything like or near Parappa town.”

 

“So we all move into a giant house together...and future me questions why Leo calls everyone Aunt and Uncle and whatnot...But what causes us to move?...”

 

“Maybe it was your excuse of including Paula while not trying to be obvious about it, so you invited me and Matt to?” He turns to Parappa with the biggest, devilish grin ever.

 

“I’ll choose to ignore that in favor of this more logical speculation. Maybe it was just us all wanting to room together as friends in a house?”

 

“Sounds to sitcom-y to me. But hey, not like that WOULDN’T happen if we ever brought it up while together.”

 

“You really think?...”

 

“What, you wanna bring it up NOW?”

 

“Nono!...I...wanna converse it over with Leo…”

 

“You sure? Getting a spoiler led to you making a bad situation worse.” He points to the top of his head, referring to Parappa’s new hairstyle.

 

“...Ok...true, but I don’t really know what else to go by! Guess I’ll hold off for now.”

 

“As you should!”  _ Come to think of it… _ PJ recalls when he first found Leo out. The photo he had shown him had them all in front of that exact house.  _ It probably would be best to at least ask if we do end up in a house together…  _ PJ gets lost in the cloud gazing.

 

“You alright there Peej?...”

 

“Yeah I’m good...just thinking on this abit more than I should be...”

 

Parappa immediately feels upset over putting his friend in this weird state, but quickly beams once he thinks up something “Welllll. If it’s got you that pestered in the head. Why don’t we just sleep again?”

 

“Eh?”

 

“Get a few extra dreams so we can see what else is up!” He smiles “I mean we got some nice tidbits of info here and there! Maybe we’ll get a tiny bit more to satiate this dumb curious state of mind we got ourselves into!”

 

“Wellllll….I can’t argue there...Why not. But no bets this time!”

 

“Don’t worry~” They both close their eyes as they await the slumber to begin once more.

 

* * *

 

“And this will go lovely here! And this over there!” Sunny happily scurries about as she reorganizes the entirety of the room “Oooooh I might have overdone it a lil...but oh well! The place looks much nicer than it did before!” she twirls “Time certainly flies when you're enjoying yourself!”  as she spins, she bumps into wardrobe that opens up instantly. From it falls out a helmet identical to the one Leo had before he left “Oh whoops!...Let's get you back in there! I wonder how many spares of these he's go-” As she picks it up by grabbing it from the inside, she presses a button that cause a light to emit from the screen, spooking her into dropping it “Oh dear...w-what did I do…”

 

A video feed shows a small red sheep boy speaking to a veiled woman 

 

_ “So...your name is Europa then is it?...” _

 

_ “Y-Yes Ma’am…” _

 

_ “Dear I already told you...you are free to call me Nana K.” _

 

_ “O-Ok…”  _ The small boy stares at his feet as he shuffles about before the lady breaks the silence.

 

_ “Alright so let me repeat what I heard from you. You say you came from the future right?” _

 

_ “Yes…” _

 

The lady rolls her eyes  _ “Imagination is one hell of a toy isn’t it?...Little one please tell me the truth...I need to contact your parents pronto!” _

 

_ “I don’t know if my parents exist yet…”  _ he reaches for the camera.

 

_ “Oh for the love of...look little one, I get it. Imagination is fun! Make believe is fun! But this is serious! You ran away from home and I as an adult need to find out proper information in order to help y-” _ the little boy hands her a photo he pulled out from the helmet to which she goes silent after a dramatic gasp.

 

_ “M-Mrs…? What’s wrong?...” _

 

After a long while of silence, she speaks up  _ “Your parents currently do exists...currently...they’re eight years old just like you right now…”  _ Her voice had grown immensely softer. She was now talking to the child in calming voice that got him to ease in much better.

 

_ “R-Really?! S-So I made it!...B-But i’m twelve years to early!...B-But wait Ma’am...how do you know?...” _

 

_ “A-Ah...you see…….IIIIIIIIIIII…baby sit for two of the people in this photo. And through that I got to see all of them.” _

 

_ “Oh wow! Who do you babysit??” _

 

_ “Never you mind my dear child.” _

 

_ “May I come with you to see?...” _

 

_ “ _ **_NO!_ ** _ ”  _ the boy recoils back from fear over the sudden shout  _ “M-My apologies!...I mean...look. You’re from the future so...interacting with your parents or their friends now...may not be the best thing...I mean they’re kids themselves right now. So they’ll either laugh at your for playing ‘to much make believe’ orrrrr...they’ll be terrified of you from what you tell them...you don’t want that do you?...” _

 

_ “N-No! That’s just like what grandpa’s book said...and that’s what I came to prevent!” _

 

_ “Prevent?...” _

 

_ “Oh...um…” _

 

_ “...You can tell me later sweetie...take as much time as you need to tell me the rest. For now...I think it’s best you wait a few years until they’re much older. Enough so that this information won’t scare them.” _

 

_ “But...by then it may be to late…”  _ He looks to the ground once again. Defeated.

 

She grabs his tiny hands within her own adult hands  _ “Sweetie I can assure you it won’t be. You won’t let it right? After all you managed to come back in time right? You will be able to help them, no matter what, no matter when!” _

 

He looks back up to her with a slight leaky but happy face  _ “Thank you Nana…~”  _  She opens her eyes a tad from shock at having him finally come around to the name, but smiles warmly as she embraces him in a hug and picks him off the ground.

 

_ “Alright my dear...I think it’s for the best that you not keep that name of yours in your time here.” _

 

_ “Why not?...What’s wrong with Europa Rappa?...” _

 

_ “Ha...had you told me your last name first...I would’ve accidentally sent you to their house by mistake causing a whole mess of problems...that aside. The reason as to why is just that. Having the same name as them could complicate things for you. So I think it’s for the best that for the time being...you have a false name. For safety, yours and theirs.” _

 

_ “Oh...g-good idea Nana!...What name should I have though?...” _

 

The lady paces in circles while carrying him, humming all the while. Eventually she stops in her tracks as she smiles and looks down to him  _ “From your appearance...How does the name...Leo sound?...~” _

 

The video ends as Sunny stares wide eyed at the empty space before her.

 

“O-Ohhhh dear...I-I get the feeling I saw something I really shouldn’t have…” She taps her fingers together in a nervous ferver. She glances around her to make sure that nobody was around to see her little blunder. She calms down when she sees that she’s in the clear. “Ok...So..Leo huh?...how do you get the name Leo from looking at a sheep?...And wow...that’s not even his real name...Europa...Rappa...m-maybe I’m overthinking this!...I-It can’t be HIM!...H-Hahaha…” She picks the helmet back up, but struggles in putting it back “M-Mmmmm...m-maybe just one more little peek at what’s here just to prove that...he’s not in anyway...related to Parappa…”

 

After pressing the button again, she gently places it on the ground. A new video plays before her.

 

_ “So where we goin Nana?...You pulled me from Neon Heights rather urgently. Is it serious?...” _

 

_ “Not in a bad way no, but just keep following me~”  _ Eventually the duo come across a large scale performance that Sunny can’t help but be shocked at upon seeing again. On the stage was Parappa singing about as tiny newborn birds poked their heads out from his hat.

 

_ “N-NANA THIS IS-”  _ She corks his mouth shut with her finger.

 

_ “I know! And that’s why I brought you here! I’m not sure if now’s a time to be able to inform them yet…but I know it’s not a bad thing to SHOW you them at the very least~”  _ she removes her finger as the now teenage boy wipes his tongue.

 

_ “Well...it is nice being able to see him~...” _

 

_ “It must be! Not everyday a person from the future can come and see their parent in such a joyous state!” _

 

_ “AMBY?!”  _ Europa gazes upon a new person beside them.

 

_ “Hello! Mrs. K invited me and them along!”  _ She points to a bear and otter.

 

_ “That’s your old man? Huh...I can see it.” _

 

_ “Yeah no lie. It’s easy to see how you ended up as such a-”  _ Amby holds her hand up to Otter’s face. It shines as it charges a magic blast aimed towards him.

 

_ “Finish that sentence, and I finish your ability to make smartass remarks ever again~” _

 

_ “Such a...glorious young man easily related to his glorious past version of his dad!...h-hehehe…” _

 

_ “Good boy~”  _ She holds her hand down as the Otter faints and falls backwards.

 

_ “Man, if only it were always this easy to shut Emile up…”  _ The bear sighs before turning back towards the camera  _ “Anywho yeah, we were also asked to tag along. She said it as a means of seeing just what it is you’re trying to save. And frankly. I don’t really see much in him. _

 

_ “What are you talking about? He’s a doll just like little Leo here!~”  _ The bear instantly recognizes the voice and instinctually runs away.

 

_ “Oh no…” Amby sneers as she looks away. _

 

_ “H-Harper!...H-Hello!...N-Nana you invited them?!...”  _ she raises her hands and shakes her head.

 

_ “Ruuuuuude~ We saw the lot of you going to do something, and we felt offended that we weren’t invited to tag along~ So we came along anyway!~ Isn’t that right ladies?~” _

 

_ “You know it!”  _ the other five girls behind the devil girl all say in unison.

 

_ “H-Haha...h-how nice!~...” _

 

_ “So then this is your father huh? Gotta say, you certainly inherited the cuteness from him~ Why if you hadn’t come back in time, I might’ve wanted him as ours instead~” _

 

_ “H-Harper please…” _

 

_ “Yeah! Cut with the toying attitude! Let Leo be at ease for now! It’s the first time he actually gets to even SEE his own dad since he got here!” _

 

_ “Blegh...you take the fun out of everything pinky...but I suppose that is fair.” _

 

_ “Well if you won’t stop, then I’ll just have to-...wait...did you...agree with me?...” _

 

_ “Yes yes. Don’t get used to that. When it comes to parental related events. It’s something I can see eye to eye with. So for now...I let Leo be at ease.”  _ She pats his back which just gets him more uneasy rather then calming him down  _ “Anyway...so on a serious note. He is a walking ball of sunshine. Just like how you can be from time to time. Glad to see that little quirk is genetic.”  _ she elbows him in the side, prompting him to speak up.

 

_ “Right! My dad was one of the cheeriest people you could ever meet. Why you could be certain that being pals with him was guaranteed to uplift your life exponentially!”  _

 

The group that’s still around him all look towards the smiling and singing dog on the stage. After a bit they all smile themselves.

 

_ “You know, I don’t fully get it, but I understand what you mean. It’s a tad sickeningly sweet, but it’s just like...his case is just a guy you wanna see smiling always and protect.” _

 

_ “Wow Harper, didn’t think you were capable of saying something like that.”  _ The pink aquatic girl chuckles toyingly.

 

_ “I can have my moments, and I’m not thaaaaaat jerkish. I just choose to be for my own sake~” _

 

_ “And I immediately take it back.”  _ the duo bicker as the other punk girls behind the devil girl all laugh amongst themselves. During this, Sunny notices the older woman going back to Europa.

 

_ “So precious. I take you’ve been uplifted just abit?~” _

 

_ “Very much so! Seeing what it is i’m trying to save just reinvigorates me even more! I mean my dad was happy back then, but not like this level of happy! To be able to make him like this again...I will achieve it!”  _ The boy himself smiles weakly  _ “I just...wish I had faith in myself to be able to accomplish that at all…” _

 

_ “Well, like it or not. You got all of us to help ya, ain’t that right girls? Pinkie?” _ the remaining rocker girls and Amby all nod  _ “We all have an agenda with the guy to...so...we’re all seeing this through to the end. No matter how it ends.”  _

 

_ “Thank you all. I’m certain with you all helping me! My wish will become a reality! We just gotta believe~” _

 

The video feed ends again as Sunny looks on and sighs.

 

“Well...I...got my answer…” She picks up the helmet and looks at its screen “...so...something's gonna happen to Parappa?...Did he stop it? Or is it still at risk of happening…?” She holds onto the helmet tightly “I..Wanna help!...” she presses the button once more, clearly intent on watch as much as needed in order to get insight on what was needed in order to help from the sidelines as much as she could. Context would not be a stranger to her.

 

* * *

 

_ “Why do you keep wearing my helmet Europa?” _

 

_ “Many reasons Uncle...so no one sees me crying...so I can be calmed down by the silence and music...so no has to deal with me...it almost makes me feel as if I’m not really here…which is for the better…” _

 

_ “Hey hey hey. Now what’s the big idea on feeling like that?” _

 

_ “Well...it’s just such a mess to see how things are just...turning out to be…I feel it’s my fault…” _

 

_ “Now hey there Jr...look what’s going on now is certainly not your fault...it was something that happened before you were born!” _

 

_ “I know...mama told me...but I still feel as having me might have pushed him into this state faster…” _

 

_ “Oh boy...look, I’ll admit that when before you were born, your mom and dad were the biggest idiots when it came to preparing for a child, but by no means does that mean they were upset to have you! Your father was ecstatic and couldn’t wait to be a dad! And that was further cemented once you were born! It’s just that old memories and reminders pop up here and there...and well...that’s all it took for your dad to continuously doubt himself into this...really bad spot he’s in now… but know that it's not you or your future twin sisters fault.” _

 

_ “...Will he get better?...” _

 

_ “That’s...hard to say...I mean you can count on all of us to try and make him feel better! It’s just that...he’s usually what keeps up in such a cheery state...so to not have that really dampers our attempts as I’m sure you’ve been noticing…”  _ the bear scratches his ear before speaking up again, much more upset  _ “Sometimes we all wish we could go back in time and fix it, but that’s not as easy as it sounds…” _

 

_ “But papa built a time machine!...” _

 

_ “Yes, he did. But it’s unstable!” _

 

_ “What does that mean?...” _

 

_ “It means, using it is beyond risky, you could get trapped in whatever time you go to. Or it fails altogether and blows up mid time jump... That’s why he and your grandpa stored it away in the garage until they learn to better work with it. Like I said, it’s not that easy.” _

 

_ “I guess...I’d help if I could…” _

 

_ “You’re just a kid! I’d give it a few years till you can! Why not for now you just hang around with the other kids? You uplift people just as much as Parappa. So don’t you get upset like to!” _

 

_ “But...they’re also a reason as to why i’m upset…” _

 

_ “Explain.” _

 

_ “They all just...mean...real mean...they blame me for my papa's condition that affected their mama’s...and...I can’t help but agree with them…” _

 

_ “Ugh seriously?...I keep telling them kids to back off...but it’s understandable...they’re worried over their own parents as much as you are about yours...what do they do or say…?” _

 

_ “They throw things at me...another reason why I wear your helmet...they also call me names…Such as cry baby-E.” _

 

_ “Ha...E...that’s actually pretty creative for a bunch of eight year ol- I mean that’s really rude! I’ll have to get the girls to handle that...I’ll go do that right now actually.”  _ the older PJ gets up and places Europa on the ground. Europa quickly looks to the ground. 

 

_ “They’re gonna blame me again for being yelled at…” _

 

_ “No they’re not...don’t worry...Lacey!”  _ a tiny bear peeks her head out from behind some boxes within the same room  _ “Oh great...you overheard us…get over here dear…” _

 

_ “Y-Yes papa…” _

 

_ “Look can you keep an eye on Europa and try to keep him cheery?...You’re the only kid who doesn’t use him as a welcome mat so I really need help here…” _

 

_ “‘O-Ok!...”  _ PJ leaves the room  _ “Ok so...you think my dad will really get the other to stop tormentin-...E-Europa?...where are you going?...” _

 

The helmeted child pulls out a box hidden in a corner _ “I’m just getting out some things I stocked together in preparation…” _

 

_ “T-Things for what?...” _

 

_ “I’m...gonna go on a little trip...alright?...” _

 

_ “O-Oh...is your papa taking you somewhere?...” _

 

_ “...No...but the place i’ll be going...will have papa there!” _

 

_ “What do you mean?...” _

 

_ “...take care alright?...”  _ the young boy runs off to the garage.

 

_ “W-Wait! P-Papa said I need to keep an eye on you!...”  _ she runs after him.

 

There is a long silence as eventually a loud roar of an engine revving up alerts everyone inside the house, they all run to the front of the building to witness a car driving out of control.

 

_ “H-HEY! Who’s driving the unstable prototype?!”  _ an older Parappa shouts as he looks at who’s gathered with them.

 

_ “None of us!...wait... “  _ PJ counts off everyone who’s gathered around until he notices something _ “Where’s Europa?!”  _ PJ points out causing the dogs eyes to widen. He immediately runs after the vehicle.

 

_ “JR! JR NO GET OFF OF THAT!”  _ The car accelerates as it stretches out, warping through time in a fast blaze leaving nothing but a burning skid mark trail  _ “ _ **_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!..._ ** _ ”  _ the dog falls to his knees as his arm stays extended out towards where the car used to be. Now all that remains is just an ashen mark on the ground, marking the loss of Parappa’s son. And with that, the dream ends.

 

* * *

 

PJ opens his eyes gently, a slight tear falling from one of his eyes. He wipes it away before glancing towards Parappa.

 

“Hey man...you dreamed about the future again?...”

 

Parappa wakes up with a large yawn “Naw...not this time...you?”

 

“...Nope.”

 

“Guess that was all we were allowed to see then. Oh well...I mean i’m ok with what we got to learn! How about you?”

 

“Ah...same here!...”

 

“Great!” He gets up and stretches his back until pops are heard “Wowwwww. I actually managed to rest exponentially here after all~ I think i’m gonna head off home!...or maybe I should check up on dad to see if he finished with Leo…”

 

“Yeah...you go do that instead...and mind if I tag along?...”

 

“Alright, and not at all! Let’s go then buddy!”

 

“Yeah i’ll catch up! Let me just get the rest of my body to wake up to.”

 

“Alright man, but don’t wait up!” He jogs off as the bear drops his head back onto the grass.  _ Was it...my fault that Europa left back in time?...He clearly had the idea beforehand and was already set...was I the deciding factor on whether or not he should’ve gone with it?...  _ PJ stares at the sky in a forlonging manner before choosing to get up instead. After which he heads off in the direction Parappa went off in.

 

* * *

 

_ “Look...I helped liberate you that much is true...but you lot...will NEVER be forgiven by me...I don’t even consider any of you acquaintances!” _

 

_ “D-Don’t you think you’re being a bit harsh Leo?...” _

 

_ “THEY’RE THE REASON A GOOD MAJORITY OF US ARE DEAD AMBY!...Emile and Milton got their heads ripped off by this dumbass of a roach! Your ‘sister’ killed Silphy and Wuki! While her asshole of a boyfriend killed off Gwenoyne, Mocha and Natasha!...” _

 

_ “Listen Leo...it might be in your best interest to listen to Ambrosia. After all these guys were under the possession of the freak-o…” _

 

_ “HARPER!...YOUR BANDMATES WERE KILLED BY THEM!...How can you just BE AT EASE with all this?!” _

 

_ “Ease up. When we all decided to enact our own revenge on Tycoon, we knew the risks we would be getting ourselves into. We knew that there was a high chance that not all of us would finish the mission alive and accepted whatever fate came to us as long as in the end, he came crumbling down to.” _

 

_ “THAT’S ASININE! WHY WOULD YOU GO IN THINKING THAT YOU’RE GONNA DIE FROM THE GETGO RATHER THAN THINK YOU CAN MANAGE IN THE END?!” _

 

_ “Leo...Europa. You’re from the future. So i’m sure you’ve figured out the stories of what this guy did from your family. How he’d do whatever it takes to meet his ends. Even if it meant sacrificing his own forces. Until his opposition was no more, he wouldn’t let up. This all is a prime example of that. My father knew that...YOUR father knew that…” _

 

_ “Don’t you dare...I refuse to accept that…” _

 

_ “Believe what you wish. But denial only clouds your mind and sets you up for inescapable failure. That’s what did my dad in...and that’s what’ll do YOU in if you refuse.” _

 

_ “I won’t let it do me in...because I will come out of this alive just like my family did…I’ll only accept my demise once I know for a fact that no matter what I do it’ll be hopeless...and that my death will be the solution to anything...” _

 

_ “They might have come out of it alive, but why do you think the depression, the guilt and all that other negativity all creped up on your father like it did?” _

 

_ “SHUT UP…” _

 

_ “Alright. I’ll drop it. But just know, for what happened to the seven that fell. You can’t really blame them.” _

 

_ “But he’s in his right to…”  _ The older axolotl girl speaks up. 

 

_ “A-Aqua…?” _

 

_ “Your sister’s right Ambrosia...possessed or not...we still had some semblance of a conscious while all that went down. We had no control over what we said, did or caused...but by no means does that mean we may have not had the ability to stop ourselves...and yet we did nothing like the cowards we are…”  _ both the older axolotl and a green beast man look towards the ground apologetically.

 

_ “My circuits were so easily reworked...and I call myself a genius…”  _ A small robotic pixel man whirs sadly.

 

_ “We were blinded by our own fear that we let ourselves become pawns…”  _ Two avians bow.in resent.

 

_ “My connection to my family hivemind was my own downfall...he didn’t even need to possess either my father or sister in order to get them to simply get the others to abide...and I was taken by force…”  _ A tall bug man looks away as he rubs the back of his head.

 

Europa scoffs before walking up towards them  _ “Your apologies are moot. I gave up bothering to save any of the people under Tycoons influence...don’t think it was from the kindness of my heart...You...if it weren’t for Harper and Silphy telling me that a tech man would be handy...you’d be scrap metal…”  _ he walks over to the avians  _ “If Milton and Emile didn’t find your kids...you wouldn’t be standing here...but I didn’t want other kids to have an unfortunate event happen due to family…”  _ He goes to the aquatic duo  _ “You two...I really wanted to end you both when I got the chance...but were it not for Ambrosia begging me not to from the bottom of her heart...you wouldn’t be standing here now…”  _ finally he walks up to the bug man  _ “And  _ **_you_ ** _...I don’t know why I spared you...no one told me to or begged me for you...maybe I guessed that removing four of your six arms permanently was a suitable compromise for beheading my friends? Nah...I think it’s how helpless, pathetic...and disappointing you looked like at the time...like me....finishing you then would’ve left me with a pit in my stomach...guess I didn’t wanna stoop to your level…”  _ he walks away from them all  _ “I don’t think I’ll ever forgive you, I don’t think i’ll ever want you lot as friends...be them your own actions or not, you still did it...and you will owe us for saving you...at the very least you lot can make nice meatshields…”  _ the video ends with a disturbed Sunny watching the helmet.

 

“That was depressing...ohhh...but that’s still not enough for me! Err...but he might be back soon...T-Two more videos!” She quickly activates the helmet once more and prepares for what she’ll see in this upcoming video.

 

The video feed shows three people flat on the ground, all exhausted. It was the bug man, the pixel robot and Europa.

 

_ “I can’t believe you actually managed to kill that walking behemoth of flesh and metal...that’s quite a marvelous achievement…” _

 

_ “Yeah...not gonna lie...thought we were gonna be done in at any given moment…” _

 

_ “You two should know better than to doubt me!...” _

 

_ “This is coming from the person who said he didn’t care for any of us and would make better meatshields than anything else.” _

 

_ “16-bits is right...why’d ya come to save us rather than just wait for him to end us then fight him?...” _

 

_ “...Ever since the time we had that chat to now...I’ve been doing alot of thinking...reflecting...and other stuff...and I guess...I’ve come to realized that...Harper and Ambrosia may have been correct in their sentiments of choosing not blaming you as well as treating the lot of you as friends instead...Sucks that it took both of them dying for me to finally realize all that…” _

 

_ “Young Ambrosia passed away?? How?...” _

 

_ “Preventing my dumb ass from dying…” _

 

_ “Oof...that’s rough man…losing your girlfriend and your sister like figure...I can really only say sorry…but that doesn’t really do much…” _

 

_ “Don’t worry...it’s my own fault...all of it was...had they not intertwined their fates with mine...they’d all probably be alive and kicking right now…” _

 

_ “And you?...” _

 

_ “I’d be dead. That’d probably be for the best though…Throughout this entire thing...I haven’t really been the best when it came to handling Bohemian...I was a mess through and through...my emotions were always just a big hindrance to me from start to finish…”  _ he extends his arm to the green sky  _ “Those other children of the future were right...I’m nothing more than an emotional wreck…an eternal crybaby...harper was right...If I had come to terms with that sooner...I probably wouldn’t have gotten my ass handed to me...and Amby wouldn’t have had to give her life in order to resurrect mine…”  _ He closes his eyes and stays silent for a bit. After a large awkward silence, he breaks it by speaking to the two of them  _ “I’ve been the world's biggest idiot, and an even bigger jerk...especially to you lot...You didn’t have to agree to my request for help...but you did...you all did...you actually all came here to fight...risking your lives at a slim chance of actually beating him…” _

 

_ “Well...he took alot from us...and...well...we did take even more from you...it was something I felt I had to do. I don’t need my mass IQ to tell me that.” _

 

_ “Same here...I’m angry at what Tycoon did to me...how he got my family to just come to see eye to eye with his insanity...but mostly...I’m angry at what I was forced to do...I felt I needed to do whatever it took to make up for it...even if it didn’t really accomplish that goal...ya know?” _

 

_ “...hey...you know what...I think it was stupid of me to say that I’d think we’d never be friends...that was just...my inability to accept that I was a weak imbecile talking...You guys are amazing people...I’d love to have you all as friends...if you wouldn’t mind being pals with a guy like me...of your own choice that is…cuz I do forgive you...all of you...” _

 

_ “...hm...well...not everyday one can be friends with an envoy of the future! You’d be great studying material! And...you did liberate me and gave me my new body...so I accept.” _ __   
  


_ “I think I’d be ok with that. I certainly wouldn’t mind being your friend...your like the physical representation of everything I wanna be…” _

 

_ “What...a failure?...A coward?...An inept fool?...” _

 

_ “Nooooo...a guy who can say what’s on his mind...who can trug along even after he knows...it really won’t do him much. A guy who can...forgive someone like me…” _

 

_ “Heh...alright then...thank you for choosing to be my new pals…~ As you can currently see...i’m gonna need to be replacing nine open slots~...” _

 

_ “Well with who remains of us...that’s...six slots filled. You’d need three more wouldn’t you?” _

 

_ “I could see if my sister would like to be your pal after she’s checked out of the hospital.” _

 

_ “They’re letting her out?...but I caved her head in! Her brain was turned to mush!” _

 

_ “It was! But not completely! And unlike me, she CAN regenerate her body. The insides to! But here’s the strange bit...she’s uh...a whole lot nicer…” _

 

_ “Excuse me…” _

 

_ “I’m telling the truth! Docs said that since you were the last thing she had on the mind from pure unceasing rage of being defeated by you. That thought lingered inside of the little itty bitty sliver of a brain she had left...but here's the ironic thing. That part of her mind was the repressed portion of kindness, generosity, empathy....basically EVERY nice thing about a person ever. That’s all that was left...and so her brain and head regenerated off of THAT. So now she’s a complete and utter sweetheart!” _

 

_ “That’s...terrifying…” _

 

_ “You got that right...and the thing is, she thinks she already IS your pal...cuz again, you were the last thing on her mind.” _

 

_ “Would it be bad to preemptively order a restraining order?...” _

 

_ “Uh...she’d probably cry endlessly…” _

 

_ “You’d be fine with making a female cry young Europa?” _

 

_ “N-NO!...Ugh...fine…”  _ the three of them chuckle before they’re stopped by the sounds of a groggy wake up  _ “Looks like the four of them are waking up. You two mind helping them up and filling them in?...I’d appreciate it.” _

 

_ “And what of you boy?” _

 

_ “Well...my body’s motor skills gave out...I am now stuck like this until my body jumpstarts it’s system again. So for now I’m stuck here holding my arm to the sky...and it hurts…” _

 

_ “Oh boy...now we have another person to take to the hospital.” _

 

_ “NO!...IF I GO THERE THEY’LL INFORM NANA AND SHE’LL  _ **_KILL_ ** _ ME! I mean she’ll be thankful i’m still here, BUT THEN BE FILLED WITH UNBRIDLED RAGE AT MY BRASH THINKING…” _

 

_ “Nana?” _

 

_ “I think he means the overprotective cat woman.” _

 

_ “Eh? Nana’s a cat?...” _

 

_ “Of course! You think that flimsy disguise hides anything?...Even so, I also have highly effective scanners within the processing chip that houses the entirety of my brain! That you thankfully did not break!” _

 

_ “In other words...X-ray vision?” _

 

_ “Well that’s the caveman's term for it, but yes.” _

 

_ “Gross...please don’t look at my nana like that…” _

 

_ “N-No! I would never do THAT!...” _

 

_ “Just...go help the four of them already…” _

 

_ “On it. Come on you peeping tom.”  _ The bug man carries the pixel robot away.

 

_ “I am not a peeping tom!...”  _ Once they’re out of sight, Europa only forces out a small chuckle as the video ends again.

 

Sunny stares with a face of mixed emotion.

 

“Ohhh...so he did forgive them in the end...and so the threat that harms Parappa is gone?...So why did he involve himself with them still? I mean I saw that he can’t go back after he explained to them all that his time machine broke...but still...shouldn’t he have worked on that instead of trying to integrate with them?...Especially now that the threats gone?...Unless it’s not gone?...Or...maybe he just wants to adapt to his new life in the past? It’s probably that.” She taps her fingers together “Well...I did say two more videos...and that was one...so here’s the finale! Let’s see what it shows me…”

 

A new video plays, in it we see the camera move away, showing that Leo was currently wearing the helmet in the video, from his vision, the older axolotl girl and a bipedal bee girl walk alongside him.

 

_ “So Nana asked you to help with this huh?” _

 

_ “That’s right! She told us to even get a cake!...what is it we’re helping with?...” _

 

_ “Well...today while at Nana’s shop...I spotted my dad...and he was in...a really...REALLY sad state today...and that really got me feeling down cuz today...well...it’s his birthday… he turns sixteen today and he’s all miserable!...I dunno what happened...and I dunno what everyone else is doing instead of helping him cheer up...but I decided...to use this as my chance...to speak to him…” _

 

_ “Oh?” _

 

_ “Yeah! See...my dad NEVER ends up as sad as he is now...he’s usually cheered up by his pals. But now he’s not...so...I could take the chance and help him myself...and in the process...get to be his friend and well...later down the line reveal who I am…But I gotta go quickly! Who knows when a chance like this will ever happen again…” _

 

Sunny pauses the video.

 

“Hehe...I had...nearly forgotten…”  _ His sixteenth birthday...the one where we made it seem like no one remembered or cared...but we all surprised him by the end of it with a massive surprise party with nearly EVERYONE there...but...it almost got ruined...how’d we fix it again?...  _ she unpauses the video.

 

_ “I think that idea is splendid! If not a bit risky…” _

 

_ “Aqua relax! My pal here can certainly break the ice with his dad!” _

 

_ “Athena are you sure? Because something doesn’t feel right…” _

 

_ “And that is?” _

 

_ “Well for starters, Europa himself just said that his dad is NEVER left to be like this so clearly somethings up.” _

 

_ “What do you figure?” _

 

_ “A surprise party? It’d have to be big to make up for all this though.” _

 

_ “Oooooh! Truth! That would make the most sense!” _

 

_ “Gaaaaah...you two are right...I remember now...Dad told me about this one...everyone feigned that they didn’t remember his b-day until the very end when he got home and everyone surprised him then and there. His friends, family, girlfriend...everyone. And I forgot!…” _

 

_ “Ooooh…”  _ both Athena and Aqua wince at Europa’s words.

 

_ “...Well...I’m still taking the shot!...speaking of which...how’d you get the cake so fast?” _

 

_ “Oh that, we went to this weird cafe where the owner wore a martial arts gi for some reason...and well he had this one prepared! Said something along the lines of him making a cake, but thought he lost it so he made another one. Then he found the original cake, but didn’t want this one to go to waste. So it was a right place right time kind of deal.” _

 

_ “Well that’s convenient…” _

 

_ “Hey buddy...how come you still have this stuffy thing on??”  _ Athena pulls off the helmet from his head and holsters it in one of her hands.

 

_ “Hey!...ugh…” _

 

_ “Hey yourself bud...what’s with your face?...you’re not supposed to look like that!...right?” _

 

_ “I was trying to hide that...ok...guess I can tell you two… Look. So my dad...his current relationship with his girlfriend...it ain’t gonna last…”  _ Sunny’s entire body feels a sharp pain after hearing the video say that.  _ “Sometime in the near future...they’re gonna break up…” _

 

_ “That’s upsetting to hear, but does not answer anything on how you look different.” _

 

_ “I’m getting to that Aqua...ok so...my dad’s female friends...well...he cherishes all his friends! He holds them all deeply within his heart...perhaps...a bit to deep within...and well...all the other girls that are his pals currently? Well...they’re all into him!”  _ Sunny’s hand twitches as her eyes widen.

 

_ “Wow...I didn’t take your father as the player type…” _

 

_ “H-He’s not!...he doesn’t know!...but...with what’s happening now...that wouldn’t be too hard to believe...Ok so...he...well he likes them as a friend...atleast in his mind and heart, but subconscious is a thing and well...it runs off a probability of fate in which he eventually talks to one of them...one thing leads to another yadda yadda...and so it focuses on this one fateful question. ‘Will you marry me?’ And well...they all would love to say yes to that. And with love comes said marriage...and what happens soon after?...” _

 

_ “You.”  _ both girls say in unison.

 

_ “Exactamundo. And so since he has four girls currently there. I’ll swap between a cat, a sheep, a mouse and a fox. It’s...also really painful every time I swap...physically AND mentally…” _

 

_ “Eh?” _

 

_ “I mean just changing shape in general is the physical portion...as for the mental portion?...Now comes the biggest struggle of my mission...ensuring my true birth mother...stays my birth mother…” _

 

_ “Ooooooh…” _

 

_ “Hey bud...so your dad’s girlfriend and him split up right? Why is that? She a terrible person or something?” _

 

_ “No! Atleast...I dunno. I don’t know anything about her. What she looks like, what she sounds like...HOW she was like. Just that they stayed together for quite some time…” _

 

_ “How do they not speak about her then?? Sounds like she was a good enough friend to keep in their hearts!” _

 

_ “Wellllll...during said breakup...she kinda had to up and leave them for safety reasons...that alone put my dad in a state much worse than he is today! I take it they didn’t want him relapsing so they removed any source of memory possible...photos...notes...mail...you know it. They made it as if she wasn’t ever a part of them after that…”  _ Sunny heaves a shaky dejected sigh  _ “Which is kinda upsetting...I wish I could’ve atleast seen what she looked like. Even now that i’ve gone back in time! Every time I spot my dad, I just barely miss spotting her!...So that’s just my luck. Still though...I think they all miss her in the future...there’s just this...air of resent and loneliness...I wonder if it’s from anger at the brash decision making she had? Or that they never got to properly say goodbye? Or the fact that they would never get to see her again…” _

 

_ “That’s upsetting...I’m amazed THAT wasn’t one of the things that tore down your father.” _

 

_ “As am I, but I guess they helped dad get his mind off of her as best they could. Not saying he truly forgot about her.” _

 

_ “...Alright. Let’s get you off this topic before you get upset again. Here!”  _ Aqua shoves the box into his chest.

 

_ “Oof!...huh? What’s up?” _

 

_ “Sign the little tag! I already wrote out ‘To Parappa’ so all you need to do is either write in ‘From Europa!’ or ‘From Leo!’ Cuz we’re already at his house!” _

 

_ “Oh! Gotcha! Hm…”  _ Europa thinks up on which name to use. Athena speaks up again.

 

_ “Hey bud, if you don’t mind me asking. Who’s your real mom?” _

 

_ “Oh...I guess I can tell you two...Just promise to not tell a soul!”  _ they both nod  _ “Alright! My real mother is-” _

 

_ “KATY!”  _ the trio are startled by the sudden shout.

 

_ “Q-Quick! Hide!...”  _ the three of them all jump into a nearby bush. Right after a blue cat storms out of the house with a sheep and mouse right behind her. The cat stops on the sidewalk before angrily shouting at the sky.

 

_ “ _ **_AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!_ ** _ ”  _ Fire ejects from her mouth and eyes as it blasts skyward.

 

_ (“Damn girl! What happened?!”) _

 

_ “Y-You just stormed out on u-us all aggressively!...” _

 

Video Katy calms down and turns to them, still slightly mad  _ “Ugh...sorry...it’s just the cake we were supposed to get and bring here got ruined!...” _

 

_ “W-What? How?!” _

 

_ “Ugh...while bringing it with Sunny, the cake got dropped…”  _ Sunny pauses the video

 

“I...heh...forgot about that blunder…” she resumes the video.

 

_ (“Oooooh…”) _

 

_ “She dropped it?...Feh...figures she’d mess it up…” _

 

_ “Noooo...it wasn’t her fault...when we got back we were kind of overloaded with questions due to the fact that we were almost late...and in the height of it Sunny got knocked over and well...yeah…”  _ she scratches her face  _ “Now Sunny’s crying her eyes out cuz she blames herself, everyone is panicking and no one’s shutting the hell up!...and all of it just!...GAAAAH!...”  _ she buries her face in her hands and yells at the top of her lungs.

 

_ “I can run over to the cafe t-to get Chop Chop’s spare cake!...you know i’m the fastest when it comes to getting their legs moving!...” _

 

_ “You can’t!...Parappa’s about a block away!...He’d make it here before you’d even get the cake...or worse...he’d spot you on the way over…” _

 

_ “Oooooh...just our luck…” _

 

_ “Wahaha….this is the wooooooorst...this plan is going south incredibly...nothing ruins this more than ‘Hey Parappa! Happy birthday! We spent this whole pretending we didn’t remember just to have you come here and see we actually ruin your real party!’ It’s like the biggest spit in the face!...”  _ she huddles down  _ “What are we gonna doooohohohoooo…”  _ they are left in silence until they here something placed behind them. They all turn to see a cake box left carefully on the ground.

 

_ “Europa what are you doing!...” _

 

_ “Buddy your chance!...” _

 

_ “What are you talking about?...I’m helping my mom keep hers~...”  _ Europa smiles as Katy walks up to the box.

 

_ “A cake box...and it has the exact cake inside!...H-How?...”  _ she stares at the bush beside her and immediately pulls it open, but to her surprise it’s empty.

 

_ “H-How’d it get here?...” _

 

_ (“This seems fishy…”) _

 

_ “This is PERFECT! This is fate smiling down on us! Giving us a freebie for us just being great people in general! This is a perfect example of lady luck blessing us this day! Come on we gotta get this cake inside carefully to Chop Chop Master Onion! And we also gotta get Sunny to stop crying...can’t have the birthday boy’s girlfriend shedding the waterworks now can we?”  _ she runs inside with the two others behind them. Europa and the two other girls all fly back to the ground. Europa grabs his helmet and places it back atop his head as he stares to the two girls with him.

 

_ “So...You realize you may never get a chance to speak with your dad now right?...” _

 

_ “I know. And that’s ok. I made sure he got to have a good birthday~” _

 

_ “Also buddy, you said you helped your mom keep her chance right? So theeeeen?” _

 

_ “Yep. The rather spontaneous cat be my mother. Ain’t she a charmer?~” _

 

_ “She seems...rather terrifying pal not gonna lie.” _

 

_ “I see where you get your brash impulsiveness from now…And how you’re so quick to change emotions on the fly…” _

 

_ “Hey. that’s not my fault! I’m a proud mama’s boy!”  _ the girls roll their eyes as the video cuts to a close.

 

Sunny feels an inhumanely large pit within her stomach as she trembles in place from sadness.

 

“H-Hahaha...how...upsetting...I never had a chance to be happy with him did I?...” She holds still in order to calm herself. She changes the topic “So that's how he got the name Leo...and that’s how we got the new cake...hehe...I wish I could thank him...He...doesn’t know what I look like...do I need this disguise?...No...what would happen if he wanted to introduce me to them...I don’t even want to think about it…” She hugs herself “I...would like it if he did try and get me to see them...but what would I do then? Disguised as this...Not like they’ll be happy with me...atleast that’s what it seems like it’ll be like...maybe...I can change that fate?...Europa changed his...maybe the same will go for me!...Ok I’ll do my best!...except I can’t interfere with Katy…Europa wants to guarantee his mother’s chance...and it’d be terrible of me to slight that...I would never forgive myself! Even...if it hurts to be near Parappa without being with him...” she stops her sadness as she slaps her face and invokes herself with back with happiness “Look at me! I haven’t even become Europa’s friend! And i’m already thinking he’ll get me back to them! That’s the first main hurdle I have to get through! Then if it ever comes to that, I should be happy that he eventually moved on! After all that’s what I wanted! However for right now! I should plan on how i’m gonna become friends with him in order to help him and the others! Maybe fixing up his place should already get me on his good side! I can only hope!” She places the helmet back in the wardrobe and dusts herself off. She then prances out of the room “I gotta keep what I found out to myself though! It’d be rude to admit to what I learned… And maybe he’ll tell me the information himself in the future! Here’s hoping!” She heads off to the elevator, once it descends, she does not scream thanks to her renewed joy.

 

* * *

 

“Later grandpa! Thanks for the chat. And for fixing my guitar! You're a lifesaver!” Leo, on his way out, bumps into the duo as they just arrive “Oh...sup dad, uncle.”

 

“Aw, I take it you just finished?”

 

“Yep. Why? Wanted to chat dad?” he tilts his head gently to the side.

 

“Yeah, but I don’t wanna hold you up. I guess I’ll save the chit chat for another time. Right PJ?”

 

“...Yeah…” The bear glances to the side.

 

“Oh...um...ok! Take care then!” The dog nods and heads on inside, but PJ waits until Parappa’s fully out of hearing range before slowly inching to Leo.

 

“You...still haven’t won me over…” he walks past him to head inside as well “...Take care of yourself alright?...” And just like that, he vanishes into the house.

 

“Uh...w-what was that about?...” He scratches the tip of his head, after a few moments of thinking he shakes his head with a shrug and flies off. After a bit of time he lands on his balcony and heads towards the couch and drops onto it “Maaaaaan...Well...atleast I managed to get that all off my chest...I just wonder if grandpa’s suggestions will help me out…” he stretches before melting into the couch “Oh man...it’s nice to come home and relax…~ It smells nice in here to…~” he reaches out and grabs a remote within his hand “Oh hey look at that...it’s usually never that easy to grab that…” His eyes burst open as he looks around his entire abode “WHAT HAPPENED TO MY PLACE?!” He stares around at how his place was entirely organized and rearranged “...I mean...it’s nice...but could’ve atleast asked me to do this…” He sits properly on the couch “Don’t think it was Fifi or anyone else that works here...then could have-...” The flower lady he was talking to prior pops into his head “...Poppy...oh boy...did I just blindly let a fan get near to me?...I sure hope not...well...this was a nice gesture...I’ll have to thank her...after a good nap…” He yawns and reclines back into the couch as he drifts off into sleep.

 

Back with Parappa and PJ, the duo stay at the table as they simply watch Pinto hound Papa Rappa. Trying to get him to spill the beans on what Leo had informed him on.

 

“Well Peej. You gonna eat? You’ve been really quiet since we got here. You haven’t even touched the food at all. So clearly, somethings up if it gets you to not eat.”

 

“I’m cool man. It’s nothing big.” He tries to take a bite out of what he’s eating but stops to speak again “Hey man...can we keep to ourselves about the dreams we shared?”

 

“...Something about it bugging you?”

 

“No it’s just…”  _ What to say...hm…  _ “You saw how yesterday went for you right?”

 

“Ooooh...good call. Sure thing. We’ll keep it to ourselves, but what do we do if the others end up having the dreams to?”

 

“Then we discuss among ourselves I guess. Once we think it over enough, we’ll ask Leo for clarification.”

 

“Aight. I can agree with that.” He takes a bite out of his food. PJ watches and finally does the same. Once they both finish PJ takes both plates.

 

“I’ll handle this. Consider it my way of saying ‘sorry for imposing!’”

 

“Aw come on PJ! You never impose! You’re also like family to us man so this is all fine!”

 

“Alright alright. Listen man, after this. I’ll be taking my leave. Thanks to you I overindulged in the sleeping, and I promised to do something with Sweety. So I gotta go before I end up late and it costs me my stuffing.”

 

“Eeee… Can’t have that happen! Better hurry man!”

 

“Yeah yeah.” PJ walks off to finish his self given objective as he stares quietly into the distance.

 

_ Why...do I feel so uneasy? Today just feels...wrong. Were we not supposed to witness what we did? Why did we witness it at all? Did...something happen that’s starting to falter time?... Oh man...I hope whatever’s causing it isn’t to disruptive towards us...Guess I can only wait and see… _


	28. Not a Date

_ 26 days before hell breaks loose _

 

“S-So...you’re gonna be tagging along w-with me today huh?...”

 

“As per Rammy’s wishes, yessir~”

 

“L-Lovely…”

 

“What’s wrong Lammy?...do I...bother you?...”

 

“N-No of course not!...it's just…” she struggles to say the rest, but Parappa catches on.

 

“...I get it. Sorry...this must be rather uh...nerve-racking huh?...”

 

“Little bit...hearing that this was Rammy’s idea only adds to that…”

 

“I mean...hey! She's uh...looking out for you!” he bashfully places his hands in his pockets as he looks away, heating up in the face “Just uh...kinda wish I wasn't treated as a prize is all...but I will say that I'm uh...honored~...” he pulls at the neck of his shirt. Steam ejects profusely.

 

“I-I’m glad for that I guess! And s-sorry!....I don't view you as a prize to be won! N-Not at all!...It just looks that way now that we've all been o-outed…” she turns fully red as steam emanates from her body “I had no idea liking a guy would be this stressful…or embarrassing…” she buries her face in her hands.

 

“I get what you mean...it's uh...probably cuz I'm fully aware that you and others like me...I know it's certainly throwing me for a spin…cuz...well I like ALL of you to!...singling it down to just one of you became so much more harder to do!”

 

“I don't even know who has it worse at t-this point…Nor do I even know what to do…”

 

“...Wanna go on a date?...” Lammy eyes burst through from between her fingers as the tips of her horns ignite on fire “W-Whoa whoa!...Calm down!...I guess I should of uh...probably thought on how to word all this better before letting my brain just say whatever it wanted...I don't mean like a  _ date _ date...and calling it a play date sounded to babyish for me… I mean as like a friend like full day hangout.”

 

“O-Oh...wait...huh?...then wouldn't you wanna include the others?”

 

“I'm using this as a chance to get to know all of  you better, as well as dip my heart back into this whole...ordeal.”

 

“Then...isn't that a d-d-date after all??...”

 

“I mean...partially...I want to see all of you as more than just my friends who bail me out of things I really should start handling myself. Moreso for your individuality that each won me over to begin with. I wanna get to know more of the person beyond what I see upfront. That's what happened between me and Sunny, and so I wanna see how it goes here. Who knows...one of you may ensnare my heart from it. But I don't think it'll happen after just one time. I wanna take my time with this. Mostly cuz I'm scared…”

 

“Scared of?...”

 

“Breaking hearts...getting my heart broken again...ruining friendships...so so many outcomes...it's really such an anxious demon within the corner of my mind…”

 

“...” _I hadn't even thought about_ _his state from all this...we've all just been thinking about our own needs on the matter...that was selfish of us...selfish of me...maybe taking this the long way step by step...won't be so bad...whoever comes out the cupid...well, clearly earned it. No one could argue there…_ “Alright…”

 

“Hm?...”

 

She grabs his hand “Let's g-go on this not date.”

 

“...L-Let’s!...”

 

The duo leisurely walk off as they ponder what they should do first.

 

* * *

 

“S-So the park...eheh...why here?”

 

“Well...it's nice and calm spot to just stop and stare at the area, and you know,  take in the tranquility. It's greatly decorated by the vast assortment of plants here and there. Hearing the sound of children and adults just having fun is a bonus. Plus there's the pond and the grove leading to it...those are just the cherry on top. Sorry if it seems cliche, what with most things starting at a park…”

 

“...Not at a-all~” she rests into him a tad as the duo just do just as explained. Take in the peace and just let the time flow by. Thinking on whether or not they should join in or move on for the spot. Or simply stay put. Lammy unknowingly finds her fingers wrapping themselves with Parappa's.

 

“I take it you're at ease?”

 

“Yeah…~ Is it that obvious?” 

 

Parappa raises their conjoined hand “Just a lil~”

 

“E-EEP. I'm so-” Parappa locks his fingers in place, keeping their hands together, Lammy's ears emit fumes to the sound of a train whistle “H-Hey!...”

 

“I'm cool with this. Relax. Not like this a ‘date’ or anything~”

 

“...O-Ok…~” the teasing words manage to reinforce the anxious sheep's morale as she stops fidgeting and sits upright. Locking her fingers as well.

 

“There we go. You know, sitting here with you is nice and all, but I rather not let others get the wrong idea. Wanna head into the grove? And just...wander about?”

 

“Won't we get lost that way?...”

 

“Relax! I wouldn't recommend it if I wasn't sure we'd be alright. You can trust me there right?”

 

He wasn't wrong. When it came to everyone's safety, Parappa wasn't one to tempt fate and she knew that. Her only wish was for him to be as diligent about it for himself “I can.”

 

“Great! Then let's get going!” he hops up and runs off, pulling her along.

 

“Whoa! H-Hold up!”

 

“Hold up? You're faster than me, I should be telling you that!~”

 

“Not when it's a sudden sprint!”

 

“Excuses~” he gives a laugh that just earns him a playful roll of the eyes as Lammy picks up the pace, dragging him along instead “See what I mean?~”

 

“Oh hush you little brat~”

 

“Fair enough!” they both enter a giggle fit as they enter the grove. They rush about until Lammy swerves through a cluster of trees, but Parappa smacks face first into one causing their hands to be separated. This leaves Parappa falling onto his back.

 

“Aw can't keep up?~ That's to bad~ You wanted this so you better pick up the pace!” she vanishes among the trees while Parappa sits up rubbing his face.

 

“Ok...starting to understand the feeling of being caught off guard by something happening suddenly…” once he finishes soothing his pain he gets up and looks around. He is all alone “Lammy?...Uh oh…”

 

Meanwhile the mentioned ewe carries on running gleefully before she takes a quick stop to notice the lack of her fellow runners laughter “Parappa? You there?...I didn't leave you to far in the dust did I?...” she looks around to see emptiness and hear only silence “I-If this is a joke it's not f-funny!...” still she is met with the stilling quietness of the area “O-Oh relax Lammy! You probably just left him way behind and he's now catching his breath! He'll c-catch up in no time!” She stands strongly for about a minute before she falls over onto her side on the grass, hyperventilating “W-What if he's not coming??...What if he c-can’t find me??... Am I just...l-lost here forever??...” her eyes mimic a leaky faucet as the waterworks begin. She doesn't even call for help as the defeated feeling of it being pointless to swarms her completely, and so she huddles up by the base of one of the many trees.

 

She stays quiet, the sound of the insects in the trees as her own source of accompaniment. Through the sadness, a sense of deja vu is not lost within her mind. Especially when another familiar thing happens immediately.

 

“There you are!” A familiar voice grabs her hand and pulls her to her feet “Man oh man...got me worried there for abit…” 

 

Lammy can barely make out the shape of who’s in front of her, but from what she can see and hear. She knows who finally caught up “You f-found me…”

 

“Of course I was gonna find you! Wasn’t gonna stop lookin till I did!” He wipes her tears away “Now don’t cry, you’re gonna be ok! You just got a lil lost is all! You can count on me to help ya out~” He winks at her to try and get her to cheer up, but Lammy is simply lost in the mass sensation of reliving an old dream “Come on now! Time for me to try and get us back on track!” He gently begins walking off with her to get her prepared for the upcoming sprint he’s going to pull them into. Once the spring starts Lammy speaks up.

 

“B-But what if we just get more lost within here?...”

 

He doesn’t stop moving and doesn’t turn his gaze away from what’s in front of him as to not run into anything “Heh...I don’t think that’d be all bad.” He tilts his head slightly back “Cuz I’d at least be lost with my best friend.” He smiles ”You!

 

”B-But you would-”

 

“Hey now, no more negativity aight? Don’t worry over whatever the end outcome is cuz it’s all gonna be ok!” He squeezes her hand reassuringly “I know it’ll be! Whenever I’m with any of you guys in a situation like this...it always feels like it’ll be ok. You all make it feel that way!” He stops briefly to look at her “You believe that to right?”

 

Though some lines were different, this was nearly action by action from her old dream. However, while she was happy over the scenario happening before here, She was also upset at the fact that this may just be a cruel trick of fate and be just be another dream. Nevertheless she replies “I do b-believe!”

 

“Just the words I wanted to hear! You know I’ll always make sure things end up ok, I can promise you that. It feels like it’ll be alright regardless cuz I got a friend like you by my clumsy side! You feel the same?”

 

The words really don’t make her believe this is anything aside from a dream, but still she goes with it “I do! I really REALLY do!”

 

“Ya promise you aren’t just saying that?...”

 

“I do promise!” She grips his hand tightly in her own reassuring manner. As she does that, a white light beams from an opening in the far distance as if on cue to mimic her dream. This causes her grip on his hand to weaken.

 

“You seem like you got something on the mind?...You alright?...” He asks worriedly, but stays looking directly forward.   
  


“A dream…” She says below her breath.

 

“Hm?...”

 

“This is just a dream…”

 

“Just a what?...I can’t hear you…” His own grip on the hand holding slips.

 

“...”  _ If this really is a dream… _

 

“Lammy?...”

 

_...THEN I DON’T WANNA LET GO!...  _ “I just like being here with you!”

 

“...I do to. Spending time with a bestie is always such a joy. I’m glad it is for you to!   
  


“No!...It’s more for me because I...I like you!...Really like you!...”  _ Don’t mess it up again!...  _ “Love you!...I have for so long!...”

 

Parappa stops, much like in the dream, yet here it feels different “Heh...it feels so strange to hear those words you know? Cuz ever since the obvious happened...now everytime I hear em, I feel i’m not...worthy of being told that?” He reinforces his grip on her hand “But...maybe after everything I choose to see and do with everyone. After all my self discovery is dealt with and my doubt gone... I’ll be worthy by then. I will have probably found out how to handle things. And who knows...maybe by the end of my many upcoming ‘not dates’...It’ll be you who I love to~...” He gives a tomato faced smile as he yanks her forward for a big hug of embarrassment. They fall through the light once more, but Lammy feels the full embrace of the hug, the heat of the embarrassment they both share, the tension, the relief. It’s all there and leaving in favor of just a childish happy bond they’re currently sharing as Lammy can't help but laugh. She was happy, and he was happy. Why was she happy? He didn't say he fully loved her back. She was overjoyed simply by the fact that he was taking the chance to see if maybe they could be together. They both just laughed as they fell through the open clearing.

 

_ I-Its...Its not a dream!...  _ They land on the grass in the clearing of the pond, Parappa on his back and Lammy ontop of him. Their laughing settles into a smiling giggle fit as their foreheads rest together “Heh...this is all so...entrancing...and it makes me...really happy…~”

 

“I can only assume so! But still...I'm uh...sorry I couldn't say I love you back...I'm still really...lost on the matter as a whole.”

 

“That's fine!...I understand. What got me happy was just seeing that...this wasn't a dream.” she closes her eyes “This was almost an exact word for word and action by action recreation of a dream I had such a while back. And to see it be almost so accurate to what it was then, made me nearly the happiest I can be!”

 

“I think I can take a gander at how it ended and as to why you're not a hundred percent. I'm sorry.”

 

“Again don't worry! I'm really overly elated with what I did get to feel.” She kisses him on the forehead.

 

“W-WHA-”

 

“Relax, it doesn't mean anything cuz remember. This is not a date~” she playfully winks after saying that, overjoyed she can get away with a moment like that through his own words “Consider it my thanks for making me the happiest I could be~”

 

“But you said nearly-”

 

“I did...but letting me thank you was the final deciding factor on letting me be the happiest~”

 

“...Glad I could help ya out~” He gives a peace sign with his left hand as the two begin getting off the ground. They sit by the water as they gaze upon the shiny surface.

 

“What do you want to do now Parappa?”

 

“Well I mean since we're here in a nice sense of privacy. I think now's the time I get to learn a whole lot more about you! And vice versa to if you'd like! Now why not fill me in. Just who is this shy rocking gal. Who is Lammy Lamb?~”

 

“Oh man where do I begin...well...let's see here…”

 

* * *

 

“Man what a borin day...and they still gotta work so they ain’t gonna be able to entertain me…” Rammy reclines on a street bench as she sighs, setting a bag that she’s toting around on the ground between her feet “So Katy and Mar are out of the question...and I can't exactly call Paraps over after I managed to get him to go with Lammy…” She counts the people walking by “So…who's left to chat with?”

 

“I think I have some time to kill.” Paula surprises the black sheep by spontaneously appearing on the bench next to her.

 

“Oh P. Where'd you come from?”

 

“Oh just on a book hunting spree. Wanted to see if any new novels are about that could inspire some more within my acting front ya see, but no luck. So I just walked about bored out of my mind and here I find you under the same predicament. So I decided to drop in. Why aren't you just hanging out with your roomies?”

 

“Two of em are working and the other two are out and about. So I don't wanna bug any of em.”

 

“How strange, normally you're one to quickly tag along regardless of what they say.”

 

“Yeah well...just being considerate…”

 

“Girl what's up…”

 

“...I feel I might end up causing a bad situation to happen...or make an already existing bad scenario worse…”

 

“You feeling this way wouldn’t be because of you setting a mansion on fire as well as causing it to collapse now is it?”

 

“...”

 

“Look, Parappa and Katy already told all of us and stated that it wasn't your fault at all. Your heart was in the right place, you were just a lil to quick in the trigger. And besides, despite all of that. You made it out safely.”

 

“I guess...I've just got it stuck in my head that I'll mess up again.”

 

“Nonsense! You won't!”

 

“It's so easy to hear people say that. Not as easy to actually believe it. Alright, I'll give in and accept that it really will be ok. However I still can't go to any of them. Katy’s gotta reorganize the entire inventory they have since they got a massive stock up and little to no business. Mar is actually helping her pops on finding out what else they should provide at their place. And Paraps is busy spending the day with Lammy.”

 

“Ah...yeah that'd be for the be- what was that last bit?”

 

“I pushed Paraps with Lammy to get them to spend the day together. Maybe Lammy will reinforce her confidence or Paraps will get a clue and his brain will spark something. But no, to be honest it's just for them to hang out. I kinda took a lot from Lammy since my arrival and integration here so I just want em to catch up is all. Can't really third wheel on that since I've already been doing that.” 

 

“Ah. You sure that was all smart idea? Lammy's normally not one to be able to handle a moment where it's just the two of em.”

 

“Heck if I know! But it's the start of my...guess I can call it apology? Don't really have the time or patience to think, what with my mind filled with nothing but my ‘rescue party’ poppin in at any given moment.”

 

“Oh man that's right...never know when they could show up again. And you can't even ask Parappa for support to keep yourself at ease. Hm...guess that leaves me!” she hops off the bench “Come on! Let's go enjoy ourselves!”

 

“What do you have in mind?”

 

“Whatever can catch our attention the longest! Now let's go girl!”

 

“...Eh. Why not.” She gets up and follows the ecstatic fox down the street.

 

* * *

 

“Wow. You certainly had it rough…”

 

“I mean...that's something you can call it?”

 

“You'd think your parents were be more supportive!”

 

“It's not that they aren't cuz they don't like what I like...it's more so as a worry that it just won't be safe for me...I always thought it was weird cuz it really didn't make THAT much sense at the time, but after hearing what we did from your mentor. It made a heck of a lot more sense.”

 

“Ah...right...Tupper’s actions must've scarred your mom for life…”

 

“Seems like it...but it's not like I'm in a battle myself!” She recalls Rammy “Erm...a-atleast not anymore…”

 

“Yeah but Tupper was just a dancer with supernaturally strong legs and an affinity with fire due to his origins with the group Ma-san’s family was in. But you don't have either so it's not like you're risking yourself in anything or are a target for bad people! I mean yeah you dance from time to time, but you're generally just an amazing rocker gal! Not a last resort fighter. To think that mentality nearly led your parents to stopping you from becoming the amazing gal we know today! I'm honestly glad you took the chances that you did. Cuz I'm super glad I got to meet you from it.”

 

“Heh. Yeah I'm glad to.” she smiles as they stare at the water “All of you. The day I met Katy and Ma-san and formed MilkCan...that was just such an out of the blue chance that was certainly a good one to take! I also got to meet you... and well…”

 

“All those freeze ups make alot more sense now. My bad, but look at it this way. Had I known that tidbit back then, I'd feel bad that I was making you feel that way and would've opted to just keep my distance rather than continually help you guys out. In the end I became a pack mule for you three and frankly. I don't mind. Like I said then, it was my chance to get to know my favorite band a whole lot more! Just like I'm learning the rest right now. This is all something I'm blessed with and will never give it up. Only difference now is I'm single so uh...plus for you all? Feels weird saying that.” his tongue ejects out of his mouth like a confused puppy.

 

“Well...I guess I'm glad that my lack of a spine gave me the chance to have you as close as I could! That's the only time I'll ever be happy to say that!”

 

“But you're not lacking in confidence now aren't ya? Here you are as stoic as can be, just talking through these subjects like nothing at all! Meanwhile me on the other hand?” through a faded blush, he blows a raspberry to play it off cutely.

 

“Ha. Guess you're right. And you certainly never stop being cute do you?”

 

“It's a curse~”

 

“Not for someone else watching you~”

 

“Touche~” they laugh again before Lammy asks.

 

“Since the water is no longer at danger of suck sucking us in. It looks like it'd be pleasant to swim in.” she frowns “To bad I didn't bring anything, but I didn't know we'd be here!”

 

“Ooooh...sorry bout that. I know what you mean though.”

 

“Yeah, I rather not get my clothes wet if I can help it. And I ain't taking anything off. I may be calm with this, but I don't think I'm THAT calm yet since we're out in the open and not home to have an excuse.” she sticks her tongue out towards him.

 

“It’s not like i’m asking you to dive in with your underwear, let alone skinny dip! You brought the idea up anyway. But I getcha. I was the same. Be happy you don't have Ma-san or Rammy tagging along. They flat out threw me in the water over me not wanting to get anything wet!”

 

“That's a bit excertive…and excessive…”

 

“It was! But I was kinda asking for it so I'm in no position to talk! And hey, I was just upset at the time. Really there idea was probably for the best...in faaaaact.” Parappa quickly scrambles up a tree.

 

“What you got in mind?...” She loses sight of him within the tree leaves. Seconds later from the tree fall his shirt, shoes and pants as they drop from the leaves along with his socks and beanie that take a bit longer to fall. Lammy quickly panics and turns away covering her face “W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!...” soon after she hears a Tarzan like yell as Parappa swings from a vine. She forces her eyes open to see the guy swing across over the water in nothing but his red, bone adorned boxers “Oh phew...wait...THAT'S NOT ANY BETTER!”

 

“What isn't?” Parappa let's go of his vine and flips in the air to show off before diving into the water as a cannonball. He spits out a stream of water as he resurfaces “I repeat, what isn’t?”

 

“Why are you in your underwear!”

 

“I didn’t want my clothes wet.”

 

“But now probably the most crucial bit of clothing is soaked! And when you want to get out and get redressed then your pants are gonna be soaked!”

 

“Oh don’t worryyyyyyyyy. I already thought about that! Well two things. I’ll either just wait out on the grass by relaxin till it dries. Or option two, I just wear my clothes without my boxers. Just store em in my pocket... oh! Or that leftover bag by your foot that we accidentally left behind during our clean up sesh!”

 

“Going commando!? Isn’t that a bit much?”

 

“Well I mean I still have my shirt and pants and other stuff on. Not like anyone will know unless I flat out tell em. And why would I do that? That’d be weird.”

 

“A-Are you even hearing yourself?...” Lammy’s thoughts spiral around until something rather obvious clicks in. When he described what happened at the manner he visited with Katy and Rammy, he was the most destructive and hindering despite it being Rammy that made the situation worse to begin with. And recently he has been much more impulsively blunt and forward to a point it seemed rather odd for him. But the same could be also said about Rammy who had started becoming much more tame, docile and even heavily forgiving to an extent she feels like a guilty bother. Lammy’s eyes widen “You two are starting to become half like the other due to how much you’ve rubbed off on each other…Oh my god...”

 

“Eh?...Half like who?”

 

“...No one...nevermind…”  _ I’m...gonna have to speak to Ura about this...no...wait...she’d feel bad about it!...Gah...then who do I talk about with this without turning it into a big thing??...Katy or Ma-san won’t exactly keep it between us...PJ, Matt or Paula would try and talk to Parappa about it...Whahahahyyyyyyyy...guess I’ll keep it to myself for now…  _ “So is that what you’re really gonna be doing?...”

 

“Yeppers! Seems like the most straightforward and simple thing to do!”

 

_ What am I gonna do with you… _ “Alright! I guess I can handle that. As long as you’re outside my field of vision when you shed your boxers off when getting dressed…”

 

“Alrighty, can do!” He shrugs with a roll of the eyes before submerging underwater again. Once again he quickly resurfaces “Man I wish you could join me in here, but like I said, not asking you do what you don't wanna. So I'd suggest backing a bit away to avoid me accidentally splashing you!” He swims about in the water while laughing all about.

 

The poor ewe watches upset from wanting to tag along, but as he repeated, she couldn't really find a compromise “It's not like I don't want to join in!...I just don't have an alternative…”

 

“I mean you could do what I'm doing.”

 

“I CAN'T DO  _ THAT _ !”

 

“Why not?”

 

“W-WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHY??”

 

“I mean...it’s working for me!”

 

_ How did you let this happen to yourself...For Ura it’s fine because of who she is! But for you...it’s so...unnatural!...But it does make sense...with her actions, it would feel like she’s more of a guy than a girl making it easier to be around her like you would be with Matt or PJ...plus with how much exposure to her personality you have!...this is so bewildering...how d-do I deal with this??...well...dealing with Ura is one thing because of how we are to each other...but here? With you?...  _ she sighs  _ But i’m still your best friend above all…  _ “Yeah...it is…oooooohhh...p-please look the other way!...”

 

“Right away!” He turns away and goes back under water.

 

After a bit of time he feels ripples in the water, he looks to see the girl not face him in the slightest.

 

“See that wasn’t so hard! It makes a good makeshift bikini to! And hey! I forgot you have a tail to! Rarely get to see it.”

 

“I...would rather take my mind off this i-if possible...preferably as quickly as c-can be…”

 

“O-Oh...um...hm…”

 

“I’m open to any and all s-suggest-” Lammy is silenced after being waterlogged by Parappa splashing her in the face with a torrent of water.

 

“Bullseye!” He chuckles before he notices Lammy’s been dunked under the water from his surprise attack “U-Um...Lammy?...” his calm demeanor turns into worry as he starts regretting his little assault. He is caught off guard however as from behind him the mentioned ewe appears in a big wave that sweeps the small dog away “WAAAAAAAH!”

 

“Bullseye!~”

 

“I surrender~...”

 

“Thought so! And thanks for this.”

 

“Anytime! Now let’s enjoy the water!”

 

“Let’s indeed~”

 

* * *

 

“Man I didn’t realize you could be so picky when it came to where you wanna hang out girl!...” _ You’re almost like Parappa when he refuses to break away from the norm cycle we have… _ Paula chuckles nervously as they leave another club that failed to catch Rammy’s fancy.

 

“I’m sorry...guess I just refuse to break away from the norm that i’ve grown so used to…”

 

_ Ok what the hell, did she seriously admit to that?? Since when would you ever admit to that!...  _ “Ah... I see… N-No apology needed! Speaking of which, you’ve been apologizing a lot today...and you RARELY apology let alone do so this much...sure something else isn’t the matter?”

 

“No?...Really it’s only just what I told you. I don’t think there’s anything else up with me. But I wouldn’t be fucking surprised if there was. I guess I just...feel the need to apologize for wasting your time.”

 

“But you’re not!”  _ That’s...another strike for being like Parappa...what’s going on...i’ve been noticing you’ve been a lot more docile than what’s considered the norm for you… Normally you wouldn’t really give a damn if whether or not you’ve been a bother. Let’s see if i’m actually going somewhere with this and not just having mild paranoia…  _ “I actually have one more place I wanna give a go… Wanna try the park?...”

 

“SURE!...I-I mean... Alright, but only if you wanna...or whatever. Parks are usually cliche and fucking overrated as i’ve noticed...so I can understand if it ain’t your fancy…”

 

_ Wow...such an enthusiastic immediate yes followed by an apology over it for considering my thoughts on it...the park is usually the last place she’d visit when alone or with only a few people with her, unless we all were together wanting to go...and she just nearly jumped in place over it right now...she...really has become half of Parappa...now that I think about it...Parappa himself has become a slight bit more...hellish...such as yesterday… _

 

* * *

 

_ “Parappa! Man you have great timing! Over here! I need your help!”  _ the fox shouts towards the dog casually walking down the street as she’s seen carrying a ton of boxes and bags at the entrance to her place.

 

_ “Oh wow are your hands full! I’ll get the door for you!” _

 

_ “It’s locked! Can you get the key from my jacket pocket?” _

 

_ “This one?”  _ The fox nods as the small dog rummages around to no success  _ “Your keys aren’t here!” _

 

_ “Try the other one!” _

 

_ “Not here either.” _

 

_ “What?!...Oh man...it’s in one of these bags…” _

 

_ “Want me toooo heeeeelp with thaaaaat?...” _

 

_ “No! I do not have that kind of patience...Look...think you can just bust the door off and help me fix it once I set these things down inside?...” _

 

_ “Um...alright! If you say so!”  _ Parappa rears his head back and smashes it forcefully into the door, sending it flying.

 

_ “P-PARAPPA!...” _

 

_ “What??...You said to do that!” _

 

_ “I meant to punch or chop the doorknob off!...Not headbutt the door clean off!...Wait...why did you even headbutt it?!...” _

 

_ “I dunno...felt right.”  _ he nods a bit before stumbling in place  _ “Wooooo...got dizzy all of a sudden…” _

 

_ “Yeah no kidding with how much force you must’ve used to DO that!...Ugh are you gonna be alright?... Come on get inside...let me just set all this down so I can check up on you better…” _

 

_ “R-Roger Dodger m-ma’am~...”  _ He teeters on inside as Paula sighs, following him inside.

 

* * *

 

_ And he did it so casually with a no fucks given attitude to...even when he was suffering the immediate migraine from the head trauma...like how...she would...huh…  _ she looks back to Rammy “Well...what are we standing around here for, we going to the park or what?” The black ewe beams brightly once that’s brought up again causing the fox to tense up with a false giggle. With that out of the way, they make their trek towards the mentioned place and arrive with relative haste.

 

“Man what a great day! The sun is shinin brighter than usual! Almost feels like the good ol classical hell heat! Without the drawbacks of being inside of hell!”

 

“Well glad to see you’ve perked up again.”

 

“Glad to be perky again! Still can’t help but feel bad that none of the clubs you brought up had this effect on me...but I think I can help make up for that!”

 

“Oh you don’t have to Rammy it’s fi-” she’s caught off guard by Rammy pulling out a boombox from the bag she’s been carrying around.

 

“I snagged this from Paraps! Doesn’t look like he’s been using it much so I decided to take it for abit! This baby should provide some good tunes just like any old club can!”

 

“...Uh...Rammy...I think you might’ve accidentally kidnapped someone…”

 

“...A boombox isn’t a person Paula…”

 

“Nooooo! Look just watch!...” She walks up to the confused sheep “Oh...how did Parappa activate you?... Was it this button?” She presses a random button on the boombox that starts playing a peculiar song.

 

_ You were my everything… _

 

_ Thoughts of a wedding ring… _

 

_ Now i’m just better off dead… _

 

_ I’ll do it over again! _

 

_ I didn’t want it to end... _

 

Paula quickly presses another button, but another song plays.

 

_ Do you think of me? _

 

_ Of what we used to be? _

 

_ Is it better now…? _

 

_ That i’m not around?... _

 

_ My friend are actin strange… _

 

_ They don’t bring up your name… _

 

_ Are you happy now? _

 

_ Are you happy now… _

 

Paula hits a third button as she starts to catch on as to why Parappa had not used the poor boombox in a long while, but a third song plays.

 

_ You prolly think that you are better now.  _

 

_ (Better now…) _

 

_ You only say that cuz i’m not around. _

 

_ (Not around…) _

 

_ You know I never meant to let you down… _

 

_ (Let you down…) _

 

_ Woulda gave you anything… _

 

_ Woulda gave you everything- _

 

The song stops on it’s own as the boombox springs to life.

 

“FOR THE LAST TIME PARAPPA, I SAID I DON’T WANNA PLAY ANYMORE UPSET BREAK UP SO-...where am I?” the little blue boombox stares at his surroundings before looking at the fox and sheep before him.

 

“I think I see what you mean by the kidnapping part…”

 

“I’VE BEEN KIDNAPP-” Paula quickly presses an assortment of buttons to shut him up. He stops the music to look angrily at the fox.

 

“Boxyboy nonono! You haven’t been kidnapped. It’s just that Rammy here didn’t know you were something that’s technically alive…”

 

“How could you not! It hasn’t been that long since Parappa turned me off! Speaking of which how’d you get into his room to get me out?... The guy hasn’t let ANYONE in!”

 

“Hoooo you’ve been turned off for longer than I thought…” She grits her teeth as her eyes roll away from the small boombox “Boxy...Parappa hasn’t been locked up in there for uh...quite some time now actually…About a month and so ago...he finally managed to lighten up!...”

 

“WHAT?! Then how come he didn’t bother turning me back on!”

 

“Might um...telling us when exactly he turned you off?...”

 

“About three weeks into his whole brooding speal…”

 

“Oh man...erm...this might sting to hear...but you’ve been turned off for...about a year actually…”

 

“THAT’S EVEN WORSE! DID HE JUST UP AND FORGET ABOUT ME?!”

 

“Nono! That’s not it...after he turned you off, around that time his condition degraded beyond proper care...we kept trying to help, but to no avail... “ She sighs “Katy and PJ finally broke through to him and he’s been rehabilitated!...Kinda...He’s ok now, but has a pretty decent chance of reverting back...Not to mention there’s been so much that happened between his acceptance to help to now...so with all of that. He probably had to much on the mind to recall he had turned you off…”

 

“Ugh...I’m offended! What could have possibly happened in the span of a month since his cheer up??”

 

“Well he realized he had fallen in love with the four of us, we made a new friend who turned out to be his son from the future who came back in order to save him and us. Someone from hell came up in order to claim her revenge, but he stopped her and now she’s one of our new friends and is also living up here. During that process though he kinda had to patch things up with the MilkCan trio as there were loads of complications and misunderstandings which RECENTLY got handled. And he also stopped a group of maniacs from destroying a town city hybrid while at the cost of letting said previously mentioned son from the future's club get destroyed in the process. Not to mention just a few days ago he had to survive an onslaught of killer robot maids and butlers at a mansion of death. So yeah that’s pretty much the summary of it.”

 

The small boombox simply stares at the girl with a simple blink thrown in here and there “Wow...what the heck did I miss…I don’t know whether to feel even angrier that I was shut down for all that or happy that I didn’t get to partake in the madness.”

 

“Well I mean there’s also the fact that Paraps now lives with the MilkCan trio...course so do I now actually. And it’s not even the MilkCan trio anymore! All of us together are the new group of Leavin’ to Believin!” Rammy finally adds on.

 

“Oh right, there’s that to.”

 

“Alright! Enough. I’ll just settle for me being glad I wasn’t turned back on.” He adjusts some dials and knobs on his face “Look. Mind giving me a hand here? Parappa loaded me up with a ton of break up songs and hearing em just makes my head hurt...can you erased them off my system? I can’t get all the proper buttons on my face to do it myself…”

 

“Sure thing...that’d probably be for the better anyway. He hears even one song he left on you and that would not end well…” Paula shudders.

 

“I do not want to store any more of these within my system so please get them out ASAP to prevent that…” Both girls nod as they follow the small boombox’s instructions.

 

* * *

 

“Man...this is lovely and all, but all this wading around in the water just makes me wanna go to the beach…”

 

“I know right! I thought the exact same thing and even Ma-san and Rammy almost got on board with it. It’s just with what’s been happening now and then, there just isn’t a time to manage it unfortunately…”

 

“Yeah…” They float about as they drift across the surface and bump into each other from time to time. Eventually Lammy stops as she flips upright, huddling up “It got to cold for me…”

 

“I know how to fix that!” Parappa immediately latches onto her back with a big hug “Friendly warmth hug~”

 

“AIEEEEE!...W-What are you doing?!”

 

“What? It’s not like we HAVEN’T hugged before!”

 

“BUT WE WERE PROPERLY CLOTHED THOSE T-TIMES!”

 

“Aaaaaand? It’s still a hug~”

 

Lammy simply heats up as her face turns red. However she really heats up as the water starts to slightly get warmer, but both do not notice “S-Stooooop…”

 

“Not warm enough?” He buries his face into her back as he rubs his fur against her “Luckily i’m fluffy enough to remedy that!”

 

“N-Nooooooo!...” Her body boils up, she swears that her body’s being ignited on fire. Her horns spark as much as they can, but ultimately fizzle out due to being drenched. The water is much more warmer now as it’s noticed by the dog.

 

“Hey...did the water get warmer all of a sudden?...” He let’s go of Lammy as he slowly floats back abit “Did you happen to-”

 

The heat erupts within her “N-NOOOOOOOOO! NONONONONONONONONONONO! I DIDN’T DO THAT!...” the fire within her entire being magnifies as the water begins boiling profusely, not affecting her in the slightest, but the dog however…

 

“Hey that’s funny...the water got REAL hot all of a sudden…hehe...it’s almost boiling cuz it’s starting to bu- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” Parappa rockets out of the water skyward as he blasts off into the sky.

 

The lamb stops panicking as she sees the dog fly off “P-Parappa…?” She looks at the water to see bubbles sweltering about from the heat “W-What the…”

 

Meanwhile with Paula and Rammy, as they’re helping Boxyboy, they hear Parappa’s pained yell in the distance as he flies off into the sky. Just barely out of their field of vision.

 

“Did you hear that?”

 

“Yeah it sounded like someone being boiled alive.”

 

“How do you know what that sounds like??”

 

“I’m from hell remember?”

 

“Oh yeah…”

 

“Hey! I still have like a dozen songs still in me! Help with that please…”

 

“Right right! Sorry!” the duo resume with the boombox maintenance.

 

After a bit of time, Parappa divebombs back down into the water. He swims about in a blur “HOTHOTHOTHOTHOTHOTHOT!”

 

“S-Swim out of the water!...” Parappa does as told as he shoots onto land. Once there he rolls onto his back gasping as smoke emanates from his overcooked body. Lammy gets out of the water and rushes to his side “A-Are you ok?!”

 

“I am...just recovering from the fact that I was almost baked alive...wowieeeee!” His face turns into a smile “That was AMAZING!”

 

“Being boiled alive was amazing to you?!”

 

“No not that. YOU! You really were what made the water warm! I dunno what you did, but you managed to turn an entire pond into a boiling pot!” A thought quickly clicks in his head “WAIIIIIIIT! We literally talked about this not that long ago!”

 

“W-We did?...”

 

“YEAH! Your grandfather Tupper! Like I brought up, he had an affinity with fire! And it's clearly been passed down!” he gets back onto his feet “Like what Ma-san did when we were inside that other dimension! She overheated to the point that her body was a living heat source when she was trying to hit me! You can do that to! And it’s THAT that’s amazing!”

 

“B-But I don’t wanna do this!...And even if I can, I did it by accident from getting overly embarrassed!...Wait...but I usually get overwhelmingly embarrassed...A-AM I GONNA SET THINGS ON FIRE UNWILLINGLY?!”

 

“Lammy calm down! Don’t you think if that were the case, it would’ve happened long since by now?”

 

“...T-True…”

 

“Besides, I don’t think it was just you being embarrassed. Were you mad at me when I did the surprise friend hug?”

 

“N-No! Quite the opposite...I was...well...you know…”

 

“Ahhhhhh...whoops...well...they do say love burns like an eternal flame after all!...Hey wait...this actually makes sense now that I think about it...Tupper only really fought to defend those he loved...and his flames really kicked off whenever it involved Ms. Lupe. Who he, pardon my pun, had the hots for… Makes sense that your fire would trigger the exact same way! So it’s not embarrassment that gets your fire goin, it’s whenever your heart experiences a highly intense emotion. Like love!”

 

“Oooooh m-man...t-that’s…even w-worse…” Her legs wobble in place as she begins stuttering once more.

 

“U-Um...oh dear...how to go about this…” Parappa thinks for abit before gently placing a hand on her own hand “Look. You still haven’t ignited anything in the past five years that you’ve had the feelings for me have you?”

 

“No…”

 

“And you still won’t! You berate yourself to much Lammy! Everything will be fine! Just look at today! Sure there were some little hiccups here and there, but hey. This went pretty great, you know, for something that’s not a date~”

 

Her legs still tremble, but she regains her composure “You’re right~ This ‘not a date’ went rather ok for what it was.” her legs settle down as she smiles “Phew...sometimes getting to believe that things will be ok is just...a big battle for me. And yet here, I always know it WILL be ok. And I owe that reassurance to you. Thanks Parappa…~”

 

“I'm glad I can be a foundation of confidence for you. As a best friend, I'd do all that I can for support, but you should know that about me well enough.”

 

“I do! Now and forever!~” the tips of her horns spark little pink flames.

 

“Haha. I believe it!...Golden girl~” he chuckles at the adorable sight before him now that the flames at her horn tips make alot more sense. He shakes his body, much like a pet dog would, in order to get the water off of himself.

 

“Heeeeey!...”

 

“Sorry! Just wanna dry off to start getting dressed and whatnot! I've had my fill of swimming for a good while!” he finishes shaking as he picks up his clothes pile and scatters back up the same tree as before.

 

“Well I guess that’s the best way to handle it… Kind of feel guilty over that all the same, but… It WILL be ok!” Her confidence fades once she remembers that she as well has to shed the wet clothing “Ooooooh...I forgot... Ok...relax! Just...get your clothes...go behind a tree...and presto! We’ll be done in a flash!“ She does what Parappa did in order to get off any remaining water. It does not work to the fullest like it did for him, but it worked none the less to her satisfaction. She quickly grabs her clothes and scurries behind a tree. The biggest self struggles begin as she can’t find it in her to remove anything. With the overwhelming fear of being caught with her tail and pants between her legs, or rather what’s left of her pants between her legs. And with that she yelps rather loudly, resulting in a bad move.

 

“LAMMY WHAT’S WRONG?!” A now fully clothed Parappa rushes in. This being the last thing the distressed sheep could want, her body acts on subconscious reflex as before he’s able to see anything, her leg kicks backwards, nailing the dog straight in the face as he arrives. The force of having his face kicked in sends him flying away into a nearby tree 

 

“P-PARAPPA!...” she stops what she’s doing and rushes to the now destroyed tree he lies stuck in.

 

Parappa rubs his cheek as his face pops out back into place as it should be “Owowow…” His eyes spiral dizzily, but as he reorientates himself, he has a gleeful expression in place of an upset one “WOOOO! Man I know your legs are probably the strongest out of all of us but that was BEYOND what i’ve normally seen you accomplish when it comes to anything leg related!”

 

“Don’t be happy! I could’ve broken your nose or knocked out so many teeth!”

 

“I know! You could’ve caved my face in! Which i’ll admit would suck, but it would’ve been an amazing thing regardless for you since you’ll get to see that kicking people to the curve runs in the family to! The apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree eh?”

 

“I...don’t know what to think of this…”

 

“How about like this. Next time something proves harmful to me. You can now help even more!”

 

“I mean you’re not wrong...but...I wasn’t really much help before I even knew I COULD do this...I doubt it’ll change much now even WITH this new stuff I found out about myself…”

 

“So..you’re saying you’d let me down?...”

 

“Oh come don’t do this to meeeee… No...I wouldn’t…”

 

“Exactly! Now let’s leave it at that! Next topic. The heck got you to scream?”

 

“Ah...yes...that...I’m currently finding it difficult to change out of this and into the other clothes…”

 

“I see, but you can’t just sit there like that waiting for it to dry...you’d get sick! I was cool with it for myself cuz it takes alot to get me sick, and even then I recover quickly. You are a different story!”

 

“That’s...ok, i’m choosing to ignore that. Alright that’s a good point you make, but it’s just...what if someone sees me!...”

 

“Well it’s only us that know this place and EVERYONE cept us two are busy. But I know what you mean, given our history, it’s perfectly understandable as to why you’d be paranoid.” He crosses his arms “Go back to where you were, I’ll stand guard. If you feel unsafe or uneasy, just call for my assistance or scream and I’ll be by your side in a flash! Is that reassuring enough for ya?”

 

“V-Very, but um...try your best not to look at me in case I do end up calling you. Be it by accident or not…I know you’re not one to do that, but...”

 

“I completely understand. You can believe in me to do a good job on both accords!” He smiles as he pulls his beanie slightly down and holds it in place in case he needs to cover his eyes.

 

They both head towards the tree that has her stuff hidden behind it and heads behind it herself with Parappa acting watch. After a small, exaggerated wait, Lammy walks out fully clothed “H-Hand me the bag please.”

 

“Here you are!”

 

She grabs it and stuffs her soaked undergarments within it “Thanks...well...come on. Let’s get out of here. The more I have to think on the fact that I’m going commando under this, the more I feel my sanity and confidence slip away from me...and you’ve done well to keep both with me thus far so can we please?...”

 

“Alright alright. Come on, let’s go home.” he sticks his tongue out with a slight tap on his own head, realizing that today was an up and down roller coaster for her. As they walk along the tree ridden path, Parappa gleefully speaks up “Hey. Thanks for going on this ‘not a date’ with me. I figured out a few things with myself and with you. And most importantly that this wasn’t a bad idea after all.”

 

“Well i’m glad you managed to find some helpful things out through this. And no problem! It was uh...helpful to me as well. I do hope…” Lammy struggles to say the remainder of her sentence, but punches herself in the stomach to get it out “That the ‘not a dates’ with the others go just as well!...Ow…”

 

“What was that for?...”

 

“N-No reason…”

 

“Uh huh...well...we’re out! We sure left the place much faster than when we were entering! Course we didn’t get seperated this time so I guess that’s a part of it.” He looks away as to not make her feel bad over anything, and notices Paula and Rammy in the distance “Huh?...Well would you look at that!”

 

“What?” She looks towards what he’s looking at and slightly fidgets.  _ Oooooh man am I glad they didn’t go towards the pond… _

 

“HEY PAULA! RAMMY!” The two girls flinch at being call as the fumble to hide the boombox as they see Parappa run towards them.

 

“H-Hey man!”

 

“Y-Yo Paraps!...Funny seeing you here!...”

 

“Hey I could say the same thing! Why do you two look like you committed a crime?”

 

“We have no idea what you’re talking about!”

 

“That’s a rude out of the blue accusation Paraps!”’

 

“Oh hey they have boxyboy with them!” Lammy says as she speaks up from behind them, shaking the little boombox’s hand. The duo freeze up as if they’ve been caught red handed.

 

“Oh hey! You took him out for a spin, that’s nice! I’ve been meaning to boot him back up, but I kept getting sidetracked by another thing…” he looks to his bunk mate “Was it your idea to help my old friend out?”

 

“Uh...YEAH! That’s totally it!”

 

The boombox rolls his eyes “They actually!...-” He stops and recalls the gloom state Parappa was in and then performs a static-y sigh “They actually were trying to fill me up with songs you might like. You know, to help you relax and whatnot. I hear you’ve been having one heck of a time since you finally left your room buddy.”

 

“You would not believe it boxy! Honestly, I missed having you around buddy. Sorry I didn’t turn you back on sooner.”

 

“You should be! But given the context, i’ll let it slide. Cuz for you? The safety of everyone will always come first! Can’t be off spending time with a toy you made when you were little.”

 

“Aw come on man! You’re not just ‘a toy I made when I was little’. You’re one of my best pals! ‘Sides. You were always a great help when it came to my singing that’s for sure!”

 

“I feel like that’s a task that can be fulfilled by any of your friends really. Cuz all ya gotta do is relax man!”

 

“Don’t I know it!”

 

“I’ve had quite the wake up call. My time back up may have been short, but it was exhausting...think I’m gonna choose to be shut off for a bit to properly retune myself...but please boot me back up sometime soon alright man?”

 

“I can promise you that I will!”

 

“That’s all I ask.” Parappa presses a button on the center of his face, and watches as the boombox shuts off.

 

“Man it’s never a dull moment with boxy!” He turns to the two other girls “Thanks for looking out for me you two.”

 

“R-Right! Don’t think much of it! It’s just what friends would do! Isn’t that right Rammy?”

 

“Right! We just want our pal to stay upbeat as much as he makes us upbeat!”

 

“Heh. Well you have no idea how much I appreciate it. Man you’ve gotten dusty boxy...Let me just dust you off...no that...that made it worse...gahhh...give me a sec, i’ll be right back!...Gotta clean this off of him or it’ll be drivin me nuts the entire way back home…Huh...could’ve sworn I had songs already saved on your system...what were they about again? Ah nevermind, back to cleaning!”

 

As Parappa walks off towards a bench, Lammy walks in between the two other girls and looks to Rammy “You took Boxy without knowing what he was in order to do something else with him entirely weren’t you Ura?” She crosses her arms.

 

“Man Sherlock, what made it obvious?”

 

“You two stutter just as bad as I do when I wanna keep something to myself. So I figured it had to be boxy related since he’s here all of a sudden. The only person who could’ve taken boxy was someone who went into Parappa’s room. That’d be easy for you since it’s also YOUR room as well. The pieces were pretty easy to put together.”

 

“Wow...hey wait...on the topic of stuttering...You’re totally not doing that! You’re as calm as can be! How you managing that without your guitar?”

 

“If I said it didn’t have anything to do with what you set up for me, i’d be a liar.”

 

“Wait so...D-Did something actually come from Rammy’s attempt at hooking the two of you up??” Paula quickly chimes in.

 

“Yes and no?... We aren’t dating, far from it. But it’s more along the lines of...him trying to see how it would go if by chance, he wanted to actually ask us out, and go on from there. That’s all that today was, a ‘not date’. And man was it some day… With it’s ins and outs. I can certainly call this a day I’ll certainly keep within my heart and remember forever!” The pink flames reignite at the tips of her horns again as her tiny tail pokes out from her pants and waggles cutely.

 

“WHOA! Since when could you do THAT!” Rammy inspects the tip of her head as she gawks at the little pink flames.

 

“Also what the heck is a ‘not date’?”

 

“As the name implies. It’s ‘not a date’”

 

“Ah yes, because that makes it all the more clearer…” Paula taps her forehead “Look can you explain it better?...”

 

“Don’t need to. Pretty sure he’ll explain it to you when he decides to ask you for your time with him on a ‘not a date’!”

 

“He’s gonna ask me?...”

 

“He’s gonna ask all of us that were outed thanks to Leo. It’s his way of trying to figure things out. And I’d say it’s going fine for what it is. He doesn’t mean any harm from it and he’s still as sweet as can be! If not a little...out there recently…”

 

“Ah! Right! About that Lammy I-”

 

“I’m back!” Parappa walks up with boxy under his arm “Finally cleaned off my old buddy, any of you have bag I can put him in? If I lug him around like this he’ll get dirty again and I can’t put him inside the bag Lammy has cuz he’ll get wet!”

 

“Wet?...What’s in the bag that’ll cause that to happen?...” Paula asks intrigued by the sudden info.

 

“N-Nothing!” Lammy’s flames flicker off as she tries to change the subject “Say Paula you wanted to talk to me about something else??”

 

“I did? Oh yeah! Something else I wanted to talk about!” She whispers to the ewe  _ “Just between us however!...” _

 

“Hey Paraps, just put him in the bag I brought him in. Come follow me.” Rammy adds on, completely aloof to the other two much like Parappa.

 

“Sure thing Rammy! Thanks!” As the duo walk off, the two girls left behind marvel at the coincidence before they speak again.

 

“Right...well...What I wanted to say to you Lammy was. I’ve come to notice that both Rammy and Parappa have become a tad...odd as of late.”

 

“Oh!...So you’ve also noticed huh?...”

 

“Kinda hard not to! So since you caught on to, it makes this easier and much quicker to talk about. Well first off...what do we do? They’re now half and halfs...”

 

“What can we do??...If we tell anyone else, they might tell them and they might either deny it, feel upset over it or cause another problem between us all!...”

 

“Can’t have that…” The fox smiles “Atleast  _ we _ know about it! And we won’t tell anyone! So we can discuss this between ourselves!”

 

“I guess...such as how to deal with this. Cuz i’m pretty sure it’s gonna be permanent…”

 

“Oh man, you don’t think they’ll fully swap personalities right?...”

 

“I doubt it’ll go THAT far...Parappa would never lose what made him...well...Him! Same goes for Ura! They’ll adapt towards each other sure, but in the end i’m sure they’ll still be them through and through! We just gotta find ways of adjusting towards their...fused personality is all! Which shouldn't be to hard nor take to long...right?”

 

“I’m gonna be the optimist for this scenario in Parappa's stead and say yeah!” She smiles, getting the lamb to smile as they bump fists “Come on! Let’s go rejoin with the ot-...”

 

“Paula? You look like you saw something ba-” She turns to view what she looked at and freezes up similarly to her. What was caught in their field of vision was both Parappa and Rammy staring at a nearly familiar looking cat girl. She was a near spitting image of Katy, but the obvious difference being her hair was a darker shade of yellow while her fur was pure purple. Her eyes matched the same gaze Katy would do when exhausted and at her limit. She notices the other two looking at her and sighs, clearly upset. She closes her eyes and shifts her head back towards Parappa. She opens her eyes to reveal that they’ve closed in, much like a predatory cat would do. 

 

“Twenty six days…”

 

“Wha?...”

 

“Till he comes back topside to try and get her again…”

 

“...” Parappa clenches his hands.

 

“Keep her safe.”

 

This catches the four of em off guard as she turns her back to them to walk off. Parappa speaks up “Thanks for the heads up Kitty.”

 

The girl stops in place due to having her name called out. She speaks up but does not turn around to face them “Just looking out for her, not you. Little shits temper is shaking up everything down there… Might take it out an her once he gets back up here.”

 

“I’m gonna take him down a peg and stop that from happening!”

 

She snorts as she finally turns around to face him again “YOU? Against HIM?” She breaks into a small giggle fit.

 

“I’m serious!”

 

“Serious my butt! The only way i’ll believe that, is if you can get the little shit to fall to his knees or faint! Or both! And you ain’t achievin either that’s for sure!” She scoffs as she bends over to stare at his face with her own “A softie boy like you can’t do much against anyone from hell! Don’t know what you did to get her to stay up here, but i’ve noticed her in better shape than she was down there so I’m willing to overlook that, the law and it's enforcer however won’t. And I bet you aren’t gonna be able to even do anything to hi-” Parappa crashes his forehead into hers causing her to stumble backwards “HAGH...Why you little-!...”

 

“If I can do that to you, imagine what I’ll do to him. I’m serious. I won’t be letting him do anything to her. Mark my words.” Despite the bruise on his forehead and the rising headache, he stands up right with a thumbs up “He may be strong, but I can assure i’m stronger! In fact!” He folds his thumb in as he clenches his reformed fist “I’ll make a statement out of it to! If the law is followed thanks to him being used as the mediator by the higher ups, then when I beat him that means I beat that stupid law of yours! Meaning that you all don’t have to live your lives constantly degrading yourselfs thinking you’re all no better than those you look like! If he’s the fog holding you all back, then I’ll be the beacon that’ll allow you all to move on to better things! You can all come topside even! Just to get along with your doubles and end the stupid falsehoods you’ve all been raised on! I’d welcome you all with open arms!...Even him believe it or not! Even...you Kitty.”

 

Her eyes shape themselves back to normal as she watches the dog speak his mind. He wasn’t just speaking to make a point, she could hear no stutter or hesitation in his words. He spoke as if he meant it all and could do it now if he were able. The sensation was strange to see someone care so much for those whose only thought was to better their double and replace them by placing them where they once were. All this does is simply create a pit of self doubt within the new hell girl, the temptation of freedom offered, and yet the fear of failing keeping her in place. The dog extends his hand towards her which magnifies her self doubt, and yet she senses nothing but sincerity from him. She slowly extends her own hand, but growls and recoils it back “Those are just words…”

 

“I guess to someone who has grown used to that kind of lifestyle, it would sound as such. But I do have a counterpoint. After all just remember, I AM the opposite of Raparra!” He winks with both his hands flashing out peace signs. What little in her that she could use to argue with the dog was destroyed then and there. She really couldn’t go against that. After all, they WERE all opposites.

 

She frowns sadly as she heaves an exhausted sigh that turns into a yawn halfway “...Whatever...you got 26...well I guess 25?... Days to prove that…” She turns around again “I’m too tired to believe in miracles...everything can just go to-...I don’t know really...going to hell isn’t exactly gonna help anything...Oh...you know what I mean…” She begins walking off, but after a few steps she stops and extends one of her hands to the side. She forms it into a peace sign “I’m willing to believe in this, because I think it’s more than just a miracle...I repeat. Keep her safe aight?” she tilts her head back abit “We may be exes, but you can’t blame me for caring for your safety you idiot. Feel free to think of me however you want, but I'm serious. Later.” she resumes her walk as she whistles, summoning her own motorcycle to arrive. She climbs aboard it and drives off, disappearing as instantaneously as she arrived.

 

“Paraps...I think you’re biting off more than you can chew man…”

 

“Maybe I am, but I wouldn’t sink my teeth into this mess if I wasn’t so sure I could manage it to begin with! I know my faker’s a walking nightmare and such a bull towards all of you down there, but I’m gonna grab that bull by the horns! He wants to throw a tantrum? Then that’s a beast worth quelling cuz I meant everything I said to her. Because it also extends to you! I ain’t having anyone ruin your life again just cuz of some rules he’s been told to reinforce by some people who just sit there watching it all go down. I don’t even think Raparra himself likes it down there! After all Rammy, what do you want to do.”

 

“That’s a stupid as fuck thing to ask me! I wanna-...” Rammy stops to think. At first her entire point for coming topside was to do just the usual thing she'd been doing for years. Now she has a life anew up here, with people she can actual call friends. Seeing people in the nearby area much happier than the civilians down there. The group she had become apart of. From freelance to full on band group member. Best friends with her lookalike... “I wanna stay at my home…”

 

“You wanna go back?!”

 

“No. I said I wanna stay at my home. THIS place up here is my home now, and it always will be! Ain’t letting no asshole version of my best friend drag me back down there! We got 25 days to make sure we can bring him down!”

 

“I doubt we need to prepare much, at most we just hide you away, and if worse comes to worst. Leo will have geared me up by then and I can bring him DOWN!”

 

“There is that. Alright, then I guess we need not keep ourselves paranoid over this.” She crosses her arms “We have the date saved! Just gotta keep our heads up high and that fucker won’t be able to do much!”

 

“That’s the spirit!” The two lock their hands in a settled handshake, but two more hands lock themselves with them.

 

“Don’t count us out!”

 

“Yeah! We’re here to help Ura to! As are everyone else! You two aren’t alone on it!”

 

“See Rammy? We’re determined to make sure you stay at your real new home!”

 

“And succeed you will! You guys have a fun habit of making things work out in the end! And I know this will be no different!”  _ But maaaaaaan...why’d my ex have to show up...and...what HAPPENED to her?...She looked like an even bigger mess than me when I was back there! And I was one hell of a mess...I feel bad for her...wait...why the hell do I feel bad for her?! She was probably putting up a front!...No...I’ve known her for so long to know when she’s bein sincere...as much as I hate admittin it...she meant wishing me well...what could’ve caused that...guilt? Probably… Maybe a whole lot more...Ugh… Forget it! She was!...Was probably the best one to me during all that until the little mess of a break up we had...Ex or not...she’s still a good person...Ok...you know what Paraps would do…  _ “Hey man...I have a question…”

 

“I wonder what it could be if it’s getting you all nervous again…”

 

“If...Kitty comes back up here...think you can get her to...you know...stay up here to?”

 

“I dunno...I’ll do my best to do so cuz she really doesn’t like being down there anymore just like you after seeing how done with everything she was. But she seemed scared...so it might prove to be really difficult…”

 

“Think Katy can help out with that?...I mean...I came to terms with Ura and that went well!”

 

“N-NO!...” Lammy flinches “I-I’m sorry but...Kitty’s exactly like me back then when it comes to handling our look alike…”

 

“B-But she never intervened with Katy…”

 

“I meant...frail…”

 

“Her? Frail? She certainly didn’t act it with that mouth of hers...” Paula scoffs “But I mean...neither did you...alright so how exactly do we help HER out?...”

 

“Well you gals just leave it to me! I helped Rammy out right? Kitty should be no different! Leave it to me and I'll make things go right!”

 

“No ones doubting you there, but I feel we rely on you to much Parappa...so let us help all the same?...”

 

“I'd never say no to friend help Paula. Especially it's to help make a new friend!”

 

“Well look at that, already jumping on the idea that she'll be a new pal. Here's hoping it goes as smoothly as you're making it out to be.” she smiles “I do believe it's best that I take my leave for today. The three of you probably have stuff to do or things to talk about. As do I! And Lammy, I'll text you later on something!”

 

“Oh! Alright! I keep an eye out!” Paula waves as she heads off on her own. The trio look at one another with Rammy speaking up again.

 

“Dammit!...I really wanna ask Leo how this can go, but I'm afraid of the whiplash I'll cause once I get the info...all I know is that asshole will get me...but I dunno how and what happens from them…” she grinds her teeth until she calms down “I wonder...if I can atleast ask him if it's possible to bring Kitty topside permanently…”

 

“I don't think having her up here will change THAT much Ura so go for it!” Lammy grabs both or Rammy’s hands within her own “I think it’d be great for you to have another person who’s looking out for you up here! The more supportive friends the better! What harm can one extra person cause towards the timeline?~”

 

* * *

 

“Leo? It’s me again for the usual sunlight scenario!...Sorry for being a bother with this still!...” A curious Sunny stands by the door to his abode. She hears nothing “Leo you in there?” she places her head by door, she hears pained moans of agony that grow weaker each passing second “H-Huh?!” She swings the door open to find the mentioned guy flat on the ground enveloped in a static blur as his body flashes profusely from the light storm gather around him.

 

“W-Who’s...there…”

 

“I-It’s me Poppy!...W-What’s wrong with you?!” she tries to get near, but a piece of the electricity whips out, halting her progression “M-Meep!...”

 

“S-Stay...back… I’m going...to be...fine…I-It’s...starting...to calm...down...”

 

“C-Calm down?! It looks like you’re gonna die if I don’t help you!...”

 

“Trust...me…” Sunny steps in place as she struggles against her better judgement to ignore him and help him however she can, but she cedes and does at told. Within moments the mess of an event happening to Leo is over. The boy is left panting heaving as he lays there exhausted and weak.

 

“T-There we go!...” She runs up to him and sits him up on his couch “Let’s get this stupid thing off! You can barely breath as is!...”

 

“N-No!...Don’t!...” Sunny plucks the helmet off his head. Her eyes simply stare at his face, they widen a tad which alarms the drained boy “W-What is it?!...W-What...do I...look like?!...”

 

“You...dyed your wool red and orange?...That’s what you meant by your face was different!...But I don’t think this will stop the media since you’re still a sheep…”

 

“H-Huh?...I-I mean yeah!...T-That’s...right…” He grabs the helmet from her and puts it back on “I...forgot what I looked like for abit is all...that’s why I still wear this thing...since the fur dying didn’t...help much…” He gets up wearily “Thanks for your...concern...I’m gonna be fine now...so just...leave me be… Just gonna take a quick...nap and I’ll be...right as rain.” he lays down on the couch “You wanted to stand at the balcony...again right?... Go ahead…”

 

“...Right...ok thank you…” She walks over to the balcony as the tired boy knocks out then and there. She quickly runs back to see if he was alright. Once her inspection is done, she breathes a sigh of relief over him being fine, just unconscious. She resumes walking towards the balcony as she begins talking to herself “So that’s what he meant by his face changing...but...what the heck happened to him??...And his face was flashing wildly as I took that helmet off before it settled on Lammy’s face...it went between that black sheep’s face, Paula’s face, Katy’s face and finally Lammy’s...but it’s strange...did...Katy dye her fur purple?...or is that a choice he had?...weird...well it’s best to ignore it. Maybe the cat face appeared purple because of what happened! I doubt anything else could have caused that. Unless…” She reclines on the balcony railing “I hope you’re alright Parappa…” she sighs as she rests her face on her hands “Why do I feel so uneasy about that weird colored Katy face...I hope nothing bad comes from this…”

 

* * *

 

A disgruntled Kitty sneezes during her drive, she angrily growls from the sudden action “Aw hell...I better not be getting fucking sick just from being up here...” She wipes her nose with one of her hands while keeping the other on the handle “Strange...felt like someone was talking about me...hope it’s not that dumb dog again...who does he think he is…causing this whole mess and then claiming he can fix it with interest...bah...if he doesn’t keep her safe and Raparra doesn’t knock off his dumbass of a head right off his shoulders, I’ll do it myself for not doing what I told him to!...” She grabs the handle with both hands again “...Stupid idiot...choosing to stay up here instead of coming back down to Hell...Stupid dog...making me feel horrible more than I already do over how Hell currently is like…” She sighs “But he was just talkin out of his ass...he sounds just like Raparra when he plans to get something done...things he says he’ll do, he means it...Guess that part of them is the same…What an idiot...you better not be getting my hopes up...” She glances downwards as she stops her cycle in a peculiar spot. She stomps on the ground, opening a path to Hell, she resumes her drive as she heads downwards.

 

_ Why am I even putting my faith in you?...Sure you seem like you keep your words just like him...and you are the opposite of him...but why? I don’t know you and you don’t know any of us...and you’re gonna stick your neck out especially while all this is goin on?...Maybe that’s why Rammy chose to stay here… Heh...lucky… I wonder. Can I stay up here to?...Nah that’s stupid...still...it’d be nice... _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another day another chapter! Debating on whether or not I should work on multiple chapters when I can due to my time getting more and more limited... Ah well. I'll think it over. For now enjoy! The songs belong to their respective singers!


	29. The least I can do is Help

_ 25 days before hell breaks loose _

 

(Any reason why you’re tagging along with me Mutt?”)

 

“Well not like I can go to work...ever since Raparra trashed the place, Tamanegi sensei’s been taking his time putting the place back together…And Katy and Lammy reaaaaally don’t want me to go to their job...So i’m sticking with you!”

 

(“Rammy asked you to didn’t she.”)

 

“Yeah...this is my way of apologizing to her for the whole...getting her to knock me out thing a few days ago. She was gonna be busy with something today and if I recall what she told me. She was originally gonna be here tagging along with you to help, but now she can’t so she wants me to help in her stead. I feel she didn’t really need to ask me as I would’ve done so anyway if I knew!”

 

(“Whatever Mutt. Although I thought you helping out Lambs was what she wanted to you to do in order to make it up to her?”)

 

“Ah...you see...I kinda gave it some thought after my day with PJ...and so I felt it best to give her three things to ask for as a way of my apology.”

 

(“You spoil that girl.”)

 

“I spoil all of you. Got a problem with that?”

 

(“Me? Hell naw, I prefer it when people either do things for me or shower me in this type of attention.”)

 

“Then?”

 

(“Nothing, just marveling your way of thinking as per usual.”)

 

“Whatever you say.”

 

(“Good boy, now one more thing. So you say that counting today, there’s like...twenty five days left till your shadow comes back up here?”)

 

“That’s what Kitty said.”

 

(“Lovely...Gah I just wanna smash his face in! Dunno if that’s possible for me, but a girl can hope. Speaking of which, that Kitty girl didn’t do nothing to either of you did she?”)

 

“Not a thing. She was actually pretty decent. Nice even for giving us the heads up at all! Dunno if that’ll get her in trouble...I hope it doesn’t… But anywho, she was fine, albeit incredibly...done.”

 

(“Feh, I think it’s a front to get you to lower your guards.”)

 

“I don’t think so...it...felt familiar to Rammy...she wasn’t faking any of the that emotional deficit...but she’s much more into keeping it held back than Rammy was able to. Despite being in a worse condition…”

 

(“Pfft, why are you worried? What you wanna help her out?”)

 

“Per Rammy’s wishes? Yes actually. She wants to see if we can get her up here permanently to!”

 

(“Exact- Oh my fucking god are you serious??...”)

 

“Yes!”

 

(“I’m done with this topic...let’s just get a move on before I blow a fuse…”)

 

“Aight...so what is it that we’re gonna be doing anyhow?”

 

(“Papa-Ma’s got a massive stock upgrade! So much so that he actually has to rotate inventory daily now in order to be able to sell it all, or at the very least have all his products see the light of day…”)

 

“My god, that much?”

 

(“Yep! I keep telling him to upgrade into a bigger establishment, but he’s stubborn in keeping his place there. I guess I can understand. It’s his own raised thing that he had made from the ground up and worked in it since then till now. Plus he’s got that stubborn streak that I remember my Uncle telling me about. It’s...a marvel, but it proves he’s my dad ya know? Being an impractical hothead runs in the family!”)

 

“I mean...is it really impractical?”

 

(“A majority of my relatives kamikazed themselves in order to save everyone that would eventually become the founders of the places here. I would call that impractical especially for leaving my dad as it’s sole survivor.”)

 

“I mean you’re here to.”

 

(“Do I count? I’m just a prime example of their hotheadedness with nothing good to come from it.”)

 

“I mean that burning blood runs in the family doesn’t it? You nearly used it against me to turn me to ash that’s for sure!”

 

(“Don’t remind me...I rather not remember ANYTHING of that little adventure...Especially since it reminds me of the fact that I let myself be turned into a pawn from my anger alone thanks to that damned Ur…”)

 

“I mean...atleast karma got him and he’s dead now…”

 

(“Still doesn’t undo what I did!”)

 

“But you didn’t do it of your own merit! He just played with your anger...kinda seems like that’s a...genetic thing huh?...”

 

(“See what I mean? Impractical hotheadedness…Can we just...drop this? I don’t wanna remember it...”)

 

“Alright...but I did promise to help you out with that you know...and I’d say...you’re making great progress!”

 

(“What makes you say any of that?”)

 

“That fact that you brought Dacite’s special crystal rose, and are wearing it in place of where your fuse used to be~”

 

(“Come agai- OH SHIT!...I FORGOT TO TAKE IT OFF!...”)

 

“Relax, not like you’ll let it break! Why’d you wear it anyway?”

 

(“It...helps me cool off...remembering the promise I made to that kiddo…and the words she said. It’s not a permanent fix...but you and this thing help you know? As for putting it where my fuse used to be...practicality? If I hold onto it, I might break it within my hands...and it might break if I leave it in my pockets and what not. And well...where my fuse used to be is the exact same shape for the stem of the rose, so I treat my dud of a dynamite stick as a glorified flower vase more than anything now.”)

 

“I getcha. Well then, if we’re helping with stock, then we won’t be stopping at the pharmacy itself right?”

 

(“Right, we’re heading straight for the warehouse that Papa-ma stores everything at!”)

 

“He would rather have a big warehouse rather than upgrade? Man that is stubborn dedication.”

 

(“I know right?!”) the mouse grunts as she chuckles (“Well come on, let’s move on faster. We’re burning daylight Mutt!”)

 

“Aye aye!”

 

* * *

 

“For the last time Poppy...i’m fine…” The helmeted guy sighs as the flower pesters him on his condition.

 

“Can you blame me for checking?? You looked like you were being erased from existence!”

 

“...H-Heh...yeah it would look that way wouldn’t it? But relax it’s just...a condition I have from time to time...it hurts yeah but I end up alright in the end. Just really tired is all.”

 

“A chronic condition? You expect me to buy into that?”

 

“Considering you know nothing about me? And are trying to pry info from me? Yes!”

 

_ Oh man...I know everything about you, but I can’t exactly say that… _ “You’re right. I don’t know anything about you, but I still wanna check up on you after what I saw!”

 

“Look why do you even care?? You’re not my friend or anything!...”

 

The words sting against the poor daisy girl, but she persists on “You’re right. I’m not, but I’m just being the good person in checking to see if someone who clearly suffers this hellish problem on occasion is fine! You shouldn’t really be doing much today to fully make sure of that!”

 

“I am fine! Now leave me BE!” He jumps off his balcony as he flies off to avoid the flower girl.

 

“H-Hey! You shouldn’t be forcing yourself!...gah…” She runs out of the room and takes the elevator straight to the bottom. She dizzily stumbles out, but quickly runs out of the building and after the flying individual.

 

The chase leads the flower towards what seems to be the remains of a large building. She keeps her distance as she hides behind a large piece of rubble. The boy lands to the ground, reshifting his jetpack back into his jacket, as he walks up to a strange tiny three dimensional pixel horse man.

 

“Where the devil have you been? You’re usually here earlier than this…”

 

“I had...difficulties getting up…”

 

“Oh boy...what do you propose caused it this time?”

 

“I dunno...I’m still changing faces so that means i’m good...All of the faces in fact…so I didn’t lose anyone…”

 

“Maybe you gained a face?” A large roach man walks up to them holding a large slab of stone.

 

“Spinni… get real...why would that happen to me then if it were just that?”

 

“Well I mean Roach here has a point Europa. You only have the set amount of faces because they were the people that were already in the appropriate timeline! If you were to gain a face, then of course it would harm you because that’s different than what should be happening as it skews your chances of keeping your proper timeline even further! You know what’s currently a one in five chance could end up being as ludicrous as a one in twenty for example.”

 

“...Oh no...but I still doubt it!...H-Heh...not like dad met anyone ELSE that could pose a threat to that!...”

 

Sunny covers her mouth to avoid gasping out loud.  _ The purple Katy face!... _

 

“Hm...you say that around this time frame is when the trial for your Aunt Rammy Ram is supposed to take place correct young Europa?”

 

“Correct?...”

 

“Perhaps it was another hell shadow that he has been introduced to.”

 

“Oh my god...well...I fucking doubt it!...That would never happen since they all currently have one thing in mind right now! Help my dad’s hell shadow take my Aunt back to hell!”

 

“Uh...hey Leo? Didn’t you say your aunt used to have a girlfriend at some point prior to meeting your dad?... Ex or not, wouldn’t she care over her safety just a lil?” Once the bug man known as Spinni states this, Europa’s helmet screen cracks.

 

“Oh come on! I just fixed that for you!...” the tiny pixel man grumbles out.

 

“I cannot believe there’s now another girl in the mix…Dad what the absolute hell...” the boy falls to all fours as he stays there, dejected.

 

Sunny ponders to herself after taking all this knowledge in.  _ Trial?...Hell Shadows?...Another girl?...oh dear… _ She bawls her fists as she takes a deep breath and walks on out to them, faking to be out of breath as to lie that she had only just arrived “Leo!...I...caught up to you!...Finally…”

 

“Oh great...this certainly makes things better…Poppy why’d you follow me!”

 

“To make sure...you’re ok...You jerk!...”

 

“Young Eu- Leo. Who’s this curious female?”

 

“Is she a stalker?”

 

“I’m inclined to say yes...but no. She didn’t even know who I was till that televised program outed me to the world...she just moved her recently and while she has been a tad nice, she’s also become a slight bother as of yesterday.”

 

“Sorry for caring about others…”

 

“Dude don’t be an ass! Can’t blame people for being innately nice!”

 

“Spinni, shut up. I so can, after all there's the two of you.”

 

“There you go with the guilt again...well i do deserve it...right...I said nothing…”

 

“Same here…”

 

“And you Poppy, I said I'm fine alright?”

 

“...Alright...what even is this place? Why are you hanging out at such a ruined spot?”

 

“It WAS my club...now it's just a bunch of rubble that the three of us are trying to rebuild. First we gotta clean up the remains.”

 

“May I help?”

 

“Seriously?!...”

 

“Leo, wouldn't it be best to have the most hands we can get? Would surely make the process go along quicker. And my scanners show no Ill intent from her.”

 

“YOU!...Ugh. Fine, you're free to help Poppy…”

 

“I won't be a bother, I promise!”

 

“Little late for that...but fine…” the trio turn around to resume with the building maintenance with Sunny tagging after.

 

* * *

 

“Huh...I anticipated the warehouse to be big...but this is far bigger than what I expected. Why doesn't your dad just use THIS place?”

 

(“Already asked. Got no reply, just a flick on the forehead.”)

 

“I see. Well let's go i-...you hear that?” they both quiet down and huddle by the warehouse entrance. They quickly hear a muffled struggle.

 

(“THAT'S PAPA-MA!”) the launch open the main door rather than metal rising door and head in to see what's wrong. They soon look up and see a tangled older mouse, hanging by the ceiling (“How the hell did he get stuck like that?!”)

 

“I think it's thanks to them…” Parappa’s gaze is transfixed on three individuals with dollar signs for heads as they take the items on the stored shelves.

 

(“Crooks huh? Ohohohoh they messed with the wrong hotblooded mouse!”) she cracks her knuckles. The sound quickly alerts the trio (“Wanted the element of surprise, but this works to! You three made a mistake of choosing to steal from this girls family!”) in a blur, she's gone. She charges at the three as they panic and scatter.

 

“Ma-san!” Parappa shuts the door behind them to prevent them escaping and heads after the mouse girl “You really wanna chase them in a place this big with this many things in the way?! Not to mention there's a huge chance that we'll probably break your father's stock in the process!...”

 

(“I'll admit, it was a bit rash of me to just up and lunge at them like at wildebeest, but some broken things here and there are better than having the stuff flat out stolen!”)

 

“Well, you're not wrong with that way of thinking...but this still could've been handled better…” they continue their chase in the giant maze of the area. Eventually they catch up to one of them “Aw great...they split up…”

 

(“Good! Now I get to beat em down one by one instead of all at once making the much deserved pain drag out!”) the thief quakes in his shoes once he notices he's been cornered.

 

“S-STAY BACK!...I’M ARMED!” he pulls out and throws a knife flimsily as it misses its mark and flies onto the ground away from them.

 

“...Is that all?...” they look at the man who simply shakes harder.

 

“I-I only had the one knife…”

 

Parappa and Ma-san glance towards one another “This is just hopelessly sad…”

 

(“Man that takes the fun out of beating em up! They're a bunch of idiots!...”)

 

“Crooks and thieves are always an incompetent bunch always round here aren’t they? Makes you wonder why they even bother…”

 

(“Whatever...let's just put this guy out of his misery…”) Parappa nods as they both rear their fists back and slam them straight into the guys face, knocking his lights and teeth out.

 

“That's one down…” he takes the bag of stuff he had and begins tying him up. He then leaves him to side.

 

(“Two more idiots to go...whoopie...gah, dad how the hell did you let yourself get inconvenienced by these three?...”)

 

“Pity?...”

 

(“He wouldn't be kicking about angrily up there if he let them get him!”)

 

“Good point.”

 

(“Let's just get the other two…”) they run off looking for the other two as they carry the bag of stolen goods with them.

 

* * *

 

“Alright, next we gotta take these three giant slabs of rock off the ground and put em aside.”

 

“Oh! 16 lemme help!”

 

“I have it covered Miss Poppy.” from his head sprouts a crane that hooks one of the slabs and lifts it off the ground into the air “Thanks for the concern.”

 

“Ok...how about you Spinni?”

 

“Much obliged, but I have it covered Poppy!” with one hand, he lifts his slab and balances it on a single one of his three fingers “This is miniscule for a guy like me.”

 

“Then...lemme help you Leo!”

 

“No need!” Leo summons a massive amount of clones from his belt as they all line up and lift the final slab right off the ground along with him. They all march to the side and chuck the rock aside “There, easy!” he snaps, causing the copies to vanish.

 

“Oh...ok…” she kicks a pebble away while 16-bits and Spinni notice her faltering demeanor.

 

“Young Leo, aren't you being a bit harsh on her? She's only trying to be a good samaritan! And you're excluding her from even that!”

 

“Agreed. She's just helping from the goodness of her own heart! It's difficult to find people like that now a days. Aside from your family, and us if you choose to include us, you'd be hard pressed to find people who'd genuinely stick their neck out for you. The same can be said about anyone. Can't be mad at someone for choosing to be the friendly neighbor.”

 

“Also aren't you still in search of filling in old friend positions?”

 

“Ugh...fine…you've both made your point!...” He turns to the sad flower girl “Yo Poppy, I could use your help here.”

 

“Doesn't look like it...All three of you seem perfectly capable of doing things yourself…”

 

“Oh but Poppy! Leo's currently down a set of hands!”

 

“I am?”

 

“Yes! I have to go! I think I hear my sister calling for me!”

 

“ATHENA?! WHERE?! HIDE ME!” Leo jumps behind a broken rock wall as Spinni facepalms.

 

“Yes...so uh...do feel free to help them out! And pardon me for the inconvenience! BYE!” he leaps into the air from his strength alone as he jumps and disappears into the distance.

 

“Always the show off...ignoramus has wings...but nooooo, he saw some green person do it in a movie and now it's all he does…Right then! Young Leo, Poppy. Let's all get move on shall we?”

 

“Uh...yeah…” Leo pokes his head from the side of the wall.

 

“O-Ok!” Sunny, now reinvigorated, is dead set on assisting them.

 

The trio carry out the menial work as they do their best to work without Spinni’s assistance. The day goes by fine enough with some hiccups here and there.

 

“No no left!”

 

“I am!”

 

I meant MY left 16!”

 

“I AM! LOOK. FROM HOW I'M STANDING, MY LEFT IS HERE AND YOUR LEFT IS THERE!...HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT?” the helmeted boy stays silent “Oh my motherboard...For circuits sake Leo! You had your driver's license and a car for FIVE years! How in blazes did you get by without knowing any basic directions?!”

 

“I simply remembered the paths after fumbling up each time…since...I never properly learned…” They all drop what they’re carrying.

 

“How do you go twenty years of your life without knowing that?!”

 

“Hey hey! It's alright! Lots of people never learn a simple thing until way later in their lives!”

 

“Miss Poppy don’t defend him! This is pitiful!...”

 

“Oh don’t be a sourpuss 16! Leo gimme your hand!” She grabs his left hand “Now stick out your thumb and index finger!”

 

“Alright…”

 

“What shape does it make?”

 

“An L...for Lame...that’s what I am…”

 

“Nooooo for Left! If you look at it this way then you’ll always know that this side over here means left! And if this means left, then by default!”

 

“The other side means...right?”

 

“Correct! Just keep that and mind and it’ll stick to you in no time!”

 

“Huh...thanks I guess…”

 

“I’m honestly astounded by you Young Leo...you come from a family of brainiacs and you can’t even distinguish left from right!...”

 

“Well i’m fucking sorry that I never went to school at all! If you don’t recall, my entire upbringing was centered around taking you know who on!”

 

“You mean you never learnt a thing?!”

 

“Only essentials from Nana…I was limited in the homeschooling since again...taking on you know who...I always just called them...that direction...or...over there. Etc...”

 

“It would make sense that putting you into a proper school would prove rather difficult...but why didn’t she teach you then?...”

 

“She probably already assumed I knew that…”

 

“That explains it. Well...atleast Miss Poppy here managed to give you a lesson that even you can remember for future reference.”

 

“Yeah...thanks again Poppy. Now come on let’s finish up.”

 

“Right away!”

 

* * *

 

(“There’s the rest of em! They’re grouped together!”)

 

“Guess they thought they were in the clear!”

 

The two remaining crooks quickly try to speed up and find an exit, but to no avail. So they do the next best thing, they pluck products from the shelves and hurl them at the duo.

 

(“HEY! THAT’S MY DAD’S STUFF YOUR TOSSING HAPHAZARDLY!”)

 

“Ma-san I don’t think they can understand you…”

 

(“MY ANGER SHOULD BE CLEAR AS DAY THOUGH!”)

 

“Alright I can yield to th-OW!” Parappa gets nailed in the head by large jar “SERIOUSLY?!” Parappa punches a few of the objects back at them to which they instantly try and defend themselves “Don’t like that huh?!”

 

(“Yeesh and I thought I had petty anger…”) The object fight continues on for what seems like an eternity. Eventually the crook duo throw another jar, but this one breaks upon contact with Parappa’s fist, releasing a sticky substance that explodes all over him and Ma-san (“GAH!”)

 

“Is this some sort of...GLUE?! MA-SAN WHAT THE HELL DOES YOUR DAD GET ASKED TO SELL?!”

 

(“I DON’T KNOW! I NEVER PAY ATTENTION!”)

 

“Now’s our chance to get the hell outta here!”

 

“Wait! That thing on the crazy gal’s head looks valuable!”

 

“You’re right! Grab it and let’s get out of here!” one of the crooks runs up to Ma-san and plucks the crystal rose off of her dynamite stick.

 

(“HEY! OH YOU BEST BE PUTTING THAT BACK!”)

 

“I can’t understand what you’re saying, but I’ll assume it wasn’t something nice. So thanks for the rose, lady!” the two crooks skeedadle out of there as they run off in a hyperdrive dash.

 

The increasingly angry Ma-san turns her attention to Parappa (“YOU JUST HAD TO PUNCH IT DIDN’T YOU!”)

 

“I WASN’T JUST GONNA SIT THERE AND TAKE IT!”

 

(“YEAH WELL NOW WE’RE STUCK! AND THOSE IDIOTS MADE OFF WITH MY GIFT!”)

 

“SORRY FOR TRYING TO HELP US OUT!” Parappa looks down “Look...alright...it’s my fault that we’re stuck here and that they stole your rose, but getting made won’t get us out of here!”

 

(“THEN WHAT THE HELL DO YOU SUGGEST IN ORDER TO GET OUT OF THIS?!”)

 

“Maybe if we walk far enough from each other it’ll break from the strained tension? Like when you pull gum far enough!”

 

(“...Let’s give that a go… Not like we have a better idea…”) the two pull away as far as they can from one another to the limit of the adhesive that binds them (“Its...working!...”)

 

“Just...a little...more!...” when they hear what they assume is tearing, they take one final step, but are unfortunately rubber banded into each other, making the problem much worse “Huh...the possibility of this happening instead completely slipped my mind…”

 

(“Oh...did it now…”) her dud ejects a smoke puff.

 

“Don't worry! I'm sure I can...think of something...oh dear...there doesn't seem to be an easy way out of this… This adhesive is really durable...so maybe...no that would make it worse…” as Parappa mutters to himself, Ma-san’s anger rises exponentially as her dynamite stick erupts a sprinkler of sparks while her body starts to heat up much like it did in the pocket world “...hey...do you smell something?...smells like...smoke...wait…” Parappa notices the adhesive start to burn up from the sparks “What the?!” he glances at the girl next to him who is seething pure anger “Ma-san calm down!...”

 

(“HOW CAN I CALM DOWN LIKE THIS?!”) she causes more sparks to eject from her dud as the substance holding them together starts to dry up and harden.

 

“Hey! You're right! Don't calm down!”

 

(“AND NOW YOU'RE TELLING ME TO STAY ANGRY?!”)

 

“No! Look! Your causing this stuff to turn brittle!”

 

Through her peeved condition, she glances downwards to see the stuff barely support the heat it's being conditioned to from her body, as well as the fire sparks emanating from her head. She calms down a tad, but only enough to keep herself level headed while still heated enough to dry up what's left of the stuff. Once it's all brittle, the duo simply break out from their own strength (“For the record, I'm taking credit for this.”)

 

“Fair enough since you were the one that made it possible for us to even DO that! But we can talk about this later! We gotta catch those two before they get away!”

 

(“If they're heading for the exit now that they assume we're still stuck...I think I know a way to cut them off!”) she grabs a jar of what got them stuck (“Here, hold onto this in case we need to slow em down!”) Ma-san runs off after passing Parappa the jar.

 

“Great thinking!” Parappa rushes off right behind her.

 

The crook pair keep on running as they start discussing among themselves “How much do you think this stuff will go for?”

 

“I dunno...some of it may have gotten busted thanks to those two so not much probably…”

 

“You think any of this stuff is edible?...”

 

“Do NOT eat the goods!”

 

“Can't help it! Running for my life makes me hungry!”

 

(“Aw ya hungry? Let's help with that!”) The jar explodes at the feet of the whiny crook, encasing him in the glue.

 

“Where'd this come from?!”

 

“HERE'S SOME KNUCKLE SANDWICHES!” Parappa and Ma-san appear in front of him.

 

(“ON THE HOUSE!”) they both uppercut the trapped crooks face as he's sent flying into the air. The glue slingshots him back into the ground. He's driven deep into the pavement. Completely unconscious.

 

“Two down…” the duo straighten their posture.

 

(“One to go…”) they both eye the final crook. The target simple stares at his downed ally and realizes that going head on against the two of them would be a death wish, so he attempts to run away, only to see his path had been blocked off (“Not this time.”)

 

“We thought ahead!”

 

“C-Curses!...S-Stay back!” He plucks a vial from a nearby storage shelf “I-I’m warning you!”

 

“That didn’t work for you before! In fact it even cost you your other ally!”

 

“Then i’ll...do this!” He smashes the vial into the ground causing a weird colored smoke to enshroud the three of them “I REGRET NOTHING!” he begins tossing more of the same vial onto the ground increasing the fog.

 

“I’m starting to see how these idiots may have gotten the upper hand against your dad…” Parappa stares at the growing fog with a deadpan expression, his left eye twitching all the while.

 

(“Yep...not gonna lie, I can’t even defend my dad or get angry at that…”) Ma-san sighs as the mist overtakes them.

 

The duo hear the final thief scream as he tries to book it, and in that instance they both rush out towards the direction of the sound. This bodes poorly as the duo end up getting seperated with neither catching the chicken of a bandit. Parappa somehow ends up looping back to where they were just seconds ago as the fog becomes blinding with its faded hue. By his feet he finds a shard of the vial that held this thing in the first place.

 

“What even is this stuff?!...Remedial Vapor...use to clear out headaches and migraines, reduce anxiety, stress and provide an overall calm sense in the body and nervous system…Well this does seem like something to be sold at a pharmacy or drugstore...wait a second…Do not overindulge or open a full vial...what happens if both are done violently?...Side effect will take place...what’s the side effect?! H-Hallucinations?!” Parappa glances about “Well...maybe I got lucky?...phew…” Parappa rubs his forehead only to flinch when something grabs his hand.

 

“I’d say you did~ But you’re always lucky in my eyes!~”

 

“N-No…T-That voice...” Parappa’s eyes slowly glance down towards the owner of the voice, the one clinging to his arm “S-Sunny?...”

 

“Hey there~”

 

“...Y-You’re not real!...T-This is just a hallucination! From the side effect of all this mist!...”

 

“Hehe...is that so?~” She closes her eyes as she tugs on his arm, bringing it closer to her. When she opens her eyes, her pupils have turned into hearts “Tell me then...Can a hallucination do...this?~” She closes in on his face.

 

“H-Hey what are you!-” He’s silenced as their lips connect. Though all signs pointed to this being nothing but fallacy, what was happening now felt real. To him, it WAS real. And yet it hurt, but he wasn’t upset. He wasn’t angry. He was...unsure.

 

The kiss eventually breaks as the flower girl stares at him “Well?~ Could an illusion do that?~”

 

“...”

 

“Aw come on...speak up!”

 

“Why…”

 

“What do you mean why? It’s kinda rude and mean for my boyfriend to just give me the silent trea-”

 

“Why are you back…”

 

“...You brought me back…”

 

* * *

 

(“Mutt? Parappa?! Where the hell are you?!”) Ma-san blindly storms about within the hectic medical miasma as she grits her teeth (“Just WONDERFUL!...Lost sight of the final idiot...lost sight of MY idiot...And now i’m left feeling like an idiot!”) She stomps in place until someone speaks up behind her.

 

(“Oh, but that shouldn’t be a concept foreign to you! After all...the role of the idiot suits you~”) Ma-san does not hesitate with turning to view the source of the familiar voice. Before her stands a hardened magma fox man.

 

(“YOU?!”)

 

(“Hello traitor! Surprised to see me?~”)

 

(“YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD UR!”)

 

(“I am! Am I?~ No it would seem not~ I guess it’s true, some people are just too angry to die~”)

 

(“THE ONLY ONE WITH ANGER IS ME. IN FACT, THIS IS GREAT! I GET TO RIP YOUR HEAD OFF MYSELF!”)

 

(“My my~ That very easily abusable temper~ I should know~”) He takes a step back to avoid Ma-san driving her fist into the ground (“Ohohoho! Getting RIGHT down to it aren’t we now?~”)

 

(“SHUT UP! THIS IS MY CHANCE TO GET BACK AT YOU FOR USING ME TO NEARLY HURT MY FRIENDS!”)

 

(“That’s not my fault~ Your friends were meddlesome and you were just so easy to wrap around my finger~”) He slides to the left to avoid Ma-san as she crashes into the pallet rack.

 

(“GAH, DAMMIT STOP MOVING!”)

 

(“Hmmm...no don’t think I will~ Playing the matador with you is much to delicious!”)

 

(“YOU DAMN-...”) Ma-sans’s body overheats as she catches the taunter off guard, uppercutting him with her burning hand, causing him to crack at the seams.

 

(“GAH...DAMN IT... YOU’VE...MADE IT MUCH HARDER ON YOURSELF~”) He explodes, but in place now stand two Ur’s (“Look at what you’ve done!”) (“You’ve made it much more fun for me now!”) Both magma men laugh at her failed attempted at getting rid of him.

 

(“W-What the hell?! WHAT’S WITH YOU?!”)

 

(“What’s with us?~”) (“What’s with YOU!~”)

 

Ma-san yells as she charges straight towards the two of them.

 

* * *

 

“Leo I do believe you’re slowing down exponentially.”

 

“I am not 16!”

 

“You are, and it’s hindering our workload. I would not be bringing this up if that were not the case as per your call.”

 

“I am not, clearly I’m still working in tip top shape!”

 

“Leo, cut it out. Ever since you filled us in on your accident yesterday, i’ve been keeping my scanners on you and your condition is gradually getting worse. You should be resting up, but here you insist on pushing yourself on something that can be done another day.”

 

“I. AM. FINE! Why wait another time for what can be done today? Why walk when you can run, why jump when you can leap, why stand when you can act! I have not cut corners once, and I'm not gonna start cutting em now!” the line uttered by the stubborn boy simple strikes a fonder memory within Sunny of a much more happier time. Hearing that line again would've made her smile,  but she stays put as she walks up to the guy.

 

“Leo...maybe 16 is just...a little bit right?...You don’t have as much vigor in you as you did when Spinni was still here helping…”

 

“Poppy, quiet!...I swear I’m- YEOW!...” Leo drops a large piece of metal he’s been holding before groaning in disappointment “Ugh...look i’m fine alright?” He picks the metal chunk back up.

 

“What was that scream for?...”

 

“Nothing. Now back to work.”

 

“Let me see your hand.”

 

“Poppy, enough!”

 

“He cut his hand on the metal Miss Poppy. It’s obvious due to the blood that’s spilling from his right palm.”

 

“16! QUIET!

 

“Show me. Your hand.”

 

“You wanna see it that badly?” he angrily chucks the metal chunk far off into the distance before turning back to Sunny “Here!”

 

“Thank yooooooohhh my gosh! Your hand!”

 

“Yeah, I know. A small cut is there. Now can we please-”

 

“THAT IS MORE THAN JUST A SMALL CUT!” she stares at as large deep gash within his palm. The metal had managed to cut through the glove and force itself deep within his hand, creating the large wound.

 

“Oh boy, shrugging it off as per usual. Care to admit that your faltering state made you unsuitable to handle this NOW? Your strength failed to hold that thing properly...”

 

“Nope. And of course I'll shrug it off cuz Rize and Soren’s kids can patch me up within seconds!”

 

“They can fix your hand, but not the strain on your body from your ‘condition’ you know! Because that's not an injury!”

 

“Oh shut up...I'm gonna be fine! None of this even hur- O-OWWWW!” he flinches with pain as Sunny wraps a shred of her sleeve around his hand “POPPY!”

 

“There! That should stop the bleeding from getting worse for now! But you're gonna have to get it checked and patched up ASAP! Either from a doctor or those other friends of yours that you brought up! Try not to force this hand to much or you'll make the damage worse. Got it?”

 

“...Yeah…” he stares at the bandaged hand before walking off “I'm going back to work…” he stops “Thanks again Poppy…”

 

“No problem! Happy to help!” he scoffs as he heads off to more rubble. Sunny quickly rushes off to 16-bits “Can you keep your scanners on him Mister 16?”

 

“He's not gonna stop no matter what we tell-”

 

“Oh I know that very well, especially after what he said.”

 

“Ah yes, that strange line of ‘no cutting corners’...he's normally stubborn and rather emotionally frail, but he's a phenomenally hard worker all the same. He said he had that mentality since his younger days from hearing it from his mother near endlessly while growing up. So no matter what, he'll give everything he's got to see something through, even if it kills him. As he ‘believes there's always a way to the finish’ or something along those lines.”

 

She smiles “I can see it.” she shakes her head “Back on topic, no I want you to keep your scanners on him so you can tell me how poor his condition is getting so I know what to help with and how to help with it. You know, to ease it up on him while still letting him keep at it.”

 

“Normally I'm not one to let him continuously force his body, but this is a cheeky loophole on letting him push on while at the same time not letting him do much at all. But if he catches on he will not be happy about it…”

 

“Then I don't let him catch on! Now come on! Before he hurts himself more!” she runs off after the guy with the small pixel robot chasing after.

 

* * *

 

“What do you mean I brought you back?...”

 

“Your heart. You never took me out of it and well...am I on the mind?”

 

“...You never left my thoughts...even now…”

 

“Then why are you so surprised?”

 

“I meant...why...why appear now?...Is this a hallucination or not…”

 

“Maybe I am, maybe i’m not…” Another thing tugs at his other arm, when he turns to see, it’s another Sunny Funny.

 

“H-HWA?!”

 

“But maybe you just need a better explanation, atleast enough to clear your head.” They both drag him along, he struggles for abit until they stop and simply sit down, setting him down in between them. He turns his gaze to see what they’re staring at. It’s another Sunny. But this specific one is wearing what she had the day she left them all behind “Would this help in anyway?”

 

“...Did it have to be...that specific version of you…”

 

“It’s the form that you’re making me out to be. I’m sorry…”

 

“I am?...Can’t I change it then?!”

 

“Just think of a different moment with me then. I’ll take that shape immediately.”

 

“But...there’s just...so many moments in my head!...Just seeing you again is stirring my stomach something fierce...I feel...odd…”

 

“Multiple moments huh?...” her shape starts flashing through the countless moments they’ve spent together “How about this?” She wears the outfit she had the first day they met that became a near iconic staple for her.

 

“Basics is ok...but it just makes me feel all the more off at what we had that’s not there anymore…”

 

“How about...this?...” She twirls around as she now wears the dress she had on the day they danced together, some time before they became a couple.

 

“Heh...that brings back a better time, but...currently I don’t wanna think about anything related to singing or dancing…”

 

She stops on a dime as she looks back towards him “Would this be the most suitable for you?...” Her clothes begin slowly vanishing on the spot.

 

“H-HEY!” Parappa turns his tomato head away “I-If this is a joke, it’s REALLY not funny!...”

 

“It’s not really a joke, unless you’re pulling it on yourself. After all I’m taking my shape based on how YOU’RE viewing me right now Parappa!”

 

“Why am I remembering that now…”

 

“So you walked in on me by accident, it’s not like anything bad happened, after all no one found out you accidentally peeped in on me!”

 

“When you word it like that, it doesn’t exactly help...you know what...just...pick a form yourself if you can...I can’t let my heart or brain pick if this is one of the options I’ll be forced to look at…”

 

“Hm...Very well!” the clothes around her change into a top that’s light blue and some jeans that are dark blue. Colors that are all too familiar to the dog.

 

“Heh...I remember the time you wore that to...it was a joke, but...it made me really happy ya know?...Good pick…”

 

“Now I can only hope to get a proper word in.”

 

“You’re free to chat seeing as i’m being held here against my will…”

 

“But sweetie, you’re sitting down listening to me of your own free will~”

 

Parappa blinks as he looks to his sides, the Sunny’s that were holding onto him were gone. There was no trace of them, it even felt as if they were never there at all “This is definitely a hallucination…”

 

“Hehe. Guilty~ But what’s really strange is that you’re technically controlling it as if you were lucid dreaming. And yet rather than get upset with me, or angry at me or any other negative emotion. You simply want to have a chat with me. Why is that dear?”

 

“...I don’t know...like I said prior...you never left my heart or mind...you were always there to me...within reach…” He glances to the ground “Thanks to me, they don’t even wanna bring you up anymore no matter the subject...you’re like...taboo whenever I’m around and...well that upsets me ya know?...”

 

“I do know. It’d upset me to, but i’m not around anymore am I?”

 

“...Couldn’t you have stayed?...”

 

“I didn’t really have a choice…”

 

“I doubt you’d ever get the choice given Potter’s overprotective thinking...after recent events that i’ve been informed about...it makes sense even more now as to why...not just because your his daughter. I mean any dad would want their kid safe and sound. But no, it’s also from something else I learned...more so along the lines of trauma from his past. So no matter what, to him, I was a potential danger to you and that realization…”

 

“Sucks?”

 

“You have no idea...I just...want you back in our lives...I don’t even care if we don’t hook back up again...I just want one of my great friends back...I miss you...and I know THEY miss you to…” He taps the ground with his fingers “I’ve...recently learned that in the future...things stay as they are now...and you...never came back to us...even as an adult...the thought...never crossed your mind to even try and contact us in any way shape or form…”

 

“I’m sorry…but I guess the time for sorry’s really isn’t now is it?...”

 

“I don’t know…”

 

“...How’d you learn that about the future?...”

 

“Believe it or not...apparently my kid from the future came here. To try and help me out on something. But he didn’t tell me directly, he told the others and I heard it from them…”

 

“Your future kid?...” The Sunny before him giggles “You’re always one to find yourself in a strange and grand new adventure each and every single time…”

 

“Yeah well...truth be told...I’d give that luxary away cuz it means you’d still be here…” he sighs as he closes his eyes, he didn’t know what emotion to feel. Not like it would matter as he couldn't really feel much of any emotion at all. He was...neutral. He looks back up to see the Sunny sitting directly in front of him, catching him off guard.

 

“Do you...despise me?...”

 

“NO!...I mean...yeah I’m angry...you should’ve had some form of say in it against your dad...but at the same time i’m upset because I know he had the right mindset about it…i’m angry that what you did left me in a mess for a whole year...it nearly killed me...again! And yet i’m upset that I couldn’t be much more of a protective guy...but then i’d just be like your dad...limiting…”

 

“...Do you...still love me?...”

 

“Believe it or not...I do…” He grabs his face as he rears back with a loud groan “I don’t know...this is just...I don’t know what to make of this!...I don’t feel upset. I don’t feel sad. I’m not angry or depressed or...none of that. I’m just…”

 

“Calm?”

 

“...yeah...a lil bit...normally whenever I think about you...it gives me a headache or migraine...I get so stressed out at overthink things like…’What could I have done better...’ or ‘Could I have convinced her to stay?’ And it just gives me a whole LOAD of anxiety...my body just won’t listen to me at times and I stand there...paralyzed with the confusion of what I want to get out...but can’t...because I don’t want to lose it…”

 

“Lose what?...”

 

“The time we shared...the moments of our lives that we kept between us and our friends. The promises we made...the challenges we faced… those memories keep me together...but they also rip my heart to shreds...but I keep them so I don’t forget...the love that was worth living…I just wanna…”

 

“Vent it out?...”

 

“...Yeah...kinda like…”

 

“What you’re doing now?” She tilts her head with a small smile “Do you find solace...in talking with me? Telling me all that you’ve been through...the torture that i’ve unwillingly set upon you...the ties that bind that you still keep. And yet through all that…”

 

“I don’t hate you…” they rest their foreheads together “I wish you’d come back…”

 

“I wish I could to…”

 

“Are you saying that for real...or is that just me telling you to say that…my heart can be...quite stubborn...heh…”

 

“I’m saying that on my own free will...but if you believe me or not is your own choice...I can’t force your heart...at least...not anymore than I’ve accidentally already have…”

 

“...I believe you…”

 

“...I’m glad…” They both stare at one another with watery eyes “...” Sunny pecks his nose before pulling her head back. She stares at him with glance that shows that she’s also been upset through this entire ordeal.

 

_ “So now the time has come…” _ Parappa stares at her as she sings a verse from a song only the two of them ever knew.  A song they had sung in secret to one another. Without an understanding as to why, he sings the next verse.

 

“A fate we could not stay away from…”

 

_ “All that’s left now is heartbreak…” _

 

“Just how much more can we take?...”

 

_ “Oh there’s misery in your eyes!” _

 

“I can’t tell if it’s all pure lies!”

 

_ “Just look at what we’ve done!” _

 

“This fate we must overcome!...”

 

_ “I never meant to break your heart…” _

 

“I never meant to tear your world apart…”

 

_ “It’s just how things wound up being…” _

 

“There was no point in disagreeing…”

 

_ “Ohhhhh what  _ has become of  _ usssss _ ?...” They sing the verse together as they both smile.

 

_ “I want to fix all that i’ve broken.” _

 

“I want to take back what’s been spoken.”

 

_ “I want to free you of your fears!” _

 

“I want to wipe away your tears!”

 

_ “To take your hands within my own!” _

 

“Make it so you’re not alone!”

 

“You are  _ the best part  _ of my liiiiiife~...”

 

_ “I never meant to break your heart…” _

 

“I never meant to break your heart…”

 

_ “Know that I never chose to depart…” _

 

“This pain I did not want to impart…”

 

_ “This mess I never chose to start…” _

 

“I was just Rocking...to the Sound...of my Heart…” They finishing singing, but by no means was the song over. They only sung the portion that they felt was necessary. They simply stare at one another until Parappa speaks up “The song we sang when we first hit a snag in our relationship...heh...that was mess and a half…”

 

“And it happened again quite some time later...but...even though those mistakes happened…”

 

“We still stayed together...and I’d even say that our bond grow stronger from it!”

 

“It did...it really really did...and we let a little fear tear us apart...but I simply...worried for you…”

 

“As did I for you...I guess no matter how you look at it...we have no one but ourselves to blame for not doing anything to stay together…”

 

“But...that shouldn’t stop you right. Why not reach out? We may or may not be a couple again, but atleast try and contact me? Maybe you can convince me to come back.”

 

“I would if I had your number...but when I called, your number had been changed thanks to your father I presume...which also brought to mind. Even if I did find your number again, your dad would probably change it...or worse yet...relocate you again…”

 

“Did that stop your kid?”

 

“Huh?...”

 

“After all...he went back in time. To try and help you out. If he’s out here changing his fate. Then...you can probably do so yourself to right?”

 

“But how can I manage that…”

 

“The answer is simple my dear sweet Parappa! You gotta believe! After all you believed in me right?~ And here I am right now!”

 

“But you’re just a hallucination!”

 

“Heheh...yep~ But i’m a hallucination that helped you air out your thoughts and clear your mind~ Are you feeling anxious or stressed?”

 

“Not at all.”

 

“Does your head hurt?”

 

“No migraines or headaches at all! I’m just…”

 

“Totally calm?”

 

“...Yeah~”

 

“Then I think my job is done~ I did the impossible and helped you get those emotions out. Now it’s your turn to do what was once impossible to right?~” She leans over to kiss him on the lips. She smiles with a cute titter as she looks at him with a beaming bright face “You just gotta believe in me to alright?”

 

“I’ll always believe! I never stopped! Huh?...” Parappa stares at the empty void in front of him. He was alone. However he was never really with anyone at all, and yet maybe through some miracle, maybe he was. Parappa remembers what was labeled on the vial fragment “Heh...thanks Sunny. I truly do hope you feel and think the same, and i’m gonna believe that I’ll get to see you again because I KNOW that i’ll get to see you again. I just gotta keep my head held high! And we’ll all be together again soon. I hope...the others will be ok with that...of course they will! They miss you just as much as I do, if not more!” Parappa then glances about with an urgent sense of panic “WAIT! Ma-san! She’s caught in this mist to! How will the hallucinations affect her?!” He gets moving with little hesitation “The thought of seeing you will have to wait for a little bit, right now I got a friend to help!” Parappa runs off blindly as he scours through the fog in order to find his drummer friend.

 

* * *

 

“His legs are tiring, help him carry the slab or it’ll squish him.”

 

“Got it!...” Sunny runs off to do what 16 suggested.

 

“He’s growing weaker on the side of his body with the wounded hand. Support his right side so he doesn’t end up keeling over.”

 

“Got my shoulder ready to be leaned on!” She runs off again.

 

“”His back is-

 

“STOP!” A tired Leo stands before them huffing in exhaustion “I DON’T NEED ANYMORE HELP!...”

 

“Leo your condition has degraded heavily in the passing seconds! In fact signs show you’re about to suffer your ‘condition’ again soon!”

 

“What?...” Sunny looks between the two.

 

“16 I’m FINE!...Now stop helping me!...I can do this on my own!...” He storms off to a pile of debris stacked ontop of one another.

 

“Leo that’s Spinni’s portion of the work!”

 

“Yeah? And? He ain’t here so someone needs to handle it!”

 

“I’d agree to that if you were one hundred percent ok, but now I fear you’ll become buried under the remains. Can’t really clear out to make space for rebuilding if you become part of what we have to clean out…”

 

“I’ll be ok 16, have more faith in me than that…”

 

“But Leo!-”

 

“Let him be Poppy, we clearly can’t stop him. If we try, we’ll only feed his stubborn tendencies even further.”

 

“...Ok…”

 

“THANK YOU!” he storms off to take on the workload himself. Sunny quickly turns to 16, but before she can speak up, he beats her to the punch.

 

“Go keep an eye on him. You saw what he went through when his condition struck did you not?” He turns to her with sad beeps “I take it you’ve stumbled upon information on his past. Correct?”

 

“W-What?? No I have-”

 

“I have a built in lie detector Miss Poppy. And, judging by your worry over the situation-”

 

“Who wouldn’t be worried??”

 

“It’s one thing to be worried over spotting someone suffering in a strenuous way, but it’s another to be worried over if it’ll happen again.”

 

“...”

 

“So how did you stumble upon his knowledge?”

 

“His helmet kinda played a video out in front of me while he was out and I got the urge to fix up his room…”

 

“Unorganized and non careful fool...well. I won’t say a word that you know anything about him Poppy.”

 

“M-Much appreciated!...”  _ Atleast he didn’t ask if my name really was Poppy or not... _

 

“Quite...now...go assist him before things go awry, I’ll go over momentarily to help as well.” She nods as she runs off. Once she arrives she witnesses him overextending himself, but still getting the task done with moderate ease as he goes back and forth to gather more junk and getting rid of it just as quickly.

 

_ Well he’s certainly like his mom and dad…  _ She notices some sparks of electricity gather at his legs.  _ Oh dear...Parappa who are you thinking about now??... _

 

“D-Dammit...not again…” The current wraps around the rest of his body, causing him to stumble as he tries to carry more things, bumping into a stack that drops a rather massive piece of broken metal towards him “No...M-Move legs!...move!...” He’s forced to bend over as he’s unable to move any further to dodge.

 

“That’s my cue!...” She runs to him, but the electricity makes it difficult to get right next to him, while also magnetizing the metal towards him faster.  _ I don’t think I’ll get to pull him out in time now!...Well...if I can’t escape with him… _ Sunny shoves the guy out of harm's way as he falls to the ground, quickly staring at her as he drops down.

 

“I SAID TO NOT HELP!...” He shouts, his body numb, and struggling to move.

 

“I know...I ignored you~...” Sunny drops to the ground face first from the body tackle.

 

“Dammit...dammit…” His body twitches as he manages to stand up, but fall numb again “DAMMIT!...” His legs bend sporadically as they stomp the ground heavily, leaving imprints of his shoes in the concrete. He uses the force to push himself into one haphazard jump. He lands in place above her and forces his arms upwards to catch the metal. He manages to grab it, but not stop its descent as the weight forces it to continue downwards “I...WILL...MANAGE!...”

 

Sunny rolls over to see him holding the crumbling mess up, the sight gives her a horrible sense of deja vu as the vision before her immediately changes to that of Parappa holding up the crumbling warehouse “N-No…”

 

“G-GET...UP...AND RUN!...”

 

“Run?...”

 

_ GET UP AND RUN!...I’LL HOLD IT UP!  _ Parappa shouts at a cowering Sunny.

 

_ “B-BUT!...” _

 

_ I WILL MANAGE! JUST RUN! I’LL BE RIGHT AFTER!  _ Through his struggling, Parappa gives her a smile.

 

“I-I don’t want to run away again…” 

 

“DON’T...BE STUPID!...” Leo’s voice becomes slightly different, prompting the girl to stare “YOU GOTTA GET OUT WHILE I HOLD THIS THING!” The weight forces the junk lower, as it stops with a heavy thud on his helmet, breaking the screen while cracking the helmet itself, but it managing to withstand the force without breaking completely. However, Sunny catches a glance at his...or as it should now be said, HER face. It looked like hers. The only difference is that this face, changed more than just his appearance and voice as it also turned him into a girl as well. Only she was the one to notice however “DON’T JUST LOOK AT ME LIKE A DEER CAUGHT IN THE HEADLIGHTS!...BOOK IT!...I’LL...BE...FINE…”

 

“No...N-NO!” She gets up and helps with holding the thing up.

 

“COME ON! MOVE!...” the electricity around him violently whips about, but Sunny pays it no mind as her determination keeps her in place.

 

“N-NEVER!...I’M HELPING YOU GET OUT OF HERE TO!...”

 

“WE’LL BOTH BE CRUSHED!...” Just then they feel something else help pull the thing off of them.

 

“I LEAVE YOU TWO FOR A COUPLE OF MOMENTS AND ALREADY YOU’RE ABOUT TO BE SQUASHED LIKE ANTS IN AN UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT!...” 16-bits was pulling at the hazardous junk scrap with the crane that sprouted from his head again. Despite the three of them doing their all, they were all failing to move the thing away “I...CAN’T...PULL IT OFF…”

 

“16 IF YOU KEEP PULLING, YOUR HEADS GONNA GET RIPPED CLEAN OFF!...”

 

“I HAVE SPARE BODIES...YOU TWO DON’T!...” Before the two are allowed to bicker, they all feel the weight of the object go away as it’s lifted away from them by a rather annoyed bug man.

 

“WHEN I LEFT SO YOU COULD INCLUDE POPPY BETTER. THIS IS  **NOT** HOW I THOUGHT YOU'D LET THINGS END UP AS!” The other three all fall over as Spinni safely tosses the mess away.

 

Leo clutches his...herself, as the shock becomes to much to take. 16 quickly scoots up “Blast...I was right, it was close to happening again…”

 

“Happening? What iiiiiiiiiis HE GONNA BE ALRIGHT?...”

 

“If I even dare to get near him, the electricity will wipe my data clean off the face of the planet. So I can't inspect him.”

 

“Well I can't do it either! I only have two arms left! I rather they not get blown off like the other four…” As the duo get angry at each other for their pathetic excuses to avoid getting hurt, Sunny is already there inspecting her. Shrugging off the pain of the lightning bursting off Leo's body “Miss Poppy that's dangerous!”

 

“Neither of you wanted to do it...if you don't wanna deal with this then go get help…”

 

“Right!” 16 plops to the ground as a satellite ejects from his head  _ “Contacting Rize and Soren. Do either of you read me?”  _ 16 is stopped mid communication by Spinni kicking him over.

 

“THAT'S GONNA TAKE FOREVER! COME ON, WE CAN JUST FLY OVER TO THEM!” he flutters his insectoid wings as he dashes off.

 

16 dusts himself off before staring angrily into the air “Could have explained that WITHOUT kicking me over…” he rockets off after Spinni, leaving Sunny and Leo alone.

 

“Leo?...Can you hear me?...”

 

“I...can…”

 

“You shouldn't have done that…”

 

“Don't tell me...what I...can or can't...do...I wanted to...stop that...and so I...did…”

 

“...Yeah...I can see that…” she watches her face alter between hers and Ma-san’s till it finally stops on Ma-san’s. He reverts back into a boy. Though abit saddened, she's mostly relieved “You didn't really need to help me...Especially since I've been nothing but a bother to you.”

 

“I'm gonna...have to stop you...right there…” the electricity winds down and eventually stops “I...was a major...hardass towards...you… I know that if I just listened from the getgo...this would've...been avoided.”

 

“But that's just how much of of a hard worker you are!”

 

“I meant...listened to you...from the morning...had I just decided to...call in sick and rest…”

 

“...oh…”

 

“I'm sorry…”

 

“That's quite alright. Again. I was a bit of an annoying bother…”

 

“You weren't...I was just an idiot...you did nothing but...want to help from the pure goodness...in your heart…” He forces himself to sit up, much to her dismay “Remember when I said...that you weren't my friend?... Do...you still want to be?...I feel it's the least I can...offer as an apology…”

 

“I'd gladly be your friend, but you need to lay down and rest now. We can be happy over this another time. Right now I don't know how long those two will take, so it's in my best interest to keep you in one piece until they get back!”

 

The boy simply lays back to the ground with no arguments “Ok…”

 

“That's better! Now let's see...yep...catching that for me made your open wound all the more worse...egh...your entire arm is soaked red...normally I'd faint at a sight like this...but right now my intuition to help is keeping me firmly awake!”  _ That and the fact that you terrified me by doing something your dad did… _ “Now let's clean that up...and patch up these new cuts and bruises you gave yourself...oh man…”  _ Am I glad I decided to learn first aid around the time I was forced to move away…but I only learnt it for him...and I couldn’t even use what I learned anymore... _

 

“You ok?..”

 

“Yeah...I’m fine… It’s just that looking at you like this makes me really sad…” She shakes her head “But alot of use I’ll be if I just end up a sad sack! Come on...let me patch you back up the best I can till the proper help gets here!...This might...sting though...like...alot…”

 

“Heh...I have no one to blame but myself for it...don’t worry...I can take it!” He shields his eyes as he begins humming quickly.

 

“What are you doing?...”

 

“Music keeps me calm, but my throat hurts so I can’t sing and my helmet is busted so I can listen to saved music...so I’m just humming a beat...I was about to start humming a favorite song of mine...that...also calms down…”

 

“Well...whatever makes this all the more bearable! Hum away!” He nods as he begins humming, but the song he hums nearly breaks her heart as she stops what she’s doing halfway through. On instinct, she sings what line is supposed to go with the beat “I...never m-meant to..b-break your heart…”

 

“Y-You know that song?!...”

 

“O-Of course...you could say that…” She quickly thinks up a different response to say “I overheard it once on a visit to...I believe a town near here... and I couldn’t get it out of my head ever since...I wish I knew who the singer was…”

 

“...Would you like to meet him some time?...I’m..actually friends with him.”

 

“...I think I’d like that, but...maybe sometime later...I rather become better friends with you first instead of meeting the friends of my friend.”

 

“Ok then...”

 

“Good...let’s finish you up…”

 

* * *

 

Parappa rushes down pathway after pathway, looking to bump into Ma-san. Eventually Parappa hears the sounds of her fighting “Did she find the last crook?...” he hurries in that direction and quickly dives to his side to avoid getting decked in the face “W-WATCH IT!”

 

(“DON’T MESS WITH ME!”)

 

“M-Ma-san?...” Parappa stares at the mouse with a heavy confusion.

 

(“WOULD IT KILL YOU TO SHUT UP YOU STUPID WALKING CANDLE?!”) Ma-san stares at what appears to be more than one hundred Ur’s. She doesn’t know, she had lost count.

 

(“WHY WOULD I?”) (“THE SOUND OF MY VOICE IS MUSIC TO MY OWN EARS!”) (“AND THERE’S PLENTY OF ME TO GO AROUND!”) (“AND SO I’M GONNA INDULGE!”) (“HOPE YOU DON’T GET  _ TOO _ ANGRY~”)

 

(“UR SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP  **SHUT UPPPPPP!** ”)

 

“U-Ur?! Why is she hallucinating about him?!” Parappa immediately recalls what she had brought up earlier today.

 

_ (“Especially since it reminds me of the fact that I let myself be turned into a pawn from my anger alone thanks to that damned Ur…”) _

 

“She never got over that…agh...it’s sweltering over here...oh no…” He notices that the mouse has begun overheating again, he also notices the pallet racks beginning to bend and melt from the intense heat “If she keeps this up...MA-SAN! MA-SAN LISTEN TO ME! IT’S NOT REAL!” The mouse could hear nothing of what the dog was shouting to her as she continuously swung at nothing, nearly hitting him in the process over and over again “How am I gonna make her hear me?! Whatever she’s hearing and seeing... it’s clearly got her full attention...and she ain’t stopping anytime soon...this isn’t good…” He gets up and takes a deep breath “I’ll try shouting once more...if that doesn’t work...I gotta bear the heat…MA-SAN PLEASE TRY AND LISTEN TO ME!”

 

(“WHY WON'T YOU JUST TAKE THE HIT AND GO DOWN!?”)

 

(“Why should I?”) (“Seeing you like this just motivates me to keep on with it!”) (“After all you're not the only one enraged at the moment!”) (“You would've been the turning point! But you and that dog simply destroyed what I've been working towards for far to long!”) (“So if all I have is this. I'll drive you to lunacy till YOU perish!”)

 

(“JUST!...get out of my head…”) She grabs her head as she huddles to the ground. Her heat still rising however.

 

_ MA-SAN! _

 

(“Parappa?...”) she glances around, but only stares face to face with another Ur (“WOULD YOU JUST PISS OFF??”)

 

(“You stopped yelling, so I thought I'd fix that~”) (“But instead I hear you calling out for the dog!”) (“And that's just precious~...”) (“It's sickening…”) (“But love usually is so that’s nothing new~”) (“Keep calling away, he can’t help you!~”)

 

(“HE’D SO HELP ME KICK YOUR ASS IF HE WERE HERE!”)

 

(“Then why hasn’t he?~”)

 

(“Because...I DON’T NEED HIS HELP AND HE KNOWS THAT!”) She steams up as an actual forceful gust of steam blasts from her body that sends Parappa flying. He lands at the foot of a teetering rack. He rolls away to avoid the hot melted slush as well as what it used to be holding.

 

“That was close...speaking of close!...I nearly got through to her!...This stuff is supposed to clear the mind and yet with her, she gets all the more lost in her thoughts!” Parappa shields his eyes “Guess I just gotta get closer!” He begins trudging along the force of the heat and steam. He eventually gets back to where he was, but getting closer to Ma-san proves difficult due to how intense the condition for moving is compared to some distance away “Gotta...force my feet…! Let’s go!” Holding his arms in front of his face to block the ventilation, he keeps taking step after heavy step “MA-SAN! YOU CAN BEAT HIM! JUST DON’T LET WHAT HE SAYS GET TO YOU!”

 

(“My my you’re overheating exponentially!”) (“It truly is such a marvel to behold!”) (“How destructive you can be!”) (“You sure you’re not one of us?~”)

 

(“I AM NOT!”)

 

_ MA-SAN! YOU CAN BEAT HIM! JUST DON’T LET WHAT HE SAYS GET TO YOU! _

 

(“HARD TO WHEN HE WON’T SHUT THE HELL UP!”)

 

(“Are you listening to him?~”) (“Oh how nice!”) (“He’ll get to hear you slowly bring forth your own demise!”)

 

(“HOW IN THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’LL KILL ME! YOU AREN’T EVEN TOUCHING ME!”)

 

(“Oh I know for a fact you’ll meet your end if you don’t cool it~”) (“But that’s all i’m saying!”)

 

Parappa finally manages the get right next to her, a final burst of steam nearly ruining that process. Instinctually he tries shaking her, but the heat forces his hands right off “I won’t get anywhere at this rate!...” He takes a deep breath once more and wraps his arms around her from behind, taking the heat head on “MA-SAN! IT’LL BE ALRIGHT. YOU JUST GOTTA STOP BEING ANGRY! ISN’T THIS WHAT YOU WANTED TO AVOID? TO GET HELP WITH?!”

 

(“HOW CAN I STOP BEING ANGRY?! I WANT TO AVOID IT BUT WHEN THERE’S PEOPLE LIKE HIM!...PEOPLE LIKE ME!...I...can’t be helped…”)

 

“THAT’S A LIE!”

 

(“JUST LOOK AT ME!...”)

 

“...”  _ she can’t stop…  _ Parappa only hugs harder.  _ But maybe she can get the better of it!  _ “FINE. YOU’RE RIGHT!”

 

(“SEE?!”)

 

“NO. YOU MAY BE RIGHT, BUT ARE YOU REALLY GONNA LET THIS DEFINE YOU? LET THIS OVERTAKE YOU FOREVER?”

 

(“...”)

 

“GET ANGRY! DON’T JUST HOLD IT BACK! YOU CAN BE HELPED, IT’S JUST A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN IT WOULD BE FOR ANYONE ELSE! IT’S JUST HOW IT GOES FOR YOU!”

 

(“BUT!-”)

 

“BUT NOTHING! THE DIFFERENCE HERE IS THAT YOU WON’T LET THAT ANGER BE YOUR DOWNFALL. YOU WON’T LET YOURSELF BECOME SO EASILY TOYED WITH BECAUSE OF THAT. YOU’RE BETTER THAN THAT, AND YOU’RE BETTER THAN HIM! YOU’RE AN AVID BOOKWORM! AND ONE HELL OF A WRITER! AS WELL AS ONE AMAZING DRUMMER GAL! THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE KNOW YOU AS! THE GOOD TRAITS OF AN AMAZING OVERLOOKED GIRL!” Parappa grips on tightly “MAKE YOUR ANGER FOLLOW YOUR ACTIONS! NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND! I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT! I BELIEVE IN YOU!”

 

Ma-san stops struggling after hearing that. The heat on her body simmering down (“He believes I can do it…”) She takes a deep breath as she starts calming down, the stress of what's been going on has begun to erode away as he headache caused by the false Ur begins to vanish.

 

(“Oh how cute!”) (“AS IF YOU COULD!~”)

 

(“...I can…”)

 

(“Eh?”)

 

(“AND I WILL! CAN’T LET HIM DOWN CUZ IF HE THINKS I CAN, THEN I  **DEFINITELY** CAN! I AIN’T LETTING YOU GET UNDER MY SKIN ANYMORE!”) She ejects one last blast of steam that shoves Parappa away, but also exterminates all the Ur’s.

 

(“WHAT?!”) (“HOW?!”) (“IMPOSSIBLE!...”) As all the Ur’s fall, the original simply laughs (“Well well...you’ve bested me once again...congratulations. You finally got over it.”) just like his copies, he’s wiped out along with the steam itself and the original fog that induced the hallucinations.

 

Parappa peels himself off the ground and rubs his head, he quickly glances over to Ma-san to see if she’s fine. It’s much clearer to see now with everything brushed away, but what he sees is Ma-san with flames hovering around her body “Ma-san?...” Despite this, she was not expelling heat. The pallet racks stopped teetering now that the heat wasn’t as intense, but they would still need to be replaced. Parappa hops to his feet and walks over to his flaming friend “Ma-san are you...angry?...”

 

(“Hooo yeah. Freakin pissed. But you know what? I’m cool with being like that, because I’m not gonna let it be my downfall anymore. Now it’s the one that’s gonna be under MY command. Not the other way around. And hey, maybe one day I’ll be able to keep calm permanently, but until then i’m cool being my flaming hot head self!”)

 

“Flaming indeed...look at yourself!” Ma-san looks at her body, the flames encircling her.

 

(“Would you look at that, makes sense it’d run in the family. Guess I just needed a lil help getting mine to work properly. Not only can I be a literal explosive firecracker, but now I don’t have to worry about setting things on fire. And hey, when I learn to keep calm permanently, i’ll have even more control over this I reckon.”)

 

“I’ll say! Still, it’s a marvel look at you like this!”

 

(“That’s right, bask in my glory~”) she chuckles smugly before abruptly stopping (“Hell, this means I can help you out a whole lot more now. I’d like to see anything threaten you now.”)

 

“Heh, i’m honored!” Their happy chat is interrupted once they hear Papa-Ma struggle “That’s your dad again!” They rush away from the spot they’re in and head to the middle of the area and look upwards. They see the final crook dangle on the rope holding Papa-Ma.

 

“COME ON YOU STUPID ESCAPE HELICOPTER LADDER! GO UP!”

 

“Looks like the hallucinations got to him to.”

 

(“Hallucinations?”)

 

“I’ll explain later! How the heck are we gonna get to him...if we go the long way he might run away or accidentally break the rope causing your dad to fall...maybe we can climb one of the pallet rac-”

 

(“BORING!”) With a flick of the wrist, Ma-san launches a fireball from her fingertips as it flies in a curved angle, hitting the rope and incinerating it on impact. She catches her dad and watches the final crook land ontop of one of the shelve racks with a heavy thud (“Man I’m awesome.”) She places her father down then runs off to hit the final crook. Parappa goes over to untie the trapped older mouse.

 

(“Sorry about the sudden fall sir. Let me help you out of this…”) The second his mouth is freed, he immediately shouts out.

 

(“QUICK! STOP MY DAUGHTER! BEFORE SHE INCINERATES HERSELF!...”)

 

(“S-Sir calm down!...She’s got this!”)

 

(“How can you be certain?!”)

 

(“I have faith in her. You’d be wise to do so as well, given she is your family after all.”)

 

(“But…”)

 

(“She’s not your past Sir, she’s your future. Not like she’s gonna do what you did after all.”) Parappa runs after Ma-san

 

(“...Very well…”)

 

Ma-san chases after the last idiot as he hops from rack to rack “YOU’LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE COPPERS!”

 

(“To be frank, I think it’d be better with you dead regardless, but aside from you being incompetent, your pretty much harmless.”) She grips her fist tightly (“But you ain’t safe from the cell you deserved to be put in!”) She tries to fling another fireball, but her hand fizzles out with a puff (“AW REALLY?! Huh...guess I don’t have as much control over this as I thought…”)

 

“I’M OUT!” He jumps from the last rack and out a window.

 

(“AND he got away!...Ugh...starting to feel less awesome…”)

 

“Relax, that window leads to the other storage warehouse! And if I recall correctly, it’s empty so it should be easy getting hi-” Parappa stares at the mouse.

 

(“What?”)

 

“Is your dynamite supposed to swell up as if were about to go boom?...”

 

(“My dyna- WHOA!”) She feels the stick of dynamite on her head, the ballon size freaks her out (“NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE!”) they both flinch as they expect the worst, but it never comes. What does happen is the dynamite stick simply pops off her head and lands on the ground. Black hair poofs out from where the explosive used to be as it unfurls over her face.

 

“Huh...Not what I expected to happen…”

 

(“Pfft...Me neither…”) She picks up the dynamite after blowing her hair out of her mouth (“So this was removable?!...and what gives, why is it still as big as a balloon!”) She squeezes it and immediately it launches out a firework into the air, poking a hole through the roof as it explodes safely in the air (“WHOA! HAHAH THINGS ARE AWESOME AGAIN!”)

 

“Careful!”

 

(“Relax Mutt! It’ll be fine! ‘Sides, this means I have something fun to stop that lowlife with~”) She runs out of the warehouse they’re currently in to head to the abandoned one right next to it. Parappa tails after in worry.

 

The duo storm into the next door warehouse and immediately see the last guy run along the top portion of the warehouse. Ma-san immediately fires a barrage of firework blasts towards the poor running fool “Talk about your extreme measures…”

 

(“It’s working ain’t it?”)

 

“Sure, everything works if you use that logic.”

 

(“Oh shut up Parappa, you know this is amazing.”)

 

“I’m not admitting to that.”

 

(“I’ll let you fire some blasts at the guy~”)

 

“...ok maybe it’s a lil amazing…”

 

(“Atta boy~”) She hands him the newly repurposed dynamite stick as Parappa unloads a barrage of fireworks at the poor excuse of a thief almost instantly. He sporadically dodges the blasts as they push him around even more.

 

“Slippery guy ain’t he?”

 

(“Annoyingly so!...hm...I got it!”) She plucks the dynamite out of his hands and back into her own (“I’ll lead him over here!”) She manages to corral him over where she wants him as he leaps and grabs onto a part of the wall that start to slowly bend towards the ground.

 

“MAYDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!” The flimsy wall part was about to slingshot back up, but is grabbed and held in place by the two of them.

 

“I’ll take this.” Parappa plucks the bag filled with the items he stole and the second one he took from his glued to the ground accomplice.

 

(“And i’ll take THAT!”) Ma-san takes the rose back (“And you can have this!”) She hands him the stick of dynamite as she and Parappa let go and watch him get launched through the roof.

 

“Ma-san why would you give him the dynamite stick?!”

 

(“This is why. Since it’s still technically from me. I figure if I do thiiiiiis~”) She snaps her fingers. They both hear a massive boom come from the outside of the warehouse.

 

“ISN’T THAT A BIT OVERKILL?!”

 

(“Relaxxxxx I held back~ He shouldn’t be dead, just well done is all~”)

 

“How can I believe that when you can’t even conjure up another fireball properly!”

 

Just then, the body of the final crook lands with a massive thud on the ground outside behind them (“See? There’s the body!”)

 

“But is he alive?!” Parappa rushes off to check “Phew...he is. Honestly this isn’t an outcome i’d like to invoke on people unless they’re beyond help or just plain evil. These guys are just idiots who at worst deserve to stay within a cell for as long as what’s deemed necessary.”

 

(“You think we’ll ever run into peeps that will need to be brought down. You know like Ur again?”)

 

“I’d like to say no...but given that’s Leo’s entire purpose for being here…”

 

(“Well don’t worry. Cuz ya got me! I’ll turn them to ashes if they try anything! Like, i’d do it to Raparra, but I don’t think the fire would affect him...”)

 

“We can discuss this another time. Right now let’s just pick him and the other two up and get them ready for police custody.”

 

(“Roger.”) Parappa vaults the unconscious thief over his shoulder as they head back to the other warehouse. As they reach the door however.

 

“STOP RIGHT THERE! I HAVE BROKEN FREE OF THE BIND YOU TRAPPED ME IN, AND I WILL AVENGE MY FALLEN COMRADES AS WELL AS GET REVENGE FOR MY FACE! FOR YOU SEE, I FOUND A SECOND KNIFE WITH WHICH I CUT MYSELF FREE FROM THE ROPES AND AM NOW GOING TO STRIKE YOU BOTH DO-” The original thief that was handled with ease is smashed into the air from behind by a flaming uppercut delivered by Papa-Ma. He lands unconscious again behind Papa-Ma.

 

(“I’ve about had it with you noisy fools.”)

 

(“Nice one da- OW!”) Papa-Ma flicks Ma-san on the head with a stern chop (“DAD WHAT THE HELL?!”)

 

(“I’m choosing to overlook the fact that you’ve discovered things about yourself that I wish you never found out about because I’ve dreaded them since the day you were born. As well as obliterating your headpiece as you’ll be able to manifest a new one anyway. Not to mention the massive risk you put yourself had you not learned to properly handle your inner flames which I have to thank your friend here-”)

 

(“Then why hit me?!”)

 

(“Because. You two still made a mess of my wares. The super strength adhesives and the calming remedial vapors. Not to mention a load of other things while in pursuit of these three. While also destroying numerous pallet racks, limiting how much I can store within here.”) Both blink with heavy realization.

 

(“Ooooooooh...yeah we did kinda do that didn’t we?...”)

 

“H-Hehe...my deepest apologies sir…” Parappa taps his fingers “If it’s any consolation. We’ll help clean up!”

 

(“Who the hell gave you permission to speak for me Mutt?!”)

 

(“Mar.”)

 

(“I know...ugh...fine I’ll help him…”)

 

(“Not that. I’ll...handle this myself. Leaving the clean up to the two of you could lead to more things being ruined...and that’s bad for business. No I prefer you two just peel off the third of these thieves and turn them over to the authorities. Right now I wish to speak with you alone Mar.”)

 

(“Oh man...here comes another lecture...fine pops. Gotta excuse us for a bit Parappa.”)

 

“No worries! I understand the importance of private family matters!” Parappa gives a thumbs up before picking up the other unconscious bandit behind Papa-Ma and bolting off. Parappa dumps the two unconscious money symbol men as he proceeds to tie them up and then after pulls out his phone “And now to send you to custody!” A quick phone call after leaves Parappa sitting on his own, awaiting for Ma-san to return so they can both get the final of the trio while also just chatting up on their thoughts of today “Hope her dad doesn’t chew her out to much on today…” As if on cue the mouse arrives, catching his attention with a bonk on the head.

 

(“Yo.”)

 

“Heyo! How’d it go?”

 

(“A mixed bag is putting lightly. I got him angry, but that’s just his way of saying he was worried over my well being. He says for me to be careful as usual. And...whenever we have free time, he’ll be teaching me how to better manage what I can do. He just wants you and the others to help in teaching me on how to keep my anger in check. But I can trust you guys will have an easier time with that. I don’t think his methods of teaching me will go so well if they’re anything like his usual lectures.”)

 

“Well glad you believe in us.”

 

(“I’m glad YOU believe in ME”) She clears her throat “It’s strange hearing that, stranger saying that. But I guess this was the help I needed really...or at the very least a motivator to get said help to finally work better. And as much as I hate to admit it. That stupid calming fog that made me hallucinate about you know helped a bit as well...Just the thought of HIM being of any help is rather nightmarish…”

 

Parappa chuckles “It’s ironic. Real Ur would rather die than help us out in any way. Also why speaking english all of a sudden?”

 

“Eh. I feel like I owe it to ya for getting through to my head. I would’ve never caught onto what the hell all those Ur’s were trying to teach me were it not for you getting the picture across.”

 

“I didn’t do much! I just said what I assumed would help the most! I couldn’t see what you saw. I had my own hallucination to deal with.”

 

“Really huh? Guess that should’ve been obvious. Who was your trial to a clear head?”

 

“Eh… Mine wasn’t that big of a trial...I just kinda...talked it out...and it help me out more than I would’ve expected.”

 

“Feh. Lucky you. Who’d you have to talk to?”

 

“...Sunny.”

 

“And you kept a level head through that?!”

 

“Yeah. It was immersiful I’ll say that much, but it did help me think about things.”

 

“Like?”

 

_ She probably won’t be to happy if I bring up the fact that hallucination Sunny told me she wants me to try and contact her...but how will I even manage that?...gah...I’ve got to much on my plate as is… _ “Just...to not let the things get to me. It was basically our conjoined fault for not doing anything more in regards to her being forced to leave. And that she could only hope that the red be no ill will between us.”

 

“Pah. Sounds like sweet nothings to me...it was probably your head playing with ya.”

 

“Yeah…”

 

_ I’m saying that on my own free will...but if you believe me or not is your own choice...I can’t force your heart...at least...not anymore than I’ve accidentally already have… _

 

“You're probably right…”

 

“I know I'm right!” (“And overall...I'm uh...sorry for today with all this mess...and my dad...and the fact that I potentially could've hurt you again…”)

 

“It's fine! You didn't hurt me and I know you wouldn't in the end. But if anyone needs to apologize, it's me. I could've been a lot more helpful and instead I was the reason they almost ran off with your rose! Among other things, I'm deeply sorry.”

 

(“Geez grovel harder why don't ya…”) she rubs her face (“Let's just say it could've been a lot worse…Ooooh boy do I have alot to write about after today! As for what happened now, well who knows how else that could've gone. For what happened, we made it out well enough. Now come on. Let's go peel the last guy out of the ground so we can get a move on. Papa wants us gone so he can tidy up on his own. So let's hurry so we can go grab a bite to eat. Your treat.”)

 

“Hey wai-...Ah what the heck, that's fair I guess.” he rolls his eyes with a playful sigh as they both head off “Say...how are you gonna style your new hair do?”

 

(“Oh right...I have hair now…huh…”)

 

* * *

 

“What's taking them...well...you're atleast doing fine now that I wrapped you up...and you passed out so you're resting up by default!...What a macabre way to look at it…” Sunny sighs as she rests her cheek on her palm “Geez… you give me quite a bit of bad nostalgia...while it’s nice that your dad’s sense of heroism and mom’s sense of diligence were passed down heavily...it’s still a heavy burden for those around you when it comes to the end result...oh man my stomach’s just churning from the memory… It’s funny… the very thing that reinforced my love for your dad is also the very same thing that eventually led to us splitting up… and now that I heard that it was destined to happen regardless… I dunno...I guess I still wanted to help however I could...and yet...today...why did your face change to that of mine?...”

 

_ it runs off a probability of fate in which he eventually talks to one of them...one thing leads to another yadda yadda...and so it focuses on this one fateful question. ‘Will you marry me?’ And well...they all would love to say yes to that. And with love comes said marriage...and what happens soon after?... _

 

“You…” She tears up as she grabs his bandaged right hand “He...still thinks of me…hehe. What an...odd way to find that out…” her teardrops fall upon the unconscious lad as she simply stays there in deep thought “All this time I assumed he moved on...or grew to hate me...but no...there's a chance I could...be with him again…” she she sighs as she closes her eyes “But should I?...I'm not your true mother...and I don't think you’d like it if I messed up your real mother’s chances...but…I'd still like to see what might happen...no...I should just keep my distance...and if I eventually get to meet up with them again...I'll just keep my facade up. It's for the best that ‘Sunny’ doesn't return to them…” she stays silent with her eyes sealed as she keeps Leo company. To her ignorance, the hand she's holding is covered in a green light. The same light is seen on his body, where her teardrops fell. They fade away soon after, taking with them the injuries Leo had sustained.

 

Sunny is alerted by someone calling out her fake name “Young Miss Poppy! Oh we have bad news…” 16 says as he sputters to the ground, releasing a bit crunched neigh.

 

“We can't find or contact our pals who are capable of fixing him...and we looked everywhere! We're going to have to take him to get properly patched up by a doc!” Spinni says fumbling to the ground from worry. 

 

“O-Oh dear!...W-Well hurry then!...We wasted enough time as is!...”

 

“Right! I’ll just pick him up and- he’s completely unscathed?...” Spinni stares at the body of the knocked out mouse boy. Aside from what he was wearing, he was perfectly unharmed it seemed “My eyes aren’t playing tricks on me are they?...”

 

“Remarkable...my scanners show his body has completely recovered! How?!...This is excruciatingly illogical! The only thing wrong with him now is just the exhaustion caused by the physical and mental strain of his random condition!”

 

“Think Poppy may have done this?”

 

“H-How could I have done that?! All I did was bandage him up!”

 

“She’s telling the truth. I don’t sense any semblance of lie...and yet...she’s the only one here...strange...did he just fix himself?...”

 

“If he could’ve done that, why wouldn’t he have done it the countless times he got his butt handed to him!”

 

“True...well...I’ll look into this on my own...for now...He has made a rather spontaneous recovery. All he really needs is to rest for a few days to properly keep his condition at top percentage. That is, if his father doesn’t cause even more problems to his body.”

 

“16 d-don’t say that with Poppy here!”

 

“She already found out on her own by accident.”

 

“Wha-? How?!”

 

“Europa’s untidiness.”

 

“Figures…”

 

She bows her head downwards in an apologizing manner “I promise I won’t do anything bad with the information that I learned! If anything I just wanted to help out someone who was struggling, now that I learned what I did. All I see is just more struggles that I wanna help with!”

 

“That’s noble! But um...I don’t think there’s much you can do to properly help…”

 

“Atleast not on the frontlines! Miss Poppy, i’d recommend you to help from the side or backlines as to not put yourself into the risks that this stubborn lad does so very much.”

 

Spinni bends over to whisper to the robot  _ “16! You can’t involve a random civilian with the crazy and messed up things we usually get ourselves into!...” _

 

_ “She’s not so random. Listen, i’m certain she’s the one that healed him!” _

 

_ “But you said-” _

 

_ “She was telling the truth, but she was also not. So there’s a chance she doesn’t know what she did or how she did it..” _

 

_ “Then...shouldn’t we tell her about it?...” _

 

_ “No. If we tell her, she probably won’t believe us or even be able to trigger it again because she won’t know how or what she did to cause it. She will only have the thought of simply activating it again, with no avail.” _

 

_ “Oof...well...alright…”  _ the roach man stands upright “Well...I agree with 16, but only if you stay careful from said side or backlines. No need to get yourself hurt over our stupidity!”

 

“I’ll be fine! And I appreciate your concern over me! Even though I am just a stranger to you all!” She smiles cutely before bowing again.

 

“Man you make a guy feel guilty...Well, I gotta get this guy to his bed. Then head back over to where I live to work some more. My job as a heavy lifter is never over.”

 

“I think it’s best for me to depart as well. I have some…’curious’ things to study up on.” 16 says as he rubs his forearms together.

 

“Poppy you live in the same building as Europa correct?”

 

“That is correct.”

 

“Want a lift? Beats walking.”

 

“Alright!...I assume you mean flying though…”

 

“Don’t have a fear of heights do ya?”

 

“Nono!...I have a fear of falling…”

 

“Kinda the same thing, but relax! Just hold on tightly to my back and you’ll be fine! I’m a professional when it comes to flying!”

 

“Um...ok…” Spinni kneels down so that it becomes easy for Sunny to hop onto his back, while he also picks up the unconscious Europa.

 

“Got a firm hold?”

 

“I believe so…”

 

“GREAT!” He stands back upright “THEN WE. HAVE.  **LIFTOFF!** ” Spinni jumps high up into the air before his wings begin to flutter and buzz as he shoots off towards Heights Hotel, with a terrified Sunny atop his back.

 

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

 

_ Today is just full of experiences and discoveries for me isn’t it? I can only hope I can do my part to be of assistance in this entire matter! But I wonder...why’d Europa magically heal up out of the blue...Did I really do that?...If that were the case I could help Parappa on even greater levels!...But that’s just wishful thinking...maybe it was just a miracle that happened. Or those two did something while I had my eyes close! All I know is that now, I have the future son of the guy I love to help here! Let’s just hope he doesn’t throw himself into danger TO often. _


	30. It's a messy messy day.

_20 days before hell breaks loose_

 

“Katy you sure Leo won't mind us dropping in?”

 

“Paula, we're his moms! He should be happy he gets to see us! Besides, I figured it'd be nice to surprise him with a nice gesture.”

 

(“Kid could do without the spoiling, but given the shit he's been through. I don't think spoiling would fit the bill on what to call this.”)

 

“Eh? Then what would you call it?”

 

(“Pity.”)

 

“Ma-san!”

 

(“Katy you know I'm not wrong.”)

 

“Yes but you could stand to be a bit nicer to your potential son!”

 

(“That _is_ my way of being nice. A blunt stern dose of love is better to keep him on his toes. Nothing says ‘I love you’ better than a good kick to the ass. ‘Sides, he's got enough cushion back there to withstand it.”) despite the fact that she could've definitely worded that nicer. Lammy, Paula and even Katy crack a giggle at what Ma-san says (“And it looks like I'm right.”)

 

“We're only laughing because of something else you brought up! Nothing more!”

 

(“Keep telling yourself that. Now come on, let's go up this thing.”) the four of them enter the infamous elevator as they make their way to the boy's room.

 

Once they all exit, a tad disoriented, they spot his door already open with the boy in mention laughing from the inside as he talks to someone whom they don't know.

 

“O-Oh! He's got company it s-seems… Should we wait?...”

 

“It's probably just his other companions we saw in that joint dream Lammy.”

 

“Yeah what she said! They won't mind if we drop in, they should all be well informed on us by now!” Katy wraps her arm around Lammy to ease her up as they all head to the door “HEYA SURPRISE SON-” once they get a good glance at the inside, they see the disguised Sunny from behind. The disguise clearly works ad Katy panics on changing what she said “OF A GUN! YOU SON OF GUN LEO!”

 

Leo's body trembles at the abrupt intrusion “K-Katy!...Lammy, Paula and Ma-san to! To what do I owe this...nice surprise.” Now Sunny trembles as she firmly keeps her back to them.

 

“We wanted to see what was up, aren't you gonna introduce us to your new pal here?”

 

“Right haha!...This is Poppy Fleur. A recent friend actually seeing as she just moved here not that long ago. She's helped me out here and there and managed to put up with my problematic tendencies to a point she's more of a saint than a typical friendly neighbor!”

 

“Wow!” Katy walks up closer to the girl, increasing her panic “It’s nice to meet someone so...nice! Why not turn around so we can see and greet ya better Poppy?”

 

“O-Oh that’s quite alright…”

 

“Aw come on! It’s no good to not be able to see the friend of a friend!” She grabs the poor flower girls shoulders and spins her around like a top. She grabs her again, stopping her while she faces them, her eyes spiraling from being spun. Katy gasps instantaneously freaking the flower out.

 

_H-Have I been found out?!..._

 

“You’re really pretty! And such a cute and creative style you got goin on to! Right guys?”

 

“Y-Yeah! She’s got such an interesting combo g-going on!”

 

“Never would’ve thought on mix and matching like that! You go girl!”

 

(“Gotta say, normally i’m not one to agree, but hey. They’re right.”)

 

“That’s what I said!” Leo adds on.

 

_Oh thank Mother Earth…_ “Um...Thank you! It’s really nice to hear you say that!” She bows, nearly tipping off her sun hat. She catches it, not before looking up to see Katy eye her strangely “Is something w-wrong?...”

 

“Hmm...your voice...face...and name. It all just...strikes a chord with me…”

 

“H-How so?...” She hovers closer to the flower girls face as her eyes narrow down “U-Uhhh…” _A-Again?!..._

 

“AHAH! I FIGURED YOU OUT!”

 

“W-Wha?!”

 

“You’re clearly a pop idol from far off that came here to catch the heart of our multi talented friend here!” Sunny’s gaze turns into a deadpan astral projected look as she stares at Katy with the most blank face imaginable.

 

“Not. Even. Close.”

 

“Waaaay off your rocker there Katy. Poppy here’s just your regular citizen. Don’t think she’s on the market for a boyfriend either seeing as she’s still got a heavy breakup from about a year ago on the mind still from what she told me.”

 

Sunny flinches once again at Leo opening his big mouth, but the information doesn’t trigger any thoughts amongst the girls. Katy speaks up cementing this fact “Aww...my bad Poppy. But hey! We have a friend who went through the same, so if you’re ever in need of help coping with that. We can help! At the very least I can!”

 

“I thank you for the offer!...” _But man do those words simply make me hate myself even more...._

 

“Hey girls, why the sudden drop off?”

 

“Uh...well...we wanted to surprise you! Ya know...all of us specific people here.”

 

“Specifi- OH! I see, but if that’s the case why didn’t you bring Rammy to?”

 

“Weeeeeeell…”

 

* * *

 

A smiling Katy approaches her duo roommate door in order to inform Rammy on an idea the lot of them thought up, but stops once she hears talking between the two.

 

_“Hey yo Paraps! Look what I learned to do with my cigarettes!”_

 

_“Eh? Sure, show me I guess.”_

 

_“See, at first it looks like I’m smoking it like normal, buuuuuuuuuut.”_

 

_“AHHHHHHH!”_ Flames pour from the sides of their bedroom door as Parappa yells at the top of his lungs.

 

_“OH MY GOD. I DIDN’T BURN YOU DID I?!...”_

 

_“THAT WAS AWESOME! DO IT AGAIN!”_

 

_“DUDE I ALMOST HIT YOU! YOUR FACE IS BLACK FROM ALL THE ASHES!”_

 

_“But you didn’t hit me and that’s the important part.”_

 

_“....Alright!~”_ More fire pours from their bedroom door, followed by Parappa’s excited hooting. This all causes Katy to back away slowly.

 

* * *

 

“She’s busy with Parappa. That’s the best way I can word it.”

 

“Judging by your facial expressions, I can come to the conclusion that it’s something you don’t know and would rather keep it that way.”

 

“Bingo.”

 

“Alrighty!”

 

_I guess Rammy is that black sheep girl from the news with them_ “Well...if you all are planning something, I’d hate to be an intrusion!” she walks off to try and leave em be, but a hand grabs her shoulder again.

 

“Aw but I thought you wanted to hang out today!”

 

“Oh we can save that for another time! It'd be rude of me to just tag along during something your other friends planned out to do with only you!”

 

“Aw...alright…”

 

“We can include her!”

 

“We can?” the three girls look at Katy in confusion as she causes them all to huddle up and speak through whispers.

 

_“Look. Clearly we intruded on something they already had planned out.”_

 

_“So? Isn't it a benefit that she's choosing to let us do our thing instead?”_

 

_(“Yeah, why care for someone we rarely know compared to Leo?”)_

 

_“Well t-that’s a rather mean point of view. She is being considerate enough for us and here y-you two are talking b-behind her back…”_

 

_“And that's why I wanna get her to tag along! She seems so timid! And is also quite nice! I'd feel bad just tossing her to the side…”_

 

_“R-Right? It feels as if we w-were tossing Parappa to the side...their demeanor feels s-so similar that it makes me feel guilty…”_

 

_“Now that you mention it...I do see feel the resemblance…”_

 

_(“Why'd you have to bring that up?!...Now I feel guilty to...What a bother...alright…”)_

 

“Well it's settled! We don't mind at all if she tags along!”

 

“Great! Ya hear that Poppy?”

 

“U-Uh you don't really have t-to- W-WHOA!” the four other girls lift Sunny off her feet and over their heads.

 

“Sorry girl! You're with us!” Paula says as she watches the girl wiggle while in their grasp.

 

(“Now let's get going already! We're burning daylight!”) they all follow Ma-san’s order and march off.

 

“C-Come on Leo!”

 

“Got it!”

 

* * *

 

“Nothing better to compliment a cleaned up body than a nice motorcycle ride along the town!”

 

“Still can't believe you had to take like eight showers to get all that char off.”

 

“Me neither, but it was worth it! You have _got_ to teach me that!”

 

“That requires you to be a smoker, so that's gonna be a no from me.”

 

“That shouldn’t be to hard.”

 

“Uh uh. If you start just for some stupid thing I can do, you'll get addicted faster than you can say ‘What happened?’ And then the girls will kick my ass for letting that happen. ‘Sides I prefer you as a non smoker. I use you as a motivator on my own way to quitting myself.”

 

“Really now? Huh. Alrighty.”  Parappa simply feels the wind blowing through his short hair as they drive about “Where we goin anyway?”

 

“Dunno. I usually never know where I go when I ride my bike. I just follow wherever my gut leads me. And everytime I do, I always find a nice little place to be. I'm sure now will be no different.”

 

“Cool. I'm in your care then Ura.”

 

“Aw man don't YOU go around calling me thaaaaat.”

 

“Aw come ooooon. I heard Lammy call you that and thought it sounded nice. Surely I can call you it to!’

 

“Hrng...fine, but not in public at the very least you little shit…”

 

“Understood, I'll accept what I can get.”

 

“Good answer…” their little ride carries on until Rammy simply stops out of the blue “We're here.”

 

Parappa takes a look around, the ground looked worn as huge patches of grass were missing from the ground as dirt was the only thing overexposed. There were broken down and abandoned benches scattered throughout the area as well. The whole place gave an empty yet transcendent feeling. Despite the emptiness, there was a lone old tree within the center of the poor excuse of a grassy field. The tree still had its leaves, there was no damage or withering on the tree whatsoever. Compared to the area around it. The tree was perfectly fine, untouched by time “What a strange place...everything seems abandoned and yet, this tree makes it seem as if that weren't the case…this seems like a good place to just think, relax or enjoy the scenery.” Parappa hops off the bike and heads around to the backside of the tree. There is the massive view of PaRappa Town as a whole from where they're at.

 

“This seems nice enough I guess. Strange of me to find this place…” Rammy walks to where Parappa is before reclining at the base of the tree to simply gaze at the pretty view before them.

 

“Maybe it's just you wanting a nice quiet place to just do whatever?”

 

“I guess, but while a quiet place can be nice...it's also inevitably gonna end up…”

 

“Boring?” both Parappa and Rammy turn their gaze above them. Sitting up in the branches of the tree is Kitty.

 

“How long have you been up there??” Rammy asks as the cat drops to their level.

 

“Since before you two got here...didn't wanna stay down there, so I fibbed that I'd be attempting to challenge my faker. I decided to just drive about and out of the blue...I just get led by my instincts to end up here...so I climbed up this dumb thing and just sat here in silence to look at what's up. Dunno how you can live in a town like that. It's to colorful...hurts the eyes.” she reclines along the tree with her arms crossed.

 

“I mean, you get used to it. The over exaggerated amount of color is simply a compliment to the people and places you can find here. Atleast that's what I've come to find out in my time up here.”

 

“Is it really that good?”

 

“Everyone's been good _to_ me, and the change of lifestyles been good _for_ me.” she scoffs “To call it simply good is an understatement.”

 

“That's alotta praise coming from you, a girl who was keen on living life down under.”

 

“I was blinded by my own negligence. Frankly, I was a fucking idiot back then. And now? Eh, I'm still fucking stupid, but not to the same extent as then.”

 

“I don't know how to reply to that.” the cat sighs as both hell born girls stay silent. Parappa watches with pure awkwardness overwhelming him. What could he say? Would he even be allowed to speak? He didn't know,  but he remembered that he agreed to Rammy’s plea of including her to their lifestyle.

 

“Hey Kitty. Why not stay up here to?”

 

“Not happening shit head.”

 

“You saying you still wanna put up with what's going on down there?”

 

“Better that than having to deal with Raparra coming after and hunting me down like a crazed gorilla.”

 

“ _If_ he noticed you were gone. If I'm to believe this correctly, their resources are all being used up trying to find Rammy. And besides, you saying you'd let that guy lay a hand on you?”

 

“Fuck no. But I rather not deal with that mess of a headache at all thank you very much.”

 

“So then you're saying you'll just sit there like brain dead drone and take the worse conditions down there and do nothing but have your finger up your ass?”

 

“Whoa...dunno whether to feel proud or not at you finally becoming more open with your potty mouth.” Rammy scratches right under her eye sheepishly.

 

Kitty however growls “So what? Why should you care over what I choose to do?? You don't even know me!”

 

“Your right. I don't. Frankly the first time I saw you, I was well ready to kick your ass back to hell should you have attempted to take Rammy back, but you didn't. I expected you to be intolerable like my faker, but you weren't. I thought you'd just prattle on with threats, but no. You instead gave us a heads up warning. It was awfully nice of you to do that.”

 

“Yeah so? Your point…”

 

“You’re not a bad person. It's hard for me to ignore and overlook the conditions a good person is subjecting themselves to. No one deserves to go through it. Course I'm also one to respect their own choices-”

 

“Ya ain't respectin mine…”

 

“You didn't let me finish. I respect their own choices, but I was also respect the wishes of those who know more about them than me. Rammy cares enough, and so now I do to.”

 

The purple cats eyes slide over to Rammy with a scoff “You're not really in need of caring about me.”

 

“You're not wrong, but you were probably the only one to try and deal with me when they really didn't fucking have to. Guess I'm returning the favor. Exes or not. You're still an alright chick. Just lookin out for you to.”

 

“Pointless.”

 

“Like how you view yourself to be?” Parappa adds on.

 

“Can you fuck off??”

 

“You're free to make me Kitty. I ain't stopping you.”

 

The cat simply scratches her face repeatedly. She would like nothing more than to punt the dog off the hill they're on, but at the same time she can't even muster the nerve to do so. Her body refuses to harm the boy simply for the fact that he was right. She wouldn't admit that though “Just...whatever! I'm too tired to deal with any bullshit…”

 

“Want us to help with that?”

 

“Hell to the fucking no.”

 

“So you plan to stay here by your lonesome, bored out of your mind till you have to head back down there?”

 

“That's good enough for me!” she forcefully slumps against the base of the tree. Parappa mimics her pose while attached to her left. Rammy does the same, but on her right “Can you both get off??”

 

“We ain't budging.”  Rammy sinks her head into her side.

 

“Make us.” Parappa does the same.

 

“I fucking hate the two of you.”

 

* * *

 

“You went through all THAT and not once did it occur to you to inform us?!”

 

“Why should I Paula? I didn't wanna bug any of you, and you all have your hands full as is so there's need to add on to that. Besides I'm ok now. Once again thanks to Poppy.”

 

“It still concerns us...well. Thanks for assisting him Poppy.”

 

“Oh just helping as any friendly neighbor would!...”

 

“Hey what do you think c-caused it this time? N-Nothing happened…”

 

“I'll have to talk to you all in private over thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack...again...seriously?...” Everyone huddles around the fritzing boy without a moment wasted.

 

“I don't understand! Rammy isn't mad at him or anything!...”

 

“Neither are we!...”

 

(“Well something’s happening!...”)

 

The fritzing doesn't grow any worse, and so the struggling boy stands upright “16...said that it might be the opposite…”

 

“You mean...b-being happy? T-That can hurt you?!”

 

“I don't think he means us…I think he means someone else…” Paula leans over to Lammy's ears _“As in he's gaining a face...like what happened with Rammy...and I'm afraid that we can take an obvious guess…”_

 

_“Uh oh...but Rammy gaining a chance didn't hurt him like this!...”_

 

_“True...I can't pinpoint the reason…”_

 

“...” the lamb takes a deep breath “Hey Leo...is it alright if we can include Poppy here on your story?...I wanna bring up something...but...she makes it difficult to…”

 

“I don't think I have a choice!...” the electricity picks up as he's forced to grab his stomach “But it’s fine!...I t-trust Poppy!...”

 

“You...do?...”

 

Despite hunched over, he gives her a peace sign “Course!...You’ve given me...no reason not to!” he smiles despite him flashing like an x-ray.

 

After a quick an summarized explanation…

 

“W-Wow!...That's some information to toss in a girl!...” _Even though I kind of already know it…_

 

“W-We’re sorry! But we didn't really have a choice…”

 

“My bad!...I knew it was wrong of me to tag along…”

 

“Relax! No one is blaming you for being here. Now…” Katy turns over to the other three “WHY WAS I THE ONLY ONE NOT INFORMED ABOUT KITTY?!”

 

(“The answer to that is obvious.”)

 

“The answer to that is obvious...feh. Look. I can assure you it's NOT her! Watch!” she approaches the boy whose body finally settled down and yanks his helmet clean off, he has a cat face currently “SEE?...wait...my fur isn't purple…”

 

“Oof...we were right Lammy…”

 

“B-But that doesn't explain why it's h-hurting him!...”

 

“I can...answer that… Kitty doesn't really leave hell in my time...I mean she does, but only on the day of taking her back...and it was only to try and buy her time to get away...that's it...here...you're telling me she appeared early to warn you guys?...”

 

“T-That she did...and she was uh...in a rather...upsetting state...and knowing your dad…”

 

“Kindness is such a dangerous emotion…”

 

“It doesn't really help that Rammy asked Parappa to help in trying to convince her to stay topside…”

 

“What?!” Leo, Katy and Poppy all say.

 

“And w-we motivated them into d-doing so even further…”

 

“WHAT?!?!” the trio now shout.

 

“Hehe...s-she was gonna run this through with you originally Leo...b-but I guess me motivating her made her think it'd be fine regardless...so she didn't do so anymore…”

 

“Joy...but what the heck. How'd they find her again?!”

 

(“You don't think something bad’s gonna happen right?”)

 

“I don't think so...I wouldn't be swapping between as Rammy and Kitty's son if that were the case. Plus I'm not fading out of existence so Parappa's fine…”

 

“So what, we just let this happen?...”

 

“Not like you gals have much of a choice.” The electricity fully leaves Leo's body “It looks like her fate has settled...she's thinking of staying. And with that...your group dynamic will change again…” Leo flashes between all his forms before stopping on his black sheep one “What a struggle…”

 

“You're telling me. Whatever! I'm certain things will be fine. After all your body seems to be fine now!...Granted now there's yet another person, but I'm looking beyond that! Right now, we're here to have a good time with you! Ignore the other things for now! After this little event, you could use the relaxation!”

 

“Mmmm…you know what...you’re right. I could use a breather for once...but I've already done everything there is to do in Neon Heights...would you guys mind if we did anything in PaRappa Town?”

 

“N-Not at all!”

 

(“We were gonna head over there about halfway through the day anyway.”)

 

“Guess we gotta think up more stuff to do now.”

 

“That won't be hard Katy! It should be simple keeping ourselves entertained.”

 

“I agree with Paula. The times I've been there showed me a great enough time as is! Doesn’t have to be over the top.”

 

“Well then that's perfect for us! Let's not waste anymore time and head off for some fun!” everyone except for Sunny thumbs up the sky with a happy yay as they head towards Katy's van, dragging the terrified flower with them.

 

* * *

 

“This is gonna be great! You'll get to see what there is to see Kitty!”

 

“...fucking joy…” both motorcycles drive side by side as Kitty stays upset at how the two of them managed to get her to come along in the dumbest way possible “I can't believe you two refusing to budge actually got to me…”

 

“Not gonna lie, I didn't either. I was sure you were gonna punt me off the hill. And yet ya didn’t, you just let me. Why? Rammy I can understand, but why me?”

 

“I don’t fucking know...i’m just not in the mood I guess…” She whips Parappa with her tail due to their close distance.

 

“Wahey!...”

 

“Where are we goin?...”

 

“Ah...hm...I dunno really. Any place is as good as it gets!”

 

“Gee what an encouraging line to hear…”

 

“Oh relax Kit, despite his lack of a way with words, he means it. We’ll find a place that’ll get your fancy.”

 

“That does not raise my hopes up in the slightest. It’s not as if I have a choice against it though. So i’ll just bite my tongue and follow.”

 

“That’s for the best.” Rammy stops when she sees a load of hair on the road “Whoa whoa what the hell?”

 

“That normal up here?...”

 

“Not exactly...Takoyama-san must be having a field day…”

 

“Taco who now?”

 

“The residential hairdresser octopus. Who we might want to inform that he may have gone overboard just a tad…”

 

“Why the fuck do we gotta do that?” Kitty snorts like a bull.

 

“You want to get all these clumps of hair stuck within the wheels of your motorbike?”

 

“...No…”

 

“Then it’s in our best interest to get him to clean all this up!”

 

The hell girls park their bikes as the trio head on in.

 

“Ay Dios Mio...Esta problema me va dejar enterrado dentro la tierra…”

 

“Takoyama!”

 

“Wazzat?” he turns around to spot the hurried doggo “Oh, it's just you chico. To what do I owe the plea- AYE MADRE QUERIDA DEL CIELO! What happened to your head! Oh so you let some amateur cut your hair instead of me?? And they did such an AWFUL job! Look at what happened! It's like they cut your hair with fire!”

 

“Ah...about that…”

 

“Forget that, I have to fix this monstrosity right this instant. Merely knowing that you're walking around like this is a sin and I WILL NOT allow it to stay as such. Come come, what I'm doing now will have to wait.” he approaches the dog, his skin glowing red as he swings his scissors about.

 

“AIEEEEEEP!” Parappa bolts away and hides under Rammy’s shirt as she arrives in “P-PARAPPA IS UNABLE TO ACCEPT REQUESTS RIGHT NOW...P-PLEASE LEAVE A MESSAGE AT THE QUIVERING BLACK SHEEP'S SHIRT AFTER THE BEEP!...beeeeep…”

 

“Paraps this is a new level of sad man…”

 

“Ah! Bienvenidos mis hijas! Eh? What's this? Going through a punk goth phase all of a sudden?”

 

Parappa pokes his head through the neck hole of Rammy’s shirt “Aw dude come on!”

 

“Actually Takoyama, they're not who you think they are! They're actually new friends of mine! Any resemblance they bear is uh...coincidental.”

 

“Really? Huh, they look like the spitting image of Lammy and Ka-” Rammy quickly speaks up before he gets to finish.

 

“YOOOOO. This catching up is nice and all, but we still got a little problem at hand here.”

 

“We do?...OH! Right we do!” Parappa exits the annoyed sheep's shirt and lands in front of the octopus “Takoyama-san, what the heck are you doing?? You've flooded the streets with hair!”

 

“It gone that far?!...Ayiyiyi…” he slumps into a nearby chair as his colors fade back to blue “So I really am not making any progress whatsoever…”

 

“What happened?”

 

“The biggest disgrace to my eyes I've ever seen that's what! Chuck arrives to my doorstep asking me to fix whatever hell happened to his head! All because Miss Yoko is arriving today to perform and he wants to be there all cleaned up and supportive like the good boyfriend.”

 

“That sounds sweet though!...Wait but Paul's bald isn't he? I remember that hair of his being a wig…”

 

“That's where the problem comes in...El pendejo got himself some hair tonic from the Internet and now...THIS HAPPENED…” pulls apart the curtains to reveal the entirety of the place loaded with long gray hair.

 

The trio blink slowly after slowly coming to the realization of what the hell they were looking at.

 

“Uh hello? Hairdresser octopus guy, you still there?”

 

“I am literally in front of you.”

 

“I can't exactly see or hear very well what with the hair everywhere...I just don't understand what went wrong…”

 

“Idiota you got ripped off that's what went wrong!” He rubs his head as he turns to them “The more I cut, the more grows back! And faster each time! I honestly don’t know what this idiot put on his head, but it’s giving me the biggest challenge I ever regret taking! I don’t know what to do!”

 

Parappa taps his chin then snaps with a smile. “If there was ever a weird complex problem, there's just a man to know what to do!” he pulls out his phone, but before he calls anyone “And maybe it's also time for someone to tag along and meet their idol!” Parappa makes a quick call to someone, filling them in on the situation, then soon after hangs up. He then calls someone else and does the same to them. After a small time waiting, a car pulls up with his dad arriving in, about a minute after drops in 16-bits “And there they are!” the small robot immediately blows up upon spotting Parappa's father.

 

“I am not reassured in the slightest I'm afraid…” the distressed octopus slides his hand along his face.

 

“E-Eheh...he's a big fan of my dad is all…”

 

* * *

 

“Well I think it's safe to say that you're having a good time~”

 

“Heh...yeah I have. Sometimes I forget to just kick back and have fun. I usually never find the time or a purpose. It's kinda sad since I live in a tourist trap playground of a town, you'd think that'd never be the case.”

 

(“That makes you seem like a prude, but only to those that don't know what you actually DO. Course it's not like you can be talkative over it.”)

 

“I mean, yeah. Still I have to remember to take care of myself from time to time. But that's hard to do cuz I usually feel that...I'm not worth it?”

 

“I k-know that feeling all to well…” Lammy turns to him “But recently, I've been thinking otherwise. Maybe we can convince you to as well.”

 

“Maybe.”

 

“Course we will! Even if we gotta do this alot more often! Ain't that right girls?”

 

“I'm easily on board with that Paula!”

 

(“Eh, why not. Spending time like this is fun.”)

 

“I'd be a hypocrite if I s-said no, but not like I'd have a reason to deny anyway. Of course I'd help out!” the four of them gaze over to Sunny.

 

“O-Oh! Of course I'd wanna help him out! I've been doing so already aren't I?”

 

(“Can't argue there.”) Leo tilts his head as he gawks at Ma-san (“What?”)

 

“Your hair is really pretty Ma-san. It took me a while to notice your new hair! And it looks great!” Leo stares at the mouse’s new double bun hairdo, in each bun is a drumstick poking through to keep them in check, but the overall condition of said buns were quite messy. She clearly picked a style she liked, but at the same time denied any form of help from being given. The end result is a cute mess.

 

(“Yep, I'm gonna have to ignore you now.”) she pulls out a magazine and flips it open and immediately buries her face in it, resulting in the girls all being sent into a giggle fit.

 

“Don't worry, that's her way of saying ‘Thanks for the compliment!’~” Katy says through her laughter.

 

(“Hey Katy.”)

 

“Yeah?~”

 

(“Sleep with one eye open.”)

 

“I can’t take your threats seriously when you look so adorable.” Ma-san simply growls from embarrassment as she forcefully flips to the next page. The cat girl laughs until she sees something along the corner of her eye “Hey isn’t that King Kong Mushi?...What’s he doin standin out here where Club Fun used to be?...”

 

“Maybe he’s planning on brinin it back!” Paula bounces in place from joy.

 

“T-That’d be great!” Lammy joins in.

 

(“If that were the case. then why does he look upset?”)

 

“Only one way to find out! Leo, mind if we make this our next stop?”

 

“I’m just the tourist, the stops are all your call.”

 

“Poppy?”

 

“Oh! You’re the driver so it’s your call really!...”

 

“Then let’s get snoopin!” Katy wastes no time in parking as they all hop out of the van and head towards the flea MC to see what was up.

 

“Hey King Kong Mushi!”

 

“Wazhuh?” The flea turns towards the direction he heard his name “Oh! It’s you guys!...Well...most of you guys!” He waves two of his hands at them “What brings you guys here?”

 

(“We saw ya stressin out from the distance. Something wrong?”)

 

“Naw, but I can’t help but feel sad over it nonetheless. Ya see I was trying to make it so that this old place could go back to bein up and runnin again, but that’s kinda out of my capabilities. In more ways than one. Also nice hair.” Ma-san turns away with a huff.

 

“What’s getting in the way?”

 

“That’d be the many steps needed in order to file out the claims little fox.”

 

“Eh? Who are you?...” Paula stares at the the greasy woman with a wrench for a head.

 

“Gloria!” Leo shouts as he runs up to the woman with a hug.

 

“Haha! Well look at you, ain’t you a sight for sore eyes eh? Haven't seen ya since ya started up Rainbow! How's it going?”

 

“Unfortunately my club has been reduced to gravel…”

 

“HOW'D YA MANAGE THAT?? DID THE QUEENS RUB OFF ON YA THAT BADLY?..”

 

“Nonono!...some rather...annoying idiots got a hold of a weaponized vehicle...and blew the place to the ground...and once sent to custody, they were broken out…”

 

“Oy...I think I can put together the rest...bah...it's a darn shame. Place’ll take forever and a day to put back together.”

 

“Um...Leo mind introducing us to your apparent old friend?”

 

“OH! Right! Paula, Lammy, Katy, Ma-san and Poppy. This is Gloria! She's kind of a big wig despite her rather messy appearance. She's a very amazing world renowned mechanic! A great personal trainer, and she's also the head of business when it comes to the topic of clubs, wanna start one or take new lead on an existing one or demolish one, it goes through her first. And she was also the manager of the Queens!”

 

“Glad to meet ya all. I take it these are the lot of kin you were vowing to protect eh?”

 

“That's correct!”

 

“Oh! So you finally told em all ey man?” Mushi says as he walks up.

 

“Yeah! It was...all by accident really…Katy removed my helmet. My disguised was blown in front of Ma-san, and Poppy had to be informed in order for them to figure out what was going on with me...the only one I told willingly was Lammy...and Paula was told by them since by then, everyone knew...huh...what a mess…”

 

“Ahaha...I see… wait…’what was happening to you’? What happened?”

 

“Dad.”

 

“Eh figures…So she's not someone who was apart of the dynamic?”

 

“She actually recently became my friend! And today recently she became there's!...while also catching me suffering from my dad induced problems three times already, leading to my secret being out by necessity...but...I'm actually ok with it. Poppy has proven she's someone I can dependably count on in such a short time frame. Much like my family!” he turns and gives a thumbs up to the flower who simply bows bashfully. The flea laughs as he slaps Leo on the back playfully.

 

“Miss Gloria, what did you mean by the many steps needed in order to file the claims?..”

 

“Right. See the thing that King Kong here wants to achieve requires a bit of things. For starters it requires a buyout, meaning he'll need to pay for it, that part he can easily do. Next comes the demand, we need people showing interest that they do want this club.”

 

“We can manage that!”

 

“I'd also pitch in anything I'm able to offer!...” Sunny adds on with a flustered shimmy.

 

“I have no doubt about that. Another step is inspection, once the place is able to be put up and running again, it has to be reviewed. To see if it's worth being here, if it's enjoyable, safety, etc etc.” she clasps her hands together “Then...comes the trickiest part...the endorsement…” she takes a deep breath “The club will need the backing of those with famous professions, mostly musical or dancing professions. They need it in order to see the seriousness of wanting the club to be a reality, while also seeing if it's worth investing in, so that the club is ensured to stay open for as long as it can. This part usually requires many many endorsers or atleast one greatly known one, now even more so given its a club trying to reopen WHILE many MANY clubs already exist in the area. I can't endorse because of my position, they'll call it favoritism and deny it. King Kong can't either as he was already the endorser to the club prior to it shutting down, seeing him again would send mixed signals, none of them good.”

 

“What about us! We can be the endorsement!” the remainder of the girls look at Katy “We loved the club, and keeping active in and at it for the sake of bringing it back and keeping it as such should prove no difficulties for us!”

 

“Heh...that's what got King here upset...even with the lot of you, as he already introduced...it wouldn't be enough. By all means you're all relatively well famous and beloved, but we'd need more, or atleast someone bigger. Like multitalent big. And as I was told...none of you fit the bill, the only one who almost makes the attempt would be Paula as she branches out with dancing, singing and acting. But the attempt is not very big…”

 

“Aw…”

 

“Darn it!...”

 

“D-Do we know anyone else who has high fame or p-publicity who could help?...”

 

(“Not a one…”)

 

“I'll endorse it.” Everyone looks towards Leo.

 

“Eh? You're more than enough. But kid, what about YOUR club and your-?” Leo clears his throat to silence her, and then glances along the five girls and Mushi before looking back to Gloria.

 

“Multitasking has never been a stranger to me.” Before Gloria can speak up, Leo winks, shutting her up.

 

“I see. That's your choice then. King Kong?”

 

“Uh...you sure about this man?”

 

“Very. Now let's get to signing!”

 

“Heh...yeah let's...guess that's it then…”

 

“Can't sign yet boys. You still need the word of the people to see if they want this or not.”

 

“We'll get them!”

 

“No. I'll handle it girls.” the girls all look at the boy but he simply nods, getting them all to comply.

 

“Yo man, mind if I help?”

 

“Course ya can Mushi. It'd be nice chatting with ya along the way. Plus the people here will definitely sign if you're the one asking!”

 

“Thanks…”

 

“Here ya are!” Gloria hands the two of them a good amount of clipboards “Just fill em all up with names and you'll be set!”

 

“Roger!” the both of them run off. The wrench woman turns to head off inside the abandoned club but is stopped by Katy.

 

“Anything we can do miss?...”

 

“Hm...You’re free to sign your names as endorsers as well. Leo’s public status may be more than enough, but it’s always better to be safe rather than sorry.” they all gleefully nod as she turns her back to them with a hollow laugh “To think he’s givin up on getting Rainbow back up and running.”

 

“Wait WHAT?!” They all shout in unison.

 

“Oh you didn’t know? You can’t run ownership as well as endorsement at the same time, especially if it’s for two seperate clubs. Since he’s gonna be signing his name for this one. Rainbow will officially have to be put on permanent hold.”

 

“We wouldn’t have let him go with this if THAT were the case! Does he know?!”

 

“Of course he knows. This problem happened when he wanted to take ownership of the Queen’s club, but start his own as well. In the end only Rainbow could be managed. Thankfully I took ownership of the Neanderthal Ball, but that’s also another reason as to why I can’t help out with this club. Point is, he knows well enough what he’s doing. And he’s clearly doin it for all of you. Now pardon me, I have some calls to make.”

 

The five of them look between each other uneasily as the wrench woman resumes heading inside “Man...w-who knew there was so much to do when m-managing a club…”

 

“Let’s...just go sign...come on.”

 

“Not to mention call over PJ and Matt. I’m sure they’d want to help to.”

 

“Right, let’s get to it then.”

 

* * *

 

“I've analyzed the things causing his scalp to constantly spawn more hair. Transferring the data to you Papillon.”

 

“Great! I know how to stop it. Next is making the solvent. You think you have of these on you Mr. Bits?”

 

“Hm...I have them all back at my study! I’ll be back in a flash!” He rockets out of the building.

 

“Hope he doesn’t take to long…”

 

Immediately after Papa Rappa says that, 16-bits crashes into the ground like a meteor before hovering back inside the building “I RETURN! Here you are.” His head opens up and ejects a few random objects. The trio of young adults merely watch with their mouths agape.

 

“Wow you’re fast Mr. Bits!”

 

“Oh I don’t deserve the compliment, I would’ve been here faster, but I do believe my body is starting to rust.”

 

“Oh i’m sure it’s all in your head sir!”

 

“Is it even possible to be FASTER than that?!”

 

“I mean...when in PaRappa Town, it’s best to not underestimate anything Kitty~” _Although this is beyond the usual weirdness...but hey, she doesn’t know that~_

 

“Huh...if the rest of this place is like this...I might have a chance of actually buying into what ya said.”

 

“Would that also include staying topside?”

 

“Let’s not get to ambitious here…Never good to.”

 

“Never say never~”

 

“Enough…” She turns her attention to the two older men, rummaging about in a giant comedic dust cloud. After it clears, the two of them hold up a bottle.

 

“We finished it!”

 

“And in a decent time as well!”

 

The trio all tilt their heads with only Parappa speaking up “Wow! That looks like a bottle of hair gel.”

 

“That’s because it IS a bottle of hair gel young Parappa!”

 

“What…”

 

“It has the antidote to what he has spread all over his head. Just lather the hair, then snip away. No more hair will grow back from it unless it’s natural growth, which I was informed is no longer possible with him? What a shame…”

 

“GRACIAS A LOS QUE ME TRAJERON ESTOS ANGELES!” Takoyama reinvigorates as he regains his red hue “Drown this idiots head in that gel so I can finally end this unruly follicle flood!”

 

“Right then, 16 here you are!” Papa Rappa injects the bottle into the robots head and then the small robot spins rapidly. Once he stops, his body is much bigger and changed in shape exponentially. His forearms had turned into multiple hoses.

 

“Hmm...Alright then. How to work this...like...this?” a squirt of the gel fires off at the trio, but they manage to avoid it.

 

“WATCH IT YA HUNK A JUNK!” Kitty snorts out smoke.

 

“My apologies!....I don't exactly know how to fully work this feature of my body…” the big robot fumbles around in a panic. Parappa notices the new shape of his head and a light bulb instinctually goes off.

 

“A-HAH!”

 

“Get that stupid bright thing outta my face!...” Kitty plucks the light bulb right off and tosses it away, causing Parappa to become temporarily dazed.

 

“Gaaaaaaawaaaaahaaaaaa…”

 

“Paraps?...” Rammy quickly slaps the dazed dog across the face to snap him out of it.

 

He shakes his head once he's fine “Ok first off. How did you even do that? And second off! I think something interesting to do just came up!”

 

“What do you mean? The thing was right in reach, so I grabbed it and chucked it away. And really? Pray tell what.”

 

“Look at 16-bits’ head!”

 

“What of it?...”

 

“It looks like seats! And in each of them are controller like panels.”

 

“Huh, that explains why he can't use his body like this properly. He's NOT supposed to! Someone else is!”

 

“Isn't that just a cheap way to do what's basically a chore?...”

 

“You call piloting a giant pixel horseman robot to fire out a specially made hair gel for the specific purpose of stopping a beavers wild hair mess from growing constantly a chore?” Rammy says while crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow.

 

“Not when you word it like that...now it sounds ridiculous...but...admittedly interesting and fun sounding…”

 

“Well there's three slots on his head it seems, and there are three of us after all. So watcha say Kit? Wanna test the waters for fun?~” Rammy leans in with a smug smile.

 

“...Fine...let's give this a go then you two…” she walks forward with the two of them as she leaps ontop of 16-bits’ head with Parappa and Rammy climbing after her.

 

“H-Hey! What are the three of you doing?!” 16 shakes about until his body simply stops “W-What?...”

 

“I got control of his legs!” Rammy says as she forces the body to drive in circles.

 

“I can control the hoses and where they point to!” Parappa says as he hovers over the hair.

 

“Cool. Looks like I control the fire button~” Kitty grins wildly as she launches glob after glob of gel towards whatever Parappa aims at, nearly hitting Papa Rappa and Takoyama “Ohohohooooo...this gon’ be fuuuuuuuuuun~”

 

“OY. QUE TE PASA?! Don't you dare think of hitting me with that!”

 

“U-Uh...K-Katy...do be careful…” Papa Rappa says as he slowly gets back up, but Kitty simply turns towards him slowly, she uses her legs to grab Parappa in a leglock and force his body to the side, motioning the controller to point to the elder dog.

 

“What. Did you. Just call me?...” she readies herself to press the fire button.

 

“KITTY!...HE SAID KITTY! YOU JUST MISHEARD HIM KIT!”

 

“WHAT SHE SAID...NOW PLEASE LET GO OF MY NECK!...”

 

“I don’t believe either of you…”

 

“I-I said Kitty! My apologies if it sounded like someone else! Or if I did accidentally call you by some other name! I didn't mean it!” he performs a dogeza as he quivers in place.

 

“... s’what I thought…” she let's go of Parappa who starts coughing instantly.

 

“A-Alright!...let's...just start already!...”

 

“Let’s or whatever…”

 

* * *

 

“We’re back!”

 

“These signatures just came pouring in! It goes to show ya that everyone misses this place.”

 

“I can only assume so given how many people ran towards you Mushi, once you brought up just what the signatures were for.”

 

“Hahah. Maybe so. But I couldn’t help but feel bad all the while. It is my fault that the place shut down the first place.”

 

“I mean...you went up in life Great Uncle Mushi. They clearly don’t hold it against you.”

 

“It’s just a matter of guilt my man.” Just as they finish speaking, the rest of them emerge from the decommissioned club along with the newly accompanying PJ and Matt off inside in the distance, talking to Gloria while Sweety heads over with the other girls “Oh hey, looks like more of the entourage has arrived!” Mushi turns to Leo “I think they’re here for you Eu-” Sweety notices what Mushi is about to say, and throws her ribbon within his mouth, effectively stopping his big mouth as Leo releases a sigh of relief. Mushi spits the ribbon out and immediately catches on, but… “Ah...I take it you haven’t told them your real name huh?...” Leo and Sweety both facepalm as the rest speak up.

 

“Real name?...” Katy says as she stares at the disgruntled black sheep boy.

 

“You mean Leo isn’t your real name?...That’s a relief…” Paula says with a smug shrug.

 

“Eh?” Leo tilts his head, slightly annoyed.

 

“Well yeah! The name was kinda...basic and dumb...I’d be shocked if any of us decided on THAT name for you.”

 

“Huh...well...yeah...Leo is more so my incognito name turned stage name. That became permanent after certain events in my life.”

 

“So then what is your real name.” Leo opens his mouth, but is beaten to the punch.

 

“Oh ohhhh! I have a fun way of figuring it out!”

 

(“I don’t like the sound of your enthusiasm Katy…”)

 

“Hear me out! We just say the names we had in store for any future kids we might’ve had and we’ll figure out his name that way!” They all look at one another before nodding.

 

“You...all already have names planned out for future kids?...”

 

“Leo Leo Leo~ You should expect more from a girl! We’re always fifty steps ahead of the curve! Baby names are like an essential to have stocked up on!”

 

“B-But Auntie Sweety didn’t! She came up with Lacey on the spot when she was born!...”

 

“Uh...I...kinda have to come clean...truth be told, once I hooked up with PJ I figured that a teddy bear would be eventually what we’d be having so I thought up of those types of names...and uh...to give Katy credit...Lacey was indeed one of them...and I guess future me played it off so that PJ would feel like he’d have a big part in picking the name as well…that’s what I would do to be fair…” Leo simply stares dumbfounded.

 

“Everything I know is a lie…”

 

“Oh cheer up Leo! Ok so who goes first?”

 

“Guess I’ll take that position. Well, for boy names I didn’t really plan many. Just two. Cameron and Kyu.”

 

(“Simple names. For me, I’d name my kiddo either Mao or Mason if he was a boy.”)

 

“And you call ME simple.” Paula rolls her eyes “What about you Lammy?”

 

“Oh...well I have a few...f-for starters there’s Leggy-”

 

(“Pfft...Leggy?... Wouldn’t that work better on...you know...a GIRL?”)

 

“I see it more as a unisex n-name...besides...it’d fit him!...I m-mean look at him!...” Leo covers his face in his hands as he turns red “E-Eep...s-sorry I didn’t mean it like that!...I-I’ll just...say the other names...well...there’s Palamma…” The other’s role their eyes while Leo simply smiles warmly.

 

“I take it you never decided to think up names until after you fell for my dad?”

 

“It’s as obvious as can be huh?...”

 

“I think it’s lovely.”

 

“T-Thank you...~ Last name I had was L-Lanoso.”

 

“Haaaa. You were gonna call him Wooly?~” Paula giggles abit at the cute name.

 

“Well...there’s a reason for that...but it should be obvious enough, don’t want to e-explain it…”

 

“I know as to why, well don’t worry over it. We won’t pester you. Anywho! It’s my turn!” Katy bashfully rubs her head “I only had one name in mind. No matter the gender of my child I would make sure their name would be this. It’s in honor of the woman who gave her life to save mine. Their name would be...Europa.” Sweety feels the sweat blast off of her as she glances over to Leo who’s eyes only widen “In a sense...I guess Europa Jr. huh?...~” She kicks the ground embarrassed and shy “I feel dumb…”

 

“Don’t. None of us are judging, in fact. That’s probably the sweetest name out of all of ours.”

 

“Y-Yeah! It has more meaning than anything we came up with!”

 

(“Kinda sappy, but I mean...that was an impactful day of your life sooooo. You do you girl!”) They all turn to Leo.

 

“Well? Which one of those names is yours!”

 

Leo shakes his head after snapping out of it. _So that’s why i’m named after my late grandma…~_ He looks towards them and simply does a zipper motion over his mouth, followed by him throwing the zipper away and ending off with a shrug.

 

“AW COME ON!”

 

“Sorry~ It’s a secret to everybody~”

 

(“Booooooooo…”)

 

“Well look at this way. He’s simply shutting up, he didn’t deny any of the names. That means one of those names IS his name!” Leo flinches back dramatically “A-HAH! I’M RIGHT AREN’T I?~”

 

“U-Uh…”

 

“Hey wait! Didn’t you girls say you were gonna try and stop Leo?...” Sweety adds on in order to get them to change topics.

 

“Eh? Stop me?...”

 

“T-That’s right!...We don’t want you to sign your name for the endorsement!...”

 

“Can’t stop me. My mind's made up.”

 

“But you’ll lose Club Rainbow!”

 

“I know Paula. And i’m perfectly fine with that.” He smiles cheesily with his arms cross “I really, honestly am. My family holds a bigger sentimental hold with this one right here, so why wouldn’t I want to save it?” He heads off towards where PJ and Matt are “Now let me sign in peace.” the girls all slump over in defeat.

 

“You girls shouldn’t look so defeated. Atleast he’ll be able to make income again!”

 

“Huh?...” the four say in unison as they look towards the flea.

 

“Oh you don’t know? You can’t just sign your name as an endorser and not expect to do anything. The guy will from this point onwards, have to return to the lifestyle that he threw away in favor of his club. He’ll have to go back to the famous showbiz life again.”

 

“HUH?!?!” they all sprint towards the building with renewed vigor to stop Leo again as Sunny scurries along with them.

 

“Oh man...Leo you’re to secretive for your own good man…”

 

“Tell me about it…” Sweety says as she sighs with much annoyance.

 

“I take it you know more than the others but have to keep hush hush about it?”

 

“Bingo.”

 

“Think they’ll stop him?”

 

“Nuh uh…”

 

“Well...on the brightside...you guys get the club back!...Eheh...aw man…”

 

* * *

 

“W-We...actually did it!...” Parappa fists bumps the air.

 

“Man that was actually harder than it looked…” Rammy says as she slinks within her seat

 

“Speak for yourself! It was simple firing for me~” Kitty cracks her knuckles gleefully.

 

“And I snipped it all with nothing growing back! The gel actually worked!”

 

“Hey! I can see and hear again! And i’m looookin goooooood! Now it’s time to have fun in the sun!” Paul stares at a mirror before he quickly pays the the octopus before running out of the facility at mach speed.

 

“Finally! Madre de Dios...ugh...I hate it when I get hair all over the floor….here I'll go clean all of it up.” he pulls out a broom and begins cleaning up all the hair inside and outside the building in a flash.

 

“Huzzah!...Now please get off of my head!...” The trio comply as they all hop off.

 

“Thanks so much Dad and 16!” The duo bow reluctantly given their experience with the hellcat “Well Kitty, what do you make of that?”

 

“Gotta admit, it was fun.” She glances at her nails “Would’ve even convinced me that your place is an aight area to be...if it hadn’t been for a slight mix up on your old man’s behalf…” her eyes slit up with anger as she looks away.

 

“Eheh...is that so?...” _DAMN IT!..._ “Weeeeeell… The day is still young!”

 

“That’s right! We still got places to check out! Surely any one of them can hook you over here!” Rammy nods smugly.

 

* * *

 

_“I CAN’T BELIEVE_ **_NOTHING_ ** _MANAGED TO HOOK HER!...”_ Parappa whispers to Rammy.

 

_“Tell me about it… I had forgotten how fickle she can be...it’s enough to drive whoever isn’t used to this crazy.”_

 

_“Oh and it really is...I can feel my brain snapping in two each passing second…”_ For a split moment Parappa’s eyes spiral in a yellow and red dizzy pattern.

 

_“You learn to get used to it. By force if nothing else, seeing as it’s usually a bust whenever you try to get through to her.”_

 

_“You’re telling me...is there anything here that would appeal to your ex?? You know her more than I do!...”_

 

_“Unless you can take her to a place to perform or watch someone she likes performing...there’s nothing that’ll appeal to her…”_

 

_“Wait...the performance that Paul was gonna head to! Teriyaki Yoko’s playing today! Is Kitty a fan??”_

 

_“Heh...she is. Good thinking. But how are we gonna get her to come with us??...”_

 

_“I mean, it’s not like she has any reason to deny. But lemme give a shot nonetheless!”_ Parappa walks over to the smoking cat as she glances at him and flicks her burnt out cigarette butt at his forehead “Hello to you to!...eheh…”

 

“What do you recommend now…”

 

“Well while we were at the salon, they did mention that Teriyaki Yoko was gonna be performin here today, whatcha say you wanna tag along with?”

 

Her eyes soften abit “Eh...I still have time to kill...why not…guess it’ll be somewhat interesting…”

 

_The tone of your voice and way your face shifted say otherwise! But I can’t gloat...gotta make it seem like it’s not that big a deal…_ “Great! Let’s go then! We passed some fliers stating where’d we need to go!” he turns to Rammy “Mind leading the way?”

 

“Not at all. Let’s go then Kit, Paraps.” She nods towards the path they have to take as she heads off with the two slowly following after. They eventually make it towards the area in quick time.

 

“Looks like we made it before the full show began! It’s still in announcements and crowd hyping phase!” Parappa takes a few steps forward to better see the stage beyond what the crowd is covering. The blood in his body runs cold as he sees two people on the stage dressed in obvious bodyguard attire. Both were dogs, the taller one was a spitting image of Matt, but the smaller one was one he was told would not arrive so soon “You have GOT to be kidding me…”

 

Rammy and Kitty walk on and spot what he sees, Kitty quickly drops Rammy to the ground “HIDE!...”

 

“WAGH...HEY!...”

 

“SHUT IT!...” Kitty growls “Dammit...doesn’t look like we can go there now…”

 

“NO! I refused to be stopped by a technicality! It sucks that they use him as the muscle for EVERYTHING...really makes it a struggle...but it’s just a little roadblock is all!” Parappa scans about and smiles once he spots something in the distance. He bolts off on that note and once a bit of time passes he returns with two objects in his hands that the girls on the ground find concerning.

 

“Uh...Paraps...whatcha got there?...”

 

“Your disguises~” He grins widely, a tad tinted with slight insanity as his eyes spiral about in a technicolored flair due to the constant failings of today as well as being topped off with having to look at Raparra again.

 

“You’re crazy if you think i’m letting you spray me with ANY of that you mutt!...”

 

“Crazy?...Heh...maybe just a lil~...” Parappa shows no hesitation as he presses down on the caps of the two cans within his hands. The two girls are coated in their own colored mist. Rammy in a reddish orange one and Kitty in a blue one. Time goes at a standstill until, in an out of way pathway to the crowd, is filled with three people walking down the path. Parappa was the one in front as he strutted by with a smile on his face. He then turns his head towards the two behind him. Behind him were Rammy and Kitty, who had been spray painted to a point they look like an exact copy of their top sider double “This is a perfect plan!”

 

“I hate you so much.”

 

“I agree with Kit, I am seriously not liking you right about now Paraps…”

 

“Look! This way is probably for the best! You guys get to sneak in without a hassle!”

 

“But I look like the shallowest person ever…”

 

“Kitty you didn’t really look that much different aside from being purple and having a different voice…”

 

“That’s out of my control!...ugh...still...I’m amazed you managed to color us spot on…”

 

“I’m amazed you managed to color us without staining our clothes…”

 

“Pleaseeeee. I’m very dexterous despite what I look and act like!”

 

“This is coming from the guy who nearly blinded himself from a hotdog on a stick.”

 

“R-RAMMY DON’T BRING THAT UP!...”

 

“Ohohoho this I gotta hear!”

 

“NOOO-...wait...you guys hear that?...”

 

“Oh noooo. You ain’t stopping me from listening to whatever stupid thing you-...I hear him to…”

 

_“Look...No one...and I mean_ **_NO ONE..._ ** _ever even attempts to cause a problem...so why even stand fucking guard?...”_

 

“It’s Raparra!...”  Parappa grits his teeth.

 

“Are you kidding me?!...” Kitty grinds her teeth as her eyes stare at the direction of the voice

 

_“Of_ **_COURSE_ ** _it’s cuz of me. Who in their right mind would dare test me?...Look...I don’t care. I’m taking a break...call me when something interesting happens…and I mean interesting enough for ME...”_ footsteps are heard from the direction the voice was heard from.

 

“He’s coming this way!...” Rammy panics in place as Kitty stands in front of her instinctually along with Parappa.

 

“Just...act natural you two! We can play this off!...Now hurry and calm down!...He’s coming!...” The duo behind him calm down as they walk calmly with him in a line. Soon after Raparra is seen in the distance with an object in his hand that he’s calmly eating. _Alright Parappa, keep calm and cool. Don’t let this guy get to you! He’s just a regular guy who’s forced to be this way cuz of the higher ups! Look at him, he’s eating an apple. Just as any ordinar-_ Once Raparra brushes past them, they take notice of him without looking at him. It's noted that he’s not eating an apple. He is instead eating a Carolina Reaper, but there was no pained reaction at all, each bite was left with the same simple uninterested expression. Smoke simply left his mouth each time it opened. _What in the absolute...you are not like an ordinary guy…okaaaaaaay… just ignore him and be on our merry wa-_

 

“Hey.”

 

_DAMMIT…_ “What?”

 

“Why are you here…”

 

“What do you mean, why are we here? Why else? To enjoy a great musical show by Miss Yoko?...” Parappa huffs “I sang with her once, and Lammy here played with her once. It’s safe to say, we eventually became acquainted fans.”

 

“Oh barf...you so fucking would…” He simply eats the remainder of the Reaper in one gulp “You’re lucky i’m on guard duty…”

 

“Then shouldn’t you be...ya know...guarding?”

 

“Why? Nothing ever happens...especially up here...there’s little to no threat of anything given how soft everyone up here is…”

 

“Still your job-” Kitty kicks the dog to shut him up.

 

“Yeah yeah whatever...normally. I’d be stuck on the job permanently, but if I see that hide away at any given second. I will be dropping everything to do what should be obvious…”

 

“Fine by me, like I said last time. She’s not here anymore.”

 

Raparra’s eyes glance between Parappa and the two girls before finally sighing “Seems like it...but I doubt she’s gonna stay gone...she'll be back...and I'll be there...just not anytime soon. I'm to exhausted...lost more motivation than I initially thought.” he turns his back to the trio “Now get out of my sight...simply being next to you top siders gives me bad stomach aches…” he waves his hand, motioning them to beat it.

 

“Gladly, cuz the feelings mutual with me to you…” the trio resume their walk as they shift into a position where they're all side by side instead of in a line.

 

“Heh...guess we have another thing in common with that…” he resumes his own walk as he pulls out another pepper.

 

As the trio walk. Rammy whispers to the other two _“I can't believe this dumb spray painted mess actually fooled him…”_

 

_“Same here...he's usually one to pick up on this thing in a heartbeat. He really was exhausted.”_ Kitty smugly chuckles _“Idiot.”_ she suddenly stops in place after bumping into Rammy due to not paying attention much like her. As they peel their faces off each other, they both shout in unison.

 

“WATCH IT!...” their gaze slowly turns to the new dog in front. It was Matt’s double and their next unified response is “What?” completely oblivious to the fact that they removed the spray from their faces by accident, foiling their disguises.

 

Parappa facepalms, but quickly speaks up the second he sees the new dog about to open his mouth “Now hold on and hear me out before you cry wolf.” the double stops and simply crosses his arms.

 

“Humor me.”

 

“You really wanna set that guy off...again? Now of all times? You know who I am, and so you should know my persistence. He'll fail and then what? He'll take it out down there… _again_. You wanna deal with that? You wanna deal with the fact that you'll be the reason that happens AGAIN? You're all not in the mood for that to happen at a daily basis. I could see it in your eyes. You were hoping to enjoy a nice show, but got partnered with him. Do you really want to ruin all that for yourself? All for something that won't end well if you chance it?”

 

The dog scoffs as he looks to the side, he then continued walking past them.

 

“HE-” Parappa was about to stop him by force, but is stopped by him speaking up.

 

“I didn't see anything. I didn't HEAR anything. Now keep it moving so he doesn't either...go to the corner of the crowd by the merch booths, it's gonna be his blind spot, he won't be able to see you there…”

 

Parappa calms down and smiles “Thanks!...erm…”

 

“Chris.” he stops walking “You were spot on for all but one thing.”

 

“What was that?...”

 

“I didn't get forced together with him, I chose to partner up with him.”

 

“Why??...”

 

“My heart's a crazy thing.” he laughs hysterically as he carries on.

 

“I didn't think it was possible to be attracted to a guy like Raparra…” Rammy face turns green.

 

“I didn’t think it was possible to find a guy like him attractive at all!” Kitty rolls her eyes.

 

“Love is a strong motivator!” Parappa simply tilts his head with an awkward deflated laugh.

 

“Love is blind.” both hell girls say as they bonk the dog on the head.

 

“I can't argue there. Love forces alot of crazy things. Now come on, we're in the clear! So we got a show to enjoy!” the duo shrug as they head on their way.

 

* * *

 

“You sure you aren't going to regret this?...”

 

(“Yeah what Paula said. You weren't exactly keen with the star lifestyle.”)

 

“Can't hurt giving it another shot. Who knows, now that it's not for survival, I might enjoy it.”

 

“B-But you're still being forced to do it t-technically…”

 

“Eh...small details...look I'm serious about this. I'm ok with it as long as you guys are happy.”

 

“But YOU won't be happy...plus it's hard to feel happy when you're feeling guilty…”

 

“Then don't feel guilty! I'm happy seeing YOU guys happy!”

 

“I-I think it's for the best to just drop it…” everyone looks towards Sunny “He seems sincere in everything he says, can't you guys have faith in your potential future kid?... After all, to him...family matters more don't it?...”

 

“But Poppy!...No. You have a point.” Katy turns to Europa “After all, that's basically the reason you're here. To see us all happy again.” he simply nods.

 

“Indeed.”

 

She sighs “Well then, I guess that's final. I'm going to go clear my head of the guilt. Luckily today there's a performance happening today! We're expecting the diva from hell, Teriyaki Yoko to play today! And the place is not far off from here so I'll be taking my leave! Any of you guys wanna come with?”

 

“In a little while, think I wanna just get over the guilt myself.”

 

“Same h-here if that’s alright Katy.”

 

(“Guess I’m chatting with em. We’ll join you when we’re good.”)

 

“I’ll keep em company! Along with the three others that just joined in.” Sunny says with a nod “I’ll even inform them on where you are and if they wanna tag along!”

 

“Thanks then. Well I’ll be seeing you all. And you better take care when it comes to it!”

 

“I will Katy! Now go enjoy yourself.” They both nod as the girl runs off. Europa simply heads away from the others to air his own head out. Gloria and Mushi speak between each other as the others talk between themselves, Sweety however follows the boy.

 

“You know you could’ve replied a bit nicer to your mother.”

 

“I mean...yeah...I could’ve...but she’s ok. They all are. I can understand their reasoning for not wanting me to do things I clearly started losing interest in. If it’s not fun, why should I do it right? But I really am ok with this. Their happiness matters more to me than my own. I wouldn’t be here if that weren’t the case would I?~”

 

“That snarky yet energetic and loose cannon attitude of Katy’s certainly did become a big personality in you as much as the kind, help anyone and everyone half of you from your father. And it all flows in so nicely, given how much of a fun mixed bag you can be. I guess it shows how well their lives mesh together.”

 

“Eh I mean I guess, they ended up together after all.” He sighs “I just hope I can keep it as such.”

 

“Oh you will! I’m sure they’ll end up together just like how it actually went down! I mean after all, thanks to you, it’s found out that Parappa easily gets jealous over who she sticks around with! Still funny how he thought his future son was trying to steal his potential wife away.”

 

“At least he apologized for being upset, then again when it was found out that I was his kid from the future. He still didn’t realize it was jealousy until after the other girls were outed.”

 

“Dense till the end.”

 

“I mean the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

 

“Eh? You dense? I don’t see it.”

 

“Well it’s embarrassing to say but- UGH…” The sound of glass breaking is heard as Europa flinches backwards as his body simply falls limp. He falls forward in a heavy drop.

 

“L-Leo?...” Sweety immediately goes forward to try and catch him, but Leo’s body simply fades through hers. As this happens, many many images of events unknown to her begin flashing through her mind as he fades through “What's...happening?...what is...all this?...” she grabs her head to settle her mind, but quickly realizes what was just happening to Europa, he was fading out of reality “E-EH?!...” she quickly turns around to spot him as he hits the ground “N-NONONO!...” as she struggles to grab his tangible body, he eventually solidifies. She rolls him over, despite being solid once more, he was not ok. He was unconscious, his pupils were gone as there was simply empty white sclera. He was alive, but that wasn't saying much on account of how his body was currently identical to a mannequin. Was he really alive? “Leo wake up!...please!...oh what could've happened...everything here is alright...we're all here just talk-...KATY!...” She grabs her head tightly in panic as Mushi and Gloria walk over. They pick up the pace as they spot the downed future boy.

 

“WHOA WHOA, WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM?...”

 

“He just dropped! There was no electricity or anything! He just turned see through like a ghost and fell!...he's back to normal but won't wake up!...”

 

“Aw lord...this happened twice before before…” both Mushi and Sweety look to Gloria with only the bear speaking up.

 

“Please don't say it involves his future mother and father having a small little upset in their bond…”

 

“Unfortunately...that's exactly it…”

 

“Oh I knew it had to be that...Where is the place she was going to??...I-I need to fix this!...That'll help Leo right??...”

 

“It should...that's how it worked last two times.”

 

“The place she went off is gonna be down three blocks and take a left for another two. Fliers along the way should help. Now get moving! We'll try hide his current state from the others!...” Mushi says as he picks up the unconscious guy off the ground.

 

“Right!” as she bolts off, a hidden Sunny simply gasps after overhearing all that.

 

“I-I gotta lend a hand!...” She runs off as well, hidden from Sweety’s sight line.

 

“KATY!...ohhh...what could've happened between them...oh...I'd slap them up the head if it didn't out the fact that they're Europa’s true parents…” she sighs before her eyes fly open, she sees a bike wheel bounce its way towards her at a close range, but it simply goes through her “Wha?...” She then heard someone shout.

 

“WHOHOHOHOHOOOOA!...”

 

She looks towards where the yell came from and immediately sees the same wheel bounce towards her. Now she manages to dodge it properly due to the better distance “How did I...never mind that!..” she resumes her run.

 

* * *

 

During the moment Katy took off to see the live performance…

 

“Ok...now down to the left over here...Ah! I see it in the distance!” She sprints down as fast as she can and quickly reaches the destination. She looks over the fence to see the massive crowd “Man look at all the fans and music lovers! Now this was certainly a good place to come to!” she quickly heads on in.

 

Back with the other trio.

 

“So you're having a good time huh?~”

 

“I ain't saying nothing.”

 

“That's Kit’s way of saying yes dude.”

 

“Want me to hook you across the face Rammy??” Parappa giggles as lighting zaps between the two girls eyes.

 

“You two SURE you're not a couple anymore? You constantly fight like one!” they both bonk the dog on the head again “Ok OW, but point proven~” he then grabs his head in pain, prompting a laugh out of the two of them.

 

“You know, I should probably come clean, this place has been...interestin. That much is for sure. I mean yeah, y’all up here are a bit annoyin, but so are the peeps down under in hell. It’s the same level of annoying i’m used to if that’s something to speak for. Unlike in hell however, y’all can be fun and attention getting in your own...hell forsaken ways y’know?”

 

“Thanks! I guess…? What are you getting at?”

 

“Guess I gotta spell it out…” she sighs as taps the side of her head “I’m...heedin your words. I think I’m gonna stick around up here. Not only can I help ya keep on eye on this idiot over here...but I can also get a bit of the joy as well.” She crosses her arms “If. I’m allowed that is. I know when I’m not wanted anymore…” Rammy simply kicks the ground once Kitty says the final line.

 

“Well I mean...of course you’re allowed. I have no reason to say no. Neither does Rammy since again, this was HER idea anyway. Gonna have to find you place to stay...Our place is a tad...packed...maybe Leo can help…”

 

“I’m cool wherever. Hell even a bench would be a better place than where I was down there.”

 

“What is it with you guys from hell and sleeping on benches??...”

 

“What, was that your idea to?” Kitty looks towards Rammy.

 

“You know it.” Rammy taps her chin “Well since you’re gonna be staying...guess that means you need a proper welcoming!”

 

“Proper what now.”

 

“I had to suffer through this during my first day here.” She picks up Parappa by his shoulders “Hey Paraps, what’s the best way to greet a new friend?~” Parappa beams as he knows what she means. His arms raises up on the spot, making a gun prepping noise as if to signify ‘Hug mode engaged’.

 

“Ohoho no. I don’t do hugs.” They both smile deviously “I’m fucking warning you.” Rammy, readies herself to toss Parappa “I’m serious, you better not!...”

 

“Hehe...sic her~” She tosses the dog, due to the strength, speed and distance away from Kitty, Parappa latches onto the hellcat girl in a blur, with her unable to react or do much of anything.

 

“ACK...G-GET OFF!...” she tries to pry of the happy puppy that is squeezing her rather tightly “S-SERIOUSLY WE’RE IN PUBLIC MAN!...”

 

“I had the same reply~ But unfortunately for youuuu...I kinda conditioned him into NOT letting go whenever he hugs someone.~”

 

“Why would you ever do that?!”

 

“I thought it’d be funny to watch him hug someone without them being able to stop him~ And it so is.”

 

“Can you please get him off...this is to much physical contact I’m able to handle with someone I just got to fully know…”

 

“He ain’t getting off so easily!”

 

“At least help me up…”

 

“That I can do.” she helps the struggling cat up.

 

Katy makes her way through the crowd in order to find a good spot to enjoy the show, through the corner of her eye she spots the trio “Hey It’s Parappa and...Rammy?...Why is she half painted to look like Lammy…? And is Parappa hugging...me? But I’m me!...wait…”

 

_“I can...answer that… Kitty doesn't really leave hell in my time…”_

 

“Ah...so that’s Kitty...if Rammy’s spray painted, I can only assume she is as well!...” she shakes her head “Well...those two are happy around her so maybe...it’s another Rammy scenario? If that’s the case, maybe I should get along with my double to!” She heads off towards the three of them waving her hand and calling out to get their attention.

 

Rammy hears Katy’s voice and immediately feels dread head down her spine. _Oh yeah...it completely slipped my mind that Kitty would have to meet up with Katy…oh fuck…_

 

Parappa detaches off of Kitty “Hey that sounded like Katy…”

 

“Sounds like...oh…” Kitty’s eyes slit up once again.

 

“Ooooh I do not like that sudden shift in tone…”

 

_You and me both Paraps...it’s to late to do anything...the floodgates about to break…_

 

“Hehe...boy you look angry...I can only take it that it’s cuz I just arrived huh…”

 

“Ya think?”

 

“H-Hey now...d-don’t be a sourpuss!...I mean I’m sure you’re well informed on how Rammy and Lammy got to get along in the past days and still ongoing...m-maybe we can be the same!...H-Heh…”

 

“The same huh…”

 

“E-Eh?..”

 

_Oh no…_ “Katy please shut up…” Rammy pleads the cat as Parappa does the same, catching on to the black sheep’s reason heavy panic.

 

“No...I insist...keep on talking…”

 

“I-I’m sorry I didn’t mean to offend in any way shape or form!...I-I just wanted to see if we had anything in common…”

 

“In common?!”

 

_“Rammy, why exactly does Kitty hate her double more than how you used to hate yours?...”_

 

_“You know how I said everyone in hell was basically the opposite with only slight similarities.?”_

 

_“Yeaaaah?...”_

 

_“Kitty has no opposite attributes and is one hundred percent similar…”_

 

_“What?...but then why hate her if they’re the exact sa- ooooooooohhhh...I get it now…ohhhhhhh WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY…”_

 

“So you’re just making fun of me then now is it?!...”

 

“N-No I just wanna meet you halfway to find a similarity to build off of!...”

 

_KATY SHUT UP!..._ Parappa shudders, trying so hard to resist yelling at the blue cat girl given their circumstances and position.

 

_Every word she says is just making things boil over more and more...oh man...was...I this bad with Lammy?..._  Rammy simply swallows roughly as the guilt of her own past catches up to her.

 

“WILL YOU STOP RUBBING IT IN?!”

 

“R-Rubbing what in?!...”

 

“THAT I’M JUST A CLONE!...”

 

“I-I mean...isn’t that what we technically are towards each other?...”

 

“WE’RE NOT!... **_I’M_ ** NOT!!” She starts breathing much more quickly as what was originally anger is now also mixing in with hysteria and sadness “I REFUSE TO ACCEPT MYSELF AS JUST A MERE EXACT COPY!...”

 

“Exact?...”

 

“YES EXACT!...Everyone else in hell is the exact the opposite of the version of them up here! They’re all the a reverse of their fakes...only a few key things stay the same to show that they’re the others shadow...constantly at odds with one another over who the real fake is...but not with you...not with me...no you just had to be IMPOSSIBLE to have a reverse FOR!...You always had your foot dipped in everything...I was the exact god damn same...always...if I was something, you were it to...if I did something, you’d have done it to…If I thought of something, you were thinking of it to...everyone in hell called me a failure of a hell shadow...they said that if I couldn’t even show who I even was for myself, then I was nothing more than a mere mirror image...a clone...a reject up here...and down there… and I could never even prove that I could be my own being worth trying to take you down...it was impossible to find a thing to do when what we did was always THE SAME THE SAME **THE SAME!** ” She stomps the ground causing it to quake as the part beneath her cracks with steam rising up quickly.

 

“What was that?” Raparra quickly scans the area from the stage.

 

“It’s nothing Raparra, the people are just getting to rowdy for their own good.” _What are those idiots doing?! Are they trying to get caught?!_

 

“Ugh...HEY ALL OF YOU CALM YOUR SHIT!” He crosses his arms as he settles down “Idiotic topsiders…”

 

Kitty stops stomping as she grabs the sides of her head “I was nothing down there...and nothing up here!...I’m a joke...and you clearly think so...you think this is the funniest thing in the world!”

 

“I-I do not! I was just trying to give the hand of friendship and be the better person here!”

 

“BE THE BETTER PERSON?! SO YOU’RE TRYING TO ONE UP ME EVEN NOW?! RUBBING IT IN MY FACE EVEN FURTHER?!”

 

“I AM NOT!...”

 

“YOU CAN’T EVEN LIE YOURSELF OUT OF THIS!...In the end, it’s just you...you and only you because of how easy you fucking have it...down there they don’t even care about me...they don’t care what HAPPENS to me...If I’m not even a prover hell shadow...then what’s there left to do with me?!...” Her eyes widen as she turns to Parappa and Rammy “And you two...you both knew that fact didn’t you?...You told him about it didn’t you?!...You wanted him to convince me to stay up here just so Hell would finally be done with me...all happy and gleeful because ‘HOORAY, WE GOT RID OF THE FUCKING PATHETIC EXCUSE OF A HELL SHADOW!’ You wanted to make a fool of me even further...by making me believe I’d be happier up here...when in reality you were probably just trying to get me up here so that hell would pardon you and leave you be…and you...setting my guard down with those damn honey coated words so you could pull this off you damn dog...you both are just as bad as those guys down there...As Raparra up there…”

 

“Don’t be ridiculous! I was legitimately trying to help you out here! We both were! And Paraps is not the kind of guy to even do that as YOU should know from him being the opp-”

 

“ **SHUT THE HELL UP!** ” She slams the ground again causing flames to erupt from the ground.

 

“Ok, seriously what the FUCK are these damn topsiders doing?!”

 

“Theeeeeeeeey’re just really big fans of the hellish things Miss Yoko does at these gigs! You know her, always tearing a hole within the ground as she unleashes the souls of the departed to rock along with them! It may seem over the top, but these guys clearly love it if they’re trying to replicate it! Surely you can see that eh Raparra?”

 

“Chris that’s the stupidest shit i’ve ever heard leave your dumbass of a mouth.” He rolls his eyes with a raised eyebrow “Although...these guys are just that level of stupid...and that’s the scary part...the fact that there’s CREDIBILITY in what BS you just said…”

 

“And the credibility is one hundred percent! After all i’ve been to these things more than you have!”

 

“And that’s the last fucking nail on the coffin...you know what? Fine Mr. Topsider expert…” He pops in ear buds as he closes his eyes “I’m just ignoring whatever shit happens, if something ACTUALLY provoking comes about, YOU’RE handling it yourself.” He storms off and reclines on a metal support beam, opening his eyes and keeping them locked on a specific direction.

 

_Ok, the pro to this is that he’s on permanent standby, the con is now HE’S LOOKING DIRECTLY AT THE SPOT WHERE THOSE IDIOTS ARE HIDING...What a pain in the ass…_ Chris simply rubs the sides of his forehead as he watches where the mess came from.

 

“ **I DON’T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT OPPOSITES! ESPECIALLY FROM YOU, YOU FUCKING...TOPSIDER!...** ” Her eyes revert back to normal “ **YOU’RE NOT EVEN IN A POSITION TO SAY YOU’RE HELPING...YOU’RE NOTHING MORE THAN JUST ANOTHER TOPSIDER AFTER INTEGRATING YOURSELF UP HERE...BECOMING BUTT BUDDIES WITH THE PERSON WHO** **_RUINED_ ** **YOUR LIFE...SHRUGGING OFF ALL THE SHIT THAT HAPPENED TO YOU, THE RIFT BETWEEN US IT FUCKING CAUSED...ALL OF IT JUST WHISKED AWAY AS YOU TRY TO DEMEAN ME TO THAT LEVEL YOU FUCKING TRAITOR!** ” She breathes heavily as she starts crying from her onslaught, but not to her notice as she keeps at it by turning towards Parappa “ **THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT...YOU TOOK WHAT WAS THE ONLY THING I HAD GIVING ME ANY REMOTE SENSE OF HAPPINESS...BY BRAINWASHING HER INTO THINK THAT LIFE UP HERE WOULD BE FOR THE BEST...THEN CAUSED THAT FUCKING IDIOT TO JUST CAUSE MORE SHIT DOWN THERE AND HAVE TO USE ME AS THE FALL GUY ALL BECAUSE I WAS THE ONE CLOSE TO HER DUMB ASS...USING ME AS A MEANS TO FIND HER...CAUSING MY LIFE TO FALL INTO DEEPER SHAMBLES...THEN TRY TO BRING ME UP HERE AS JOKE...TO TURN ME INTO A FULL CLONE OF HER OR TO CAUSE RAPARRA TO HUNT AFTER ME TO…** ” she tries to punch him square in the face, Parappa suffers a delayed reaction, preventing him from blocking as he instead braces for impact. Kitty however, doesn’t go through with it as her fist stops mere centimeters from his face, she’s now crying heavily as her voice is nothing more than a shaky mess “Y-You’re not even fucking worth it...if I hit you...I prove your fucking point...if I don’t...I still do...and I refuse to let you leave a winner...thinking you’re all high and m-mighty...turning me into a fucking mess...showing just how b-big a joke I really am...All because you try to be the b-bigger man you pint sized PEST…” She looks to Rammy then turns to Katy “I HATE YOU...I will always hate you...get out of my goddamn LIFE!...” She then turns tail and runs as far and fast as her legs can carry her.

 

“K-Kitty stop wait up!” Parappa tries to catch her by heading off after her.

 

“K-KITTY!...STOP!...” Rammy follows as well, but both stop once a paper airplane nails Parappa in the side of his his head.

 

“GAH...what the hell?!” he plucks the paper out of his cheek and opens it up to read it _“If you move from that spot at all, Raparra will spot you.”_  Parappa looks towards where the thing was launched from and sees a distressed Chris. He turn rips the paper up. “RAGHHHH WHYYYYY...WE FINALLY MANAGED TO GET THROUGH THAT THICK HEAD OF HERS…” Parappa knuckles his forehead till he stops and straightens up, he then turns to Katy “We were almost good...we could’ve helped eased her into this life then slowly come to terms with her own problem...had I know what it was prior I probably could’ve offered up a different set of circumstances...but there’s nothing that could’ve worked as well as coming here did...and then you show up AND RUIN ALL OF THAT!” Katy flinches as she’s being yelled at. It hurt her, even more so since she had no understanding of the situation or what was happening. She had just arrived, but clearly that was all that needed to happen in order for things to unwind as they did, and that hurt her even more “IT WAS REALLY HARD TRYING TO GET THROUGH TO HER SINCE AT EVERY TURN SOMETHING WOULD HINDER THE PROGRESS! NOW THE PROGRESS IS FLAT OUT DESTROYED! SO CAN YOU JUST **BACK OFF** KATY?!” Katy is taken back by the dogs level of anger that caused him to snap at her, he usually was never one to do this...and yet it was all to familiar to her as this had happened twice before years ago. She feels the need to say something, to defend herself or at the very least speak on if she could help, but only a single tear escapes her eye. And before anything else could be done, something happens that affects the both of them. A sound of glass shattering is heard as both the cat and dog immediately clutch their chests in pain, the two of them shouting ‘OW!’ in painful unison. Both subconsciously start to cry, Katy from her right eye and Parappa from his left as they both hold on to their hearts that started aching out of the blue, but again, the sensation was familiar twice before. They stand there in silence, from pain and from not know what else to say if anything was even left to say. Rammy breaks the silence.

 

“Yo...Paraps...that’s probably a bit much man...she doesn’t really have much fault here...I mean yeah...being here was...probably the last thing that needed to happen, but it’s not her fault...she had no context for this...nor anyway of knowing we’d even be here with her...so you might’ve gone abit fucking overboard with your temper man…”

 

“...” Parappa still holds onto his torso, but as he does, he rewinds what he just said over and over in his head. She was right, he had gone a tad to far for something that was one hundred percent out of her control. Katy however thinks up the opposite, in her head flashes the fact that he had a point. All Parappa would ever want to do was make everything ok, make everyone happy. It had not occurred to her in the slightest at all that the reason for wanting to help Kitty, could have been as a stepping stone to helping all who were from Hell. And she threw a wrench in that progress...or rather, she may have flat out ended progress entirely. Parappa finally speaks up “You’re right Rammy...I was an incredible asshole just now...look Katy...my bad I just let my anger get to me over something I can still probably get to work...I’m so-”

 

“No...you’re right Parappa…” She forces a smile as she coughs out a pained chuckle “Let me fix my mess~...” She quickly takes off in the direction that Kitty ran off to, thanks to not being anyone anticipated by Raparra, she sneaks on by with immense ease as she disappears as quickly as Kitty did. As she runs, a stray teardrop hits Parappa in his face. He quickly catches on just how badly he let his emotions get the better of him...again.

 

“K-KATY WAIT! I-I’M SORRY!...” He tries to run after her, but recalls that he can’t or else he risks Rammy’s safety “GAHHHH!...” he kicks a rock on the ground as it flies off and hits someone riding a bicycle, the cyclist ends up driving around in a hectic manner due to being completely disoriented. As he flails about, he eventually regains his composure, only to find himself in a one way crash with a collection of dumpsters.

 

“WHOHOHOHOHOOOOA!...” He crashes as he bike explodes into pieces, his wheel bouncing wildly down the street on its own “Ow…” the very same wheel would be the one Sweety would come to dodge.

 

Katy simply runs as she struggles to find where her doppelganger ran off to, but no luck as she’s gotten much to big a head start “KITTY! Where could she be…” she continues running, unknown to her that Sweety is right on her tail, and also unbeknownst to her that Sunny is also tagging along “KITTY! PLEASE JUST LET ME HELP!...” as she runs, she only has the event with Parappa in mind. Her chest aches again prompting her to clutch on tightly “Why is this hurting me so much...he just got to worked up on accident...right?...what’s going on with me...I have got to fix this as fast as possible to get this to stop...” She shakes her head as she runs off again, the pain not ceasing one bit. As this happens, she can’t help but wonder...was it hurting for him to?

 

_This all hurts...and it hurts in a way I remember...but I don’t know why...did I repress the reason why?...Or am I just not allowed to remember?...And...does he feel this pain to?...He had the same reaction I did on that exact moment...I don’t want this to hurt...not for me or for him...oh Kitty...where are you?..._


	31. It's a messy messy night...

The day turns to evening as Katy continuously runs around looking for her doppelganger as she bears what he said in mind “He...he didn’t mean that...he looked sad after he said it...so he wanted to take it back...but...not yet...not until I’ve fixed this…” she shakes her head, ignoring the tightening pressure in her chest “This hurts so much like before...but what was before?!...Gah...if I could just remember, I can probably tell myself it’ll be alright...cuz it clearly happened and got fixed both times…but this pain is to distracting!...it’s like my heart is suffering pain for more than one person...but why...Parappa has his own things to deal with!...And yet it doesn’t feel like it’s him...gah...stupid organs…” She was right, she was suffering for two, so was Parappa. What was unknown to the two of them, was that the person they were suffering for, was currently having an out of body experience thanks to the two of them. Nevertheless Katy resumes pursuit “KITTY!”

 

The chase has gone on to a point in which the two people following her somehow end up ahead of her in their own different directions. Sweet stumbles down a road from alleyway to alleyway, but abruptly stops as another vision strikes her.

 

“Oh great what am I looking at now…” Before her she sees a purple cat running down the street she’s on, but immediately turns to a very small alleyway on her left. She then sees Katy come down this same path, but she goes down forward all the while. The vision ends as she rubs her eyes “What the…OOF” She’s nearly toppled over by someone running into her from behind.

 

“Ow...S-Sweety?...”

 

“Finally!...I caught up to you-” _Technically you caught up to me, but semantics._

 

“C-Can it wait? I have someone I’m looking for and I really can’t have anything increase our distance!...”

 

“...Is that someone perchance a purple cat?...”

 

“YES!...Where is she?!...”

 

“She went down that little alleyway over there…”

 

“THANK YOU!” She hugs the pink bear and rushes straight towards that spot in a sonic boom that nearly flings the pink bear away.

 

“Wahhh...time to play keep up again…” She sighs as she runs off, but due to the size of her body, she’s unable to follow the exact same path “Gaaaaah...stupid big strong body...strange visions that keep showing me things what’s gonna happen...you better show me where to go because it looks like i’m taking the long way!” Sweety runs downwards in order to find a detour route towards the two cats.

 

As this went on, Sunny struggled herself with keeping up with the lot of them “Gahahahaaaaa...oh man...I’ll never catch up at this rate...Sweety ran down that way...but there’s this small alleyway over here...it might give me the shortcut I need!...I hope…” Sunny takes the path the two cats prior took as she resumes her portion of the chase.

 

* * *

 

“Awwww man...how exactly are we gonna hide him from the others?...they’ll question where he is...and if we tell them he went off with them, they’re gonna go looking and that’ll make things worse…”

 

“King just stop panicking while you’re holding onto him! You’re shaking him like a puppet!...wait...that’s it!”

 

“What’s it?” Gloria removes Mushi’s glasses and places them over the out of it boy’s eyes “Hey!”

 

“Oh shut yer yap! It's for the greater good!”

 

“But my glasses! I can't be seen without my glasses!”

 

“Uh-huh...look Mushi, you got an extra pair of arms compared to me so...you gotta move him around like a puppet in order to convince the others that he's fine.”

 

“Won't they question that?”

 

“You just leave that part to me. For now you gotta make him seem ok!”

 

“Alright then...let's see here…” with his two right arms, he starts motioning the boy's body “Ok...and...like so!” Leo's body performs a waving motion before stopping with a shrug.

 

“Ey you got the hang of it mighty quick!”

 

“Thank you thank you~” he makes the body bow, nearly flinging the glasses off his face “Hehehe! This is kinda fun!” He makes the body dance in place “Gahahaha, man I make this look easy! Just a quick flick of the wris- OW!”

 

“HE’S NOT A TOY!”

 

“Right!...Sorry!...Got a little carried away!...”

 

“Yeah no kidding...look just make him seem natural...the others are coming…”

 

“Uhhhhh...let’s see here...if I just do...this?” The body crosses its arms as it leans along the wall. It then places on leg over the other as it tilts his head slightly downwards “BAM! Hahah, I could dabble in ventriloquism!”

 

“Shut yer mouth! They’re here!” They both immediately stand straight and act falsely in order to play off their bluff as the others walk on up.

 

“Oh here you are Leo! Say wasn’t Sweety here with you?...” Paula asks as she glances at the boy in his strange position.

 

“Ah she was here with him, but she decided to go along and find Katy and the others! So she left him here to just uh...brood?” Mushi sweats as he hopes they buy that.

 

“Oh that explains why you’re like that. What’s wrong?” She places her hands at her hips “Is it finally sinking in that signing your name off was probably the worst thing to do?” Mushi makes the body shake his head rapidly

 

(“I take it that’s a yes given how defensive he just got.”) Mushi makes the head shake even harder (“Alright, fineeeee. Sheesh we’ll believe ya, just calm down. You’re gonna break your neck if you keep that up.”)

 

Mushi breathes a sigh of relief as he stops shaking the guys head, but panicks again once PJ speaks up.

 

“Hey now why are you wearing Mushi’s glasses?”

 

“Oh he just wanted to tease me is all!” _Uhhhh....how would they believe me…OH! I can mention something from the past! I hope he won’t mind..._ “Years back, whenever his caretaker Nana K would prevent him from using the helmet, he’d run to me and snatch these off my face. He had a weird affixation with always having his face covered, mainly by glasses whenever he couldn’t wear the helmet or simply didn’t want to wear it.”

 

PJ blinks slowly, remembering the dream he had.

 

_Your face was glued to screen whenever the guy wearing this exact pair came on. So I figured you must like em._

 

“Ah...you don’t say...Right then, I think I can understand why.” He rubs his chin “Hey why didn’t he answer me with that himself?”

 

“Uhhh…”

 

“Cuz that was private knowledge that the kiddo didn’t want to have leaked! And Mushi here-” She elbows him roughly in the gut “Just enjoys the gift of gab a little TOO much! So much so he upset the boy even more!” Mushi instinctually lowers Leo’s head even further.

 

“Aw I’m sorry man I didn’t uh...mean to do that…” he makes it so the body slaps him across the face “OW!” _Actually made him hit me rather hard there…_ “I deserved that…”

 

“A-Aw Leo! Mushi didn’t deserve that!... C-Could’ve done that abit more gently…”

 

“Aw don’t worry over me Jammer Lamb, I’m fine! I had that coming since I technically almost spoiled other things for a while now.”

 

(“Hey wait...that reminds me...you knew about him since the beginning, meaning you knew more about him then us during that time we found you! How come you didn’t blab then!”)

 

“Truth be told, I was about to. But at the time he didn’t want anyone to know, but someone caught on and that spiraled into ALL of you knowing.”

 

“I didn’t think catching him without his helmet on would be such a big deal…” PJ rubs his cheek before shaking his head, attempting to laugh at the hectic happenstance they’ve all been put in thanks to him, but it just escapes as a wheeze. Everyone else simply sighs in a disappointed union prompting Mushi to make Leo’s body sadly rub his head “Oh by no means is this your fault or should you feel bad about it! So far we’ve...been all fine! And nothing’s really happened that warrants you to worry over us!” He taps his fingers trying to word his statement better “We can handle anything that comes to us! You made it easier to right?” Gloria elbows Mushi again getting him to force the body to nod at bullet speed “Easy there! Don’t break your neck over any bit of joy!”

 

“I think we should leave him be, we’re kinda piling to much on him and that’s the opposite of what we wanted... We wanted to spend today helping him relax!”

 

“Ah...my apologies girls...I might’ve single handedly ruined your work…” Mushi puppets Leo to raise and shake his hands “Well thanks for the reassurance. We’ll leave you be.” Mushi gets the body to salute.

 

“C-Call us over when you wanna continue the day! Maybe w-we can head over to where K-Katy went off to!” Mushi coordinates the body to manage a thumbs up prompting the group to scatter away. Once they’re completely out of sight, both Gloria and Mushi nearly topple over.

 

“Wahey...I can’t believe we pulled it off...you are scarily amazing at puppeteering a living person...I’m afraid to figure out how you’re doing it…”

 

“Oh that’s simple! I just grabbed his tail! Man am I glad that all his current moms have one to pass down.”

 

“But he’s currently a sheep.”

 

“Yeah so?”

 

“Aren’t those usually...small and puffy?...”

 

“Normally yeah they would be! Not with him though.” Mushi pulls out a rather long tail to show Gloria “Seems like this specific version of him didn’t get the tail cut. Dunno if it’s the same for the Jammer Lamb version of him, but i’m glad that he had one now and that it has such a fun control over his body!”

 

“Well let go of it! As I stated before he’s not a toy! I’m glad it allowed us to pull this facade off, but now we gotta remember that he’s currently just an empty body!”

 

“Your right...time to get serious again…” He let’s go of the body as it slumps to the ground, he then pulls his glasses off of him and places them back onto his own face “This was such a hassle...but on the bright side! There worst has come and gone!...” Mushi swallows roughly “Why are you lookin at me like that?”

 

“Anyone ever tell ya that you say more things then ya are allowed ta.”

 

“It’s been made apparent yes…Oh relax Glo! I’m serious! If something bad would have happened, it would’ve happened by now! After all, disaster is not one to wait!”

 

“Oy vey...maybe we’re lucky and it’s having an off day like us…”

 

* * *

 

“YISMUN!”

 

“Right here boss man!” the robot yes man pokes in as he rubs his hands while waiting for his next order.

 

“What do you see in the monitor in front of me.”

 

“Why it’s blank big man! Is this a trick question?”

 

“THAT’S THE ENTIRE THING AND THAT’S THE PROBLEM!” He slams his fist on the arms of his chair prompting the screens to change into pictures of those who are still under his word “These people are supposed to be assisting me in progressing my plan...and yet...they do nothing. And to rub more dirt on my shoes, they all arrive here as if to...check up on me. Do they not realize that I cannot assist them, if they do not assist me?”

 

“I’m sure this is nothing more than a little hiccup Tycoon! They have no reason to become turncoats after all!”

 

“That fact aside, it’s still a cumbersome problem to have them here rather than do nothing that won’t benefit me in the long run...I WON’T HAVE IT!” He presses a button that materializes before him, activating an intercom “JEBIDIAH!”

 

_“N-No sir...for the um...I want to say eighty seventh time?...It’s erm...Joe.”_

 

“Please alert my guests to come to me this instant.”

 

_“Oh right...we’ll work on my name another time then...as for getting them to go to you...I cannot do that.”_

 

“Why is that…”

 

_“Because Prince Pop is erm...currently trying to squish the featherless Tundra and her four not so handymen.”_

 

“WHAT? TELL HIM TO CEASE THAT AT ONCE, OR HE LOSES ALL SEMBLANCE OF ASSISTANCE FROM ME.”

 

 _“Right away!”_ as the intercom turns off, sounds of crashing and breaking are heard from the door to the room that Tycoon and Yismun are currently in. In the following minutes, Bruter, Coco, Rocky and Temp are tossed onto the ground. After them walks in an orange alien-esque Satyr man with the featherless Tundra vaulted over his shoulder.

 

“You called?...”

 

“I’ve done more than that you inept fool, put her down at once and stop beating on your fellow allies! Why even try to harm them anyway?! What good does it serve you to try and test me??”

 

“They pissed me off.”

 

“Join the entourage...but that’s still no excuse.”

 

“I mean it like this. Being under your wing. It’s nice and all, but there’s little to no sport to partake in! How am I to be crowned the master of song and dance when there’s no one to challenge? People will simply call me a fraud who only got it on account of no one daring to challenge him!”

 

“Get to the point, I have more pressing things to handle.”

 

“I have found one who currently dons a rather multi talented crown. And I was planning on taking a trip to him and his establishment in order to best him and claim the crown for myself! That was until I found out THAT THESE FIVE HAVE COLLAPSED SAID ESTABLISHMENT WITH HIM POTENTIALLY ALONG WITH IT!”

 

Tycoon calms down a tad as he leans forward “That description means that you speak of...Leo Steps yes? Lucky for you, he’s still alive and well.”

 

“The tone of your voice makes it seem like you had plans to recruit him as well. I REFUSE TO ALLOW THAT!”

 

“Bah, I care not for that, as an ally of his stature would benefit me most certainly. And also, he’s alive. Why are you not overjoyed that you can still take him on?”

 

“It is NOT the same! For when I am to beat him, it was to be within his own place! If I bested him there it would’ve been that much more the bigger impact and disgrace as I rip the title and claim it for myself.”

 

“You are a fool...to petty and egotistical.” He rotates his chair “It’s not as if the place he hails from is devoid of dancing festivity stations…”

 

“You mean a club big man.”

 

“Bah, that word is to simple, but yes. There are many of those within Neon Heights, just settle for catching him in one of those. The people always seem to follow whenever he goes to one.”

 

“...Very well…” he tosses Tundra ontop of the four down aquatic men as he turns to leave.

 

“Hold it for one more moment.”

 

“What is it.”

 

“I am not allowing you off of my own generosity. If you plan to go through with this, you are to not return unless you emerge victorious. I will not accept a draw, and should you lose. You will be considered fired...and are to never return here again.”

 

“Is this supposed to be a threat?”

 

“No. It’s just a sign. If you want to go with this. You must be aware of the consequences should you fail. I will not accept failure.” Prince scoffs as he leaves.

 

“I will not fail. You can be assured of THAT.” The door closes behind him as he vanishes.

 

“You sure he can manage boss man?”

 

“Of course not. Judging by the things that boy Leo has done. It’s obvious Prince will lose. I just wanted an excuse to finally kick him away. He’s been of no use whatsoever. The only use he’s ever been was causing the group formerly known as the Royals to meet their demise. After betraying his own mother and father, he’s become nothing more than a mooch. And so it’s time to throw away the trash.”

 

“How can you be certain he’ll be honest.”

 

“YOU’LL be making sure of that Yismun.”

 

“Ah...O-Of course sir.”

 

“Now then. Tundra, get up.”

 

“A real gentleman HELPS a lady up!”

 

“You are no lady. You are a parasitic witch.”

 

“How rude, but you are not wrong.” she gets up and the other four monotonously stand upright “Honestly I would have dealt with the big oaf, but then I’d have to answer to you and my magic doesn’t work on machinery so I’d rather not risk it. Besides, you ARE the source of my inevitable revenge plan.”

 

“Yes yes, whatever. Now. On that subject. Why are you doing absolutely nothing towards my benefits. I ‘pardoned’ Prince because he is an idiot who’s getting evicted anyway, but I expect more from you. Those attuned with magic are supposed to have higher brain power...or is that just a myth?~”

 

“I refuse to work while I’m still growing my feathers! Or when I have large oafs like Prince or Hercules breathing down my neck!”

 

“There is little I can do to benefit your feather growth rate. I would’ve assumed Spectora would’ve helped you on that front.”

 

“She did not...she said she was currently busy…”

 

“I will discuss that with her when it comes to it. As for Hercules, I will handle him like I did Prince. For now, just try to achieve some sort of benefit to me...or else you’ll become as useless as Prince was to me.”

 

“Very well...you better make good on your word…”

 

“You are in position to cast threats. And you know this. Simply carry on your way.”

 

“Hmph!” She walks off with the four possessed men behind her. Bohemian simply laughs as he turns his seat around and checks his monitors.

 

* * *

 

“Ok...I took the long way and- oh not again…” Sweety stops as she sees before her the purple cat dangling over a rather large drop, the only thing keeping her held in place was Katy who was on the edge of the hill peak they’re on, slowly slipping, soon to fall off herself “WAHA! Where the heck even is that?!” She stops panicking “Ok, get a grip. Think really really carefully now!” She rubs the side of her head rather roughly in order to stimulate something “Ok so they’re at a hill cliff combo...but PaRappa Town is still in the visible distance…” She rewinds the vision in her head until something clicks “THE OLD PICNIC AREA!” The time where PJ took her there to reminisce when it was still active, while also providing him an excuse to eat, runs through her head “Man who would’ve thought that PJ’s weird choices of date locations would actually bring benefit to me...Ok so I gotta run...THAT WAY!” She starts running, but stops when she knocks someone over “Oops!...M-My bad! I’m kinda in a hur- hey you’re that flower girl that was with the others…”

 

“Owowow...eep!...I mean uh...hi~...”

 

Sweety helps Sunny up and then dusts her off “You’re...Poppy right?”

 

“Yes indeed!”

 

“Why are you here?...”

 

“I...may or may not have overheard the fact that Leo is currently incapacitated and the only way to fix this is to help out Katy.” _Please buy that, please but that..._

 

 _Oh thank goodness she didn’t hear the stuff prior…_ “Right! Well...since you’re here! You can help! I know where they’re at!...Or rather...going to be at!”

 

“How?...”

 

“I...have no explanation as to how…just know that we gotta get there now!”

 

“O-Ok!” Sweety turns towards the needed direction and runs off with Sunny tagging right behind her. The duo run down the street in an unstoppable dash until- “Wha?...QUICK! WE GOTTA GO TO THIS LEFT PATH!”

 

“H-Huh?...But that’s a long detour why do we-” She is silenced as she sees a car drive haphazardly down in their direction due to having it’s field of view completely blocked off by cement “YIPE!” The two of them take the detour path avoiding pain “How did you know that was coming?!’

 

“Again, don’t ask me. Just know that the purple cat we’re also chasing accidentally caused a butterfly effect that led to that poor driver being unable to see...hope he’ll atleast be alright...ok so now we take this path and- BACK TO THE MAIN ROAD!”

 

“A-Again??...What is it this ti-” An avalanche of dumpsters and trash cans come hurtling towards them “This town seems to be plenty dangerous…” _As usual I see..._

 

“You don't know the half of it Poppy…” they both run off again “Come on before something else happens!”

 

“Atleast you can foresee it somehow!...”

 

“Yeah...guess I can...but I rather not have anything increasing our time it takes to get to them...oh boy…”

 

While the fluttery duo continually avoid danger, the two cats that are a great distance away go with their own chatter as the evening starts to fade away into the glimmering night.

 

“KITTY!”

 

“WHY ARE YOU FOLLOWING ME?! JUST L-LEAVE ME BE YOU DUMB BITCH!”

 

“FRANKLY I’D REALLY MUCH LIKE TO ESPECIALLY AFTER HEARING THAT HURTFUL LINE, BUT I REALLY NEED TO GET YOU TO GO BACK TO THOSE TWO! LOOK CAN’T WE JUST LOOK PAST THIS??”

 

“HELL TO THE FUCKING NO!...NOW LEAVE ME ALONE!...” She tries to pick up the distance, but unfortunately for her, Katy is keeping up exponentially by being exactly right beside her “HOW ARE YOU KEEPING UP WITH ME?!”

 

“YOU SAID IT YOURSELF! YOU SAID WE WERE THE SAME! IT SHOULD APPLY FOR OUR RUNNING SPEED AS WELL!...”

 

“FUCK RIGHT OFF WITH THAT!...” Kitty tries swatting Katy away to no avail.

 

“N-NEVER!” They simply keep on running as they approach the hill in which Kitty, Rammy and Parappa started the day off at, smacking each others hands away from each other. Kitty from her upset state and Katy from her pleading state.

 

* * *

 

Bohemian presses the reappearing button again “Jharold.”

 

_“That name doesn’t even begin with a J!”_

 

“Send in Spectora and Hercules along with whomever they brought with them.”

 

_“The scary big one and the scary magic one? Uh...they won’t harm me will they?”_

 

“You handled Prince calmly did you not?”

 

_“Well yes...but he was busy harming someone else!”_

 

“They will not touch you. Worry not. Now send them in.”

 

_“Alright!”_

 

The door bursts open again as as a weird piranha-esque axolotl woman walks right in. Behind her enter a younger axolotl woman with a green beast man tagging along behind her “You rang my glorious Tycoon?~”

 

“Spectora. Glorious of you to comply. Where’s Herc…”

 

“Currently given the meat head of a dog the handshake of his life.”

 

“Well I was partly correct it would seem. That aside. How come you have ceased in showing results?”

 

“Oh my beloved Tycoon. I must apologize for that. Why it’s even the reason that I’m here!”

 

“Explain.”

 

“You see. I was busy raising up a little bit of...incentive when it comes to recruiting new people to make up for those...who have since been eliminated for their incompetence!”

 

“Incentive such as?”

 

“A monster~ A precious little beast that will make it very hard for anyone to want to say no to~” She zaps one of the monitors behind Tycoon and on it shows a rather enormous aquatic beast “Look at her! Isn’t she a precious beast of mass destruction~”

 

“I must say. She seems like she could capsize anything in one fell swoop.”

 

“Why bother taking the effort to break things? She can and will easily eat anything whole~ Why it just so happens she just did now! A cruiseliner had the misfortune of abrupting her nap and well...the ship is now nothing more but leftover scraps between the teeth~ I wish I could say the same of the inhabitants of the ship, but they got away safely...I’m still teaching her how to make sure that there aren’t any stragglers~ We’re making good progress~”

 

“That is a rather tantalizing benefit to have… however I am in serious need of a better research funnel.”

 

“And you’ll get it! Why I’m having my own breakthroughs even now! Whilst teaching my precious little leviathan, I’ve come to learn things I never knew! And you know i’m not a liar~ So once i’m done with her teachings, you can be well assured that you will have faster progress being made~”

 

“Yes. You have yet to let me down. You three are one of the only ones to come out of Europa’s manslaughter of my forces alive...Spectora, you had your lovely face scarred by the idiots claws. Sirius, you lost your lower jaw, and Aqua you your left arm, requiring you all to replace them with spare parts. And the fool left you all alive with the thought of you all helping him out. What a poor mistake on his part~”

 

“Indeed it was sir.” _How long do I have to keep playing along…it churns my stomach everytime I have to talk sweet to you..._

 

“Agreed. A lost lower jaw is nothing compared to what else could’ve happened to me.” _Atleast for what you know...I’m glad you still aren’t aware that me and Aqua are no longer under your control…_

 

“Oh cut the formalities! And chin up! Why with the more arcane helpers I can acquire, it makes my work so much more easier! So much so that if that damned Europa were to ever show his face, it might be to late for him~ Unfortunately maybe not...as it seems those affiliated with him are making a move again...someone by the name of Leo Steps appears to be an ally.” Both Aqua and Sirius gasp rather loudly, but both immediately panic as they fear they might’ve given themselves away “Oh don’t worry you two. The boy seems to pose no threat to us. Tundra and her pathetic puppet posse managed to break his base AND his arm. So he’s at the very least incapacitated...atleast I would assume...when the conjoined televised union I payed to get started aired its first broadcast...there have been reports that they’ve seen Mr. Steps in perfect health...as to how he made a full recovery I do not know...but it proves bothersome...I have not seen this feed myself and I doubt I will. But I do not care as it doesn’t seem to have any information worth my time.”

 

 _Europa...I have to warn him…_ “I’m sure he’ll still pose no threat sir.”

 

 _Leo...great...this can’t get any worse...at least Soren and Rize managed to fix your arm…where are they though...I haven't been able to contact them..._ “In the meanwhile, is there anything you’ll be expecting from Aqua or myself sir?”

 

“Hm...no. Spectora here has given me more than enough hope that she’s all i’ll be needing from her part. So be glad! You guys are free to do whatever you wish. Spend it wisely, young people always seem to waste their youth…I doubt you two will. After all, the two of you recently married correct?” they both nod “Well then! Might as well make the most of your new life together before I require your assistance again! Unless Miss Spectora here requires your help, then I can’t do much about that! HAHA!” He bellows in a hearty laugh, and it chills both their spines “Very well. That is all. I’m glad that this was just a mix up from your behalf. I should have known better than to doubt you lot~” They all bow and immediately leave the room. After a few moments pass, the door is busted open when a giant bug man forces his way through due to his size. Behind him appear several other large size insectoid people. The hercules beetle stands before the seated man.

 

“Whatcha want now…”

 

“Watch the tone.”

 

“Nah, don’t think I will. I only speak with respect to THOSE I respect. That used to be you, but now it’s not so much.”

 

“And why pray tell is that?...”

 

“It’s all boring! There’s nothing to do because everyone fears your power. Hard to impose anything when there’s nothing to impose, to impede, to ANYTHING… It also really makes it hard to find much of any work seeing as we have your name in the back. That tends to freak some people out.”

 

“You make a fair point. But why be bored with that? If anything, it should allow you to find simple progress to push my research from your portion.”

 

“Hard to make much discovery on anything when the passion of music ain’t really there.” He cracks his eight pairs of knuckles “Me and my brothers and my children are all hard workers. You know this. You’ve been knowing this since the beginning after you fucked up all kinds of shit with that war you started when I was but a younglin.”

 

“That I have. I even chose to not involve myself with your group at the time since it posed a rather risky set of events. So I bided my time as you are well aware, and then earned your trust after passing your three...ludicrous trials.”

 

“You call em ludicrous, but you passed em all flawless and easily in no time flat. Earned my trust real easy like. Make me be like ‘Hey, this guy can actually get shit done. He can actually go for something in life unlike all those mooks that just say it and then cower away for eternity!’ And now i’m here thinking ‘Did I back the wrong horse’?”

 

“I can assure you that you have not. But you’re so willing to give that trust to anyone who passes your three tests...you’ve even given it to that damned Europa...and yet you still work for me at the same time…”

 

“I follow the strongest, and you both were tied. But he went and dropped off the face of the earth. So by default, it’s only just you.”

 

“Your logic is as complex as your muscular frame. But I am thankful that you were smart enough to stick with me. I can’t say the same for your two eldest...what was it...Athena and Spartacus?”

 

“Naw it’s Spinni, he keeps trying to push that name, but he ain’t earn it yet. And as for them. I can’t stop it. They follow their own ways of givin someone trust. Guess that Euro boy sparing them was enough for em. That’s abit to gushy for my liking, but I’m just a generation to old. Then again, one of my brothers showed to have that strange autonomy as well and it still disappoints me to this day.”

 

“Ahhhh. I’m certain that you’re speaking of dear old MC King Kong Mushi right?~”

 

“I refuse to call him by that name, his name was Maximos and it will always be Maximos.”

 

“My my~ And I thought Prince Pop was the only one to have family issues~ But no, you do as well~ Why not talk to him and try and settle things?~”

 

“I ain’t givin him the time of day. For what it’s worth, he’s dead to me.”

 

“Hot Blooded! Very well. So then I really can’t blame you for your children's...turncoat nature.”

 

“It’s not like they ain’t still helping me.” He cracks his neck in a single twist “We may have our own people we follow, but we’re still a relatively decent family type deal ya know. What with knowing what we gotta do in the end. Ain’t that right boys?” The muscular men behind him all shout.

 

“ **SIR!** ”

 

“THAT’S RIGHT!” He clears his throat “That aside. You want me to work, you gotta give the reason to keep on working. This here chief? This ain’t it...this ain’t strength. It’s just plain cowardice that scares bigger cowardice. The people in the area near this cloak and dagger tower just want to move away.”

 

“Then why not assist them?”

 

“Eh?”

 

“Assist all the people in the nearby area by making them take a hike elsewhere. You say that my position in power alone will frighten any to want to properly oppose me. So why not move them away? It makes my work progress much more smoothly. That fear will turn to resent and then people will try to stand up, either to see things my way...or to try and contest me. By then that should prove enough meatheaded tomfoolery to satisfy you and your brothers...lust for strength is that not so?”

 

“...You ain’t wrong...and yet...I dunno man. Anyone can just say things, but to see em do things is another thang. I know you’ll get to working on your own agenda...that much is certain. But are you sure them people will wanna do something about it?”

 

“You know me Hercules! You should know that despite my position...my…’power’ as you call it...and my ties. Despite my general facade to the public that get them to love me...there are still countless people that hold grudges against me. And they will try to get stronger in an attempt to try and take me down. To that, you cannot call me a liar.”

 

The bug man heaves a big sigh, the second after, all the bug men behind him heave a conjoined sigh “The sad part is...I know you’re playing me. And the sadder part is. I’m totally going along with it.” He clangs all his fists together “Very well. We’ll see if it starts up something for us. Here’s hopin it does, so you can get your ‘research’ or whatever.” They all nod and walk away.

 

“He’s gotten rather rude...you’re just gonna let him boss man?”

 

“I do not mind. It’s the way of handling his stupid kind...and it works out in the end. Regardless of whether or not I like his personality, his assistance is one I can’t afford to lose…”

 

“Fair enough...well. That’s everyone that was here.”

 

“Very well. I have a call to make…” He turns his chair around and immediately activates a video call on the biggest monitor. After a good while, the recipient picks up.

 

“Ooooooh. Why are YOU contacting me!” through the video feed was a condor like person.

 

“Whirlen my old compatriot! Is it wrong to contact a good friend?~”

 

“We are NOT friends! I don’t want you or your ‘dreeeeeam’ coming in contact with this place as i’ve said the millions of times before!”

 

“Ahhh. Stubborn as always. You know, before Rize and Soren became turncoats, they complied so easily.”

 

“WE DID NOT! WE WERE POSSESSED BY YOUR DAMN BOW TIE!”

 

“Eh? Are they there right now? What the bloody devil are they doing?”

 

“If you must know. They are currently the residents of my own personal cell!” The video feed glosses over to two avian people trapped in a jail cell “You see. I despise both you and that Europa fellow that locked horns with you. You both are PSYCHOPATHS! And I will not have you maniacs tarnish our sacred land!”

 

“Oh cut the crap Whirlen, everyone knows you’re just using this as a guise so that the people keep you as our tribe leader...all so you can build your own personal ‘living it easy’ estate away from all the insanity like the coward you are... “ the male avian trapped in the cell says as he crosses his feathered arms.

 

“‘YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH!” He turns to Tycoon “Ignore him.”

 

“I wish I could ignore you as well. Look Whirlen, if they’re such a pest, why not terminate them?”

 

“Because if I kill them, word will spread out and the people will don me undignified to keep my position!”

 

“Ah, so your reasons are selfish then as to why you won’t tag along with me. You realize I can make it easier for you. Or better yet, give you more and then some.”

 

“I REFUSE! I despise you and Europa! Men always trying to change their fate! Fate goes as it should! That’s why it’s FATE! To go against it asinine!”

 

“HE’S JUST SAYING THAT CUZ OF A MIXUP FATE HE GOT THAT SAID HE’D BE LIVING THE EASY LIFE! BUT MANY YEARS LATER HE’S STILL NOT MUCH DIFFERENT FROM A BUM SO HE’S USING HIS STANCE HERE TO CHANGE THAT WITHOUT MIXING HIS OWN HANDS. LIKE A HYPOCRITE!” Soren says from off camera.

 

“I WILL SEW YOUR MOUTH SHUT!” He growls before turning back to Tycoon again “So unfortunately, I deny your words. AGAIN!” The video feed ends. Whirlen reclines in his chair before immediately sitting back upright after hearing a call “Speak...for what purpose to wish to contact the maximum security facility, the place where most people are jailed when others are simply to packed, or don’t want their own convicts…”

 

“Whirlen sir!”

 

“Oh...it’s just you lot. Well out with it!”

 

“We were contacted as reinforcement for the apprehension of criminals on the run!”

 

“Yes...and?”

 

“It’s our duty to bring them in to custody sir!”

 

“...fine...give me a description on the convicts…”

 

“Right away sir! Well for starters...there are a load of running strange colored people...made of stone?...”

 

“Eh?...I thought those disappeared years ago…” Whirlen speaks up, now much more interested “Who else?”

 

“Well...in front of them is a running duo. Both of them purple. One a fat cat and one a thin rabbit. They seem to be the leaders of these rock people? The purple rabbit keeps shouting at the rock people while also shouting what we presume to be his name?” Just as he finishes that sentence, there is a shout.

 

_“GAAAAAAAAAAAAASTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”_

 

“What in the blazes...that’s...rather peculiar...they don’t seem like much...why are you in need of chasing after them?”

 

“Well in the rabbit’s hand lies what he stole from a well known higher up. It’s a rather strange brownish, orange stone. Looks sunshaped...or maybe it’s based off a flower?...”

 

“Hm...don’t know much about the shape of it’s design...but the color?...” He pulls out a book and flicks through it. He then screams in glee “CAPTURE THAT CONVICT IMMEDIATELY!~”

 

“That’s the plan sir!” he hangs up.

 

“The hell was with that girly shriek?”

 

“If you must know. That rock that the stupid runner has is something that is of no use to me...but Tycoon on the other hand. It’ll benefit whatever his stupid research is...I’ll bribe him with it in order to get him to finally leave us alone! He gets closer to his plan and I get peace! It’s perfect!”

 

The two jailed avians simply swallow roughly. _Euro man...I hope you catch wind of this soon...otherwise we’re in deep shit…_

 

As the condor dances about, Bohemian simply presses the button that cuts the voice part of the feed.

 

“What an utter idiot...technology really isn’t his forte~ Well bribery is it? I’m guessing he found one of many things needed to create an object that allows things to be controlled by music...hehe…” He pushes the vanishing button again “Joe. Do me a favor and come over here at once.”

 

 _“THAT-...wow you actually got it right this time...uh… coming sir!”_ Joe eventually walks through the gaping hole in the wall where the door used to be “Yes sir?”

 

“I just got off of a call with someone who I really want to reconsider joining me, but he’s a lost cause.”

 

“So why not go to him?”

 

“That’s the problem, I do not know where that location is as they’ve migrated to avoid seeing me again. That’s where you come in. They don’t know you or that you work for me, I need you to find that location and report it to me. I’m going to have to make my point clear while also taking something they’ll be getting by force~”

 

“Sounds uh...messy. How are you certain I’ll even FIND the place?”

 

“I require you to go to Neon Heights. He hates Europa, Leo Steps is an ally of Europa, Soren and Rize are allies of Europa. That means that Leo and those two are also allies. Meaning they’ll want to rescue them once they get the word.”

 

“Gotcha! Well I better get on my way!” The big dog runs off but quickly runs back “Where is Neon Heights?...”

 

“You say you come from PaRappa Town right?”

 

“Yesssss?”

 

“It’s a town over.”

 

“Oh...but in what di-”

 

“Go”

 

“Ok…” He bolts it out of there as Yismun laughs at his escape.

 

* * *

 

The crisp serene moonlight beacons over the area the rushing flower and bear head off to as they speak to one another.

 

“Come on Poppy!”

 

“I’m trying!”

 

“I’m bigger than you and i’m making better time!”

 

“Size doesn’t matter! You’re actually quite well kept and very athletic.”

 

“Oh why thank- NOW'S NOT THE TIME FOR COMPLIMENTS!”

 

“Sorry!...look! There they are!”

 

“Oh good...we made it before they fall…”

 

“They’re gonna fall?!”

 

“Not if we can help it!” Sweety reaches out and grabs the daisy girl and holds her under her arm as her legs rev up like a motor and she bursts right off.

 

 _Never contest the strength of a bear...boy i’m glad she doesn’t hate me...then again...she doesn’t know it’s me...would she still like me if she did?..._ “I wonder what they’re talking about…”

 

“I can only worry it’s not good...I can’t see their faces...but their body motions show that they’re not having a very friendly chat…”

 

Towards the top of the hill, the two cats are having their own struggle.

 

“WHY ARE YOU SO FUCKING STUBBORN?!”

 

“I dunno! How about YOU tell ME! We're clearly the same so you should know since uh...SO ARE YOU!”

 

“OH SHUT UP!”

 

“MAKE ME THEN!...”

 

“I'M NOT AN IDIOT! THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT!” she pulls on her own hair “WHY ARE YOU AS EQUALLY INTERESTED IN MY FUCKING LIFE LIKE HE WAS!?”

 

“CUZ HIS NEED TO GIVE PEOPLE A CHANCE RUBBED OFF ON ME SINCE AS FAR BACK AS I CAN REMEMBER! It's super apparent that you'll never like me, and that's fine! Hate me for all I care! But not those two. This wasn't a joke, or an attempt to take a shot at your life...they genuinely wanted to help you out! Parappa had no clue. Neither did I! I didn't know you'd be at that exact spot, but I should've figured since you-... _I_ am YOUR doppelganger. And it should've been apparent to me that we wouldn't see eye to eye. Lammy and Rammy didn't when they first met and so forth. Can you just...give THEM another chance?”

 

“Why should I listen to anything you say to me…”

 

“Fair point. To you, I might be lying twenty-four seven when it comes to chatting with you, but I'm speaking sincerely here! As were they! I would know because I know them, but even if I didn't know them, I could sense and feel the honesty...and I know you can to. So I know you can atleast believe me here...just for this anyway…”

 

“..........Why…”

 

“Why? Because Rammy clearly wanted to stick her neck out for yo-”

 

“I mean...why...why do you care...why are you just trying to be the bigger person again…”

 

“I'm not trying to do that to you...I just...want what's best for Parappa...he always wants to help...Rammy wanted help in helping you and so...he took the mission...and I...like an idiot...fucked it up unknowingly...Frankly I wouldn't mind it if you kept your distance away from me or never got to be accustomed to me in general...as long as you just hear _them_ out…”

 

“Why should that matter to you?...”

 

“I'm a friend of theirs...I would want the best for a friend. Be it whatever. Even if I would agree with it or it wouldn't agree with me. And well. Judging from what I saw...you seem like a friend of theirs as well…soooooooo…”

 

“...”

 

“What?...”

 

“its not fair...I can't even say anything in response to this…”

 

“How about...that you'll go back to them peacefully and try again before I popped in?...”

 

“N-NO WAY!...tch...I know you're speaking from the bottom of your heart, as much as it pains me to admit that, but I can't do that...not now...I can give you that joy of coming out on top in the end…”

 

“Oh you-...yeah...guess it would turn out that way now that I think about it…” she sighs as she taps her foot while thinking of something else “How about...you do something that makes you feel as if you succeeded in the end. That this was just a thing you decided to do and resolve.”

 

“Doesn't seem like it can be an easy thing to do for me...not at this point in time at least…”

 

“Why not...hit me?...”

 

“Then you'd end up the martyr! The big girl who took on the child's temper tantrum…”

 

“Yeesh you have an out to everything...just how badly did they hurt you down there?..”

 

“To a point that I know it'll be impossible to heal at this point in my life…I'm never gonna get over this…”

 

“Never say never! Ok...how about I hit you back? Or fight with you?...would you be happy then?...”

 

“A fight wouldn't really work...we're the same...we'd end in a draw every single time...if we didn't...I'd clearly know you were holding back to let me win…”

 

“Hahaha...yeah that'd be a dead giveaway wouldn't it…” _DAMN IT…_

 

“I guess we could try trading a hit…” she grinds her teeth “This really won't do much...but hey...I'm just...to fucked over in the head to care otherwise about anything else.”

 

“GOOD! FINALLY! Then I'm ready wh-” Katy is silenced by a heavily painful backhand across the face sending her off her feet and onto the ground. She gets up, slightly wobbly “Enever…” she rubs her face that now has a red mark in the shape of the hand that slapped her “Ow…” _man... I can_ **_feel_ ** _the years of pain and resentment stinging every nerve in my face...I...I can't hit her back!...she doesn't deserve another blow to her frail life…_

 

“Well...I'm waiting…”

 

“Right! Just...let me catch my bearings! You nearly slapped the blue right off of me!...”

 

“Feh...whatever...just...hurry it up so we can end this day…”

 

“Yes yes!...” _What the_ **_hell_ ** _am I supposed to do?! If I hit her at my fullest like she did, I'll hate myself forever! And I also feel as if I did go through with hitting her...she's gonna…’go missing’...but if I don't hit her...she'll hate me_ **_and_ ** _herself even more and she'll never give Parappa and Rammy another chance...and she STILL might ‘go missing’!...I can't find a positive outcome here!..._

 

“Well?...”

 

“H-Here I g-go…” _I don’t have a choice!...I-I have t-to…_ Katy steels herself as she whips her own backhand across her mirrored imaged self’s face. Unfortunately…

 

“...Of fucking course…”

 

“...”   _I...held back…_

 

“I am just a joke to you…”

 

“N-No!...I just...couldn't bring myself to hit you…”

 

“Don't give me that bullshit!...that's just a load of demeaning pity…you're just looking down at me...like everyone else…”

 

“I-I AM NOT!...”

 

“THEN HIT ME LIKE YOU MEAN IT!...”

 

“I **_CAN'T_ ** …I PHYSICALLY...MENTALLY ..EMOTIONALLY CANNOT BRING MYSELF TO HIT YOU FULLY!...”

 

“WHY?!” Kitty aggressively begins stomping the ground as she causes the massive hill to tremble wildly as she screams and stomps “WHY WHY _WHY WHY_ **_WHY WH_ ** -” with the sixth stomp, the entire hill breaks apart, the edge they stand on becomes a cliff's edge as it breaks beneath Kitty's feet. She falls backwards due to having no firm footing anymore. The newly formed cliff side is jagged and far away from the ground, meaning that the tumble would not leave her unscathed, and even if she somehow avoided being impaled, she’d still not have a safe landing. This was it. It was the end for her, and she felt everything around her slow down as she fell to what would be her final moments. Atleast it would be, were it not for the fact that before she falls to far off, Katy grabs her by the hand. She now dangles over the massive drop as she stares at her helper in disbelief “W-WHY?!”

 

“D-DON’T BE AN IDIOT! I’M NOT JUST GONNA LET YOU FALL AND DIE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!...I DON’T CARE IF THAT MAKES ME THE BIGGER PERSON, AND I DON’T CARE IF IT JUST INCREASES YOUR HATE FOR ME! I SURE AS HELL AIN’T LETTING YOU BECOME A BLOOD STAIN ON THE GROUND!”

 

“YOU’D BE BETTER OFF WITH ME DEAD!”

 

“While I will admit that being nice is certainly a thing you are currently incapable of. I must repeat. NO! REGARDLESS OF THE REASON. I AIN’T...LETTING...GO!...”

 

“YOU IDIOT, YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO PULL ME UP!...LOOK, JUST LET GO AND RUN! WHAT YOU’RE CURRENTLY KNEELIN ON WILL CRUMBLE JUST LIKE WHAT USED TO BE THE GROUND BENEATH MY FEET!”

 

“AGAIN, I DON’T CARE.”

 

“BU-”

 

“JUST. SHUT. **UP!** ” Katy’s claws poke out from her fingers from her anger, as they jab into Kitty’s hand. While this did hurt the purple cat, it did nothing more than keep their hands locked tightly “YOU KNOW WHAT SUCKS ABOUT MEETING YOU AND THE FACT THAT WE’RE THE SAME?! THE FACT THAT I’M FORCED TO LOOK AT ME JUST BEING A WHINY BRAT THAT CAN’T HANDLE ANY SEMBLANCE OF DANGER WHATSOEVER!... IF I WAS IN YOUR POSITION I’D BE DOING THE SAME! CAN’T SAY IF YOU’D BE HELPING ME THOUGH, BUT MAYBE YOU WILL! I DON’T FUCKING KNOW! I’M FORCED TO LOOK AT THIS AND ACCEPT THAT THIS IS A PART OF MYSELF. I CAN’T PROPERLY HELP, AND I CAN’T PROPERLY BE HELPED!...I’M JUST-”

 

“A mess?...”

 

“...I never like telling myself that...you think you had it rough right?...Well catch up...cuz so have I…it wasn’t just easy street for me...I had to work hard to make it that way...and even then it was still a slog of trials and tribulations...I had to live with parents who almost ruined my life had it not been for meeting Parappa myself. I have to constantly worry over the SAFETY of Parappa and his Murphy’s Law syndrome that infected all of us! I GOT HIS MOTHER KILLED! I NEARLY GOT **_HIM_ ** KILLED! AND THAT AIN'T EVEN SCRATCHING THE SURFACE! I ALSO MADE A MIX UP THAT NEARLY DESTROYED OUR FRIEND DYNAMIC ALL BECAUSE I REFUSED TO GIVE RAMMY A CHANCE...And I don’t want to repeat that with you…”

 

“Huh...guess I never anticipated that pain would also be a thing we shared...dammit...I don't know how to feel about this…”

 

“How about you just...stop all the fighting with how reality chooses to be like and just...let me help you up you dumb bitch…”

 

“...I suppose I can submit to that…” While Katy struggles in pulling her doppelganger up, Sweety and Sunny near them enough to help, but Sunny spots two more people from the corner of her eye. She quickly scurries behind the ageless tree. Just as Katy was about to make progress in pulling her up, the ground beneath her gives way. She falls in a way that gets the two to fall separately from each other. They are each caught individually, Katy by Sweety and Kitty by Rammy.

 

“Oh thank the rock n roll stars that you’re here Sweety!...wait...HOW ARE YOU HERE?!”

 

“On that subject, Rammy how’d you get by Raparra’s field of vision?!”

 

“Uh...I just had a hunch you’d be here…”

 

“Remember Paul Chuck? Yeah he kinda dove on stage. Thanks to that hopeless romantic stunt, it ended the show a little early. Allowing me and Paraps to book it on my bike. I’m just glad my gut led me here again…”

 

“This is great, like really lovely and all, but can you two pull us up before-” The ground breaks again as it starts pulling Sweety and Rammy into the drop “It...does that...again…” Katy sighs as she assumes they’ll fall, but they don’t. When she looks up, she sees Parappa holding Sweety and Rammy in place.

 

“HAHA!...Oh man this is...rough on the arms!...Man i’ve been slacking...gonna need to be trained by Tamanegi sensei some more again…”

 

“PARAPPA!...”

 

“That’s my name!...Don’t worry about saying it to much, it never gets worn out!...” Parappa tries to pull them all up, but the second he tries taking a step, the ground beneath tries to give way “Gah...guess i’m not allowed to move...what to do…”

 

“Hey...since you’re here and all...and we’re kinda stuck in this predicament...I’m-”

 

“I’M SORRY!” Katy turns her head to Kitty who had beaten her to the punch “Sorry towards all of you!...we’re all in this predicament because i’m just a dumb brat who just...couldn’t take the fact that she’d have to come face to face with her own flaws firsthand…”

 

“And i’m sorry that I kinda CAUSED that whole breakdown to begin with...I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t have a little foresight…”

 

“Foresight?...How, I never told you about Kitty...Rammy told me not to.”

 

“Uhh…” _I don’t think any of em will be happy to figure out the real reason I know…_ “Lammy and Paula told me!”

 

“Oh those two…”

 

“Point is...once I saw you three in the distance, I should’ve kept my distance. I’m sorry for everything…”

 

“I should be the one sorry...I mean. I snapped at you when I really shouldn’t have...I mean all you did was just show up trying to have a good time!... Yeah things fell apart in the instant, and I got a little hotblooded over it...but I regret doing it almost immediately...gave me a terrible chest pain almost instantly...I just had to apologize…”

 

“S-Same here…! But I couldn’t apologize and I wouldn’t accept an apology...not until I fixed the mess I made...in the end I guess I almost made a bigger mess...in the figurative sense and almost in the morbid literal sense…”

 

“Glad I could stop that!...Er...prolong it at the very least…” Parappa simply increases his grip on the waists of both the pink bear and black sheep “I’d say...I’m doing decent enough at prolonging!...point is. I’m just sorry for being the bad man behind angry eyes! I’d never truly blame you for anything!”

 

“I forgive you!...I just hope you forgive me!...”

 

“You know I already did!...” the pain within both their chests subsided. They both felt at ease despite what was currently going on, and they also felt relief. Or rather, they felt that someone else was relieved for them.

 

* * *

 

Leo jolts back to his feet, gasping for air as if he had been submerged underwater “W-WHERE AM I?! W-WHAT HAPPENED?!...”

 

“HE’S AWAKE!”

 

“Oh thank the stars...the fixed whatever funk they got into…”

 

“Mushi? G-Gloria?!...W-What happened to me?!...” He begins patting his head “I don’t remember anything again!...”

 

“AGAIN?!...” both Mushi and Gloria huddle by the guy

 

“Ugh...I wonder who took my memories this time…”

 

“Don’t look at us, we arrived when you were already conked out!”

 

“Who was I talking to...AUNTIE SWEETY!...how was I when I passed out around her?!”

 

“You were on the ground when she was trying to see what was wrong with you.”

 

“Oh great...so SHE has my memories now...just like Harper and Amby before her...and if the past two times are any indication...she might have the ability to see the near future…”

 

“Well it helped the two girls prior in surviving, aside from havin your memories stripped from your noggin. I don’t see on how having someone of the group have a slight future sight be a bad thing?...” Gloria pokes her wrench head.

 

“The future sight isn’t perfect! She’ll see flawed, out of context things! In trying to fix them, she may handle them incorrectly because she didn’t know HOW it happened!”

 

“Ah...that does explain a few certain blunders with the two long gone girls…” Gloria scratches her neck.

 

“Look. It’s too late to be pre cautioning NOW! Just...gotta find her…”

 

“She went to help patch up the blunder that your mom and pop got into that nearly killed you again my man.” Mushi snaps all four of his hands.

 

“Great...ok...so where is thaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” He clutches his chest. It beats heavily as he’s given the sight of all of them dangling on a cliff. He jumps and triggers his jetpack as he bursts away.

 

“That...did not sound good.”

 

“Not one bit. We should probably inform the others that he up and went to have a good time again...but he took a little detour and hopes to meet them there.”

 

“I'll uh...handle that. Ho man this is a lovely little thing ain't it…” Mushi shakes his head with a dejected laugh.

 

* * *

 

“You know, I'm not saying that this is bad or anything. Apologizing and clearing the tension is always good! Just right now...we maaaay wanna try getting to safety first…” Sweety says as they start slipping off.

 

“I could swing you guys onto safety!”

 

“But then YOU’D fall.”

 

“Yeah? An-”

 

“ **NO**!” All the females shout before he can finish speaking.

 

“ALRIGHT!..Geez didn't have to blow my eardrums off...a simple, ‘that's a dumb thing, don't do it’ would have sufficed…” he strains himself as he tries to keep everything steady.

 

Sunny pokes her head from behind the tree to see the mess they're all in. They have no way out.

 

“If anyone has any suggestions, feel free to speak cuz I'd say we only got about a minute left…”

 

No one left to help.

 

“You could just drop me, that'd lessen the load needed to lif-”

 

“ **NOOOO**!” now Kitty is the one yelled at by all of them.

 

“Aight! Sheesh, save that energy for thinkin…”

 

No ideas to come.

 

“Gotta say. Despite the fact that we're all gonna go splat. The evening to night view of the town is really nice…” Rammy brings up, clearly giving up.

 

Only her, but she was to afraid.

 

“Yeah…” the two cats say I'm unison as they give up.

 

“You never really see PaRappa Town at night from a distance…It's such an overlooked joy...” Sweety adds on, also giving up.

 

Afraid to be found out. She just needed one big push to get her legs to move.

 

“Heh...what a pretty sight to say goodbye to…” Parappa finishes off.

 

And with that, the fear was gone. She didn't care if they found her out. If they hated her. She just wanted them alright. She runs towards Parappa, and tries to grab him and yank him and all the others back up. And yet, she was to late. The ground crumbles as Parappa's footing is destroyed. They all fall out of her reach as they drop towards the end. “ **_N-NOOO!..._ ** ” she falls onto all fours. Her hands roughly hit the ground as a green jolt of light goes from them into the ground. On the cliffside sprout multiple enormous branches that weave themselves into a basket. Within the basket sprouts an even bigger flower from the center. It was a big yellow flower with pink and red petals matching Sunny’s real face. The five that are falling land safely atop the flower with a large ‘pomf’

 

They all peel themselves off the flower to see that they've all been saved.

 

“WE'RE ALIVE!” Sweety and Katy proclaim as they hug each other.

 

“Aw YEAH baby! This hard headed gal lives to rock another day!” Rammy consecutively fist bumps the air before fainting atop the flower.

 

“I'll never understand this town…” Kitty falls face first into the flower again “But frankly I'm just glad to not be dead…” she yells loudly into the flower as to vent out her clogged emotions.

 

“Oh man...lady luck please never leave my side...hey...this...smells familiar...looks familiar to…” he looks up towards the cliff peak only to see someone scurry away “Huh…”

 

Sunny sits upright as she looks at her hands “D-...Did _I_ do that??...” she rests her hands on the ground as she sighs in disbelief “If I did, I wish I could help them back up here…” another jolt of green light leaves her hands.  By the big flower, out sprout more flowers. These weren't as big as the one in the basket, but they were big enough to still get onto as they seemed to create a sort of stairway back up.

 

“Hey guys look! A way back up!” Parappa points out as he tries to wake Rammy back up.

 

They all waste no time climbing back up to proper safety as Rammy finally wakes up to do the same. Once they're all back up, Sunny realizes that they got out, and tries to hide away again. However Katy calls out to her.

 

“POPPY!” she tackles the flower girl roughly into ground due to her massive hug “YOU’RE THE **BEST**!~”

 

“I am n-not…”

 

“You so are! When Leo said how much of a help you were, I anticipated like the usual helping hand, but NOPE! You're like some sort of super hero!”

 

“H-How can you be certain it was me!...”

 

“We were saved by plants. YOU'RE a plant person! I think the connection is rather obvious~”

 

“Katy makes a rather hard to argue with point!” Sweety scoops up the two as she squishes Sunny further in her own inclusion of a hug “Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!”

 

“A-Again...maybe it was just a coinciden-” she is silenced by the sound of sniffing ”Eh?...”

 

Parappa stops sniffing the flower as he speaks up “You smell like the flower we landed on! Just accept it Miss Poppy, you saved us!” He bows after beaming a cute smile.

 

“Eheh...ok…”

 

“Poppy How'd you even DO that?...”

 

“I don't know! I just was super upset that I was too late to catch you all...I wanted to scream and cry, but before I knew it...poof…a big flower catches you all…”

 

“Ooooh! Even better, a just turned superhero!”

 

“I'm not a hero!...” she covers her mouth “I just uh...wanted to help...is all. I'm nothing special...eheh…” _Guess I feel guiltier the I'd like to admit…_

 

“Well to us you are at the very least! So I ain't gonna stop calling you that!” the four people behind her all nod. Before Sunny can reply, someone else speaks up.

 

“THERE you guys are!” Leo says while floating above them. He avoids landing on the ground due to its unstable state.

 

“Who the fuck is this flying guy?!” Kitty adds on as she stares at the boy who tries to cover his face once he notices her back “And uh…” she elbows Katy “Why does he look like you...er...us?”

 

“Ooooh...this is gonna be a hassle…”

 

* * *

 

“I'm convinced that the topside is meant for crazy people. Like seriously! We got crazy romantics and hairdressers! People with extraordinary abilities and people popping in from the future even! This is not an everyday thing…” Kitty squishes her face together from the mental collapse she's currently experiencing.

 

“Extraordinary abilities?” Leo asks as he looks to the others.

 

“Oh! She was referring to Poppy! We all nearly fell to our own untimely demise. But she managed to save us all by creating that big flower over there!”

 

“Whoa...man you are beyond a saint Poppy!”

 

“Ahahaha...T-Thank you…” _Please don't praise me...it just makes me feel more and more baaaaaaaaaad…_

 

“Now with that figured out, I suggest you all get down from this place. The rest of this place can fall at any minute!” they all heed the future boys words and head right down to proper solid ground. Katy, Rammy, Kitty, Parappa and Sunny all engage in their own chat while Leo pulls Sweety away to speak to her privately.

 

“What's up, and why do you not seem happy...also hey! You're awake again!”

 

“Yeah...I'm awake…when I blacked out...did I become...ghostlike or something along those lines?”

 

“Yeah! It was shocking…”

 

“Did I...happen to fall through you?...”

 

“Also yes...whyyyy?”

 

He places his hands together and rests them at his chin “Did you get a slight headache as it felt like you were seeing things you never saw before…”

 

“The second you faded through me…”

 

“Great…”

 

“It's...not something bad is it?...”

 

“No...look...you kinda...took my memories...this has happened twice before and I lost my memories then as well…”

 

“That kinda explains how you're unable to remember alot of your past...but how do you expect me to believe that! It's probably just the shock of seeing you nearly get erased!”

 

“You want proof? Fine…” he clears his throat as his cheeks turn red “D-Don’t judge me for what I'm about to do! It's to prove a point!...Now then…” he swallows melodramatically as he resumes “A-Aunni Sweedy...i-is it twue dat i’m ur f-favoit?~....”

 

Sweety’s eye twitches as she breaks down into a giggle fest “W-What was THAT!” She laughs before she freezes up. The world around her changes before her very eyes as everything is now enveloped in as blue hue. Before her stands a tiny little cat boy who speaks up to her.

 

_“Aunni Sweedy, is it twue dat I'm ur favoit?~”_

 

 _“Ohhhh of course you are you precious little gumdrop!”_ a version of her walks through her to pick up the small baby boy. She was older than how she currently was now _“You are such a sweetheart that I could just EAT you up!”_

 

_“D-Don eat meeee!...”_

 

 _“Oh it's a metaphor you cute little goober!”_ the future Sweety nuzzles the small boy _“Europa, you're just as bright a beacon as your dad! Honestly it annoys me so much that PJ will never see that...but baby steps! I'm sure you'll win him over eventually! Your cuteness alone should shoot him in the heart with cupids arrow!”_

 

_“I don wanna huwt Unca Beeway!…”_

 

 _“Again cutie, metaphor!”_ she kisses the boy on the forehead as the vision ends. She's left there staring in disbelief. As everything clears up, she's left look at an older Europa who simply has his arms crossed.

 

“Judging by your expression. I take it you remembered the thing I was hopefully wanting you to see. Unless it triggered a different memory in which case my bad...I don't have the memories anymore so I dunno if I sent you the right one…”

 

“...You did…~” she pecks the boy on the forhead.

 

“Hey!... a simple yes or no would have worked!...Geez I probably triggered a sappy memory…”

 

She chuckles before calming down into a serious tone “Ok, so aside from me taking your memories, sorry about that…, what's the thing that got you so upset?...”

 

“Well you see...gaining a crud ton of new mental data, especially from the future where there are things that won't make sense or are spoiler-y and just overloading in general...it supercharged your brain.”

 

“....What?...”

 

“It forced your brain to work into overdrive meaning that it might have caused an enhanced sense of perception.”

 

“English would be nice.”

 

“You can probably see the near future now.”

 

“Ah!...AH!...THAT EXPLAINS HOW I KNEW EVERYTHING THAT'D GO DOWN!...well...almost...just bits and pieces...like the end result but not the full cause or context…”

 

“THAT'S the problem...See, that enhanced perception only works when someone in your friend group or whoever you yourself consider a friend or you yourself in general are about to experience danger. You can foresee it. Just the end result though most of the time...so it's more of a ‘get out of the way’ or ‘don't do that’ type deal...so sometimes you'll end up seeing things you can't properly help with cuz you didn't see WHAT happened that led to it.”

 

“Ah...I see...yeah that would be bad...well. Thanks for the heads up!”

 

“That's it?!”

 

“Well...yeah! I can see the future! This is GREAT! You realize how much I can help these guys now?”

 

“AUNTIE THIS IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO WARN YOU ABOUT!...”

 

“You have to relax Euro. I'm not one to go haphazardly into something to try and help!” _I mean...not counting what I did to try and wake you up obviously! But you don't know that~_ “I'll get the proper heads up from the others. That'll give me all the insight I need to give the proper help necessary!”

 

“I mean...I guess...promise you'll handle it responsibly?”

 

“I will! I can also use it to make sure you know who stays your mom!”

 

“That does sound nice…”

 

“And I can help you to!”

 

“That's a nice sentiment, but unfortunately you won't be able to use the perception on me…”

 

“Wh- why?!”

 

“Doesn't work. It didn't work when I passed it to Harper or Amby. So I can assume the same will happen here as well.”

 

“Aw well that sucks...you're someone who could use the forewarning the most!”

 

“Ok true, but rude! Look Auntie, I'll be fineeeee. Just worry more for these guys! They desperately need it…”

 

“Yeah...ok.” she places her hands on her hips “So does it stay just the near future...or will it eventually grow into...like farther and farther visions?”

 

“You're asking the wrong person. The two other people who also had the ability are six feet under right now. So not like I could've tested that theory.”

 

“Right...drat…hey...are you sure the future sightseeing thing will work as you say it will?”

 

“Only one way to test that out!” He picks up a giant rock from the ground and hurls it into the sky.

 

“Why the heck did you do that! Now no one’s gonna know where or when it’ll land and someone could get seriously hu-...PARAPPA!”

 

“Huh?...What is it Sweety?”

 

“MOVE A FEW STEPS TO YOUR RIGHT!”

 

“Uh…ok?...” He does as instructed. Not a moment later does a large rock slam into the ground where he used to be “AAAH!...” He looks to the rock instilled with fear as his head slowly turns to Sweety, who only gives a coy shrug as a response.

 

She turns back to Leo once Parappa manages to settle his nerves and resume what he was doing “Alright. Next time, don’t make your examples so dangerous…”

 

“Got it.”

 

“Man I don’t know what to think of this…”

 

“The future. My memories. You can see them. Get used to that. Cuz it ain’t ever goin away!”

 

“Right...let’s just regroup with the rest of them.”

 

“Let’s!...oh boy…”

 

As the duo rejoin the others, they see Parappa and Katy speaking to Sunny and Kitty to Rammy.

 

“Well i’m glad you’ve been a real big help to my future kid Poppy! And with us even! I’d be honored if a great person like you would consider me a friend!”

 

“H-He-Hehehe...o-oh please you put me on to high a pedestal… I’m just your average city girl wanting a much more intuitive life in a town...but I guess I couldn’t keep myself out and picked a town city hybrid in Neon Heights! Things just happened one after the other. To think it all happened from needing to be in sunlight...”

 

“Well whatever the reason for being there and the reason for meeting him. I’m glad it happened. Who knows what would’ve happened to us!” Katy adds on.

 

“Okok!...I guess i’ll admit to that…” She smiles “I’d be happy to have you as a friend!”

 

“Parappa Rappa’s the name!”

 

“Oh I kno-...I mean...I saw you on the news after all!”

 

“Oh right, the cross connect report thing. Well guess i’m an open book to you then! What’s your full name?”

 

“Poppy Fleur!”

 

“Oooh! Sounds classy~”

 

“I can assure it’s not. If anything it’s more of a haphazardly simple name, but thank you nonetheless!”

 

“Well I’m glad you guys got along!” Leo pats the both of them on the shoulder “You know it’s funny...you guys are arguably the same height!”

 

“We are? Oh hey we are! Only one person I used to know always matched me in height, but hey guess there are others! And the funny thing is you’re a flower girl to!”

 

“O-Oh what funny odds...h-hehe…” as she nervously shuffles her feet in place, Sweety has another vision. She sees Poppy in a tropical floral outfit. She seems rather pretty. Beautiful even! And yet...why was she seeing this? Nothing bad could come from that! So she shrugged it off.

 

“Funny how the world works isn’t it?” Leo chuckles as Sweety rubs her eyes “Auntie you ok there?”

 

“Yeah i’m fine! Just something got caught in my eye is all. No worries. Anywho! Welcome to our little friend circle Poppy!”

 

“T-Thank you for letting me be a part of it!...” she bows gently and bashfully with a slight curtsy.

 

As this happens they overhear the two hell girls “So then...take care I guess.”

 

“Whoa whoa whoa!” Katy slides up to them “You mean you're not gonna hear them out and are just gonna leave anyway??..”

 

“Easy there conclusion jumper. You didn't hear the whole thing.”

 

“That's right. I'm...gonna stay. Just not now...not yet...I need to take a few days worth of a breather...I need to think heavily on some things…” Kitty turns towards Katy “This for example will need as much thought processing as I can muster…”

 

“Ah...I understand. Thank you for listening to my plea though.” she grabs Kitty’s hands within her own “I hope you can clear your head ASAP so you can hang out with these guys! With or without me, it's still for the best that you hang with such a positive group! I can feel for certain that they'd definitely help you out on your inner burdens and pains! I would to. If you'd consider me a friend that is.”

 

“Again...I’ll think it over.” she turns towards Leo “So then you're the guy I was recommended to go to if I ever considered staying.”

 

“Why me? What could I do??”

 

“Find me a place to stay ..”

 

“Oh! That I can do! I'll do my best to accommodate you well into Neon Heights!”

 

“I can only hope.” she snaps her fingers, calling forth her bike “Hey. Mu- Parappa. Thanks for reaching out to a gal like me. And Rammy. Stay as this awesome gal that I always see you as.” she does a two finger salute “Peace dorks.” and just like that she's driving off into the distance where she vanishes almost instantly.

 

Just then Leo receives a text message “Eh? It’s from Paula…”

 

_“Sorry to tell ya this Leo, but the concert with Yoko is over on account of them having to escort Chuck away! Guess we’ll have to do something else with ya! Course we’ll have to invite PJ and Matt along to if that’s fine!”_

 

“Concert?...I never said I wanted to-...” He glances over to Sweety.

 

“Don’t look at me, I gunned it for Katy and Parappa in a heartbeat.”

 

“Ah...Mushi and Gloria...well why not!” _“Sure, but can I bring along the rest? Might as well enjoy the rest of the night with everybody right?”_ “And send!” He waits for her response back and he isn’t forced to wait long as within the minute after he sent his text, she replies back.

 

_“That’s cool with us!”_

 

“Lovely! Whaddaya say? Poppy, Rammy, Sweety? You dad? Wanna join me, Katy and rest of em on spending the remainder of the night in a much more joyful manner?”

 

“I’d never say no to that after what we’ve been through.”

 

“Same here. I did not expect the whole Kitty thing to go as poorly as it did...but Paraps and Katy managed to make it work in the end. But man will need this rest up.”

 

“Of course I’ll tag along! I have alot to talk over with PJ anyway as well!”

 

“W-Well I spent half the day with you all already, so no harm in doing the same for the latter half of the day!...”

 

“Great! Then let’s make the night ours~”

 

* * *

 

_15 days before hell breaks loose_

 

Night approaches as Europa and the others continue their work on the nearly cleared out wreckage.

 

“Why are we still dismantling this place? You can’t rebuild Rainbow anymore!” an upset Spinni states.

 

“Well I don't just wanna LEAVE my mess here...otherwise who else will use this spot?”

 

“Not like that matters. This town would rather go up in flames before letting anything else set up here…”

 

“It's the consideration! Sirius, 16. You guys get it right?”

 

“Frankly I'm just recycling my work.” 16-bits states as he picks up more rubble.

 

“Eh...I'm just overall neutral. Life's healthier that way.” Sirius adds on “So then...what are you gonna do?”

 

“Spectora’s fish monster aside...I can't really do much since that was originally the only nice person left in your group that wasn't brainwashed. Plus she's was Aqua’s best friend AND Auntie Paula’s cousin, if Great Uncle Mushi’s info is to be believed, so I can't really harm her…”

 

“Gah...we'll eventually think of something then...I hope...let's get on a nicer topic! Halloween is approaching soon! You guys gonna partake?”

 

“I feel that as a man in his triple digits and within this miniscule body, I rather avoid the youth of today entirely.”

 

“16 you're no fun...I for one will be joining in on the devious fun!” Spinni rubs his hands together.

 

“Same here. What about you Sirius?”

 

“It's in my blood to say yes! That and I AM married to a witch, who comes from a family of witches! This holiday is just built for us.”

 

“What's your costume gonna be?”

 

“As a shapeshifter, I feel that it doesn't matter what I choose to be. I can always change my mind last second thanks to magic!” he transforms into Frankenstein, a vampire and finally into a mummy before reverting back “How about you guys?”

 

“I’m still thinking...Pops got me working double overtime so I really don’t have time to do much planning…” Spinni sighs with a sad buzz “What about you Euro?”

 

“I’m gonna be going as the one thing everyone dislikes.”

 

“Ooooh, what would that be?”

 

“Depression.”

 

“Ah...what’s the costume?”

 

“I AM the costume.”

 

“Oh...that’s...depressing…”

 

“Then my costume is already effective! Good to know~” Leo laughs as he ends up slumped over.

 

“You uh...wanna talk about something?” Sirius chimes in with worry.

 

“Nahhhh… I’m good. Just having to go back to bein a big showbiz guy again is just giving me a stomach ulcer…”

 

“You know alot of people would love to be in the spotlight that you so consistently reject young Europa.” 16-bits whirs as he scoots along.

 

“They can have it! Frankly, while I may meet up with old musical chums, it doesn’t really make up for the dissatisfaction I get over being forced to do so much. Had it been for the fun and joy of it all, I would’ve loved it. Guess I can’t really complain though. Gotta do it for my family.” As they all walk about with the rubble, they’re stopped by someone calling out to Europa.

 

“Yo...Leo.”

 

“Yellow?” He turns around to see who called him “Oh...Kitty! What’s poppin!...How’d you find me here?”

 

“The poodle at the counter of where you live told me you usually come here. So...you can probably tell as to why i’m here.”

 

“Ah yes!...alright…” He turns back to the others “Sorry guys, but I promised this new pal of mine that i’d hook her up with some living accomodations over here.”

 

“No problem man, there ain’t much left to pick up here anyway. With my strength and Sirius’s magic, we’ll be done in a matter of moments. So you go do that.”

 

“Roger dodger. Come on Kitty!”

 

“Aight…” The duo walk off as the trio behind them all wave them goodbye. Things aren’t all happy as they arrive to the Heights Hotel however…

 

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN THIS PLACE IS FULL FIFI?! THIS PLACE IS **NEVER** FULL!”

 

“A-Ahaha...you see...about that...once word that your club had included more upcoming stars...and the word that your club went kaput...and when your face got revealed to the world...more people started moving in by the boatloads...and well...our last room was uh...taken by your new friend Poppy…”

 

“What was taken by me?” Poppy says as she walks on up.

 

“Oh Poppy! What are you doin down here?”

 

“I went out to stretch my legs and just recently came back only to hear this, now tell me what happened.”

 

“Ah. Well you recall Kitty right?” He points to the hellcat who wave nonchalantly.

 

“Yes. What else?”

 

“I tried getting her a place here...only to see that there are no available rooms left...the last one was taken by you…”

 

“O-Oh!...My apologies!...”

 

“Poppy don’t apologize for that! That’s not your fault!...Ayiyiiii...what am I gonna do now...every other place in town is packed to the brim since they usually can’t afford to live here unless they plan to stay or buy a proper house in an available open area...and now we’re left like this.” He snaps his finger “I got it! Since I can’t offer up my room entirely, why not bunk with me?”

 

“Leo no!... I’m the one who took the last available place, have her bunk with me!”

 

“No I offered to help! I insist!” the flower and the currently fox boy bicker as smoke puffs pop out from their heads. Kitty’s face shifts from purple to red as she yells out to the two of them from anger over their dumbness.

 

“HEY!” the two flinch and turn to her “Can you two dopes just make up and pick already??” They eye each other again as they resume bickering “Oh boy…”

 

“Hey, if it’s that big a deal to the both of you. Why not alternate?”

 

All three of them turn towards Fifi “Eh?”

 

“Like have the girl bunk with one of you on some days, and the other days she goes to the other?”

 

“...that could work...what do you think Leo?”

 

“Well it’s up to Kitty herself.”

 

“Whatever gets you idiots to stop fighting over it and gets me to a bed quicker…”

 

“That answers that!...So...who does she bunk with firs-”

 

“If you two start again, I will shove my guitar up the ass of whoever I can grab first…” Both Sunny and Leo protectively shield their rears as they take a few steps away from her.

 

“A-Ahem...soooo...Janken for it P-Poppy?...”

 

“T-That’s r-reasonable…” Both of them hold their fists next to each other.

 

JAN

 

_KEN_

 

**PON!**

 

Leo ends up with paper to Sunny’s rock “I win! Guess that means for today she bunks with me. So then tomorrow to you and the day after back to me and so forth. Sound cool Poppy?”

 

“I don’t have a problem with that if Kitty doesn’t.”

 

“I’m just glad you two finally settled that.”

 

“Great, then lets get you settled!”

 

“I only brought my guitar and bike...and the clothes on my back soooo...I guess i’m done getting settled?”

 

“...Alrighty! That was easy!”

 

“Well i’m glad the three of you worked that out! Now if you can excuse me, Imma scoot away before you find another reason to yell at me!” Fifi vanishes into a door behind the counter.

 

“Well that was weird...anywho! In celebration of your coming to terms with living topside...how about we make your first night a sleepover with you me and Poppy?”

 

“I’m amazed you can go from bickering to who gets me to bunk where, to ‘HEY LET’S PARTY TOGETHER NOW!’”

 

“I mean...frankly it’s my way of also apologizing for even fighting in the first place as well as apologizing to Poppy!”

 

“You don’t have to apologize to me!”

 

“You guys are weird...and on that topic. Really? A sleepover? We’re grown ass adults…”

 

“Last I checked I was twenty, so are you and Poppy?...”

 

“Twenty as well!”

 

“I mean if you wanna be liberal about it, I guess that qualifies as an adult. But really...around this age range...does it really count when you barely know how to properly adult?”

 

“...uh...meh?” She shrugs.

 

“I’d like to add on that, should there be an age range for sleepovers anyway? Can you really outgrow simply...hanging out with friends?” Poppy adds on with an adorable nod of the head.

 

“Again...mehhhhh????” Her shrug is much more exaggerated “I mean...if not that, then how about the gender ratio. It’s two chicks and a dude!”

 

“Are you saying, you’d both overwhelm me??”

 

“You got it backwards!”

 

“What do you take me for?? I’m harmless!...to a fault actually…”

 

“I mean…” She scans him from head to toe “You’re not wrong…”

 

“Offense slightly taken.”

 

“Whatever.” she sighs as she places her arms behind her head “Fine then, I’m cool with it. After all I’m gonna be bunking with ya so I’m in no position to complain. Just know that if you try anything funny, I’ll be ripping your arms off and beating you to death with them.”

 

“Thankfully i’ll never do anything of the sort!...i’ve been raised to be a good boy! I am part dog after all so it was very easy to accomplish!”

 

“Oh yeah...forgot about that.” She rolls her eyes and sticks out her tongue “Well you just proved to be more of a doormat, so I got nothing to worry about!”

 

“Gee thanks…”

 

“Don’t mention it. But before I do anything of the sort on that sleepover thing...mind if I call Rammy over?...”

 

“...Not at all, but...why?”

 

“I wanna chat with her a little…got some stuff I wanna unload but...only to her specifically.”

 

“Gotcha. Well. Alright then!” He passes her his phone “Just find her name and dial away! Me and Poppy will be waiting at my room!”

 

“Aight. And just where is that?”

 

“It’s not hard to find! It’s at the top floor, it’s the only abode!”

 

“Oh. Well aight. I’ll be seeing ya!”

 

The trio split up as Kitty heads to the entrance, while the duo head to the top floor.

 

Kitty dials the number set on the autocall as she awaits a response.

 

* * *

 

“And so that’s how I can do that with my ciga- huh?” She pulls out her phone “Oh it’s Leo...Talk to m-...uh-huh...mhm...aight…” She hangs up.

 

“Something up?...”

 

“I’m...gonna be spending the night over at Leo’s!”

 

“Wh-...why??”

 

“Sleepover.”

 

“What an obscure time and desire to ask for that…”

 

“Eh. He’s YOUR son.”

 

“He-...i have no counter argument to that…”

 

“Good.” She takes a deep breath “I’ll be taking this! “ She plucks his hat off his head “And this!” She takes up the powered off Boxy Boy.

 

“H-Hey!...”

 

“Sorry buddy, but I’ve gotten too used to being your bunk buddy. Don’t think I’d have an easy time sleeping with two randos near me so I need to make the area seem as similar to this place as possible.”

 

“...I understand. Just...gimme those back tomorrow?...”

 

“I will I will!”

 

“All I ask.”

 

“Ok then, I’ll be seeing ya tomorrow!” She books it out of the room and outside the building as she hops onto her bike “Geez Kitty...what an abrupt call...well...atleast you finally decided on staying here for good…” She starts her bike and drives off. Meanwhile Parappa is left on his own, simply pondering.

 

“Whoa boy. It’s been a good while since i’ve had this place to myself...well lemme catch some shut eye!...” He closes his eyes as he attempts to enter dreamland. Not a second later, his eyes burst wide open “Oh boy...i’ve gotten too used to her being here as well...that ain’t good...maybe I can try and fool my mind if I call Lammy over?...or me go over to her?...I'll think it over...maybe for now I can try to do something else!...come to think of it...the smell of that flower that saved us is still all over my shirt from the pollen...and it’s still awfully familiar...but why...I never met Poppy...and I doubt all flower girls smell alike...also the name Poppy...that was the name of Potter’s long gone sis. Guess it's a common name among plant people?” the image of Poppy ensnares his mind and not long after it turns into that of Sunny. The hallucination he had the many days prior eclipses his thoughts “Sunny...man...Poppy got me thinking about you again and how I still dunno how to get you to come back to all of us…” He simply places his arms under his pillow as he rests his head “I wonder though...if you were still here...would...Leo turn into a flower puppy hybrid?... heh...that’d be cute to think about...not like I HAVEN’T thought about that when we were still together…” Parappa recalls the time when he was younger and still with Sunny. The image of him thinking up a set of triplet puppy flower hybrids ran vibrantly across his mind “Of course...that’s nothing more than wishful thinking nowadays...still...it would be nice…” He keeps the thoughts in his head as he contemplates heading over to Lammy’s room.

 

* * *

 

“Well now we wait for Kitty!” Leo dives onto his couch “And time to take a quick nap!”

 

“E-Eh??? But we’re gonna be having a sleepover aren’t we?? Why are you gonna be sleeping through it!”

 

“I said a quick nap Poppy!” He yawns “I don’t wanna end up sleepy during the middle of it...so i’ll get the sleepiness out of me right now. Please wake me up once Kitty gets here.”

 

“What a strange way of thinking. Ok! I don’t really have much else to say.”

 

He yawns again “Thanks~...” He settles his head into the arm of the couch as he’s out like a light in seconds, soft snoring is quickly heard from him.

 

“From flighty to calm and easily able to fall asleep as if nothing happened the days before. Wow you are just like them…” She places her hand on her cheek “I’d be lying if... I said I wasn’t jealous of the happiness they’ll end up having…” She sniffles “But...that’s only because I thought it was originally gonna be our happiness...oh but I really should move on. It’s how things are meant to be!” She walks up to the sleeping fox “Isn’t that right you!” just as she finishes saying that, his body changes to be the one she recalled seeing many days ago. He was now the daughter of her again. To say Sunny was shocked was an understatement “...Why...why do you tease me so?...” She kneels beside the boy...girl “Hehe...Oh Parappa...what are you thinking about now to be thinking of me?...” she gently runs her hand across the sleeping girls face “Maybe this is your way of telling me to not be jealous? If so, then it's working. Heh...we'd have had such a beautiful daughter had fate been kinder…” Leo turns on her side to get the hand off of her face. As she rolls over, her tail pokes out. It's green and slightly stiff, much like a branch! It was also adorned with small flowers all about, with a big flower on the tip. The sight gets Sunny to laugh “It's so odd to see a plant dog hybrid~...the body seems so strange and yet so cute in its own special way~” she rolls over again as one of her hands drops to the floor, on the palm, paw pads were clearly visible. Sunny immediately covered her mouth to avoid squealing. Once she's calmed her excitement, she kisses the sleeping flower on the forehead “Thank you for giving me the happiness I've been missing out on because of what happened a year ago~...” as she stands back up proper, Leo reverts back into a boy as he turns into the cross child of Parappa and Lammy. Sunny smiles as she waits alongside him. Waiting to wake him up once Kitty comes up.

 

* * *

 

After a good time waiting, a motorcycle pulls up at the entrance of the Heights Hotel. Rammy hops off to meet up with Kitty who is seen reclining on the wall.

 

“You took your time.”

 

“Was respectin the road, lots of traffic and whatnot.”

 

“Damn, is that how I'll end up being like now that I'll be staying up here?” they both stick their tongues out at each other “Well glad you made it. I've got some stuff I really need to say, but only to specific ears.”

 

“I'm slightly worried.”

 

“Chill, it ain't bad. I just need to yell for most of it.”

 

“Pfft...why?”

 

“I'm basically throwing away my principles by doing this.”

 

“You stupid. You’re still you Kit.”

 

“Maybe, maybe not. Got a cig?”

 

“Yeah yeah. Here.” She tosses a cigarette to the confused cat girl and pulls one out for herself. She quickly lights her own “Aight now here you go-” Kitty grabs her by the neck collar and pulls her up close, lighting her own cigarette off of Rammy’s before letting her go “You know you could’ve just asked to do that.”

 

Kitty shrugs “Where's the fun in asking for permission?”

 

“Tch. I dunno, but it makes things easier.”

 

“Doing things our old way used to be easy to.”

 

“Very true haha. Fuck if there wasn't much to take with ease.” Rammy blows out a puff a smoke “But...honestly I don't miss it. Is that dumb of me? Those down in hell might think so, but frankly I'm happy.”

 

“Weird…” Kitty slowly drops to the ground. She sits on the floor as she blows out her own smoke “Has this place really been that big an influence towards your shift in action?”

 

“Shift? I don't see it, but I doubt it was just that. After all I had the most prolonged exposure to quite possibly the brightest thing in existence.”

 

“You mean that yellow thing in the sky that's annoyin to look at?”

 

“Not the sun! I meant Paraps.”

 

“Ah, your butt buddy.”

 

“Don't call him that.”

 

“But I'm not wrong am I??”

 

“I refuse to answer that in any shape, way or form.”

 

“Yep, I'm right.” she sighs “Well guess I better get to saying the rest of my stored things since it doesn’t look like I’ll be yelling anymore.”

 

“Well why not get the heaviest thing out first? Might as well deal with that before anything else.”

 

“...Aight…” She sighs “You won’t mind if I...like...pursue someone else right?”

 

“Eh? Not really...the purpose of our break up was to try and move on, ‘member?”

 

“Yeah I know...just…”

 

“Alright now you’re messin with my head. Just who’d ya fall for?”

 

“...Two people actually…”

 

“Daaaaaaaamn...man you waste no time on the rebound do ya?...” Rammy scoffs “Well, who you plannin on replacin me with?”

 

“...Well for starters...your butt buddy…” Rammy accidentally swallows the cigarette in her mouth from shock “You know...you aren’t supposed to eat em…”

 

Rammy coughs until she coughs out a large swarm of smoke, she then quickly turns to the cat “I’m gonna have to be the roadblock there!”

 

“You just said the point of our break up was to move on. And now you’re trying to stop me from movin on?”

 

“No, you just can’t move on to him specifically.”

 

“And why the fuck not?”

 

“I’m helping my double try and win him over.”

 

“And that should matter to me becaaaaaaaause?”

 

“It just should! You can’t just up and take another girls man!”

 

“But he’s not her man yet if she still hasn’t won him over…”

 

“...”

 

“Exactly. So if you don’t mind, I’ll be giving it a go. But you really shouldn’t worry, he’s not gonna fall for a gal like me. So that always leaves the other person I fell for.”

 

“That bein?”

 

“...Shockingly…” she spits out her smoke as she sighs with massive dejection, the next person she fell for was one that really sent her in a dizzying spiral “It’s... _my_...double…” She forces her face into her hands where she yells at such a loud pitch it causes any nearby glass to shatter.

 

“Whoa...like...seriously whoa...what...HAPPENED while you were dangling off a cliff…?”

 

“Not even I know!...I was pissed off at her more than ever!”

 

“Then how the hell did you fall in love??”

 

“With how she spoke!...How she took charge of everything...it reminded me of you…”

 

“Huh...yeah I think I can see it…” Rammy recalls the moments in which the blue cat is easily set off by any little thing, or whenever she chooses to take charge “Man that must SUCK for ya!”

 

“In more ways than one!...I thought I hated her, but it’s just been...bleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeegh…”

 

“Oh believe me I know the feeling!”

 

The two of them recline on the wall “Man what I wouldn’t do to drown my idiocy in gallons upon gallons of alcohol…”

 

“Didn’t bring any with ya?”

 

“Nope...You?”

 

“Nah, I rarely drink anymore. Smoking’s all I really do now a days.”

 

“Huh…” Kitty repeatedly bangs the back of her head on the wall “I think I’m done speaking what I’ve been holding back for now…”

 

“Fair enough. I’ll be around whenever you wanna get rid of the rest.”

 

“Yeah…” She gets up and stomps her cigarette out “Come on...we got a sleepover to go to.”

 

“Aight.” as they get up and head on the inside, Rammy speaks up again “By the way, why do you insist on calling Paraps my butt buddy?...you know the guy isn’t really the kind to DO anything of _that_ sort. He’s waaaaaaaaay to vanilla.”

 

 _It doesn’t surprise me that you were too ignorant to notice him influencing you, but to be equally ignorant to you influencing him...oh boy._ “You’re wearing his hat, and have what I recall being HIS boombox on your back. I think that speaks for itself.” She sneers “You sure you’re helping your double try and win him over and not yourself?” She laughs quietly.

 

“Oh shut up…” They both head into the elevator “Welcome to the topside Kit, hope you love it as much as I’ve grown to.”

 

“Here’s hopin.” The door closes with the two of them screaming on the way up.

 

_So this is my life now huh?...Well i’m gonna fucking make the most of it~_


	32. Papillon and Europa I

_14 days before hell breaks loose_

 

The day begins with Lammy walking out of Parappa's room.

 

“Thanks for helping me with this...obscure problem Lammy.”

 

“O-Oh it was no biggie!...I only wish I didn’t faint…” _For OBVIOUS reasons!...Man if Rammy saw that I blew that massive a chance, she’d never let me live it down..._

 

“Aw don’t sweat it! At the very least, you were still there enough to fool my head into sleeping soundly! Plus you’re really comfy to sleep next to! I woke up latched onto you like a baby to a teddy bear!” Parappa’s words simply cause the pink flames to reignite on the poor sheep's horns as she looks to her feet.

 

“O-Oh!...U-Uh...g-glad to b-be of assistance…~” _Maaaaaybe I didn’t blow it as bad as I thought~…_ As Lammy shuffles her feet, her attention is taken by the soft giggling she hears behind her. She glances over to see Katy and Ma-san peeking from their own bedroom doors as they quickly swoop back inside and close their doors behind them. _Oh yeah...that’s gonna be a thing I’m gonna be having to look out for…_ She sighs but quickly turns back to Parappa “I’ll be happy to help whenever needed! Even with…’out there’ problems like this one!” _Should I...thank Rammy for this little chance?...Probably should once she gets back._ She smiles as she heads off to her own room. As she closes the door, another door opens.

 

“Yoooo, the black sheep of the family is BACK!” She looks around “Oh they’re all still in bed...”

 

“I’m not!”

 

“Oh good. Thanks again for letting me take these things, made adjusting over there rather easy. Courseeee...not much sleeping was actually done. Who’d of thought you could nearly play video games through an entire night! Leo and Poppy are certainly surprising people!” She chucks the boombox at Parappa, he fumbles it in his hands “For the record, he kicked all our asses in whatever game we played. I swear he’s a cheater.”

 

“You have no evidence towards that!” Boxy shouts before being powered down by Parappa.

 

“Eheh...I’m well aware of that fact myself…” he places the little boombox under his arm and holds out his other arm “Hat to please.”

 

“Yeah yeah.” as she plucks the hat off her head, she stares at it for abit before handing it back to him “Hey Paraps...I’ve been meaning to ask ya.”

 

“Hm?” Parappa turns around from adjusting Boxy Boy.

 

“What’s with these symbols on your hat. Never seen these bands before.”

 

“Ah! Those, it’s kind of a long story. To summarize it would be that these guys eventually became the reason we have the PaRappa Town of today! Not necessarily a happy story though...”

 

“And about that, so you were named after the town right?”

 

“Yes indeedy. You know everytime a new person moves into town they always assume the town was named after ME! Context would be nice I tell ya, but we ain’t got that.”

 

“So if you were named after the town, why’d they name the town PaRappa anyway?”

 

“Oh that’s-...I don’t know...but I do know someone who would! My dad was apart of the people who evacuated over here. So if anyone would have the most info, it’d be him!”

 

“Huh...alright then.” She motions her hands “I’m actually curious to a heavy degree over it, since during the entire sleepover, Poppy-” _And Kitty, but she told me to keep her arrival a secret until she herself works up the nerve to tell you._ “Kept pointing it out to a point where even _I_ just gotta know. It’s killin me!”

 

“Well we can go ask him to tell us about it!” He attempts to pull out his phone with his free hand, but stops with his hand in his pocket “Mind if I include the others? I’m sure they’d like to know as well, seeing as they heard the story of the people behind these symbols, and to hear a continuation would be nice. Then again I’d have to invite Matt, Paula, PJ and Sweety to...they have no context on this whatsoever!”

 

“Eh...why not. As long as it gives me the knowledge I wanna know, then let’s do whatever! I’ll go pass the word to the other three!” she dashes off to the other rooms.

 

“Alright!” Parappa stares at his phone once Rammy vanishes into the bedrooms “To learn what happened after all that...it turned out well for them all...but...how?...” He sighs as he begins calling number after number.

 

* * *

 

“Honestly it amazes me that it’s taken you twenty years of your life to question why you’re named after the town and why the town is even named as such to begin with!” Matt says as he rests his hand on his cheek.

 

“Hey, I never thought of it! Once Rammy put the thought in my head, then that’s when I got the urge to wanna know myself!”

 

“Odd as ever buddy.” PJ says as he rubs Parappa’s head.

 

“I’m just glad we’re finally gonna get context on what you four learned from Mushi!” Paula adds on as she walks in between the MilkCan trio.

 

(“The context is that we learned about one hell of a war started by a guy who managed to plant the idea of superiority in a ton of people's heads and they were stupid enough to fall for it. By the time they learned, the damage had already been done…”)

 

“Geez Ma-san, you certainly don’t pull punches when it comes to judgement do ya?...”

 

(“I’m sorry, did your family line and family friends go boom to stop something that could’ve been avoided altogether had everyone not been a giant idiot?”)

 

“No my lineage fought between itself, was the biggest help AND obstacle, and nearly doomed the world by involving three of the worst people to ever rely on. So...shut up.”

 

(“...mk. I can’t argue with that, your family history is arguably worse...that kinda slipped my mind from my anger.”) _Story of my life…_ (“But my point stands. They could’ve handled that better had they been wary.”)

 

“I mean...they FIXED everything by the end of it...and it shows since no one really.. _.talks_ about back then anymore.”

 

“You know you two are being ridiculously vague. Care to, you know...actually EXPLAIN!”

 

“I-I guess i’ll handle that part!...”

 

“I’ll help ya explain Lammy.”

 

“T-Thank you Parappa!”

 

* * *

 

“Wowowow...hot dang… To think that all happened not that far back in time...and that you guys are practically descendants of that madness!” Sweety says as her eyes turn into spirals.

 

“The Cruisin’ Blues...why does that sound familiar to me…” Paula taps her chin.

 

“Same here with Chivalry…” Matt and PJ say in unison as they get lost in deep thought.

 

“That’s odd...don’t recall bringing it up to you all at any point.” he pulls off his beanie “But if it’s any help jogging your guy’s memory, these right here were their group insignia’s!”

 

“It seems really familiar, as if I’ve seen that symbol before…but I can’t remember from what...and it’s on the tip of my tongue to!...”

 

“I’m on the same boat Paula…” Matt rubs his head as smoke sputters as if he was a overclocked machine.

 

“I’m not. I remember my old man having something similar to this symbol on a jacket he got as a hand me down from his old man.” PJ scratches under one of his ears “He still has it to this day. I always thought it was a just a band gramps was in when he was younger, but I guess that answers that. I assume the reason you see the familiarity as well is because maybe you saw the same thing.”

 

“Maybe it was on one of my dad’s old things then if that were the case.” Matt says as he sighs, giving up on the thought process.

 

“I don’t think that’s why I remember it…but I rather not strain my brain any further.” Paula rubs her head “That’s still something to hear, and it makes me feel bad...nearly all of you had family members lost when the groups started dropping!...” Parappa, Katy, Lammy and Ma-san all sigh.

 

“Let’s get off this topic! We’re now in the loop so we’ll discuss it between ourselves to play the full catch up! Right now we’re here to learn the aftermath! On how we got the name PaRappa for our town!”

 

The four of them perk back up as Parappa picks up the speed “Good! Then let’s get a move on to my old pla-” Parappa slams face first into the door, ignorant to the fact that they had arrived “ce……..” He slides onto the ground in obvious pain.

 

The door opens to reveal a confused Papa Rappa “Hello? Who is it?...Oh! It’s you lot! Where’s Parappa? I figured he’d be with you if you were all together…” They all point to the floor “Wha?” He looks to his feet to see his son on the ground “Oh there you are! Why are you on the ground son?”

 

“Because I lack the ability to pay attention apparently…” He hops on to his feet “Sorry about that! Anywho, we’re all here because we wanted to ask you something!”

 

“Well sure! Always happy to be included in all your antics! What is it that you needed to ask?”

 

“How did the town get its name?...”

 

“Oh...haha. Boyo does that take me back.” He chuckles softly “It’s a long LONG story. So I suggest you guys all come inside to have a proper seat as I explain it alright?”

 

Parappa turns his head towards his friends who all nod, he then looks back to his dad and nods himself “Sure thing pops!” The older dog heads on in the young adults all following after.

 

They all settle down in the living room with a few of them sitting on the couch, and the rest on the ground. Papa Rappa himself sits in the single chair among them.

 

“Alright… the context of the towns name is one hell of a story! And quite possibly one the higher moments in my life!”

 

They all tilt their heads “Why’s that Mr. Rappa?”

 

“I was partly responsible for its name!” they all stare at him “I’m serious! The reason the town got its name was thanks to me...and Europa…~” He stares at a hanged photo of the deceased Mama Rappa. The group all look between each other before back to him.

 

(“Well...don’t leave us hanging now! Especially after that!”)

 

“Hehe...Alright alright. But like I said, there’s alot of context I’ll have to say first. Y’all ready for one heck of a tale?” They all nod rapidly like children being read a fairytale at the library “Then let me te-” He stops as he rubs his chin, he then snaps and walks up to the hanged picture and presses a button on the crest. The wall opens up and reveals a strange monitor, and a weird helmet lands on Papa Rappa’s head “Then let me SHOW you the story of a quaint and bizarre friend circle led by two strange yet curiously bright dogs...this is the story of…” the helmet turns on as the monitor begins to turn on.

 

_Papillon and Europa._

 

* * *

 

Papillon and Europa, age 9

 

The ground shakes heavily as a multitude of scared individuals run amok, screaming in panic.

 

“COME ON COME ON!...IS THAT EVERYBODY?!...” A stalwart man, at the age of thirty-two shouts at the running people around him.

 

“TUPPER AND LUPE HAVEN’T TURNED UP FUSSENPEPPER! NOR HAS AXEL!”

 

“What?! But they were supposed to be covering our exit!...We’re still in dange-” Three massive spirals of light burst out into the sky in a quick flash before vanishing just as sudden as they appeared “...The...The sirens are dead! W-WE ARE FINALLY VICTORIOUS!...THE LAST THREAT IS BEATEN! BoTy’s folly has finally been stopped!” Everyone cheers wildly as they look back to the direction of the light spirals “But...it seems that victory wasn’t...without one final sacrifice...Tupper and Lupe have bought Axel enough time to do away with his wretched spawn...but...it seems those three have fallen in the process…” mourning replaced the cheer almost instantly, but that didn’t stop the surviving runners to question the obvious.

 

“What do we do now?...”

 

“There’s...not much...all our previous homes were all but destroyed in our constant clashing…”

 

“It’s...not like I’d like to go back!...Those places are now cursed with terrible memories of what we’ve done…” The random civilian that spoke up is immediately backed up by people all agreeing.

 

“Well...there’s not much here...it’s more of a retreat than anything suitable to sustain life….but the area is large…” He stomps the ground “If we have no other options...why not start up here? Now that we’re far away from the homes we all used to have…”

 

“Can we build a place capable of sustaining all of us Fussenpepper??”

 

“Of course!...We just get any remaining members of the faction previously known as Soul of Fun-...w-what was that?...” Fussenpepper hushes up when someone whispers in his ear “So then...there isn’t much…oh...well make up your mind!...the smartest?...most technologically capable?...That’s perfect, it’s just what we need! Why are you so out of it then?...Wait...who exactly are the two most capable...WHAT?!...B-But those are just kids!...” Fussenpepper pulls away from the person informing him “Ahem...alright...there’s bad news, good news and more bad news...the first bad news is that a majority of them were wiped out and OR turned up their passion for working...the good news is that there are still a good amount of them left that can help us! Among them, two are literal genius prodigies! Very capable of making this a reality in mere short time!...The second bad news as I’m sure you all have overheard me say...they are children…” He sighs “Come...bring me...Papillon Rappa and Europa Beat…”

 

* * *

 

_Later that day_

 

A young dog, wearing a white shirt and black pants with a lab coat around his neck like a cape, is sluggishly walking along with a boy with a flower pot for a head, wearing a rather strange ensemble that mimics what a military general would wear, who walks as clumsy as he is right beside him.

 

“Soooooo...I hear you’re in charge of building us a new home then buddy…”

 

“...”

 

“Papillon?...”

 

“I’m not in the mood to speak Potter…”

 

“I mean...yeah...that’s about a fair response as any other…”

 

“Gah...I’m sorry man...it’s just...this is still getting to me…”

 

“The death of your older brother or the fact that you created a weapon of mass destruction that saved us all?...”

 

“Little bit of both really…”

 

“I mean...I lost my sis, and helped you build AND pilot that thing...and I’m fine!...” He gives a fake smile that lasts for about a minute “Who am I kidding...I wanna die…”

 

“Join the club…” They both faceplant into the grassy floor beneath them “I feel disgusted with myself…”

 

“Yeah...not gonna sugarcoat it...we’re pretty much messed up…I mean who let’s two nine year olds handle a way to win a war???”

 

“The same people who want one of those nine year olds to help build a new society for them all to escape the sins of the past…”

 

“Thinking on it...that does sound rather nice...I’d love to throw the past away...but that means I’d be throwing away my memories of Poppy…I could never do that...I love my sister to much…” he rolls over onto his back “What I wouldn't do to have her back...I'd stop babying her...I'd have helped her master her abilities to control the flora and fauna of the land...heck I'd have even stopped blockading her from seeing you!”

 

“...Why did you do that anyway?...”

 

“She had a crush on you, and I as the overprotective and dumb brother I am...kept her away from you over it…”

 

“That...explains alot…huh...I never really noticed...”

 

“You know the more I think about it...had I let her tag along with us...she probably wouldn't have died to the Ravens from that cheap sneak attack…”

 

“Potter come on...that's in no way, shape or form your fault...Poppy wouldn't have blamed you for it...so don't blame yourself for it either…” he rolls over onto his back.

 

“Geez...with that much sap, it's no wonder my sister had a crush on you...she mistook you for one of us!...” he chuckles as his own horrendous pun “Yeah...I get it...thanks Pap…” they both sit up “So you're gonna be handling the city building yourself?”

 

“No...the few grown ups that haven't hung up their engineering gloves for good are gonna be assisting me...dunno why since again…” bits of metal begin hovering towards Papillon as his hand begins to emit electricity ”I have technomancy...or magnesis/magnetokinesis. Or whatever you wanna call it. I could handle it myself and even the adults know that so they're pretty much just overseers!” He sighs “But NOOOOOOOOOOO...they had to assign some dumb girl to be my partner in all this…”

 

“Oh really? Who is she?”

 

“She was apart of the group we joined up with...her name's Europa...she's an equal in genius to me...atleast that's what they keep telling me...but I don't see it...where as I prefer to stay far apart from people and things altogether, she would rather dive into things haphazardly! She's like the definition of ‘IN YOUR FACE’! Like seriously! Does she have one heck of a mouth and ego...she's always so hands on and touchy with things…”

 

“So basically...your polar opposite. That's funny. A physical, extroverted genius working with a mental, introverted genius!”

 

“Don't make light of my predicament Potter!...”

 

“I'm sorry! Look, I'm sure you'll be fine! If anything...maybe she'll get you to break out of your shell and start making other friends that aren't me! Cuz seriously...I wanna diversify our little friend group...cuz between you and me...it's not a friend group if it's ONLY between you and me…”

 

“Heck to the no! She has the personality of having yourselves covered in cactus needles!”

 

“Ok now you're being ridiculous! NO ONE can be THAT bad…I thought you were against cutting corners!”

 

* * *

 

On a field, quite a ways away from where Potter and Papillon are, lays a dog girl in a white top and yellow pants. Both are offset by a bright orange beanie on her head with a frog insignia smack dab on it. Next to her is a daisy girl who is the spitting image of Sunny Funny...or rather, Sunny was the spitting image of her! She was sporting a yellow and green dress with a peculiar floral pattern all over it.

 

“So then...off the topic of the dead...you gonna be handling the entire building process by yourself Euro?...”

 

“Nah...some old people are gonna be onlookin...that's all they'll be doing since they know I can handle myself thanks to my ability…” electricity brims around her hand and soon her arm bulks up as the sparks disperse once she closes her hand into a fist. It reverts back to normal once she sighs “To supercharge my body… Unfortunately...they FREAKING gave me a ‘buddy’ to assist me with everything! Some idiot of a boy's supposed to be there to…”

 

“Oh really? Who is he?”

 

“He was apart of the group that mine decided to merge with it...idiot’s name is Papillon...he's apparently the same in genius compared to me...if I'm to believe what they all told me...but I don't see it… Where as I prefer handling things up at the source and nipping the problem in the bud before it grows, he would rather take the slow route and passively wait and do things from afar! He is the definition of ‘BACKING OUT OF EVERYTHING’! Like seriously! Does he have one heck of a mouth and ego... He's always so hands off and ambiguous with everything…”

 

“H-Hehehe...that’s so funny...the energetic gogetter brainiac, working with the closed in lone wolf brainiac!...”

 

“Thistle this is serious!...Don’t laugh at the situation i’ve been put in!...he's like the personality of sinking in quicksand…”

 

“I'm sorry! And you're being ridiculous!...But maaaaaybe...this is a good thing! I'm sure you'll be fine and all, but hear me out. This guy can probably help you mellow out, and teach ya how to make friends to increase our friend circle! Cuz girl, we seriously need more people...having it be just us is nice and all, but I fear having you as my only friend may make me lose my petals…”

 

“Rude…why not twist the blade in my back while you're at it Thistle…”

 

“Look all I'm saying is...you could stand to be a bit more.. chill is all...I'm in no way trying to hurt your feelings! Heavens no! Emotional damage is the one thing I can't heal up with my abilities… Why not believe in the positives that can come from this? Like you always do!” The dog simply stays irate.

 

“Whatever...look...I better get a head start…”

 

“Can I come with? I'll offer my emotional support as much as I can! Plus I wanna see this guy for myself!”

 

“Be my guest…”

 

* * *

 

“Oh sure, shoot me in the other foot while you're at it Potter…”

 

“Oh come on now Pap! All I'm saying is...you could stand to be...a bit more...open with yourself...ya know?...I may be a natural born militarial strategist-” _At the cost of being born with no abilities like the rest of my family…_ ”But I can't word my way nicely around this topic...I'm not trying to offend you...I just want what I think is better for ya. Otherwise it'll just be me and I fear that'll never let me sprout anything in my pot…”

 

“I'm done with this subject...look I better get started on the building process…”

 

“Mind if I come with? You look like you're about to pop a blood vessel in your eye. I'm gonna do my best to prevent that. Plus I wanna see this girl myself.”

 

“Whatever you wish bud…” the duo head off to where the cluster of people are, to their surprise, they had begun working on building things themselves.

 

“Ah there you two are! As you can see, the others didn't fancy leaving it up to you two, so they wanted to pitch in as much as they could!”

 

“Two? But he didn't know I was gonna-” both Potter and Thistle say in unison as they notice the opposite duo to their side “Oh.”

 

“I was hoping I didn't have to bump into you so soon ya shut in…” Europa says as she stares at Papillon.

 

“Same here blondie...but whatever I guess…” lightning sparks between Papillon and Europa’s eyes while they gain intensity in their confrontation. Their flower friends however…

 

“H-Hi there!...”

 

“Hi to y-you to!...”

 

“Pardon my friend! S-She can be a b-bit intense at t-times…”

 

“And excuse my f-friend! He's not g-good at talking to p-people!...”

 

“My names Thistle Magnolia!...”

 

“I'm Potter Funny!...”

 

All the adults in the area emit a group _“AWWWW~”_ while Papillon and Europa simply stare at their friends. The sense of betrayal overflowing in them as they witness their best friend falling for the best friend of their rival. They glance towards each other again as the lightning between their eyes intensifies. It soon triggers their innate electrical powers as they begin causing thunder bolts to strike around them. They break away as they head towards their respective buddy.

 

**_“We're LEAVING Potter…”_ **

 

**_“We gotta go Thistle...NOW…”_ **

 

“H-Hey!...C-Come on Pap!...Not cool!...”

 

“E-Euro!...O-Ow!...Y-You’re grabbing my wrist to tightly!...”

 

“S-See you next time Thistle!...”

 

“Likewise P-Potter!...”

 

Their words simply cause a heavy lightning bolt to strike where they once were. Shutting them up as they stare at their respective irate friend.

 

* * *

 

_8 days after the incident_

 

“Hello again Pap! Here's to day 8 of you building this place! And I gotta say, it looks marvelous! You and Europa may not get along, but hot diggity if you don't make some impressive work together! This once open field is now a functioning settlement! You could almost call it a town by how much is here!”

 

“...”

 

“Eheh...what's wrong now…”

 

“You were with them again…”

 

“Well..yes I was with Thistle again...but not Europa...if she saw me with her, she'd most likely pluck her petals clean off…”

 

“I should crack your pot for it as well!...”

 

“Aw come on man!...it's not like any harms coming from it…”

 

“SHE IS FRIENDS WITH THE ENEMY!...”

 

“You are taking this rivalry to ludicrous levels my guy…”

 

“I AM PERFECTLY IN MY RIGHT!...” his fur frizzles up as electricity blitzes out.

 

“Calm you conduction...look...can't I have another friend?...I've been through just as much as you have...as as friend...Wouldn’t you want me to find some happiness?...I know I would for you…”

 

“Don’t play that card…”

 

“....Alright…” he sighs dejectedly as he just stands their overseeing his friends progress. Eventually Papillon growls as he speaks up again.

 

“You know what...do as you please...I don't have time for this… I'm to busy working…”

 

“...Would it...be alright for me to bring her here for you to get to know?...”

 

“ **N-**...ugh...as long as you two lend a hand whenever I ask...”

 

“We can do that!” He blasts off at such a speed it nearly flings away Papillon. As the dog regains his footing, he sighs as he resumes working on his own. Through his silence in building things, he is able to hear someone in the area near him.

 

“Alright. What do you want.”

 

“Can’t I just come and watch?...” A dark blue, dirty blonde cat girl, wearing a purple dress, says aloud.

 

“Oh...it’s you Noella…” He rolls his eyes as he resumes working “And you want to watch me becaaaaause?...I figured someone who advocated the need of calling upon the sirens would not want to see the creation of a place of peace for the survivors…”

 

“Are you still on that?” she walks up to him “I wasn’t fully on board with that you know...after all...would I have given you all the heads up warning that it was going to go down?...”

 

“Yes yes I know...sorry...I’m just rather grumpy right now...thanks I suppose...we managed to prepare somewhat and come out alive in the end...were it not for you that would not be the case and the world would be a frozen mess, you even saved me. Still. Your group is rather looked down upon from it all together...even between itself!”

 

“Yes...but I rather not be burden down by the mess they’ve all made...I’ve since looked past that...especially after seeing what it wrought…” She sighs as she sits down beside him “They’ll never believe that though…”

 

“I mean...they can’t really hold it against you...after all...you have an excuse the adults of your faction can’t really use.”

 

“That being?...”

 

“You’re only just a kid.” he stops working “The kid that _did_ save us all in the end” He smiles.

 

“...What do you see me as?...On your own merit?...”

 

“Me specifically? Huh…” He scratches under his nose, leaving a greasy blotch where his finger was “I dunno. I don’t view you as bad. Not to mention those ridiculously loud sonic pipes you used to save us! Who’d of thought they’d be on equal strength of the sirens screeching! So in a sense, you saved us twice. What with the warning...and the cover that allowed Miss Lupe and Mister Tupper to buy us the rest of the time needed to just book it and never look back!...” Metal hover over his head in the shape of a question mark “Why’d you reveal you could do that anyway?...I’d figured if it was known that you had an ability near similar to the sirens they’d ostracize you, but you didn’t really care and just blew them back enough for the rest to play out.”

 

“You were about to be killed by them...I guess something in me just...wanted me to yell...and so I did.”

 

“Huh...thanks then. I could’ve sworn it was just everyone you wanted to save, not just me specifically.” He goes back to working “That gives these dumb adults another reason not to blame you since you’re technically a nice siren!.” He carries on but turns his head towards her “I owe you for the save to now that you made me remember. What do you want?...Anything you can think, real or not, I can make it reality and build it.”

 

“...You can sing right?..”

 

“Eh?...Yeah i’ve been known to keep a tune...why?...”

 

“I wanna put this voice of mine to good use...why not use it to sing?...”

 

“...That’s a smart idea! Be a better person than the sirens! I can do that in my free spare time.” he stops again “Man I wonder how Potter will react to having…oh yeah...he has the other girl to now…” he lowly growls “Bah...who cares...after all...we're friends now to right?...”

 

“We...are?...”

 

“...I don't know...I didn't really have another friend besides Potter...and I've been with him for as long as I can remember...so...I'm kinda at a lost as to...how to make new ones.”

 

She simply ponders for a while before looking back to him “I'd like to be friends.”

 

“Great! Haha!...what do friends do?...especially those of the opposite gender?...I just did a bunch of random stuff with Potter…”

 

“I...don't know...I...wasn't exactly the most popular...so…”

 

“Am I your only pal?...”

 

“...”

 

“O-Oops!...I didn't mean it like that!...u-uh…” he forces all the objects away from himself “W-Would you look at that! I suddenly gained free time! Let's get to singing!” he grabs her hand and runs off with her.

 

“H-Hey! Easy! Where are we even going?...”

 

“A quiet and private place to sing! I know a great spot! With better vocal acoustics, you'd learn better right?”

 

“...That does make sense...alright!” as they vanish into the distance, two heads poke out from behind a tree.

 

“I always thought Pap would need my help in making a new friend, but no...he didn’t even need me...heck...I think he did so good BECAUSE I wasn't here…”

 

“Potter don't say that. He's just a bit sour is all. Europa is the same...if not more so...I don't know how you convinced him to let me be around him... I try to bring you up to Europa and I risk being the youngest flower to ever wilt at the hands of a friend…” they both sigh “I'm glad Papillon is atleast giving me a chance...begrudgingly…”

 

“Yeah...there's that…” he knuckles his own head “I...wanna follow him!...but if I do...I risk that generosity being severed…”

 

“Doesn't hurt to chance it. He IS your friend after all right?...”

 

“...Yeah...you’re right!” he reinforces his resolve “Let's give a go!”

 

* * *

 

_12 days after the incident_

 

“My my! You two have really shown mass merit!” Fussenpepper states as he glances at the town before him.

 

“Yep! My handiwork is just that good!” both dogs shout in unison “Eh?...you mean MY handiwork! No me! **ME!** ” both dogs clash their heads again.

 

“Kids not again…” Fussenpepper’s head glows red as he sees the kids get more in more in the others face, increasing his own anger “Seriously squirts cut it out!”

 

“I'LL SHOW YOU THAT IT'S CUZ OF ME THAT THIS PLACE CAME OUT AS GOOD AS IT DID EUROPA!”

 

“IN YOUR DREAMS MAYBE! I'LL SHOW YOU THAT IT'S THANKS TO _ME_ THAT WE GOT IT TO COME OUT GOOD!” both literally burst off in a lightning flash as they go on a mad inventing and building spree.

 

“WOULD YOU TWO KNOCK IT OFF!” Fussenpepper is ignored as they keep at it, lost in their dust cloud of creation as they simply make the buildings much more vibrant and make even more places as well. They even take over for people who are trying to build their own establishments, and finish them in record time, far more glorious than how they would've made them on their own “I SAID QUIT IT!” again he's ignored as they increase the size of some of the buildings, making the once thought to be settlement, now a blooming town “ **IF YOU TWO DON'T GET YOUR BUTTS DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT I SWEAR!...** ” the two dogs and their separate smoke clouds conjoin into one as they both erect a massive building within the center of the town. Unbeknownst to them, this would be the most popular sight and place to visit of the town...and Europa’s future grave “ **_KIIIIIIIID-_ ** ” a large slab of metal slams roughly on Fussenpepper’s head, knocking him out as fast as it fell on him. Finally the kids stop once they notice that.

 

“UH OH!...” they both divebomb towards the unconscious guy.

 

“Aw heck!...W-We killed him!...”

 

“We?!?! I has nothing to do with this!”

 

“Europa you're just as guilty as me-...” they stop bickering as they hear moaning. They quickly stare at the body.

 

“HE'S ALIVE!...” they get the hunk of metal off of him.

 

“Mister Fussenpepper?...” Papillon stares at the downed body.

 

“You uh...ok?...” she nudges the man with her foot.

 

The older individual gets back up rather wobbly “Meeeeee? Oh I'm fiiiiiiine guys! But you guys better be careful, this could be dangerously harmful to you two! Just like what happened to me!”

 

The kids are stunned by his personality shift.

 

_“I think we broke him…”_

 

_“Ya THINK?!”_

 

“Oh would you look at that...the town looks mighty pretty! You two did a great joooooooob~”

 

They both turn around to see their new handiwork.

 

“Whoa…”

 

“Huh…” Europa glances over to Papillon, who looks back.

 

“Did we do that?”

 

“Yes you indeedy did! I saw it with my own two eyeeees! All while I was shaking my hands at you!...saaaaay...which one of these is my right hand?...” he keeps flipping his hands, causing them to appear similar due to how they're flipped “Imma go figure this out...but till then, you kids can finally relax! You built our home and then some! These people are forever in your debt! I know I aaaaam! Oh maaaan...I could go for some apples and berries right about now…” he stumbles away while the two watched stunned.

 

“We should...probably try and fix him Papillon…”

 

“Yeah we will...but huh...guess it was the both of us that made this place end up great...man...I hate that…”

 

“You think I don't?.. the fact that we're equals in genius churns my stomach…” they both growl before heading after Fussenpepper.

 

* * *

 

_15 days after the incident_

 

“And so siiiiing with meeeeee.”

 

_“Siiiiing with meeee…”_

 

“Let life beeeee.”

 

_“Leeeet it beeeee…”_

 

“Set us freeeee.”

 

 _“Seeeet meeee freeeeeee…”_ with this final verse, Papillon turns into a giddy mess.

 

“Hot diggity Noella! You're a natural! And your voice is like honey to the ears! It's only been about twelve lessons, but man oh man are you just amazing! You don't need my help at all! I honestly think you're better than me!”

 

“Y-You’re just saying that…”

 

“Nope! I really, honestly mean that! Heck you should be teaching ME! Haha!”

 

The dark blue cat simply shuffles in place, unable to handle the compliments as her face heats up “V-Very well…”

 

Papillon twirls the microphone in his hand “So then, I'd say you're in no need of anymore lessons from me~”

 

“C-Can I still come by? I'm not fully certain myself...I honestly think I still need the lessons…”

 

“I mean.. I'm not stopping you. You can still come by regardless! We are friends after all!”

 

“Right!” she simply looks down to her feet as she smiles at that fact, but her happiness is cut short when she hears Papillon in a struggle.

 

“H-Hey put me down!...” a taller dog about the same age, wearing a brown shirt and red pants and and darker shade of blonde than Europa, dangles the smaller dog by his ankles.

 

“Naaaaaaah. Don't think I will~” he shakes Papillon wildly until he drops his microphone “Oh hey! A prize inside!” he picks up the mike.

 

“P-Put him down!...” Noella storms forth towards the other dog, but is immediately picked up from behind by a brown bear wearing a brown shirt and green shorts. She struggles as she's held in place “Put ME down!...”

 

“Hey Razzle, give her a good shake, maybe she'll drop something to!”

 

“I dunno about that Tommy...don't you think we're taking this a bit to far…?”

 

“Nonsense!”

 

“Why are you two doing this!”

 

“Why? That girlie over there is part of the reason why we had to run here! And YOU'RE here just being all buddy buddy with her! As if she didn't do anything!”

 

“Cuz SHE didn’t! Noella is even the reason we HAD the chance to escape! If it weren't for her, NONE of us would be standing here!”

 

“You expect me to buy that?...”

 

“Yeah cuz it's the truth!”

 

“It's also the truth that her group ended up being the death of our group, Chivalry!”

 

“...I...can't deny that...but what I can deny is that you're targeting a kid who had no part of that!”

 

“But she was apart of the half of their group that wanted to get the Sirens right?.. “ the bear speaks up.

 

“Hrng…”

 

“I thought so…”

 

“She's not like that now!”

 

“Duh, now that they're dead, of course she hops on the winning team…” Tommy speaks up again.

 

“YOU'RE WRONG!”

 

“And you're angering me for defending her… Raz, drop the girl...come help me handle this traitor…”

 

“I mean...do we gotta?...He...did save us a few to many times with his inventions...especially with the monster that used to be the Royal’s…”

 

“A hero he ain’t if he’s so quick to side with the enemy!”

 

“I mean...she doesn’t seem bad…”

 

“A bad person never WILLINGLY appears bad up front! ‘Sides, she has a magical voice! She probably possessed this doofus!”

 

“That is a possibility…”

 

“I AM NOT BEING CONTROLLED IN THE SLIGHTEST! N-Noella can’t you defend yourself??”

 

“...” The dark blue cat stays silent.

 

“Ahah! Then that is the reason! Come on Raz let’s beat the hypnotism out of him!”

 

“I mean...if that’s the reason...then alright!...” He drops Noella rather quickly onto her rear as he hurries over the dog’s side “I’m...terribly sorry for all this…”

 

“IF YOU WERE SORRY YOU WOULDN’T DO IT!...”

 

“True...but...don’t wanna risk the chance of you being taken control of by a bad person…” Raz plucks up Papillon and holds him by his arms, his legs dangle about as he tries to kick away Tommy, but to no avail.

 

“Look traitor, we’re just trying to beat the traitor within you out!”

 

“Hnggg...you’re all ta- AGH…” Papillon is silenced by a straight punch to his gut “M-Maybe not…” his struggling immediately ceases. Noella balls up her hands on the spot.

 

“Huh...just one punch?...And it wasn’t even that hard...no wonder you don’t do much up front yourself…”

 

“I mean the brainy types usually aren’t tough right?...”

 

“You kidding? You’ve seen Europa? That girl could punch you so hard you’d do an entire lap around the world before you’d hit the ground!” He delivers another straight jab into his gut, much harder “To bad the same can’t be said here…”

 

“WAGH...” Noella grits her teeth at the sound of Papillon’s pain.

 

“Do you really need to punch him harder? It’s established that you could tap him and he’d feel pain Tommy…”

 

“Can’t help it...I’m just to angry...and since he’s gonna whine about it, I figured I’d take it out on him instead!” He rears his fist back to land a third punch “Sorry not sorry! You brought this upon yourself!”

 

“ **STOP!** ” Noella shouts, a white ring emits from her mouth and hits both Razzle and Tommy. As instructed, they stop.

 

“Huh?...” Papillon stares at the two boys, confused at their sudden halt.

 

“ **DROP HIM.** ” Razzle complies as he gently places Papillon on the ground “ **RETURN HIS MIKE.** ” Tommy places the microphone back into the smaller dogs hand.

 

“N-Noella?...”

 

 **“BACK. OFF!** ” They step away from the smaller, confused dog. She runs towards his side and helps him up “A-Are you alright?...”

 

“...What are you doing to them?...” He notices a faint glow around her mouth, the same glow is around the other two’s ears.

 

“I-I...made them stop…”

 

“K-Knock it off!...T-This is the exact reason they’re angry at you!...”

 

“I-I know...but they’ll just go back to hurting you!...”

 

“I rather them do that than hurt you!...You shouldn’t be blamed at all for any of this!...Now snap em out of it and never do this again!...Whatever happens to me...let it ok?...if they just get it out of their system...they’ll no longer wanna mess with you!...”

 

“But…”

 

“Look...I may not have the _best_ physique...but I can tough it out~...for a friend! Besides...no matter what happens to me...as much as I wanna hate to admit this...Potter’s new friend Thistle is a healer...she can patch me up right quick!”

 

“...Why do you stick your neck so far out for me?...”

 

“We’re friends!...I don’t have many of those...but with the ones I do have…” Potter’s voice rings in his head “I’d want what’s best for them!”

 

“...Ok…” she sighs before she looks to the other two “ _Release…_ ” the two boys snap out of it as the grab their heads in a daze.

 

“Ugh...what the heck happened?...”

 

“I think my brains been messed with…” Once they both settle their head, they angrily gaze at Noella, but Papillon stands in front of her.

 

“That was cuz of me...I used an invention of mine to grab your mind's...you kept bugging that she was the one possessing me, but maybe you got it backwards you jerks…” Tommy lifts up Papillon by his shirt neck.

 

“YOU CAN’T COVER FOR HER!...”

 

“Shows what you know…”

 

“WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!”

 

“She’s my friend. I’d rather you guys take your anger out on me than her. It’s the sensible thing.”

 

“SENSIBLE?!”

 

“Yes sensible. After all. The adults are leaving her be. Why aren’t you?...” Tommy simply growls in place as he stares at Papillon dead in the eyes “Well then...gonna hit me?...”

 

“You are NOT the bigger guy here!...”

 

“Then are you Mister ‘pick on a single girl, and blame her for something she did not do or was a part of’ rather than listen to her at all? If I am to read your anger properly that is, which I believe i’m spot on with..”

 

Tommy simply stares angrily at the smaller dog within his grasp, his bodily trembling, causing him to drop Papillon. He falls to his knees in an angry tearfest “D-Darn you...dumb...traitor…”

 

The sight simply stuns Papillon as Razzle picks up the crying dog “W-We’ll...call this a draw…” He runs off instantly, leaving the two to simply gawk at the scene that took place.

 

“What...just happened?...”

 

“If you don’t know...then I don’t know…” they simply stare at the dust before getting up and heading off once it clears.

 

The following day has Papillon resume his lessons with Noella as they sing in the same spot as the day before, and once again they’re interrupted by the duo.

 

“Gonna try again…?”

 

“...”

 

“Oh the silent treatment huh?...” The duo simply huddle around the dog and cat, confusing them once more “What are you…”

 

“We’re...just here to listen…” they both tilt their heads until the realization hits Papillon, who only smiles before resuming. The days went on like this, Raz and Tom would become the duo’s audience as they carried on in their singing lessons. The boys would also bring along snacks and other things while visiting the singing duo and not long after, they both stood before Noella in a bow of apology followed by a declaration of friendship. The small cat and dog both agreed to it as fast as the proposal was announced.

 

“I honestly never anticipated you guys to ever be our friends.”

 

“Neither did we...but hey. We were wrong…”

 

“We? I tried giving them a chance since the get go!”

 

“Raz, shut up…Alright...yeah just me...Papillon...Noella...I was abit of a bully...but taking those words you said to me with the straightest blank expression ever...I put some thought to it...that and Raz wouldn’t shut up about it...so I gave you the chance...and well...from what I’ve seen...you guys are alright...you especially Noella...you got quite a voice...when you’re not hypnotizin people with it!”

 

“Thank you Thomas.”

 

“Look, either call me Tommy or Tom. I hate being called that...makes me sound like an old guy…” his reaction simply earns a giggle from Noella and Papillon “Oh boy, this’ll be an interesting friendship.”

 

“Agreed!” Razzle, Papillon and Noella all say in unison with a peace sign aimed at the sky.

 

* * *

 

_24 days after the incident_

 

“I don’t get it…” Europa sighs as she reclines on a bench “How could Thistle just up and bail on me for that plant pot again...feh…” She causes electricity to glide along her fingertips, but stops once she notices something through the corner of her eye. She sees a small lamb girl, wearing a black and red dress, simply sitting on her own, all huddled up on the grass “Who the heck could be sad on such a bright and sunny day in such a beautiful area?...” She hops off the bench and storms straight towards the lamb “Ey! What with the mopin?”

 

“...”

 

“You know stayin silent ain’t really gonna fix much…”

 

“Go away…”

 

“Sheesh...what got under your skirt…”

 

“Gee...I’m sorry for mourning my dad’s death…”

 

“Your dad?...hey wait a minute...ohhhh! You’re the kid of the Hero Tupper!”

 

“HERO?!”

 

“Uh...yeah? Guy who managed to cover our escape and stalled them long enough for Axel to finish the job!”

 

“THAT IS NOT HEROISM IN THE SLIGHTEST!” Her feet and horn tips ignite in flames.

 

“I uh...fail to see how…” _this girl's crazy…_

 

“A _HERO_ WOULDN’T HAVE GOTTEN HIMSELF KILLED LIKE LIKE A DUMMY!...” she hops to her feet “IT'S THANKS TO THAT STUPID CRYING MOUSE KID AND THAT DUMB LUPE LADY THAT MY DAD DID THE STUPIDEST THING EVER AND GOT KILLED FOR IT!...” the grass around her feet burns away.

 

“Well when you word it like that...it is a bit...stupid…”

 

“IT'S ALOT STUPID!” Her red wool waves about as if it itself were flames.

 

“Okok it's alot stupid!...”

 

“IT IS!...IT REALLY...really…i-is…” she latches onto Europa’s chest and begins bawling her eyes out on the spot as her flames extinguish.

 

“Ooooooookay...this is...awkward…uhhhh...there...there?...” she pats her on the head clumsily.

 

“You know, to properly heed someone would involve hugging them back, not just...petting them.” Europa turns her attention to the new kid beside her. It was a fox girl wearing a blue and purple dress, with raindrop shaped gems around her neck “Well?...Hug her!”

 

“But...I mean… I'm no good at this! If anything it's an invasion of privacy!”

 

“Boyo you're helpless. Can't make friends that way!” she gets behind the dog girl and forces her arms around the crying lamb.

 

“H-Hey! Don't do-” Europa is silence by having her mouth frozen shut.

 

“You're alot better when you act big rather than talk big~” the fox waggles her fingers as snow hovers about them.

 

Electricity forms around the ice and shatters it as the dog girl stares angrily at the fox “HEY!”

 

“No thank you, I'm not a horse so I don't eat that.” the girl laughs to herself as Europa just sighs as she resumes consoling the other girl.

 

“Yo...you feeling better now that you got that out of your system? And all over my new shirt…”

 

“A-A...little...I'm sorry…”

 

“Nah...no apologies needed...I was kind of a jerk for pushing your buttons…so I'm sorry...uh…”

 

“Penny Dolly…”

 

“I'm sorry Penny. I'm Europa Beat if you'd like to know.”

 

“And I'm Bella Kits!~”

 

“You still here?”

 

“Of course! You seem like an interesting girl! What with you up and making Penny here cry like that!”

 

“Not intentionally!...”

 

“Uh-huh~”

 

“Ugh...so then Penny...uh...whatcha gonna do now?...”

 

“Can I stay like this for a bit longer?...You're surprisingly comforting to hold onto despite your rough appearance…”

 

“I uh...don't know how to respond to that...I'm both offended and content…” she scratches her ear “Fine fine...just...not for to long...this is awkward…” she groans as the lamb simply refuses to budge. This is made worse when Bella latches on as well “W-Why are YOU huggin me?!”

 

“Why not?~ Might as well join in~” the two smaller girls topple Europa onto the ground. They stay there for an elongated time as Europa simply gives up.

 

“My pride has completely melted away…”

 

“It’s only a group hug~ Friends do that you know~”

 

“They do?...Wait...we’re friends?...”

 

“Yeah, you’re funny enough that it’d be stupid of me NOT to wanna stick around and see what else ya do~” Bella laughs as she latches onto Europa harder.

 

“I...I guess we are...i’d love to have this kind of safety feeling by me always! Especially at this point in my life... Would help me get over this quicker hopefully…”

 

“What a weird way to make friends...but I ain’t complaining!” _HA! IN YOUR FACE THISTLE!_ “Uh...what do friends do?...”

 

“They uhh...treat each other to ice cream!”

 

“Isn’t that taking advanta-” Penny catches on to Bella’s plan “I mean yes! They do that as a celebratory thing!”

 

“Huh...Well alrighty! I can’t really argue with that since I haven’t really had more than one friend before…” the trio get up, Bella continuously giggles while Penny slowly feels the guilt of their little fib rising within her.

 

* * *

 

_32 days after the incident._

 

“Come on come on!” Razzle corrals the two dogs, the cat and the flower pot behind him.

 

“Razzle what is it that’s got you in such a tizzy?” Noella speaks up, trying to keep up.

 

“The sole survivor of Dino-Might is around!”

 

“Whoa, you mean the kid who’s entire group blew themselves up to stop The Ravens??” Tommy says with his eyes popping wide open.

 

“Huh...My sis’s avenger’s sole survivor...I can’t exactly...thank him for that since he lost WAAAAAY more than I did...I just lost my sis...he lost EVERYTHING…trying to thank him for it would just be like spitting in his face…”

 

“Yeaaaah don’t do that…” the others say in unison.

 

“Hey Potter...Thistle not wanna come with you today?...”

 

“She’s kinda...caught up in Europa’s own schedule right about now...if I try to tamper with that in any way. Europa would most likely jam a telephone mast into my pot…”

 

“Ooooof…well whatever! We’ll bring her over once we’ve met up with the guy!...Speaking of which...Raz what are we even going to do?...”

 

“Befriend him!”

 

“Eh?”

 

“You heard me Papillon! A guy like that? He’s certainly miserable! Why not have us brighten up his life?”

 

“...You sure we’re qualified to do that?...”

 

“I mean, you’re a genius ain’t ya?...”

 

“Both friendships and miracle working are WAAAAAAY out of my forte buddy…”

 

“Huh...maybe I didn’t think this all the way through…” Razzle swallows roughly as he suddenly stops running “Well...too late to turn back now…” Before them in the near distance sits a rather heavily downtrodden mouse on a bench.

 

“Sheesh...you were on the money...he looks like he’s seen better days…” Tommy crosses his arms as he drops his head forward slightly, upset as much as the kid he’s looking at.

 

“...Well...we better get started!” Noella says as she grabs Papillon by his arm and yanks him forward.

 

“N-Noella wait! I’m the LAST person to help with this!...”

 

“Trust me Papillon! I know you can manage SOMETHING! After all...what can possibly go wrong?~”

 

“Why does it feel like you saying that just guaranteed that everything will go wrong…”

 

“What makes you say th-” Noella is cut off by someone shouting at the mouse boy, from a direction opposite from her.

 

“H-HEY!...YOU’RE THAT IDIOT BOY WHO INFLUENCED MY DAD TO GET HIMSELF KILLED!...” the voice belonged to Penny, a girl who the other group led by Papillon did not know.

 

“P-Penny you can’t just shout that abruptly!” Thistle shouts as she runs up to her.

 

“HOW CAN I NOT?! ONE OF THE TWO REASONS THAT TOOK MY FATHER AWAY FROM ME IS RIGHT HERE!...” as the lamb shouts, the mouse boy grips onto the bench rather tightly.

 

Papillon looks to see Europa’s little friend group arrive, causing a rather bad ruckus, but what really catches his attention is the fact that the area around him was beginning to heat up exponentially “What the?...” As he looks for the cause, Penny continuously yells and berates the mouse. The heat has grown into a sweltering wave as Papillon finally catches on “H-Hey stop yelling at him!”

 

“STOP?! I HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO YELL AT HIM! HE DOESN’T KNOW WHAT HE’S CAUSED!...HE TOOK AWAY EVERYTHING FROM ME!”

 

“Y-Yo Penny...normally I don’t agree with Papillon on things...but here it’s probably for the best that you shut it…”

 

“NEVER! WHY SHOULD I?! HE CAN’T JUST GET AWAY WITH THAT SCOTCH FREE!” The dynamite stick atop the boys head ignites in a raging blaze as he fire’s an explosive fireball at the overly talkative lamb “W-Wha?!...” before the fireball connects, a fast blur scoops up Penny and carries her to safety as it explodes where she once stood.

 

The blur stops behind Papillon and Noella, revealing to be Tommy “WHEW...You were almost turned into Creme Brulee!”

 

“I didn’t know you could do that!” Papillon states as he watches the other dog place the lamb down.

 

“You never asked~ I’m like an ultra athlete!~” As Tommy gloats, the mouse boy explodes in anger as he rushes him down “Ultra athlete says RUN!” He picks Penny up again and books it as the left behind dog and cat dive out of the way.

 

Penny looks over Tom’s shoulder to see the mouse keeping up rather easily “C-Can’t you run faster?!?!”

 

“Ey, shut up! YOU’RE the reason he’s even chasing me! And on that topic, I’M the guy keeping YOU alive!”

 

“...”

 

“Thought so!” Tommy barely dodges a wayward fireball aimed at him as he turns to see the mouse fire even more “HA! YA MISSED!” the now aware dog dodges every single ball effortlessly as the mouse simply gets angrier with each wiffed shot. He then lobs a fireball over and past him “THAT DIDN’T EVEN COME CLOSE TO HITTING ME!” the fireball explodes on impact with the ground, creating a hole that causes Tom to trip after getting his foot caught in it “Huuuuuh...didn't see that coming…” he's sent in a rolling tumble before slamming face first into the ground, launching Penny skyward beforehand.

 

The now sitting duck Penny fumbles in the air as the mouse launches a blast directly at her “HEEEEEEEEEEEELP!...” once again she's scooped up, this time by Papillon, who grabs her in the air and hovers out of the mouse’s range “YOU CAN **_FLY_ **?!”

 

“I'm technically not flying, I just reversed the magnetic polarity in my body to be the same as the ground, causing it to push me away and let me hover.”

 

“....huh?...” the sheep stares at him, completely lost.

 

“Oh boy...uh...you know a magnet right?”

 

“Yeah?...”

 

“You know what happens when you try to push two magnets together from the same side?”

 

“They push each other away!”

 

“That's what I did. Turned my body into the same sided magnet like the ground!”

 

“Oooooooooh.”

 

“And now you're safe! The D-Might’s weren't capable of flight! And fireballs have a pretty heavy drop distance! He can't get us from up here~ It’s a scientific impossibility~” the mouse plucks off his dynamite stick and latches it onto his back upside-down. The heavy blaze that blew from his head is now used as a makeshift method of flight as he's now staring at Papillon straight in the face “OhohoHOOO! Improvise, adapt and overcome! You sure proved science wrong! I LIKE that!”

 

“Don't be happy! He's about to tear us apart!”

 

“Well yeah, but look at what he did! By all means, what he's doing right now is physically impossible! And yet here he is proving me wr-AUGH!” Papillon is slammed straight into the ground like nothing “Ohoho...he's a Dino-Might alright...explosive strength is no jooooke…” due to how he shifted his landing, Penny came out unharmed “You better run...surprisingly...he held back for me… He's not gonna be that generous with you…” Penny quickly scoots off of Papillon like crab before being halted by the mouse's heavy landing before her.

 

“P-Please n-nooo…” the mouse attempts to strike the lamb, but the fox stands between them as she encases the angry mouse in a block of ice “YOU NEED TO CHILL OUT! Phew...ha!...like to see you find a way outta THAT!” the mouse's inner flame causes the ice to melt in an instant. He now stands there staring at the fox who nearly wets herself on the spot as she trembles from fear “H-Ha...you know...reevaluating my previous statement...I think mice are pretty cool animals!...” the mouse rears back his hand as the fox falls onto her own rear like Penny, he's stopped when he's grabbed from behind by Europa.

 

“COOL IT YA FREAKY FIRECRACKER! THESE ARE _MY_ FRIENDS YOU'RE TRYING TO TURN INTO CHARCOAL HERE!” the mouse overheats in an attempt to get the female dog off “owowow! Gonna take more than that!” the mouse yells angrily as he just overloads his body with flames “OUCH!...Me and my big mouth!...” Europa activates her own ability, supercharging her body with her electricity, allowing her to withstand the heat and preventing herself from getting burnt, at least for now. If the boy manages to get any hotter, then both her and him are at risk of being turned to ashes in the same manner that the majority of the Dino-Might’s went out as “Run you two!...”

 

“Europa let go of him!” Bella shouts as she tries to help Penny up.

 

“Relax will ya?! I can take the heat! A little explosive fire won't be the death of me!” she sneezes on the spot “Augh...my nose…”

 

Watching Europa trying to keep her safe at the cost of her own safety simply triggers bad memories for the lamb as she quickly gets up as her legs ignite. Without hesitation, she punts the mouse out of Europa’s grasp and straight into a fire hydrant with a sweeping kick. It shatters on impact as the mouse is overwhelmed in the water “Y-YOU’RE NOT TAKING ANYTHING ELSE FROM ME!...”

 

“Dang! Where was that side of you earlier?!...” Europa states as she pats out the leftover flames on her body.

 

“Y-You’re didn't kill him did you?!...” Bella shouts as she gazes at the mouse’s body.

 

“Naw she didn't...she's just giving him the waterlogging of his life...”

 

Penny quickly looks over to see if the two dogs who helped her prior are alright. She then sees Thistle helping up Papillon as Tommy stands there stretching his body “You two are alright as well!”

 

“Yep! It's all thanks to Thistle here! Fixed me up right quick! She's doing the same to Pap right now!”

 

“You all should seriously be more careful…” Thistle states as she finishes healing Papillon and heads off to heal Europa.

 

“Yeah no kidding...WHO CHOOSES TO PURPOSELY ANTAGONIZE A MEMBER OF THE GROUP KNOWN FOR THEIR EXPLOSIVE TEMPER OUTBURSTS!” Potter shouts at everyone's incompetence.

 

“Hey! Me and Papillon tried stopping her! But that was a bit to late…” Europa ruffles her own hair in aggravation.

 

Noella runs up to check up on the smaller dog boy, but notices the mouse get back up “U-Um...guys?...He's still hasn't calmed down…”

 

“Sheesh, this guy really is in a league all his own…” As Europa says this, Papillon runs in front of Penny.

 

“Look, can't you just...stop? She didn't mean to upset you! She's just as heavily upset as you are that she didn't think on how to word it properly!...”

 

(“Out of the way…”)

 

“I-I’m sorry what?..”

 

(“Out. Of. The. Way.”)

 

“I c-can't understand y-”

 

(“OUT OF MY WAY!”) He divebombs towards the dog in order to plow through him to reach the sheep. The dog simply braces for impact, hoping to be enough to stop his charge.

 

“ **HOLD IT!** ” a white ring nails the mouse in the head as he stops dead in his tracks. The boy refuses to fully cooperate as he struggles to get his legs to move “ **I SAID CEASE!** ” his body becomes heavier, making it harder for him to move, but still he tries “ **DESIST!** ” again his body becomes heavier as he's forced to his knees, but still he stubbornly shuffles forward as tears well up in his eyes “ **E N O U G H !** ” he's finally halted as he's forced onto all fours. His flames extinguish as he simply curses himself for being beaten in such a manner “Finally…”

 

“Noella! I told you to not do that ever again!”

 

“I know, truly I do. But this was something I had to ignore you on. For your own good.”

 

(“Bastards...y-you’re all...b-bastards…”)

 

“...” Papillon pulls out his microphone and begins upgrading it quickly on the spot. Once he's finished, he twists a newly added nob and holds it up to the mouse.

 

“You're all b-bastards…selfish...self-absorbed...m-monsters…”

 

“Yeah...we would come off as such with what we’re doing right now huh?...oh boy…” He turns to Noella “Please just...release him…”

 

“I can’t!...Not until he’s thought about what he’s done!”

 

The boy’s body flares back up a tad “T-THINK ABOUT WHAT I’VE DONE?!...YOU M-MEAN LOSING MY FRIENDS...MY FAMILY...AND EVERYONE ELSE...ALL BECAUSE I WAS TOLD TO DO SOMETHING ELSE...while they all went away forever...they all selfishly left me behind...alone…I had no choice to do anything...they were influenced by the people around them and just...did that without including me…now i’m just alone in a world where i’m just a boy no one could care less about…I should’ve just died along with them...” His body extinguishes once more as he just stays there willingly, repeatedly smacking the ground as his eyes turn into waterfalls.

 

Everybody else simply winces “Hoo baby...I think we done did a big mess off things…”

 

“And I wanted to help him...that went south outrageously fast…” Raz sighs as he falls to his back, defeated.

 

“Oh man…” Papillon sighs as well, prompting Penny to speak up.

 

“Does...that nob have a way for me to speak in HIS language?...” the small dog nods as he flicks the nob the other way and hands it to the lamb. She then walks up to the mouse (“Heeeey...ok...look…”) She kneels down to better get on his level (“I… I have overstepped critical boundaries here… I said more than what should’ve even been allowed...if any of that could be considered as such anyway… I am...maybe just a touch...emotional after the loss of my dad…”) She flickers her ears abit as she admits her own follies (“I said things I didn’t really mean or need to...mostly because I didn’t understand the full situation...I refused to understand...and so I said something that wasn’t accurate…you suffered just as much as me...you suffered MORE than me...and I was stupid to say otherwise…”) She huddles next to him (“I...don’t deserve to be forgiven for that...and...while I don’t agree with you trying to hurt me badly...I can see that it’s well deserved…”) She gives the mike back to Papillon “Por favor...puedes perdonar a esta chica estúpida por su ignorancia?”

 

Papillon holds the microphone back to the mouse “...I didn’t do anything to get your dad to leave...he just saw me sitting by myself...crying for what i’ve lost...and he just...ran off...Your dad was part of the group that my group conjoined with...and I guess he felt the same pain I did...and then he died to...doing the same thing they did...taking them out...with them…are adults always this reckless?...”

 

“Only ours are…”

 

“...I don’t like that…”

 

“We won’t be right?” She stampers in place “When I become a grown up with my own family, I won’t let them go down the road we did!...”

 

“...I would do the same with my future family...I don’t like feeling like this...I’d never want to feel it again...or have them feel it...it’s no good to feel…”

 

“Empty?...”

 

“Yeah…”

 

“Well...I can help with that!...any of us can!...if you forgive us...and...maybe even become our friend?...”

 

“...” The boy simply looks to the ground.

 

“OH!...Right um... _R-Release!_...” And just like that, he can move once more. Noella readies herself just incase if it was a ruse in order to be let go.

 

“I accept...just erm...try not to hurt me further...mentally or physically...my ribs and face hurt from that full nelson and straight kick to my jaw…” He shivers “I also think I got a cold from being frozen…” The three girls who hurt him apologize profusely as he hugs himself before collapsing onto the ground. The others waste no time running up to him “O-Ow...everything...hurts…”

 

“W-What the heck?? He was just fine a moment ago!...” Potter glances over the mouse.

 

“I guess he gets one heck of an adrenaline rush while angry...and now that he calmed down...ouch...all the pain hit him at once…” Papillons words simply get Thistle to run over to him and begin fixing him up. Once he’s fully healed up, Europa helps him up.

 

“Yo...sorry about...nearly hospitalizing you...uh…”

 

“M-Marcel…”

 

“Yeah!...Marcel!...” She grabs one of his hands “But as my new friend! I’ll gladly prevent that from happening ever again!”

 

“H-Hey!...He’s my friend!” Papillon grabs his other hand.

 

“N-No he’s ours!” Bella and Penny join Europa.

 

“OURS!...” Tommy and Raz assist Papillon. As this goes on, Potter and Thistle panic as Marcel is being stretched apart.

 

“I-I don’t remember friendship b-being this aggressive…”

 

“G-Guys I JUST healed him! Don’t go ripping him apart again!”

 

“ **STOP!** ” the tug of war children stop their tugging and let go of Marcel as Noella walks up to him “I’m terribly sorry for them...they have no idea how to properly handle a friendship…”

 

(“They seem rather...excitable...to excitable…”)

 

“Huh?...Oh right!” She holds the mike up to him.

 

“I...don’t mind it much...frankly it helps to have people give me a rather…  solid amount of attention...and treat me as something other than a sad little kid...although I could’ve done without the injuries...reap what you sow I guess…”

 

“You...have such a wild personality difference while calm...you’re so...self demeaning…”

 

“Eh...I just say the truth about myself is all…”

 

“Oh stop it…” She sighs before looking back at the others “ _Release…_ can you guys help me lift his spirits?...He’s one heck of a defeatist…” She spots them about to tug him again in their attempt to help “WITHOUT!...trying to rip him in two…” They all stay there staring at the mouse until both Razz and Penny speak up in unison

 

“Why not conjoin our friend groups?

 

“BE FRIENDS WITH HIM?! NEVER!”

“BE FRIENDS WITH HER?! NEVER!”

 

Both dogs shout while pointing at each other.

 

“You wouldn’t put that silly rivalry aside even if it meant the betterment of someone who really needed it?...” All the kids huddle around Marcel as they perform a group pouty puppy face while the mouse simply stares at them all, heavily confused.

 

“AW COME ON! DON’T DO THAT!...” both dogs whine before turning to each other “Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiineee…” The grab and shake hands “For Marcel…”

 

“I...don’t understand what just happened…” he plucks himself out of the pouting group “But...I guess I’m in no real position to do anything aside from...accept?...I just hope things don’t end up as hectic as they were just now by me doing so…”

 

“Pffft...you don’t have to worry about that! I’m not one to get into trouble!”

 

“Same here! I rarely do much to even warrant any form of threat!”

 

“You rarely do much period!”

 

“Oh shut up Europa!”

 

“Make me!”

 

“ **AHEM!** ” all the other kids aggressively clear their throats, shutting the two dogs up.

 

“Erm...I mean...sorry Europa...and thanks...for...becoming...my friend…”

 

“Likewise...Papillon...totally wanted...this…” their mouths churn as their eyes continuously twitch as the shake their wobbly hands much more aggressively.

 

“Wow. I wonder how well we’ll all get along?” Thistle asks Potter.

 

“With Papillon and Europa at the head front of this little group? I don’t see this ending well…” Potter rolls his eyes with a shrug “But I’m an optimist!”

 

“Same here!”

 

* * *

 

_54 days after the incident_

 

“What’s with Fussenpepper calling us so early all of a sudden…” Europa yawns as she walks over sluggishly next to Papillon.

 

“Beats me… wasn’t much of a bother to me though since I was already awake.”

 

“Eh? What for?”

 

“Still working on an old design of mine! Been working through it this past week through the nights!”

 

“You.”

 

“Yeaaah?”

 

“Skipped sleeping.”

 

“That’s what I sai-”

 

“FOR AN ENTIRE WEEK?”

 

“Did I stutter by accident? I thought I made that clear…”

 

“How are you even still ok?!”

 

“Uh...probably cuz my body is used to it?...”

 

“Used to it my butt! It’s no wonder you have the strength of cheap knockoff tissue paper!”

 

“Rude…”

 

“But not inaccurate...I refuse to have my rival subject himself to such mediocrity! Like seriously if ya gonna be my equal you could at least act much more refined and dignified…”

 

“What are you? My rival or my nanny?”

 

“I just don’t want people thinking that my intellectual equal is a-” the dogs are interrupted by a dazed voice.

 

“Hey hey heeeeeeey! There you two are! You took your time, but that’s quite ok~”

 

“Aw darn it, he hit his head again…” the dogs say in unison.

 

“Who hit their head agaaaaaaaaaain? Oh that don’t matter right nowwww. Now why did I call you over here again?... Hm… Some milk will help me think!...huh...could’ve sworn milk was pink…” he shrugs before chugging a bottle of milk he pulls from out of nowhere, once he finishes a light bulb appears above his head, but before he’s allowed to speak, it falls and breaks on his head, swapping him back to his more aggressive state “OW!...” he rubs his head “Where am I?...Oh! You two! Right! There’s something I really needed to ask you both!”

 

“What is it?”

 

“We need to name this town seeing as it’s a fully functional area of society now! And since you both made it...well...the honor belongs to the two of you!” both children blink “Come on! Don’t either of you got a name in mind?”

 

“I do! It’s just that it’s such a big burden to give to a kid!”

 

“Aw can it ya wimp! A chance like this doesn’t come often! I’ll glad hand a name over!”

 

“Hey no fair! I built more of this place!”

 

“No you didn’t! I did!”

 

“We are not doing this again...look...you both are both well known singers as well as geniuses so how about you both have a rap battle to decide who gets to name the place? Seems a fair enough way to handle the situation, while catering to your egos! Although I rather we not do that, but I’m in no real position to argue since i did absolutely nothing…” He scratches his chin “Well, that’s what we’ll do! The entire town will be the judges! Come back here at noon once you’re both properly rested up! Now git!”

 

“Rested up? I barely need the sle-” Europa grabs and drags Papillon by his black hair across the floor, like how a caveman would “OWOWOWOWOW!”

 

“Uh uh! You ain’t getting time to try and one up me! You’re sleeping and that’s final!”

 

“BUT THERE’S WORK TO BE DONE!” he kicks about as he tries to break free, but to no avail “HOW DO YOU PLAN ON EVEN GETTING ME TO SLEEP? I’LL REFUSE EVERYTHING!”

 

“Hitting you would probably knock you out for far too long a time, but lucky for you! Thistle should have just the thing to get you resting whether ya wanna or not!”

 

“I DON’T CONSENT TO THIS! YOU CAN’T RESTRAIN ME THIS WAY! HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!”

 

“AW CAN IT!” the duo disappears in the distance as Fussenpepper watches from afar in mass disappointment.

 

“Those two have such an odd dynamic...and yet they’re more alike than they know!...Or maybe they DO know and simply refuse to admit to it from sheer ego alone...their companionship is held together simply by irony alone...I can’t picture it lasting!...or maybe it’s from that irony that something more will come out of it? Oh what’s with me and doting on their every action together?! Did I hit my head again?? I feel to lost in such a trivial thing. When did I become the dazed grandpa over them!”

 

* * *

 

_At high noon_

 

“So you guys are gonna have a rap battle over who gets to name the town then huh?” Bella asks as she looks between the two.

 

“That’s what Mister Fussenpepper proposed we do.”

 

“Yeah and thinking about it as I slept, I feel this is probably the next best way to prove once and for all that one of us is superior to the other!”

 

“Europa, can’t you simply abide by the fact that the two of you are equals? For all we know, this could end up the same as with your intellect!” Noella draws a heavy dramatic sigh as she tilts her head “We’re all friends now...can’t you just act like it? No need to try and outdo the other...that’s not what a friend would do…”

 

(“I feel friendship for them is a rather heavy burden. They can’t find it in them to overlook the other as a companion! They could benefit as people over all if they simply put those differences aside! That’s what their groups did. Heck that’s what we ALL did!”)

 

“Uhhhh...what he said!...Whatever it was that he said…” Tommy taps his fingers, hoping he didn’t say the wrong thing to offend Marcel.

 

“Well. However you feel we should act. Only the result from today will decide it!”

 

“Oh joy…” All the kids say in response to Papillon’s and Europa’s vigor.

 

The two young dogs stand at the center of the town as they stare at  one another, microphone in their hands.

 

“Now normally I'd have to say to keep the verses clean and treat each other as an equal not an enemy, but I was under the assumption that I didn't need to do that here. I was wrong. You kids have one hell of a colorful vocabulary…”

 

“That's what happens when every adult around you, in the midst of a war, freely speaks their mind.”

 

“Eheh…” _Smart ass reply eh?...Well he ain't wrong…_ “Whether or not that's the case is not important now. Just...keep it clean? There are still some kids that haven't expanded their vocabulary that far and their parents would like to keep it as such!” both kids nod “Good! Then without further ado…” he raises his arms and swings them downwards.

 

“LET'S RAP!” shout the two dogs in unison.

 

Listen to me and listen well,

A prodigy is speaking and he's got a lot to tell!

Against you, my equal.

I shall beat you, with no sequel!

I will finish this and come out at the TOP!   Tommy, Potter, Razzle and Noella all cheer for Papillon almost instantly.

 

_Boy you betta stop,_

_Or ya rep is gonna drop! Ya really gonna flop!_

_There is, nothing-I-fear._

_My pathway-is-clear!_

_Makin a fool of yourself is all I see ya doin!_    Bella, Thistle, Penny and Marcel all do the same, but for Europa.

 

My victory is a shoe-in!

If this is all, you're capable of brewin~

What will ya do?

Ya place will be numbah two!

Gotta say I expected, So. Much. More!

 

_Overconfidence is a bore, such a snore!_

_Just, show yaself to da door! Ya so easy to ignore!_

_Don’t jump to conclusions,_

_Stop ya delusions!_

_Ya making this a one-sided-fight~_

 

Ya can’t diminish my might or my right so of me, don’t ya dare make light!

I will win this plight and stop your growing blight! I will knock you way out my sight!

In this battle,

I won’t rattle!

How hard can beating ya be?   The town starts getting really into it, as half of the people begin cheering for the male puppy.

 

_Why can’t ya see?_

_That the only winner is me~_

_You can’t take what-I-got!_

_You can’t stop what-I-plot_

_Run along now, cuz I see your skin is gettin cold!_ The same result happens with the other half of the town cheering for the female puppy.

 

Why ya, treatin me like i’m old, no longer bold! No matter where or when or how, I’ll always be spittin gold!

And I ain’t ever gonna stop telling it ‘til the teller gets told! I think You. Should. Fold.

Isn’t that so?

I think they all know.

So now you betta step down!

 

_Ain’t making ME frown! Ya more like a clown~ I’m to world renown~_

_Hand me that crown, gimme a gown! Just listen to the roar of the town!_

_They know who won~_

_I’m sorry son~_

_They all know who they want to end the winner~_

 

Both of them lock eyes as they enter a quick deadlock of lines as the chanting of the crowd gets louder and louder. People continuously swapping who they want to cheer for.

 

Man ya lie worse than a sinner!

I felt more heat from a mime!

 

_Ya can’t beat me when it’s my time!_

_Especially now when you and your voice are startin to fall flat!_

 

I haven’t gone splat!

That honor belongs to you Madame~

 

_You’ll never stop my jam!_

_Cuz I am the one and only!_

 

They slam foreheads together as they now go on in a rapid fire rap as the crowd explodes with cheer. They can’t seem to figure out who they want to vote for due to the mass amount of love they have for the two.

 

YA CAN’T BEAT MY STRIDE!

_YA CAN’T BEAT MY RHYTHM!_

MY BEATS RUN AND GLIDE!

_THEY DON’T COMPARE TO MY JAMMIN ALGORITHM!_

I HAVE THIS IN THE BAG!

_YOUR NOTHING BUT A JOKE!_

YOUR BEATS ARE STARTING TO DRAG!

_YOUR RHYTHM IS STARTING TO CHOKE!_

THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE!

_ONLY ONE CAN RUN FREE!_

RECOUNTS, THEY’LL BE NONE!

_THEY KNOW WHO IT’LL BE!_

YEAH THE WINNER _IS NO ONE OTHER THAN_ ME! Fussenpepper stomps the ground, causing the pups to bounce away from shock.

 

“AND THAT’S THAT! THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN, AND THE RESULT IS A **TIE!** ” As he says this, the entire town, and their own friends, are seen chanting BOTH their names in gleeful unison.

 

“WAIT WHAT?! WE _TIED?!?!_ ” both puppies quickly spasm their heads about, looking at all the townsfolk who shout both their names, proving what the older man said to be fact.

 

“B-But that can’t be right!”

 

“O-One of us HAD to be better!”

 

“None of that! The town thought you were both equal spectacles! It seems that no matter the task, the challenge, or the genre. You both are equal through and through! There can’t be nothing better when you both reached the best! You two will be equals forever!” Both kids fall over onto their backs in pure distasteful defeat.

 

“Equals?...” Papillon says with a blank stare piercing the heavens

 

“Forever?...” Europa blurts with her empty gaze reflecting the void of the sky.

 

Their friends all run up to them and help em up as they both speak up in unison “B-BUT THEN WHAT ABOUT THE TOWN?! WE DON’T HAVE A NAME FOR THAT TOGETHER! WE DON’T WANNA THINK OF ONE!”

 

“Are you STILL refusing to work well with each other?! The TOWN has proven to you that it’s better to just get along! Now hurry up and think up a name!”

 

“WE RATHER LET THE TOWNSPEOPLE DECIDE IF THEY THINK US BEING PROPER FRIENDS WITH EACH OTHER IS THE RIGHT MINDSET!”

 

“Really? Huh...well what do you all say?” The townspeople stop chanting as they stare at the two dogs. A group ‘Hmmmm’ Is heard as they try to think up a name. Their eyes continuously dart between Papillon and Europa before they all shout out a conjoined ‘AHA!’ A teenager Axolotl girl walks up to Fussenpepper and and whispers into his ear.

 

“Ahhh! That’s a PERFECT!”

 

“What is it?...”

 

“You may have given the honor to the town, but it seems you two are still the reason this town will get it’s new name!”

 

“Don’t leave us hanging! What’s the name!”

 

“The new name of this place has been decided! And it shall be! Parappa.”

 

“Parappa??? How’d we inspire THAT name??”

 

“Simple! The prefix of Pa from Papillon’s name, the Suffix of Pa from Europa’s name and the fact that you had a Rap battle BETWEEN the two of you! Pa-Rap-Pa!” the pup’s only response simply are their eyes twitching wildly as they both faint on the spot.

 

“Dog’s down!” Fussenpepper stares at the two unconscious puppies

 

“We’re sorry Mister Fussenpepper! They’re just uh...really happy for that new town name!”

 

“And were SUPER glad to be the reason for it that they fainted from joy!!” Potter and Thistle both clearly lie full force, but the older man as well as the rest of the town believed it.

 

“Haha! See! Now they can finally start seeing that they’re better off as respectful friends towards each other rather than just petty rivals!”

 

“Uh...yeah!...We’ll just take them from here!” All the kids pick up the two out of it dogs as they bolt away.

 

“What a way to earn a name for the town! I’m glad they love the name as much as the town does!” He bellows a hearty laugh as he watches the children disappear into the distance.

 

The days went on as both dogs started to become much more accepting to the other. Granted it was thanks to having the town name sort of forcing them to at the start, but as time went on, they began to genuinely be alright with the other’s presence. At long last after a specific day, the two were truly friends with one another fully. What was that day? Let’s find out!

 

* * *

 

_241 days after the incident, start of better days_

 

“Hey Europa...have you...noticed that all the kids have been bummed out for no reason today?”

 

“I have noticed that. It’s real depressin. Even our tagalongs have been depressed! Like what the heck? What’s their deal?? Why keep us in the dark…”

 

“Well we could try asking them right now! They’re all...walking into that new big build-...oh no…” The two run up to their pals before they head onto what is something they’ve all been fearing. The new building that they had spotted was none other than...a school.

 

“What the heck guys?! Why didn’t you tell us that you were heading to a school!” Europa blurts out with smoke puffs emanating from her ears.

 

“Why bother telling you about that?...You both are geniuses so by immediate obligation, you’re not needed to come along with…” Penny says with a sigh.

 

“Yeah...you're both to smart to have to deal with any of this…” Razzle says as his head droops downwards.

 

“But that’s strange...me and Europa didn’t build a school…”

 

“You’re right! You didn’t! We found that odd...so we the town elected that we handle that for ya since we assume you forgot!” Fussenpepper says as he walks up.

 

“Yeah...forgot...let’s go with that…” Papillon shakes his head “But this is unfair! Can’t you pardon our friends? Me and Europa can tutor them! We’re practically the smartest ones around!”

 

“While that’s some sound logic that I can’t really argue with. That’s not with in Judicial rights...if we let your friends get the easy way out for tutoring. You’d have to tutor EVERY kid. And I doubt you two could manage that!” Both puppies turn green at the thought of having to deal with every kid in town. They then look to their friends who sulk their way to the door before looking back to each other. With determination in their eyes, they nod their heads.

 

“Sign us up for the school then!” they say in unison.

 

“Wahey? Why? You two have IQ’s that could make scientists, inventors and mathematicians of our past weep with envy! Why drop yourselves into doing stuff you clearly don’t need??”

 

“Why do we need a reason? It doesn’t hurt to learn more! Even if it’s a lower level! You never know when a small tidbit might be needed!”

 

“I mean...I can’t really argue with the geniuses...but it’s the fact that you two ARE geniuses that makes this seem pointless…”

 

“Then isn’t that arguin anyway? That’s pretty dumb if you ask us. But what do we know? We’re only kids~” They both smile “Genius kids~” Fussenpepper fumes on the spot and he scratches his head roughly, unable to think of a reply that didn't involve yelling. His head glows as if it were about to pop from anger. He stares at the two kids intensely before a loud breaking noise is heard from him as he wobbles and topples over. Once he gets back up he's now his dazed self again.

 

“Oh my oh my! When you're right, you're right! I gotta say that it isn't fun arguing with a smart person… Ow...my knees in pain...and so is my brain…” he stumbles a bit before looking back at the two “Well, if that's what you two want, then ok! I'll handle the registering and what not! You just go inside! School is starting after all! Make sure to tell your parents about this to! Now go on! This old hero has gotta get an ice pack before he handles all the legal thingamajigs…”

 

“Thank you Mister Fussenpepper!” Both kids hug the confused adult as they rush off to their friends.

 

“Well...you guys ready for this?...” Noella asks to the members of their friend group.

 

“Nope…” is their only reply.

 

“WAIT FOR US!” Both small dogs run up to the others.

 

“Don't go on in without us!” Papillon gleefully speaks up.

 

“Yeah! Say hello to you fellow classmates ya dorks!” as Europa says this, they all look about, annoying the female dog “I MEAN US!”

 

“Wha?...” is their only reply.

 

“You heard her! Me and Europa are coming along with you guys on this unfun school ride!”

 

“You...gave up your freedom to tag along with us?...” Thistle says as her eyes grow wide.

 

“You dorks are our friends! And me and Pappy here...well, we wanted what was best for you guys and we couldn't achieve it. So we settled for the next best thing!”

 

“If we couldn't get you guys to come with us, we decided to go to you all!”

 

“But you're gonna be wasting years of your lives! You both already know all this stuff and then some!...” Tommy brings up as he shakes his arms about.

 

“Wasting years of our lives?”

 

“Tommy...you stupid…we ain't wasting nothin!”

 

“When we’re with you guys, every time spent is well spent! We ain't cutting any corners to prove that right!” Papillon beams a bright smile.

 

“Our friendship is worth suffering through boring old school! You guys can believe that!” Europa giggles before shouting ‘yay’ and giving the kids a thumbs up.

 

“That's the new proper PaRappa Town way! Friendship above all else, with all else! So say us!”

 

The kids only reply were to all quickly cry on the spot as they overwhelm the two dogs in a big hug that knocks them all onto the ground. The two now leaders of the friend group simply laugh. This was the start of their new and long lasting friendship between all of them. This was the start of a brand new beginning that would have its ups and it's downs. It's laughter and tears. It's hellos and goodbyes. It was the beginning of something magnificent, but they would not know. Not until many years later.

 

* * *

 

“Haha…” Papa Rappa wipes the tears from his eyes “To go back to those days…~ I'd give everything I have and then some…~” as the screen turns to static, he takes the weird helmet off before heading back to his lone seat as the young adults all watch him with their mouths agape “Well...it's not the most creative way of naming the town...But it's the way they decided as a town thanks to us~...I hope it was a good enough answer!...uh...why are you all staring at me like that?...Did you not get the answer you all wanted?...”

 

“Parappa, I didn't know that your parents were best buds with my dad!” Matt says as he shimmy’s in place on the floor.

 

“Or my old man.” PJ adds on.

 

(“Especially with Papa-Ma!”) Ma-san says followed by a whistle of disbelief.

 

“Or my mom!” Paula also shimmy’s in place.

 

“M-My mother as well!” Lammy taps her fingers together.

 

“Including...my mother to…” Katy sighs dejectedly.

 

“I didn’t know either! I thought Potter was his only childhood friend! Dad, why didn’t you ever bring that up!...Why didn’t any of them bring it up??..”

 

“Well you grow up. Yes we’re still friends, but we have our own lives to handle! Sometimes it makes things rather...hectic to try and set up an good ol meet up! Reunions are a funny thing, I didn’t even realize that PJ and Katy’s parents WERE Razzle and Noella until I met them again!”

 

“Does that mean you all separated at some point?...”

 

“That my dear Katy is a story for another day!”

 

“And dad, it amazes me that you and mom...well you guys really didn’t like each other when you were younger! How’d that change as you guys got older??”

 

“Again my boy, a tale for another day! Right now i’ve had my fill of...reminiscing...I don’t wanna get TO teary eyed!” He does a flat chuckle before looking back to his son “But yeah, how was that answer for you?...”

 

“Well, I’m certainly satisfied! How about you all?” his friends all nod “See? It’s such a goofy way of getting a name! And yet...it works. I feel like any other name wouldn’t have worked after what had happened back then. I’d like to know why I got named that, but I get the memo. A tale for another day hehe.” He chuckles before being shoved aside by his friends.

 

“H-Hey! It just clicked to me! My mother was summoning ice throughout the times she appeared in the video!”

 

“And my dad was like some sort of athletic boosted superguy!”

 

“At yes, it does make sense that you two wouldn’t really know that. We all don’t really use our abilities anymore! There’s really no need, and we even mostly forgot how to use em anyway given how long we refused to use any of them. The one who probably still has an adept feel on what they can do is most likely Marcel and even Noella probably. But, anywho! As i’m sure you heard Penny and Marcel, we all wanted to get as far away from the past as possible, so we went with trying to seem as regular as possible. But I guess that can’t be the case anymore...especially with...Leo Steps coming back to the past to prove my fears a reality…” He sighs “I am to assume you all inherited their abilities. Your other parent were regular people so it’s safe to say the abilities were  _probably_ a shoe in for inheriting! But, for both Katy and you my boy, you’re both a special case.”

 

“Eh?” the cat and dog lean in.

 

“Well recall! Me and Europa had different types of abilities with our electrical prowess despite being the same affinity! So it’s quite possible that you may not have gotten any of them given them amount of genetics in the mix trying to achieve dominance. The same with Katy. Your mother, as you saw, had the ability of a hypnotic and hypersonic lulling beautiful voice! But your father...egh...well he had control of water and very faint arcane abilities. So like with Parappa. It’s possible you as well didn’t inherit anything from the struggle of genetic dominance cancelling everything out.” both young adults sigh “Oh don't feel bad! I'm sure the others haven’t inherited anything either!...heh…”

 

“Gonna have to prove you wrong pops. Ma-san and Lammy have already showed that it's been passed down from their parents.”

 

“Ooooooh...the children of the two who wanted to avoid the past the most…”

 

(“You don't have to worry about me! Papa-Ma is rather ok with me being as spicy a firecracker as he once was!”)

 

“I...can't say the same with my mom...I feel that I'd I told her...she'd flip…”

 

“Eheh...well I hope you both use your abilities responsibly at the very least!” both girls nod “The same extends to you two as well in case you both are on the same boat!” Matt and Paula nod as well “And...in case I was wrong with the two of you...you both be careful as well…I worry for you two the most! Noella and Robert’s...my own and Europa’s...whenever we…’lost our cool’...well...it was terrifying...our bodies acted on subconscious instinct rather than rationality! And...Well it was a mess…”

 

“Have some faith in us Mr. Rappa!”

 

“Yeah dad! Me and Katy are the last people you gotta be worried for! We'd never abuse the abilities if we had them!”

 

“I have enough faith in Katy and you, but that's not what I meant. You my boy...you did lock yourself in your room for a year...that type of emotional distress would've been really bad had you already awakened the stuff within you!”

 

“Ah...haha…” he swings his arms behind his head “Now I'm worried as to what would've happened…”

 

“The most I'm willing to say is that you'd end up a lightning rod, and the house would not have appreciated that! Or worse! Float out into space from bad magnet control!” Parappa's only reply is a heavy ‘Gulp’ “And you Katy, had you not met my boy back then...oh boy...we'd have had hypnotized people everywhere!” Katy does the same response as Parappa “Now now, don't stay fearful! You have each other, as well as the rest of your friends! So NOW currently, it won't happen. Still doesn't hurt to be careful. And like I said, you may not have even inherited anything! So no worries!”

 

“Could’ve said that first before givin us mini heart attacks pops…”

 

“I could’ve! But my overprotective nature of the two of you made me overdo it...my bad!...” the cat and dog roll their eyes.

 

“Well...thanks for that story dad. It was great to hear and learn more about the past! Despite the last tidbit at the end there…”

 

“Glad to be of...eh...decent service!” he gives a faded goofy chuckle “I...am not good at this sorta thing...only Europa was!...so bear with me ey? I'm still a novice at handling things…”

 

The others around Papa Rappa laugh playfully “Don't worry dad, it's all good!”

 

“Eheheh...thank you all! And I'm glad I could satiate your curiosity!” they all wave to him as they head out the door, and he waves back.

 

Once they're out the door, Parappa speaks up to Rammy “Well then, you good with those answers for real?”

 

“Yeah I was! You all had such a bizarre upbringing! Makes me kinda jealous, but hey! I'm included now ain't I?~” They all resume their walk with everything brightly illuminated by the sunny sky that had begun to dip. Papa Rappa pokes his head out the door and stares at his son and his friends, and for a moment, and only just a moment, they all turned into a faded vision of him and his friends from their own young adult days. This results in the older dog sighing as he heads back inside.

 

_I truly hope that you all...end up better than we ever could have hoped to achieve...that's our one and only wish. Will you grant us that joy?_


	33. Foxtrot stride and Catscratch fever

_13 days before hell breaks loose_

 

“Paula will you quit pulling me aroundddd…”

 

“No can do! You’ve been ignoring the promise you owe me~”

 

“Promise?”

 

“The duo song you owe me~”

 

“Duo son-”

 

 _“No fair~ Oh well you owe us a song another day. Right now Katy says we stayed past what we planned originally, so we gotta go.”_ Her voice echoes in Parappa’s head as another sentence is spoken.

 

_“Also don't forget, you owe me a song with the two of us as the duo!”_

 

“Ah...right...I have been shirking on that promise haven’t I?...”

 

“Well, you’re excused!...But the promise now includes dancing~”

 

“Hngg...well...that’s fair. Kinda owe alot and then some.”

 

“I’m glad you’re ok with this! Now let’s get going!”

 

“Going where? Club Rainbow is still in ruins!”

 

“But not Club Fun~”

 

“But that place is still outta business ain’t it?”

 

“Oopsie, guess we never filled ya in huh?~ Wellllll. Thanks to all of us, the place has been given a second chance! Right now it should be in a well enough condition that we can have some alone singing and dancing sessions!”

 

“Wow! How'd ya even manage that? Mushi couldn't manage that!”

 

“You got your son to thank for that!” Paula stops yanking Parappa “You know...I just realized...that Leo is a hybrid in more than one sense! Aside from being half dog, half...who knows, he's also got a mixed in potential powers!”

 

“Come aga-” Parappa recalls yesterday “Ah right...but you have to remember. I may not be able to even pass anything given my dad's explanation. And thanks to my genetics, I may have prevented his mother's abilities from being passed on as well!”

 

“But how can you be sure that's the case? Your dad hasn't really seen proper ability passing since no one decided to try and use it daily! Let alone for a hybrid form of it! So you might have a hybrid mix of your mom and dad's! Just like Leo will have a FURTHER hybridization of yours along with whoever his mom is!” she leans along a wall as she begins daydreaming heavily to a point her imagination is able to be seen by Parappa. The thought bubble shows fox Leo holding both hands out, surrounding his left were many snowflakes and on his right, electricity was seen flowing out. He quickly spawns a ball of lighting and then freezes it over, leaving an ice figurine in his hands in the shape of a heart that he holds out. He then smiles as the daydreamed boy blurts out ‘Happy anniversary mom and dad!~’ It was obvious what the ultimate point of the daydream was, and it's further made obvious as Paula sighs happily, spawning a heart that emits from her mouth. Completely forgetting who she was with as she slinks to ground in pure delight.

 

Parappa scratches his cheek bashfully, as he starts heating up “Well...this is...flattering…~” he shakes his head as he stares at the overly giddy and dazed girl “Hoo boy...guess it's time for another not a date…~” he grabs the aloof girl by the hand, snapping her out of it, and runs off “Well come on then Paula! It's time I learn more about you! Let's see if that little happy moment of yours has a chance of being reality~” he winks with a smile which only gets her face to heat up from embarrassment as she realizes that he saw her daydream.

 

* * *

 

“Wow! Miss Gloria works fast!”

 

“Who?”

 

“You'll find out soon enough!...very soon! There she is now!” she points to the wrench headed woman and as they get a good look at her, they see someone trying to hide behind her. It was Leo.

 

“Why is he here?”

 

“I mean he's pretty much the new brand for this place so it makes sense that he'd overlook the work progress, but what's got him scared is the better question!” they both run up to the two “Leo!”

 

“AAAAHHH!” the helmeted Leo recoils like a cat before bouncing to the ceiling and latching on, he stares towards the ground to see who called his names “Oh...it's just you two…” he plucks his hands, feet and tail off the ceiling beam and falls to the ground with a heavy splat “Ow…”

 

“Sheesh...that is some anxiety. Man you really don't want to see Momo do you?”

 

“Momo?” the dog and fox stare at the wrench woman. But Leo speaks up for her as he gets up and removes his helmet, revealing his now fox face.

 

“Momo’s...my agent…Or rather used to be…”

 

“Riiiiight...you need to jumpstart your career in order to endorse this place… why are you scared of her Leo?” Paula taps her lips with her fingers in confusion.

 

“She's a bit of a drill sergeant… a tad to overachieving and pushes me to do the impossible at times… I mean I managed at the end of the day, but she would keep it up… and it got exhausting to deal with that on a daily basis. Just full days of prep and work only to finally finish and then the literal next minute happened and suddenly it's now tomorrow and we start the cycle over. Once I remembered that this is what what I have to go through again… I uh...started trying to hide.”

 

“NO WONDER YOU GREW TO HATE YOUR CAREER IF _THAT’S_ WHAT YOU HAD TO PUT UP WITH!”

 

“Ehhhh...I mean...you're not wrong. And yet I still went with it. I mean at that point in time I was on a high of just...rolling with the punches. The Queen's kinda helped spark that in me.”

 

“I can attest to that, being their manager and all, watching them…’mentor’ the guy. It's a lifestyle you forcibly adapt from that much prolonged exposure!”

 

“Just what kind of girls were these chicks??” Paula asks as she starts getting befuddled.

 

“Goddesses.” was Leo's immediate reply.

 

“Right...Miss Gloria?”

 

“If I tell you anything bad about them, Leo here will quickly berate me and try to prove otherwise!” she chuckles.

 

“Boy it sure must be nice having context…” Parappa says, completely lost to what's going on.

 

“Ah right! You weren't here uh…”

 

“Parappa!”

 

“Oh! YOU’RE Leo's father!”

 

“That be me!”

 

“Can you stop saying my name please? I don't want Momo to hear and appear here…”

 

“Ok now you're being ridiculous!” Paula stomps the ground annoyed “No one's gonna randomly appear from me just saying, Leo Steps!” as Paula says the last part aloud, it echoes outside of the building and into the distance. And in said distance, by a red van, stands a gray skinned woman with a peculiar train whistle head, wearing some heavily formal business attire. She is seen sighing as she heads into the van, but as she lifts her foot.

 

 _Leo Steps!_ The phrase reaches one of her ears and exits the other as she puts her foot down and does an immediate one eighty spin before rushing off at the speed of light.

 

“Paula stop!”

 

“I won't stop! Admit that this is just a silly bit of parano-...anyone else hear what sounds like a train heading right towards here?”

 

“S-She’s on h-her waaaaaaaaay…” Leo puts his helmet back on in preparation.

 

“Wha-” Paula, Parappa and Gloria and tossed away into the air as an overly energetic Momo dashes right through them and stops in front of Leo. She slowly tilts her head upwards, her face is embedded in a dark shade as only two gleaming dots on her face are seen.

 

“...H-Hi...M-Momo…” she straightens up and towers over him as she holds her arms out “Oh please don’t break my spine!...” the highly formal woman simply hugs the young adult as she cries ridiculously on the spot with her tears acting like a comedic sprinkler “This...is not the reaction I expected from you…”

 

The three people flung into the air finally land and get back up to see the crying higher up “That’s the taskmaster??...” as Parappa says this the woman stops crying.

 

“TASKMASTER?? SO I REALLY WAS A BAD MANAGER! WAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAA!” she now cries even harder.

 

“I'm am very confused here…am I being pranked? Am I on some live pranking skit?” Leo looks about as Momo stops hugging him and blows her nose on a handkerchief, emitting a super loud train whistle that stuns everyone in the room except herself.

 

“Nono...I'm just here both overjoyed and resentful. I've gotten word that you wanted to return to the scene! And that meant you were ready to get back to it so I just had to find you as soon as possible!” Leo quickly cuts her off.

 

“Why? To pop my eardrums??” before Momo can continue, the red van she was seen with drives up to the door of the club, a pinkish blur is seen exiting the thing and dive bombs into the club. The blur then tackles Leo to the ground “WHYYYY…”

 

“TEAAAAACHEEEEEEEER!” it was a magenta cat. She wore a brown vest jacket with pink shorts and black boots. Her hair was pure white with a pink and brown highlight, and oddly enough, nearly the exact style as Leo's hair usually is when he's in his cat body style. The only difference was that she didn't have the pseudo ears, and instead had a large tuft of hair over one of her eyes. Thanks to her hair and clothing color scheme, she gave the appearance of neapolitan ice cream.

 

“Owwww my spineeee...wait...teacher? C-COOKIE?” the female cat’s response was to do what Momo did. Cry as exaggeratedly as possible, this prompts Momo to resume crying.

 

“Who that?...”

 

“Sorry Parappa, from this point on, not even I have context…”

 

“I can help with that. Momo Briggs is the agent that Nana K and King Kong Mushi got for the kid, thinking she'd be the best for him at the time. The 19 year old girl helping Momo drown Leo in tears is Clarisse Cook Harlequin, or as she prefers, Claire ‘Cookie’ Harley. The ‘protégé’ of Leo here! Atleast in her own eyes nowadays!” Gloria chuckles.

 

“Protégé??” the dog and fox say together.

 

“Sorry younguns, it ain't my place to tell ya THAT story! Have to leave that to Leo!”

 

As they stay stuck on that tidbit, Leo finally prys Claire off of himself while getting both her and Momo to stop crying “OK! Momo I'll get back to you...Claire, why are you here?”

 

“Well my agent booked off at the speed of sound, and I just HAD to go after her! And lo and behold I see my old agent slash mentor again thanks to it!”

 

“Cookie please stop with that...I am not your manager or teacher or superior anymore!, I'm your friend! Best friend eve- wait did you just call Momo your agent?...”

 

“Yeah! I figured the best way to grow my career even further beyond after you stepped down was to get the manager my idol and teacher had!” Leo rests his hands on her shoulders as he stares her dead in the eyes.

 

“You poor girl...that must've been a nightmare for you…”

 

“Actually Mrs. Momo was a joy to have around!”

 

“...............Huuuuuuh?....”  Momo cries once more.

 

“I MUST'VE BEEN THE WORST TO YOU!  BWAAAAAHAAAAAA!”

 

“Oh, did she not explain?...”

 

“Explain what??”

 

“Ever since you stepped down, Mrs. Momo has done some contemplating on her methods and actions, and slowly she started believing that she was the cause of why you left the whole scene! So when she heard that you wanted to give it another shot, she wanted to be there and make it up to you as best she could as much as she could!”

 

“.....Oooooooh...I see…” he sighs as he turns to Momo “Why didn’t you just go to me to tell me that! You know where I live!”

 

“I was worried you’d try to avoid me…”

 

“Preposterous! I wouldn’t had you just told me!”

 

“Kid. You were literally spending these past few days hiding in fear of her…” Momo cries harder once more after Gloria says that.

 

“Please...stop the waterworks...you ain't the reason I stepped down…” _Mostly…_ “I just wanted to get away from it all. I guess you could say I got sick of the lifestyle. However since I plan to help some old chums out… I gotta pick up my dancing shoes and microphone and all my assortment of instruments and get my ass into gear! Here's hoping my second runabout will be better for me. And I guess that includes going back to you Momo~” the train whistle woman finally calms down indefinitely as she crushes the boy in a hug

 

“It's so great to hear that my teacher is coming back! And he's gonna be alongside me no less!”

 

“Yeah, guess there's that to Cookie!...” Leo struggles to breathe as the air is forced out of him.

 

“Mind telling me who the friends you're helping are though? It'd be amazing to get to know who you're helping out!”

 

“Two of them...are...right behind you...Momo please let me go…” the cat girl turns around and spots Paula and Parappa.

 

“Oh! My apologies! I didn't see you both there! Boy you gotta be really thankful having my teach help you all out big time!”

 

“Eheh...yeah...we are...so then...by name dropping assumption. You're Clarisse right!” the bubbly personality fades away as Parappa calls her by her full name.

 

“I-I prefer not being called by my full first name please…but yes...I'm C-Claire…”

 

Paula leans in and whispers to Parappa _“Talk about your tonal shift...where'd that energy go??”_

 

_“Beats me...but uh...I felt a very negative wave just now after that, so I think it's for the best to call her as she prefers…”_

 

 _“Aight…”_ “Sooo...Claire...How'd you and Leo here meet?”

 

She cheers up instantly “OHHH! That was the best moment of my life! It was five years ago at a competition, held to see if people who wanted to get their names known worldwide were capable of doing as such! Now I was a MESS! Leo was my idol, AND STILL IS MIND YOU! And to know that he'd be one of the judges was NERVE-RACKING! I became ten times the mess that I already was! And then he was there walking around, inspecting those who were partaking! Talking to everyone, and then teach talks to ME! And well after a friendly chat and some boring banter from me, he just turns up and walks away. I'm like ‘Oh no you idiot you bored him off!’ but nope! He goes to everyone, including the Queens and his other friends who he was with and goes-” she fixes her hair by tossing the tuft of hair back to properly mimic Leo. Once she finishes with her hair, it's revealed she has heterochromia as her hidden eye was yellow as opposed to her always visible eye being blue. With her preparations done, she resumes by clearing her throat and doing a vocal imitation of Leo _“If anything were to happen to this girl, be it emotional, physical or mental...I will kill everyone single person in this building including myself. Excluding her obviously.”_ she then ruffles her hair back into place “AND THAT WAS THE LIKE THE BEST THING TO HEAR EVER!”

 

Paula and Parappa merely blink as Gloria and Momo laugh. The fox and dog stare at the helmeted Leo “Eheh...excuse us for a bit…” Leo grabs his confused friends until they're out of hearing distance “Let me add context to my airheaded friends synopsis…”

 

“Please do…” as they both say that, Leo's helmet plays a video.

 

 _“Oh man...it's...such an oddity to have a normal, none tycoon filled day…”_ Younger video Leo says.

 

 _“Well I guess even the freak-o needs a day off. Not like you have a totally free day!”_ Harper appears and taps the camera.

 

_“Yeah yeah Harpy I know...so I gotta judge at this here competition with you huh? Guess Momo gave me an easy thing to do for once...”_

 

_“Gotta thank Gloria for that, they contacted her and she thought it'd be nice to pass the buck to the ol caboose!”_

 

_“Well I know who to thank now. Anywho...what are these deals like? What exactly do I gotta...judge?”_

 

_“It’s as the description implies. Be a judge. To what exactly? Well a kinda special thing. See unlike you or your past old man that you showed me. Not everyone is lucky enough to rise up on their own and get their names out there with the greatest of ease! Some people gotta strive for the limelight! But it’s up to naturals like you and I to be the judge of the upcomin newbies~”_

 

_“That seems abit...unfair.”_

 

 _“And you’re in your right to think like that. But I’ll tell ya what’s REALLY unfair! See...these newbies...well...they’re basically chickens once you chop their heads off. Completely...spiratic with no proper direction in their actions!”_ she motions a finger across her throat.

 

_“Oh i’m sure they aren’t THAT bad…”_

 

_“Let me finish. See...to call it anxiety...nerves...stage fright of whatever...it’s not an eligible excuse… and well while on the stage...they choke...they fumble...they. Fuck. up. And it messes with them...so much so that they’re deemed...jokes...they don’t get their chance. Just shot down, and refused any other potential chance. Sometimes they get so mentally flustered that they just throw in the towel before any actual judging can even happen! It’s a mess I tell ya...and you feel bad. These newbies are cute and endearing. You can’t help but want to see em reach for the stars.”_

 

_“Look at you being the softie all of a sudden. I figured you’d just like these newcomers as ‘snacks’ and nothing more.”_

 

_“Oh come on. I don’t treat EVERYONE like that.”_

 

 _“Yes you do.”_ the remaining Queen members all blurt out.

 

_“Yes I do. And hey. I can’t help it, but I’m serious with this! It’s just that type of feeling that makes you wanna scoop one of em up and...I dunno, mentor em and like...raise em like one of your own.”_

 

_“Oh come on. I’m sure you’re over exaggerating on the emotion just a touch!”_

 

_“We did that with you.”_

 

_“PFFT…”_

 

_“See Pinkie’s laughin!”_

 

_“Amby i’m hurt…”_

 

_“Aw cool it and let her laugh! It happened with us and you and it happens with others who get to onlook a newbie! Newbie Love is just that strong! Like look at your dad! He was picked by King Kong Mushi was he not?”_

 

_“...Huh…….”_

 

_“Exactly.”_

 

_“No that’s preposterous! Look i’ll prove it to you! I’ll go look over all the contestants and SHOW you that I won’t be like that!”_

 

 _“Don’t go pickin up any strays~”_ Leo simply growls as the camera looks back towards the contestants before heading towards them as he storms away.

 

The video Leo is then seen chatting with all the contestants there, and as video Harper pointed out, they have little to no proper motion control. A majority of them are sitting and even that proves to be a challenge from the nervous feeling they all have affecting them _“Wow it really is a mess...these guys are shaking as if they were trying to wait out an earthquake...oh...there’s one more contender...but why is she so far back from everyone else?...”_ he is then seen walking up to the girl in question. As he approaches the girl quaking in the chair, it is shown to be a younger Claire, her hairstyle is now a large fluffy mess all wrapped up in twintails. The color of her hair and outfit stay the same but instead of a jacket vest she wears a sweater and a skirt instead of shorts _“Yoooo. Why ya sittin so far out from everyone else? Ya doin alright?”_

 

 _“O-Oh i’m fine...I just wanted to get away from the cluster of people and jus-...”_ She stops once she lifts her head up to notice who was speaking to her, her dual colored eyes focus on his helmet  _“H-Haaaaa...very funny...t-this is a j-joke right?...O-One of you guys is just wearing that suit to try and watch me make a fool of myself right?!?!...”_

 

 _“Eh? No clue what you mean...Is the helmet to weird?...Well...guess I should take it off if I am to be a judge!”_ The camera feed rises and then descends as it signifies that video Leo removed his helmet, and placed it under his arm. The younger Clair simply recoils into her seat.

 

_“O-Ohhhhmigosh…w-wait your face!...i-it’s-”_

 

 _“Makeup, a mask, or special effects? That's the magic of Leo Steps! The mystery! Is this my real face? That's the secret that I choose to keep~”_ Parappa and Paula release a snide chuckle at video Leo's response.

 

_“I-It really IS you!...Oh gosh...I just made a fool of myself by implying you were a fake!...”_

 

_“Chill out kiddo. It's understandable when this clunky get up is what I usually wear! It's certain to inspire posers, but enough about that. What you said got me curious...these other people here play pranks on you often?...”_

 

_“Well...yeah…I got a bit of a bad rep…”_

 

_“A person as docile as you?? Come now, fill ol Leo Steps in on this mix up. Maybe I can help make it stop.”_

 

_“Um...I'm not worth listening to…”_

 

_“...what's your name kid?”_

 

_“C-Clarisse Cook Harlequin…”_

 

_“Cookie huh? Cute name! That alone would get you a plentitude of fans! Now then Cookie, there's never a person who isn't worth listening to unless they're just pure evil! I was gonna say the spawn of Satan, buuuut my girlfriend IS the literal spawn of the late Lord of Hell and she's a pretty amazing gal. Just like you seem to be! Now come on, talk to me about it.”_

 

 _“C-Cookie??...um...alright then…”_ the fourteen year old sighs _“I...have a habit of just being...cursed when it comes to music…all my life I've loved it, and always wanted to just go out and reach out for the stars! Yet as I was growing up...the people around me, even people I thought were my friends just kept calling it dumb or pointless and shot me down…”_

 

_“Wouldn’t your parents support your love of it??”_

 

_“...”_

 

_“I do not like that pause...uh oh…”_

 

_“My...family...hated my passion immensely…”_

 

_“I was afraid of that answer…”_

 

 _“They constantly intervened...and messed up everything in hopes of getting me to just give up on it and take part in a desire that they found suitable...and I never did… Two years ago they had enough...and they just...gave up on me...disowned me on the spot…”_ by this point the video feed was rather shaky, the video Leo was clearly upset given his trembling _“So I've been handling myself. Living on my own...I've been...happier?...bittersweet happiness, but eh...It made me one heck of a mess if anything… I never gave up though, and my passion was further intensified! By that point I managed to get myself a boyfriend and he also had a passion for music! We promised each other to make it big! He was like some sort of natural because not long after he actually got his name out there! I had to take the slower route though and find my start at these competitions...there hasn't been much success… the failures kept following me, it gave me a bad rep and well...this is my 3rd and final attempt...after that...I'm just...throwing in the towel...this dream really isn't meant to be...B-But I refuse! I'm g-gonna make this the best attempt I can! Just like I have all my life! And it's thanks to you!”_

 

_“Me?...How?”_

 

_“You've been a natural since you popped up on the scene six years ago! You were one amazing nine year old! And your amazingness just got better as the years went on! You were a passionate guy when it came to hitting the stage! You were so mature!”_

 

_“Pffft...me...mature?”_

 

 _“I'm serious! To see you just getting better and better, even with people constantly saying your rise would end many many times, it was inspiring! You never gave up! I wanted to be like that! I...tried really hard...but I'm not you...it's...not the same for me to compare myself to a natural…”_ actual Leo stares at the video Claire and begins pondering how she must have felt when he just...stopped. A pit grows in his stomach as the guilt rises. He then begins mouthing what the video Leo says, fully committed to memory.

 

_“...I'm not a natural. I have my family to thank for the things that I can do. They trained me vigorously time and time again. It wasn't unfair or brutal or anything since I technically asked for it. It's thanks to that, that I am the Leo Steps you clearly idolize. I never gave up because...well...that's a secret. But the gist was...I'd be letting my family down. I only wish your family was supportive as mine.”_

 

_“Do you think I have a chance?...”_

 

 _“I know so! Claire Harley’s gonna be a name that everyone will know, I can feel it!!”_ the sadness within the girl vanishes as she releases a teary smile, accompanied by a heartfelt giggle. The camera drops to the ground as video Leo is heard grunting in pain. The helmet rolls on the floor and focuses on him clutching his chest. An exaggeratedly large and comedic arrow was implanted into his heart. On the shaft was written out in bold letters ‘Newbie Love’. He then begins mumbling as he slumps over. Luckily the helmet was capable of understanding it. _“Not fair...it's not fair...this precious cinnamon bun doesn't deserve the shit she lets happen to her...life isn't fair it isn't fair it isn't fair…”_

 

 _“U-Um.. L-...Mister Steps?...are you ok? ..I can't hear you…”_ as Claire speaks to him, he straightens up and kicks his helmet away, which is caught by Amby, she quickly points the camera to him. He then turns around to face everyone as he yanks out the arrow.

 

 _“If anything were to happen to this girl, be it emotional, physical or mental…I will kill everyone single person in this building including myself. Excluding her obviously.”_ All the contestants have their colors drain instantly. Amby shivers abit before turning the camera to her friends.

 

_“Haha...he ain’t the serious right Milton?...”_

 

 _“Look at his face, he only does that face when he's_ **_DEAD_ ** _serious Emile!”_

 

 _“I was afraid you'd say that…”_ both idiot males simply hug each other in fear.

 

 _“Silph…”_ Harper calls out to her co lead who quickly gives an analysis without needing to be asked.

 

_“He seems to have been infected with a severe case of...Newbie Love, Harper.”_

 

 _“Figures...Fucking dumbass…alright, I'll go pick up our idiot and politely let the kid he got hooked on down easy.”_ she takes the helmet away from Amby and walks towards Leo, before she can say anything, she notices who exactly he was talking to and freaks out _“Pardon me sweetheart, but I gotta slap some sense into my boyfriend.”_

 

 _“Eh?...what did I d- HRK!”_ Harper grabs Leo by the neck and drags him off, she then chucks him over to her group.

 

_“The hell are you doing?!”_

 

_“Haha. Turns out Newbie love is very much a thing!...”_

 

_“You're an idiot. Look, she was possibly the WORST person to get Newbie Love for!”_

 

_“Cookie? Why?”_

 

_“Oh god you even gave her a nickname, it really is a severe case…she's cursed!”_

 

_“She is NOT cursed! She is just a sweet girl who had nothing but obstacles in her way!”_

 

_“Idiot! She can't dance or play any instruments! Her past has given enough evidence to THAT!”_

 

_“And singing?”_

 

_“She quits before she even gives that part a shot, but let's be real. She most likely sucks there to!”_

 

_“This is to cruel, even for your standards …”_

 

 _“Look, go over to her, and just stop giving her false hope! She'll crash and burn harder when she inevitably fails!”_ Leo snorts out steam before walking over to Claire _“Atta boy you stubborn bull…”_ However…

 

 _“Good luck out there Claire! I'm rooting for ya!”_ he pets her head then turns to Harper, giving her the smuggest smile ever before walking towards the judges area, giving Claire one last thumbs up before fully vanishing.

 

Harper’s eye is violently twitching _“Where does he get the balls…”_

 

The cocker spaniel drummer girl of her group walks up to her _“Bitch, don't even act like it ain't your fault he's like that!”_

 

 _“Mocha...first off, it’s MISS Bitch, and second off...shut the fuck up.”_ the devil girl sighs _“I hate it when you’re right...huh...what am I gonna do with you Leo…”_

 

The video goes on silently from the perspective of Leo and his group once his helmet is returned as he and harper and a few other judges watch the contestants perform with how well they’re able to work with instruments and how well they can dance and finally ended off with the singing portion where they sing a small fragment of a song that they themselves made. And as Harper had told Leo, Claire was a mess. She choked on the spot and went into a nosedive. Almost a literal nosedive as well. Once both the instrument and dancing portions were checked and handled, Claire was left with mediocre scores. After a profuse amount of apologizing she slowly walks away in dejection. Video Leo plucks his helmet off once more and finally speaks up again as the camera turns to both him and Harper.

 

_“Harpy?...”_

 

_“No.”_

 

_“What do you mean no?! You don’t even know what I was gonna say!”_

 

_“We are NOT adopting her.”_

 

_“Ok maybe you do, BUT WHY NOOOOOOOT…”_

 

_“Because I said so.”_

 

_“But you picked ME up! How did that go through?!”_

 

_“I brought the idea of pickin you up to the girls and they said no to.”_

 

_“But then why’d you recruit me?!”_

 

 _“Because I said, ‘Fuck what you guys think!’ And disregarded what other people thought of it and did it anyway! And know what? I haven’t regretted it since.”_ Video Leo smiles, understanding what his partner was implying _“Go pick up your new student ya softie. I’ll go call Glo to tell Momo that you yourself are gonna be an agent. And ONLY you. You’re taking care of her cuz we ain’t helping you with anything.”_

 

_“Thanks so much Harper!”_

 

_“Fuck off.”_

 

 _“Love you to Harpy!”_ He kisses the demon girl on her cheek as he bolts off, taking the helmet with him. Moments later he catches up to the cat girl _“HEEEEEEY! Wait up girl!...”_

 

_“What…”_

 

_“Where ya going? Ya still got the singing to do!”_

 

_“Why bother...this is just like all the other times i’ve ever tried...I make a fool of myself early on...to a point that it isn’t even worth attempting to finish it if the end result will be the same…”_

 

_“Come on now...it wasn’t...THAT bad...i’m sure that guy’s eyebrows will grow back! Look the point is, you should never withhold yourself on doing something by thinking it’s pointless. You could’ve been missing on so much had you just given it a chance! You just need a little help with playin and dancin is all! But how about singing? Ya didn’t give it a go yet and I think you should atleast push for that length if you went this far already.”_

 

_“Even if I do so...not like anyone will pick me...with the blunder that was the first two portions...they’ll think i’m an unsalvageable mess in those departments…”_

 

 _“Don’t think about others, don’t let the fear and disappointment that you’ve let cloud your head get in the way of this. Everything will be alright when you just...sing~ The voice is the last thing you wanna hold back on! And besides...the competition may not be over yet, but…”_ he pulls out a card and holds it over to her _“I’d say you succeeded!”_

 

_“W-Wha?...B-But I-”_

 

 _“You got this spark in ya that reminds me of what I went through. To see yourself just...let it happen without much of a defense attempted hurts me...so...I wanna help fix that. From this point on, i’m gonna be your agent~ I’m gonna make the world know the great person that is Cookie! Because Claire Harley’s gonna be as big a name as Leo Steps, if not bigger~ And as your agent, the first thing i suggest you’d do is finish this competition.”_ He places the card in her hand _“Don’t ever hold yourself back when you’re doing something you love or for someone you love. Otherwise you’ll never finish what you start, and that ain’t fun. Now get out there and sing Cookie.”_ She immediately hugs the helmeted virtual boy before rushing off back to the stage. Leo follows shortly after, returning to his judge seat. The contestants all sing, with Claire being the final one up. The scared kitten simply shakes as she glances at the judges table. Leo looks at her as he removes the helmet and lightly says the word _‘sing’!_ And with that, she takes a deep breath and begins.

 

_“H-Hi...o-ok...this is quick little d-ditty I made after meeting my boyfriend who helped me g-give my dream another shot...A-Ahem…”_

 

_Ohhhhh...where did the light goooo?_

 

_When did my dreams die, I dooooon’t knooooowwwww…_

 

_I’m left to shed a teeeeeear...as I let go of all the things that I held dear…_

 

_Wheeeen wiiiill I find my waaaaaaaaay ouuut?..._

 

_Oh what have I doooone...my life came undooooone._

 

_I am left as a shell, in my life that’s now hell…_

 

_And yet I refuuuuuse to sit still!_

 

_Even while I cry alone underneath the beating Sun…_

 

_I waited so long for this voooooid to fill!_

 

_And then came my knight, becoming my new light!_

 

_Recovering me from my torn apart striiiiife!_

 

_He is my love, yes my own!_

 

_His tender love inspires me, yes I make it known!_

 

_He has saved me from the dark, this new hope shall help me embark!_

 

_On a new rise to the top for both of us to shaaaare!_

 

_I have his love that he let’s beeeeee_

 

_For it’s the ode to my love aaaaaand meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!~_

 

Her voice was amazing, the other contestants and the other friends of Leo that weren’t judging all applauded, and everyone at the judges table was left with their mouth agape, except for Leo who smiled all the while. Not for long however as he heard six wincing grunts to his left. He spots the Queen’s all sporting an arrow through the heart, much like how he had moments ago.

 

 _“Sorry ladies, I beat ya to the punch here~”_ Harper pulls out the arrow and snaps it in two.

 

_“She is the ONLY one we’re adopting. I will claw your eyes out if I see you pick up anymore strays!”_

 

 _“Relax, I have a feeling she’s gonna be keeping me on my toes from this point on so to grab another would be to much! Besides, i’m certain this’ll be fun!”_ he waves for the catgirl to run over to them as the video comes to a close.

 

“Haha...boy...watching that makes me feel like a jerk for just dropping out entirely like a selfish idiot...leaving her alone for a few years… But uh...yeah that’s Cla-...guys?” Both Paula and Parappa were teary-eyed themselves as they look at Leo “Yo, you better not cry all over me like they were!”

 

“The context honestly made it all the more upsetting...the poor girl! Atleast she and her boyfriend got to achieve their goal!” Paula states with a withered hurrah.

 

“Eheh...about that...her boyfriend turned out to be a two timing asshole...and while that’s a story that only she can tell ya...she kinda gave up on dating...she’s been through a few breakups since then from boys, girls and others and well...I understand why she’d want to keep distant on the subject of love.”

 

“THAT’S TERRIBLE!...” they both nearly flip over Leo.

 

“It really is...but don’t worry! He got his just desserts in the end. As did the other bad ones, but there were still the good ones that had to come to an end for one reason or another. Anywho. That’s Cookie for ya! Since then i’ve been her mentor during my time as a star. She’s seen serious growth in her path as a dancer and musician! Her singing even got twice as good! And it was already amazing to begin with! I kept my promise to her and she became as good a name as my own. Maybe even a little better.”

 

“Heh...yeah, I recall her name now. She doesn’t branch out as far as you do, but she certainly is a beloved name! And now it’s obvious as to why! Of course her choice of hairstyle should’ve made it obvious~” Paula sticks her tongue out playfully.

 

“You did a great thing there son. I know it’s what I would’ve done!”

 

“After hearing what she did...well..like the video me said...something struck a chord within me…”

 

“Heh...I think I can catch on with as to what.”

 

“Yeah yeah...I’m an open book now so it’s pretty obvious…”

 

“...Does she know?”

 

“...Nope...Momo does, but not her...I don’t...I don’t want to endanger her in any way...when I told Harper that, she called me crazy for thinking that...next thing you know everyone of them is dead...my fears were right and I just...kept her out of the loop…” He crosses his arms “Maybe...that’s another reason why I dropped out when I did.” He sighs “She’s...like a little sister to me like with Amby, only unlike Amby...she can't defend herself against those threats...and I want nothing more than to keep her safe and happy…more so since I failed to keep Amby safe...and she instead saved me...I don’t want to risk it again...”

 

“You’re...really touchy on this...why is that?...” Parappa asks as he walks up to his upset future kid.

 

“...I guess...I should tell you...since you are my dad…” He balls up his hand “...I went back to the past around the time mom was supposed to give birth to my upcoming twin baby sisters...and so...I grew up never getting to see them...for all they know...they don’t even have an older brother…”

 

“...” Parappa merely looks over him while Paula stays silent.

 

“Yeah…” He sits on the ground “I’d be upset with me to…”

 

“That must take such a huge toll on you…”

 

“Eh…? Aren’t you mad at how much pain i’ve caused by abandoning my future family?...”

 

“I mean...yes I am upset...you most likely caused us an eternity’s worth of grief...but...honestly it’s my own fault you’re even here…so I can’t be mad at you...only sad at what I’ve ended up putting you through…”

 

“...Thank you…and...it’s not your fault either dad.” He gets back up “Might I ask...why you two are even here though? I doubt you knew i’d be here...”

 

“Ah...right...I owed Paula here a song and dance and have since been holding out on it...so I figured I’d do more for her. She offered to come and enjoy that here since you managed to get it up and running.”

 

“Yikes!...And I messed that up with my shenanigans...oh dear...well I gotta break it to you that while we got a majority of the place up and running, We don’t have much in a sense of making music or whatnot…”

 

“Aw what!”

 

“I knew I should’ve brought BoxyBoy along…”

 

“But wait! I can help you guys out. Neon Heights currently has some clubs that aren’t open today and you can use one of em! I can help with convincing the owner to let you two!”

 

“THAT’D BE GREAT!” The both jump into his face.

 

“Great! I’ll drive you guys over in my new car!...Hopefully this one doesn’t get blown up…” He turns to the club “Since i’m rehiring Momo, I’ll have to discuss things with her on the matter, but for another day. So i’ll be telling her to come back later.” He rushes in to see the three ladies talk between each other “Yo Momo! I know it should be obvious that i’m ok with you being my agent again, but can we work the legal details for another time like tomorrow? Kinda have to help my friends with something so i’ll be gone for the rest of the day! Uh...is that fine for me to do Glo?”

 

“Yeah kid, you’ve spent a decent enough time here. Honestly I can probably work faster now without having you latch onto me like a shaking mess!”

 

“Eheh…”

 

“Where ya going teach?...”

 

“Oh i’m just headin home to help my friends find a spot to sing and dance is all. We can chat tomorrow I promise!” He bolts out the building.

 

“Aw…”

 

“Now normally after all my tear shedding, I’d do as I promised myself and not bother him...buuuuuuut. Currently I’m still YOUR agent...soooo...how’s about a trip to Neon Heights sound like?~”

 

“PERFECT!”

 

“You two are gonna be the death of that poor guy…” Gloria sighs as shes ignored. Watching the two head out the door, and then the other car drive away before they tagged along after “Joy…ugh...haha! Somethings never change!”

 

* * *

 

“Yeahz! I'd be fine with letting them use my club! Trash it even! It'd raise publicity and make mine more visited!”

 

“All you guys STILL fighting over it? Sheesh...with Rainbow decommissioned, I assumed you'd all get way more visitors to get you all to make amends!”

 

“Naaaaaaah. We're just to stubborn. Burn enough bridges and it's all ya know how to do!” The club owner tosses Parappa an id card “Use that to close and open the doors here. Don't worry bout givin it back, I have many. Now, Arrivederci!” he leaves the building.

 

“Wow. This was very nice of him!” Parappa's tail instinctively wags.

 

“Very odd guy though…”

 

“All of the mini club owners here are like that Paula. It's just another usual occurrence here in NH! Now let me help you all find a beat to dance to…” he walks off with the two behind them. They shuffle between CD’s of familiar songs they know and those that are new to them. Paula eventually stops Leo's hand.

 

“WAIT WAAAAIT!”

 

“What?”

 

“Lemme see that case in your left hand!”

 

“L-Left…” _QUICK YOU IDIOT, REMEMBER WHAT POPPY TOLD YOU!_ “Yeeeeeeeeees! My left hand! Meaning this one!” he shakes his left hand “Here you go!”

 

“Could’ve done that without announcing it weirdly but whatever. I wanna hear the songs on this disk!” she holds the case up in Leo's face. It was one filled with songs made by Claire.

 

“Oh wow...heh, what a blast from the past...sure lemme set it up. Dad you cool with this?”

 

“I'm here to make her happy, so I'd be an idiot not to agree!”

 

“Great!” he runs and sets the disk up. Now he's seen shuffling about as he gets the thing to work when suddenly the club speakers begin playing a portion of one of the available songs.

 

_One taught me love~_

 

_One taught me patience._

 

_And one taught me pain…_

 

_Now i’m amazing!_

 

Leo is seen softly laughing “This is when she grew up and finally started fighting back~...At the same time that I…” the speakers begin playing HIS voice dueting with a different, but still familiar female voice.

 

_She taught me love! (He taught me love!)_

 

_She taught me patience. (He taught me patience~)_

 

_Now I handle pain… (Hope he could handle me…)_

 

_But it was amazin! (But that shit was amazin~)_

 

“Oh maaaaan…” he stops the song.

 

“...Care to give us the origin on this song?...”

 

“...Yeah…” He chuckles flatly as he wipes a tear from his face “That song...belonged to Harper…but...she never got to finish it...she slowed down once the rest of the Queen’s were gone...and it never got finished thanks to...well...you know...I wanted to finish the song, but...at the time...I was hurt you know? I didn't have it in me and once I turned seventeen...I gave up to...Claire saw how I was...she was...confused as to how to properly feel, but having ex related experience in general, she got a good jist. She took the job of finishing the song herself. She got help from her girlfriend at the time and well. It was a success. And yet she couldn't sing it on her own. There was something she needed to do. So she asked me to be featured in it. I begrudgingly agreed. She made it amazing...Harper would've been proud...when it came to my part...on a large speaker voice-over...played a recording of Harper singing that part to...it was the only part she ever recorded and...well...heh...once the show was over, I was a crying mess...it was at that point that I knew she would go far even without me. And I was proud of her. Also happy that she slapped some sense into me and got me out of the slump. I had beaten Tycoon already, but the pain of loss was still there. She got me to move on, like I know the others would've wanted me to. But like I was trying to say...that's when I quit.”

 

“Gives you another reason to wanna keep her safe huh...we may be your life and love, but she's your hopes and dreams. Your last bit of sanity!” Parappa tugs his ears as Paula stays quiet again, but not for long as she drops to her knees and begins crying on the spot, prompting both boys to panic “Paula w-what’s wrong??...”

 

“Yeah why the sudden waterworks I said I moved on!...”

 

“I-I know you did...but...the fact that my baby went through all that...h-he shouldn’t have suffered at all...w-what kind of parent am I to let their child just...run off...and suffer…?”

 

“H-Hey now i-it’s fin-”

 

“I-It’s not fine!...Not in the s-slightest!... You lost the future...that family doesn’t know your fate...you lost the past...all the new family and friends you made all ended up being taken from you...and now your here...just trying to save the present...acting as everyone’s shield...we all stay safe...but what about you…”

 

“Hngh...I…” He falls to his own knees, unable to think of a reply to that “Paula-...Mom...i’m sorry...but that’s just...what I chose to do...I didn’t expect what exactly I’d go through...but I knew that by doing this I’d be going through some hell down the line…”

 

“I-It’s not fair!...I don’t want you to suffer…”

 

“To that sentiment, i’m grateful. However...I don’t want **_you_ ** all to suffer either. It defeats the purpose of why i’m here if I just let it happen!” She just keeps on crying “M-Mom please stop!...I d-dunno what to sa-...” Leo stops as a snowflake drops onto his nose “H-Huh?...” He looks up to see snow just gently sprinkling over them “Snow?...O-On an extremely hot, sunny and non cloudy day?? COMING FROM THE INSIDE OF A BUILDING???” He then looks back to Paula. She has a faint indigo hue coming from her as the snow just cycles around her. Each teardrop simply turns to ice once it leaves her eyes and shatters upon hitting the floor “A-Are you doing this??...H-How??”

 

“Oh boy...what a way to trigger your powers…”

 

“P-Powers???...”

 

“...If you don’t know about that...then I can assume the current future us never found out about them…”

 

“W-What??...” Leo simply eyes his dad as he gets closer to Paula.

 

“It’s a story for another time...for now...help me get her onto her feet and cheer her u- AIEEEE SHE’S COLD TO THE TOUCH!...”

 

“???” Leo grabs Paula’s hand, but immediately recoils back “Y-YEOUCH IT’S LIKE INSTANT FROSTBITE!...” He grips his hands and immediately becomes aggravated with himself “I c-caused this…” He braces himself and ducks down to scoop up Paula in a hug. He grits his teeth as white vapor pours out from where his body is pressing against hers, instantly causing his body to be slowly encased in ice “M-MOM LOOK...I UNDERSTAND YOUR EMOTIONS AND I GET IT...WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME...WHAT’S STILL HAPPENING TO ME...WHAT’S **GONNA** HAPPEN TO ME...IT ALL SUCKS… BUT I CAN’T AVOID THAT...I WANT TO YES, BECAUSE NO ONE _WANTS_ TO SUFFER THESE THINGS! SOMETIMES THEY’RE OUT OF MY CONTROL!” Paula looks up to him, the snowflakes stop falling, but Leo keeps on being encased in ice “THE PEOPLE WHO LEFT ME, THEY KNEW IT’D HAPPEN! AND THEY’RE GONE DUE TO SAVING ME! SO IT’S NOT ALL BAD...IT’S THANKS TO THEM THAT I’M ABLE TO EVEN BE HERE NOW!...NANA K, MUSHI, GLORIA, MOMO AND COOKIE! THEY’RE WHAT I STILL HAVE FOR MEMORIES AND HAPPINESS FROM THE PAST! THE DRIVE TO SAVE YOU ALL ALONG WITH THE SUIT THAT I GOT FROM YOU ALL! IT’S WHAT GIVES ME THE HAPPINESS AND LOVE FOR THE FUTURE! AND YOU GUYS HERE!...YOU’RE...WHAT...KEEP...ME...GO-” He is cut off abruptly due to being completely encased in ice. Now that he’s nothing more than a mere icestatue, Paula stops her tears as she quickly panics on the spot.

 

“W-WHAT HAVE I DONE?!...”

 

“CAN YOU UNDO IT?!...”

 

“I DON’T KNOW! I’VE N-NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE!...”

 

“I-I’M GONNA BREAK HIM OUT!...”

 

“ **NO!** YOU MIGHT SHATTER HIM COMPLETELY!...”

 

“T-Then what do you suggest I do?!...”

 

“I don’t know!...” She drops back down “I just don’t know…” she mutters to herself as the snow resumes again “I-I don’t want these powers if this is what i’ll do to people…”

 

Parappa quickly helps her back up again, he stops his fervor realizing that he’s only increasing her own panic “Um...look. You didn’t meant to freeze him intentionally! Your powers just...reacted to you emotions! Hm...thinking on it...all you had on the mind was keeping him safe...and...I guess...your powers followed your wishes…”

 

“B-But this isn’t safe! I turned him into a glorified ice cube!...”

 

“Yes yes!...but this is what you subconsciously thought was safe. You don’t want him going out to do stuff that eventually, inevitably, hurt him! You don’t want things to affect him anymore. Though you need a little fine tuning...it’s...alright.”

 

“ALRIGHT?...I JUST TURNED OUR SON INTO A PARTY DECORATION!”

 

“Not permanently! Look on the bright side alright!...” Parappa hugs her, but she quickly tries to push him off, trying not to freeze him to. Thankfully he’s not freezing “You put him in that, you can take him out of that. If that’s not the case we can just wait for the outer ice to melt away.”

 

“W-What if HE starts melting away?...”

 

“You’re still in control of the cold so if that’s the case, you can just cause more ice to appear!”

 

“B-But…”

 

“Paula. It’s gonna be alright! Like Leo said! Doing what you’re doing now...Leo wouldn’t want that! Not after the speech he gave as he was freezing over! You’ll figure out how to get him out of that, I know you will! I’ll be by your side till you manage! I’ll keep supplying you ideas incase you get none and i’ll stay here boosting your morale TO be able to do so! Baby steps alright? Leo said he’s gonna be fine and I trust my son. Don’t you?...”

 

“...I-I do…”

 

“Do you trust me?”

 

“I do trust you also!...”

 

“Do you trust yourself?”

 

She doesn’t reply instantly on the last question. She looks to the frozen Leo then back to Parappa “I DO!...W-With you by my side!...I feel like it’ll be alright in the end if I do...” the snowflakes that hover around them disperse wildly. The ice encasing Leo shatters off of him as she stands up properly on her own with determination. She looks over to the now freed boy.

 

“ING!...Huh?...” Leo looks about dazed. The other two animals quickly gasp and wrap him in a hug of worry.

 

“YOU’RE FREE!...”

 

“Eh?...Free?...”

 

“...I’m sorry...I guess I let my emotions get the better of me...I know you’ll be fine...but...would it kill ya to try and avoid any and all pain?”

 

“...It’d kill me if I let it happen to you guys…”

 

“We’ll be fine!...Although...I guess you’ll be fine to...right?”

 

“You can believe in that!”

 

“Ok...and...I’m sorry for turning you into an ice decoration…”

 

“I’m sorry what-” Before anything else can be said, Leo’s phone rings “Oh…’scuse me for a sec… Ello Aq-...WHAT?!...I see...I’ll be there soon!” He hangs up.

 

“What was that?...” Parappa quickly chimes in thanks to Leo’s tone.

 

“Oh nothing! Just a bit of problem that my fish friends ran into! I can fix it in a jiffy! For now! Are the two of you...alright? I feel as if I’ve messed up your day countless times…”

 

“It’s ok! We kinda brought it upon ourselves for getting in your way!...” Paula tries reassuring him.

 

“Not so! It’s thanks to you Mom, that I got to see Claire again! I would’ve kept avoiding Momo indefinitely! I only wish I wasn’t as big a burden...but...you have the club now! Sing and dance to your heart’s content! You have the place to yourself! And uh...have a fun date~...Just call if you need anything else and I’ll be here when I can!” He winks to the two of them “Sorry again! For being a bother!” He rushes off. After leaving the building, he hops into his car and drives off just as the red van arrives causing the female cat to shake the train whistle woman.

 

“H-Hey! He’s on the move again?? We just caught up!”

 

“Worry not! We won’t lose the distance this time!” Momo floors it as they drive after him.

 

Parappa looks back to Paula and smiles “See, I knew you’d do it! Guess you needed just a bit of positive reinforcements is all~ Sadness equals no control while reassuring happiness means you’ll be A-OK!” he pushes out a thumbs up with a ‘yay’.

 

“Thanks for getting me to keep my cool Parappa...uh...no pun intended!”

 

“You’re free to make a pun! It lightens up the mood~ And with the mushy gushy sappiness out of the way...YOU CAN CONTROL ICE NOW! YOU DID INHERIT IT AND THAT’S SO...well...COOL!”

 

“Eheh...control is a bit of a stretch...but hey! I can do stuff with it! Gonna...need alot of practice...”

 

“And you’ll be fine! I mean...I’d help, but ice isn’t my forte! Electricity is...or would be if I was actually lucky like you are! Still, I’ll help as much as I can!”

 

“Lucky huh?...I dunno about that...now come on...let’s see which song we can dance along and sing to! I wanna hear how this voice of hers got throughout her tutelage!”

 

“Let’s! But...before that...think...you can add on to the atmosphere with your powers?~”

 

“...Add on how?”

 

“Well as a dancer, actor and performer...I think you know what I mean~”

 

“...Flashy huh?...I dunno...I might end up creating a blizzard in here…”

 

“Again, baby steps! And lucky for us, the owner’s cool with us making a mess! So that allows ya to practice! Now let’s see here...how’s this song?” Parappa begins picking song after song until Paula speaks up.

 

“Actually...can you go back to the one that Leo found?...”

 

“...” He flips around the song list “Thank U, Next is coming up...next!”

 

* * *

 

Leo parks his car at such a force he dramatically flings out of it and lands just barely on his feet behind the two who called him.

 

“Sirius, Aqua! Where is they?!”

 

“Chill out! It’s just Prince…”

 

“Only Prince?...” Leo goes up to where they’re poised and gazes through the window into the club they’re at.

 

“I mean he’s being followed by Yismun, but that’s it...he’s only tagging along by obligation it seems.” the green beast man adds on as they all squish faces trying to share the window.

 

“So he forced Yismun to be a babysitter?...What the hell does Prince want that warrants that??...”

 

“Ohohoh that’s easy to figure out...just wait a sec and you’ll hear for yourself…” they both say earning a confused reply from the fox boy.

 

“What do you mean by-”

 

“WHERE IS LEO STEPS! DOES THE COWARD HIDE BECAUSE HE KNOWS HE’D LOSE TO ME??”

 

“Oh you’ve got to be kidding me…” Leo’s helmet emits an angry emoticon “Is the idiot here to challenge me?! Did he figure out who I was??...”

 

“No...Otherwise he’d have called you Europa instead...it seems Yismun’s not with his hostility.” the trio stare back inside to see the tiny man next to him begin to yell at him.

 

“For the love of all that’s musically adept Prince...can you relax? You’re scaring your potential fans! Or boss man’s future onlookers… Not to mention that you need to cool your hostility regardless! Under boss man’s word, you are allowed to challenge Mister Leo, but you are to not HARM Mister Leo.”

 

“Oh who asked for your opinion you ass kisser??”

 

“The man who funds your stupidity. The same man who told me to keep an eye on you.”

 

Leo pulls his face back “So they don’t want to harm me...heh...idiot doesn’t know it’s me so he’s planning on recruiting me ey?”

 

“What are you gonna do? Prince has been stomping about to each club here! If he doesn’t find you, he runs off to the next!”

 

“All the clubs?!...” _DAMMIT...Of all days…_ “Gah...Guess I gotta take him on.”

 

“You’re gonna play along with his stupid game?”

 

“Don’t have a choice. Parappa and Paula are IN one of the clubs. And if he keeps storming about, Parappa might want him to calm down and that could result in a bad situation...so I’m preventing it before it happens!” _...Sorry Paula._

 

“I see...But we’re gonna need to find a bigger club for your face off. This place is to small and you’ll be forced to avoid- MOMO?!” Aqua glues her face back to the window.

 

“I gotta avoid Momo??”

 

“NO! YOUR EX AGENT IS HERE!...LOOK!”

 

“WHAT?!” He goes back to spot Momo walking up to Yismun with Claire behind her.

 

“Ahhhh. Mrs. Briggs~ To what do I owe the pleasure?~”

 

“Why are you letting your big brute just storm around here? As his agent, shouldn’t you keep him in better check? You are his PR after all…”

 

“I’m not this oaf’s manager! If anything i’m just a glorified babysitter...Boss man is what could qualify as his agent...but that won’t be lasting for very long. Anywho he won’t stop until he gets his wish.”

 

“That being?”

 

“To face off with and best Leo Steps.” Momo’s colors fade, but Claire simply heats up from anger.

 

“MY TEACH CAN KICK MC’ SCALY’S BUTT NO PROBLEM!”

 

“Oh my my! Who are you my feisty little...that...hairstyle…” Yismun leans closer to the catgirl.

 

“Ey! Ever heard of personal space??”

 

“You...who are you?”

 

“To you? The name’s Clarisse Harlequin!”

 

“Hmm...tch… Yes that name rings a bell~ You were brought up with help from Leo Steps if my sources are correct, yes? That explains the tenacity.” _The damn hairstyle gives me a stomach ulcer however...did it have to be near similar to damn Europa’s style??_ “Unfortunately my dear Clarisse. I must say otherwise if your…’Teach’ stays a no show!”

 

“He must know that this big lug isn’t worth his time!”

 

“Ohohoh...I truly wish you didn’t go there…” Yismun facepalms as he moves to the side. Prince stops rummaging about as he turns and heads towards Claire.

 

“Not. Worth. His. Time? I AM QUITE POSSIBLY ONE OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS MOMENTS TO BE INTERVENING WITH HIS LIFE! HOW DARE HE HAVE THE AUDACITY TO THINK AS SUCH!” He picks up the girl “AND HOW DARE YOU HAVE THE GALL TO EVEN SA-” he’s shut up by a guitar nailing him over the head “GAH!” He drops the girl who is caught by her helmeted teacher.

 

“TEACH!” she's placed back onto her feet.

 

“Yo Tall, Scaly and definitely not handsome. What’s the big idea with you trying to hurt my best friend here?”

 

“Nrgh...Your student has quite the mouth on her...I would have assumed you as the proper educator would have taught her to not do as such for it can really cause such problematic instances such as with myself…”

 

“Hey. That ain’t her fault. She’s just saying the truth~”

 

“And now I see where she gets it from. Bah. So then, you finally decide to walk up to me then...Leo Steps.”

 

“I was busy. A guy of my standing always is. I’d assume you’d be to if you’re as equal to me as you say. But I guess that means you’re nothing more than a bum~”

 

“What do you think you’ll gain from antagonizing me?”

 

“Nothing. It’s just pretty funny. Not to mention you did try popping my friends head off a moment ago. Now what do you want with me. What kind of challenge?”

 

“Originally it was a multi type one, but I’ve noticed that I don’t like you speaking so I’ve simplified it into just a dance off.”

 

“You wound me big boy, but if it’s a dance off you want. Then I’m sending you packing…”

 

“HA! You think of me a fool?”

 

“You look the part!”

 

“That’s the pot calling the kettle black.”

 

“Touche~ With this thing on my head, it would be stupid to some! But think of it as my way of obscuring me from looking at you!”

 

The scaly satyr releases a flat chuckle “As you say. Now...I was hoping to face off against you in a much...bigger dance floor. However since you are already here, I will make due!”

 

“It’s thanks to your ham fisted brain that the place is now ever smaller!”

 

“I do not mind it, but you however...I hope your reflexes haven’t dulled throughout your time off…”

 

“Tck...i’ll manage.” _I don’t have my suit on...and Pointy Mcgee here is a giant lug that could really hurt me if I ain’t careful in dodging his large heavy swings...no distractions…promised Paula I’d be fine!_ “Well then Princey fancy pants!~ LET’S DANCE!~” He claps as his helmet flares with an assortment of colors as they both strike a pose and begin dancing. The now audience all disperse and form a circle around them as the owner of the club begins playing music. Momo begins biting off her nails in worry. Yismun sighs at the sight before him while Claire simply crouches down in anticipation.

 

“KICK HIS ASS TEACH!”

 

* * *

 

The duo are dancing together as they sing the final verses of the song.

 

“Thank you neeeeext~”

 

_“Thank you neeeeext~”_

 

“Thank you neeeeext~”

 

_Yeaaah, ye~_

 

“That’s a wrap~” Parappa giggles as he tries to finish his dance with Paula, but he nearly topples himself over, almost taking her down with him.

 

“You are such a clumsy goof~”

 

“Heeeey, can’t help it! I’m more of a singer than a dancer~ I mean I know some basic steps here and there, but ultimately it’s just, grab attention with my voice~”

 

“Yeah, that’ll certainly help whenever you plan on just relaxing aside from wanting to sing!”

 

“Little details! Anywho don’t pay attention to my amateur dancing skills, instead pay attention to the entire club! Certainly a dancefloor fit for a grand star such as yourself i’d say Initial P~”

 

“Come ag-” She glances around the entirely of the dancefloor. She had made quite the dazzling display of scattering snowflakes that turn certain portions of the area into a puffy white attention getter. The ice that she manifested also arches around in a gorgeous style that emits a dazzling glare from the reflecting light. The dancefloors and its usual multicolored floor tiles are now just a shiny white and indigo checkered pattern “Wow…”

 

“What, were you not aware of you making all this?~”

 

“Not a bit! Kinda got to...entranced within our dance to be honest!”

 

“Well. I guess it kinda shows! You were feeling so happy! Your powers reflected that! I mean LOOK at this place! It’s like the decor you’d find at some high top parties!”

 

“Alright stoooooop. I get it~ But controlling this stuff subconsciously is one thing! I gotta learn how to do this while fully aware! If I leave it all to my emotions...ooooof I don’t even wanna think about it!”

 

“Don’t wooooorry!” Parappa smiles before sighing.

 

“Hey what’s wrong now?”

 

“What happened with Leo...before he left, he did not seem that happy for what he said was gonna be simple… I think he sugarcoated it due to him not wanting to sound like a hypocrite after literally just telling us he’d be fine…”

 

“...That did seem like the case...but...he sounded sure enough!...Right?”

 

“I mean...that’s probably because he didn’t want us getting all antsy about it…”

 

“What makes you so sure?...”

 

“He’s my son after all. It’s what I would do. And I have a history of doing that.” Paula clasps her hands together after him bringing it up. She paces back and forth “Gah...now I regret bringing it up...maybe we’re just getting paranoid over nothing! Look i’ll call hi-...the snow and ice are jamming the signal...come on let’s head outside to get this to work.”

 

“Alright…” Both quickly exit the building in order to properly call the moonlighter, but as they leave, they notice a large swarm of people running towards the same direction.

 

“What the heck...where are they all going to??” Parappa rushes up to one of the runners and stops him “Hey, where are you all heading off to??”

 

“Oh didn’t you hear? Leo Steps is currently having one hell of a dance off with another performer from a place very far away from here! His name is Prince Pop and he’s one big guy with some nimble moves! Now normally we’d expect our Leo to trounce him as he would any other challenger, but they’re dancing in a very confined space right now from what we’ve been told! Leo makes one wrong step and the big guy could end up squishing him like a gnat! But he still took the challenge and is giving the audience quite the show from it! We’re trying not to miss it!” As the guy resumes running Parappa simply emits a ‘gulp’

 

“Ooooh nono noooo…” He turns to Paula” We gotta go, NOW!” She nods as they both follow the large crowd wave.

 

* * *

 

“You know i’m impressed! You show no signs of rust!” Prince says as he watches the helmeted fox sweep and fling himself over and around his massive dance swings, turning them into overly flashy dance moves all the while.

 

“Betta believe it big boy! I haven’t been sitting on my ass this entire time! Gotta keep quick and nimble always for moments like these~” he quickly performs a front splits to avoid side flip topspin from the massive satyr. The large jagged protruding scales from Prince’s shoulders slashes across his helmet leaving a large scratch mark on it “WHEW...but it seems I ain’t fast enough… Your pretty flexible and fast for such a big guy!”

 

“If you think that i’d be a lagging behind simply from my size, then I regret to inform you that I am most definitely the one exception to that stereotype!”

 

“I’m learning that the more I see you move… Luckily I’m keeping up!...mostly...” _Why am I slowing down?... I should be in perfect condition!..._ Leo recalls what Paula had told him _Wait...THAT’S RIGHT! I FROZE OVER WHEN TRYING TO...d-did that mess with my muscles??...gah...this is bad...he’s not showing any signs of slowing while i’m getting more and more closer to kissing the bullet at any second…_  As he stays within his thought cycle, he’s quickly snapped out by trying to avoid another strike from a sharp scale by bending all the way back. He however was to slow to do so as it slashes across his arm, cutting it badly “WAGH…” the crowd gasps as this happens.

 

“Don’t get to distracted dear boy! I don’t want to earn my victory through disqualification, but I wouldn’t be against it! If you’re planning on getting hurt, allow yourself to do so after our challenge is dealt with~”

 

“H-HEY STOP TRYING TO HURT MY TEACH!”

 

“BE CAREFUL YOU LARGE IMBECILE!”

 

“Oh be quiet Yismun! Twas but a simple accident on his own behalf!”

 

 _He’s right...come on keep your head clear idiot!..._ “Your concern is appreciated, but not warranted!...” Despite his desire in wanting to keep up, Leo progressively gets slower and slower. Another slash on his opposite arm is gained. And yet another across his back. A heavy impact shatters his helmet glass as the remainder starts cracking like an eggshell..

 

“My god, you’re quite bad no?~ Perhaps it wasn’t a distraction, but rather the rust taking it’s time to enact~”

 

“S-Shut up!...” His fuschia and blonde hair pokes out from his helmet as he struggles to keep up, prompting some concern from Yismun.

 

“One moment...that hair…that’s not what I remember seeing...”

 

“Ah so it’s true! You have a history of constantly changing your overall face in order to fool the paparazzi! What you dubbed ‘The magic of your persona’ years back. I was told you’d have black, red and yellow, yet here I see pink and yellow~ What a curious thing to constantly keep up, why bother? The upkeep of constantly using so much makeup must be annoying.”

 

“It’s a secret to everybody!...This helmet sometimes finds its way OFF my head and so that’s a contingency plan!” _Like hell I’d tell you the real reason!_  Leo quickly performs a backflip into a handstand to avoid the starting sweep of Prince’s backspin, then he flings himself forward onto his feet to avoid the end sweep of it.

 

“A pathetic reason for that, but a flawless execution with that move! I’ll have to consider doing that myself once I win.”

 

“Cocky much?”

 

“I wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t the truth!”

 

“Ah...funny...trying to use my words against me ey Princey?”

 

“A fitting set of karma i’d say. Now enough of this chatter, you’re starting to slow to a crawl as is! Don’t want you to distracted my dear adversary!~”

 

From the distance, Aqua and Sirius continuously spectate.

 

“Hngh...this is the worst! We can’t help him at all thanks to Yismun being there! I wish we didn’t have a lie to keep up…”

 

“Aqua, what could we even do if we COULD help right now?”

 

“He’s slowing down! I could give him an energy boost with my magic!”

 

“Wouldn’t that be cheating?”

 

“Not if they didn’t know what was happening!”

 

“On that topic, what’s keeping him in such a spaced out state??”

 

“I don’t know! I just wish it’d stop buzzing him out or else he’ll end up needing to be put into intensive care by the end of this! Without Soren or Rize...we can’t patch him up…”

 

“Well luckily this is a mild distraction at most...doesn’t seem like there’s anything that’ll completely put him in a halt!”

 

“Why does it feel like you really shouldn’t have said that…”

 

“Eh? Why no-”

 

The doors fling open with Parappa and Paula rushing in, shouting in unison “LEO!”

 

“H-Huh?! Paula?! Parap-” Leo had taken his mind off his predicament at a terrible time. His right leg had firmly planted itself down as Prince’s leg was flung around once more. It lands straight into Leo’s leg, and a large, nasty crunch is heard almost immediately after. The bones within his leg were shattered as if they were glass trying to withstand a train “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH…” Leo falls over, grabbing tightly onto his now flimsily moving leg “H-Heennggh…”

 

“T-TEACH!...” Claire immediately tries to strike at the large Satyr, but Momo, knowing what the end result would be, grabs and restrains her “L-LEMME GO.” as she fails about, Sirius and Aqua resume.

 

“Oooooh...now I see what you meant Aqua…”

 

“AND WE CAN’T EVEN GO OUT TO HELP HIM! GAHHHHHH!”

 

“H-Honey calm down!...we’ll pick him up afte-...hey...you feel that?...”

 

“...This...feels like...it can’t be...mother turned her into a monster…”

 

“Hey wait...it’s coming from her! THAT’S WHY, BECAUSE THAT’S!...”

 

“Keep your voice down!...You’ll give us away!...We’ll ask questions later!... For now we wait and watch!...” as Aqua and Sirius hide away, Yismun storms up to Prince.

 

“OH YOU BUMBLING IDIOT!”

 

“IT WAS HIS OWN FAULT! THE FOOL STOPPED MOVING!”

 

“AND YOU COULDN’T STOP **YOUR** MOVEMENT TO WAIT?!”

 

“HOW WAS I TO BLOODY KNOW HE’D STOP AND HOLD STILL LIKE AN IMBECILE?!” as Yismun and Prince argue with each other. The audience merely panics as they back away, fearing for their own safety. With the main duo however, Parappa finds himself getting angry at the large man for doing what he did, but his anger was nothing compared to his friend's anger.

 

“Ohohoh you just made the biggest mistake of your life bud-...it’s...getting cold...real cold...oh no…” He starts rubbing his arms to keep himself warm as he looks to his side. Indigo sparks were flickering off of Paula as her breathing got heavier from her anger. Her breath could be seen, not because the area they were in got cold, but because her own inner body temperature had reach such a freezing state that it could be felt by the people near her. The floor beneath her feet immediately froze and her hair rose up as it began whipping about. Once her hair aligns in an up pointed manner, it solidifies as if it were frozen together. A blistering cold smog had begun enveloping her hands as she now storms forward. Each step freezing more and more of the floor. The other spectators notice her and immediately move away from her to avoid her wrath “Oh boy...he made a bigger mistake than I thought…” Parappa quickly runs after her, struggling to do so while trying to avoid slipping with every step he takes.

 

Claire however, keeps on trying to break free “M-MOMO LEMME GO!...”

 

“YOU SAW WHAT THE BIG OAF IS CAPABLE OF DOING! LEO'S BODY IS MORE DURABLE THAN YOURS AND IF HE WAS STILL SNAPPED LIKE A TWIG, HOW WELL DO YOU THINK YOURS WILL FAIR?...” Claire refuses to stop as she keeps trying to break free. She's gotten to calm down however, once she sees Paula appear in heavy steps before her.

 

“Hey...wasn't that Teach’s friend?...”

 

“LOOK YISMUN, BY TECHNICALITIES, I'VE WON.”

 

“YOU HAVE WON **NOTHING**!”

 

“HE CAN'T CONTINUE, IT'S DISQUALIFICATION!”

 

“ **YOU'RE** THE REASON HE CAN'T CONTINUE, AND FOR THAT IT'S A DRAW.”

 

“A DRAW?!”

 

“Be thankful I did not classify it as an instant loss for you…”

 

“Why the bloody hell is it a draw?? I'm clearly the vic-...who is that?...” the two adults turn their attention the approaching ice storm before them. Yismun catches a glimpse of whose arriving in panic.

 

“Now you've done it! This is clearly a sign that boss man is upset at your idiocy! He made Spectora send Kayla! You're about to be put on ice for going against his orders!”

 

“Cool yourself...this is not Kayla...remember what Spectora has done…”

 

“What she has...you're right...but then...who is _she_??” as Paula stands but mere inches away, she begins firing icicles that manifest from her side at the duo. Prince swats them away, but Yismun simply hides behind the large Satyr “Hey! Watch it! I've done nothing wrong here! It's all this OAF’S fault!” Paula fires more icicles that get smacked away. The stray icicles fly towards innocent pedestrians that flee in terror, provoking Parappa to pick up the pace and leap onto her back.

 

“PAULA QUIT IT! You're gonna hurt innocent people like this!” she immediately shakes violently in an attempt to fling him off.

 

“ **GET OFF!** ”

 

“NOT UNTIL YOU...pardon my pun...COOL IT!”

 

“Paula?...I don't have much recollection on that name…” Yismun says as he stays behind the giant.

 

“To what do I owe the displeasure of having you two stand before me in such an aggressive manner...”

 

“You have the **nerve** to say that?!” Paula eyes him down.

 

“Prince don’t pester her! She could potentially harm us as badly as Spectora can!”

 

“Relax your chasis you kiss ass...she’s but a novice compared to them...this is the equivalent of a small child getting angry at their parent!” Paula scowls as she flings Parappa off and over to Momo and Claire, knocking them all over. She then revs back her arms before attempting to force them forward and freeze Prince on the spot. This proves futile as Prince catches her hands mid blast with a singular hand. It’s immediately shrouded in ice, not enough to encase it fully, but still enough to surprise the large scaly satyr “Hoho!... Perhaps not quite an angry child, but still not something to interesting!” He lifts her up and watches her kick about to be freed “Sorry my small madame, but it’s best you be taught to keep to yoursel-” Prince backs away, dropping Paula in the process, to avoid a thrown guitar aimed for his head “Not this time!...So you still are capable of standing eh?” He glances over to Leo who’s standing on a singular leg, using a nearby table to support his right side. Paula notices the poor boy's state and snaps out of her own angered state as her appearance reverts to normal.

 

“You give me to little credit big boy!...I ain’t one to just stop everything just because I got a little scuffed up is all!” _My leg is in eternal pain...my arms are killing me...my back hurts...everything is hell..._

 

“A destroyed assortment of bones is what you’d classify as ‘a little scuffed up’?”

 

“While I admit that this is not what I’d usually classify as such, but I mean...I’m still standing aren’t I?~” _I’m about to vomit from the pain...please leave so I can collapse and cry like an infant…_ “I can feel each individual bone fragment in my now noodle of a leg and I’m still standing to laugh in your face!...Ha!” _Oooooh...both my arms can barely sustain my misaligned balance thanks to the damn cuts I received prior...I’m just barely preventing myself from becoming a wobbly mess…_

 

“You astonish me! But I guess I shouldn’t have anticipated any less seeing as I did choose you to be my rival. So then...are you fit to carry on?”

 

“OF COURSE!” _NOT...please...go away…_

 

“Then do you wish to resume our little soiree?~”

 

“Oh no you don’t! Under Boss man’s orders, you are to cease your ignorance at once Prince!” Yismun stands infront of the yellow behemoth.

 

“He’s stating that he’s fine.”

 

“The pompous boy here is simply speaking from ego alone! He can barely sustain his posture!”

 

“Hrgn...Very well then.” He crosses his arms angrily as he looks back to Leo “Leo Steps. In seven days I shall return to finish our challenge. On the eighth day that follows, I’ll return.”

 

“SEVEN?! He can’t heal a broken leg in that time!”

 

“He healed his arm quickly, as you brought up prior, did he not?”

 

“That was probably a fluke! There is no way that he’d agree to-”

 

“I. Accept.” _JUST PLEASE GO AWAY..._

 

“You are both equally moronic and I hate you all.” Yismun slides his hand across his face “Very well...seven days to heal…”

 

“WAIT!...” Paula shouts once she finds her bearings.

 

“Oh what is it now…”

 

“I...I’ll take his place!” She stares at the hulking dancer angrily, but does not trigger her abilities signifying she burned it out on her tantrum “i’ll take you on for him!...”

 

“Why on earth would I waste my time with you?”

 

“Well the main reason being that he definitely won’t be healing that leg up in that ludicrous time period you gave him!”

 

“THANK YOU! Atleast someone here has some sensibility.”

 

“CAN IT KISS ASS! Any OTHER reasons?”

 

“I...I want to be the one to beat you for hurting my friend!...”

 

“Friend? Pah! What a silly reason...and hurting him? That’s not on me.”

 

“It is and you can’t deny it, but you still will so I’ll just agree with the girl while I relay the info to boss man…” Yismun simply inputs things on a tablet.

 

“Whatever the case...why should it matter to me?”

 

“Are you afraid of losing??”

 

He chuckles as he kneels down to be on eye level with her “Normally such big talk would actually get to me, but that’s only because the person speaking it is actually capable of backing it up. I am a well known idol from the parts of the world that I’m from such as Neo Metropolis, visiting here to claim that title from this area as well. You...I’ve heard of you. Though you have some popularity to your name, I would hardly be satisfied by beating you.”

 

“Then how about I help her out!” Parappa says as he finally gets up to his feet, still dazed from the impact of being thrown into the two other girls.

 

“...Hm...You are the one dubbed ‘the beloved believer rapper’...you have quite a bit of fame and favoritism to your name...but your title is one i’m not all that interested in...although i’d be lying if I said I wasn’t intrigued by you…” he rubs his chin “You’re an interesting one! For you. I’ll make an exception! I’ll even give you the same challenge that I had for him! Yes it should be no problem for me to trounce your fame!” Parappa heaves a sigh of relief, but notices Paula stare angrily at the ground and speaks up again.

 

“I won’t just face you on my own!...If you’re gonna accept my challenge, my friend Paula will also be facing off against you! It’ll be us together!” Paula looks up towards the dog.

 

“Hm...Mmmm-mm-mmm...Why not~ Both of you prove no challenge to me~ Paula is mostly a well rounded adversary, and you’re a highly renowned singer, but a dancer you are not~ This combo would only make it fair! Like fighting two halves...of an entire imbecile~”

 

Both growl at the Satyr, but ultimately nod “So then it’s a go right?...”

 

“Yes yes...Yismun?”

 

“I have no objections.”

 

“I DO!...” Leo forces himself forward, but falls as expected. He’s caught by Claire “Gah...guess I’m in no real position to deny...nevermind…” He growls as the catgirl stares sadly at her upset mentor while strapping his guitar onto his back.

 

“However it’s your funeral in the end Prince.” _These two...there’s something more to them that he just isn’t seeing...and it’ll be his downfall~_ “Of course, we’ve wasted enough time as is. They will get the seven day time period of preparation that was originally meant for Leo Steps.”

 

“Fine by me. Let us return.”

 

“Ohohoh no. You tied in a draw. Boss man said he wouldn’t accept a draw, so you aren’t allowed to return unless you win in eight days time Prince.”

 

“Feh...so be it…” He glances at everyone else “Do you all not have better things to do?” Everyone in the building, minus those well known by Parappa and Leo run out of the building in an instant “How sad...well. Time for me to entertain myself till our showdown…” Prince storms off, but Yismun hovers over to the duo. He waits until Prince forcefully exits the building.

 

“Well well well...you two have peaked my curiosity greatly! Might I be allowed to question you on a few things?~”

 

“Yismun...leave…” The snide man turns to look at Leo “Don’t you have things to do? Best to handle that instead of this…”

 

“...Very well…You seem to know me! And that’s enticing! However...I can sense the hostility in your voice...well...I’ll try again in after the wait period is over~” He begins walking towards the exit “Momo, it was nice seeing you again! It’s a shame your other pal has gone MIA, but his successor in Leo seems to work as a fine replacement~ However we may win him over if we’re lucky~”

 

“My other-” She catches on “Yes...he has gone MIA and has not come back…” she swallows heavily as she tries to not give away Leo’s true identity.

 

“I’d consider Miss Clarisse, but she seems more hostile than Leo towards me so oh well~ Tata!~” He laughs as he exits the building.

 

Before Parappa and Paula can do anything else, a pink axolotl girl floats in between them “YOU TWO!” they both jump in fear “You both are crazy…”

 

“W-Who are you…”

 

“...Aqua! That’s your name!”

 

“Oh, did Leo introduce me already to you?...”

 

“‘Not exactly...I learned about you in a dream!”

 

“...sure...not the weirdest thing i’ve heard…”

 

“He’s telling the truth Aqua...as...bizarre as it sounds…” Leo says as Claire helps him over “Parappa...Paula...you’ve gotten yourselves into quite a mess…” Paula quickly heats up as ice crackles off of her slightly.

 

“US?! LOOK AT YOU! YOU SAID THINGS WOULD BE FINE AND NOW YOU LOOK LIKE A FLATTENED MESS!...”

 

“I...have nothing to say to that...I deserved to be yelled at…”

 

“H-HEY! Leave teach be! He doesn’t deserve this after what happened to him!” Paula exhales aggressively, coating the catgirls face with snow. She blinks a bit before shaking her face to remove the snow “R-Rude!...”

 

“Cookie...it’s alright.”

 

“How is it alright?! How do you know those two that did this to you?!” She swings her arm over to the door that Yismun and Prince exited from “Why are THEY here?!” She points over to Aqua, and Sirius who just recently floats over to them “AND WHY ARE YOUR OTHER FRIENDS AS HECTIC AS THE BIG SCALY GUY!” she wildly swings her arm at Parappa and Paula.

 

“I mean...I know Yismun and Prince because of...showbiz knowledge! Any performer worth their salt should right? Why are Aqua and Sirius here? To assist me with personal stuff. And as for Paula and Parappa? They’re not hectic! Just...eccentric...to a fault…Look you guys CAN’T go up against Prince! No offense but the big guy can be a hefty challenge...even in fair conditions...You both need to have a perfect singing and dancing flow! You got the singing part down...however...the dancing part...is lacking thanks to Parappa...”

 

“I can help in that manner!”

 

“Paula I won’t deny that you’re a phenomenal dancer and would make an excellent teacher, but you only have seven days to teach him to be on par with Prince! You’re not a miracle worker!... You’d need a dance master to give yourselves a sliver of hope...”

 

“Is...he really that big of a hurdle?...” Paula starts huddling down.

 

“I’ll do my best regardless to keep up!...”

 

“I don’t know if your best will be enough man…” Aqua stares at the three of them and quickly blurts out.

 

“I can help there!”

 

“Aqua?...Well...you are a dancing witch...you could definitely be a benefit to them, but still…”

 

“I don’t mean me! But I can’t say what I wanna _now_! For now we need to get you out of here and onto the road of recovery!”

 

“Unfortunately the hospital here has gone under renovation until further notice thanks to an equipment upgrade so-”

 

“OOOOOH NO! I REFUSE TO LET YOU GET PATCHED UP BY YOUR HEALER FRIENDS! YOU’LL JUST GO TAKE ON PRINCE AGAIN!”

 

“Lucky for you Paula...they’ve left without a trace...so I can’t despite really wanting to…”

 

“Exactly, so if that’s the case...I guess it’s best for you to head home and avoid all this! Claire, mind helping with that?” Aqua looks to the catgirl.

 

“Hey don’t I get a say in th-”

 

“Fine!...But I’m doing this because I want my teacher to be ok...not because you told me to!”

 

“COOKIE!...”

 

“Sorry teach...I don’t want to see you get hurt anymore...I feel like there’s things you’re not telling me, but I choose to trust you. And helping you get better has my attention overall right now...Mrs. Momo...can you lend a hand?”

 

“Right right!”

 

“H-Hey! Nooooo!” Both girls lift the guy up and rush off.

 

Once they’re out of sight, Sirius sighs in worry “Aqua...you sure it’s for the best to not tell Leo about this??...”

 

“Of course!... I know what I’m doing!...”

 

“What’s going on?... Don’t leave us in the dark!” Paula states as she stares at the aquatic duo, demanding an answer.

 

“Relax...I have the solution to your problem...What you need is a dance master as Leo said...and we know a dancing queen!”

 

“You do?? Can she help us catch up within seven days??” Parappa hops up.

 

“Yes! You may not even need all seven!”

 

“That’s great! Who is she?! WHERE is she?” Paula also bounces around in place.

 

“Six feet under!”

 

“WHAT?! If she’s dead, why bother getting our hopes up?!” They both slump to the ground.

 

“We can’t tell you anymore! If you want to know more, you gotta help us out with a little problem we got first!”

 

“Aquaaaaa…”

 

“Dear, shut up! Trust me!...” She turns back towards the dog and fox duo, sweating bullets “I can help you! But we desperately need help ourselves!...We wanted Leo to help us...but that would complicate things...not to mention that he’s now incapacitated...and you would not like him endangering himself any further...right?”

 

“...Right…but how can you help us with this?!”

 

“We can tell you more _only_ if you decide to help us!...You guys are from Parappa town right?...If you choose to help us...meet us at the outskirts there at midnight!...”

 

“Aqua they’re not gonna wanna help us with how shady you’re acting!”

 

“Shut up!...Look just...please give it some thought!...” She grabs her mumbling husbands hand and immediately summons her broomstick to fly off on.

 

“HEEEEEEY! I’M SORRY YOU TWOOOOOOOOO!...” And in an instant, they’re gone.

 

“Oh boy what an exit...well Paula...what do you think about this?...Sirius was right...it was a real shady offer…”

 

“I...don’t know...it’s worrying...but do we really have a choice?...” She hugs herself “I...need to think this over...how about you?...”

 

“I GOTTA believe them! They’re my son’s friends after all. They surely wouldn’t want to steer us wrong! But I gotta get home first and tell my roomies about what happened to Leo. Last time they were left in the dark, they got upset over it. It’s only fair to include them since they have a chance of being his mother to. Any parent would be worried!”

 

“Alright…Come on...let’s just hail a cab home...”

 

“On it…”

 

* * *

 

“Come on Teach...we’re almost there…”

 

“Honestly Leo, how you could take on a challenge from a brute such as him is beyond me!”

 

“I was going to try to lead him to a bigger club, but then you two appeared...Claire almost got her head taken off and I couldn’t just LET that happen!”

 

“...Oops...eheh...this is my fault then…”

 

“Nonono! I was gonna face off with him regardless so this was inevitable…” As they enter the Heights Hotel, Sunny and Kitty are seen chatting with each other at the first floor lobby. They spot Leo once they hear his voice. What was going to be a calm ‘hello’ ended up with Sunny rushing up to the busted guy.

 

“LEO! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!”

 

“Ehehe...I lost a dance contest…”

 

“It was a draw teach!”

 

“WHAT KIND OF DANCE CONTEST LED TO THIS?!”

 

“Long story…”

 

“Whooooooooooooooooooa. You got FUCKED up man!” She notices his flimsy leg “And wow just look at that leg! It’s like a wet noodle!”

 

“Thank you for the insight Kitty…”

 

“Are these friends of yours to? They seem...hot and cold…”

 

“They have their moments Cookie...Look Poppy, Kitty...mind helping me to my room?...”

 

“Of course!”

 

“Sure sure, let’s get you up dude.”

 

“Thank you girls… Momo, Claire. I guess we’ll be speaking later...tomorrow good?...”

 

“That’s fine!...Just rest up teach…”

 

“Fine with me as well. Do rest up.”

 

“Thanks.” the two other ladies leave the building as Sunny and Kitty carry the boy over to the elevator.

 

“You gonna be good going up this thing the way you are now?”

 

“Truthfully Kitty...I have no idea...luckily you won't have to deal with me screaming in agony! I feel like I'd pass out the moment I feel any more pain than I'm feeling now!”

 

“Isn't that a bad thing?...”

 

“I mean...my pain ain't visible now is it?”

 

“That's still not a good way of looking at it! It's more worrisome than it should be! You're not even sure you'll faint! You probably will scream regardless!”

 

“You have no way of testing that Poppy-” Kitty bluntly kicks his busted leg. He emits a high pitched wail that only a dog could hear as every dog in the building covers their ears in pain. He then faints on the spot.

 

“Huh, so you're both wrong! He did both! Kinda.”

 

“KITTY!...”

 

“What? When you two bicker, it pisses me off cuz you go on nonstop. This way I could settle the argument while shutting one of you up.”

 

“Remind me to keep quiet if I ever get a broken body part around you…” she rolls her eyes “Let's...just get him to his room…” they take the elevator as they zoom to the top.

 

* * *

 

“MOVE MOVE MOVE!” Katy, Lammy and Ma-san stampede over Parappa as they burst out the door and vanish into the distance from their van.

 

“Ow…” Rammy helps the guy up.

 

“You probably shouldn't have stayed in front of the door as you told them that.”

 

“I'm figuring that out just now…” he dusts himself off “I knew they'd go ballistic, but even I didn't expect it to go that far…”

 

“A mother is truly an emotional mess.”

 

“Why didn’t you panic?”

 

“I'm getting with the motion that I'm staying his Aunt. Good for the timeline and all that.”

 

“I've already caught on to your true motive.”

 

“Can you call it that if it was that obvious?”

 

“I'm just happy that you're getting along with Lammy from it is all.”

 

“Alright then. Nowwww. What are you planning?”

 

“What do you mean, planning??”

 

“Paraps. Don't. I've come to learn when you’re hiding something.”

 

“...Can you keep it a secret from everyone else?”

 

“What are you gonna do…”

 

“I’m...gonna be gone for a week…here's why...”

 

* * *

 

“Alright Kitty, I'll take it from here. You just head back to our room.”

 

“If you say so. Try not to touch that leg of his anymore. Don't think the dogs in this building could handle another squeal like that.”

 

“I know…” the hell cat snaps her hands and shifts them into a finger gun right after as she leaves the room, closing the door behind her. Sunny stares at the damaged now black sheep boy who changed as the door was closed. A comedic ghost tries to exit from his mouth. She carefully tries to remove the damaged helmet, but it breaks into pieces immediately upon contact with her fingers “Well...same end result I guess…” she scans his head to see if that was harmed in the process, and blows a puff of relief when he's fine “Oh man...and I got no way of helping him…” She then recalls when Leo was healed while Spinni and 16-bits left to get help a few days ago “They thought I fixed him...did I really do that?...” She glances over to the defeated boy “I hope I did...alright!...Weird powers of mine! I don’t know what triggers you to work at all, but uh...I need your help now so...do your thing!” She holds her hands out over him, but nothing happens “AW COME ON!...do something!...how do I work these stupid powers!” She swings her hands around in a flustered flurry. She eventually stops as she attempts to grab his leg “Maybe I need to be holding the wounded body part?...” she grabs his leg gently as best she can so she can avoid causing him further pain “Okaaaaay...now!......and...now!....now?...” she starts to whine “Woooooork…” out of frustration she tightly squeezes the leg, causing the body to jerk wildly, all while Leo stays unconscious “SORRY SORRY SORRY!...Oh it really wasn’t me that fixed him…” she starts to cry through frustration and at her own inept follies at failing to be of any help, and only then does the healing portion of her powers begin taking effect. This time she notices the green light emit from her hands and encase the busted leg of Leo. She merely watches his leg properly straighten itself as it begins it’s regeneration process. In mere moments the leg is now good as new as if it was never brutally handled at all. The bone feels as solid and stable as the one on his opposite leg. Before she can emit a sound of wonder from her own amazement, she’s caught off guard by someone beating her to the punch.

 

“Whoa...d-did...you just heal him??...” Sunny notices that it’s the MilkCan trio and just watches them like a deer caught in the headlights. After what feels like an eternity within a minute, she finally speaks up.

 

“...Yeah...I guess I did…”

 

* * *

 

“Alright...they said the outskirts of town…” Parappa parks his car as he sinks into his seat “Ohhh man...I'm real sorry for putting this all on you Ura…” he laments forcing his friend to keep quiet for seven days “Alright...it's almost midnight! I hope they aren’t a no show…”

 

“They'll be here given how desperate Aqua looked as she told us this…” Paula startles the guy as she appears in the passenger's seat next to him.

 

“How did-...So then you're trusting her to?”

 

“Of course. I wanna get back at that guy for Leo! And she has the only way of making it possible!”

 

“That pride of yours is as strong as ever. Once you wanna take on someone or something, you just can't let anyone else but you handle it. Like with Gaster and the other hectic people or moments we’ve been through in our lives.” he shrugs with a half smile “It's endearing, and I understand the emotion entirely. I ain't ever gonna stop you. You can believe in my words there!”

 

“Thank you. Most people just don't get it and its...irritating when I couldn't even do a single thing once it's been handled.” she reclines her seat “Another thing...that Aqua...she seemed so...panicked, when she looked at me...I wanna know why…”

 

“Well...we just gotta wait.” the duo straighten up as the time reaches midnight.

 

“You actually took up our offer!...” Aqua says as she lands with her broomstick in front of the car.

 

“Of course! You have what's our only hope! Think you can tell us now?”

 

“Of course! But I'll talk as you drive!” she teleports into the back seat of the car “Make sure you follow my broom!” The broom hovers on its own, and slowly leads the way. Parappa follows it without hesitation.

 

“Alright, we're all ears…”

 

“Ok...the dead dancing queen...well she had a daughter...a daughter my mother took up on raising as a last request type thing...they were friends after all… and said daughter grew to be as amazing a dancer as her! If not better! From what my mother said years back...she can help you!...But…”

 

“But?...”

 

“You need to help her...please...save my best friend…” she looks at Paula “Paula Fox...that's your name right?...”

 

“Yeah?...you've been staring at me like that since you told us to meet us here...why?”

 

“Because the dance princess...is your cousin...Kayla Kits…” Paula’s eyes merely widen. Her last name matched her mother's maiden name, but the first was brought up by both Yismun and Prince back at the wrecked club.

 

“My…cousin…?”

 

“I understand if it's hard to believe...I can explain everything you want to know!”

 

“...Yes…do that….first thing you can tell me...what...did they do to her?...”

 

“......My mother turned her into a monster…”

 

“...” she glances at Parappa who's just as shocked as she is “Tell me...everything…” Aqua nods.

 

_What a day...I learn that I have ice powers AND a cousin! And I learn about both of them in the most upsetting ways possible..._


	34. Frosty Fox to Water

Aqua takes a deep breath before beginning “Well for starters...Kayla was the daughter of the late Ana Kits…”

 

“That's my late Aunt alright...Mom said she died when she was about 9...so that means…”

 

“The war…” both her and Parappa say.

 

“Oh! You know about that??”

 

“Mostly...I don't understand...Ana must've been apart of Cruisin! And I SPOKE to all of them!” Parappa says while keeping diligent to the road.

 

“You TALKED to the dead?!”

 

“Long story. Synopsis, I was just keeping their memories alive…” He points to his beanie “But Ana wasn't there…”

 

“Hmm” she stares at the logo's before putting the pieces together “..I get it now...and it would make sense why she wasn't. Ana, before she died, and my mother made their own faction. As a last resort once the sirens were brought up, to shelter the innocent people who would be blamed for their inclusion. Ana however...was fatally wounded by them when she took a hit for my mother...she made my mother promise to take her child and raise it...my mother begrudgingly agreed. She wanted to let your family raise her, but being stragglers from a war...your grandparents could only care for Bella. And so my mother kept her promise. She was raised by her, but my mother promised yours that she would tell her who her real family was and always allow communication between them. The group stayed and served a new purpose. It was meant for Cruisin’s who wanted to make amends to the world and thus...Aqua Opera was born...so technically...Ana was apart of THIS group. That's why you couldn't contact her.” she clears her throat “Once Kayla hit 13, she was going to be given the option to leave and go to your family...but...Tycoon came into our lives...and...well things started becoming hell...our entire group slowly started becoming his puppets...she was the only one who never did…and she stayed trying to keep things in order, while keeping under the radar...until about a month ago…”

 

“So my mother knew and didn't tell me…”

 

“It was supposed to be a surprise for when she was supposed to go back to your family...but she never got the chance...and mother cut her communication off… You were…if my math is correct...a newborn infant?...I assume they thought the worst happened so they...didn't want to sadden you once you were old enough to know…”

 

“Oh…”

 

“Hey Aqua...so only her and Amby were the only ones with their free will intact?...”

 

“...At the time...yes…I was born when she was seven...and Amby was born when I was six...when Amby herself was eight...she ran away from home...it's thanks to that, that Tycoon assumed he already mind controlled Kayla, so he finally stopped trying and let her be...while I ran after Amby...and well…”

 

“That's when she first met Leo I take it?”

 

“Correct...we were both caught...and in those six years following...I was easily taken control of...Amby however...I don't know...I guess her determination to see Leo again and be happy once more helped her resist...so they took control over her through a much more old method...It was around then that-”

 

“She was sent to take out the Queens, but was freed by Leo…”

 

“Yes!...and that...started Leo's adventure. I was eventually freed along with Sirius. I lost an arm in the process, but truthfully I deserved much worse given the things I've done...Amby and Leo convinced me otherwise.”

 

“Lost an arm?? How?!”

 

“Leo chopped it off.”

 

“HUH??”

 

“I...have to let him or Sirius tell that story...I'm sorry...that story just reminds me of how big a monster I used to be…”

 

“But wait...you have both arms!”

 

Aqua lifts her sleeve to show that a different arm entirely had been sewn on “The best part about our group working with necromancy, you always have spare parts for when ‘accidents’ happen…”

 

“...E-Ew…” Paula shudders in disgust.

 

“Aqua...after you were freed...what did you do?”

 

“Apologize profusely to my little sister for making her life hell, and my best friend and older sister figure for doing the same and worrying her from what I let happen to me. I told Kayla and Ambrosia to hide away and avoid anymore danger. Both denied. I lost my little sister...and now...I'm about to fully lose my best friend…”

 

“Shouldn't Leo help you instead?...”

 

“I'm...currently lying to my mother by making her believe that me and Sirius are still under Tycoon’s control...She would remember Leo IMMEDIATELY...and it would blow our cover…She doesn't know you! Paula...might make it a mixed bag…”

 

“Why's that?”

 

“She looks like Kayla! My mother may question some things...or...Completely let it be...I don't know...overall it's for the best to avoid her. At the very least if you two avoid her! That’s easy to do with you guys then it is with Leo.”

 

“What did my cousin get turned into exactly?”

 

“A giant aquatic monstrosity...we're also no stranger to shapeshifting, but...she wasn't like us, she was just a simple ice witch, it ran in her family” She gazes at Paula “...she didn't want to learn the new things we were being forced to learn...she couldn't learn it anyway regardless thankfully...so Mother thought it best to…’help’ her...and now here we are…”

 

“I'll help her out!”

 

“Me to, so don't count me out! She's my cousin so I wanna do my part to!...What a day...I learn that I have ice powers AND a cousin! And I learn about both of them in the most upsetting ways possible…”

 

“Eheh... sorry about both those things Paula…”

 

“Don’t worry! It'll all be alright in the end! I have faith! Though it keeps getting stepped on, it's still there!”

 

“Great to hear! Now what do we gotta do?”

 

“It's hard to explain. I need you to pluck her out.”

 

“Pluck her out of what?? Isn't she a monster now?”

 

“You'll both see when we get there.”

 

They both look to each other a tad uneasily before saying in unison “...Alright…”

 

“I've explained what I needed to and wanted to. Is there anything else you'd like to know?”

 

“...Why’d you agree to being my son's friend?...”

 

“...At first...it was to make amends...I, along with Sirius...killed most of the Queens...Ambrosia found it in her heart to give us one more chance, and so she got Leo to spare us...and he did… he was upset with us still...he had his right...he was miserable...and so Sirius and I tried to make amends...no dice...then...Amby dies in place of him...her last wish was to make sure his wish got to be turned into reality…and so I help in order to honor her wish...then I got to properly know Leo...and I felt worse...now if anything...I treat him like a little brother and...try to keep him safe...but that's nearly impossible...he keeps me and Sirius on our toes…he's like a danger magnet!...”

 

“Yeaaaaah...that’s my fault...it runs in the family…”

 

“So I've come to learn.” she looks down “Now he's like family and I can't bear to let him handle things like this on his own. My instincts just wouldn't let me, and so I act as a spy on his behalf. It's a task that could get me killed. And I'm fine with that. It's all to pay him back for freeing me from the terrible person i used to be.”

 

“A real friend wouldn't purposely go into fatal danger...Leo wouldn’t want that...from what I've come to see, he really cherishes you guys now...it'd break him if you just died!”

 

“I know...and yet...it always feels like...he hasn't stopped hating me…” she laughs sorrowfully “Claire certainly gives off that aura!”

 

“About that...Claire really doesn't like you...Does she know what you did?...”

 

“No. As per Leo's wishes. She remains blissfully unaware. All she knows is our abilities and that's that. However...she could feel Leo's rage back when he still hated all of us...and so she hated us as well from the feeling alone...once Leo stopped hating us, she kept at it...serving as a reminder that Leo possibly still resents us.”

 

“But he doesn't! You shouldn’t use her as an example! She's just upset that you made him upset!”

 

“I know, but that’s...difficult… I respect the poor girl...she’s like Leo and Ambrosia, as I’m sure you’ve come to know by now.”

 

“Yeah...Leo showed us…”

 

“She was uh...promptly...abandoned by everyone…”

 

“Except by Leo and his old friends, her new family...who...we were the executioners of…”

 

“......Now I see why...she doesn’t know what happened...but suddenly you all come into her mentors life after his previous friends are no more...she feels his anger AND your guilt...it uh...adds up rather...sadly…” Parappa just resumes driving sadly.

 

“But you should convince her that you’re not bad! You lot clearly want to make amends! Leo forgave you all and is even thankful to have you all with him! Yes he’s sad, that’s a natural thing that’d be hard to get rid of, but you’re here wanting to fix all you’ve done! Helping him with his mission, despite the dangers that it’ll put you in! Even going as far as trying to prevent the danger from reaching him when you can! Leo will never forget the people he had before, but he’d be equally devastated if he lost the group he has with him now. I just know it!” Paula bounces within her seat surprising both Parappa and Aqua.

 

“Do you really think so...?”

 

“Of course I do! He’s shown to be like Parappa in more than one way during the multiple times we saw him! I’d know that this is also the same way, because that’s what Parappa would feel like. He cares for all his friends whether they were once bad or not. He always gives people the chance to try and befriend them! Sometimes it’s successful such as another magic friend of ours! Her name is Mana, she used to be known as the masked witch and tried to cause trouble fives years ago! Now she’s a friend that’s just travelling the world in search of better ways to use her magic. But sometimes...his friendship attempts are unsuccessful...such as with two people he’s been trying to be friends with for a while...Their names are Joe and Gaster. Both are...thick headed in their own separate ways. They’ve shown their incompetence countless times. And yet he always wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt each and every single time, even when he knew that it’d just end up the same way. He dislikes them, but still would love nothing more than to be pals. Leo is most certainly the same way, only you guys are like Mana in this situation~”

 

“Hehe...you make me sound like a guy who’s to trusting to say no…”

 

“I mean...not exactly. It’s just you’re a cute guy who can’t bring himself to hate anyone!”

 

“Ah...guilty…~”

 

Aqua laughs gently “Thank you...that does make me feel a little better~...Truly you lot are just as Leo described...rays of sunlight on the heart~...”

 

“It’s thanks to our goober of a friend here~” She points at Parappa with her thumb, he simply rolls his eyes playfully.

 

“I can see that now. I’m...going to go on ahead. You two make sure to follow alright?”

 

“We will. You just be careful and try not run into anything!”

 

“I’m not a novice! I’ve had years of practice on a broom!”

 

“Just teasing~ How friends usually do! Cuz that’s what we are now, aren’t we?”

 

“...If you both choose to let me.”

 

“We do!” they beam so brightly they end up standing out in the dark of night.

 

“...You are all very nice individuals. I now see another reason as to why Leo wants to help you all. You can count on me to do the same! I will do all that I can to keep you lot safe.” she teleports out of the car and back onto her broomstick. She waves to them to keep up.

 

“It's...so shocking to hear that she was one of the people helping the bad guy...I know it was by forced control, but you'd think she'd have the willpower to resist…”

 

“Well...by that point her mom was taken control of, her people followed shortly after and her sister ran away to avoid that...would you have any willpower left after that much despair?...”

 

“...I'm glad she's free now…I’m glad the lot of them are.” Parappa turns his head to Paula “How are you feeling? After hearing all of this?”

 

“I have a new family member! I have a new friend! I have newfound hatred for a guy who I don’t even know! I'm a kick ass ice witch gal! So how am I feeling?” her hair rises up and solidifies again, but she isn't angry. Gentle snowflakes fall around the car “More determined than ever! That guy is the one who Leo says left you so destroyed in the future! He destroyed so many lives and is STILL at it! And now he's messing with family I was forced to be kept ignorant on! I'm not gonna let that go idly by! I'll help Aqua and Sirius, I'll save my cousin, beat Prince and fend this Tycoon guy away from trying to do anything to you! I got your back, just like you had mine!”

 

“I'm thankful to have a family like you guys. Promise to take care of yourself as well though alright?” she smiles as her appearance returns to normal “Thanks. Man...I never really got to go on a proper ‘not a date’ with you thanks to what happened today.”

 

“Oh don't worry, I'm happy to have gotten to sing and dance with you! Even if it was rather...limited…”

 

“I won't settle for that! And lucky for you, we got seven days together to ourselves!”

 

“Ooooh...heh...that...completely slipped my mind when thinking this over...oh boy…” she hiccups out a snow puff in the shape of a heart as she clutches her cheeks.

 

“Hey now, I figured you’d be just ecstatic over that.”

 

“Maybe if you didn't know about my crush! But since you're well aware, it's just stressful!”

 

“I mean, it's just me Paula. No need to worry. Crush or not, we're still friends! Always have been and always will be! Only now, thanks to my boy, you have a chance of being something more as well. Why not try and take it to see where it goes?”

 

“...” she rubs her feet together “Why not, I did say I was more determined than ever! Let me prove it by accepting your offer!” she winks as they both look forward “This is gonna be a fun trip!”

 

* * *

 

“You are AMAZING!”

 

“I mean...I don’t know about that…”

 

“YOU CAN HEAL PEOPLE!”

 

“...ok yeah...that is something I can apparently do…but amazing? Me?...Really??”

 

(“Katy ain't gonna shut up about it, so just accept it Poppy.”)

 

“What Ma-san said, and b-besides! It is the truth Poppy!”

 

“O-Ok!...I'll accept it!...” she twiddles her fingers together “Why are you three here anyway?...”

 

“Parappa told us about what happened and not a moment after, we blasted straight to here!”

 

(“She's not kidding, we tore up parts of the street on our way here from the speed.”)

 

“Golly...I'm glad he has such caring-” _to a scary fault…_ “friends!”

 

“Thankfully you prove to be wonderful yet again! You can control the flora and fauna of the land AND can heal!...hm...that sounds...oddly familiar…”

 

“W-Well remember Katy, past video Potter did say that it was a common ability among his people…”

 

“But only past Thistle and Poppy had the abilities! Granted Potter said that all his family had em to so...hm…hey Poppy, you wouldn't happen to know a guy named Potter Funny would you?”

 

“N-Noooooo...name doesn't ring a bell…” _Please stop talking about my daaaad…also wait… My mother and aunt had these powers??..._

 

“Hm...guess it is just coincidence...or as Lammy brought up! Sorry for putting you on the spot there Poppy!” she then looks over to the black sheep boy “We'll let you finish fixing him up! Now that we know he's fine, we can rest abit easier! We'll be back tomorrow to properly give him an earful for sending us into a tizzy!”

 

“Ok!...and uh...go easy on him, especially you Katy!...”

 

“Weh? Why me specifically?”

 

“Uhhhh…” _Why did I say that…_ “No reason! It's just that I've seen how emotional you can get and I think it's best to spare him the heartache!”

 

“Hmmm...good point, but It'll be fiiiiiiiine!” she turns to the door “Well anyway, night Poppy!” she heads out with the other two behind her.

 

(“Night gal.”)

 

“Goodnight P-Poppy!”

 

They close the door once they leave, but Poppy stays idle until she hears the three of them screaming on their descent through the elevator. Once they stop she resumes attempting to heal Leo “...it won't turn on again...ok so…” she takes out her cell phone “I guess the best person to ask is the one who had this longer…” she calls a number on her contact list and waits until the person answers “M-Mother hello! I know t-this is out of blue but...before I tell you why I'm calling...Father isn't there right?...Ok good!...now um...How do I...properly work the healing part of my powers?...Mother?...Are you alright?...Dropped the phone?...Nono! I'm alright! A new friend of mine...he's not...and it just so happens I managed to subconsciously fix him slightly!...I don't know how to turn it back on so I can fix the rest...How'd I find out that you had the powers?...Uhhh... I mean...they're medical based...and uh.. you're the more...non aggressive of my parents so I took a shot in the dark!...Yes I'm serious! Ok...I tried concentrating!...Yeah...alright...I might have been a bit panicked...Okok ALOT panicked...Geez if I wanted the sermon I'd have called Dad...S-Sorry!...Uh huh...calm happy thoughts?? How will I manage that!...oh...um...thanks! Love you! Bye! Yes I'll call sooner next time! Yes I'll call more often to! OK! BYEBYEBYEBYE!” she hangs up and sighs “That's a low blow mom…’Oh that's simple, just think about the happy times you used to have with your ex!’...Well...atleast you make it easier to do just that my unconscious friend!...” she grabs his arms “Now let's see if she wasn't pulling my leg...happy calm thoughts...huh...what should I think of?...” Her thoughts swirl around until it settles on one specific event.

 

* * *

 

Sunny could only watch as her eyes slowly came to a close. The last thing she saw was her heart floating away from her. Her body grows stiff and heavy. She was left numb to everything as she dropped, immobile like a lifeless doll. Despite all this however, all her awareness was available within her heart when she regains slight consciousness in it after some time has passed. She could hear and see from where it was. She gazes up to see a witch with a rather precarious mask looking down at her, her voice is fuzzy due to the limitations of hearing, but she can still make it out. She was taunting someone, and so she turns around to see who. There the heart sees Parappa being toted around by Gaster and Groober who act as makeshift reindeer on a tv monitor.

 

_“Nyeheheh, persistence is a lovely little trait as well as an annoying one! However you should call it quits now lest you lose your heart to me as well bucko!”_

 

_“I don’t know where you are, but I ain't stopping till I do! Gaster pick up the speed!”_

 

_“G-Gaster refuses to be ordered around! If Gaster is required to go faster, then Gaster will go when he pleases!”_

 

_“This is what's gonna get this heart back? Ehehehe! How can you get a hold of this heart if you can't even get a hold of your cooperation act!”_ She cackles as the three guys on the monitor argue.

 

_“Gaz, why did we agree to this?”_

 

_“GASTER DOESN'T NEED A REASON! GASTER JUST DOES WHAT HE WANTS! AND WHAT GASTER WANTS RIGHT NOW, IS TO GO FASTER!”_ Gaster legs kick it into high gear on the spot only to be winded the exact same second _“...”_

 

_“Gaster I suggest you not do that again seeing as we were squished by that sled not to long ago.”_

 

_“YEAH GASTER REMEMBERS...Gaster would prefer it if Groober would kindly shut up!”_

 

_“Fine…”_

 

_“Can you two keep it together!”_

 

_“And I was worried over nothing! This should put a halt to their meddling if exhaustion is what’s holding them down!”_ she conjures up a cake before them as she locks up the heart, but Gaster and Groober merely consume it in a matter of seconds _“WHATWHATWHAAAAAAT? YOU GLUTTONOUS BUFFOONS AREN’T SUPPOSED TO ACTUALLY EAT IT, LET ALONE AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT!...”_

 

_“Ooooooh maaaaan that hit the spot~”_

 

_“Yeaaaaaah~...”_ both of them simply recline on the doile cloud before it gives way and drops the two chunky lads downwards.

 

_“Inconceivable…”_ the poor witch is squashed under the fat lads before forcing herself out _“ALRIGHT. THAT’S_ **_IT!_ ** _”_ She hurries off towards the dog who glances around, stuck in the same position due to the two that were helping him, flat out vanishing on him.

 

_“Oh man, what am I gonna do now...where’d they go? And how am I not falling??”_ The masked witch appears above him, cackling in twisted delight _“IT’S YOU! MASKED WITCH! You finally came out of hiding! I’m here to get Sunny’s heart back!”_

 

_“Are you now?~”_

 

_“...As soon as I can find a way over to you!”_

 

_“Good luck doing that!”_

 

_“I said i’d be getting Sunny’s heart back and I will! You’re not gonna stop me!”_

 

_“Listen small fry, how does a regular average Bob like you plan on besting a witch? That’s right, YA CAN’T!~ NYEHEHEHEHE!”_ She blows a raspberry at the dog only to nearly pop her mask off _“WAHEY!...”_ she fixes her mask and looks back at him _“You know what...actually...It is the holidays...and the holidays are about giving! So let me give ya what ya want...a niiiiiiiiiiiice little SENDOFF!”_ A giant christmas tree appears behind her _“TIS THE SEASON!!~”_ the tree launches its streamers straight at Parappa and binds him up _“EHEHEHEHE!~”_ Parappa is promptly locked away. Gaster and Groober are the ones sealing his cage.

 

_“Hey...weren’t you two supposed to be helping me?...I thought you were upset at her just as much as I am…”_

 

_“While Gaster will agree that it was most certainly like that for the past five minutes, the Masked Witch kindly offered us some refreshments if we agreed to aid her! You didn’t offer us anything!”_

 

_“What did I have to offer!”_ he’s thoroughly ignored as the keys are given to the witch _“Well it looks like i’m plum out of luck…”_

 

_“That’s right!”_

 

_“Well...seeing as I’m gonna be stuck here...can I ask...why would you do all this?...especially on Christmas?...”_ He merely watches her glance downwards dejectedly _“Oh, would you like to talk about it? Maybe I can help!”’_

 

_“I DON’T NEED NO STINKIN HELP!...AND I DON’T WANNA TALK ABOUT IT!...No one would listen anyway...”_

 

_“I would!”_ He holds out his hand _“Talk to me!”_

 

She sighs in defeat before giving in _“I...thought it’d just be a happy Christmas…”_

 

_“Oh?...”_ Parappa and the two other guys watch the girl as she begins her sad story, while Sunny beats as she also watches the witch speak her part.

 

_“That Christmas party you were at...just reminded me of bad memories...you would think that invitations would be plenty to spread the holiday cheer...but they weren’t...and on the times I would finally get invited...people would just gleefully speak amongst each other...and whenever I tried...not even an eyelash was batted… rather I was purposely ignored...was it my face?...Did I just not have one worth looking at?...A time of joy and group merriment...and I was simply denied it all…”_ She lightly whimpers, but rather than cry, it grows into a growl of resent and soon into a crazed cackle _“ ‘CHRISTMAS IS A DAY FOR EVERYONE TO BE JOYFUL AND NICE TO ONE ANOTHER’ YEAH RIGHT! EHEHEHEHE! IF I WAS LEFT TO ROT IN SPITE THEN SURELY IT MUST BE AN AGENDA AGAINST MY KIND...OOOOOH NOOOO! THERE I SAW THAT SUNNY WAS BUT THE DOLL OF THE TOWN! PEOPLE JUST HATED ME! MY HEART WAS RIPPED FROM MY CHEST AND STOMPED UPON WITHOUT HESITATION!...And if my heart was forcefully yanked...then what’s the harm in...spreading the feeling…tis the season…”_ the heart’s beating comes to a sad halt. Feeling bad for the witch.

 

_“That’s such a sad and upsetting story. It speaks to Gaster on a personal level! She only wanted to experience the joy that everyone was constantly having and once she got to, there was nothing but deceit! It’s too close to home!”_ The rabbit guy begins bawling on the spot.

 

_“Gaster?...”_

 

_“Gaster’s right on the nose…”_ Groober drools as he starts to lightly sob himself.

 

_“That’s not right...you...are just doing what they did to you!”_ Parappa misses the emotional point as he flatly states his mind, breaking the mood of the room. The witch angrily storms towards him.

 

_“EH WHAT’D YA SAY?! YOU DON’T GET ANYTHING AT ALL! WHY NOT TRY SAYING THAT TO MY FACE!”_ she floats over and immediately slips on a banana peel. The keys she had fly and land directly on the cage lock.

 

_“Wow! Lady luck strikes again for me!”_  he pushes the cage door open and is immediately almost tackled by the two purple goofballs.

 

_“How dare ya make a mockery of her emotions!”_

 

_“H-Hey what do you mean?? I just said the truth!...”_ he ducks and rolls away, causing the two to get stuck in the cage _“Ok, I gotta get Sunny’s heart and skedaddle before_ **_I’M_ ** _labeled the bad guy!”_ he looks around and spots the cage _“There!”_

 

_“Sunny’s heart is staying with ME!”_

 

_“H-Hey!”_

 

_“Hey yourself! Have some nice Yuletide love! EHEHEHE!”_ Festive candle missiles aim themselves at Parappa.

 

_“W-Wow!... This Christmas is just_ **_too_ ** _giving!... Christmas rockets?! Really!?”_

 

_“I wouldn’t take you as the type to understand...you’re just the guy that’s instantly SO loveable that they wanna shower you with stuff! Well here’s my gift to you! MERRY CHRISTMAS! AND WE’RE OFF!”_ The rockets fire and Parappa quickly dashes forward.

 

_“FOR SUNNY!...”_ The heart resumes beating as it watches Parappa dodge all the missiles in his attempt to save her. The rockets loop back to try and get Parappa from behind, but because of his new destination, the witch is now also in danger.

 

_“E-EH?! H-HEY!...”_ Parappa ignores her as he leaps right over her _“H-HEY HEY HEY!...WAAAAAH!...”_ Parappa snatches the cage and resumes his descent _“EEEEEEIAAAAAA! HELP!...”_ the missiles connect with the poor witch _“AHHHH!...”_ the blast flings Parappa out of the sky hideout like a catapult.

 

_“...HOLD ON! I GOT YOU, AND I WON’T LET ANYTHING ELSE HURT YOU!...SUNNY!...”_ The heart glows as his emotions mix with hers, but that wasn’t the poor hearts main thought. Her only thought was the dogs safety. Back on the ground, the explosion was heard, but not seen. The sky was clear and yet debris scattered along the sky and blended in as stars. The one holding Sunny’s immobile body just stares sternly at the sky.

 

_“Parappa…”_ PJ and Matt say as they await for the conclusion.

 

_“Sunny…”_ Katy and Paula say as they hold onto hope. They all hear Parappa shouting Sunny’s name as they all look at a specific part of the sky. The masked witch and the sewer duo crash into the ground, but Parappa is softly placed onto his feet thanks to the hearts prayers. It forces its way out of the cage and back into its proper body. She manages to get back onto her feet. Being fully aware of everything, but unable to express anything, until now.

 

_“Parappa...you freed my heart...and saved me...thank you so much…~”_ the night is filled with repaired joy as the duo are back to sharing the dance they were supposed to have prior to what happened. They all enjoy the night as they wanted to, but Sunny took a glance at the window and saw the now unmasked witch staring sadly.

 

_“I can go in and as usual...but what’s the use… Another year of dejection and loneliness...and not even a dance…guess that’s just how i’m gonna be forever...”_

 

_“We’re gonna prove that wrong!”_ Gaster and Groober appear before her.

 

_“Gaster?? Groober?? W-Wh-”_

 

_“Gaster thinks that outcasts shouldn’t let the people get them down! That’s always been a Gaster philosophy! That’s why I’m with Groober always!”_

 

_“It’s cuz Gaz here can’t get friends! So he settled for another guy just as bad as he is!”_

 

_“AHEM! Gaster won’t deny or credit that. But that aside...for a fellow mischief maker...Care to dance with Gaster?”_

 

_“Or care to dance with Groober!”_ both but heads over trying to be the better gentleman.

 

_“You guys...the wording could’ve been a little better...but I accept both your offers!”_ she uses her magic to create a double of herself _“Now shall we dance?~”_ Both boys panic at the display of her magic, but nonetheless dance with her. The sight relaxes Sunny as she resumes dancing with Parappa. The night ends beautifully cascaded in snow as they dance the night away. The memory fades to black then and there.

 

* * *

 

Sunny smiles blissfully as she begins patching up the the boys arms, and then after his back. She then remembers a few days later, the masked witch appearing before them to apologize.

 

_“...To say I'm sorry...oh well it just wouldn't be enough…!”_

 

_“...I hold no ill will towards you! It takes courage to own up and admit that what you did was wrong! But even still, I didn't blame you before now even! I can understand why you did this, my heart heard everything!”_ Parappa and the Masked Witch rear back from surprise.

 

_“...If she can be alright with this...then I can to! And since we're both ok with it, an apology isn't really needed seeing as you're well aware it was wrong and you won't do it again! If you can promise that, then we already forgive you!”_ Sunny nods _“Also...I kinda...reevaluated what you said that night...and uh...heh...all I can say is...I’m sorry...I...probably could’ve been much more sensitive...for once Gaster and Groober were the better men in the end!...Eheh...So erm...I’m sorry. You’re perfectly forgiven!”_

 

_“...”_ she floats over to them _“Still...I apologize...and...thanks for the forgiveness! It’s just I also reflected on what I did...hehe...guess having a happy ending just gave me guilt more than anything... I'm glad you two don't think to badly of me…”_ she hops onto the ground with them.

 

_“I could never! Parappa is the same! We're a tad to forgiving as a result...but...I think it makes us more compassionate and empathetic as a result! We like to see a person fully, the reason behind the bad, and to see if we can help! Right?”_

 

_“That's right! In moments like these, I'd give everyone multiple chances just to see what's really there! You never know! It could be a new friend!”_

 

_“And I already saw what you really are, and Parappa’s starting to! So we know that you’re a great person! Will...you also be our friend Masked Witch?...”_

 

_“...Sure! But...please…”_ she bashfully kicks the ground _“Call me Mana…~”_ She grabs both their hands as she looks to them with a smile, to which they reply in kind.

 

* * *

 

 

That Christmas up to that day were the days she finally fully realized she had really strong feelings for the dog, as well as made a new friend with the person who sort of helped cause those feelings! The emotions cause her to fully heal the boy, overheal him even as he starts jolting back into consciousness! He bounces onto his feet as if a defibrillator was used on him. He begins running around the room uncontrollably “W-Where am I?? What's happening to me?!... My body feels like it's burning with energy! And I feel good as new!...Great even! I haven't felt this nice in like...ever!” he stops and looks to see he's in his room and that he's standing perfectly on both legs, he then notices Sunny “What did you do to me??...”

 

“...I healed you!...Maybe might have overdone it...You look like you're having a sugar rush!”

 

“It FEELS like I'm having a sugar rush times ten!!” he begins jogging in place “You healed me? Why didn't you mention that you could do that before!”

 

“I only just found out about it now!”

 

“That’s incredible! And this is also incredible! Soren, Rize or their kiddos never patched me up THIS good! I feel like I could take on anything!”

 

“Easy there bucko! This might wear off in abit and you might go into a sugar crash.”

 

“Even so! You healed me! And judging by the time, in a much faster process than they could! Granted they're not healers by birth like you seem to be given the results! WHOA MAMA AM I JUST **PUMPED**!” he begins bouncing in place from side to side.

 

“I didn't realize I had such potent healing...huh…dunno it's a good thing or not…”

 

“I’d say it is! Just think of all the problematic injuries you can patch up!”

 

“Hey hey hey! It’s a hassle even getting it to WORK! Don’t go off thinking I can just be a medic on the fly!...”

 

“But still! You have the potential to be! Not to mention that you also got that awesome plant controlling ability! You’re like...built to be perfect! Almost like life was handing you a smooth ride on a silver platter don’t ya think? That’s pretty lucky!”

 

“........”

 

“Uh...Poppy? You...ok?”

 

“...Yeah...Guess so…” _Huh...Guess I was decided from birth to be spoiled with things...joy…_ “Anyway...I’m glad I could fix you up...you were one big mess…”

 

“Yeah I was, but now I can do anything ag-...fuck…”

 

“Now what’s wrong with _you_?”

 

“I...have to pretend my leg is still busted…or at the very least not do anything until seven days pass…”

 

“Ehhh? Why’s that all of a sudden?”

 

“I might haaaave...promised that i’d not do anything stupid that could put me in further harm yet again…”

 

“I’m glad to whoever made you promise THAT! But what’s the big deal? Why does that have you so upset?...”

 

“I can’t just sit back and do NOTHING! It goes against my reasoning for even BEING here!”

 

“...I mean...eeeeeeh?...Just because you came back to help your family doesn’t mean that you should get your body broken at every turn of danger!...”

 

“But...that’s all i’ve really been able to do… The things I came back to save them from all basically require me to take that for them…”

 

“...I guess so…” _… Maybe being a little spoiled with these powers might not be so bad when I have him to babysit…_ “Hey...think you can help me get a better grip with my abilities?...”

 

“But i’m not a healer! I’m just a regular idiot!”

 

“I don’t mean like that, I mean helping me be ABLE to use em whenever I properly want to.”

 

“Oh...How I do that?”

 

“It triggers only when I’m really calm or happy, or when I just want to do anything when things feel utterly hopeless. And I REALLY don’t ever want to rely on that last one…”

 

“I gotcha. But how am I gonna teach you to be really calm or happy? If you haven’t noticed...I’m not exactly the king of either…”

 

“You’re the son of the guy who IS the happiest whenever nothing brings him down! We have seven days for you to manage that given your promise! So I’m certain you can pull it off as well!”

 

“That logic is so obtuse...but...not inaccurate… Sure. I’m gonna be bored out of my mind for a week. Might as well practice things that will benefit my well being in the long run as well! You got it Poppy.”

 

“Thank you! Now if you don’t mind, it’s past midnight and I’d like to relax and hit the hay after the emotional piledriver you performed on me once you got back!”

 

“Er...sorry about that…”

 

“Oh don’t worry I’m ok, but I don’t think you’ll be in the morning.”

 

“Huh???”

 

“Oh you’ll see!” she runs out of the bedroom leaving the boy dreadfully confused.

 

“That’s...worrying...uh oh…” he simply stares at the door and his body as he panics over the ominous warning. His body reverts back to his fox appearance as he teeters in place.

 

* * *

 

_12 days till hell breaks loose_

 

Parappa yawns as the sun beams across the horizon. He then notices Aqua stop flying. He looks to his side to see Paula asleep on his shoulder and begins to gently shake his shoulder to wake her up “Hey...P...wake up, I think we're here.”

 

“Ngah?...” Paula groggily sits back upright as she stretches her arms out. Once she finishes, she yawns as she begins speaking “We're here then?...where is here?...all I see is just a whole lot of nothing down the path she's flying over…”

 

“Hey...she's trying to tell us something…” they look at Aqua as she motions her arms in a manner, trying to tell them to drive on the empty path that's branching off the main path “Really?...but there's nothing here…” Aqua facepalms before flying forward just a bit more, causing her to fade out of reality. Both Parappa and Paula stare with eyes wide at the sudden event. A second later, Aqua’s arm returns and motions with one of her fingers for them to keep driving.

 

“Uh...guess we gotta?...Be careful Parappa…” they both swallow roughly from fear as they drive forward. As they do, the car pushes past a fake illusion, as the once barren path is now an amazingly beautiful beach society. They both blink thrice before their mouths drop.

 

Aqua floats over to the driver seat window “Welcome to Port Barracuda!”

 

“H-How did!-”

 

“We were just!-”

 

“There was no!-

 

“Easy you two! We keep our place hidden from the outside world as to not be disturbed. With magic, it's super easy to!” she floats ahead again, wanting them to follow her still.

 

The drive takes them to a giant coral house quite a ways away from everything else. They exit the car once parked and Aqua immediately hides it with her magic “Your house I take it?”

 

“Bingo! This place belongs to me and Sirius! It's a bit big right now since originally,  it was for my family...but...my two older brothers are dead, my little sister is dead, Kayla is a monster and my mother doesn't care about this place anymore so now... I own it with my new husband for the memories.”

 

“Brothers?”

 

“Yes, my late brothers Narcis and Skadi. Both were exterminated by Leo.”

 

“Why didn't he spare them like he did you??”

 

“Because...they weren't mind controlled...they agreed with Tycoon from the get-go on their own free will...they're kind of the reason he found this place and let everything happen as it did...I don't really like them and am glad they're gone...but they were still my brothers...so I wished they could’ve had a change of heart at the very least, but in they end they chose to forever follow Tycoon and so they bit the bullet they fired...Both didn't go down without a fight though seeing as they were both Warlocks. It took Leo AND Amby to kill Skadi and for Narcis...all it took was him killing Harper for his death to be sealed…”

 

“Ah...what made Skadi require the effort of both of them?”

 

“Skadi was a master necromancer. And when he specifically would revive something, it would continuously come back until Skadi got to far away from it. Once he was killed, he sorta… cheaped out and casted his magic ON himself!”

 

“Huh...That's...a really smart workaround...since he's dead...he’d revive himself...and since his magic makes dead things neverending, plus since he can't be far away from himself...oh man…”

 

“It took Aqua draining up all that bad magic to make it possible for Leo to finally kill him since there was nothing left to revive himself with. That...made my little sister deathly ill…”

 

“So THAT'S how that happened…what about Narcis?”

 

“That one...I require you to keep a secret from Leo and everyone else on.” both tilt their heads for abit before nodding “Alright...so news never got out that Narcis killed Harper...her body was dropped from a tall building straight onto the ground so it was made to look like suicide...But...as his name implies...he was a perfectionist to a fault...he wanted to feed his ego by gloating to Leo that he was the reason for her death. With Harper's guitar, he smacked Leo around silly...so much so that he left him unconscious on the ground...before Narcis could finish him off, the body got up on its own...his eyes were spiraled from insanity, but he was unconscious. His body was moving on its own! And what amazed me even further was the fact that Leo suddenly gained the ability to control electricity! His body would bulk up with it as if he were supercharging himself up!” Parappa's eyes widen at this revelation, meaning Leo had inherited the power, but it also meant that Parappa had the power himself to pass down in the first place.

 

“Really now...you don't say…” he stares at his hands longingly. The description of the ability sounded like the one his mother had.

 

“Yes! And since we're a group entirely affiliated with water...well...it became one sided after that. Leo decimated Narcis and even managed to get the guitar back, and with it, he used it to hack Narcis to pieces...ending him then and there...quickly followed by him collapsing on the spot...when he awoke...he didn't know what happened...he assumed that I or Ambrosia saved him...he doesn't even know he HAS electrical abilities! And...I want to prevent him from ever learning that...it could put him in more danger if he ever learns...not to mention once he stopped fighting his body suddenly started failing him at the seams...as if his own body rejected using those powers...but I can't imagine why...although...I don't know why he has them to begin with!”

 

“...It...runs in the family!”

 

“Eh?”

 

“My family! Electricity was the affinity of my mother and father and the group they came from!”

 

“Is that so...that means...your group is the one that hates the group mine used to be with a burning passion…”

 

“They WHAT??”

 

“Cruisin Blues was probably the most...problematic group back then...from what my mother told me...they weren't liked, they weren't respected...they just...helped only because they had more power than the other factions...so they could do more. Your group was their polar opposite of them. One was magic, the other science. One was water, the other electricity. One was hated...the other beloved...hehe...how ironic that I'm basically helping the descendants of a group that would stare me down with hatred if they ever saw…”

 

Parappa recalls a dream in which he remembers Nana K. saying something similar, but the full details escape his mind “I don't think that's the truth…” he remembers what his dad showed him “My group wanted nothing more than to get along with everyone! “he remembers his dad and Noella becoming fast friends “I doubt they hated you! I'm sure they wanted to be allies with them more than anyone!” he remembers himself becoming friends with Katy and how her life got exponentially better from that day on “I'm living proof that it can happen! That it HAS happened! My dad befriend someone who was apart of the bad half! She was always under the assumption that she'd be hated and yet she saved my dad despite believing that involving the Sirens would be the best thing to do! She betrayed the sirens and that group half immediately! She became fast friends with my dad and other children of survivors! Then they lost connection in their adult years...until I met the eventual daughter of her...and we became the best of friends even to this day, and through the thick and the thin...the good and the bad...she always has my back. I'm living proof that we have a chance of reconciliation! Even for the group itself that became two! I should know cuz I'm friends with Paula and Katy! Both are descendants of both halves of them! And they used to be rivals who got along A-OK! If that doesn't show proof they I dunno what doesn't!”

 

“...I believe you!”

 

“Then I'll keep giving evid- you do?”

 

“Yes!” _It's thanks to Leo that I do. If you being her friend is proof that they had the chance, then Leo is proof that they can and did seeing as he's apparently the hybrid child of a both a Cruisin Blue's descendant and a Soul of Funk descendant!_ ... _That...makes me have so much more joy and relief! And hope for my mother… and the fact that Leo maybe does forgive me..._ “I know I can believe you! Now enough! You're gonna make me cry! For now go on in and get some proper shut eye! You both were practically awake for the entire night!”

 

“Roger!” the dog and the fox say together.

 

“And remember, DON'T tell anyone, ESPECIALLY Leo about the powers he has once you go back! Once Ambrosia learned about the full capabilities she had, she only got in bigger danger. And since him and her were one in the same...I would like it for my friend to not double his already high self threat level like she did!”

 

“Roger Roger!” they say again before running inside.

 

* * *

 

“TEACH! YOU’RE MOBILE AGAIN!! Claire spirals around Leo as she scans every inch of his body.

 

“Cookie cut it out! You're making me dizzy…”

 

“Sorry sorry! But how’d you get all better? I thought you said Soren was a no show!”

 

“Turns out all It needed was a good night's sleep!” He stands triumphantly until Kitty walks up.

 

“Poppy over here fixed him up good. Turns out she can heal people! Knowing his dumbass, he's definitely gonna need it.” she points to Sunny with her thumb.

 

“Kitty!”

 

“It ain't wrong! She already told me the shit you subject yourself to!”

 

“...”

 

“Thought so!”

 

“Hey leave Teach alone!”

 

“Aight aight.” she snickers until she notices an odd van pull up through a window. She freaks out once she sees familiar faces walk out “You're in luck! I actually wanna get some more shut eye! Later!” she runs to the elevator and promptly disappears.

 

“...Yeah! That was weird…Hey teach! I intimidated your friend away!” behind her enter his PaRappa Town friends in a hurry.

 

“Yeah you totally did...gimme a sec… “ he runs past her to meet up with the worried group of friends “What's up with you all??”

 

“Well we were originally gonna reprimand you for your stupidity since last night, but now we need your help!”

 

“What happened?”

 

“Parappa vanished without a trace! We don't know where he is!”

 

“Wha- How did you lose him?”

 

“We don’t know! We returned home and he just up and vanished! Rammy said he might’ve just gone to do something, but he hasn’t come back!”

 

“Hm...I might not know where he’s at...but I think I know who he’s with…” He turns around “Hey Poppy, mind if we invite Claire on our little outing?”

 

“No, not at all why?”

 

“Why not get a headstart with her in the meantime?~” He motions his eyes to tell her that he needs her to get Claire out of here.

 

“Uhhhh...YES! That sounds like a splendid idea! What do you say Miss Claire?”

 

“Ohoho please don’t with the formalities. It’s so...unnerving to hear them be directed at me. But sure! If it means hanging out with my teach again of course I’d love to tag along!”

 

“Great! Then let’s get going, right now!”

 

“What but teach is-”

 

“Gonna catch up soon, now let’s move it!” She shoves the poor cat out the door as her feet skid along the ground. Once they’re out of sight and mind, Leo resumes.

 

“As I said...his location is just as big a mystery with me as it is with you guys...but…” He plucks off his helmet “Seeing as I’ve had this face all day yesterday and have still yet to change...I think you can take a gander as to who might know where he is…”

 

* * *

 

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DIDN’T PREPARE A ROOM FOR EACH OF THEM?! I SPECIFICALLY TOLD YOU TO AS I WENT TO GET THEM!”

 

“WELL I’M SORRY! IT WAS SHORT NOTICE! DO YOU KNOW HOW BIG THIS PLACE IS?! AND WHERE EXACTLY WAS I TO PUT THE STUFF I TOOK OUT!”

 

“DOES IT MATTER?! ANYWHERE!”

 

“OH GEE SORRY I DIDN’T WANT OUR HOUSE TO LOOK LIKE A TRASHPILE!”

 

“LISTEN HERE-...wait...I just sent them to you so you could give them each a room to sleep...if you didn’t make it so that they could have their own room...what did you do??...”

 

“Put them in the same room! Why?” Aqua’s hands find themselves around Sirius’s neck as his head comically inflates from being strangled “HRK...I SAID SOMETHING WRONG DIDN’T I…”

 

“YOU ARE POTENTIALLY COSTING LEO HIS ACTUAL MOTHER HERE!”

 

“WELL...THAT’S NOT...MY FAULT...I WAS NEVER TOLD LIKE YOU, ATHENA AND SIXTEEN...PLEASE...LET MY NECK GO…” she lets him drop to the ground “Thank you…”

 

“I have to fix this…”

 

“Oh you wanna go in and potentially get caught in an awkward mess that you could make potentially more awkward?”

 

“...erm…” She thinks it over “Maybe I-”

 

“Not to mention you could screw over Leo’s physical body even further to a point it hurts him again! Would you really wanna risk it?”

 

“Oh don’t you play that dirty card!”

 

“Hey, you just strangled me! I have every right to return fire!”

 

“...gah...you sure you’ve been fully liberated?” she sticks her tongue out prompting the beast to dramatically recoil as he rolls his eye from the petty insult.

 

“I’m wounded! Figuratively AND literally! Look what’s the big deal? It’s not like being in a room together is gonna cause things to happen between em! They’re adults not children! Have a little faith in them, I’m sure they’re just fine and distant from each other now as we speak!”

 

As the girl simply shakes her head, we turn our attention to a room a few floors up in which Paula and Parappa are in a bed together as they face away from one another. Now from an outside perspective they seem right as rain. However…

 

_AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!_ Parappa’s mind was sent into overdrive with many things flooding about, all as he was internally screaming.

 

_WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!_ Paula experiences the same thing Parappa is currently going through.

 

Both entered a panicked hysteria as they tried to make the most of the situation.

 

_This is NOT how I thought our not a date week was gonna end up as...but I mean...I did say I was gonna try and make up for the failed attempt to her...does this count? It’s pushing it if anything!_

 

_Why is this happeniiiiiiiiiing...my stomach and heart are about to BURST...I know he said he was gonna try and make this week a special one as his not a date attempt, but hooooooooohohohoho maaaaaaan...was this intended? It sure as hell doesn’t feel like it!_

 

_Although…_

 

_But…_

 

_Maybe I should just try going with it since this was my promise to them...this is a huge opportunity! I shouldn’t be embarrassed or afraid! Lemme just turn back around…_ Both of them turn around at the same time only to come face to face with each other. They stare blankly at the other’s face, just a centimeter away from each other, for a minute as their faces slowly highlight into a pinkish red, prompting them to turn around again, screaming internally twice as loud.

 

_HE’S AWAKE..._

 

_SHE’S AWAKE…_

 

They stayed away from each other once more as they tried to work up the nerve to try again.

 

_Oooooh...why am I stressin about this! It’s not like i’m NOT used to being this close to another girl!...Does Rammy count?...I feel like people from hell get an excuse actually…_

 

_Gaaaah...get your act together Initial P!...how do expect to have a chance with him if you’re just as bad as Lammy is with confrontation…_ they try again, but they repeatedly turn away and fumble, eventually the duo fall right off the bed together. Paula finds herself on her back with Parappa flat ontop of her. They lock eyes once they shake the daze off and just stay there.

 

* * *

 

“Oh what a mess...neither of them are answering their phones! It just immediately cuts to the voicemail as if the signal was jammed!”

 

(“It probably means the lovebirds are ‘busy’!”)

 

“Grooooooss...I did NOT want that mental image…”

 

(“Hey now, I said busy. I didn’t say HOW they were busy. You thought that up yourself!”) She smirks (“Also, why did ya think that up instantly anyway?~ Jeaaaalouusssss?~”)

 

“Can you two like...NOT talk about my dad’s actions in a bed? I really don’t wanna hear it…” Leo sways about in a dizzy motion as his body turns green from nausea.

 

“I’m w-with Leo...although probably f-for my own reasons…”

 

“Yes, please! I agree! I wanna get off this as quickly as I can! Let’s just go back to discussing where they could be!” Katy says as she taps her foot aggressively.

 

(“Pffft...chicken. I wanted to mess with her some more!”)

 

“Ignoring Ma-san, Leo don’t you recall anything specific happening??”

 

“During my broken leg fiasco? Hm...OH! My friend Aqua offered to help them, but escorted me away...so I don’t know what happened…”

 

“Can’t you call her?”

 

“Can’t, where she lives jams…” _...Oh you little...then they’re with...ugh...ok...what to do...tell them...or let dad follow through on his mission to beat Prince with Paula...hnggggg...I promised Paula…_ “Jams, loudly! She’s always havin some sort of party so I dunno! Oh i’m sure he’ll be back! He’s probably doing something for about a week with her is all.”

 

“ABOUT A WEEK?” They all shout into his face.

 

“I mean haha...i’m just guessin is all...i’m sure he’s in no harm! They’ll be fine and they’ll be back and nothing will have happened between them!”

 

“You seem to know more than you’re willing to say…”

 

(“Anything ya wanna tell us boy?”)

 

“Noooo not really...I don’t know anything! I’m just pulling at strings! They totally didn’t go off to find a dance teaching master in order to help them prepare to face off with a hulking brute of a performer that’ll meet them in about a week! Nooooooohohohoh that’s ridiculous!” He plugs up his mouth as soon as the words leave him.

 

“W-Why didn’t they tell us about that!”

 

“Oh great...since Paula’s involved, i’m guessing it’s her pride...What. A. Shocker.“ She rubs her forehead “Ok...so we don’t know where they are...but we do know what they’re doing...and it sounds harmless enough...well...guess we don’t have a choice but to wait it out…” She stares deeply into Leo’s eyes, so intensely that they close up, much like how Kitty can make hers appear “You see them or hear anything, you contact us then and there! CAPICHE?”

 

“Yes ma’am...will do ma’am…” Leo says he melts into a fear induced puddle.

 

“Glad we’re clear on that…” Her eyes revert to normal and begin spinning around as she clutches her head “Whoa...headache...I only just learn how to do that and already the signs that i’m a novice are showing...how does Kitty manage I wonder...speaking of Kitty, you hear anything from her?”

 

The Leo puddle re-solidifies “Nope. I’m sure she’s looking for the right time so she’s probably still in deep thought!”

 

“Oh...i’m super anxious!...Like what if she bailed out on the whole thing?!”

 

“Oh don’t worry. I’m sure she hasn’t done that. She’s just...I dunno! Pressured maybe? I mean just look at you! Looking like you’d pounce her the second she appeared!”

 

“I do not! Do I?”

 

“J-Just a lil…”

 

(“You look like you’d pop her head off with a hug.”)

 

“Huh...guess I’m alot more anxious over her decision than I thought…” She shakes her head “I’m gonna...work on that...oh geez!”

 

“What now?”

 

“What if she comes during the time Parappa’s not here! He’s part of the reason that she even considered it! Oh man...I gotta think up a workaround for that...oh man...now that I got that thought stuck in my head i’m freaking out!...”

 

“Hey ease up! Just like with my dad going MIA with Paula, this will be ok!”

 

“But how can you be sure Leo?! HOW CAN YOU BE SURE?!” She begins shaking the boy at such a force that he starts turning green again.

 

“Oooooohhhh...the naaaaaauseaaaaaaaa’s kicking in agaaaaaaaaaaaain…”

 

“Um...K-Katy, I’d stop doing that unless you want the guy to throw up all over you!”

 

“EEP!” She shoves the guy away as she hides behind Ma-san. The poor boy falls onto his back giving Katy a sense a relief for a brief moment before she begins pacing around with multiple thoughts in her head.

 

(“Great...she’s gonna be like this all day now…”)

 

“Can you b-blame her? Anxiety over our roommate’s safety AND anxiety over her double’s well being and choice!”

 

(“I mean I can understand it, but Parappa has Paula with him so he has some sense of safety. And as for Kitty? Girl seems like she still has her screws where they should be, so she'll also be fine! Why invoke paranoia over nothing?”)

 

“N-Not all of us can h-handle things as bluntly as you can Ma-san…”

 

(“A fact I am made aware of constantly. Well now she’s gonna keep at it until either of them appear here alright...which in turn will affect us...and frankly I rather keep calm.”)

 

“I’m with ya t-there…” they both sigh as Leo gets up dizzily.

 

“I have a suggestion to help there.”

 

“W-We’re all ears…”

 

“Currently I was gonna be off teaching Poppy, trying to get her to practice and master her healing.”

 

(“Yo doofus, has it occurred to either of you that you ain't a healer like her?”)

 

“Let me finish! Look she wants help in getting and staying calm and happy! I was gonna try and help with that since again, I'm my dad's son so I figured I'd give it a go! Yet it's blatantly obvious that I'm the least qualified when it comes to keeping calm and happy. So why not you three tag and long as well? We can all keep calm and happy together! Poppy gets to better manage her stuff, Katy can ease her stress, I can keep myself at ease against the current events and you guys also lower the group anxiety! And in the end we can all just be happy that way! Don't that sound grand?”

 

(“You're weird. You're like Parappa, but at the same time you got this odd mix of other traits that just give off the trustworthy vibe as him, but in a weird fashion...”)

 

“I got my mother...s...to blame for that!” He grins in a cheesy manner “But seriously, what do you lot say?”

 

(“Anything to avoid further negativity? I ain’t refusin that.”)

 

“I would never refuse t-that!” They both look to Katy, snapping her out of her pacing.

 

“Why are you two looking at me?”

 

(“We’re just gonna say yes in her place for her own good.”)

 

“Yeah that’s p-probably for the best. There’s your answer Leo!”

 

“Hey wait say yes in my place for what??”

 

“Great! Then let’s go!” Leo walks pass them as Lammy and Ma-san each grab one of Katy’s arms and drag her across the floor. Once they see the other two in the distance, Lammy speaks up.

 

“H-Hey Leo. Who’s the other cat girl by the way?”

 

“Oh her? She’s a real close friend of mine, I treat her like a lil sister, but she still insists on keeping me on a pedestal and treating me like her mentor. It’s a long story. I’ll tell ya like I did Parappa and Paula once she heads home.”

 

“Why not while she’s here?”

 

“Guilt, embarrassment and the like...you’ll understand once I tell ya.”

 

(“You know if you can’t tell us your past, the least you can do is tell us the entirety of the adventure you had while you were in our time! Makes things sound less ominous and out of context!”)

 

“I could, but I just don’t like talking about myself...for many reasons really…”

 

(“Geez, with dejection like that, you could be a dead ringer for Lammy’s kid!”)

 

“H-Hey! Anxiety isn’t genetic!...Is it?...”

 

“Beats me! Since I came back to the past, I'm beginning to become more like ALL of you!”

 

“O-Oh...my bad…”

 

(“Lammy don't apologize! That's not even your fault! How could you even have known!”)

 

“What Ma-san said, now let's cut the chatter and go already! This is distracting you to the point that you’re dragging poor Katy rather roughly...”

 

(“Wh-”) Ma-san turns to see how badly they dragged her, she's covered in dirt and scratches from the pavement as she's left stunned and in pain. She merely mutters woozily, getting her bandmates to let her go (“Huh...guess we're as floaty as she is...yeah we better hurry with this practice ASAP…”)

 

“Yeah no kidding…” Leo balances the damaged cat with his shoulder “Let's go! Katy here can be Poppy’s first test run to see if we’re actually succeeding!” they all rush off towards the waving flower and cat.

 

* * *

 

Both of them stare at each other with pink steaming faces as they both begin hyperventilating on the spot. Both are soon unable to contain the overflowing embarrassment as they’re about to scream, but Paula soon gets her mind off it upon hearing something else. She quickly hushes Parappa to not drown out the other noise as well as not alert anyone.

 

“Shh!...Do you hear that?”

 

“Hear what?? The sound of my heart beating at a rate that shouldn’t even be possible, my lungs drop kicking each other, my brain snapping into pieces or my stomach eating itself whole??”

 

“No!...I mean...same here but no! Just come and listen!” Parappa quickly gets off of her as she rolls over. They’re both with their ears pressed to the floor as they hear the chatter going on in the floors below.

 

_“Well then, that’s all I’ll say. I will be gone for a couple of days on precious errand for my dear Bohemian. Therefore you’re to be in charge of our new recruit imbeciles and to keep watch over my precious leviathan! Do I make myself clear??”_

 

_“Yes mother! Everything is understood!”_

 

_“That is the correct answer. Tata for now my dear remaining offspring and her husband!”_

 

The two of them hear some cackling as their attention soon gets them to run to the window. They see an older axolotl woman fly to the sky and stop in place. Then in a split second she warps out of existence. They soon hear heavy footsteps running towards where they are causing them to panic and lunge back onto the bed.

 

“Hey! Easy!”

 

“Hey yourself! You’re about to shove me off!”

 

“Well you’re shovinging me into the wall!”

 

“Just let me move!”

 

“Stop tugging on the sheet! I’m still wrapped in it!”

 

“P-Parappa stop!...”

 

“G-Get off of me first!...” Before the two can continue any further, the door flies open with a happy Aqua and Sirius being the cause.

 

“HEY YOU TWO1 YOU WON’T BELIEVE THE HUMONGOUS STROKE OF LUCK WE HA-...” They stare at the awkwardly placed fox who finds herself sitting ontop of the dog, a mere opposite of how they were moments ago. The colors of the two aquatic themed animal people fade as their pupils vanish from their eyes. The both speak with a monotone voice “Sorry for the intrusion…”.

 

“T-THIS ISN’T WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!...”

 

“Please pardon us, carry on…” They shut the door as quickly as they opened it. Both flustered animals merely whimper as they both fall to the floor, all the while Aqua angrily punches Sirius continuously from behind the door.

 

After a while, the awkward air is somewhat dispersed after a rather embarrassing explanation.

 

“We’re sorry for assuming! We just saw a teeny bit more than what we’d have like to actually see and just jumped the gun.”

 

“I’ll say...also what happened to Sirius?...” the duo stare at the beaten up beast man.

 

“I...fell down some stairs stupidly…”

 

“Yes...he did...totally not paying for what we originally assumed was a mistake…” They both glare at each other before recalling what they were gonna inform the duo on “That’s right!”

 

“We were going to tell you something!”

 

“Oh! Right! That being?”

 

“My mother left! That makes things a hell of a lot more easier! I was under the assumption that we’d constantly have to avoid her, but no! She flat out will be gone for the duration of your stay!”

 

“Not to mention we’re in charge of overlooking the transformed Kayla! Making our rounds to her all the more easy seeing as the others clearly can’t intervene!”

 

“But I don’t think we should start just yet, we’ll attempt helping her later today. For nooooow.” Aqua floats over to Paula “Paula, you said you only just recently discovered your powers right?”

 

“Uh-huh?...”

 

“Well, from what I witnessed, when you tried to stand up to Prince yesterday...you need some help with properly using em! In ways that can’t put innocent people in the crossfire! I can help with that! I mean...ice really isn’t my forte...but until we rescue Kayla, can I be your tutor?”

 

“Sure! The faster I learn to better manage this, the better I can do good with it!”

 

“Love the enthusiasm! Then let’s start!”

 

“W-Wait noowwwwwwwwWWWHOOOOOAAAAA!!...” Paula is quickly carried away by her broomstick as they both fly off.

 

“Well good for her that she found a teacher! Multiple! Although that does leave me out of the loop now…” he smiles “Still, can’t help but be happy for her!”

 

“And you’re not left fully alone! I’m here to!”

 

“Right! Sorry bout that Sirius!...Say...actually this is great! I wanna talk to you about stuff!”

 

“Since you know nothing about me, I can only deduce that you want to talk about...your son yes?”

 

“Yes yes!”

 

“Alright...I’m limited as to what I can say...but uh...what would you like to know from my perspective?...”

 

“How was he...after you guys took over as his friends?...”

 

“Ooooof...ok uh...now I should first let you know that I don’t mean anything rude from this, and I really cherish your son as a friend but...he...was a real hectic mess...He may have befriended us, but it took about a month for him to fully ease into the fact that we were basically replacing his old friends...so he was a liiiiiiitle bit…”

 

“Unstable?”

 

“Hohooooo yes...here...watch this…it's a few of said instances...” Sirius flicks his thumb as if it were a lighter, causing it to flash purple, he then places it on Parappa’s forehead.

 

“Whoa hey what are you- UWAAAA…” Parappa’s eyes space out as his mouth drops. He is then launched within his own thoughts.

 

* * *

 

“Where am I??...” Parappa looks about, only to find himself within familiar darkness “Huh...talk about your daydreaming! Alright, now let’s see what he wanted me to se-” He turns around and immediately smacks into a door “OW...well...that was fast!” He grabs on the doorknob and forces the door right open, he soon finds himself in a small little room. In the room are Sirius and Aqua along with 16-bits and the other new allies Leo has made. They’re all sitting around the room as Leo himself sits in the center, slumped on top of a table, fiddling with a knife in his hand. Parappa heads on in and immediately tries to see if he’s able to touch anyone here, but just like last time he’s left with nothing “Darn...oh well...let’s see how this specific memory goes…”

 

The group of them are all left to awkwardly eye every corner of the room as Leo simply sighs, forcing the bee girl to speak up.

 

_“Yooo...buddy you uh...sure you wanna force this? It shows that you’re…clearly not in the mood…”_

 

_“Athena I’m fine with their presence as much as I am with yours…”_

 

_“You most certainly don’t...look like you are…”_ Says a roach boy.

 

_“Agreed, it’s shown that you are highly against us being this close around you for such an elongated period of time young Leo...We know you’re trying to befriend us and forgive us, but don’t force it...it’s to immediate and the uh...trauma is still fresh in your mind. We understand if you would prefer taking your time.”_

 

_“Sixteen no. You see that’s the reason I want to befriend you all as soon as possible. To rid myself of that trauma as quickly as I can. I don’t want to hold onto grudges. I don’t want to hold onto resent. They wouldn’t want me to.”_

 

_“But Leo...you’re in deep pain...we can feel it…”_

 

_“Aqua’s right...this isn’t healthy man…”_

 

_“You two…”_ Leo lifts his head up _“I get it...you’re both just honoring Ambrosia’s last words...but no need to try and wriggle out of this for my sake...if anything, this in itself is helping honor her words…”_

 

_“That’s not it!...”_ Aqua recoils back after shouting _“That’s...not it at all…”_

 

_“Leo...we’re happy that you’re out here giving us a chance and all, but don’t dishonor the ones that have fallen by trying to replace them immediately!”_ A birdman says which immediately entices panic within everyone else except for Leo.

 

_“What do you mean?...”_ the others quickly wave their arms to signify the bird man to shut up, but he continues speaking, forcing them all to facepalm.

 

_“Well I mean you clearly cherished the people who were with you on your journey to take down BoTy. And now that he and they are gone, here you are just trying to replace them as if they didn’t matter to you! Almost makes it seem like you were trying to get rid of them from the start!”_

 

“Ok even _I_ know that was a stupid thing to say…” Parappa pinches his forehead at the dumb statement that the bird man said as the others in the room emit a loud conjoined gulp. Even stranger however is the fact the Leo is seemingly not upset. Until he sits upright away from the table and haunches over.

 

_“You know...you're right… In my attempts to let bygones go, I may have unknowingly overlooked that part. Here I am trying to honor their departure and yet I'm doing the exact opposite now.”_ he whimpers as it sounds like he began crying, earning the bird man a smack on the back of his head from a rod used by a bird woman, who grunts angrily at him.

 

_“I...said the wrong things haven't I…”_ everyone stares at him with gazes that could melt away his skin _“Right...ahem...Leo. My deepest apologies, it would seem I have selected a rather poor choice of wor-...are you...laughing?...”_ the bird man was correct. What was assumed to be crying was in fact laughter instead as Leo rears back up with increasing laughter.

 

_“h-hehehehHahahahahHAHHAHAHAAHEHEHEHEHEHE!”_ the laugh, while making everyone else uncomfortable, merely gets the bird man to slowly laugh along, and soon everyone else begrudgingly joins in. However… _“HAAAAAAAAA!”_ Leo slams the knife downwards, cleaving off four of his five fingers. Everyone in the room immediately retracts backwards.

 

“HOLY-...” before Parappa can finish his swear, the younger Leo resumes laughing as he begins speaking again.

 

_“HAHAHAHAHA! I'M A USELESS FOOL WHO CAN'T EVEN APPEASE ANYONE! I'M JUST SO DAHAHAHAMN IDIOTIC FOR WAHAHAHANTING TO MAKE EVERYONE HAHAHAHAPPY AT ONCE! CUZ IN THE EHEHEHEND THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! AND WAHAHAHT ABOUT MEHEHEHE? WHO CAHAHAHARES!”_ his eyes are revealed to be buzzed out like when he broke down back when Parappa was with him, Lammy and Rammy when he was trying to make it up to him. It ended the same way after the last wrong thing was said. Leo repeatedly jams the knife into the table all the while _“STUPID~ FOOLISH~ WORTHLESS~ IDIOT~ WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!”_

 

Leo is immediately restrained by both insect people as his arms swing about _“Quick! Stop his arms!”_

 

Aqua and Sirius halt his arms as he still flicks the knife around _“SOMEONE GET THE STUPID KNIFE OUT OF HIS HAND!”_

 

_“Right away!”_ 16 summons a large magnet from his head that forcibly yanks the knife away from him _“Alright.. can any of you adept in magic reattach his fingers??”_

 

_“We can't be trusted with that! We might put them back on wrong! Let's just get him to a hospital, they can easily do it, just put his fingers in with some ice and let's go!”_

 

_“Like this?? They'll opt to put him in a looney bin!”_

 

_“Calm him down then!”_

 

_“Easier said than done!”_

 

_“...Sorry buddy!...”_ the bee girl lifts two of her arms together and immediately drives them downwards onto his head, knocking him out instantly.

 

_“...that works...oh man the guilt ain't going away any time soon…let's just hurry!”_ after Aqua says that, they all rush out the door leaving Parappa at a loss for words as the area around him fades away.

 

* * *

 

Parappa finds himself in a new area now as he notices he's inside a car, in the driver seat is a younger Claire. In the passenger's seat is Sirius while 16-bits, the bug man and the bird man are all in the back seat.

 

_“Man...Teach teaching me how to drive sure was handy...on the subject of Teach…what did you three do to him this time…”_

 

_“How dare you assume we had anything to do!”_

 

_“You didn't stop the thing that almost permanently cut his hand off…”_

 

_“Eheh...fair enough... We merely tried to make him feel better! And it worked from what we saw...then that's when he just straight up vanished…”_

 

_“Man I hope we find him soon...this place is like a maze in the dark…”_

 

_“Remind me why we decided to throw the party in Spinni’s home town, where literally everything is cascaded in darkness...this place could challenge Neon Heights were it not for the lack of...well neon lights!”_

 

_“It seemed like a good idea at the time! Plus try telling Athena no and coming out intact…”_

 

_“Soren your lack of an spine never ceases to amaze me.”_

 

_“I have kids, that I promised to Leo, that I have to be a better parent to! And I can't just die because I had to say no to a delusional and moody bee!”_

 

_“I'd get offended for you calling my sister that, but you're practically spot on.”_

 

_“Can you three shut up? We're getting nowhere like this!”_

 

_“Can all FOUR of you shut up?? Just make yourselves useful and keep your eyes peeled for teach!”_

 

_“Yes ma’am…”_ they all say in unison.

 

Just then, Claire’s phone rings alerting all three of them _“Yo, green guy, mind checking that?...”_

 

_“Right...it's from...LEO!”_

 

_“Answer it then!”_ Sirius quickly answers the phone and puts the speaker on. When Leo's voice speaks up, a faint hint of laughter is heard, worrying the four males.

 

_Cookie? H-Heh...you there?~_

 

_“Yeaaaaah? I'm just driving around looking for you...whyyyyyy?”_

 

_Oh that's perfect~ Where are you right now?~_

 

_“Streets are really hard to make out right now, but I am near what seems to be...a rather large building with a lumberjack statue in front of it!”_ As she says that, the laughters volume increases.

 

_Ok, I need you to do me a favor~_

 

_“Sure!”_ as the cat responds gleefully, the guy's all stare at each other uneasily.

 

_Good, I need you to FLOOR it. Go as fast as you can without stopping._

 

_“Wha?...uh...ok?...anything else?”_

 

_If you see a faint blobby figure of something in the middle of where you're driving, go even faster and squish it!_

 

_“Why would I do that??”_

 

_BECAUSE THAT THING DESERVES TO MEET ITS END HAHA!_

 

Claire swallows roughly before following orders _“Clarisse I suggest NOT going through with what he just said!”_

 

_“Why not? A bad guy needs to be squished! I trust teach more than I do you lot! You guys just appear out of nowhere!”_

 

_“Hurtful, but warranted...regardless! I’m just saying because, just a hunch, the thing you might need to squish may not be a bad guy!”_

 

_OH IGNORE THE PARTY POOPERS! IT HELPS TO CLOSE YOUR EYES AND DROWN OUT ANY NOISE!~_

 

_“Young Clarisse that's pushing it! Now you must know that something is awry!”_

 

_“LALALA CAN'T HEAR YOU, FOLLOWING TEACH’S ORDERS!”_ the poor cat girl blindly does as told, eventually the figure does appear on the road, and as the guys feared, it was Leo.

 

“S-STOP THE CAR!” Parappa shouts only to be ignored.

 

_“CLARISSE STOP!...”_

 

_“SHE ISN'T GOING TO! SIRIUS, SOREN!”_

 

_“RIGHT!”_ both magic users quickly use their magic to try and bring the car to a halt. They barely manage to as the car forcibly comes to a stop just an inch from the _once again_ , mind snapped Leo, who merely laughs at almost being run over.

 

Claire opens her eyes to see Leo standing in front of the car and quickly takes her foot off the gas. Once the car slows to a stop on its own, Soren and Sirius let go of the car _“T-TEACH!?”_

 

_“Not to say I told you so...but I told you so…”_ Sirius slumps over exhausted along with Soren as the non tired three and Parappa quickly leave the car and head over to Leo, who tries to run off, but is tackled down by Spinni.

 

_“Quick, anyone have rope or anything to restrain him with??”_

 

_“Spinni wouldn't it be better to render him unconscious by hitting him and letting him rest until he returns to normal?”_ 16-bits says as he tries to offer helpful advice.

 

_“HEY YOU CAN'T JUST HURT TEACH!”_

 

_“So you'd rather he run off and try to do this again??”_

 

_“...”_ she turns around _“Make it quick and as painless as possible…”_ she plugs her ears and closes her eyes as she drowns the noise out while Parappa follows her example, but can't stop himself from peeking anyway. Spinni lifts one of his arms and immediately apologizes before sending it straight into his face. With a quick ‘OOF’, he's out like a light.

 

_“Perhaps it was a mistake to throw this party...he said he wasn't up for it and constantly insisting him was the bad idea…”_

 

_“You're only learning that NOW??”_ Claire shouts out.

 

_“We only wanted him happy! He's been a real downer lately..and you should have noticed more than any of us!”_

 

_“I have...and I think I can take a hint as to why…”_

 

_“...I'm gonna fly him back to his home…”_

 

_“That's...probably for the best…just let teach handle himself on his own...he works better that way...”_

 

_“Agreed…”_ both Sirius and Soren say from inside the car as the new vision fades and sends Parappa back to the real world.

 

* * *

 

Parappa shakes his head as he comes to, pure mortification on his face as he glances over to Sirius.

 

“Yeah...us ex monsters plus a mentally frail person barely away from snapping equals a...very scary month of adjustment...it's all good now, but Leo still has a somewhat frail mind and honestly...I can't blame him for it...but dear Poseidon did it make it a nightmare to take care of him! Leo tries to get over things and grow as a proper person, but more often than not he'll end up like that...thankfully he's gotten way better these past four years! He hasn't shown a sign once that he's gone through that again! I'd say he's finally ok!” The last words hurt Parappa as he rubs his face, prompting the beast man to sigh as he catches on “He...didn't hurt himself or anyone else did he?...”

 

“Nono...a big inconvenience, but no major injuries to anyone...except my face, but I had it coming...especially after hearing all that!”

 

“Hey don't beat yourself up for it. It'll happen, but he'll eventually fix that part of himself! We'll see to it!”

 

“As will I! Now seeing that it's alot more concerning than I initially thought…” he sighs “I think...I'd like to hold back on learning anything else for abit…”

 

“Understood! I actually need to go prepare something for you and Paula before we head over to Kayla so I really should get on that now that I remembered.” Sirius floats off leaving the dog alone in his worry.

 

“He came back in time to save me...but who's gonna be there to save him?...He's my son so I have to be the one! But how? I have to much of my plate right now...Kayla...Sunny...the guy I'll eventually have to face off with, Prince…man is it stressful! Ok one thing at a time Parappa…” he walks over to a windowsill and rests his arms and face on it “Oh man what can I really do…” in his mind just floats some thoughts until it starts to settle on more happier ones. Leo stating that despite the outcome, Parappa did beat this Tycoon person. And with Leo here, he would be receiving help to avoid the bad outcomes. The next thought being Parappa succeeding in saving Kayla which in turn will allow him to beat Prince with Paula. And last but not least, he would be able to work up the nerve to both find Sunny and tell her to come back. The thoughts continuously got brighter and brighter as he emits a small laugh “Oh I know~”

 

_Yeah! I gotta believe~_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, another two chapters this time! Exams hurt, but I'm finally out of that so back to this I go! Also again, proper credit to the Ariana for the song.


	35. Icy Vines and Thorny Waves

Parappa walks on the sandy terrain as he takes in the scenery. He smiles and takes a deep breath, the ocean breeze fills his lungs. After he takes his fill, he heads on over to the water and merely sighs as he stays captivated by the sight before him.

 

“This place is so beautiful…” he stretches his arms and legs, making an attempt to relax “It's so pretty and yet...it's housing so many bad things...I'd love to recommend this as a beach for all of us, but Aqua’s mother is certainly a bad factor we gotta keep an eye out for...not to mention Kayla is currently a beast who'd probably eat us whole...what a waste…” he emits a distressed grunt as he turns around. Before he's able to move, he hears heavenly vocalizations from out of nowhere.

 

_Ahhhhhhhh-aahhhhhhaaaaa-aaaaaahhhhhh~_

 

“What?...” he turns back towards the water, but the area is mostly empty “...Am I...hearing things?” he rubs his eyes, and as he does, the vocalizing continues.

 

_Ohhhhh-Oooooohaaaaahhaaaaa ooooohooooaaaaaah~_

 

Parappa stops rubbing his eyes and out on the water he sees faint image of a girl dancing on the surface. As his eyes adjust themselves, the vocalizing keeps going. The vision turns into that of Paula dancing along the water’s surface “Paula?...but...where’s Aqua?...Isn’t she supposed to be teaching you?...” Parappa’s head begins growing fuzzier as his vision starts to obscure “What’s...wrong with my head…” He tries holding himself steady “What am I saying...I stayed awake throughout the night driving…of course there’s gonna be ...side effects after all the time I spent...regulating myself again…” The blurred vision multiplies the girl in the distance. What was one just Paula now shows his other female friends all gliding along the watertop, including Sunny “Hey...what’s...going...on…” Parappa falls over onto his back, completely conked out as he begins snoring on the spot. The vocalizing stops as light laughter is heard in the distance.

 

* * *

 

“Ok then…how about this?” Aqua spawns another outfit before her. It’s a strange dresslike jumpsuit, the hips have the frill of a skirt, but the shoulders and wrists also have frills. It hovers above a pile of rejected garments. The outfit itself has a green and white color scheme alongside it’s purple gemstones embedded on the arms and legs.

 

“Almost! Can you make the frills along the arms abit more...ornate and orange?”

 

“Can and will!” She zaps the dress fulfilling the final requirements “Wow… you’re really specific when it comes to what you wear aren’t ya?...”

 

“I got a style to upkeep!” She puffs up pridefully “Why do I need this dress anyway?”

 

“It's not a dress! It's one of the main starter outfits us girl witches have to use here! It's a dance ensemble! The fabric allows us to move as flexibly as you can go! Also allows ya to circulate your magic much more easily since it restrains how much you actually use so you aren't overwhelmed. Get a feel of it as it goes with the flow you're moving to! Treating it all as if you're dancing! Also feels really nice and soft to! Me, Kayla and Amby had to wear this when we all started out, of course...we were a lot younger...not sure how a now young adult feels about this...hehe…”

 

“I mean. I'm new to this regardless since I learned about being a witch literally last night so I don't mind it, plus it looks super cute to so no embarrassment here!”

 

“I guess that's a positive way of looking at it.” she floats the outfit over to Paula.

 

She grabs it, but frantically looks around “Where's the changing room??...”

 

“Changing...room?...” Aqua stares at her blankly as her head tilts.

 

“...Do you not know what that is?? The name is as straightforward as it can get!”

 

“We uh...don't have one of those here? All of us just changed in here together really. We're all girls so it was no real issue.”

 

“But what if guys come in here trying to peek!”

 

“Our magic combined kept them knowing their place so that issue never happened. Not like they ever tried, we were all civil and well mannered. Besides, nowadays no one has access to this place aside from Me, Sirius and you two! And I'm certain both of them understand the concept of privacy.”

 

“Infinite potential with magic, yet such an old and odd way of acting in a society…” Paula grumbles “Well I ain't used to that unless it's my besties who I've known for years, who are also female! So...erm...mind giving me some privacy?”

 

“Would you like me to turn around?”

 

“I'd like you to either leave or create a spot for me to change in private!”

 

“Erm...very well!” she zaps the area underneath Paula and out sprouts some curtains covering her completely “Does that suffice?”

 

“Most definitely! Thank you!” Paula begins changing as Aqua is left confused and slightly offended.

 

“Such a strange personality for a witch in training…” she shakes her head with a smile “I guess it's all dependent on where you're raised! You may look almost like Kayla, but that's the only similarity I can see now!” she laughs as it devolves into a witch’s cackle by force of habit.

 

* * *

 

“Ow...thanks for this Poppy…Sorry for uh...needing you to work so soon.” Katy says as the flower girl helps fix her scuffed up body.

 

“Oh its quite alright! You're lucky! Hearing what happened to you brought up past funny memories for me so I was able to trigger this almost instantly! As for you two, be careful!”

 

(“Yeah yeah. Atleast she's better now!”)

 

“Yeah no thanks to you dragging me like a ragdoll!”

 

(“Little details! Point is, we're all set to start making sure Poppy can do this naturally! Plus earn ourselves some nice R&R while we're at it! And let’s not forget that we have to get you and Leo to calm your high heels!”)

 

“Yeah whatever…”

 

“I'm amazed at the conflicting personalities you all have. I never would take you lot as friends.” Claire states as she looks between the girls, slightly confused by Ma-san’s vocabulary.

 

“There's more than meets the eye!” the three of them say together.

 

(“Our odd dynamic works more than you give it credit for.”)

 

“Y-Yeah! Our personalities mesh pretty well despite not looking like it at f-face value!”

 

(“Course there's also our group glue being Katy herself!”)

 

“Totally! A true eccentric bestfriend-till the end! She can hold us together and keep us a-all lively and close! We're lucky to have met her!”

 

(“While I wouldn't have worded it as sappy, Lambs hit the nail on the head.”) their remarks simply get Katy to heat up in the face as she tries to hide it behind her hands.

 

“Heeeey! No fair! I'm supposed to be upset with you guysssss...don’t you do this to meeee~...” hearts flutter out her head “Oh come here you two!~...” she wraps her arms around the two of them, squishing them in a large heartfelt hug. Poppy and Leo both smile and gaze at the sight before them, both reminded of happier times between them from their own perspectives in history. Claire feels the happiness emanating from Leo and quickly absorbs it within her own emotions.

 

“Eeeeeeeeheheh! I can see it now! You three are quite the team! I'm happy I got to meet you guys through Teach! And I'd be happier if you could consider a gal like me a friend!”

 

“Sure! Uh...Is your name Claire or Cookie?...Leo kinda used both!”

 

“Cuz both are my name! I'm Claire ‘Cookie’ Harley and it's so nice to meetcha!”

 

“OOOOH! I've heard of you through the magazines I read! You were just a random pop up in the performance scene at the age of fourteen, and since then became one big idol that captured the hearts of many in places far and wide away from here! Your hairstyle threw me off since you always had a different one back then.” Ma-san blurts out in English so she could be understood by the new cat.

 

“I owe my hairstyle after my Teacher who got me to where I am now! He helped me get my start and well...here I am! So I wanted to do something in his honor. Especially since he left. So I picked up his hairstyle! Or one of them! ...actually...now that I think about it...you three have three of his hairstyles! And so did Paula, that other friend! Are you guys fans of Teach to??”

 

“Uuuuh…Cookie, maybe it's best to stop overloading them with questions!” Leo tries and fails to change the subject.

 

“More like he's fans of us!” Lammy and Ma-san nod with Katy’s statement.

 

“Huh?...” The news throws the catgirl for a loop.

 

“WELLLLLLL! We better get a move on! Otherwise we'll never help Poppy!” Leo sprints backwards onto the road.

 

“H-HEY! WATCH THE ROAD!” Katy’s call out to the ignorant boy is much to late as a strangely familiar red car drives into him, and sends him flying into a streetlight before vanishing down the road. They all rush over to the boy fearing the worst, but he plucks himself off and walks around like nothing happened.

 

“HEY! WATCH WHERE YOU'RE DRIVING!” he angrily hops in place as smoke puffs emerge from his ears. The girls all stare at the unharmed boy “I tell ya, the nerve of some people! No road safety!...What?”

 

“How are you still moving like nothing even happened?!” Katy shouts at the aloof boy.

 

“Cuz i’m wearing my suit?...”

 

(“NO YA AIN’T!”) Ma-san points out.

 

“I’m not?...” He pats his body and realizes that they’re correct “I’m...not...HOW AM I ALIVE?! AM I DEAD?! WHAT HAPPENED TO MEEEEE??” He jitters on the spot in a panicked flurry. Just then, a faint green light hovers around his body before breaking off like glass, as if to signify it being used up.

 

Sunny’s head lights up after seeing that, understanding what it meant instantly “WHEN I OVERDID MY HEALING ON YOU!” she stares at her own hands “I must have given you a sort of safety net…wow.”

 

“Whoa...so not only do you fix what was broken, but you also protect it from further damage...haaaa! And you said it was gonna wear off! But it didn’t~ It lasted till I almost got hurt again!”

 

“Yeah but you used up the safety net in one go!”

 

“WHO COULD PREDICT THAT A CAR WOULD HIT ME!” he towers over her.

 

“YOU’RE THE DOOFUS WHO WALKED ONTO THE ROAD BACKWARDS!” she stretches over _him_.

 

“...Ok maybe one _could_ predict that…”

 

“Look, we're all happy you're ok, but please be careful...just because I can fix you, as well as apparently temporarily prevent further damage, does not mean you can be five times as reckless as you usually are!”

 

“Bu-”

 

“Remember your promise you told me about!”

 

“...ok…”

 

“Now apologize to the others for giving them such a big scare!”

 

He droops over sadly “I'm sorry you guys…”

 

Claire shakes off the worry to better defend her idol despite clearly being upset with him “I'm cool with it Teach since once again, you prove to be invincible!” Leo rubs the back of his head from guilt as he notices her true emotion. He then noticed that the MilkCan trio had disappeared.

 

“Where'd the others go??”

 

“Oh they're staring at the direction where the car that hit you drove off to!” Sunny and Leo turn to look at the trio. Claire was right, they were deeply transfixed. Sunny calls out in worry.

 

“Hey...you three alright?...” Sunny is ignored as they talk between themselves.

 

“That car looked like his didn't it??”

 

(“But he got run out!”)

 

“T-Think he's trying to come b-back??”

 

“He can't!”

 

“S-Saying no to him d-doesn’t exactly work…”

 

(“It's not like he's heading towards PaRappa Town anyway from the looks of it.”)

 

“B-But why is he back!”

 

(“I don't know!”)

 

“Should we do something?”

 

(“I ain't going near that guy!”)

 

“Let’s just i-ignore him for n-now…”

 

“And if he comes back?”

 

Ma-san cracks her knuckles (“We remind him of the fine print…”)

 

“I LIKE that way of thinking!”

 

“Kinda...to over the top f-for me…”

 

“What are you three talking about??” the trio are snapped out of it once called by Leo.

 

“Oh! It's nothing! It just so happens that...that ugly red car belongs to someone we know…” Sunny rewinds the scene in her head and realizes who exactly they're talking about once she herself takes note of the long chinmobile.

 

“Oh dear…”

 

“Poppy do you know who they're talking about??”

 

“N-Nono! I'm just shocked that they know the guy who performed a hit and run on you!”

 

“Yeah...how do you know him??” Claire chimes in.

 

“Oh believe us, we would like to NOT know who he is, but he's just a large oaf who can't take a hint...and so you're forced to know him just to avoid him…”

 

“Wow...but I overheard you saying that he shouldn't be going back?...”

 

“Cuz he c-can’t go back! He finally got run out of town not that long ago...”

 

“Oh?? How'd that happen?”

 

“Parappa!” they say in unison, amazing him and Sunny. Sunny then breaks the topic.

 

“While that is all very interesting, can we resume what we were doing?”

 

“Gladly!” The three other girls shout.

 

“Then come on! No need to do the opposite of our end goal!”

 

“What Poppy said! Let's move it!” he tries to run off, but stops to look both ways of the road. Then he rushes off once he's well certain it's clear. The five other girls all follow immediately.

 

* * *

 

“Hey...hey! Parappa!”

 

“Mgeh...huh?...” Parappa’s eyes force themselves open, only to find himself staring at Sirius.

 

“Yo. Why’d you fall asleep out here? We have a room for you after all…”

 

Parappa rolls back onto his feet “Wanted to stretch my legs, but couldn't hold back the exhaustion of not sleeping the entire night that I guess I just dropped on the spot!”

 

“Uh-huh...didn't hear any semblance of singing did ya?”

 

Parappa was about to answer yes, but something in his head instinctually told him to say no “Nope. Not at all. But why would singing be bad?”

 

“Um...gonna have to let Aqua explain that… Just know that if you hear singing of any kind, cover your ears IMMEDIATELY alright?”

 

“Roger!...I guess?” he rubs his head as the vocalizing echoes along his mind “Uh...how’s Paula doing?”

 

“Dunno. She’s still with Aqua. Gotta respect their privacy in what they’re doing.”

 

“I see...how about you? Ya finished doing what you had to do?”

 

“Yeah! That’s why I was lookin for ya! Come with me, I need you to finalize it!”

 

“Huh?” He’s quickly yanked by the green man. After a long run, they’re in a strange empty and decrepit building “What is this place?”

 

“Spectora’s old study before she moved on to a newer one ever since she’s been taken over by Tycoon. So now it just houses abandoned devices and whatnot.”

 

“Spectora?”

 

“Aqua’s mum. The head honcho. The master witch. Leader of Aqua Opera. Yadda yadda…”

 

“Oh...then uh...are we allowed to be in here?”

 

“She doesn’t use the place anymore, just like the house, so no real worries. Just try not to touch anything. These arcane devices are really finicky. Only Narcis and Spectora knew how to work these things, so i don’t want you accidentally blowing something up!”

 

“Uh-huh…” Parappa shivers at the sight of the things around him, as if they were torture devices from a horror movie “What exactly _is_ in here that you needed me for?...”

 

“That!” He points forward. In the near distance are two strange looking diving suits. They were slim and yet at the same time clunky. Their designs are clearly from an older time and yet they give an eerie presence as their aesthetic matches the area they’re found in. They seemed to match his and Paula’s height to a T.

 

“Diving suits?...”

 

“Well we’re going to be needing you alongside the water’s surface, but...if things start getting abit too...desperate...we’ll need you guys to go under with us. Me and Aqua can breathe and move regularly underwater seeing as we _are_ sea creatures! But you two aren’t, so I made these for you two to remedy that!”

 

“And what did you need me for to finalize? They look alright to me…”

 

“Well yeah, they LOOK fine. However we don’t know if it fits! I need you to wear it!”

 

“Oh...uh...aight!” Parappa goes up to the smaller of the two suits and inspects it thoroughly “Say...how’d you figure out our exact sizes?...We never told you that!”

 

“Oh that’s easy, I used your car for help! I used my magic on the driver's seat and passenger's seat to get a mold of your body and Paula’s body! I’d say it came out well!...I hope…”

 

“Invasion of privacy much...well...it is rather...scarily accurate…” Parappa sighs as he tries to put the thing on, but immediately struggles “I...can’t get it on…”

 

“Huh? Here let me see…” Sirius walks up to the dog to assist him with putting the suit on, and immediately spots the problem “Oh, it’s your clothes.”

 

“Come again??”

 

“Your clothes are to baggy! You can’t get in this thing like that! They’d take up more space then you would on their own! You’re gonna have to take em off and wear something much more compact if you’re gonna wanna fit into this thing!”

 

“Can’t you just increase the size of this thing??”

 

“I could, but then your baggy clothes would make it to cumbersome for you to try and move around in that thing. Could prove to be one hell of a liability.”

 

“Meaning?...” Sirius opens his large jaw, then quickly clamps it shut. The sight gets the dog to flinch “Noted…but um...I…” Parappa’s head turns blue “I think...I’m...g-gonna need Aqua’s help for the clothes…”

 

“Whyyyy?...”

 

“...E-Erm...it’s a personal reason…”

 

“Personal…” Sirius taps his chin until he catches on “OH! YOUR BIG BUTT!”

 

“H-HEY!...S-SHUT UP!...wait...HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?!”

 

“Well I mean Leo has a similar problem with _his_ big butt, and it’s obvious he inherited it from his parents. And since you wear baggy clothes I just put two and two together!”

 

“Oh god is it really that easy to figure me out…wait...Leo inherits this from me?? How does he hide it so well in those pants…”

 

“He doesn’t, he asked Aqua, Sixteen and Spinni to make all the pairs bigger! Plus the jacket really helps hide em better to. Gotta keep up the facade he says.”

 

“So he’s just as embarrassed about it as I am…”

 

“I mean, only when it’s brought under a spotlight. When it’s not, he takes FULL advantage of his large legs and hips.”

 

“Sheesh...I could never...I'd die of embarrassment on the spot. Like seriously I even attempt it and I'll expire…” he rubs his face “Why does he do that?”

 

“He says it makes him feel pretty.”

 

“Oh. Well that was an answer I wasn't expecting. I mean I'm glad he has a fun positive outlook on it, but I just hope he's fine overall if he’s like me in any sense…”

 

“He is! Most of the time. The Queen's taught him from what he told me! Specifically the one called Mocha.”

 

“Mocha?” Parappa recalls the video introducing Claire, and remembers the cocker spaniel “Oh! Her! Why her specifically? I'd assume all of them would help out in that manner.”

 

“The Queen's kinda...shared a singular brain cell when they were handling non violence requiring activities, so proper…’advice’ was foreign to them from what he showed us. They had proper knowledge!...for specific subjects divided among themselves...thankfully for Leo, this was Mocha’s forte!”

 

“How is enjoying what one wears and being comfortable with one's body her specialty specifically?” Parappa stares at the guy. Thinking that it would be atleast common knowledge between the six of them.

 

“She was a Trans girl!”

 

“OH!...yeah that would do it! Wowie they really were a diverse bunch! How nice! No wonder Leo is somewhat manageable! He'd probably be fully ok if she and the others were still around…” Parappa quickly tries taking back what he said “I-I mean!... I don't… what I meant to s-say was!-”

 

“Hey...it's ok...I get what you meant.”

 

“I'm still really sorry for that! I kinda forgot…”

 

“Parappa. It's all ok...Look, just let me go get Aqua so she can get you suited up.” He forces out a weak smile before hovering off. The guilt wastes no time in kicking in for the both of them.

 

* * *

 

“Come on Paula! Focus!” Aqua hovers about in the air, avoiding blasts of ice from the ground. Paula continues to dance and fire more ice at her.

 

“Stop! Moving!”

 

“You think anyone is just gonna sit still and let you strike them??”

 

“N-No but...this isn’t a real bad situation…”

 

“Exactly! If I don’t prep you for when a real situation DOES happen...you won’t know what to do and could cause things to go south…”

 

“Ngh…” Paula falls onto her back for abit before flipping back onto her feet “Fine then!” She fires another blast of ice that once again misses Aqua.

 

“I said-” Aqua’s cut off by icicles jabbing her in the back from her backpedaling “WAGH!” It throws of her balance once they explode on impact, tossing the axolotl towards the ground. She peels her face off the floor and looks at the fox “Ok...not bad…just keep doing more of that.” she gets up rather annoyed, but still prideful at what she did. She smiles before floating back up.

 

“Hehe! And to think it’s all while suppressed! Just imagine what I could do with full control!”

 

“Easy there hot shot! The only reason you’re being so fluent in controlling what you got now is thanks to that outfit! Without it, even this would be tricky for you to muster!”

 

“I know I knoooooooooooow…” Paula sticks her tongue out.

 

“If you do, then try to hit me again as if the suit WASN’T on you~”

 

“You’re asking for it! No take backs!” Paula fires more icicles at the axolotl to try and catch her off guard again, but to no avail as she dodges everything and now ascends even higher into the air, making it harder for the fox “H-Hey!”

 

“Hey nothing~ You can either try and manage to hit me from down there, or you can try to come up here yourself! Kayla could hover, as could your mother and aunt, so you probably can to~”

 

“But I don’t KNOW how to fly!”

 

“It’s actually pretty easy! Atleast for us.” she hovers downwards and lands back next to her “Time out. Let me see if you even have the ability to fly within you.” she stares at Paula, directly at her face in close proximity “Hmmmmmmmm…”

 

“What?”

 

“Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…”

 

“W-What????”

 

“HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM…”

 

“C-Can you stop that, you’re freaking me-”

 

“How much do you love Parappa?~” She stares at the fox with a goofy smile.

 

“W-What does that have anything to do with-”

 

“Are you thinkin about him this very moment?~”

 

“N-No I-” Paula slowly loses her footing

 

“Does he make your heart flutter?~”

 

“Stop!...” She starts feeling lightheaded.

 

“Got butterflies in ya stomach?~”

 

“Shut u-” Actually, her entire body feels light as a feather, and yet she's too flustered to notice.

 

“Feel like ya on cloud niiiiiiiine?~” Paula squeaks out an embarrassed drawn out squeal as she holds onto her face, she then gets upset on the spot as she yells at the older girl.

 

“E-ENOUGH!...” she notices that the girl is hovering close to the ceiling, but she's also still next to her at the same time strangely enough.  This makes Paula look down, and quickly she panics. She had long since left the ground “E-Eep…”

 

“Congratulations, you _can_ fly~” the fox starts sputtering about like a damaged helicopter as she soon grows stiff and almost plummets if she wasn't grabbed by Aqua “WHOA! Easy there!... Falling from this height is noooo good! Just relax! Be thankful that I managed to get you off your feet! Or I guess thank Parappa for it~ _He_ lifted your spirits after all!” she giggles like a mad woman.

 

Paula regains focus “You mean you purposely did that to get me to fly??” her hair solidifies once more.

 

“I mean...it worked?...eheh…~” she starts to float away from her due to slight regret “Mind uh...calming down?~...” ice manifests around the fox again “Wuh-oh…”

 

“Time in…”

 

“Meep…” the two fly about as blasts of ice and shields of water fill the room. Aqua stays out of her reach but Paula manages to cut her off more and more prompting her to try and give herself a better defense. However being water, Paula easily froze it over and turned it against her, entrancing her greatly “Whoa…” This went on until Aqua was rebounded off a wall, and as she steadied herself, Paula pops in with her left hand encased in sharp ice.

 

“GOTCHA! KILIMANJARO **CHOP** !” Aqua blocks with her arms and spawns another magic shield, but it's popped like a balloon along with her sewn on arm being chopped right off again. Paula is left panting from the adrenaline running out as she calms down, and soon after, realization hits her fiercely ”OH MY GOD...AQUA I AM _SO_ SORRY…!” as the fox panics, Aqua merely tries to hold back her immense pride and glee. A huge smile is spread on her face “W-Why are you smiling??”

 

Aqua wraps her good arm around the confused fox “You are amazing and you make me so proud and happy...thank you soooooosososo much~...”

 

“C-Care to explain before guilt makes me misinterpret everything and cause me to resent and loathe myself…”

 

“Ok but first, calm down! I can just sew that arm back on again! Plus it didn't hurt since it's not my arm! No damage is done so no worries!”

 

“But still! I could’ve hurt you much worse!”

 

“I mean yeah, but I was pushing your buttons for the sake of something I could’ve handled much more nicely. Besides, I wasn’t really trying to do much in defense! I didn’t want to hurt you!”

 

“But I went beyond that on you!”

 

“You did! And that brings me to why I’M SO PROUD OF YOU!” She squeezes her much more tightly within the hug as she cackles with the utmost happiness she can emit “This is just...such a happy time for me! First off remember what I said about Kayla correct?”

 

“The fact that she stayed to keep you all in check? And that she was your best friend and sister figure!”

 

“Correct! And I also said that all young witches wore these when they underwent training correct?”

 

“Yes! You did! Shame you can’t keep such a cute style for longer.”

 

“Well. Can you take a little farther guess as to why I’m happy?”

 

Paula blinks before pondering the question. The gears in her head take a heavy spin until it  clicks “My cousin taught you!”

 

“Yes! Kayla was my mentor! She taught me all that she could for when my mother couldn’t! Which was alot more prominent thanks to you know who...but yes! I was a bit of a hectic pupil...and getting my magic to work was such a huge struggle...but she didn't give up on me! So she tried every method of trying to invoke my capabilities! It worked, but it was still greatly limited… And then, while at the end of her rope, she tried teasing me! Boy did I blow a fuse! Not as big as yours, but still enough to catch her off guard by a large margin! I flew after her and blasted away her strikes! And since ice is technically still water, I broke it apart and sent it right back! I waterlogged her with the force of a waterfall and sent her into a wall, and immediately felt TERRIBLE! I hurt her so badly and...she only hugged me with the biggest grin I've ever witnessed! She was so happy with me! You could feel the pride seeping off of her!” Aqua plucks up her replacement arm after hovering down to it and holds it up to where it was sliced off “I didn't understand it, why was she happy with getting hurt? Then she explained that she was happy that I had the potential to be something amazing just like my older brothers. I flew effortlessly, I casted magic as if I have been all my life and I could control water flawlessly to a point I could control HER power and use it against her! I took that to heart.” Her magic sparks up, it's incredibly weak, but it does its job in holding the arm in place. She then pulls out a thread and needle and begins reattaching the limb slowly, as to not put it back on incorrectly “It took me some time to be happy with those words, and the reason was because I always wanted to help her out. Yet I couldn’t really do that. She learnt from my mother along with my brothers, so she was as perfect as mother in that regard...meaning...I could never really return the sensation ever...and then…”

 

“Kayla is turned into a beast, and in turn you meet me…”

 

“Who awoke her OWN ability! Was it my chance? Probably not...it's mostly wishful thinking since you awoke so late, practically in your start of adulthood! Nevertheless I intended to help you since you want to nobally protect your friends, as well as hopefully use them to help Kayla herself. Then I see you're just as I was when I started out! A mess! So I figured I'd handle you like she did with me. You blew a fuse and...well...I saw what Kayla saw in me all those years ago~...” she finishes with her arm and sighs “You can fly, and handle ice flawlessly! Even turned my attacks into more ice! And look at your hand!” she points at her ice encased hand “Did you even know you could use your ice like that? I doubt it! Not even Kayla would ever think to do _that_! So seeing you both do that AND burst my shield like nothing...well. I was amazed, proud, giddy...EVERYTHING!” she giggles as she skittishly dances in places with tiny bubbles appearing around her “You have the potential to be better than the two of us! You're already radically different in how witches like us would normally use their power!”

 

“I uh…” The ice around her hand fades away as it becomes nothing but snow that scatters away “Don't really know...what to say to that…” she fumbles to properly float down to Aqua “I only really want to use this stuff to help whenever there's danger...I don't know if I'd wanna go all the way with this.”

 

“That’s understandably fine. If I recall what Leo told me, you're an actor, dancer, singer, performer and overall a very intelligent girl are you not? It would make sense that this would be a trippy add on to your already stacked plate! And at the same time makes it so obvious as to why you're a better natural than any of us.”

 

Paula takes her words in “Well I wouldn't see myself as a full on Witch...I'd most likely use my ice as means of handling cheeky everyday activities! Unless again, danger strikes! But yeah...I'd see myself as an odd witch...the only reason I did that ice chop was because of lessons I learned from a martial arts sensei that came into mind as I lunged at you!”

 

“Interesting...well I understand your sentiment, and it's not like anyone will force you to. I certainly won't! Just teach you enough to do what you want!” she smiles again getting her to smile as well “Well, I think I'll call it at that for today! Class dismissed!” she chuckles as she turns towards the door, only to spot Sirius reclining on it.

 

“Now THAT'S heartwarming.”

 

“How long have you been there??”

 

“I came in the second you lost your replacement arm again. Saw you get giddy and just decided to wait it out.”

 

“Well so much for privacy! Ok then, WHY are you here?”

 

“Parappa needs your help with something.”

 

“What, is HE a witch now?” Both her and Paula laugh.

 

“Naw, his predicament is a bit more...personal.”

 

“Huh?” Sirius walks up to her and whispers what he meant to her “OH! RIGHT AWAY!...” she blasts off on her broom.

 

“What happened??”

 

“Worry not, it's nothing bad...only embarrassing!” he snickers as he walks up to the fox “Think you can try doing that ice chop attack again? Only without the removal of an arm!”

 

“I uh...dunno how to...I was _kinda_ lost in the spur of the moment.” she sheepishly shrugs.

 

“Aww…”

 

* * *

 

“The help has arrived!”

 

“Glad to hear it…”

 

“Alrighty! So I need to put you in less baggy attire...hmm.” she floats around the dog “Oh dear…”

 

“That is never reassuring to hear…”

 

“Our group clothing can help!”

 

“Oh. Nevermi-”

 

“Just not the male variety.”

 

“There it is...whyyyyy…”

 

“All of the male attire is rather...skin tight. Your hips would rip the poor things apart in an instant. Which leaves us to-”

 

“Please...don’t finish that sentence...I get the gist…” he pulls down his beanie and releases an embarrassed muffled yell.

 

“Eheh...my apologies…”

 

“Don't...this is my own problem…” he pulls his beanie back up, revealing a pink faced Parappa “Alright...let me just see what I gotta wear…”

 

“Ok! So...the best outfit for you would be…” she's taken back by what attire comes to mind after inspecting his body “Erm...this one!” she spawns an outfit that matches the one Paula currently has on. Only the color scheme is blue and orange.

 

“I have to wear that? Huh...doesn’t seem bad…” He plucks the outfit from out of the air, and Aqua quickly spawns a curtain around him to which he changes on the spot. “So this is an outfit all the females wear?”

 

“Technically the novices who were just starting out.”

 

“Soooo...kids?...” Parappa pokes his head out from the curtains.

 

“I would say yes, but recent events show that they’re now needed for adults as well.”

 

“Wait so Paula’s wearing this to??” He moves the curtain aside in a hurry, revealing himself in the new outfit.

 

“Yes! And I say you both look adorable in it!”

 

“I uh...am not sure about that...now that I’m actually wearing it…”

 

“Does it not fit?...”

 

“Nono it’s a perfect fit!...Comfy to...just uh…”

 

“Not your style?”

 

“No no! The color style is really nostalgic for me...it's just-” he sighs “A touch embarrassing…”

 

“Why? Not like one could tell it's meant for females.”

 

“No, that's not it. I'm embarrassed over the fact that...it's such an amazing fit…”

 

“Oh?...Ooooooooooh…” she taps her fingers together, knowing that he's referring to the fact that he fits it flawlessly equal to Paula, showing his squeamishness over having a figure similar to her “You don’t HAVE to wear it.”

 

“But then how will I fit in that?” he points to the diving suit.

 

“Worry not! You can just provide assistance from the surface while the three of us are down there!”

 

“I refuse! I'll feel useless!”

 

“Would you rather be a liability?...”

 

“...!” His mouth scrunches up, but manages to force words out “...think I'll fit if I'm just in my underwear?”

 

“Yes, but two things I have to say against that. First off you'll be exposed to the elements! Should something happen to this suit, it would most like not end well for you since you're bare and all. And second off...You'll practically be naked!”

 

“I rather that than wear this…”

 

“Wow...your embarrassment really is strong isn't it?...” she paces back and forth, eventually stopping in front of him again “You are to stay by my side at all times whenever we're needed down there. Am I clear?”

 

“Yes sir Missus Bodyguard!” he performs a salut, earning himself a distressed groan.

 

“It really does run in your family…” she chuckles dejectedly “Alright, be careful at all times, and try to pay no mind to ANY singing down there. Now here's hoping we won't even need to go under...now I'm going to send Sirius back here...you try the suit on your way while I get Paula to try hers on…” she levitates the other suit of the ground and flies off with it. Once she's gone, Parappa goes on with his idea, but stumbles once the vocalizing is heard again within his mind. His eyes glow an indigo light, as if he were possessed.

 

“Stay...submerged…land...is a...trap…No...stay away from water...that’s...a...trap...” he falls to his side before the singing stops, snapping him out of it “What happened?...blanked out for a bit…” he scratches his ears “Might need to take a nap after I try this on…”

 

* * *

 

Parappa awakes to find himself on the beach again, but the colors of the area are faded “Another dream...from a short nap??...lovely. Alright, what's gonna happen n- Sirius?” he spots a rather blotchy colored Sirius in the distance and runs towards him. To his surprise, he can physically touch him “YOU'RE REAL!...Wait...HO-” the beast shuts his mouth with a finger and then instructs him to look forward. This happened with Rammy, this was Sirius’s mind. Parappa obliges and glances forward. He sees Aqua and Sirius, younger and more feral “Huh?...”

 

 _“EHEHEHEHE! YOU SEE BOY! You never had a chance!”_ the younger Aqua shouts.

 

 _“Truthfully it was nothing but a riot to see you try and face us! It was a good run, but I say it's time we finished this farce!”_ More of the area reveals itself, Amby and Harper are seen being restrained by magic onto the floor, a dead scorpion girl lays on the ground, blasted in half. And Leo is seen struggling to keep his balance as he props himself up with Harper’s guitar. The Cocker spaniel is seen near him, shouting at him.

 

 _“LEO MOVE! COME ON!”_ the poor fox struggles to even move his legs.

 

 _“Awwww...the poor idiot is out of stamina it would seem~ How pathetic...we barely went all out on him and here he is, about to break apart on his own! You poor thing...LET ME PUT YOU OUT OF YOUR MISERY!”_ Past Sirius holds up a finger and fires a magic bolt at the fox who stares in terror. The blasts fails to meet its intended target when Mocha body checks the boy out of the way, taking the blast for him. It pierces her like butter right through the stomach as Leo watches, mortified as he drops to the ground _“HAHAAAAA!”_ Sirius fires even more bolts in quick succession, piercing more holes through her body, turning the poor girl into swiss cheese. Laughing as her body violently recoils from each hit. He finishes off by holding both hands up together and firing a large burst, blasting a hole the size of a cannonball through her torso and launching her onto her back _“EHEHEHAAAA! Oh how delightful! All you did was make my job easier!”_ Leo finally manages to move his body as he gets up and walks over to the downed Mocha.

 

_“...M-Mocha?...”_

 

_“WAHAHAHA! THAT'S RIGHT BOY! LOOK AT THE FATE THAT AWAITS YOU NEXT!”_

 

 _“Mo-Mocha…”_ he falls to his knees _“C-Co-Come on...get up…”_

 

A weak yet painful cough is heard as the dog looks to the fox _“Haha...I'm done for...Failed Gwen...Failed the others...but hey...you're not hurt are ya?...”_

 

_“I-I’m fine Mocha…J-Just like you'll b-be…”_

 

 _“Hehe...I'm so glad…~”_ she emits one final cough, a spurt of blood leaving her mouth, as she lays motionless from then on.

 

Leo himself grows motionless as he falls over her body, sobbing following soon after. All while Sirius and Aqua laugh. Harper struggles to break free while Amby simply cries in anger as she struggles as well. “ _THIS IS WHERE YOUR STRUGGLES END! ONLY A FOOL WOULD DARE CHALLENGE MASTER TYCO-”_ The beast is silence by a fist striking him in the face, sending him flying straight into the water, skipping along like a stone before ultimately submerging. Aqua turns to see Leo, his eyes sight lyrics dazed.

 

 _“HOW DID YOU-_ ” she's kicked away with ease as he dives off towards the beast instead again as he weakly gets up, only to get repeatedly smashed around like a training dummy. They both soon find themselves face first into the sand.

 

_“GAHHHH. WHY IS HE STRIKING ONLY ME?? AND WHERE DID THIS ACCURSED SECOND WIND COME FROM?? HE WAS BUT A RAT AGAINST AN ALLIGATOR, AND NOW IT'S LIKE HE'S NOT EVEN THE SAME PERSON!”_

 

 _“SHUT UP YOU FOOL, WE LET OUR GUARDS DOWN AND NOTHING MORE! WE ARE STILL LEAGUES ABOVE THIS ARROGANT CHILD! WE ARE GIFTED WITH MAGIC, WHILE HE IS NOTHING MORE THAN A RANDOM PASSERBY!”_ They both fire conjoined blasts at the fox who deflects them all with Harper's guitar. He then slams it straight into the two of them, launching them away again. They aggressively get up and roar as they transform their bodies into gargantuan beasts.

 

 _“I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS, YOU WILL MAKE A FOOL OF US_ **_NO LONGER_ ** _!”_

 

 _“PERISH!”_ they both blast a large torrent of water from their jaws straight at the boy who doesn't dodge. When the water clears, he is nowhere to be found _“MAY YOU BURN IN THE RESTING GROUND YOU END UP I-”_ Aqua is silenced by Leo stomping straight into her face, he uses the impact to jump over to Sirius.

 

 _“_ ** _PUNCH!_** _”_ He slams his fist square in his mug, downing the big beast. Once he lands on the ground he jumps back to Aqua _“_ ** _CHOP!_** _”_ his hand sparks with slight electricity before driving itself downwards onto her neck, sending her crashing into Sirius. They both revert back to their regular bodies. Leo lands with gusto as he heads off to finish them off. Before Leo can do any further, they both fly off and fire a conjoined blast at him.

 

_“IF YOU WISH TO RIP APART OUR MINDS…”_

 

 _“THEN LET US RETURN THE FAVOR!_ ” Leo then clutches his head in agony as he starts thrashing about thanks to their attack’s effect.

 

 _“AQUA, SIRIUS! ENOUGH!”_ Amby shouts as she tries to break free once more.

 

 _“SILENCE TRAITOR!”_ they ignore Amby as they watch the boy struggle. Parappa breaks the promise to stay silent as he speaks to real Sirius.

 

“What did you two DO to him?!”

 

“...We are...a big reason as to why he has a frail mind…” Parappa feels deep anger, but before he can act on it, he suddenly gets to see what past Leo sees. He sees himself and all his friends getting blasted away by the duo magic users one by one in a heavy hallucination until only he is left. Once he's also blown away, Leo merely roars in pain.

 

 _“_ **_FAAAAAAATHERRRRRRR NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_ ** _”_ he falls back to his knees. No longer moving, his arms fall limp as they let go of the guitar.

 

 _“NOW YOU SUFFER AS WELL YOU NEANDERTHAL!”_ the duo laugh, but stop once they hear him laughing as well _“WHY ARE YOU CELEBRATING?”_

 

They see him back on his feet, laughing up a storm as he stares at the two dead on with spiral eyes _“I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF HIM! AQUA LET'S JUST END THIS!”_ Sirius blows on the hilt of his dagger, which is shown to be a flute that begins charging, while Aqua swerves her arm around channeling magic into her broom. Before they can finish charging, a thunderclap is heard along with blinding lightning. Leo vanishes from where he was and is now in between the two of them. He grabs their respective arms holding their magical item. Leo forces Aqua’s broom to blast off Sirius’s lower jaw off and uses Sirius’s blade to cleave off and disintegrate Aqua’s arm. Rendering the two of them useless. With the body part needed for each of them to properly use their magic now rendered ineffective, they are now the same as him, a regular defenseless person. Sirius writhes in pain from loss of half his mouth while Aqua clutches onto where her arm used to be. The immense pain breaks Tycoons hold over them as well as the magic holding Harper and Amby down as Aqua cries in confusion.

 

 _“W-What’s going on...where's m-my arm...w-why am I in pain…M-Mother...K-Kayla...Ambrosia...h-help-”_ before she can finish her plea, Leo punts her body away. She cries out as she rolls onto her back to see what's happening. She sees Leo head towards Sirius. He crouches over his body and rears his arms back.

 

 _“THIS IS FOR SILPHY!”_ he slams his fist into the broken face of the beast _“FOR WUKI! FOR GWENOYNE! FOR NATASHA!”_ Punch after punch connect with his face _“_ **_FOR MOCHA!_ ** _”_ He slams his fist one final time, knocking the beast out. Aqua stares in horror as he gets up and walks over to her.

 

_“P-Please no...G-Get away...I don't want t-to die…”_

 

_“HA! THAT'S RICH COMING FROM YOU! THE QUEEN'S AND MY FAMILY! THEY PLEADED AND WHAT DID YOU DO? JUST ERASED THEM ON THE SPOT!”_

 

_“I-I didn't do that…”_

 

 _“FOR MY MOTHER!_ ” He impales her left leg to the ground with one of Sirius’s daggers _“FOR MY UNCLES!”_ he impales the other leg _“MY AUNTS!”_ her remaining arm. She cries in pain each stab.

 

_“P-PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!...”_

 

 _“_ **_FOR MY FATHER!_ ** _”_ Leo holds up Harper's guitar and revs it into its chainsaw shape as he attempts to drive it down only to stop midway because Ambrosia stands before him with her arms extended _“AMBROSIA_ **_MOVE!_ ** _”_

 

_“NO!...Please stop this!!…”_

 

_“YOU SAID YOU HATED THEM, WHY DO YOU DEFEND THEM?!”_

 

_“B-Because they're all I have left...don't t-take them away from me...please...I b-beg of you…”_

 

_“WHY SHOULD I?!”_

 

 _“I don't want to be alone...please don't make me be alone again...please…”_ she cries on the spot as Leo is just seething with rage. He holds back there guitar once more, but it drops out of his hands as he cries angrily into the sky, his tears dripping over hers. They all vanish as only Parappa and Sirius’s consciousness are left. Parappa angrily looks at the now crying beast, the sight removes his anger, remembering that he's not like that anymore. Nor was it ever from his own free will.

 

“...So…”

 

“That look of horror...despair...utter sadness. The looks that eventually became a sad rage...I caused all that...I took away from him everything...I took away a healthy and peaceful life...a sane mind...a happy ending...this very day haunts me and Aqua, but torments _m_ e every single day of my life...reminding me of the demon I was...of the demon I could’ve _stayed_ as were it not for him...I am left to forever remember that _I_ helped make him like that...I **_left_** him like that...he smiles these days, but I know that he still suffers from the sadness. A poor empty shell, whose insides I have long since helped whittle away...this poor innocent boy...I robbed him off everything...and he's still able to be happy about it, and able to look past that and consider me a friend… He should hate me, but he doesn't...he's just happy about it...”

 

“WHY WOULD HE BE HAPPY ABOUT THIS?!”

 

He cries more tears as he looks to Parappa “He's happy...because it no longer happened to you…” Parappa reels back. He soon takes into account that all of Leo's new friends don't exist in the real future, because he inevitably had to deal with them all...and he had to finish them all off...for the reasons that Leo had to endure growing up, only no one was around to stop Parappa from ending them like they had with him. Leo had successfully kept his word...he stopped the pain from reaching his family...at the cost of himself… “In the proper time...you kill me for doing the same terrible things I did to him...that's what he told me… by that point Ambrosia had met her end while she was hypnotized into taking on the Queen’s...so the only one who would willingly give us a second chance...was gone...no one to stop you from ending us...and you did. Then Leo comes back to help you...thanks to him, Ambrosia lived longer...enough to stop him from ending us and ultimately spared us...changing this time period...a fate he knew would not end well. Yet he took the shot anyway…”

 

“Why…” Parappa says in a shaky voice, but the sad beast’s next reply astounds him.

 

“Because...he loves his father...he loves his family. More than you'll probably ever get to see for now… And that love will let him do whatever and endure everything. So you don't have to anymore, never again.” after he says that, the world starts vanishing causing the dog to freak out “Please...keep this to yourself...I don't want to strain Leo anymore...and he doesn't want you all to suffer...please...when you fully wake up...go to me so I can erase this memory…”

 

Parappa shakes his head “No. I'm sorry, but I wanna keep this. It motivates me. If I know the struggles, I can give it my all even further! I know it's my fault he's like this...but he's still alive...and I can help him out! I won't let guilt stop me from making it up to him while stopping this Tycoon guy! And Sirius…” Parappa starts fading away “My son would never hate his family. Especially one with...a good heart like yours! Don't let the past define you...you weren't the one that wanted to do all those things...Tycoon was. You're just a sweet guy I'm glad I got to know. A lovely new...family member~” he smiles as the beast merely stares in shock as Parappa wakes up and leaves his mind.

 

* * *

 

The oncoming dusk is converging within the rising evening as the four of them stand by the waters surface.

 

“How come we had to wait until now to come here?”

 

“She's much more active around this time. Meaning she'll be around the surface more! Or at the very least, easier to _get_ her to the surface. Speaking of which…” She and Sirius fly over the water “See anyth-” both of them scatter off when large tentacles burst out of the water in attempt to grab them.

 

“YES, YES I DO SEE SOMETHING.” they fly over to land in an attempt to get her to follow, but she does not “Huh?...”

 

“She should be coming after us...what's going on…” Large ice spirals fire out of the water and head towards the two on land “L-LOOK OUT!...” both fly quickly to land, trying to save them.

 

“PAULA WATCH-” Parappa runs to shove the fox out of the way, but is cut off when she grabs him and flies off to safety “O-OKAY...MY FEET AREN'T TOUCHING THE GROUND ANYMORE…” he stares at the distancing floor in fear as he takes a look at his savior “I didn't know you could **fly**!”

 

“Neither did I until a few hours ago!”

 

“You uh...GOOD at flying??”

 

“We’re about to find out!...” she haplessly swerves about in the air avoiding more and more disastrous projectiles. The two older magic users finally catch up and blast the barrage, sending it right back and stopping the assault.

 

“YOU WON’T HARM MY FAMILY!” Sirius shouts as he blasts away the last bit of danger, the notion gets Parappa to smile, but it simply confuses the two girls. Paula merely tosses the thought aside as she expresses her relief.

 

“Oh thank goodneeeeeeeeeeessssssssss-” the moment Paula stops to relax, she and Parappa drop like an anvil. Thankfully both are scooped up by Aqua’s broom before landing on the rough sandy ground just an inch away.

 

“I don't think I'm a fan of flying…”

 

“Harsh...I just started out…”

 

“Can you maybe practice then before taking me to the clouds again?”

 

“I'll make a note of it…” both flop off the broom and onto the sand “How funny...future me made you make me a jetpack jacket to fly around in a dazzling style and yet here I am with the ability to fly naturally...I mean not effectively but still…”

 

“Guess all that means is that I should still make it.” they both sit up as Aqua floats to them.

 

“I don't understand...she always rises out of the water and chases after us...why didn't she do that this time? And how the heck did she know you were there on land?? She didn't even come up to see if anyone else was with us!...”

 

“What do we do??” Paula asks.

 

“Not much to do… This is a bigger problem now since she’s gonna be on high alert…”

 

Sirius quickly interjects “Do we just call it a day? If we keep at it, we risk endangering these two. We need a revamped game plan Aqua.”

 

“I knowwww...ugh… retreat!” they pick up the two smaller animals as they rush off away from the newly increased danger.

 

* * *

 

“So any progress at all Poppy?”

 

“No...sorry, but that car situation really put a damper my mood…”

 

“But I'm fine!”

 

“I know that well enough. That's not what I mean though.”

 

“Oh, it isn't?”

 

“No. I'm just a little bit paranoid ever since I heard your friends say they knew who the driver was…” _Word it differently!..._ “I mean like...if they know someone who’d end up running someone else over, be it accidental or not, and just carry on with driving...it’s a bit disorienting!...”

 

“Oh don’t worry over it! It was just a little out of the blue event! The oaf probably couldn’t even see anything thanks to this place’s quirky abnormality. Didn’t help that _our_ oaf didn’t pay attention to the road…” She jabs her elbow into the fox’s side.

 

“HEEEEK!...Alright...yeah...I can admit to the lack of progress being my fault.” He kicks the dirt “Sometimes, my idiocy amazes even me!” he spins in place before stopping in a pose “However! If the overcrowded zone and overdone antics are keeping that skittish thought in your noggin. Then I think I can assist in that regard!”

 

“How? Where are you gonna find a quiet separate spot in a town like this?”

 

“I can show you easily!”

 

“I highly doubt that…”

 

* * *

 

“I have now eaten my words…” Sunny and the other four girls all stare at the massive amount of greenery found within the obscure deep ends of Neon Heights.

 

(“The fuck...how the hell is a nearly massive CITY LIKE TOWN capable of still sustaining THIS part of it??”)

 

“Not sure what she really said, but I take it she’s as shocked as we are Teach…” Claire stares around with wonder “With a place like this...a park is the last thing you’d even expect to find!”

 

“It’s not a park! This place was actually one of the many places you’d go to see here! Think of it as an outdoor performance stage! Only without the necessity of organizing stuff since, thanks to the natural decal and scenery, was already...ready!” He sighs “But...I kinda have to take abit more fault...once I became this place’s star, more area’s started popping in thanks to my rather large publicity...even MORE so when I dropped out. Coming to this place just to get to Rainbow was the only way you’d get to see me. Spots like this one just weren’t worth visiting anymore…” He walks to the center of the grassy field “And so without care...it was left to just...become more of a glorified...leftover junk drop off. If a building was finished, but there was still leftover material that couldn’t be used for a different project...they would dump it here! But I think you guys can see that for yourselves!” he moves some shrubbery to the side revealing concrete, metal and the like coating the area. The sight was another blast of unwanted Deja Vu for the MilkCan trio, but they shook it off. Claire shakes her head at the poor condition that the place was subjected to and Poppy merely stares devastated at the ruined natural scenery. It wasn't garbage, but it was probably much more harmful and harder to fix once cleaned up.

 

“Hoo baby...people just love turning beautiful scenery in a trash pile don't they? That is so not groovy…” Katy bites her thumb.

 

“Oh yeah...what you told me about with that pond of yours. In a sense, it's the same situation huh? Only this place isn't magical! I mean it is, but not from actual magic,  but rather atmosphere! And I've been trying to get it back! But ever since Rainbow went up in smoke, my times been occupied in cleaning that up. And I finally finished! Only to find this place completely left with junk again...resetting my entire progress.” he shatters a block of cement with one kick “Is it hard to get rid of? Not really, but it is time consuming...especially when it just gets stuffed again...I can't really get a sign placed here to stop that since everyone has objectively voted and cemented this place as just that. So all I can do is just continuously clean, but that just gives them more incentive to keep doing it. Like seriously, they don't do anything if I don't do anything, but if I clean up just a tiny bit...they go HAM on this poor place. No idea why. They aren't purposely trying to spite me, at least I would hope not.” he stomps through a chunk of metal “Gimme abit, I'll have this place spotless in just a moment. Then you can enjoy the place as much as I did all those years ago.”

 

“Let us help!”

 

“Uh-uh, defeats the purpose of avoiding the busy work! Just let me handle it!”

 

(“You're an idiot if you think you're managing all this on your own in a short span of time.”)

 

“Beats forcing you guys to do the menial work!” he attempts to stomp another heavy object, but Lammy beats him to it. A burning foot punts and shatters it on impact, the fragments in turn break through and destroy other piles of leftover material. Leo blinks three times in slow succession “Um...Since when could you-”

 

“I found out about this a good while back thanks to you know who, since then Rammy’s been helping me make the most of this! Turns out it ran in my family after recent events.”

 

“...mk…” he slaps his cheeks lightly “Right! Well that's nice, but don't worry! I can handle it!”

 

“T-There’s nothing left to really break, only pick up.”

 

“I beg to differ! See that big rock over there? It’s on top of the most special part of the area!”

 

“Don't think I p-practiced enough to break that in one go yet…”

 

“Exactly! So before I pick everything up on my own, I'll just deal with it myse-” the massive stone spontaneously explodes. Once the smoke clears, Ma-san is found in its place grinning ear to ear with her hands on her hips.

 

(“Guess it couldn't handle my _explosive_ personality!”) She laughs as Leo tries to wrap his mind around what happened (“Oh you wanna know how? Similar to Lambs, I got a bit of help and found out my family specialty! Papa-Ma’s been helping me out ever since! He got to the lecture on trying to recreate my dynamite. Still making progress, but it's well enough to handle some crummy old brick!”)

 

“First Poppy, then Paula now you two…”

 

“O-Oh? So did she use any i-ice?”

 

“HOW DO YOU EVEN KNOW THAT??”

 

(“We learned that we all have something special in our bloodline. It was another matter of seeing if we could use anything of the sort at all or not! Which me, Lambs and now Paula clearly can!”)

 

“Maaaan...I'm jealous...I'm just here with a massive chance of not getting anything! It's not faaaair!” Katy pouts like a child.

 

“Eh?? Jealous??” Leo's thought process slowly withers more and more as they treat it all as a normal occurrence “Right...whatever...I'm just gonna go pick up all the junk fragmen-” Leo stares at big long vines that hold all the pieces that were on the ground. He turns his gaze to Poppy.

 

“Sorry!...I wanted to clean this place as soon as I could now that all the junk was dealt with!...Looks like plant control is linked to my excitement and adrenaline rather than my emotions like my healing is…”

 

“Guess...I should ask for help more often…”

 

“Teach your friends are something else as per usual! Only I like these ones much more than the older ones you have!”

 

“Oh be nice to the others Cookie! They're good to! But that aside…” he pulls out some industrial trash bags “Dump the stuff in these Poppy! “

 

“Right-o!”

 

* * *

 

“Wow...with all the stuff gone...this really is a marvelous place!...Shame that it’s just gonna go back to looking like a mess in no time…” Sunny sighs before smiling “But I can’t really let that get me down! I’m happy that I even got to see this place as it was! And hey! Maybe one day you can convince all these knuckleheads to keep this place spotless!”

 

“It's an uphill battle in that regard, but I haven't stopped yet! But yes! Look at this place I tell ya! Such a joy that's relegated to a glorified dump...the nerve!” he runs up to the spot that was under the massive rock that Ma-san removed and takes off the some shrubbery, revealing a nature-made stage “Here we are! This is the main thing I wanted to show you Poppy!” all the girls walk up to the stage and marvel at the sight beneath them.

 

(“Man the people here are stupid! Why would they just trash this place??”)

 

“Businesses booms, locales expand, projects arise and soon after you're left with deciding what's worth managing and keeping. What brings in the most! Dog eat dog mentality basically. I wondered if the loss of Rainbow would benefit this place but naaaadaaaaaa...oh well, C’est la Vie…” he rests his fingertips on his forehead.

 

“Well...I'm glad you're doing your part as to not fully lose this place!” Sunny smiles before tapping her foot “However, since this is very much a stage, I take it that this was like those public performer deals?”

 

“Spot on. It was just good fun watching one another have fun! Doing whatever! Stand up comedy, poetry, dance offs, oblong performances...the things people did here were all just to enjoy life when another place just didn't catch your fancy or didn't have a place for you to do what you wanted to do! Just come here and there were others who also felt the same...and boy were those the days.” he chuckles heartily “That all being said, what are you going to do here?”

 

“Oh me? Uh...I am...not sure! I don't really see myself particularly... _good_ in the performance field!”

 

“Really? Not even singing or dancing?”

 

“Eh...kinda...lost my motivation for those things ever since my-”

 

“Breakup?” Katy finishes her sentence. The flower girl awkwardly turns away and nods getting the cat to overheat with a growl “What kinda jerk hurts a girl badly enough to cause that!” Sunny flinches, the message clearly misinterpreted.

 

“Nononononono! The breakup was erm... _my_...choice...and I felt...like I made a terribly wrong decision ever since...I flat out just ended it against my will and didn't really make an effort to try and keep in touch to stay friends...not like I'd have the ability to do so...and I've felt...empty...no...motivation for anything...my-”

 

“‘Muse was gone’?” Katy once again finishes her sentence, this time alarming the flower for finding the perfect word to describe her prior emotions.

 

“...Yes actually...How'd you know?”

 

“Coincidentally enough…” she stops “Mmmm...I'll keep it a secret for now! Just until I get a little bit more…’reassurance’~” she winks before grabbing her hand “Let's fix ya up!” she pulls her close and whispers to her _“Old friend…~”_ Sunny’s heart was on the verge of exploding, and it would've gone boom on the spot had she not looked at Katy’s face. Her gaze was calm. There was no trace of ill will or anger or resent against her. It was reassuring to see that she still had the smile on. The only thing about her gaze that showed anything different were her eyes. They were rather warbly, as if to signify that she was about to cry. Cry over what, thought the flower. Was it because she actually _wasn't_ fine with her being back? That thought is immediately erased with a quick squeeze of her palm as she whispers once more _“Wanna dance? Just like that one time?...~”_

 

Sunny’s eyes grow weak themselves as she smiles and nods, following her to the center of the natural stage. Lammy and Ma-san stare at one another in confusion, lost as to what's happening in the weird silent exchange. Leo and Claire are even further confused as their tails arc into a question mark. Sunny then speaks up “Would...music be too hard to make right about now?”

 

“S-Sorry...didn't bring my guitar…”

 

(“I only brought my drumsticks to keep my hair in place, nothing more.”)

 

“It's a nope for me as well. Didn't anticipate that this would be happening hehe…what about you Teach?”

 

“I as well don't have any instruments on me...but...I do have my helmet!” he unhinges the headgear from his belt and motions his hand around within its insides “Now let's see here...you guys wanna dance or sing or what??”

 

“Dance!” they say in unison.

 

“Alrighty...what would be a good dance beat...hm...something peppy...or abstract?...or fun? Why not a combination of the three!” he starts fiddling about until he starts up a song he deems fitting. Coincidentally enough, it's the one that both girls danced to in that one dance that Katy brought up. Was it fate? Or dumb luck? Whatever the reason, it made them all the more happier as they started dancing their fun dance from heart and memory. The remaining four join in for a bit before ultimately just deciding to stop and watch the two instead as they seem to be enjoying themselves the most, and the sight uplifted their spirits as well. What caught everyone off guard was that a crowd had amassed around the ‘stage’. All of them happy for the two in the center as they bobbed to the beat themselves. It's as if that very day, that very moment, was being reenacted.

 

Once the music ended, so did their dance, resulting in a fun cheer from the newly formed crowd. They both bow giddily before helping each other off the stage and walk off to their friends (“Well you sure had the time of your lives up there! The hell happened between the two of you that made you wanna do that?”)

 

“...I dunno...just wanted to...help a friend out~...” Katy glances over to Sunny.

 

(“I still don't get it...but hey! Least it made us all happy! That's for damn sure!”) She then puffs up her chest (“The nerve though! Where the hell did these schmucks come from! They think they can just treat this place like a garbage heap and come back all gleefully as if they didn't try destroying it?? I got some bones to pick with that!”) She rushes off.

 

“Uh o-oh...we uh...better stop t-that!...” Lammy, Claire and Leo run after Ma-san. Sunny tries to tag along, but is stopped by Katy who drags her away behind some big greenery.

 

“H-Hey! We gotta stop he-”

 

“Why didn't you...tell us that you came back…”

 

“...I was...afraid…I thought none of you would ever _want_ to see me again…after that...You and Parappa especially…”

 

“That's stupid of you!...Parappa sure as hell missed you and would've loved to see you again! So much so that he was nearly permanently damaged from it! Took us over a YEAR to finally fix him! I mean yeah I was _pissed_ as can be, but I know you had a reason...despite it being the world's worst one in EXISTENCE!”

 

“Not like I _had_ a choice! I would’ve loved nothing more than to stay!...at the very least with him if anything...and are you upset with me or not?...”

 

“BOTH!...NEITHER!...I DON'T KNOW! RIGHT NOW I'M JUST!...JUST…” she starts breathing heavily on the spot.

 

“Angry over me returning like I did?...” she looks down, but Katy’s actual response amazes her.

 

“Just happy one of my best friends is baaaaahahahaaaack…” she starts bawling on the spot, prompting the daisy to hug her and try to calm her down.

 

“Hey heeey...don’t waste those tears on a girl like me…calm down now please...eheh...I can't heal this type of pain…”

 

“L-Leo told us you n-never came back…once you l-left...that was ihihit...we never got to see you again…”

 

“...Yeah...I found out about that on my own by accident...I think I...know more than all of you…”

 

“Then why a-are you back now?...”

 

“Well...that news report...it's uh...thanks to Leo that I decided to come back...my dad would never let me go back to PaRappa Town...so Leo gave me a loophole...come to Neon Heights instead...heh...who'd of thought it'd work…” the cat calms down slightly.

 

“What did you learn from him by accident…?”

 

“I...think a good majority of his life here in the past...I'm not sure…”

 

“Do you know his real mother?...”

 

“...I...have to keep that a secret...it would...probably damage him if I intervened with that…”

 

“F-Fair enough…” she fully calms down “Will you...come back?...we can keep you hidden from your old man…”

 

“No...I don't know...it's fear of what potential consequences there'll be that gets me to stay hidden…”

 

“But everyone misses you!...I _missed_ you…I **_still_ ** miss you...”

 

“Not fate...this conversation? We aren't supposed to be even having it...I'm messing with Leo’s future here!”

 

“That didn't stop you from going halfway…”

 

“True, but that was BEFORE I found out things I probably shouldn't have.” she lets go of the cat “I...can't go back...atleast...not yet...only when I'm certain Leo's future is left intact...so please keep my presence here a secret...Sunny Funny isn't here anymore… Only Poppy Fleur is.”

 

“But what if something happens that unhinges Leo's future…”

 

“...Then...at the very least... _you_ know I'm back.”

 

“That's not...fair for the others…”

 

“Believe me...i’m well aware of that, but I just can't do much about it...after I saw all about Leo’s history...Something in me just awoke! I...have to keep him safe and healthy...and if ‘Sunny Funny’ returns...that can't happen.”

 

“...Why do you care so much about him?...”

 

“...He's my ex’s son. That's half of the reason...the other half...well...I have to keep quiet on because it involves what I saw. But...all I can say is...he's already become a danger beacon like his father-to-be and...I...wanna prevent as much as I can...thankfully...I have these powers! I can do just that! Sideline or Frontline help, whatever I can manage to help him and in turn...help you all.”

 

“...Am I...allowed to visit you?...”

 

“Oh um!... Well I can't say no obviously! You're a dear friend! Yet you gotta wait a bit for me to properly organize some things! So yeah you can, just not at my place! Here let me give you my new number...just call and we can set somethings up whenever you wanna! Would...that suffice?...” _Oh boy...hopefully Kitty can come out to them sooner rather than later..._

 

“...For now…”

 

“Great!...Also...how did you...catch on that it was me?...I still have my disguise and i’m still hiding my voice...”

 

“...A couple of things started pointing me in the right direction...such as the flower that saved us from falling off that giant newly formed cliff, it looking like you was kinda helpful...the grass powers and healing powers matching Potter’s recessed family genes and Thistle’s powers...the fact that your name matched Potter’s deceased sister...there's also the fact that you could understand Ma-san from the get-go...and finally...your love life trouble explanation...you sounded exactly like Parappa...and you two were always so similar...down to the breakup...guess that was the final hint I needed…”

 

“Hehe...I figured as much. I'm sorry. Although, after all that I caused, sorry isn't gonna undo it.”

 

“...Atleast you're back…”

 

“Yeah, guess I am.” she pulls out a handkerchief and hands it to her “Here, to clean up your face. Your makeup is uh...running. The others are gonna question it and like I said...I rather only you have me found out for now…”

 

She takes the cloth and begins doing as suggested “Ok…”

 

Sunny stays there in silent disdain, thinking up ways to cheer her up “Thank you for today. I was expecting for Leo to struggle in helping me in these seven days, but you kinda helped tremendously in just one. Just by knowing that you don't hate me, I'm already as happy as I can be! Kinda ironic though...obviously I'll keep that thought, plus the joy of us dancing together in my heart to help with my healing...but I can't really heal emotional damage with them…” she smiles before hugging the cat girl again “Luckily, I think I can help fix that without them~ If you'll let me...that is.”

 

“...Yeah...of course I do…” she returns the hug weakly “Can I come back tomorrow?...”

 

“...Yeah…I can try to arrange a meet up. How about back here at say...2 PM?”

 

“Can we change it to 5 or 6?...”

 

“Oh right! Your job...sure!”

 

“Thank you.” she finishes cleaning off her face and slaps her cheeks abit to shake off the sadness “Alright! With that handled, let's go back to the others Su-...Poppy.” she hands back the handkerchief.

 

“Let's.” they head out of their hiding spot and spot all the members of the audience in an apologetic bow before Ma-san “Erm…Maybe we should have helped out in restraining her…”

 

“Now WHAT are you lot gonna do??” Ma-san shouts in English.

 

“Keep this place spotless…”

 

“AND??”

 

“Stop dumping junk here…”

 

“GOOD!” she huffs out while Leo, Claire and Lammy try and get her to go easy on the group of people.

 

“Or maaaaybe it was good that we didn't!” they both giggle at what happened before them.

 

* * *

 

The night looms across the sky as the bright moonlight reflects off the water’s surface. The double initial P duo stay in the room that they’ve been given.

 

“Hey Paula…” Parappa says from his sleeping bag on the ground.

 

“What?” Paula pokes her head off of the beds side to stare at the boy under her.

 

“What do you think happened that caused the plan to not even take off?”

 

“I dunno. It's as Aqua said…she never saw us here…so it really is an unexpected turn of events...”

 

“What a bummer...hope we can work around this, otherwise we'll need to go under. By the way, you fit in your suit?”

 

“Perfect fit. You?”

 

“Yeeeeeah...little technicality, but I can fit inside nicely…”

 

“Well that’s also good. But to be fair, I really hope it doesn’t come to that…”

 

“How come?”

 

“You really wanna fight a giant aqua beast in it’s prefered terrain? _Us_ as NON sea creatures?”

 

“...Hm...you do bring up a terrifying point. But we have Aqua and Sirius with us who are! They’ll make sure we’ll come out unharmed!”

 

“To that I don’t disagree with, but what about them? Just cuz we get out scotch free doesn’t exactly mean they might…” She sighs “I don’t mean any disrespect to them or to Leo but...if they managed to get beaten by him...are they really all that competent?...”

 

Parappa swallows roughly, knowing fully well that all three of them were highly competent, and still are, but couldn’t really say anything in order to keep up Sirius’s plea “Yeah...I guess…”

 

“...You know something I don’t?”

 

“Nono just. Wanna keep my head up despite the obvious, you know. We ARE trying to rescue your cousin after all.” he rubs under his nose “You uh...seem doubtful all of a sudden. Where’d all that determination of getting things handled go? Somethin come up?”

 

“...It’s just that…” She taps her forehead “Do you think I would... make a good witch?...”

 

“...Hm…” he rubs his chin as his tongue pops out, he doesn’t take long to find a reply “It never crossed my mind seeing as we never knew you could ever even BE one. But Mana’s one and she seems to have a blast being one!...Er...now that she’s nice that is.” He retracts his tongue “Also our two new friends are witches!...Er...does Sirius count as a witch?...What’s the male term for one…is there one? Is witch a unisex term?...” he flicks his hand “Nevermind that, back to what you asked me...uh...yeah! You were never a slouch when it came to doing anything! Your old rivalry with Katy is a testament to that! You'd always see things through to the end...multiple times even!...why asking?”

 

“It's because...Aqua kinda brought it up...and it's been bugging my mind...I feel as if I'd be toppling over my overly stacked plate…”

 

“You do have a lot with you as is don't ya? Well that is a troubling thought, but I mean you're fine managing what you have now without over exerting yourself! This should prove no different, but it's your choice in the end after all since you're the one with the magic. Just know that I think you'd make a great one!”

 

“Alright. I'll give it some thought...gonna need to find alot of reasons as to if I should even try making the most of my abilities…”

 

“Ma-san and Lammy certainly are!...Granted they aren't witches..and they can't fly...and they're fire and not ice…Nevermind... You get the idea.”

 

“Yeah yeah… my previous statement still stands. I'm still iffy, so I'm waiting till more convincing reasons pop up.”

 

“Which is all good. Can't help but be jealous though.”

 

“Jealous?...”

 

“You had a high probability of having that ability! Me however, not so much!...at least...that's what I thought. After Aqua told us about what Leo did...it made me realize that...I _potentially_ do, in fact, have my own abilities inherited...but then it came to mind...that it might have just skipped a generation...glossed over me and went straight to my boy…”

 

“Oh come now! I'm sure you have...well...SOMETHING to work with!”

 

“Yeaaaaaah, I'm not seeing anything.”

 

“Well...lemme try an help...maybe all you gotta do is focus as if it was magic!”

 

“How’s that gonna help?? Judging from Aqua’s description, Leo inherited from me my Mom’s variety...and her’s seemed more...non focus oriented…”

 

“Huh… I didn’t think about that… However! You never know! Maybe you still need to focus in order to get that to work effectively if at all! Especially since your mom was also a brainiac!”

 

“I suppose there's some logic behind that...what the hey, sure let's give it a go.” she hops off the bed once he's on board with the idea.

 

“Great! Now how to make you focus. Hmm. Well hers was like a type of body stimulant so that would mean...oh! Here's an easy thing! Hold your hand out as if you were trying to grab something in front of you.”

 

“Uh-huh?...”

 

“And try to concentrate! All in that hand and arm of yours!”

 

“Ok…” Parappa closes his eyes and sternly does as instructed. He focuses his absolute hardest. It gets to a point that his face turns red, then blue, and finally purple from all the supposed focusing. Paula quickly shouts out, realizing what was happening.

 

“PARAPPA BREATHE!” he takes in an enormous amount of oxygen.

 

“GEEEEH!...kinda...lost in the focusing…”

 

“I’ve never seen focusing being done like that…”

 

“Yeah, i’m bad at this…” _Doesn’t help that I had an eyeopener of a dream not to long ago...not to mention i’ve just been weirdly dazed and tired all day...my head’s just so fuzzy as if someone was messing with it..._

 

“That goes without saying.” She sighs as she grabs his hand and helps him up “Let’s try that again, but with a different approach!”

 

“What other approach is there??”

 

Paula swallows roughly, already against herself for what she was about to do. Firstly she zooms closer to his face “Hmm…”

 

“Uh...does the method require you to get in my face like this?...”

 

“Hmmmmmmmmm…”

 

“Seriously, what are you do-”

 

“HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!”

 

“Ok i’m officially creeped ou-”

 

“Why is it that you suddenly started getting feelings for us?~”

 

“W-Whaya...I um…”

 

“And why specifically me?~ You know, might as well ask since we’re together right now, and alone~”

 

“A-Aha...w-well I don’t s-see what that h-has to do with-”

 

“Is it something as common and cliche as hearing me laugh? Or or-” Paula’s teasing is cut off by a rather unexpected result.

 

“Y-Yes...actually...it goes for all of you… You each share some great things...and then you all have your own individual reasons as well towards why I slowly started coming to the realization that...my heart was split amongst multiple people that I just...can’t really come to full grips with...You wanna know yours specifically? It’s just...well...a fascination on your perky personality that I’ve come to realize...like your tenacity and pride...normally what most would find a nuisance...you’ll recall me saying it was endearing...and well...I mean that. Just seeing you push and pursue things...not letting anything stop you...well it meshed well with just my overall...erm...funky flow I guess I could word it. But you know me well enough to not need to be told that. And it was an influential upgrade to me. Something I wouldn’t fully come to realize until I started giving it some slow thought through the years. Bet you all just thought it was me being me, but no. I just started thinking on a personal level and I noticed how much I was really thinking on the little details...the passion and driving force behind your actions. Pride can be a real pretty thing if handled properly, and I’ve SEEN it first hand. That confidence that just...lasts. It can take quite a beating before going down, and even then it doesn’t take long for it to simmer right back up the second it can. A reason you and Katy share is that it’s also easy to spot you guys out from a crowd. Such as hearing you guys specifically through overlapping chatter, your silky voices just shatter any other noise! Or spotting you guys out from a group thanks to your rockin style, no one could every hide you two away! And also just by...smell. You both always smell so nice...be it perfume or just natural scent. It's so nice and captivating...puts me in a state...like a natural high is the best I can call it~... With those things in heart, I can find you guys in an instant even if i’m not looking at you or I have my eyes closed.” He buckles his knees inwards “It’s something to have a passion driven friend smite my heart with cupids arrow, but it’s another to think on whether if it was me that influenced you...or you influencing me?” He grabs his beanie and begins sliding it over his face, the embarrassment slowly kicking in “Y-Yeah...s-something like that…”

 

Paula finds herself at a loss. He didn’t burn a fuse like she did at all. Did she do the teasing incorrectly? And what’s worse is, he actually replied! She didn’t expect that to happen! And yet...she herself didn't mind that fact. Hearing those sincere words was just something both gratifying and relieving. Her heart was beating a million a minute, and every tease and taunt that Aqua told her in order to get her to fly was being proven true on that spot, but she wasn’t embarrassed. She wasn’t flustered either. She was completely at ease, and that fact even amazed herself. Regardless, through it all, she merely closed her eyes and smiled as she placed her hand over her heart “That’s...really nice to hear...thank you~...” the calm feeling doesn’t last as Paula no longer feels the floor beneath her feet “What what??...” she opens her eyes and notices that every metal bit on her clothes was being pulled forward and upwards. To what exactly? She took a glance forward and noticed a levitating Parappa, balancing in the air between the floor and the ceiling. He was hovering as if he were a magnet that was being repelled by both sides and forced to hover between. All the while his magnetism was pulling her metal towards him. It was an clear sign. Parappa inherited both. Before she can call out to him to tell him of what he was doing. The magnetism grows stronger as within the next second she's forcibly latched onto him, getting him to notice that way instead.

 

“H-Hey why’d you-” he lifts his beanie to notice the fox stuck to him “What are you doing?!”

 

“Me?? You're doing this!”

 

“I am not!” she grabs his head and forces him to look both at the floor that they're both distant from as well as the metal that clings to Parappa’s body like it were dear life “I am...I AM! PAULA! DAD WAS WRONG! I DID INHERIT SOMETHING AND IT WAS _HIS!_ IT ALSO MEANS I PROBABLY INHERITED **BOTH** OF THEIR STUFF THANKS TO LEARNING ABOUT LEO!”

 

“I noticed, and that's all fine and dandy but uh...MIND TURNING IT OFF??” The dog notices that the girl is not to happy-go-lucky at the moment given her cherry face. To call their current predicament awkward was an understatement given the proximity of contact.

 

“I uh...don't know how to...I don't even know how I turned it on to begin with!”

 

“I-I don't wanna be stuck like this! It's embarrassing!”

 

“J-Just think of it as a big hug! You know! Minus the arms being wrapped around each other and the fact that we're just sorta stuck in chest bump positio- yeah you're right...um...AQUA! SIRIUS! HEEEEEEELP!”

 

“D-DON’T INVOLVE THEM!”

 

“You got any better ideas?”

 

“...AQUA HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!”

 

“Thought so.” they both yell as they wriggle about in the air.

 

* * *

 

 

Lammy and Leo recline on a bench alone without the other four girls in sight. Lammy finally tries breaking the silence once she hears some distress from the fox.

 

“Y-You’re alright there Leo?”

 

“Whew...yeah I'm fine I think...just a bit lightheaded...probably an after effect of...you know, being run in to! But I feel fine so don't worry Lammy!” the lamb begrudgingly nods as she looks away from him to look around for Katy and Poppy. As she does that, sparks flicker off of Leo's body for a second before stopping as his appearance swaps between cat and fox. He soon fully stops as a fox again as he shakes off the dizziness, the lamb fully unaware of what just happened “Ugh...there! I'm fine! Dunno what just happened but it passed! Also see Katy or Poppy anywhere?”

 

“Nope...they must still be chatting all the way back there. And Ma-san still isn't back from the bathroom yet. So it's just us still.”

 

“Bummer. I wonder what got them to be even friendlier than usual…”

 

“Your guess is as good as mine!” the lamb emits a sad groan before trying to speak up again “You know, since your friend left early to go to to a gig she has, mind telling me about her now that she's not here? You said you would.”

 

“I did didn't I? Sure I guess I can...Mind relaying the story to Ma-san and Katy if neither arrive in time to hear it?”

 

“Of course I can!”

 

“Thank you, then with that...uh let's see here-” Leo relays the entire story and by the end, the ewe is left sunk within place.

 

“If I was in her place I'd have called it quits and dropped dead right after the disowning…”

 

“Yeah not gonna sugarcoat it...I think she was gonna as well, but decided to stick around a bit longer. Seeing as the competition I was a judge at was her final deciding one...I think I saved her from that fate thankfully.”

 

“I couldn't tell through the numerous times she called you Teach!” she chuckles as Leo rolls his eyes.

 

“Yeah yeah…~ I have no control over that. Even now that I stopped BEING her ‘teach’!”

 

“Well you _are_ both her idol and savior. I think it's now outta respect, admiration and unconditional love if anything. And she's got endless amounts of that towards you. To get her to stop that would be like telling her to not respect you or ever see you again!”

 

“Hmm...I hadn't thought of it like that, but that's not what I want. I would figure that being treated like equal family would be better than a mentor pupil friendship…”

 

“Maybe not to her. She probably doesn't see herself worthy of being treated as family to you.” she stretches her arms “Her case sounds like a form of closeted anxiety...I should know since I've done the tactics she has at some points in my life. It's a way to cope and...you don't want to lose that normality… E-Even if it's either not healthy or halting proper progression in bonds of friendship or family or other important bonds…requires a lot to break that habit. You'd need those friends and family close till you finally readjust.”

 

“Man, all this is doing is making me feel bad that I left abruptly and for as long as I did…”

 

“She doesn't hate you for it, judging by her actions! Of course leaving her isolated for three years probably wasn't good either...you can help fix that now!” she strums the air like a guitar “Maybe it was for the best that you went back to performing. Life telling ya to fix it.”

 

“Maybe…” he exhales in a drawn out fashion “But I don't think I can manage much! She was also friends with my old ones and hates my new ones...so adjustment is gonna be tricky.”

 

“She doesn’t hate us though. If we find the time, we can help you.”

 

“....” he closes his eyes for abit before smiling “I'd appreciate that. Thank you.”

 

“O-Oh don't mention it! I would say that this is something Parappa would do, but no! This is just a kind decency ANY friend w-would do...or should do for that m-matter! And you're my son so...that doubles the feeling! What Mother wouldn't help their child with problems they face??”

 

“...Heh. Thanks Mom.” He crosses his arms and legs as he lays diagonally slanted on the bench “Say...why do _you_ specifically love my dad anyway?”

 

“Oh um I-I...it's j-just...the r-reason is...ooooh...do I really have to say it?...” he merely stares at her with a fox version of puppy dog eyes, getting her to sigh roughly in defeat before she snickers “Well we are alone. And you are potentially my kid, and kids eventually do get curious in their parents love life, so why not? Well...it started when I first met Ma-san and Katy...After we ended up playing together for the first time, we attracted our first fans! The true first of which ended up being your dad. And when I saw him...well… I don't really know what happened. I froze up much worse than any of my usual times. My heart just swelled up and it was a nightmare. I stuttered a hundred times worse than my other times doing so as well and it was a marvel… Why'd that happen? Katy and Ma-san immediately found out and well...I got the picture as well. Now at first I thought it was just your typical blind, first sight infatuation that'd leave soon enough...but this didn't. And I'm glad it didn’t because it sooooooooo was not. It was like my heart preemptively foresaw the future. It had every reason for getting smitten like it did because from that day forward I just started seeing him for the truly sweet guy he was. When he smiled, when he laughed...his absurdly strong optimism that just never let's him quit! It was...well inspirational for a girl like me. That was when my two bandmates decided to make him our uh…”

 

“Pack mule?”

 

“I...don't like that word, but erm...yes.” she places her left leg over her right knee and rests her arms on her propped up leg “Hoho boy that was a nightmare...but at the same time I was glad they did that because...well as you know, your dad was in a relationship already...and it hurt. So this helped ease that pain. Watching him just waiting by his car to pick us up and take us to and from our practice area or our gigs. Helping us set up and clean up each time as well. Being emotional support and motivation before a concert...being there for us when we flat out flopped at one or a competition by being our shoulder to cry on… there to wipe the tears away while filling us with laughter to get back up and try again next time. He was just...always there when you needed him...makes you wonder if he's secretly a teddy bear to!” she lightly giggles before carrying on “This went on, and eventually we...well...not to brag but-”

 

“You’re free to brag. If you don't, I'll just brag for you! MilkCan is my all-time favorite band to you know!”

 

Lammy just breaks out in heartful laughter “Alright alright! Well we became...you know...the best. Competitions were one sided and people fought over who would book us next. And before we knew it...we were gonna be on tour… At the time I was kind of happy to get out of town since...after the noodle fiasco...I kinda had to help Sunny sing a love song to Parappa and that just reminded me that nothing would ever happen between us..and that pain lasted for years...so I wanted to try and forget...and yet. I missed him...we all did. We never realized how... _used to_ we got to having him around. Our helper...our emotional support...our _friend..._ he wasn't there. We still did great, don't get me wrong! But it all felt...hollow… we just got used to it since he couldn't be our ‘pack mule’ forever. He had his own stardom and his own busy schedule...his own life. So we quickly adapted...and felt empty all the while. Then we finally returned and...the most alarming thing happened. He was the first one there to greet us back. He latched onto the three of us as if we had left for years. He missed _us_. He also got used to us just being there, and was just deflated without us there. Knowing that made the pain of secondhand rejection go away and never return. I then came to the realization that...I didn’t really feel awkward around him. My emotional baggage took a left turn into the recesses of my mind and wouldn't pop out again until I had gotten away from him. I mean there was still some embarrassment, and if we ended up alone and he had to talk to me, I was still my usual mess. Yet, it was still all oh so very nice. It got to the point that...that…” she places her hand over her heart “That I didn't need my guitar to give myself determination...with him around…”

 

“Oh...it's overwhelming to hear just…how much you genuinely love my dad...you all do… Hehe. Makes me feel like I’m just... a bad miracle of false hope you know? Don't want any of you feeling bad…”

 

“I can understand why. You want your mother to...well...STAY your mother. And having to keep ALL of us in the dark in order to make that stay on track is just what needs to be done. Can’t feel bad over that! I mean...yeaaaaah we are starting to get a wee bit restless over it, but don’t let that get to you! That’s just us jumping the gun at what we thought was an impossibility! In a way that makes us seem like...rabid animals...huh…” She blinks at the revelation “In a sense...I can now see why you feel that way…”

 

“Yeah...don’t like having any of you feel bad over it as I said…”

 

“We’ll work on it! I’ll make sure to tell the other girls!”

 

“Tell us what?” Ma-san and Katy say as they arrive with Poppy in tow.

 

“You're b-back!”

 

(“Yeah...my hair came undone and it was a massive bitch trying to fix it that I lost track of time as I was doing so...also may have broken the mirror and the sink...and ripped a soap dispenser off of the wall...point is I probably shouldn't come back to that bathroom for a while and I'm sorry for taking forever.”) She lightly laughs before tapping her head with her fist and sticking her tongue out. Her duo bun style was now even more sloppy as the drumsticks were barely holding everything together.

 

“While not as aggressive, me and Poppy also lost track of time! We kinda just...babbled on and on about...stuff.”

 

“I'm curious as to what led to this sudden increase in your buddy-buddy tendencies!”

 

“Whaaaaat? Is it bad that I just wanna be better friends with one of my son's new friends?~”

 

“No...but you weren't this kind to sixteen!”

 

“He's a creepy horse man masquerading as an adorable and tiny three dimensional horse machine!!”

 

“He's not masquerading! That's literally his body now! I should know since _I_ built it to put his brain chip in!”

 

“He's still a creepy adult in his hundreds, so if it's a bias. It's a well warranted one! Point is, I click better with Poppy! We even set up another meet up tomorrow!”

 

“Already?? Geez you two really took a while to hit it off, but MAN did you hit it off…” Leo scoffs as he tries to stand up, but stumbles and falls back onto the bench holding his head “Owowow...migraine…”

 

“I thought you s-said you'd be fine!”

 

“I thought I would be! Guess this is an after AFTER effect…” he shakes his head, but the pain quickly vanishes “Huh?...And it's gone again! Only this time I think it's for good!”

 

“You're welcome~” Poppy removes her fingers from the back of his head.

 

“Oh! Thanks Poppy!”

 

“You should be thanking Katy for filling me with such joy and happiness!”

 

“Ah...right… Thanks! Guess I shouldn’t really be bugging you guys over it if the end result is this good!”

 

“That's right! Shame on you! I'd have raised my son better to avoid this! And you know what, if I think it, I can~”

 

“Hey hey hey! Uncle PJ warned me about that! Please don't change me! I already have enough changing with me daily!...”

 

“I'm kidding! We all promised to not do that to you! Just be sure to call us out if we subliminally do it by accident.”

 

“I'll keep that in mind… Well then, I'm sorry and I hope you enjoy your day tomorrow! And thanks for helping Poppy! Hell only knows I wouldn't have had such an easy time…”

 

“Thanks for getting us to tag along. It took my mind off of you know who one, two and three!”

 

(“And calmed us down as well as a result!”)

 

“M-Ma-san you wrecked a public bathroom, how is t-that calm??”

 

(“Trust me, at least it's still usable! If I wasn't calm, that place would be a crater instead!”)

 

“...Eh. Got m-me there.” she shrugs with a cheeky smile.

 

“Then I guess I did better than I thought! And all it took was me getting hit by a weird shaped red car!” he stands triumphantly, but it's cut short when a blue, orange and yellow fist all connect with his face. Through the three fists, he speaks up in a muffled voice “Ok...I desrph dish…” Sunny stares in shock at the three MilkCan girls who all simply smile from their action, but also at Leo who shrugs off the straight triple punch to the face as he talks like nothing happened “Ken u get off my fash noa pleeze?...” he places his knuckles on his hips. The girls all removed their hands from his head and watch as it pops back into place “Ow...talk about motherly discipline! It was about twenty percent love and eighty percent smacking the stupid out of me…” he rubs his face “Yeah yeah I'll work on that...love you three to!”

 

“Bye son!” the trio say before heading off, as Sunny merely blinks from confusion.

 

“Parenting is a strange phenomenon…”

 

“Not really that strange. I could feel the good intent and love behind that reprimanding! Plus they were all holding back so I know it was their way of saying ‘We're only doing this cuz we love you’!”

 

“Uh-huh…”

 

“I'm serious!”

 

“Your nose is bleeding…”

 

“Yeah well...Mom-san is just a wee bit more in the tough love category!”

 

“You're lucky that's believable and that I can now properly fix you! Also Mom-san?~”

 

“Oh it was a slip of the tongue!... They're all technically my mom right now so what's the harm in accidentally expressing that?” she presses a finger on his nose. It stings, but he endures it as she fixes it back up and let's him go.

 

“No harm at all, but it sure as heck is adorable~”

 

“I am aware… also now that I think about it… I think they also did it since I technically look like Paula and they couldn't bring themselves to hit her! So I was the next best thing...joy.”

 

“Oh I'm sure that's not it! Mostly. Come on ya dork, let's go back home.”

 

“Alright, let's.”

 

“Also the heck were you and Katy talking about with changing you??”

 

“Uh..…....last one back to the hotel is a Stinkabod Lame!” he blasts off running, leaving the flower behind in a peculiar shaped dust cloud. She shouts through her coughing.

 

“H-HEY!” she runs after him.

 

* * *

 

_11 days till hell breaks loose_

 

Parappa’s eyes force themselves open. His pupils are as blue as the ocean. He gets up on his feet like as machine. He looks to his left to see Paula still sleeping. He walks on over to the other room window and stares out towards the water. The sun had recently begun to appear on the horizon as the water reflects the rising sun glimmer. The singing had begun playing in his mind again as he stays transfixed on the water. He rubs his eyes as he sees Paula on the water’s surface again dancing once more. He turns around and looks at Paula on the bed, the sight gets him to dizzily fall onto his rear. When he gets back up, someone else speaks through him.

 

_Please...stay out of the water...I can't hold her back anymore…I don't know...what she'll do...next..._


	36. Thunderstruck

The day enters its gentle morning light as Parappa sits at table in slight confusion as he speaks to the crocodile beast that floats above him.

 

“So she just found me slumped over by the window?...”

 

“Yep. Why is that?”

 

“How should I know! I was asleep!”

 

“Well, the two reasons I have are, you either sleepwalked. Ooooor. You heard singing and didn’t tell us.”

 

“But I didn’t hear singing! Like at all! And can you tell me why that’s a problem?? Aqua’s to busy with Paula right now!...”

 

“Alright alright… The singing is coming from Kayla. Or rather, the Leviathan Beast Kayla. And hearing it messes with your head.” He spins his finger to the side of his head.

 

Parappa wants to bring up how that’s happening to him, but once again he doesn’t “Oh I see. Why does she do that??”

 

“She wants to eat. You ever heard of those old tales of mermaids leadin sailors to their doom?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“It’s like that. And so we rather not have you bein lunch.”

 

“But if I was mesmerized, I’d have jumped out the window and headed off towards her would I have not??”

 

“Ehhh...got a point there. Guess it was just sleepwalking…” He shakes his head “Soooo...that aside… I’ve been thinking on what happened yesterday...how did you...get inside my thoughts??”

 

“I dunno...I can’t say that it’s an odd occurrence since my dreams are just...LIKE that. I seem to link myself to alot of people really… I linked my dream to a friend who desperately needed help, I linked up with my other friends at times, and I even linked with Leo’s memories at times...the reasoning for why that happens varies… Like with my friend Rammy. I had to help her out, but sometimes it’s more along the lines of a bizarre...spoiler I wanna say? And other times they just...happen...for no real reason! With you I can easily say it was to help ease your regret.”

 

“That’s quite a lot to unfold...so you see Leo’s thoughts to eh?”

 

“Not always, just sporadically! And even so, most of the time I just forget alot of what I see as if it didn’t want me to remember it. So I’m left with very little to actually remember.”

 

“Fascinating… what a strange thing you can do. The dreamscape is quite a tricky thing, but to be able to partake in events like that… It’s got me curious! But I don’t exactly have the time to study you. Right now we have bigger things to keep our minds focused on! Such as me being told to help you...erm...work on your electrical powers...”

 

“Got that right!...Although...we do have some time to chat before we do that no?”

 

“You know, the proper answer is no, but I have no clue on how to work with a guy who comes from a lineage who’d eradicate me on sight so I’m gonna choose to say yes thanks to that technicality! What do you wanna talk about?”

 

Parappa takes a deep breath before answering “...Does Leo hold back?...”

 

“...Oh dear…”

 

* * *

 

“Come on Paula focus! If you can’t fly properly, you’ll just end up crashing into everything!”

 

“I knooooooooooooooow! Ugh! It’s so hard to keep a steady mind!...”

 

“Why?? You had an easier time of it yesterday!”

 

“Well that was before my attempt at helping Parappa with HIS ability backfired and I was left overjoyed over newfound knowledge and then promptly was left extremely embarrassed due to being stuck to him for two hours!”

 

“...Ok, I admit that probably has something to do with it. But hey! We still managed to pry you off of each other!”

 

“You got stuck to us to!”

 

“I didn’t! Only Sirius did! And that’s because most of his new lower jaw is metal! And you should atleast be thankful we got  _ you _ unstuck! We had to spend an extra hour getting Parappa to stop floating all while you got to sleep!”

 

“Hey don’t try and turn this back on me!”

 

“Then drop it and focus!”

 

“Okaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay.” She crosses her arms and tilts her head away, slightly miffed.

 

“Ease up on the sass…ugh...actually lets take five.”

 

“Fine by me.” They both huddle up and sit down “So...I take it Sirius is now helping Parappa?...”

 

“As much as he can...having your affinity be the polar opposite of ours will most definitely have it’s complications…”

 

“I’m certain he’ll be fine! Parappa isn’t a slouch! Why I’m sure he’ll be raring to go and master the most he can!”

 

“Well, that’s good. Sirius is a bit of an intense teacher! I am to, but I rather take a much more gentle approach.” she hums to herself “Although...I tend to...forget that I am and go back to it…”

 

“Oh I’m sure that won’t happen! You were a fine and calm teacher yesterday!” she hops to her feet “Let’s get back to it! If Parappa’s gonna be giving it his all, then I’ll be to! Cloudy thoughts be damned!”

 

“Very well!” Aqua hovers upright as she turns to Paula “Let’s begin!”

 

* * *

 

“Why...didn't he tell me he held back? Moments like the fight we had could've gone a different way…”

 

“Leo is a passive boy by nature. He has to much niceness in him that he wishes to never resort to actually harming a person. Mainly he wants to settle things through words or at most, simply apprehend his adversary...always believing that everyone can be a friend if they just stopped doing bad things. Forgiving to a fault... But even a saint's patience can crumble, resulting in the boy going all out...as you saw. Leo is ridiculously strong and hardy. The guy can kick a building down in one fell swoop when he's not holding back. He could probably punch the ground and create an earthquake that lasts for about an hour! Not to mention he can take on anything when he wants to. And I'm serious! When he's fully willing, he could take a train head on and even suplex it like it were nothing! If he's not or he isn't being attentive...then yeah he's roadkill. Thankfully he's not stupid enough to walk in front of a car inattentively!” 

 

* * *

 

“AH-CHOO!...ugh...huh?” Leo looks around “D-Did somebody mention me?...”

 

* * *

 

“He wears that suit of his more often these days just so that he doesn’t have to be as attentive and avoid any if all confrontation. Unlucky for him though is the fact that Tycoon is acting up again...forcing the poor guy to get back to it. Knowing all that though...it amazed me as to why he had his leg broken so easily by Prince...his guard was up…”

 

“It's probably because he was a block of ice not to long before that…”

 

“Huh...that answers that...don't think I want context…” he scratches his head “Ok then, now we return to the topic...that fight you said you had. Leo filled us in and yeeeeeeaaaaaaah...he held back EXPONENTIALLY for you.”

 

“That's disheartening, belittling and all to demoralizing…”

 

“I mean...he had to...Leo could flick you in the forehead and you'd perform three full laps around the entire world before crashing down…” He spawns a vision that shows Leo actually trying to harm Parappa. What was Parappa easily trouncing Leo, was now shown to be Leo punching Parappa straight through the wall and knocking him out, similar to how Raparra had done with Chop Chop’s double.

 

“S-Seriously?!?!...J-Just like Raparra?!” He panics after seeing just what he barely avoided “H-How is he THAT strong?!” Sirius presses his finger on his nose.

 

“You're how.” he snorts “Or rather.  _ Future _ you is how. Leo said he learned by being taught by him and learned the rest by watching him. He repeated the practices and did so with added on teachings from his old friends and Nana K. Current you is nothing compared to future you, which makes sense if you fought Bohemian on your own in that timeline. And you think Leo's strong? He says future you is ten times stronger than that! So on the brightside...you do end up stronger in the end to be able to stop the threat!”

 

“I mean...for that I'm thankful...but...wow…”

 

“Don't let the thought get to you. Leo had to get that strong and only get stronger still to do the things he did in order to lessen the struggles you'd have to be going through right about now. The only fault is that Leo disliked fighting and HATED killing...and the only way to get him to do so was if your safety is threatened...but if you wanted him to try his hardest...you'd need to break his mind… Nowadays with how things got, he fights without hesitation, just never all out from the start as usual. And as you would expect...it continually causes problems and is still only remedied by what I mentioned…”

 

Parappa looks to the ceiling “So Leo would never go all out against me for a plethora of reasons huh?...”

 

“Pretty much. If you wanted a fair fight against him, you'd have to get stronger. And even then he could never bring himself to hurt you.”

 

“I guess that also means he lied about being unable to take on Raparra...”

 

“Your hell shadow? The obvious answer is because he looks like you. That’d be like hitting his father and he could never. He’d rather die.”

 

“Which is why he chose to stay as far away from that as possible…” Parappa crosses his arms “It...kinda isn’t fair...I wanna see him go all out now…”

 

“Weeeeeell you might get your wish soon...much to his dismay. Like I said, Tycoon has begun acting up…”

 

“How does that affect me exactly?... I keep hearing about this guy, but I don’t know what his end goal is…”

 

“Recruitment.”

 

“He wants me to join him?...For what purpose?”

 

“Hoho...you’re not gonna like that answer…” He slouches “Tycoon wants to gain more and more adept musical insight to finally realize his ultimate plan...his ‘dream’ as he so likes to call it. Use music and entertainment to take over the entire world. Use everyone as a singular bond and hivemind to power the world with music and turn it into a battleship to conquer the worlds beyond and integrate them into his ranks, then rinse and repeat...essentially...he wants to turn us all into mindless batteries and soldiers through music…” He sighs as he looks to Parappa, but he stays stunned, mortified even. He doesn’t even make a noise “Yo...are you alright?...”

 

Parappa couldn’t process what he had just learned. The information was much too painful to hear for one very specific reason. That dream was HIS dream! Only horrendously twisted to a point that it churned his stomach on the spot “We...share a dream....” he grits his teeth “NO...We share a vision...but his is...is...I can’t even begin to say how terrible that is!”

 

“Terrible is an understatement. A guy like him CAN’T be allowed to achieve that dream.”

 

“You don’t gotta tell me twice! I’d never join a guy like him!”

 

“I don’t doubt that. Future you clearly didn’t. And he wasn’t aware of the fact! You apparently ‘smelled’ the evil right off of him.”

 

“Ha! I’m glad i’m not dense in seeing when someone is clearly bad!” He growls “But knowing that isn’t gonna help me by itself! I need to get stronger! Just like how future me got! Tycoon clearly won’t be taking it easy after being beaten by my son once so I have to get even tougher to keep up with this! And luckily for me! I can!”

 

“Please don’t mean what I think you me-”

 

“Future me never knew about what he inherited from his parents, but  _ I _ do! If I can learn how to use it  _ while _ I get physically stronger...than I can toss that guy aside like nothing much faster than future me did! All while avoiding whatever it was that Leo wants to save me from! And the even greater thing is that my friends can potentially all become stronger to so that the easiness is even more possible!”

 

“I was afraid that’d be your answer…” He clasps his hands together before tilting it towards Parappa “Alright, that is very admirable. Yet it is highly delusional. For starters, how are you planning to make the most of your abilities?? You potentially have both inherited and yet your dad can only help with HALF of them. And I say your dad because honestly...none of us can help since NONE of us use electricity! The only other person is Leo and he doesn’t even know he can! Which is for the better, as I’m sure Aqua told you the reasoning for…”

 

“She did. And don’t be such a pessimist! I can manage! Future me did without em so I certainly can with em! Plus Tycoon’s a robot now ain’t he? I can just pull him apart with my megnosis!”

 

Sirius blinks in pure defeat “...You mean magnesis…”

 

“Yeah that!”

 

“Hoho Leo...do you have your work cut out for you…” he slumps over “Alright, fuck it. Let’s see if i’m capable of teaching you how to properly use your stuff…” He stands up and towers over the dog “My forte may be water, but I will not slouch back on my methods if it proves any semblance of results understood?”

 

“Crystal clear sir!”

 

“Right then! Let’s begin!...But not in here...I don’t want you pulling the house apart…” They both run out of the house.

 

* * *

 

The day slowly reaches the mid afternoon as Katy runs up to a resting Sunny on the grassy field.

 

“Sorry i’m a little late! Niles decided to get on my case over something trivial…”

 

“When hasn’t he?”

 

“Good point. I swear he's always kicking my ass over something. Even after Leo helped me and Lammy out with him!”

 

“I'm sure he has his reasons…”

 

“His reasons suck!”

 

“Whatever the reason, it’s best to not let him sour your time here!”

 

“You’re right!” she hugs herself before smiling “Today starts the time I get to make up for the lost year with a returning bestie!”

 

“Gotta love that enthusiasm!” She giggles as the cat grabs her hands.

 

“What’s not to be enthusiastic about?~” She holds her hands close to her “I’m just super happy! You can’t even begin to understand just how elated I am!”

 

“...Actually...I think I can~...” She breaks out into light laughter before they both hug each other. They waste no time in just enjoying the stage, they sing for one another for abit before just chatting about events that went on while they were apart. They walked around the darkened town as they just enjoy the daily activities that they used to go through while back at PaRappa Town. It was a return to form for the two of them, and then Katy sprouts an idea.

 

“Hey! Heyheyhey! Sunny Sunny Sunny!”

 

“What what what?”

 

“There’s actually a place I want you to see! Ever since yesterday with how I saw just exactly how much you loved that natural stage! It made me remember that I never got to show you a special place that me and Parappa kinda had to ourselves along with PJ!”

 

“Oh?...”  _ More and more I’m coming to see just how you and Parappa ended up together...guess there was alot more going on in the background that I just wasn’t rightly aware of...I...Have to help make sure it stays that way! _ “Where is it?...”

 

“At PaRappa Town!”

 

“W-What?! B-But I can’t-!”

 

“Please please PLEEEEEASEEE…”

 

“...Alright...I do owe you this much and more…” She sighs then smiles “Well then...show me this special place then!”

 

“Right on! To my van!” She grabs Sunny and bolts towards her car.

 

* * *

 

Both aquatic themed teachers struggle to get their respective pupil to work efficiently with their ability. The beach and the practice room both have their fill of aggressive mentors.

 

“COME ON PAULA!”

 

“COME ON PARAPPA!”

 

“DON’T FORCE YOURSELF TO MUCH OR YOUR ICE WILL JUST END UP AS SNOW WHEN YOU NEED IT! OR YOU’LL END UP FREEZING  _ YOURSELF _ !”

 

“BE CAREFUL WITH HOW STRONG YOU MAKE YOUR MAGNETISM OR ELSE YOU’LL END UP PULLING DANGEROUS OBJECTS STRAIGHT TO _ YOU _ !”

 

“KEEP YOUR COOL WHEN FLYING OR YOU’LL SPUTTER AND CRASH INTO THINGS THAT COULD PROVE COSTLY!”

 

“BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR HOVERING OR YOU’LL END UP BOUNCING YOURSELF STRAIGHT INTO SPACE!”

 

“TRY TO KEEP A GOOD FOCUS ON HOW YOU WANT YOUR ICE TO BE! WHETHER YOU WANT A SHIELD OR AN ATTACK!”

 

“DON’T OVERLOAD YOUR BODY WITH ELECTRICITY! YOU’LL POTENTIALLY END UP A LIGHTNING ROD AND/OR FRY YOURSELF SEVERELY FROM THE STOCKPILE!”

 

“ **SHUT UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP!** ” Both Paula and Parappa shout at their respective mentor before collapsing face first into the ground. They force what little stamina they have left into standing up.

 

“I...can’t keep my head clear...enough to work with my ice…It’s to...overwhelming!...” Paula says as she stays on all fours.

 

“T-This is ridiculous...trying to regulate so many things...and I don’t even know if I need half of it!...” Parappa says as he balances on one knee.

 

Both mentors sigh as they walk up to their student and help them stay up “This concludes our lesson for today…”

 

“Come on...let’s go get you to relax with the boys…”

 

“Buckle down champ... Let’s see if the girls are done with their training so we can just relax.”

 

Both smaller animals heat up in defeat “N-NO!”

 

“Paula, you can’t keep going. Especially with a lack of focus. Your dancing will be way off as will your magic! That’s enough for now.”

 

“Parappa you’ve burned out to much as is...and you’re right! It may not go anywhere cuz i’m not the right teacher for this!”

 

“I-I can keep going! J-Just don’t pile on the o-orders!” They both shout parallel from one another from their specified location.

 

“Oy vey…”

 

“Aiyiyiiii…” Both shake their heads before sternly looking at their student.

 

“Very well!”

 

“As you wish!”

 

“But only one more task for today! As to not cause you to pass out!” They both say “And that final task is to hit me! Hit me as hard as you can with your ability! And not just like, land a single strike. I mean it like, you HAVE to knock me  _ down _ !” They both cross their arms “You either pass out, forcing the lesson to end, or you do it in one shot! Resulting in the same end, just without you fainting!” Both slyly grin, what they wouldn’t say to their pupil was that they were going to pretend to be severely hurt and knocked over. However…

 

“A-Alright!” they both shout.

 

“T-TAKE THIS!” Paula holds out her arms weakly as small snow puffs fly out and head towards Aqua.

 

“G-GET A LOAD OF THIS!” With an exhausted punch, a small little spark leaves his hand and hovers over to Sirius.

 

_ You have GOT to be joking...They’d  _ **_never_ ** _ buy that this will KO me!  _ They both say within their minds. They both sigh, only to ready their facade.

 

The snow puffs melt on impact with Aqua’s chest “O-Ow! That really hu-GHRK” Aqua is silenced by a massive tower of ice that forms around her. Trapping her within an icy prison.

 

The small spark collides and fades away on Sirius’s stomach “Y-Yeouch! That smaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” A massive thunderbolt falls and zaps Sirius. As if the heavens above were smiting him on the spot as he stays within his electrifying torture zone.

 

Both their cages explode as they each fall over. Aqua falls onto her back while Sirius haunches over before dropping onto his knees and then his face. In their mind hovers the conjoined thought.  _ What...the...FUCK… _

 

“A-AQUA!...”

 

“S-SIRIUS!...”

 

Both smaller animals attempt to rush to their teachers aide, but upon taking one step. They lose what little strength they had left and collapse on the spot. The sight gets the two bigger animals to find their bearings quicker as they get back onto their feet and rush off to their pupil. When the two initial Ps open their eyes, they are within their beds with their hands bandaged along with small bits of their faces. They immediately notice the other being in the room while also being in the same condition they’re in.

 

“P-Paula! What happened to you??”

 

“What happened to me?? You’re one to talk!” As they tried interrogating one another, the same thought crossed their mind. What happened to their teacher? Before they’re able to shout, they hear running as the door to their room blast open, revealing two worried sea creatures.

 

“WE HEARD CHATTER MEANING YOU’RE BOTH AWAKE! ARE YOU OK??” The two shout together.

 

“W-We’re fine! But what about-”

 

“Don’t worry over us! Me and Sirius are made of tougher stuff than that!”

 

“Aqua’s right! You just took us for a loop is all!”

 

Both P’s blink before looking at one another “What did you do?? Me? What about you!”

 

“Calm down! The both of you! We’re fine! Again we’re stronger than we look! Leo can testify to that!”

 

“Yeah but forget about us! What about you? We seemed to have pushed you guys a bit to far with our training…”

 

“I’m ok! You Parappa?”

 

“I’m fine here to! Yeah the teaching was abit too rough, but I’d say it was needed! Just not all at once!...”

 

“What Parappa said!...”

 

Both older adults apologetically bow “To that, we agree with. We deeply apologize... “

 

Aqua speaks up for the two of them “I assume Sirius shares the mentality. We just feel...pressured for time…”

 

“I mean...that’s obvious with what’s happening with my monster of a cousin no?”

 

“Well yeah there’s that, but...I’m talking about other things overall…”

 

“Ah yeah. Such as our bout with Prince. He’s one of Tycoons flunkies just like your hypnotized mom right?...Along with others we don’t know. They’re probably getting ready to cause some trouble if turning Kayla into that monster was a first objective…”

 

“Geez I hadn’t even thought about that…” Paula rubs her head “I guess for you guys...it’s even more mind boggling since Leo is now no longer the only thing you gotta keep safe!...”

 

“Luckily it’s not just us, but still, when you’re supposed to be a spy...tensions rise…” she blows out bubbles “But enough about that! Right now rest up! We have a better strategy for handling Kayla later today! And we all need to be at our tip top for it to hopefully work!”

 

“Right! So, do as Aqua says and rest up! We have quite the late evening for us, and proper planning for how to handling your teachings!”

 

“Well atleast for Paula, once we help Kayla, that’ll go by much more smoothly!”

 

“Lucky you… But I’ve made some progress with Parappa! Not to mention he made me eat my words! So if I  _ can _ help teach him, we’ll have a little less to worry about!”

 

“Oh that’s lovely to hear!” She jitters in places before zapping Parappa and Paula with her fingers. They are forced to lay down as their bedsheets rise up to their necks to cover them “Rest. Now!”

 

They both stare at her with upset eyes before rolling them and just complying. She nods before closing the door quickly after she and Sirius leave the room.

 

Both small animals turn to look at one another and speak one line together “I think we might’ve broken our teachers…”

 

* * *

 

“Ooooh...I-I don’t have much confidence in coming here Katy…”

 

“I noticed. Last time we came here you were a nervous wreck until we took your mind off it!...Then Kitty came aaaaaand...yeah…” she scratches her chin “And now with what you told me it makes even more sense. Well...don’t worry! Only I know it’s you!”

 

“I just hope it stays that way...really rather not become a big bother…” 

 

“You’ll be fine Sunny! Now come on! I’m just taking you to the place that me and the others cleaned up like I said!”

 

“Alright…” She gives up before spotting someone familiar “Eh? It’s PJ! And he seems to be in quite a hurry...never seen him go that fast…”

 

“You’re right...something must be up…Should we check it out??...”

 

“With this, I’ll make an exception!” Sunny rushes off with Katy following without hesitation. They enter the pharmacy to spot PJ waiting by the counter, chatting with Ma-san. Despite his neutral expression, they could tell he was still in a slight worry due to the coloring of his forehead.

 

“PJ! What’s up?”

 

He panics at his name being called “Huh? Oh it’s just you two…”

 

(“Didn’t expect ya to bring Poppy here again Katy.”)

 

“I wanted to show her the pond, but we spotted PJ moving faster than how he normally goes. That clearly meant something was up.”

 

“So as the worried friends, we huddled after!” Poppy bounces up and down.

 

“Well I appreciate the concern, but it’s nothing to severe. It’s just something that I find to worrying. Sweety’s been having some bad headaches recently and they haven’t shown any signs of going away. Everything we’ve tried hasn’t really had much success in getting rid of it… So I told her I’d ask Ma-san’s old man to see if he had any recommendation. And thankfully it seems like he does.”

 

(“Papa-Ma just went off to see what he had, and for now I’m just here trying to get this worrywart to settle down. To little success.”)

 

“Can you blame me for being worried for her?”

 

(“No, but I can blame you for overdoing it…”)

 

“Can it be called overdoing it? I see it more as immense love for my girlfriend.”

 

(“Fine you pessimistic linen toy, we’ll call it smothering!”) They butt heads as tension sparks between their eyes.

 

“H-Hey now! No need to get in each others throats over this!” Sunny chimes in getting the two to huff out in agreement.

 

“Yeah, you’re right.”

 

(“Alright alright, I’ll cease fire.”)

 

“Good! Now PJ. What exactly happened that caused Sweety’s headaches?”

 

“Beats me! They just happened out of the blue...and speaking of blue! The headaches started making her blue eyes shine!”

 

(“Look...we get it...you love your significant oth-”)

 

“I don’t mean it as a compliment!...I mean I do, but not in this instance!” He spreads his eyes wide open with his fingers “I mean like they’re TO shiny! Like they’re so bright they literally glow in the dark!...It’s...freaky…”

 

(“...Huh...I don’t think Papa has anything for that…”) Ma-san scratches her head, bewildered by PJ’s explanation.

 

“How do non stop headaches cause that??” Katy asks.

 

“I’d love to know that myself! All it’s doing is making me worry over what could be just a simple string of poorly timed headaches…”

 

“Well, you’re free to worry. The results are unnatural! However I’m sure Sweety is fine! This will blow over soon. Much sooner with help from the kind pharmacist here!”

 

“You’re right Poppy. I just have to keep telling myself that.” PJ rubs his forehead as someone else speaks up.

 

(“I return! Here young man. Give her this as a form of pain relieving and as a secondary measure, let her bask within the smoke from this vial over here!”)

 

“Thank you sir!”

 

(“Just a bit of a heads up, with that vial you might wanna keep a steady hand on her. Shit’s trippy.”) Ma-san adds on with a snap into a finger gun, perplexing the teddy bear.

 

“...Good to know. Thanks.” He books it out of the building. Katy then turns her attention to Poppy.

 

“How come you didn’t offer to see if you could patch up her headache? You did it fairly easily with Leo.”

 

‘Well I was going to...then he mentioned the eyes thing and now I feel worried that if I tried...I might make things worse… Healing your regular run of the mill pain and injuries is one thing, but healing abnormal pains is another thing i don’t have full confidence in…”

 

“I guess you have a solid reason there.” She turns to Ma-san and Papa-Ma “Well, we’ll be on our way, now that our friend seems to have everything handled.

 

(“May you both have a pleasant day!”) Marcel does a quick nod.

 

(“Later you two.”) Ma-san does a two finger salute while resting her face on her hand as her arm rests on the counter.

 

“Goodbye! Come on Poppy, the pond awaits!”

 

“Ok!” they both follow PJ’s example and hightail it out of there.

 

* * *

 

The low evening light is met with two happy bipedal sea creatures as they stare out in the open to their non aquatic friends. Their plan finally in action.

 

“Maaaaaybe I should’ve asked you two what the plan was before we blindly accepted it…” Parappa says as he dangles from the lure of a comically large fishing rod.

 

“You think??” Paula says, dangling from her own separate fishing rod.

 

“Relax you two! You’ll both be fine! We’ll make sure of it!” Aqua says as she shakes the fishing poles.

 

“How can you be sure?? You’re not the one being used as bait!...” they both say as they watch the water ripple. Just then, instead of the beast jumping out, a much smaller creature pops out. She looks like a mermaid! But her entire upper body is a fox instead of that of a human. Also her entire skin color is blue. On her head seems to be a large stem that connects to who knows what!

 

“Oh...hello there!” Parappa says as politely as possible.

 

“Hey she kinda looks like me!...only half naked, half fish, and all blue!”

 

“She’s not half naked, she’s wearing clamshells to cover her modesty!”

 

“That ain’t covering nothing!” as the two argue, the two ‘fishermen’ notice who they’re talking to and immediately reel the duo back “H-Hey! What’s the big deal!”

 

“THAT  _ THING _ IS WHAT WE WANNA AVOID AND GET TO LAND!”

 

“H-Huh?...T-THAT’S Kayla??” Parappa asks as he looks back to the mermaid fox.

 

“WRONGO! THAT’S THE THING THAT WAS FUSED WITH KAYLA TO MAKE THE MONSTER!”

 

“Eh? But she seems harmless! And pretty!” Paula states before seeing her smile with a sharp jaw and her hands which turn into claws as she bursts after them “NOT HARMLESS, NOT HARMLESS, NOT HARMLESS!” 

 

“REEL EM IN FASTER AQUA!”

 

“YOU KNOW. IF YOU'D HELP, I COULD PROBABLY DO THAT!”

 

“...riiiight…” Sirius helps out in pulling them back to shore. This is made fruitless as the mermaid swims even faster and soon she flies out of water. Beneath her appears a massive shadow that freaks out the two being used as bait. Paula’s hair solidifies as she begins firing cold bolts at the girl from her hands, but not only are they being effortlessly evaded by her pursuer, they are also turning into snow as they leave her hands. They end up useless as they just melt in the water, all of it caused by her flustered state of mind that is now amplified by her fear.

 

“Come on c-come on!...Work!...please please please pleeeeeease…I don't want to be eaten…” her fear grows as it alerts Parappa. He watches as her hair droops downwards over her eyes as her powers flat out give up on her. The sight invokes fear into himself, was it the end for the two of them? As the fish girl gets closer, the singing magnifies within his head. The sound echoes in his head with it repeatedly telling him to cut the line and drop in the water. His fight or flight response was going crazy with what to do. He didn’t wanna attempt using his power as he feared he might hurt Paula in the process. With everything in the world happening at once to him...his mental state fails him as he passes out on the spot. He flails about on his thread as the limp body stares emptily at the water. The only thing that he chose to keep full focus on before doing so was Paula’s fear. Aqua finally reels in Parappa’s line, but it’s empty. He’s no longer attached.

 

The girl laughs wickedly as she attempts to grab Paula with a quick lunge causing the scared fox to scream and flail...and that's when it happened “HAHAH-...Huh?” what stands...or rather, what  _ floats _ between the killer fish and Paula is Parappa, who snapped himself free from his lure and only gazes at the mermaid. His eyes are empty, and yet he was still moving. And despite being empty, they were still buzzed out and spiraled. The sight is all too familiar to the two older magic users. Parappa was unconscious, and yet he was still there “Grr...YOU FIRST THEN!” She rushes in to snatch the dog instead, but before she's even able to-

 

“... _ punch… _ ” Parappa's fist connects in the blink of an eye with the mermaids face. The impact sends her flying back to where she first emerged out of the water.

 

“HRGNNN… WHY YOU!...” she blasts off after them once more. And in a millisecond, she's before Parappa again “I'M READY FOR YOU THIS TIME!”

 

Parappa’s body quickly gains a small bit of muscle mass as lightning energy wraps around him, as if he were supercharging it all on the spot “ _ Rhapsody… _ ” A faint image of what appears to be a young adult version of his mother is seen by his side. Doing the exact same motions as him “ _ Wrath… _ ” Parappa launches another spontaneous punch. This time the fast as light punch hits her in the stomach. It doesn't end there though as he slides it up her torso and straight into her chin while it lays infused with his thundering anger. Upon hitting her in the chin, it explodes into an electrical burst which tosses her aside like a skipping stone, much like how Leo had done to Sirius. The mermaid gets up yet again and is far from pleased. She roars as one of the tendrils that assaulted them yesterday appears from the water and latches onto Parappa from the waist down, not only restraining him, but slowly dragging him under. She once again tries to attack him.

 

“P-Parappa!...” the dog ignores the fox’s shout as he only holds his arms to his constricted side.

 

“ _...Soul… _ ” Parappa rears them back abit. A faint young adult image of his father appears behind him, doing what the other image did. Mimicking Parappa. 

 

“I'LL EAT YOU FIRST!” he squints his eyes in anger at her.

 

Strangely enough, the image of his mother reappears, as does one of Katy’s mother who both place a hand on the shoulders of the Papillon image “... _ SHOCKER!… _ ” he forces his arms forward, and out ejects a massive blast of electricity. The mermaid quickly regrets her decision as she tries to make a quick U-Turn. She is unable to do so in time as the blast meets it's mark. At first the shock just fades once it touches her body, but the second after her insides flare up in a yellow light as she's soon overwhelmed with surging amounts of electricity. The electrical power spreads along the water due to the conduction. The shadow that's below the mermaid recoils as it starts submerging. The action forcibly pulls the mermaid downwards away from the danger as it also let's go of Parappa. After the threat dealt with, Parappa’s auto pilot suddenly shuts down and he returns to conking out as if he just barely beat her in time. Thankfully he's caught by Paula who snapped free of her own binds.

 

“I gotcha!...” She holds him tightly as she manages to fly around perfectly. All her mental fog cleared as her only thought is protecting him “I'll keep you safe!...” she stares at the water as she cradles him, the shadow now completely gone. Only small bubbles rise up from where the mermaid escaped to “Although...you're the one who kept me safe…” with their lines cut, the two older mages now fly to the duo.

 

“ARE YOU TWO ALRIGHT??” Aqua says as her broomstick comes to screeching halt.

 

“We're fine...it’s thanks to  _ him _ that we are…” she holds the body closer, small sparks just flickering off his body, signifying that the body was tapped out.

 

“Yeah...we could see that…” Sirius swallows roughly “Hey Aqua...Now we see why Leo is as strong as he is!...” Paula ignores what the beast says as she focuses more on her friend yet Aqua sighs, not the time for such remarks.

 

“Sirius...not now…” Aqua merely shakes her head.

 

“...Eheh...yeah sorry…” He glances towards the fainted Parappa “I was wrong man...turns out you’re just as strong as future you...if not stronger!”

 

“Again she was ahead of us...she sent that instead of the actual body...GAAAAH...we’re running out of time...we have to go underwater tomorrow and rush in…” Aqua bites the stalks on the side of her head along with her red hair.

 

“...Come on let’s get out of here before she comes back up...she’s most likely not in the best of moods after being fried like that…” Both girls nod as they all fly off back to safety.

 

Time passes by and soon enough, Parappa wakes up from his bed in a daze “D-DON’T EAT ME!...Huh?...i’m alive?...I’m here?...wait...P-PAU-”

 

“I’m fine i’m fine!...” she grabs him in a reassuring hug.

 

“W-We’re both ok?...”

 

“Yes yes. We’re both perfectly safe.”

 

“What happened?...”

 

“You…” She clears her throat “You and I both get severed from our strings and nearly got dragged under! But you grabbed me and then started swimming away at an even faster pace than she was going! You managed to save the two of us as Aqua and Sirius helped us escape!” She lied. Lied incredibly straight to his face.

 

“Wow...heh...guess it was my fight or flight response kickin in!...Ow...my body’s sore…”

 

“Well you did crash onto land rather painful from how fast you were swimming!...You passed out on the spot!”

 

“Ah...right!...It’s coming back to me!...I guess I did do that!”

 

“You just rest up. We have a big day tomorrow...we’re skipping training and heading straight for her again...we have to go underwater now…”

 

“Oh goodie...alright. I’ll rest up. But you better to!”

 

“I will! I’m just gonna go get our food so you can eat before you hit the hay again. Tomorrow’s gonna be one hell of a day. And we both gotta be ready! Can’t go numb again during the crucial moments!”

 

“Got that right! Well, alright.” they both nod before Paula leaves the room and quickly closes the door. She heads downstairs and talks to the two older adults that sit at a table in the most depressing positions possible. She sighs and speaks up “Did I...really have to lie to him?”

 

“It’s for the best! This happened with Leo and it was a nightmare to patch him up again...Parappa almost became the same way judging by how wasted his body almost ended up as! Not to mention if he tries to flare up his electricity while around the water...I can’t picture it going well…”

 

“You’re right...guess there’s no other way to handle that…”

 

“I mean...this situation is a coinflip.” Sirius speaks up with vigor “Parappa was amazing in that split moment when he did all that against that thing! Having him use that would be excruciatingly helpful! However...he only did while unconscious just as Leo did...that means he most likely has no control over it whatsoever. If he tried doing all that while awake...the results could be catastrophic. I don’t think his body will fail him like it did with Leo….I think he might cause more harm than good…”

 

“You know...I agree with you dear. Parappa did all that with complete ease and handled things faster than how Leo did...granted he didn’t stay up as long...so we’re lucky he was able to finish the fight in the time that he did.”

 

“But...don’t you two think that he’d be great if he learned he could all that? And you know...got better at it?” Paula says towards the two.

 

“Hard to say…”

 

“Agreed… We...have very little knowledge on Soul of the Funk members...Did his father say anything?...” Aqua pokes her mouth.

 

Paula then recalls what Mr. Rappa said “Hm…”

 

_ “The most I'm willing to say is that you'd end up a lightning rod, and the house would not have appreciated that! Or worse! Float out into space from bad magnet control!” _

 

“Nothing...good…” she blinks slowly before shaking her head “Yeah...this is for the best...plus with the inevitable rise of the doppelgangers from hell...we should probably inform him of it once everything is all calm enough. Lammy, Ma-san and I all struggle from disoriented thoughts...Just think of what’d happen with him!...” Paula shivers from fear.

 

“Then it’s settled! We tell him once everything is just fine.” They all nod as they just settle down for the day.

 

* * *

 

Sunny and Katy are within Katy’s van, on their way to drop Sunny off.

 

“The place was amazingly beautiful Katy! I’m so happy you got me to come along~”

 

“I knew you’d love it!~” She gleefully giggles like a child.

 

“Still though, you guys had quite the adventure in their!”

 

“Oh it wasn’t something we weren’t able to handle! It’s thanks to Parappa, as always.”

 

“I can see that!” She reclines in her seat before tapping her fingers together “I’m...still worried over Sweety…”

 

“Same...,but i’m certain she’s gonna be fine! I’m sure what caused all her headaches will finally go away!”

 

“I hope...and I also hope the cause wasn’t anything bad…”

 

“It’s gonna be fine! Come on don’t let this sour the fun day we had! Sweety will be fine!”

 

They drive off into the night...and time passes by in an instant as it goes just a bit past midnight.

 

_ 10 days till Hell breaks loose _

 

Sweetie churns in her bed violently as her head stirs with multiple thoughts. And just then, her headaches finally cease. They all end as the cause finally happens. She has another vision invade her mind. “G-Gah!...”

 

The area around her is nothing but water by a beach. Her bed floats around like a rickety boat. Confused, she looks around. In the distance and up in the air, she spots something falling and screaming. It was Parappa. He was only in his underwear as he fell towards the water, but then out pops a horrifying and massive blue beast from the water as it opens its enormous maw. Within the next second, Parappa is within range of its mouth. The next second the mouth attempts to shut, and before it does...the vision ends. Sweety wakes up in cold sweat. She wastes no time as she gets out her phone and calls for Europa to head over to her. Afterwards she hops out of her bed and rushes out of her house. She’s soon met with the boy who hovers down with help from his jetpack “What happened?? What did you see??”

 

“Your father in danger! Where is he??”

 

“I...can’t tell you yet!...”

 

“BUT HIS LIFE IS IN DANGER!”

 

“I KNOW...ugh...I’ll relay the message to them so that he can avoid that!...”

 

“But!...ugh...fine…”

 

“Gimme a sec…” He pulls out his phone and taps in a number, soon after someone speaks up.

 

_ “Ah! Europa! Just in time, I was about to call you-” _

 

“Later Sixteen...Right now I...I need you to contact Sirius and Aqua...I have a message I need you to relay to them…”

 

_ “Said message is?...” _

 

Leo hands the phone to Sweety “We’re all ears Auntie…”

 

* * *

 

Parappa’s eyes open wide once more. They glow indigo again as he walks about. He looks at the sleeping Paula and once again at the dancing Paula on the water. Instead of fainting he grabs his head and shakes off the mental intrusion as he hops back into bed and returns to dreamland. And dream he does almost at an instant. He finds himself still in his sleeping bag, only now in the pitch black darkness again. Thereafter he hears the singing yet again invade his mind. His sleeping bag begins rocking about like a canoe and soon he sees that he’s on the water’s surface. Slowly he submerges underwater while still in his sleeping bag and yet he doesn’t need to breathe thanks to it being a dream, but he still holds his breath on instinct. The singing grows louder as now the owner of the noise appears before him. It’s Paula, yet her lower half is now a mermaids tail. She spots him holding his breath and zooms in closer to his face. Parappa freaks out at this immediate action, but soon panics even further when five other mermaids appear from behind the Paula one. They each resemble the other girls Parappa knows. Before him swim a Lammy, Rammy, Ma-san, Katy and Sunny mermaid. They all near his face. The two ewe mermaid kiss him on the cheeks, the mouse and cat mermaids kiss him on forehead. The flower mermaid kisses him on the nose and the fox mermaid kisses on the mouth, literally taking his breath away due to how much he’d been holding it. He flops around thinking he’d need air, but he finds himself breathing perfectly fine. All the mermaids laugh as they swim off and resume singing. Parappa, sensing no danger, aloofly swims after them. Once he reaches them, they all swim around him as their singing picks up. Parappa’s eyes shine their hypnotized hue once more as the girls all giggle and disperse. They all group away from him and blow a kiss towards him before singing again and swimming away. Parappa abruptly wakes up to the continuous singing. He looks to the bed, but the singing makes it appear as if Paula wasn’t there. He runs to the window to see all the mermaids waving at the surface before diving under. Parappa shakes his head, but the hypnotism is far too strong. He smiles, trapped in his trance, and sneaks his way outside the building. He runs off to the building housing the diving suit and immediately places his on. He wobbly makes his way back to the waterfront and gleefully heads on in.

 

And while that happens, Aqua is abruptly woken up by an loud sonic noise striking her ears and head stalks “GYAAAAAAA!...Oh what now…” she shakes her husband awake and grabs her broom and opens up a communication vision “Alright Sixteen… What do you want.”

 

“The hell could you want so early that not even the sun found it necessary to wake up for….” Sirius yawns.

 

“Where is young Parappa??”

 

“Asleep…”

 

“Are you sure?!”

 

“Yes...why you bugging all of sudden?...”

 

“Because we have been forewarned that he will, to put it bluntly, BECOME FISH FOOD!”

 

“Pfffft...yeah right...he’s fast asleep right now...we only plan on going under later today...what can you see the future or something?...~” Sirius cheekily replies.

 

“Not me, but Leo’s Aunt Sweety Bancha CAN!”

 

“Haha-...what?”

 

“YES! YOUNG LEO ENDED UP GIVING HER PREEMPTIVE SIGHT MUCH LIKE MISS HARPER AND YOUNG AMBROSIA!...AND SHE SAW HIM GET EATEN AT AROUND RIGHT NOW!”

 

“......”

 

“Why are you two just sitting th-” before the robot can finish, the fly off leaving only a dust cloud in the shape of their bodies “Well...that’s more like it!” the communication ends.

 

“I’LL CHECK THE BEDROOM, YOU CHECK TO SEE IF PARAPPA DIDN’T GET THE DIVING SUIT.”

 

“GOT IT AQUA!...” They split off as Aqua blasts the bedroom door open, waking up Paula rather hellishly.

 

“W-WHAT HAPPENED??”

 

“IS PARAPPA HERE?!”

 

“H-He should be right the-...” She stares at the empty sleeping bag “Um...Maybe he went to the bathroom?...” Aqua and her quickly search the entire building, but come up empty.

 

Meanwhile Sirius storms about the storage facility only to see that Parappa’s suit is gone and his clothes and beanie are left scattered along the ground where it should be “Oh this is really not good…” The three of them all immediately try to regroup.

 

As that happens, Parappa is calmly going deeper underwater as he searches for the mermaids he saw. Following the sound of heavenly vocalizing.

 

_ Aaaaaaaaah...ahahah-aaaaaaah haaaaaaaaa...aaaaaaaahhhaaaaaa aahhhh~ _

_ Oooooh ohhh ohoh aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh~ oooaaaaaahhhh~ _

 

Parappa goes deeper still, the light beginning to fade. He turns on the built in flashlight on the headpiece, but it does little more than reveal what's around him only. Nevertheless he carries on without fear. The song being his only guide.

 

_ Aahhaaaaaaaaaa- Ahhhahhhahhhhh haaaaaaa haaaaaaaahhhhaaaaaa~ _

_ Ohhhaaaa hoaaaaooohh aaaaaaahhhhooooaaaaa~ _

 

He sees the mermaids again and picks up the pace. The singing grows in intensity all the while.

 

_ Ohaaaa ahhh hoaaa aaaaah aahahh! Haha aaaaaaah~ _

 

The mermaids all disperse, except for the Paula one. She turns around to greet her admirer as the water is nothing but pitch black. Parappa slows to a halt as he sees the fox.

 

_ HAHAHA HAAAAAAAAAAA~ _

 

The hypnotism is broken as what was thought to be Paula as a mermaid was now the very same one that tried dragging him and Paula under. Only difference was she was now scarred along her torso. She vocalizes one final verse.

 

_ HAHAAAAHAAAAAAAAA!!~ _

 

A mysterious light illuminates everything and Parappa’s eyes widen in pure horror. The blue mermaid rises revealing a massive teal behemoth. It was bigger than what was anticipated. It’s jaw was terrifyingly large, able to eat an entire cruise ship in one gulp if it so please. It had many sets of blue eyes along the side of its head. It had multiple tentacle tendrils sprouting from its body as well multiple sets of large fins for swimming about. It’s body was long, very long. It was like there was no end to its body. The stem that was on the head of the mermaid connects to the forehead of the beast, but that’s not the only thing on its forehead. Parappa momentarily notices that embedded within its head is a limp girl from the waist up, sporting a rather bedazzled blue dress. Her hair was a duo mix of hot pink and fuchsia and her fur was a light tint of orange. If he had to take a guess, that was Kayla. Parappa found himself immobile due to the creature before him along with his prior weakness, and so he struggles to find the strength to swim. Before any of that, the mermaid starts to sing to the tune she was vocalizing to. The aquatic life sprouting to life in order to help with the song with music.

 

_ IIIIIIIIIII AM THE COOOOOLD BLOODED QUEEEEEEEEN OF THE DEEEEEP SEEEEEAS~ _

_ THOSE WHO HAVE MET YOUR FATE ARE NOW NOTHIIIIING BUT A SEA BREEEEEZE~ _

 

_ YOU SHALL REGRET YOUUUUUR IN-TRU-SION _

_ AS YOU FALL INTO MY DE-LU-SIOOOOOOON _

_ YOU SMALL MISERABLE PEEEEAAARL! _

_ WATCH AS YOUR END BEGINS TO UNFUUUUURL~ _

 

Ghosts rise up from the depths of the water as the sing along with the next verse. The appear to all be adorned in water themed gear. It was obvious who they were. They were the beasts victims.

 

**_SHEEEEE IS THE ANGEEEEEEL OOOOOOOOF DIS-PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIR_ **

**_YOU SHOULD BE-WAARRRRRREEEEE_ **

**_IT’S YOUR FINAL-FINAL-FINAL SCAAAAAAAAREEEEE_ **

 

**_THOSE, WHO HAAAAAVE, THE UNFORTUNAAAAAAATE FATE OF MEETING HER_ **

**_WILL FALL LIKE USSSSS WITHIN A BLUUUUUUUUR…_ **

**_IT’S A SAAAAD TAAAAAAALE_ **

**_NOW WE’RE LEFT TOOOOOOO WAAAAAAAAAIL…_ **

 

Parappa quickly tries to swim off, but is met with a large tendril slamming into the suit on his body, it detaches one of the oxygen tanks on it while busting the second one. With the remaining one now ejecting oxygen at such a concentrated rate, Parappa is rocketed out of there in an instant. The beast and mermaid angrily gives chase.

 

_ Yooooooooooooooooou….oooooh yooooooouuuuu... _

_ What is it that youuuuu doooooo? _

_ Whyyyyyyyy do you ruuuuuun from meeeeeeee? _

_ Do you know thaaaaaat youuuu’ll never beeeee freeeeee~ _

 

_ It’s faaaaaaaaaaaaar to laaaaaaaaaate _

_ This is yooooooooooooooooooour new faaaaaaaaaaaaate~ _

 

Parappa uses the new makeshift jetpack to fire himself towards the surface. As this goes on the three look around the beach for Parappa only to soon hear a large disturbance come from the water itself. Parappa blasts out of the water, but not before another tentacle strikes him, smacking off his helmet and the remaining oxygen tank. Parappa flips in the air before landing on oxygen tank and using it as a makeshift hoverboard instead.

 

“PARAPPA!” They all shout as they rush to the water.

 

“HI, CAN’T TALK, TRYING NOT TO DIE AT AN OPERA…”

 

_ Yooooooou are myyyyyyyy neeeeeew seeeeeel-fish glorious meeeeeeaaaaaal _

_ Youuuur life is now fooooorfeit to me nooooow I feeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaar~ _

 

_ Don’t think you can ruuuuuuuuun _

_ You cannot hiiiiiiiiide _

_ For nooooooooooow you must diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiie _

_ Saaaay gooooooodbyeeeeeeee _

_ For listening to myyyyyyyyy for-bid-den lullabyyyyyyy~ _

 

The mermaid rises from underneath Parappa, blasting him way up into the air by tiling the tank upwards, separating him from it. As he rises, he is tormented by the ghosts that appear to sing the next verse.

 

**_WEEEEEEEEEEE MET OUR COOOOOOLD EEEEENDDDDD_ **

**_BYYYYYYYYYYY HER VILE HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANDS_ **

**_OUUUUUUR WOUNDS WILL NE-VEEEEER MEEEEEEEEND_ **

**_WE LOST OUUUUUUUUUR LAAAAAAST STAAAAAAAAANDS_ **

 

**_YOOOOOOOU CANNOT RUUUUUUUUN, CANNOT HIDE, CANNOT PRAY, CANNOT CRY_ **

**_JUST LIKE US, IT’S YOUR TIIIIIIIIME TOOOOOO DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEE!_ **

 

The mermaid raises her hands and out spawns a blue circle. From it emerges a large swarm of ice spears that fly off at the airborne dog. The trio of magicians fire off their own magical attacks to protect him, but are too far to be of proper help as many still smack into him. The suit protects him wonderfully, but when the last one of the bunch hits, it breaks off into pieces. Leaving the poor dog to flail in the air in his boxers. The large beast rises from the water and opens its mouth at the rapidly dropping Parappa. Sirius and Aqua quickly use their magic to halt her ascension and pull her back under, but she’s too massive and strong. Paula blasts a large wave of ice that creates a spiral slide underneath Parappa. It saves him, but only temporary as he ends up sliding off onto the monsters forehead. He gets up to spot the unconscious girl before him. At that moment he remembers what Aqua told him.

 

_ “I need you to pluck her out…” _

 

He quickly swallows and grits his teeth as he latches onto her and begins his struggle in pulling her out. The mermaid notices and she rushes off towards him as the beast struggles in shaking him off. She gets the tentacles to whip him off of her, but he manages to stay on the beasts head and does the same thing again. More tentacles appear trying to attack him, but Parappa quickly lets go of Kayla and fires off as much electricity as he can. It’s very weak, but it’s enough to get the tendrils to back off and allow him to continue. At first, he makes little to no progress in getting her out, but she is budging and soon actually starts sliding out! Her lifeless eyes motion abit as they glance towards him trying to rescue her and slowly light up again. His efforts are halted as the mermaid grabs him and swings around with him. He lights his body up with more electricity as he zaps himself in order to zap her. It works, resulting in her chucking him to the side. However the beast still grabs him one of its appendages. Sirius and Aqua are using all their magic to prevent the thing from lifting up to shake him off as well as opening its mouth. The mermaid however fires off more ice, towards  _ them _ this time, which Paula manages to stop after putting up an ice wall. The withered Kayla glances over and sees her two remaining sane friends along with someone else using ice and her eyes soon grow wide. The wall gives way as large ice blasts head for them, the older duo shover the fox out of the way as they’re struck with the attacks. Their replacement body parts are made quick work of as they drop down, defeated and unable to perform magic effectively anymore. The sight gets the captive fox to begin pulling the remainder of herself out. Paula quickly tries to help the downed witches, but all this does is allow the mermaid and the beast to attempt to eat Parappa. He struggles the most he can before ultimately tapping out. His body still exhausted from yesterday, and what little energy he had left was burnt away in his attacks. As he embraces the end, someone shreds the thing holding him with a large ice blade. He falls into the arms of the fox he tried to rescue. She grabs the nub of the tendril and swings along the body away from the mermaid. Once back on the beast, she runs to try and get to a position where she can toss him back to shore. This is halted by the remaining tendrils and the mermaid’s anger. She resumes singing.

 

_ Jooooooooy...ooooooh joooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooy… _

_ You’re back toooo annoooooooooooooooooooooy _

_ Meeeee and destroooooooooy _

_ Our perfect plaaaaaaaaann _

_ Why can you... understaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand?! _

 

_ You traitorous foooool _

_ The endless toooooooool… _

 

The remaining appendages whip the duo senseless as they collapse upon the back of the beast, but before the mermaid can swoop in for the kill, the stray busted oxygen tank that she smack away rams straight into her face. She is sent off with the tendrils going after to try and stop her flight, allowing the duo to find their bearings and get up. This is quite the task as both are immensely tired. Parappa falls again and nearly rolls off the beast. He manages to catch himself just in time, and notices the other oxygen tank that was not broken and instead smacked off of him. He uses what little he can to pull it towards him with his magnetism. He grabs it and both manage to get back on their feet, yet they are to late and forced back to the ground by the returning mermaid who slams them face first from behind. Kayla is finally winded out as she falls into unconsciousness again. Parappa quickly grabs her hand and with his remaining hand, he pops the nozzle on the other tank and it launches him and Kayla out of the mermaids grasp and back into the air towards land. They both haplessly toss about apart from each other The monster duo use the opportunity to swoop in and snatch the two while they’re helpless in the air. She sings the final verse of her song while the leviathan opens its mouth.

 

_ YOOOOUUU AREEEEE FIN-IIIIISHEEEEED. _

_ YOUR FATES RE-LINQUIIIIIISHEEEEED! _

 

“THAT’S WHAT YOU THINK!” Parappa flips while in the air to stare at her face to face.

 

_ IIIIIIII AM THE COOOOOOOLD BLOODED QUEEEEEEEEN OF THE DEEEEEP SEEEEAS! _

 

“IT’S VICTORY THAT I’LL SEIZE!”

 

_ YOU’LL BE EATEEEEEN, IT MUST BEEEEE! _

 

“YOU’LL NEVER BEAT ME!” Parappa takes over the last portion of the song.

 

“FOR THOSE YOU’VE KILLED,

THOSE LIVES LEFT...UN-FUL-FILLED!

I’LL MAKE YOU YOUR OWN LUNCH

AS I FINISH THIS WITH ONE... _ LAST.... _ **_PUNCH!_ ** ” Parappa magnetically latches on the oxygen tank to his arm and forces all that he can into the punch that’s driven forward intensely due to the tank. He pumps as much electricity into his fist as possible to a point that it hurts him severely, and yet he cares not as he drives his fist forward. The mermaid quickly tries to fly away from Parappa, but is stopped by icicles jabbing her in the back and sending her towards the punch. She glances towards the shore to see that the stray icicles belonged to Paula who stares at her with burning anger. The mermaid looks at her final sight as the fist connects with her chest. The impact rips her from her stem as the body flies into the open maw of the beast. The force of the impact sends her all the way through as she blasts out the opposite end of the beast, killing it. With it dead, she dies soon after from the connection they shared. As her body flies off, it disintegrates into bubbles.

 

“THAT'S...FOR MESSING...WITH MY HEAD...AND MY HEART...you...bi…” Parappa finally yields into the pain induced slumber as he and Kayla fall. Paula quickly makes another ice slide. It's sloppily made, but manages to get them back to land as the two crash into her.

 

“Ohohoho...ouch...haha...I'm so glad Sweety gave us that heads up…” she chuckles as she gets up to her feet. She quickly helps Aqua up and let's her reattach her arm. Aqua in turn helps Sirius while Paula assists the unconscious Kayla and Parappa. As she props them up, she looks to the duo as they finish reattaching their body part “You know...I think Parappa will be amazing once he learns to fully control his abilities…” she looks to the sleeping dog “But...you being amazing is nothing out of the ordinary~...” she kisses him on the cheek “Thanks for rescuing my cousin~...and me~...” the two rush over to her and assist with Kayla as Paula cradles Parappa once more.

 

After a quick call to 16-bits, Sweety and Leo are left relieved just as much as they are. The communication ends with the three speaking to each other happily.

 

“I can't believe it...we actually freed Kayla!...”

 

“What's this we stuff Aqua? Paula and Parappa were the ones who finished off that damn monster!”

 

“We helped save Parappa though! Had we not been given that insight, he'd be dead right now!”

 

“True true...but after that...we were pretty ineffective...we were stuck trying to make sure it couldn't open its mouth that we left ourselves open…”

 

“But then we protected Paula who helped Parappa punch that wench into the afterlife!”

 

“Mmm...I still feel like we didn't do much...but alright. I'll accept it being a group effort!” Sirius rubs his head with a cheesy smile “Parappa must be SUPER sore...did you see how worn out that arm of his looked like? He funneled so much lightning into that punch that he fried his fist and arm! He's lucky he's resistant to electricity enough to have not gotten it blown off! And yet...that was marvelous...he was tapped out of strength to actually throw a punch...so he used the tank to do it for him while he just made sure the punch did it's job...that's smart quick thinking…”

 

“Well his parents were geniuses so it would make sense he would be to!” Paula huffs up in Parappa’s defense.

 

“What impresses me is that, rather than get off the thing and try to get to safety...he immediately went to free Kayla...his own safety not even a thing to him at the time…”

 

“That's just how Parappa is Aqua! When there's someone who needs help, he prioritizes them over himself. And you said that you wanted us to pluck her free. And I guess he saw the perfect chance to help do that and he took it...and boy did it pay off in the end!”

 

“I guess, but all this is doing is making me worry over him as much as I worry over Leo…”

 

“Oh don't do that! Relax! Me and the rest of our friends will help in keeping Parappa safe! You just make sure our son is safe while we also help keep all of you safe!”

 

“...O-Ok!”

 

“Speaking of helping Parappa, he's gonna need alot of it… he can still move and all that, but with that medium rare hand and worn out bod, he might need some help with alot of stuff such as eating and bathing and what not for atleast two days…”

 

“I'LL HELP WITH THAT!”

 

“Eh? Paula you don't need to, I can help him just fin-”

 

“I. Will. Help. Him.”

 

“But wouldn't it be better for a guy to help him with these specific thi-”

 

“ **I. Will. Help. Him.** ”

 

“Okaaaaaaay…” Sirius shuts up and nods before looking to Aqua “You ain't gonna say anything to this?”

 

“I mean, I have to help Kayla in the exact same way. For the exact same reasons she's trying to go by.”

 

“Yeah but you're both female! With Paula it's a girl and a guy!...”

 

“I'm mean...you're free to try and intervene with that…” she flicks her eyes over to Paula who gives Sirius a death glare.

 

“How is it that I'M the odd one out for trying to do the sensible thing??”

 

“Me and Parappa are proud PaRappa Town citizens, sensible has multiple loose meanings for us!”

 

“I...you know what...you saved Kayla...you saved us...if Aqua’s letting this slide...I can to…”

 

“Great!” she runs up the stairs as Sirius glares at Aqua. Speaking up once she's out of hearing range.

 

“So what happened to making sure Leo keeps his real mother?”

 

“She...grew on me...and now I want nothing but the best for her…especially after today...”

 

“Of course you do...this won't end well…”

 

“I'm sure Leo will end up with his real mother by the end of all this regardless!...just...no harm in letting my new friend here make some more advances with the large amount of freebies she's been given…”

 

“Prodigy witch. Hopeless friend cheerleader…very well.”

 

The day advances as normal and the Parappa finally wakes up, but Kayla still requires some more slumber. Parappa hobbles his way towards the table and speaks to Sirius who is the only one accompanying him there.

 

“So, think I would have made future me proud?~”

 

“Probably. It sure as hell would've made your son lose his cool and think you're the coolest guy in existence. But to be fair, to him, you already are.”

 

“Ha! That makes me overlook the whole ‘holding back’ on me thing~”

 

“Petty.”

 

“And I happily embrace that!” he snaps his fingers on his good hand.

 

“Riiiiight. I don’t think walking up to them with your body as messed up as it is will get them to think you’re stronger.”

 

“I’m a little scuffed up sure, but you can’t deny that I still managed to come out on top!”

 

“I’ll call that a stroke of luck if you ask me! But from what i’ve been told, luck is just something you got plenty of.”

 

“I won’t deny that I seem to be lady luck’s favorite person. Yet I will say that this was more than just luck!”

 

“You’re right, it was me, Aqua and Paula saving your butt from being swallowed and then Kayla who managed to wake up to save you when we had our hands tied!

 

“Can’t you just let me have this?”

 

“Why is this ego boost such a big deal to you?”

 

“Because I need something to distract me from the fact that I JUST KILLED SOMEONE!”

 

“...Oh yeah...this is technically your first notch on your kill streak. Haha, look at this way! You can’t feel guilty about it cuz that wench was pure evil!”

 

“Be that as it may. I’M STILL A MURDERER!”

 

“I mean...eh? You saved Kayla in the process. And she technically wasn’t even a real person, just a clone created from Kayla to be able to make that big ol beast-”

 

“I HAVE BLOOD ON MY HAAAAANDS…”

 

“I think I preferred it more when you were gloating…” he throws a piece of stale bread at his head to get him to shut up.

 

“Ow!...”

 

“Look. Relax. She was both a clone and a terrible person! And also, get used to it! Because you got a long line of people to deal with! Some more threatening than her!”

 

“B-But I don’t want to KILL people!...”

 

“Neither did Leo, but look at how high his kill count is now!”

 

“H-How high?...” Sirius snaps his fingers and out appears a roll up piece of paper. He grabs it and unfurls it. It completely astonishes Parappa with how long it actually was.

 

“O-Oh my-”

 

“Lemme just stop you right there. Before you get upset at your son and yourself. Remember. He did that just so you wouldn’t have to. Cuz this hit list? It was yours once.”

 

“...so...how do I get used to this?...”

 

“Honestly just keep doing it when the situation becomes to dire.”

 

“How can I!”

 

“You did it easily to the fake Kayla. I doubt it’ll be much different to the other people we’ll face.”

 

“I hope you’re right with that…”

 

“Look, just go take a bath or shower alright? It’ll help you ease up, as well as cool your body off! Not to mention that you smell like burnt dog, fish sticks and monster beast spit.”

 

“Ugh...I know...but it's not like I can manage right now! My bad arm ain't helping in anything and even with my one good arm it'll take forever from how sluggish I'll be moving…”

 

Before Sirius can speak up, there is footsteps heard at an alarming rate descending down the stairs. In a split second Paula appears between the two of them “I CAN HELP WITH THAT!” both males quickly freak out at the rapid intrusion.

 

“GAH!...How did you even hear that??” Sirius says to the new intruder.

 

“Something in my bones alerted me, telling me that I was needed!”

 

“Oh...so do you even know what you’re helping with??” Sirius rests his head on his hands snidely.

 

“Not at all, but I’ll help regardless as we already discussed!”

 

“...Uh...Paula...what I need help with is bathing…”

 

“Did I stutter?”

 

“That was not the reaction I expected and now I’m slightly unnerved.” Parappa looks towards Sirius who just shrugs.

 

“She’s not lying. Me and Aqua thought it’d be for the best....apparently.” He rolls his eyes.

 

“R-Really?”

 

“Yeah, who else would better at caring for ya? Me and Aqua are new friends to you while Paula’s known you for longer than we have!”

 

“Huh...haven’t thought of it that way.” He eases up “Well, I guess it was wrong of me to panic! Although sorry for being an inconvenience...”

 

“Oh it isn’t an inconvenience! Not after what you’ve done! You’ve saved me, you’ve saved my cousin AND you defeated the monster and the mermaid!”

 

“Huh...you’re right!”

 

“Aaaaand the ego’s back.” Sirius chuckles “Hurry up and help clean him off.”

 

“Right-o!” Paula assists in getting Parappa to move around. 

 

Parappa manages to get in the bath alone due to Paula splitting off in order to prepare something she had in mind. In the meanwhile he sits in the large ornate onsen only in his boxers as the water relaxes his sore muscles “Aaaaah...this is the liiiiiiife~...If only every day could be as relaaaaxing~...”

 

“I meeeeeeaaaaan...it can be~” Paula’s voice startles him as he turns around.

 

“WHA!...Don’t startle me like that P...P-P-P-PAULA!...” he stares at her with nothing but a towel wrapped around her “W-WHY ARE YOU-”

 

“Cool your jets boyo~ I have my bathing suit under this~ What you think I’m gonna just let my clothes get wet as I help you?” she says as she walks up to the water to join him.

 

“Oh...good thinking! Of course you have your bath-” Parappa recalls Paula not bring much aside from simple necessities, never did she plan to go swimming because she wasn’t aware there’d be water. “H-Hey wait-” Her towel is tossed to the side as she hides herself in the water from the neck down. Parappa only turns his gaze away “You lied…”

 

“Did I say bathing suit? I meant birthday suit! Sorry, I lied~ My point still stands though. I didn’t want anything getting soaked!”

 

“Are you just missing the BIGGER ISSUE HERE??”

 

“Aren’t you the one who said you’d make it up to me within these seven days?~”

 

“...Eheh...I-I think there’s a limit to the leniency...wouldn’t you agree…?”

 

“I mean you’re the one who wanted to go on this not-a-date with me! Even so...well then consider it my proper way of saying thanks for saving my skin! As well as...telling me all that stuff the night you discovered your powers…”

 

“O-Ok that’s slightly more reinforcement to your reasoning…b-but still!...”

 

“Am I...unpleasing to look at?...”

 

“Don’t play that card!...” he shouts as he looks at her “It’s not that, not at all...honestly something like this is uh...k-kinda nice…b-but isn’t it wasted on a guy like me??”

 

“Of course not! I…” She struggles to get the word out. The water they sit in starts to become cold, very cold.

 

“E-Erm...you don’t have to say it! It’ll cause you to freeze me over!...B-Besides! I know what you’re trying to say!”

 

She sighs sadly as she looks to the water, the coldness coming to a stop “Alright…”

 

“...What’s a little cold gonna do to harm me? I’m already battered as is anyway!”

 

She looks to him happily as she takes a deep breath to build up her confidence “It’s not a waste! I’m happy I got to finally find the motivation to do this! You’re the only guy I...I…” she clenches her hands “The only guy I  _ love _ !” She begins panting as her face turns red. Emotionally exhausted from saying that “...I love you...but that’s an obvious thing. And yet, I never got to properly say that to you...I know that you know this, but I still had to get it out there… You won my heart over with your wonderful personality...hearing that I influenced how you ended up as was enlightening to hear because, you did the same to me…” she blows out heart shape snow puffs “I didn’t really think much of myself when we first met...I just found myself butting heads with Katy over our equally liked things. Both outgoing, both sporty, both very in love with singing and dancing, both fashionistas...yet once we settled all that and became such amazing besties...I felt that I was nothing special to the group dynamic...yet you didn’t see me that way. You saw me as my own individual go getter who, despite had her similarities to someone you've known longer, still had more than enough to be her own proper individual. And...you were right. Having you as an envoy of encouragement gave me the ability to do all that I did. To ACHIEVE all that I have! It was a respect for you that I just had throughout our entire friendship. And...I soon realized...it wasn’t really respect...I mean it still was...but it was actually just something more...something stronger I couldn’t really figure out until much later...I loved you. I still love you. And I probably will forever more.

 

Parappa fiddles with his hair as he giggles from his newly formed embarrassment “H-Hahaha~...I-It uh...took a lot of confidence to say all that I take it~...”

 

“You think  _ that _ took alot to get out? Hello?? I’m sitting in a tub naked with the guy I love!”

 

“I mean yeah, but it wasn’t as hard as saying you love me now was it?...”

 

“Well they do say actions speak louder than words!”

 

“Alright fine, I submit! Heh...boy...It’s still weird hearing you guys say you love me…”

 

“Why is it weird?...”

 

“Like I told Lammy...I just don’t think a guy like me is deserving of those words.”

 

She uses her feet to grab him, spin him around and pull him closer to herself. They both now stare at the exact same wall as the fox hugs him “Did Sunny really hurt you that badly?”

 

“O-Ok this is a little more contact than I e-expected...Ahem...It’s not that...well...not entirely. This was just something I had in the back of my head for years believe it or not…” 

 

“Really?...”

 

“Yeah...I guess the feeling was just enhanced after the break up...even though she told me constantly that I was worth loving. I just...I don’t see it.”

 

“...We love you...you know we all do. And no I don’t just mean the  _ love _ love, I mean the eternal friend unconditional one…No matter the love, you’re worth it always.” She pulls him closer to hug him better.

 

“...You really think I am?...”

 

“Always. And I know I’m not the only one.”

 

He grips onto her hands “I know this is your thank you to me...but...thanks so much for everything…”

 

“Anytime…~ You know it’s funny. I thought that the second I finished helping you clean off and got dried and dressed back up...I’d faint on the spot. But no, it’s off my mind in favor of just...being here for you ya know?”

 

“I’m glad you’re also adjusting!”

 

“Also? You mean you’re getting accustomed to being next to me like this?~”

 

“Well it’s not like its the first time i’ve seen a girl.”

 

“Well yeah, you’ve seen us all in our bathing suits before.”

 

“That’s...not what I mean…”

 

“...Ok this I gotta hear! I gotta see what my competition is like!”

 

“THAT’S what got your interest more??”

 

“Heyyyyy, that’s just the girl I am~”

 

“Haha, don’t I know it~ And I wouldn't have it any other way!”

 

“Good, now stop treating me like an oddball!”

 

“Excuse me, which one of us is currently naked?~”

 

“I mean, technically we both are.”

 

“I’m in my underwear!”

 

“That covers your modesty as much as the diving suit protected you from that behemoth.” She sticks her tongue out.

 

“Your not wrong, but that’s still rude!” He sticks his tongue back.

 

“Oh shut up and just tell me who else ya saw~”

 

“Alright…” after a brief explanation, Paula simply shrugs it off.

 

“Pffft, figures Sunny would be the first.”

 

“It was an accidental thing!”

 

“Suuuuuuure~ Anywho it’s not surprising that her body is petite. Don’t gotta worry there! Then again it’s not like she’s here right now so I guess I was always good!”

 

“Eheh...yeah…” Parappa recalls his slow progress into figuring out a way to bring her back.

 

Now she grows slightly worried “And then...Rammy...that caught me off guard. Ugh and her body sounds like that of a gorgeous greek statue lady! A BUFF gorgeous greek statue lady! How'd you get used to THAT?”

 

“By force. It was what she did while in hell.”

 

“And with you being the entirety of her comfort zone...Hoo man have I got stiff competition in the body department.”

 

“You’re seriously not planning on getting your body like hers are you?”

 

“Course not, building muscles takes forever given my body type and even then I’d never reach her level! So I figure I'll beat her in the looks department!”

 

“I mean…atleast it's a guaranteed win…Rammy isn't really that worried over her looks. Not like anyone would criticize anyway.”

 

“Is it because she’d skin alive anyone who'd try?”

 

“No, its cause she knows she looks good and that's good enough for her. No need to let petty words of some dope get to her!”

 

“...You really are quite defensive over her.”

 

“Well yeah. Why wouldn't I be? She's been through alot...and everyone else aside from us just don't...get that… Things constantly try and smash her buttons on her mental system. Luckily I'm around to help out...except...now I'm not…” he looks down “I wonder if she's doing fine now...if she can sleep well at the very least…”

 

“...I'm sure she's fine. She went through years of managing on her own. Seven days won't end her. Besides, the others are still with her to!” she nestles her head into his “Boy am I jealous though...first Sunny, then Milkcan, and now Rammy. I feel like every girl in our group is getting all your attention...except for me…”

 

“...That...is true ain't it?...” he turns to her “Once we beat Prince, I'm gonna change that!” he winks at her.

 

“...You better~...now come on stinky, let's get you clean!”

 

“H-Hey!...”

 

* * *

 

“So you're the one who rescued me…~”

 

“Ohoho you give me way to much credit. All I did was get tossed around like a ragdoll by a group of tentacles!” Parappa bows before the bigger fox lady.

 

“You can't shy away from this, I saw you with my own eyes. You batted away everything in order to pull me free. And then Aqua told me that you dispatched the monster that I had be forcibly conjoined to as she attempted to eat us both.”

 

“Ok...I  _ miiiiight _ have done that~...”

 

“Sheesh Parappa, where'd your ego go?~” Sirius laughs before being punched in the stomach by Aqua “POOR TIMING...MY BAAAAD…” he drops to the floor immediately.

 

Kayla looks at the two and softly laughs “You two can't even stay at peace, even during a happy moment~”

 

“S-Sorry!....” she bows before picking up her unconscious husband and backing away from the two slightly.

 

“Now then...Parappa was your name, correct?”

 

“Yes ma’am! Parappa Rappa right here!” he stands up straight and performs a salute, getting the girl to laugh again.

 

“Ahahat ease soldier~” she holds her hands together “I owe you my life and then some. You spared me from having to exist as apart of that monster and ending the lives of many innocent people who had the misfortune of crossing her path… My debt to you is endless, if there's anything you ever need. Do not hesitate to ask!”

 

“About that...I-I want you to help teach me to dance!”

 

“Oh?? Is that all you have for now? Why that should be easy for me as the Dance Princess~” she nods twice “I shall be glad to assist you with this! But first, two things...the first of which...I know you're there, you, hiding behind that wall. Please come out, I want to talk to you the most!”

 

Paula skittishly goes out from her hiding place “H-Hello!...” the older fox walks up to her.

 

“Hehe...20 years where I have not been able to see you...the only time I ‘saw’ you was as a baby bump on Aunt Bella’s belly~...truly I wish...I could've been there to see you grow up into the charming and beautiful young lady that stands before me! You're the spitting image of your mother while she was younger! Your hair is the only thing different!” she giggles lightly “Paula. Thank you as well for rescuing me.”

 

“A-Anything for my family!...” she nervously bows before the older fox. She is lifted back upright by her.

 

“Please do not be so nervous around me. I know that meeting me...or even hearing about me for the first time in your life must be jarring...but know that I am still your family!” Kayla hugs the smaller fox “We can discuss family matters at a later time. For now…” she goes back to Parappa “May you be so kind as to hold out your hand?”

 

“Right away Miss!...” he does as told and she quickly leaves something in his palm. It was a little wool insignia. The same as the ones on his hat. Even down to the same size and shape as the other ones..

 

“Would you be so kind...as to add that onto your hat?~...I spent time that I should have used resting to make that. Aqua got really upset, but I just had to finish it.” she grabs his hands “That is the group emblem for Aqua Opera. It was the group that my mother and Miss Spectora made to help people...yet now it's as good as dead given how things are currently...so can you do me the honor of...well...honoring them?...As it's last newly enacted member?~...” she herself bows down to him.

 

“A-Ah!...I see! Of course I'd do that! This is a really big honor!” Aqua floats her sewing needle and thimble to him “Thank you Aqua!” he begins sewing on the patch gently as to not screw it up. And within mere moments, it's on. And on the finishing touch, out from his hat blasts out a large amount of blue and indigo lights “A-Ah right…this is gonna happen again!...”

 

“A-Again?...W-What’s happening?!...” Kayla quickly buckles down in fear of the unknown, but she's calmed down by the first light that fully manifests itself. It was a fox around Paula’s height. Her hair was a neon purple with orange highlights etched about. She wore a white dress jumpsuit. It was a variation on the suit Paula and Parappa wore. Kayla and Paula both walk up to the spirit “M-Mother?...”

 

“Aunt...Ana?...”

 

“Well...aren't those words I thought I'd never get to hear~...” she smiles at the two of them.

 

Parappa stares at the triad of foxes as he clenches his hands together joyfully.

 

_ Here we go again! Hope things don't get TO teary-eyed! _


	37. Awkward Gatherings

Both foxes were spouting question after question to the poor ghost who simply couldn’t keep up with them all until Aqua, Parappa and a freshly reawoken Sirius pry the two girls off.

 

“Hey now! Ease up on the dead!”

 

“As Parappa said! I know you two are elated to meet one another as well as now having a chance to speaking with your OTHER family member, but recall that she can only do so much at a time!”

 

“S-Sorry…” Both foxes bow in shame.

 

“Oh no no! Worry not! To be honest, I expected to be overwhelmed. It’s only a natural expectancy when you see the daughter you couldn’t get to raise along with the daughter of the dear sister you left behind!” She laughs sadly as she wipes off a spectral tear causing both foxes to quickly spout more apologies.

 

“Geez...I never expected family gatherings to get so...awkward…”

 

“Sirius do you just have a tendency to intervene poorly in tender moments?”

 

“Eheh...it’s a curse…Sorry honey...” as the two other adults bicker Parappa walks up to the ghost and speaks up while the other foxes are busy.

 

“Excuse me um...Miss Ana? H-How old exactly were you when you had Kayla?? You look so young! Like you’re currently younger than Paula by the looks of it!”

 

“Ah yes!...That’s because I kinda had her once I turned eighteen… I kinda overdid things with my best friend. Me and Spectora were rather...wild… we both got pregnant, by choice mind you, had my daughter and she had her first son...and then not long after, I died saving her...to say that my eighteenth year was dull is not a proper description. Me and Spectora were just an odd duo that just wanted nothing more than to detach from what our prior group was doing and actually HELP...how is...Spectora doing now?...” Kayla, Aqua and Sirius all release a flat and sudden ‘ooooooooooooooohhhh…’ “Oh dear...Spectora what have you done…”

 

“We’ll fill you in on my mother's antics in a bit…”

 

“Mother? Oh are you her child as well?...”

 

“Ah right!...You never got to know the others pass Narmadi! My name is Aqua DeVile Oceanna! Third child of Spectora Oceanna! After Narmadi ‘Narciss’ Oceanna and Skadi Naldrug Oceanna!”

 

“Oh my...she certainly got...busy…I don't think I would've been THAT wild myself...or would I?”

 

“Eheh...funny thing is I’m not the last kid she had...but erm...not like that little knowledge matters since...I’m the only left...alive…”

 

“Well...that’s abit...heartbreaking…”

 

“Well my older brothers had it coming. My little sister...not so much…All of it is the fault of my own and my mother…but again I’ll discuss it later! For now talk to your family!” The ghost floats over to Aqua “Dear. Your mother was like a sister to me. You are my family as well.”

 

“I agree with dead Auntie! We can wait!”

 

“I’m sure you could use more closure than either of us Aqua. Me and Paula will happily wait.” all three foxes smile at the axolotl who becomes slightly teary-eyed.

 

“V-Very well…~” as Aqua speaks to them all, Parappa notices something from the corner of his eye. Another ghost had finished materializing, but it did so out of sight as it went up the stairs. Curiously, he follows.

 

He quietly tags along and makes sure that none of them followed, and soon enough he finds himself within the attic of the building. He looks around for where the ghost was, but no trace. Until, that is, someone pokes him from behind “Hello…”

 

“WAAAAAAAH!...” Parappa shuts his mouth so that he doesn’t alert the others and slowly turns around. Before him stands another axolotl. She is familiar, just like Aqua was. Not long after it clicks, and Parappa speaks up gently as his hands leave his mouth alone “...Ambrosia?”

 

* * *

 

Katy faceplants as she sits upon the counter at her job. A slow day with an even slower set of patience remaining within her. She was about to release a large sigh until a familiar voice speaks up “Hey. Kat.”

 

“Ugh...What is it now boss…”

 

“Thinking of closin shop early. Doesn’t seem like anyone’s in the mood to come and get some gear or wares. What about you? As my assist, what do you think?”

 

“No way, what if someone comes by to try and get something??”

 

“Then they can come, tomorrow!”

 

“Ain’t happening, I’m staying.”

 

The glass man shakes his head with a disgruntled groan “Look, are you really gonna make me say it? You’re bored, and just frankly done with being here right about now. For god’s sakes, Lammy fell asleep in the back room from lack of patronage!” He holds his forehead “I know that you two don’t exactly enjoy being around my presence either. And were this not a music shop, neither of you would want to put up with me. And I know that you both do, in fact, work hard. And so frankly I think you’ve earned yourselves a little extra ‘me time’! So just call it day and get out of here. You both are also getting tomorrow off. And maybe the day after...if I feel like it.”

 

“What’s the catch?...”

 

“Sheesh you must dislike me far greater than I thought. There is none. Just simply...have fun! You’re young, and so wasting away in here isn’t the best use of your time.”

 

“Who are you and what have you done with my boss?”

 

“Out. Now.”

 

“ _There_ he is!”

 

“I will take it all back you know.”

 

“Alright alright! Just let me get Lammy!” She walks over to the backroom, but stops before she opens the door “It’s...weird seeing you be so nice. I mean I know you’re capable...Lammy sure told me about it. But witnessing it first hand that’s not being caused through any influence...it’s weird.”

 

“Hm...I’d assume so. But i’m not a heartless monster, despite how much I may seem like it. I have a heart! It’s just sharp and jagged, just like the rest of me!”

 

“But you’re smooth on all your edges!”

 

“Not when I break~”

 

“And how often is that??”

 

“I never said physically break!”

 

“Of course you didn’t...Well, I appreciate it boss.” she opens the door “What’s the real reason?”

 

“Even I have limits to how big a hardass I can be. I’ve had many employed under me in my time, and well. I know how big a task I can be, and every now and then I see that those under me just can’t handle anymore. They deserve a break. Everyone has limits. They should never be tested.”

 

“...Alright…” She heads on in to wake her friend. Then once she is, they both say goodbye to their boss and leave the premises. Lammy, still confused about the whole thing, decides to ask about it.

 

“So he just...gave us the rest of today and tomorrow off?”

 

“That he did.”

 

“And...n-no catch?”

 

“No catch.”

 

“...Why?...”

 

“A reason that not even I fully understand. Niles is weird, no ifs ands or buts about that, but he keeps his word that’s for sure. So...what now?”

 

“I guess...I’ll just h-hang out with Ura. What about you?”

 

“Hm...I guess I’ll go see Poppy then since everyone else is still busy…” She looks to her friend “Wanna...come with?”

 

“I uh...dunno...Poppy’s r-really nice and all, but since you and her hit it off, I’d feel like a third wheel if I tagged along…”

 

“That’s silly! We’d include you in everything we’d do!”

 

“I-I don’t know…plus I really should be there for Ura…”

 

“Aw come ahahahahoooooon…I want my best friend to tag along with- Leo?...”

 

“You want me to tag along with L-Leo??”

 

“N-No! It’s Leo! Look over there!” Katy points in the distance to the helmeted boy, but his attire is now different. It was supremely formal and fancy, as if it were a special occasion.

 

“T-That’s a rather flashy g-getup... Wonder what he’s up t-to?”

 

“Think it’s a date he’s gonna have?~”

 

“No...he seemed like he wasn't in the mood to t-try that again…”

 

“Then explain that he suit!”

 

“I c-can’t do that if I d-don’t know why!”

 

“Then it's settled! We tag along!”

 

“WHAT?! H-How did you reach t-that conclusion??”

 

“Less chatty, more sneaky!” she grabs Lammy and sneaks off after Leo.

 

* * *

 

“Ambrosia…?”

 

“So you know me. I guess that makes things a little better. But where are my manners! Yes it's me! Ambrosia ‘Amby’ Corpella Oceanna!” she fiddles with her pink hair and head stalks “And you...you're Leo's dad…”

 

“Yes indeedy! I'm Parappa Rappa, at your service!” he shakes his head “Eheh...sorry...tried to lighten to mood…”

 

“It’s alright, I’m already aware of the notions. Leo is the same way!...How...how is he?”

 

“He’s alright!...misses you guys…but he’s learned to move on! There’s still some leftover grief which is obvious, cuz...it’s never easy to get rid of.” He changes his tone “But he’s fine! He’s still ok! Still in one piece!” _Marginally…_ “And that’s...thanks to you!~” He smiles “Thanks for keeping my boy safe!...Only wish you were to…”

 

“Heh...Oh it’s...not like I really had a choice in the matter. Even if Leo didn’t require my help in order to save him...the condition my body was in had already reached a critical level. I would not have lasted many days after...In a sense… I prefer it this way. It was painless, and I went out in a way that I preferred...saving my hero~ Had I not, it may have been agonizing to go the other way…”

 

“I guess that’s ONE way to look at your lack of options…” he lifts his beanie up abit “So...how was...life while you were alive!...I-If that’s not to...you know...painful to ask.”

 

“It’s not. I think I’d feel a little better if I got to reminisce...atleast about the things that actually made me feel better… Here I am in my birth home and yet...I don’t feel very much happy...don’t get me wrong though! I love my sister decently enough and was happy she got liberated to...you know...actually BE a sister, but...it was still so many years of my life where she was just an unbearable monster or a mess…”

 

“Did you not...live here during that time?”

 

“No. I never wanted to be here...truth be told...I despise this place. It doesn’t feel like a home, only a prison. And it’s thanks to Tycoon. During the duration I bunked with Leo. He offered to house me since...I didn’t really have a place to go. And I felt safe, secure, and happy. After being liberated at the Neanderthal Ball raid, my life started looking up, but in the end I knew I’d have to face off with my family...I didn’t want my hero to do that...I was afraid he’d get decimated...and...it almost did happen. I’m not sure you know this, but my mother is the daughter of the eldest siren that almost did the world in! And granddaughter of the man who stopped them. Needless to say, she was a prodigy. And as such...so were her children. The four of us were quite powerful...deadly even.”

 

Parappa had an eye opening shock upon hearing that knowledge, these people were the kin of three crazy ladies! But he shrugged that off in favor of asking something he deemed more important “Who would you consider the strongest? Was it Narcis since he was the oldest?”

 

“You would think...but no. He was the second strongest. Aqua being the third and Skadi being last. The strongest...was I…” She sits on the floor “I’m sure by now my sister has probably told her stories of what happened with Leo during his fight with Narcis.”

 

“Vaguely. She said that he awakened things while out of it.”

 

“Correct...I was the same, but unlike Leo, I was informed of my abilities...and I guess I made the most of them...atleast...I tried...I didn’t practice much like the others and so...I was...more of a liability than an ally if I were to ever go all out...I would lose my mind and go on a berserk rampage! So I had to cut back to the extreme. I didn’t mind, my hero still astounded me. He wiped out my older brothers and defeated and liberated my big sister. And my mother...he amazed her. The battle ended in a draw.”

 

“You sound kinda sad about that one...I take it that it was originally very one sided against you guys…”

 

“You were correct...by that point we were severely outgunned. It was only me and Leo...and I was ill...Leo took on my mother on his own and even going all out...he was still on the losing side…”

 

“How’d he win?? Did he awaken the powers again??”

 

“No...by that point he couldn’t do it…I didn’t understand why.”

 

Parappa thinks for abit. _That would explain why it didn’t come out when he took on Tycoon...what convenient timing…_ “Then what happened?”

 

“You did.”

 

“Come again.”

 

“Let me clarify. The day my hero took on my mother, was the day you took off on the rapping scene. As they crashed around in their bout, nearby communication devices started broadcasting about ‘A young pup who had just took the biggest steps into his new career. And he couldn’t be happier!’ And it started playing audio. It went like...this…” She starts humming before singing herself.

 

 _“_ **_You gotta do what!?_ ** _I gotta redeem!_   
**_You sure about that!?_ ** _I gotta relieve!_   
**_You gotta do what!?_ ** _I gotta receive!_ _  
_ **_But most important_ ** , I gotta BELIEVE!!”

 

Parappa is amazed by what the knowledge he learned, but he lets Amby carry on “Hearing that...helped him. He got back up and annoyed my mother into ended it all right then and there. She tried blasting him into nothing, but he rode the stream she fired and lunged directly at her face! And with his nails, he slashed her clean in the face! With her sight now excruciatingly limited, she ran away as to avoid suffering anymore ‘surprises’. But not before proclaiming that he wouldn’t be able to do much since he was the only one left...and that took the joy out of his victory as he ended up broken and led to mourn…which-”

 

“Leads into his fight against Tycoon...when he’s mourning at the graves…”

 

“Right…” She clears her throat “The fight that my hero WON!”

 

“Yeah, he did win. Because he did the one thing he knew he should. He believed.” Parappa feels a load of pride swell up within his heart but settles it down in order to ask another question “You...refer to my son as ‘Hero’ quite alot. Why is that?”

 

“Two reasons. He told me back when we first met that being a hero...well it was something he ALWAYS wanted to be. But that’s a story he should tell you. It was a special story that I just can’t do it justice. The second was...because he became mine after saving me. And I don’t mean when he liberated me or the countless other times he saved my butt, but by saving me from...my loneliness…” Her face brightens up as she holds her hands together and stares into the distance “He was my hero and will always be my hero! My Leo Steps!” She does what Sirius did days before. She flicks her thumb like a lighter and presses it on Parappa’s forehead.

 

* * *

 

Parappa is launched into a psychedelic zone, and as he lands he hears the sound of music being sung through her voice, it sounded like a pop song. He looks at his body and sees that it’s now an assortment of funky watercolors. Unlike Sirius’s vision, Amby was speaking to him. He couldn’t see her, only hear her as she started telling her story through the other voices of her that were singing.

 

**_You are the wooooorld to meeeeeeee!_ **

**_I am the staaaaaaars to yoooooooou~_ **

**_Look at how haaaaappy we’d beeee,_ **

**_If it were always only just us twooooo~..._ **

 

_Life as a witch wasn’t fun for me...Aqua was the last of my siblings to see the true goodness in my mother, so all my life, I grew up hating the ‘new’ her. I saw no redeemable qualities and it was only intensified by having two horrible older brothers. Aqua wasn’t any better...despite not being possessed at the time...she was still very smothering. And so I ran away, not looking back as my tiny legs took me as far as my energy would allow me. And in my running, I met a sad boy who looked even sadder than I did! He was crying all to himself and I just couldn’t ignore it. Turns out I wasn’t alone. As I walked up, a bear and an otter went along with me! Then a large flea and weird mystery woman also walked up! We got the boy to stop crying and cheer up! Despite that, he was still sad and needed some company. I had nowhere to go, so I decided to be that company for abit. And I got to spend a week with him! I got to know him really well! And...and...he's really cute when he's happy… then the week ended…_

 

A blue swirl pulls the younger Amby away from the younger fox Leo. Amby is placed back into the arms of Aqua and Kayla as they head back to Port Barracuda.

 

**_Why do I cryyyyyy these teeeeeaaaars?_ **

**_It's cuz I waaaaaaant yooou neeeeaaaaar…_ **

**_I just waaaaaaant yoooou to staaaaaaaay_ **

**_By myyyyyyyy siiiide alwaaaaaaays…_ **

 

The young Amby cries as a dark shadow looms over them and Port Barracuda, the only thing that isn't faded is a bright red bow tie on the shadow’s neck. And in a flash, they all age. Aqua vanishing from Ambrosia’s side. The large shadow then lowers his hands towards her and soon after, her eyes turn bright red as a strange device appears on her chest.

 

_That's when my sadness grew to levels I never thought possible. I was like a captive princess...but I always had the thought of seeing my new friend again! That kept me going!...but that wasn't something Tycoon wanted...so he locked my happiness away along with my free will...now I was even more so like a caged princess...and what's worse...I was ordered out along with other hypnotized souls into raiding a club to recruit others...or worse...kill people…_

 

**_I'm so aloooooone right noooooowww,_ **

**_I need you to hooooooold me tiiieeeeiiiiight!_ **

**_Let's make this our fiiiiirst voooooow,_ **

**_And stay with meeeeeee all niiiiieeeeiiiiiight!_ **

 

_Then...that's when my dark clouds finally went away…~_

 

In the very same building that she and the other teens started making their ruckus in, three of the dancers started taking arms to stop them. It was Leo, Emile and Milton. But the Leo was not wearing what he actually had, the vision had skewed his appearance just a smidge...he was now instead wearing a weird white suit and armor hybrid with a peace sign insignia on the center and wearing the weird glasses that PJ got him when he was way younger. He was standing with his legs separate and his fists on his hips, a cape appears on his back and flows in the nonexistent wind. Amby might’ve thought very highly of him.

 

 _That kid...well...he wasn't a kid anymore...my_ **_friend_ ** _came through and saved me!_

 

**_You are my shiiiining skyyyyyy_ **

**_Erasing the whiiiiiite and blaaaaaaaack!_ **

**_You make my heaaaart fly hiiiiigh_ **

**_Because you’re whaaaaat iiit laaaaaacks~..._ **

 

_He threw weird marbles at everyone but me. He didn't attack me, he just stopped the second he saw me and just talked to me. He said how he was so happy to see me after seven years. He poured his heart out on how he was so overjoyed to see an old friend...he only wished that it was on better terms...but he kept dodging the attacks that I did and soon ended off his speech with a hug. It was incredibly reckless! I could’ve hurt him! But maybe he knew that I wouldn't...because I didn't...the device that was latched onto my chest started short circuiting and broke off. The electrical wave from it shut down the ones on the other teens to! I had my friend back!...My...my knight in shining armor!...but...that wouldn't last as out came an annoying six headed dragon…_

 

Parappa suddenly becomes confused “Six headed drago-...” six pairs of eyes appeared behind Leo, and out from the shadows appeared the Queens “...Ooooooh…but why are you…” Parappa starts replaying what he heard so far from the song within his head and soon pieces it together “...Ohhhhh...oh I'm...so sorry…”

 

_They were such...such!...Horrendous creatures! You just couldn't STAND them! And the main head had the audacity to approach my hero! I tried to keep her at bay! But the other heads restrained me! Then she did the unthinkable! She took my hero's first kiss!...at first my hero didn't like em just as much as I didn't! But they were still involved in our lives now...then our adventures started! I felt so...hopeless and alone, but my hero was always there to pick me back up again through the thick and thin! We’ve been through so much as he even offered me to stay with him for the duration so that I’d have company through the days...then the dragons...they casted a spell on him...I'm sure of it!...because he started feeling happier around them...and...that wasn't fair…_

 

**_What am I goooonna doooooooo!_ **

**_Whatcha see in heeeeeer but not meeeeiiiieeeee!_ **

**_I don't wanna loooooose youuuuu…_ **

**_How did I let aaaaaall of thiiiiiiis beeeeiiiieeee…_ **

 

_They spent all their time together...and then...true love happened...the horrible main head turned into a beautiful princess herself… and they fell in love. I was...upset...and empty...but then...I saw my hero...he was...smiling...laughing...he was so...so happy...the entire adventure we had so far during this time...he wasn't very happy...and yet here he finally was, happy again. I...couldn't help but be happy myself. I then thought it over. She was just something to him that I just wasn't. She could be things that I can't. She was...his hero… I then came to terms...maybe...the dragon princess wasn't so bad…_

 

The Queen's are seen with Milton and Emile as they all play music. Leo is seen in a very bizarre dress suit that looks like it were made in the underworld while Harper wore a lace black dress that went against the things she'd usually be seen wearing...mostly. They both danced in each others embrace...Amby is seen in the distance trying to look away, but soon turns to the two and smiles as she wipes her tears away. Parappa begins thinking ‘Was this...how they all felt when I got together with Sunny?...’

 

**_Was this looooove just a biiiig miiiiistaaaaaake?…_ **

**_I'm still glad that I goooot to partaaaaaake!_ **

**_So maybe it's noooooot sooo baaaaaeeeeaaaad._ **

**_After seeing all that weeeeeee still haaaaeeeeaaad!_ **

 

_Be that as it may, I was still...heartbroken...secondhand rejection isn't fun...not at all… it just made me realize that...the seven year split made me miss out on what could've been, and that I was alone again… but then my hero came up to me. He grabbed me by the hand and lifted me right back up. He told me of how happy he was to have a friend like me in his life. The other two were good companions, but they lacked the sensitivity of a proper friend. And I kept him level headed. In fact it was me as motivation that allowed him to take the chance that he did with the drago...with Harper. I was the confidence he lacked, the bright stars to clear his path. Our adventures just grew crazier and crazier, he even ended up getting a student along the way! No matter how things got, he always turned to me, his stars in the sky._

 

**_OOOOOH YOU ARE THE WOOOOORLD TO MEEEEEEE!_ **

**_I AM THE STAAAAAAAARS TO YOOOOOOUUUUUUU!_ **

**_JUST GOTTA SEEEEEEEET YOU FREEEEEE!_ **

**_I KNOOOOW IT'S THE RIGHT THING THAT IIIIIIII GOTTA DOOOOOOO!_ **

 

_I may not have been the one for him, but I was still someone he was thankful to have in his life...and it showed...when our two friends went away…_

 

Spinni is seen attempting to grab Leo, but Milton and Emile get in the way, and soon after their heads are crushed in his hands.

 

_My new friends the Queens…they also went away…thanks to my ‘family’..._

 

Each of the Queens are slowly killed off by Aqua and Sirius. Parappa is forced to witness Mocha’s death again along with how the others got killed.

 

_My second best friend Harper was murdered by my oldest brother while my second brother decided to attack innocent people…_

 

Harper is seen being impaled in the same way Leo was by Tycoon, just not by the same man. She is then left to fall from the building she's on. Skadi appears as he provokes Leo into killing him, to which he does, resulting in Skadi resurrecting himself endlessly.

 

**_WHY DO YOU CRY THOSE TEEEAAAARS?..._ **

**_WHY DO YOU NOW OOOONLY FROOOOOOWN?..._ **

**_WAS THIS OOOOOONE OF YOOOOUUUUUR FEEEEEAAAAARS?..._ **

**_HAVE I REALLY LEEEEET YOOOOU DOOOOOOWN..._ **

 

_I kept him ok during all of it...but in the end. Leo...my hero. Had to beat them all._

 

Leo smashes Spinni away with ease and manhandles Athena. He then sees him trouncing Aqua and Sirius again. He then is seen using Harper's guitar as he flies around Narcis at high speeds, cutting him into many pieces before smashing his head away. And finally he’s seen fighting Skadi, where he sees Amby drain him of his magic, allowing Leo to finish him off with the cannon on the guitar.

 

**_YOU SURE THAT YOU’LL BEEEEE OKAAAAAAAY?_ **

**_JUST PROMISE ME THAAAAAAT YOU WIIIIIIIILL!_ **

**_THERE WILL ALWAYS BE NEEEEEW SUUUUNNY DAAAAAYS,_ **

**_TO THAT VOW I CAAAAAAN FULFIIIIIILL!_ **

 

_Then came the end of our time together...and I almost lost my hero…_

 

He sees the disheartening sight yet again.

 

_But it wasn't the end of his story...and so…_

 

_“I’m giving up my future…so that you can save yours!...”_

 

**_You are my truuuuue looooove…_ **

**_I don't wanna saaaaaaaay goodbyeeeee…_ **

**_I always put yoooooou abooooooove…_ **

**_But it still had to eeeeeend, oh whyyyyyyy…_ **

 

**_Just promise me thiiiiiiis last pleeeeaaaa..._ **

**_Don't you foooorget aboooouut meeeeee…_ **

**_I will reeeeemeeeeember yoooouuuu…_ **

**_So I hope that you’ll always remember me tooooooo…~_ **

 

**_I looooooove yooooooou_ **

**_You knooowww i’ll alwaaaaays dooooo_ **

 

The final two lines repeat over and over as Leo stands before a grave that he sets a bouquet at. Bubbles float around his body all the while. He places his hands in his pockets and looks to the sky. A stray tear falls down his cheek before it starts to rain, whether or not he was actually crying was now hidden thanks to the weather. Parappa walks towards the vision and grabs ahold of one of his arms. The vision Leo turns to Parappa and smiles before disappearing.

 

The vision ends as Parappa is taken out of the memory.

 

* * *

 

Parappa stares at the ghost girl “Amby I...I'm sorry…”

 

“You're sorry? For what?...”

 

“I...I feel bad that my son was as dense an idiot...like me…”

 

“Oh no! Don't feel bad about that! As I said, I was fine. I may not have been the girl he wanted to spend the rest of his days with, but I was still someone he needed in order to keep himself ok. And...you know? That was good enough for me. Harper even became my best friend. But in the end, we both ended up leaving Leo.”

 

“Yeah...heh...so hero was just your way of saying your ‘Love’ then huh?...”

 

“It's the only way I could've said to him, but I guess he took it literally. I became family to him and he always kept me within arms reach as to keep me safe, so that I could keep him safe. In a sense, I was both disappointed, but still honored. Then just fully honored as I realized that I was still quite possibly one of the most important people to him. And that was alright in my book. I wonder...if I were more upset with letting my heart lose what it wanted...would I still be saying those words? Who’s to say...that I’m not still upset?...”

 

The words that Amby says makes him wonder how each of the girls felt. Parappa sees this as a mistake he’d have to fix immediately, but how? “Are you?...”

 

“Well i’m dead...so what does it matter. Either way he loves Harper even still, and I’m ok with that because she makes him happy. Something I always cherish seeing. Now she can’t...now _I_ can’t. So i’m upset that we’re both failures…”

 

“You’re not a failure! He’s happy he got to meet you in the first place! You were a friend to him that he’ll never forget! I came to learn that Leo was miserable in his future!...And it was thanks to me...What I let get to me caused all the other kids to torment him to no end...he blamed himself for what happened to me even when he knew that wasn’t the reason...and he went back in time. You reminded him of both himself and his only friend of the group that he had to leave behind. You are someone Leo could never forget. And...I think you should hear him say that for himself.”

 

“I-I can’t!...I can’t go...up to him…”

 

“Why not?”

 

“I-I just can’t...I left him alone...I abandoned him...I probably could’ve have found a way to avoid the whole situation...but in the end...I left him without the ability to say no...and I don’t think I can ever go back to face him… He’d despise me.” Parappa’s now forced to see how Sunny felt during their break up with her new explanation. Does she also feel like she could never show her face again? He hoped not. And so he’d try formulating a plan to help with that! But first.

 

“No. He wouldn’t. He’d welcome you with open arms just like old times. And...maybe you could even get closure with him. I know it’d help the two of you. And I’d know you’d both end up happy from it.”

 

“...How do you know?...”

 

“Because that’s how i’d be...if I were in his shoes.” Her eyes sparkle as if she was about to cry, and then she sighs.

 

“I-I’ll take your word...while we’re on it...I guess...I should do the same with my sister huh?...”

 

“I mean...Aqua knows she wasn’t the ideal sister...but she still loved you with all her heart...and just like Leo, she misses you. So does your new in law Sirius!”

 

“Heh...they tied the knot huh?...ok.” She struggles to move “C-Can you...escort me down?...”

 

“Sure thing. Anything for a family friend~” he grabs her by the hand and begins walking her down the stairs.

 

Parappa makes it down the stairs first and sees Kayla and Paula talking to Ana, showing that Aqua had finished with her turn. The other ghosts had manifested and kindly sat aside as to not interrupt. His five friends all look at him with Aqua speaking up “Hey Parappa, where’d you run off to??” He only smiles as he walks abit forward and then turns to talk to who he’s escorting.

 

“Come on, it’ll be ok~” Aqua manifests a bubble made question mark above her head as she hears Parappa say that, but then it pops and splashes water all over her as she sees the axolotl appear right after him. She slowly stands and makes her way to the new ghost.

 

“A...A-Ambrosia?...” She barely manages to hold her body upright as she talks to the ghost.

 

“...Hey Aqua…~” She manages to look her older sister in the eyes.

 

* * *

 

The girls follow Leo and soon spot him at a shop distract located at the edge of PaRappa Town.

 

“My...w-what an obscure path Leo decided to take…”

 

“You’re telling me!...Although...I gotta say. I recognize coming to this part of town when I was younger. Can’t for the life of me remember why...It’s not like me to forget places!”

 

“Maybe you forgot for a reason??”

 

“Pffffffft, what reason would our lovely town have for me to wanna forget it?~ Come on let’s keep on him!” They stay on his tail and soon they spot him stop in front of a peculiar building. Katy can’t help but feel some tension, but still she shrugs it off from lack of understanding. They sneak up right behind him as he opens the door. The chimes at the top ring as this happens, prompting a ‘hello’ from someone who rushes up. It’s a veiled woman wearing a specific set of clothing. But before the gleeful Leo can reply, Katy pokes her head from behind him and shouts her own greeting with...mixed results… “HELLOOOOOOOOOOH GOD WHAT?! **MOM?!** ”

 

The lady backs away slowly after hearing the shocked accusation, her face stuck on the cat and lamb, as well as the helmeted boy. Said helmet bursts like a overfilled balloon from the overwhelming tension on his face as he stares between the uninvited guests and her. She bumps into a shelf that drops a large vase over her head. She frantically removes it and as she does, it removes her veil. Her face is shown to match the upset cat with slight differences, and the sight emits more panic from the fox as the newly revealed cat tries to speak up “Y-You didn’t tell me you’d b-be bringing such…’specific’ g-guests…when you said you'd v-visit...”

 

The boy doesn’t say anything, but her disgruntled daughter sure does “You didn’t tell me YOU were raising my future boy IN PLACE OF WHEN YOU SHOULD’VE BEEN BEING A PROPER PARENT TO ME…”

 

“Y-Your boy?...” She panics until Lammy speaks up.

 

“U-Um...Katy...It’s still not g-guaranteed that he’s your kid…”

 

“I KNOW BUT STILL, AND THAT’S NOT THE POINT!”

 

“R-Right…a chance...” She calms down abit until she soon hears something else amidst her angry daughter's ramblings “What?...”

 

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHAT?!”

 

“Listen I understand that you’re currently irate with me, you have every right to be, but what is that...P-PRECIOUS!...” She stares at the boy who is huddled to the ground against the wall. He clutches his chest as he hyperventilates to a point that he can’t even breathe anymore and struggles on the floor. Noella runs off into the back of her establishment and returns in a flash, running to the boy immediately upon her return. She wedges an object in his mouth. It’s an inhaler “B-Breathe Precious breathe!...Calm down, it’s all going to be alright...” she pressed the nozzle as she tries to ease him up.

 

“AND YOU HAVE A FUCKING INHALER FOR HIM PREPPED UP?! OH BUT I GET SCUFFED UP AND YOU JUST TELL ME TO WALK IT OFF! THERE’S NO WAY IN HELL THAT YOU JUST SO HAPPENED TO HAVE THAT, TO BE THAT PREPARED MEANS YOU HAD THAT SINCE WHEN HE FIRST NEEDED IT AND KEPT IT IN CASE IT HAPPENED AGAIN! ALONG WITH WHO KNOWS WHAT FUCKING ELSE! SURE, PAMPER THE CHILD YOU BARELY FUCKING KNEW AT THE TIME INSTEAD OF YOUR OWN DAMN DAUGHTER!” she closes her eyes and hunches down as she fumes on the spot, her body turning red from the anger with literal flames escaping her mouth.

 

“K-Katy m-maybe you can ease up just a b-bit…” Lammy fiddles with her fingers “I-I mean it’s not my place t-to say, but erm...c-can’t you atleast l-let your mother give h-her side of th-” Katy reaches her breaking point as her eyes snap open and slit up. She turns to her friend and yells at her, with a small unexpected twist.

 

 **“SHUT THE HELL UP!”** A white ring blasts out of her mouth and into Lammy’s face. She almost topples over, but manages to stay steady. As she stands back upright, her eyes and ears along with her mouth are left with a glowing white hue. She then places her hands over her mouth in a hypnotized trance **“ANYMORE REMARKS?!”** the lamb just shakes her head in a slow monotonous fashion **“GOOD!”**

 

Noella stays stunned at what she just saw, but before she does anything, she finishes up in making sure Leo is just fine. He calms down abit as he grabs hold of the inhaler himself. He stands back up and moves away as the worried mother approaches her angry daughter. She grabs hold of her ears in preparation “Katy...that is enough…”

 

 **“QUIET! DON’T YOU TELL ME WHAT IS OR ISN’T ENOUGH!”** Noella flinches, but manages to avoid being affected by her voice.

 

“Katy…”

 

 **“I SAID QUIET!”** the elder cat grits her teeth.

 

“KATHERINE ARISTA KAT. I SAID THAT. IS. **ENOUGH!** ” what Katy had done to Lammy now happens to herself as she’s hit with a white noise that comes from Noella. Katy grabs her head and struggles abit before her arms fall to her side and she stands upright, but her scowl remains. The elder cat sighs before turning to Lammy and snapping her fingers, releasing the girl from her trance.

 

“W-Whoa...ow my head...what...h-happened to me?...”

 

“My daughter did...by accident...please don’t think to badly of her for what she did Lammy…”

 

“...Well...I guess that’s o-one way to awaken your family traits...just wish it wasn’t done out of anger towards m-me…”

 

“W-Would you like me to make her apologize?...”

 

“N-NO!...Erm...she’d...probably end up angrier at you if you did…”

 

“A fair point…” She lifts her hand up to release Katy, but Lammy quickly grabs her hand.

 

“I-I suggest you...not do that r-right away…” She motions her head forward, getting the cat woman to look at the overtly emotionally exhausted fox boy.

 

“Right…” She clears her throat **“You are given no order, simply come inside and have a chat with us...only if you please.”** The cat grits her teeth and scoffs as she looks away still unable to move, It all earns a saddened look from her mother. Lammy grabs a hold of Katy’s hand.

 

“W-We’d love to join the two of you! Thank y-you for allowing us to stay despite o-our uninvited intrusion…!” Katy stares intensely at the Lamb as she dragged along with her to the inside of the building.

 

Once they’re out of hearing distance, Noella walks up to Leo “Come along now precious...and...don’t worry I won’t tell her or anyon-”

 

“Why didn’t you tell me you were my grandmother…”

 

“...I...was afraid of what would have happened to her...if I did...I worried that if she came into contact with you...terrible things might have happened...in the end...my fears were moot...being with Parappa already put her into trouble...and...keeping you two separate for so long may have damaged you in the long run…I ended up causing more harm than good that could’ve have all been avoided had I just...had more faith in my daughter...and my grandson…”

 

“...”

 

“I-I don’t mean any offense by it Precious!...you know i’d never…” He still doesn’t reply “Do you despise me now?...”

 

“...No Nana...I could never...You as Nana. K...and you as my grandmother...You’ve been great to me in the future...and the same can be said about now in the past…” he rubs his eyes “I guess it makes sense about why you suddenly believed me back when I first showed you the photo…”

 

“The sight...made me happy...because my daughter ended up getting together with the boy that...frankly saved her life. His whole family did…as well as it being the boy that...well makes her happy. In the background of the photo I saw myself, so I figured we got to atleast get past the rough waters and make up as family again...and just now you said I've been great to you in the future as your grandmother.” She hugs her own arms “I wanted to protect that future that I went the wrong way about it…”

 

“It’s all good...I mean...in the end, what you did was the proper way to go about things…” He holds himself tightly “I was never...fully told as to why she disliked you in her younger days…”

 

“May we...discuss that another time between ourselves?...Right now it seems like...I’ll have to make up much sooner...while my daughter is still highly full of energy and still very irritable…”

 

“I-I’ll help!...”

 

“Now you know I’d never deny your help Precious...but...right now. You’d make things much more harder for me…”

 

“But!-”

 

“Europa...please… If I require your help...you’ll know.”

 

“Alright Nana…”

 

“Good. Now...let’s head into the Lion’s den…” She slowly moves on to where the two girls walked off to with Europa sticking closely behind her.

 

* * *

 

“A-Aqua please stop crying…” Ambrosia says as the older axolotl girl stays latched onto the spirit, crying up a storm, refusing to budge.

 

“Wow...thirty minutes...that must be a record or something!” After Sirius says this, all the other spirits begin booing him and pelting him with objects, finished off by a triple ice blast from the foxes “You know, my mouth always seems to get me into trouble because I can never say the right thing…Now I know how Soren feels...”

 

“Aqua, wouldn’t you rather...talk to Amby rather than cry all the time? I think it’d be a better way to expel the emotions!” Parappa says as he tries helping Ambrosia get her off.

 

“...M-May I?...”

 

“Yes!...But can you be less...smother-y while you do so?...”

 

“I’ll...I’ll try...but can we do so privately?...” Amby stutters as she looks to Parappa. He gives her a reassuring nod.

 

She takes a deep breath and looks at her sister “...Sure. Let’s give this family thing another shot sis.” they both head up the stairs. Parappa smiles before he’s grabbed from behind and wrapped into a hug.

 

“Look at you being the cute little reuniter~” Paula says as the boy fumbles about.

 

“Hey, I saw her trying to sneak off. Followed and talked to her, and turns out she wanted to try and reconcile with her sister. She just need a little helpful push. I'd say she got it.”

 

“You're the best in these situations, you know that?~”

 

“Oh I'm sure there are those that are better than me!”

 

“Whaaaat? You're crazy!”

 

“I'm just saying it how it is!”

 

“Just shut up and take the complement~” as the two chatter, Kayla and Ana tilt their heads at the exchange. They then turn their attention to Sirius, who cleared his throat rather loudly.

 

“Yeah, it's exactly what the two of you are thinking.” there is ticking within their heads before they both hold their hands together as they look back to the duo with big smiles.

 

“Hey you two...sorry to intervene in your pleasantries, but may I have a word?~” Ana says as she floats in front of the two.

 

“Sure Aunt Ana. We don't mind right Parappa?”

 

“Course we don't! Speak away!”

 

“Alright! But first, young man, I hear you saved both my kin from a rather terrible fate that my once best friend put them in… might I ask how you bested the beast?”

 

“Ah! Sure! Well you see, I kinda got hypnotized into heading over TO her...but she seemed different, like she was beaten up rather badly...no clue what happened to her, I passed out beforehand! Paula told me I helped her get away while Sirius and Aqua gave us cover fire.”

 

“H-Haha...yeah t-that’s how it went...nothing else h-happened.”

 

“Right, and so she was really angry with me for running away I guess that she didn't eat me on that he spot from it. After a few blunders on her part, I'm back above water with my only defenses breaking off each attack! Soon after I'm left defenseless in the air until Paula created a way for me to avoid certain doom! I land on the monster’s forehead and spot Kayla again! Aqua told me that she wanted our help in pulling her out, so I did just that! I did all I could to pluck her out and I was constantly smacked off in the process. It didn't stop me! When she tried to hit me off again I just used my power! Kinda had to go against what Sirius told me to do…” he closes his eyes and scratches his head with his good hand as a lone sweat drop falls along his face.

 

“What was that?...”

 

“Overload my power! I forced out all the I can to zap away the things that kept hitting me off! Then the mermaid grabbed me, and so I did the method again, but this time on my body in order to get her off! It worked! But now I was exhausted and trapped again in her tentacles… then came help from land along with help from Kayla herself! We both almost escaped until we're both downed once again. I use my magnetism to pull the second tank that was ripped off my back out of the water and used it as an escape method like how I kinda did with the first! Then we were left in the air...I didn't think far enough, but...when the mermaid came after us that one final time...something in my mind was telling me to just...punch her. I didn't know why specifically...I didn't have the strength to throw one. Then I noticed if I hit her just hard enough, I could probably get her to be eaten by the big monster body! But how could I throw the punch? That's when it hit me! Use the force of the tank! I latched it on my arm and then ignored the most crucial warning that Sirius gave me. I pumped so much of my electricity into my hand. It was like something in me was telling me to do that...and so I did, so much so that my arm and hand started getting electrocuted and burned on the spot!” he raises his bad hand “But that didn't matter! I didn't care as I kept doing it and threw the punch, and it did what I wanted it to and then some! She went through the best instead! Getting rid of both of them with one punch! Then I fainted again…”

 

Ana blinks a few times before holding her mouth “E...Electricity?...are you...from Soul of the Funk?”

 

“My mom and dad were. All my abilities came from them. Well...only just my dad since only he could eject electricity, mom could only keep it in her body as a booster. That would've helped alot more, but I tried doing hers by using my dad's method of pumping electricity into something since I don't think I have my mom's version. So I tried my hand thinking it'd be the same thing...nope. Why asking?”

 

“Do you...not hate us??”

 

“Wha? No! Never! Why would I...ah...right...the whole, polar opposite thing between Cruisin and Soul...no! I don't hate you!...two of my best friends are Cruisin descendants...and so were my mom and dad's best friends!” the answer stuns the ghost.

 

“Well there's my niece...but who's your second friend?”

 

“Katy Kat!”

 

“Kat…? That...last name is familiar…”  she ponders abit before putting it on hold “As I try to remember, who were your parents friends?”

 

“Your sister for starters! Along with Katy’s mother Noella!”

 

“Noella?? She was a strange one...before I died, I saw her advocating for the calling of the sirens. And then she up and changed her mind and helped in stopping them!...As I laid dying, she somehow kept them at bay by doing one of the very same things they could! And speaking about advocating...Now I remember...Little Robert Kat...the horrendous little son of Lupe Kat...how does the child of a glorious well respected woman fully back the idea of releasing three terrible fiends...I’ll never understand. He also took it back from what I recall but he did nothing aside from give a passing sorry and that was it...as a child, especially one that was now parentless, I guess he was pardoned. But I didn’t buy it. And he married Noella? The poor girl... That aside, so Katy I assume is their ilk. Daughter of a brat and a pseudo siren hero, Granddaughter of a late hero. Must have been a rather...rough uprising.”

 

“That’s putting it mildly…But I helped out in stopping things from getting much worse for her! She has quite the happy life now! Course she’s since disconnected herself from her family.”

 

“Oh my…I mean I suppose that’s about right. Hm...Both Robert and Noella each had abilities a siren had, making them partial...Robert from his mother inherited her stoic emotional...and emotionless self control to allow greater focus of her water controlling capabilities as well as her arcane prowess. Noella had a siren’s powerful and lulling voice. My my, then if that’s the case, I can assume Katy is a full siren then! What...oddities…I hope she doesn’t end up like them...”

 

“Huh...I never thought of it like that. She won’t! She’s to nice a person! Right Paula?”

 

“Oh I can greatly back that up! She may end up hot headed at times, but Katy can always distinguish right from wrong!”

 

“That’s reassuring.”

 

“Wait a minute though...then...by default, aren’t Spectora and her children siren’s to?”

 

“Mmm...No… see...it’s like this.” She floats into a sitting position “To be a siren is like...a special...erm...one in one hundred type deal. Sir Axel, their father, wasn’t a siren. Yet when they were born, they were. When Spectora was born, she was not. It happens each new life generation. But I don’t think they’ve stayed within the same bloodline...the result is always the same, the siren ends up twisted. So I can assume it doesn’t stay in the same lineage to avoid more evil.”

 

“And so...Katy was born as the new siren?” Paula asks.

 

“It could very well be the case, if she has the abilities.”

 

“Well, my dad said that she possibly doesn’t have that chance...then again he said I wouldn’t and look at me now!” He stands proudly until Sirius bursts his bubble.

 

“Buddy you nearly blew up your hand.”

 

“...alright yeah that did almost happen…” he smiles in awkward defeat as he holds his battered hand “That being said, I haven’t seen her use anything of the sort as of late so...who knows! I doubt she even awakened anything!”

 

* * *

 

Leo, Noella and Lammy are wearing headphones as Katy continuously yells, blasting out sonic waves with each word. She storms about the room discussing the hardships of her life as she throws her arms side to side, motioning her frustration.

  


“I’m so glad I chose to have this room reinforced as well as chose to move away any fragile objects…”

 

“Good call Nana…”

 

“V-Very…”

 

“I just wish Katy would let you atleast get a full SENTENCE out before cutting you off and bursting out a storm...what is she even doing?!”

 

“Precious, this is something I can do that she inherited from me. I have a quite a special voice...however it’s quite destructive...and can be quite a tricky thing since I can hypnotize people.”

 

“I d-didn’t think Katy would h-have it…”

 

“Oh so you were aware Lammy?”

 

“How does everyone know all this but me?!”

 

“I-I was told by Mr. Rappa…”

 

“...Oh...is that so?...I’ll have to have a chat with my old friend…”

 

“Grandpa told you?? He didn’t tell me!...I’m offended...but at the very least I know ALL of your powers...right?...”

 

“D-Did Matt awaken to??”

 

“OH COME ON!...Next you’re gonna tell me my dad can do something?!”

 

“E-Erm…”

 

“...What can he do?...”

 

“W-Well it’s not guaranteed...but…”

 

“He should be able to control electricity.” Noella states as she gets a shocked expression out of Leo.

 

“How do you know that??”

 

“As I said, Pappy was my friend in the younger days of my life.”

 

“Pappy?”

 

“Erm!...I mean Papillon!” she shakes her head “He and Europa could control electricity in their own special ways, everyone in their group could, it’s why they flocked together.”

 

“Oy vey…”

 

“Ignore that for now...What should have your focus right now is getting her to STOP… Right now she has no idea what she’s doing or the damage she could potentially cause if she’s left to carry on!”

 

“But how do we calm her down Nana??”

 

“S-She doesn’t seem to w-wanna calm down anytime s-soon…”

 

“Can you hold her steady Lammy?...”

 

“...I’m...kind of a-afraid that she might tear my arms o-off…”

 

“Isn’t there anything you can say to her that can calm her down just a smidge?...”

 

“...Well...I have one thing…” She sighs before standing and grabbing Katy from behind. The cat struggles to shake off her friend “Katy, pleeeeease...just...let your mother speak for a bit and explain alright??...I know you’ve had quite possibly the worst childhood thanks to them...but remember three things...one...it’s thanks to her that Leo got to live this long, two it’s thanks to her you found that hidden wonderland, and three it’s thanks to her that you got to become friends with Parappa!...” She stops shaking, but still refuses to accept the lambs words “If you let her...I’ll tag along with you and Poppy tomorrow…I promise...” she sighs as grunts out a noise sounding like ‘alriiiight…’ “Thank you…” she let’s go of the cat and watches as she sits on the couch opposite to Noella and Leo. Her right leg goes over her left as she crosses her arms and huffs in aggravation. Her eyes squinted down towards her. Lammy sits down next to Katy in slight fear.

 

“Well...i’m all ears...begrudgingly…”

 

“Yes...it would appear that you are… Alright...I know that I was...not the ideal parent...quite possibly the worst woman to ever BE a parent, and I don’t really deny any of those claims.” She inhales deeply “There are things i’ve done to you...things I’ve denied from you...things i’ve taken from you...frankly I was just a cruel monstrosity towards you really.”

 

“Funny how you admit to all of this now as if I’ll just magically forgive you. As if it just made all those things come ‘undone’!”

 

“I’m not...I know it won’t fix anything. I just want you to know that...that I was never ignorant...just that I could never do anything…”

 

“Why is that.”

 

“I feared that if I did anything, I would end up molding you into a terrible person like me...or...God forbid...like your father...every method I had of properly raising you always had a clashing tendency with how your father would've treated you in that moment...and so I did the what I thought would be the best thing...push you away. Me and Bob are terrible parents…” _him more so for specific reasons…_ “And so just being in our presence might have consequences. I made sure you wanted as little to do with us as possible. And...it worked...yet...the damage from us had already been done as you ended up a rough child. Atleast that's what I thought...then you met that boy…” _the most miraculous outcome for you...to meet the son of the one I let get away...the child of my ray of light...ended up becoming your ray of light…_ “Parappa...that special special boy…he changed all that...and he made sure that you'd never revert back to that. I was happy...your father not so much, so that settled it. You becoming friends with that kid was the best thing to happen and so I needed to keep you away...in the end you became happy at the cost of me being a proper parent in anyway shape or form...and losing my daughter quite possibly forever…” she looks down.

 

“You expect me to believe that?”

 

“No. It's the truth, but I know you won't believe it. And that's fine given your circumstances.”

 

“Don't act like you'll win no matter which side of the argument you end up on!”

 

“But I'm not…”

 

“Look. If what you say really is the case, then why pamper Leo all of a sudden?!”

 

With him...it's cause I found him on his own...just me...your father wasn't around. It was an empty day for me...I walked along town in pure despair...then I heard a child in a tear storm. I looked at the crying child and sensed a despair I remember seeing in you...I decided to take him with me, i just had to. As you remember this is my place of business and you recall me having a miniature home here as if this place was also an apartment that I stayed at in case I needed to continuously work. I could easily keep the child hidden here. Raising him on my own meant I had much more liberty in what I could do...yet at the same time I was afraid of what I could still do to him...but as I cared for him, it just started clicking naturally as to what I needed to do...how I needed to act… things like this couldn't be done with you without your father's interference...yet with him...it was just me…”

 

“Nana certainly kept me safe...erm...sheltered even. For good reason!...”

 

“Graaagh…”

 

“E-Erm...Precious your feedback isn't required right now…”

 

* * *

 

“Actually Miss Ana...if she could use her abilities...what would be things to look out for so that she doesn't end up as a bad siren?...”

 

“Well...don't make them angry for starters…”

 

* * *

 

**“THAT IS THE MOST FUCKING STUPID REASON I'VE EVER HEARD!”**

 

* * *

 

“Don't try and calm them down or let them rage on because both outcomes have disastrous results. They see it as belittling or ignorance. Just try to talk to them as little as possible should they start getting heated…”

 

* * *

 

“Katy please…”

 

**“DON'T YOU ‘KATY PLEASE’ ME!”**

 

“Fine then...would you rather continue yelling at me?...”

 

**“YOU'D FUCKING LIKE THAT WOULDN'T YOU? TREATING ME LIKE THE BRATTY CHILD YOU TOSSED ASIDE!”**

 

* * *

 

“Their powers stem on their emotion. And so the severity all depends on their current emotion. So don't get them to use their power...yet that becomes difficult since if they get to deep into certain specific emotions...their powers just pour out in a frenzy.”

 

* * *

 

“K-Katy maybe it'd be a bit better of you t-to not lash out like this against your m-mom...you're ending up like how you describe her to b-be…”

 

 **“WHERE DO YOU GET THE GALL TO SAY THAT TO ME?! WHO ASKED FOR YOUR INPUT ANYWAY LAMMY?? LIKE SERIOUSLY??”** she roars in anger, sending out a sonic wave that sends Lammy straight into the wall.

 

“O-Ow!...augh…” she slumps over in pain as she ends up on her side.

 

* * *

 

“Then wouldn't the best course of action be to swap their emotion to a more positive one?...”

 

“Oh no my dear niece, that's even worse. See, a siren’s emotions are the most unstable part of their being. If already in a critical emotional state, swapping that on the fly makes the other emotion also end up in a critical mess as it fuses with the prior emotion...unless the new emotion somehow ends up WORSE.”

 

* * *

 

 **“L-LAMMY!...”** she rushes up to her friend, by the time she gets to her she's out, just like that. She then gets back up and stares at her mother with dead anger. But before she can act on it. Leo gets in between the two cats with his arms held out **“MOVE LEO…”**

 

Leo takes the sonic blast with ease as he holds his ground “NEVER! I MADE A PROMISE TO MYSELF TO KEEP MY FAMILY SAFE FROM ANY DANGER...THAT FAMILY INCLUDES NANA...AND THAT...t-that danger...I-IT INCLUDES YOU!...” the face of anger on her mixed with pure despair and sadness upon hearing the boy say that. She flinches backwards as she takes a few steps away from them.

 

**“W-Why would you say that...why would you defend her?...”**

 

“L-Look! I wasn't THERE to know what was happening to you! And I didn't even know that Nana was YOUR MOM!...I only knew her as Nana K...the woman who kept me from dying and put me on my feet...let me make a name for myself...and was the reason my adventure and mission even GOT to happen...and in the future you guys aren't like this…”

 

 **“She ruined my life Leo…”** she closes her eyes as she holds her head tightly, unable to comprehend the situation.

 

“Y-Yeah well!...F-F-Family or n-no-not...” he swallows roughly as he closes his eyes with confused tears pouring out **“I WON'T LET YOU RUIN MINE!”** a sonic wave leaves Leo's mouth and hits the floor. He's ignorant to the shockwave he makes as he stays there crying. Katy is flung off of her feet, but doesn't know why, she assumes she just fell over from her own rampant emotions. Meanwhile Noella stares in deep shock as she's also toppled onto her rear.

 

* * *

 

“That...sounds a smidge like Katy doesn't it Parappa?...”

 

Parappa is left to think it over. Paula wasn't wrong, but she would never try to purposely cause harm. If she ever got to that point, it's because she was hurt “No Paula, it doesn't. Katy may be a bit of an emotional gal, but it's only because of how things end up. She always gets back to it by the end. And even apologizes or tries to see eye to eye if she can!” Parappa nods before turning back to Ana “So that just means that Katy is a good siren! You think that'd pass down to her kids?...”

 

“Hard to say...if the genetics feared the recipient would end up evil again...then your friend might be their saving grace. But it's not like you could figure that out easily. You wouldn't be able to get evidence until the future!”

 

* * *

 

Katy shuffles onto her knees “What...what do you want from me…”

 

Leo wipes his eyes and keeps them closed as he sits back on the couch **“I just want you two to get along…”** two white rings leave his mouth and strike the distracted Katy and Noella who don't notice. It doesn't hypnotize or possess them, but it does get them both feeling immensely depressed and defeated. Noella walks over to Lammy and picks her up. She places her body on the other couch for her to properly rest on rather than the floor. She then sits on Leo's left side. Katy wipes her eyes as she gets up and sits on his right. Together they each grab one of his hands and say in unison.

 

 _“Alright…”_ they clench his hands tightly. But he soon starts coughing rather roughly. And in a matter of seconds his coughs start ejecting small drops of red liquid as he let’s go of their hands and holds his chest tightly, freaking both cats out.

 

* * *

 

“Got me there...well atleast I can take solace in knowing my friend is good! Now what else did you wanna say to us Miss Ana?”

 

“Ah yes...Soul child...are you perhaps the significant other of my niece?~”

 

Both young animals turn tomato faced as they try to clear the air. Meanwhile as this happens, the two axolotl finish up their conversation.

 

“I must admit...this has been quite an enjoyable chat Aqua.”

 

“I'm happy to hear that you're tolerating me again at the very least.”

 

“Oh it's more than just tolerance silly sister!...” Amby forces out a quick chuckle before changing the subject “I'm glad you've been keeping him safe sis…”

 

“I owe alot to him, plus I treat him like the brother I wish I had...I wish WE had…”

 

“I can tell by what you've told me...speaking of which...has he...gone…’out of it’ again?”

 

“I assume you mean the electric affinity he inherited from his dad?”

 

“It's from him?? And erm...yes that.”

 

“No. No he hasn't and I'm glad. After seeing what happened to his body last time...coughing up blood almost nonstop...terrible muscle twitching and spasms...immense pain…”

 

“Have you figured out why that happens?”

 

“You know...I think I might have just pieced it together...his father was a Soul member while his mother was a Cruisin member...now his parents may not hate each other like their lineage...but I think the powers he inherited still do...and so his body...is trying to destroy itself whenever he uses anything because of the existence of the other half of himself…if he uses what he got from his father...it’s trying to eradicate the half given to him from his mother...and vice versa should he have gotten anything from his mom…”

 

“What a terrible drawback…”

 

“Be thankful it’s not going to happen again anytime soon…”

 

* * *

 

Katy paces back and forth as she soon stops to stare at the other room where her mother, Lammy and an insectoid man all hover around slowly recovering Leo. She then turns to the daisy next to her.

 

“S-...Poppy i’m so glad you made it in time...”

 

“You’re lucky another friend of Leo arrived to be able to give me a lift! Otherwise I’d have probably been to late what with the, out of the blue urgent call literally five minutes ago! What happened now??”

 

“I don’t know!...he just got upset, got angry, then just sat down dejectedly and out of nowhere he starts coughing up blood! Next thing we know is he’s on the floor in writhing agony!...”

 

“Did anything...happen as he got angry?...”

 

“Nothing! He just yelled and then got upset...wanting me and my mother to just get along...then something in me just wanted to oblige...same with her...but before we could, THAT happens…”

 

“Strange...Maybe your mother knows??”

 

“If she did, don’t you think she would’ve had a way to help him instead of panicking like the mess you saw her as when you arrived??”

 

“...Good point…” As the flower says this, Lammy and the bug man appear in the room they’re in.

 

“W-Well...he’s fine now...man what did I miss...o-oh and...thanks for fixing me up P-Poppy!”

 

“Don’t mention it!”

 

“Man...I never thought Leo’s physical condition could end up getting any worse with what happens to it out of the blue...I just arrive happily to greet my pal, only to see Poppy on her own, then she gets a call that gets my antennae in a knot! Least he pulled through...”

 

“It’s thanks to you getting me here as quickly as you did Spinni!”

 

“I don’t think I deserve thanks for that.”

 

“But you do! If you hadn’t taken Poppy here she might not have made in time! We’ve never seen this specific mess happen to Leo, so who knows what could’ve happened had he not been treated in time…Thank you...Spinni?”

 

“...Mmm...alright. I’ll accept the gratitude. And yeah it's Spinni Roach Metalgrad, that’s my name. Now if you don’t mind. This has left me with an uneasy stomach. Me and Nana over there are gonna have to give his body a good inspection to relay to sixteen. If this happens again, we’re gonna have to be prepped for it in case Poppy here ain’t around. So I’d appreciate it if you gave the three of us some privacy.”

 

“O-Of course!”

 

“Sure thing!”

 

“Yeah ok…”

 

“Alright then.” he enters the next room and shuts the door to which the cat resumes pacing.

 

“Come on now Katy, he’s fine now!”

 

“Y-Yeah! Poppy managed to help him out after all! You just gotta re-”

 

“Lammy...do you think...I caused this?...”

 

“Oh um…” _Yes, very much yes. You chose to invade into something that only ended up angering you. Didn’t let the opposing party speak up at all and made Leo’s world topple over with each word you said. I’d be shocked if this wasn’t caused from emotional damage! After all he nearly broke down and needed an inhaler! But to be fair, I guess you had your right...kinda...not like I can say this to your face..._ “...N-Noooo…”

 

“It is…that heavy hesitation gives it away...”

 

“Ok m-maybe just a little...this probably c-could’ve been avoided had you stopped to let her speak...I mean she constantly s-said she wasn’t asking for you to forgive her...just to understand what happened…”

 

“I know...ugh...and even so...I got so caught up in my anger I didn’t even notice that I did in fact inherit some abilities...my mothers.” She scratches her head as she arches backwards “Hnnngg...and the first thing I do with them is use them on you out of anger!...First I hypnotize you, then I flat out toss you into the wall!...”

 

“Yeah, i’ll admit that k-kinda sucked...but I don’t h-hold it against you!...J-Just _try_ to avoid doing that again to me...p-please?...”

 

“You don’t even need to ask that!...Of course!...I don’t know if I’d even WANT to use this ever again…”

 

“Erm...use what exactly?” Sunny asks as she looks between the two girls.

 

“Oh just the fact that I apparently have one hell of a voice…one that can literally bring the house down as well as make people do my bidding…which again I don’t think I want to try and use em anymore...”

 

“Uh-huh...well my condolences…” She stands on her toes to try and reach her ears, she then whispers _“I think you might wanna reconsider...wouldn’t an ability like that help you out in trying to help Leo, and by extension Parappa, out? Just like my healing!”_

 

 _“I don’t know...I’ll think it over...right now i’ve caused more harm than good…”_ She holds her hands together “I don’t know what to do...I want to try and reconcile with my mother...but it’s just...hard…I know there’s Leo, but I need alot more to try and get me in a good enough mood to try and meet her halfway...” She reclines against the door “I don’t see that happening now…”

 

“Erm...Lammy got any ideas on helping her out?...”

 

“D-Don’t think so...this seems like t-to delicate a situation…I know w-when to keep away and let things solve themselves…”

 

“Think something like this can??...”

 

“Well...Katy once said that fate smiles down on us from time to time for lady luck to wanna help...maybe we’ll get lucky again now?...”

 

* * *

 

“My deepest apologies Parappa! I guess I just misunderstood it all.”

 

“It’s no biggie! You’re not the first to mix that up and I can bet your aren’t gonna be the last. That being said, there’s still a chance she might be!”

 

“Well that warms my heart to hear! Now my beloved daughter and niece, I suppose now is a time for me to take my leave. Promise none of you will forget me…”

 

“We’d never forget you!” Paula and Kayla say as they jump in her face.

 

“Same here Miss! I promised that to everyone else on my noggin, I can promise you to!”

 

“I’m glad! And that goes for all of them as well!” She motions her arm to the spirits all lined up who had talked to Sirius the entire time. They all float over upon being mentioned.

 

“And remember I still shall! No one deserves to be forgotten! But there are alot of you...I thought what happened with the creation of Aqua Opera was to help avoid this…” an elder ghost floats up to Parappa.

 

“A third of us were still quite of age so we passed on from natural causes, another third passed away in battle, either against the sirens or the malicious BoTy. And the final third were eliminated by a strange boy with a guitar for a weapon…”

 

“A-Ah...yeah...that last one sounds...pretty terrifying…” _You know for a second I forgot my son technically had to deal with these guys..._

 

“Well those who died from the last one were quite pleased with the results. They say they were taken control of with no way to be released. Death was their only way out.”

 

“Oh in that case I’m glad you lot are at peace!” he bows as everyone but Ana vanishes into his hat “WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH I FORGOT THAT’S HOW THEY LEEEEEEEEEEEAVE!...” he grabs onto his hat and plucks it off “Ooooof...gotta remember to not have it on my head next time this happens…” Ana then floats up to his face.

 

“Hey dear, I have one last request…”

 

“Sure thing Miss Ana. What would you like me to do?”

 

“Think you can take me to my sister?...”

 

“Oh!...huh...Paula you ok with that?”

 

“Why would I deny her that?? My mother would most likely love to see her again! Er...what’s left of her…”

 

“Then I’d be glad to Miss Ana! You know you’re the first to actually want to see your family. Tupper feared his daughter not wanting to see him again. Marron thought he had no reason to see his brother and Miss Lupe flat out just refused to see her son.”

 

“Oh so you’ve met the other heroes! And how upsetting that the golden one and Mighty Marron are against seeing their family… atleast Miss Lupe had a reason...well, i’m glad you’ll honor my wish!” the dog smiles and flashes a peace sign while Paula walks up to them.

 

“Hey Aunt Ana...would you mind if I...called you over any time I’d like to talk?...”

 

“Wha??...Huh...well I feel like since I’m dead I should...stay in the afterlife...but...I suppose I can pop in for a chat whenever!” she looks to Kayla “What about you princess? Would you like me to do same for you?”

 

“O-Oh um...I’m not sure mother…would it...not be a bother?”

 

“No. Not at all~ Honestly I think it’s pretty sweet that my newest lineage would like to keep in touch~” What Ana says clocks something into Parappa’s thoughts.

 

“Hm...I wonder…” He hovers his finger over the Cruisin’ Blues, Dino-Might and Flambeyond symbols “Would they like to speak with their newer line of relatives in such a quaint manner these days to?...” While he’s left to wonder Kayla speaks up.

 

“But erm...mother how would I call for you?...”

 

“That is a pretty good question...hm...you yourself wouldn’t be able to contact me so easily on your own…” A light bulb appears over her head “That’s riiiiiiiight! I first arrived thanks to Parappa, so clearly he’s an easy way to call us ‘dead weights’ back up here!” She floats through her daughter and niece before floating through Parappa “There we go! If you want to chat with me. Just one of you need to be nearby Parappa and simply think of me being here! And I shall come right away~”

 

“Hey...that’s the same condition my mom gave, cept it was me and Katy that needed to be together...well that’s really handy!...If that’s the case though…”

 

“Something on your mind young Parappa?...”

 

“Aw it’s nothing! Don’t worry! Anywho, now they have a way to call you! Aren’t you two happier now?~”

 

“Of course we are!” They both shout.

 

“Well then, i’ve said all I wanted to. Thank you for giving me this chance by remembering me~...” She bows gracefully before vanishing into Parappa’s hat.

 

“It would seem that I need to thank you once again Parappa. Not only have you helped me and my cousin, but you’ve given me the chance to speak with my mother. My debts to you just keep growing! By this point I should just yield and be at your beck and call from now until the end of time!...In fact I think I will!” She performs a curtsy quickly before standing back upright. The dog quickly flinging his hands in front of him.

 

“H-Hey hey now! You don’t gotta do that!”

 

“It is my choice to do. And I won’t be taking it back.”

 

“Aw g-geez…” he backs up and notices Paula eye him with quite a fierce gaze “H-Hey i’m not making her do this!...these were her own words!...”

 

“You better not abuse my cuz’s kindness…”

 

“I would **never**!...”

 

“Yeah yeah...whatever you saaaay…”

 

“Sheesh...I’m...gonna go check up on how the sisters our doing.” He sighs before heading back up the stairs.

 

Sirius speaks up as he sees the cousins eye each other “Right...well...I’m just gonna go hide the giant dead leviathan body that’s in our water...gotta make it look like it happened on its own!...” He runs off in a flash.

 

Parappa finally makes his way to the sisters and spots them laughing as they talk amongst themselves “Well that’s a nice sight to see~ I take it you guys finally got rid of all that bad blood?~”

 

“Not entirely...but it was one hell of a start~...To think...I almost didn’t give you the shot to say anything! But I guess speaking to the father of my hero gave me enough encouragement to just let things ride out! And...I’m glad I did~...”

 

“As am I. It was such a blessing to be able to speak to you again. Truly you have no idea.”

 

“I think I do actually...maybe just a little~ Because I get the same feeling. Only mine was a teeny bit repressed, but not anymore!” Both Axolotl hug each other. Once they split they look towards their friend.

 

“Well i’m happy you two are happy!” Parappa tries to smile once more, but coming back into Amby’s presence only makes him think about all his female friends, and soon thinks about something specific. There he speaks up quite oddly “Hey Amby…”

 

“Hm? What’s wrong Parappa?”

 

“While you were showing me your memories...there was this...rather...nice song playing along. I can assume it’s your song? Since I heard your voice and all.”

 

“That?? Oh it’s something I sung to myself is all for...ahem…’obvious’ reasons…”

 

“Are you referring to your crush on Leo?” Aqua adds on.

 

“I’m upset that everyone, but him saw through me...yes that.”

 

“What song??”

 

“Never you mind dear sister! Anywho, what about it?”

 

“Would you mind...If...I...erm...sang it?”

 

“Weh?? Hmm...well...I’m dead, so not like I can claim a copyright! Hahah...erm...sure just one condition… Don’t tell anyone who knows about me that it was my song, especially Leo ok?”

 

“Of course! Wow...I thought you’d be more...clingy into keeping the song to yourself.”

 

“Honestly, I always wanted the song to get out there, but I didn't have the moxie. And so my lovely song did nothing but stay trapped in my brain. This way not only guarantees it gets to be spread, but also finally it gets to actually be sung outside of my head!” Aqua wants to speak up, but she hears a loud boom by the outside. The gaze out one of the room windows and see that it was Sirius struggling to hide the evidence.

 

“I should help him with hiding that...if mother returns and spots it...she’s not going to be happy…Ok time to make it seem like it was an accident she made happen to herself!” She storms out the house. Amby then floats over to Parappa.

 

“Well I’m glad I can help you! And I promise you that I’ll keep it to myself if that’s what you really want!”

 

“I do and thank you!”

 

“One last thing!”

 

“What now??” the young axolotl crosses her arms and tilts her head as she glances at the dog.

 

“Can you help me sing it…h-hehe...I don’t think i’d hit the intended pitches correctly…”

 

“Oh?? Really?? Aren’t you a great singer though?”

 

“Recent events have gotten me feeling a tad iffy. I’m finally back into the groove, but this is a special song you made. I wanna make sure I keep it’s special feeling.”

 

“Is being a sweet person just...a deep rooted trait in your family tree?”

 

“Hard to say...my mom and dad were a bit rough around the edge when they were kids...they got better as they got to their teens, and even more so as adults. Dunno much about my grandparents halcyon days and my parents didn’t have siblings so I have no uncles or aunts to base off of either! I can just assume it started with them, and I continued it. Guess it would be natural for my boy to be the same.”

 

“In other words. Yes.” She giggles “Alrighty. Let’s get down to it...hooooo boy...the embarrassment is kicking in again…”

 

“Relaaaax. You sang it while I was in your thoughts!”

 

“That was in my head...like I said, never had to moxie to sing it outright!...”

 

“Wanna...not then? Cuz I can try and do this at my own if need be!”

 

“Nono! I need to do this! With someone as my witness about it! Now come on!”

 

Parappa holds his hands in front of him “Alright!” he pulls out his phone “First let me type down the lyrics, then after I’ll record myself singing it!”

 

“Okay!

 

After quite a bit of time and even more repeats. Parappa is finally satisfied with what he’s got to record as the final attempt.

 

_“I think I looooooove yoooooooou~_

_My heart’s tellin me yeees it’s truuuuuuuue~...”_

 

“I’d say that came out flawless Parappa~”

 

“Certainly felt flawless~” he smiles before frowning “Erm...sorry for changing some lines…”

 

“Oh that’s perfectly fine! Honestly I think it’s better that you did! Had you kept the lines it might’ve come off weird…”

 

“You really think?”

 

“Well I mean...the context would come off as strange if you sang it as it was. Although now that I bring that up...the context of the new lines shows that you have someone in mind you’re trying to reach out to?”

 

“Well you’re right with that. And it’s actually erm...four...or potentially five...maybe even more girls I’m trying to reach out to…”

 

“Huh??...ah right! The problem that Leo filled me in on. Around this time period you were conflicted with other females around you!...But...I thought there were only just four girls?...”

 

“Eheh...private little story...hopefully it’s not changing his face to much…”

 

“Changing his face??...”

 

“Oh did it not happen that far back??...so do you know what his real face is?...”

 

“...Yes, but judging by the way you worded that, I’m not allowed to tell you.”

 

“Ah darn it…”

 

“I’m...gonna let him explain once we meet up.”

 

“That’s probably for the best. And thanks again for the song! Now I have it saved on my phone so whenever I wanna sing it live as a surprise. I can!”

 

“No problem! Take it as my thanks for being the reason my hero exists.”

 

“Now that’s a form of praise I never thought I’d hear this early on in my life!”

 

“What is?” Aqua says as she finally returns.

 

“Oh Aqua! Finished hiding the body?”

 

“Yeah finally...hopefully it’s believable...if not our job as spies might very well be over…”

 

“Do be careful sister…”

 

“I will I will! Leo and Parappa here still need as many safeguards as they can get!”

 

“Heeeeeey!...” He aloofly dives on the bed in the room, but as he does that he flinches and hops right off “Owowowow!...Landed on my bad hand…” he drops his phone on the bed.

 

“Huh?...Mr. Rappa what happened to your hand?”

 

“Saving Kayla! Kinda overdid it but I have no regrets!...cept this pain…and exhaustion...whole body aches really...”

 

“I can fix it for you!”

 

“You can?...”

 

“Ah that’s right! Ambrosia here was the strongest of us.”

 

“She already told me that.”

 

“Meaning she had mastery, somewhat…, of nearly all forms of magic! Healing was one!”

 

“Although I can’t fully use my magic, plus with me being dead...I can only lower the pain to a much more manageable level and make it not look like it was burned in a fire! You’ll still have some tiredness and slight pain in your hand and body and whatnot, but atleast it won’t limit you!”

 

“That’s good enough for me! Can’t stand being restricted...all this achin is just making me feel stiff and I don’t like it...so any help is good help!”

 

“Then let me work my somewhat reliable magic!”

 

“Come aga- WAAAAAAAH!” Parappa’s body jitters about as the ghost zaps his arms and body.

 

Aqua rolls her eyes before sitting on her bed “You could have given him a heads up you know...now he’s jittering as if he were being electrocuted! Which is highly ironic!” She rests her hands beside her, one of them goes over Parappa’s phone. As she laughs to herself, her head stalks pick up another call from sixteen that shock her entire body. It also hits the phone she’s grabbing. She accidentally hits send one the device which, now thanks to the somewhat manageable connection caused from Sixteen’s intrusion, causes the recorded song to be sent out. She grabs her head and angrily calls up her broom “GAHHHH...I wish we didn’t have a communication jamming signal...all of his blasted calls give me such a headache!...Pardon me...I have to take this…” She once again leaves the room as Parappa’s ‘healing’ is finished.

 

“Ohohohoh...that hurt more than it helped...I take it this is how Leo got back up again after each time he went down…”

 

“Yessir! And uh...sorry for the lack of a warning.”

 

“Bah, don’t worry! Atleast I am feeling much more better than I currently was! Now to just naturally heal off the rest! Where’s my phone?...”

 

“Huh?...” Aqua looks around with him “Oh! On my sister’s bed!”

 

“Ah thanks AmbrosiaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!” he yells, mortified, as he glares at his phone.

 

“W-What is it?!”

 

“THE SONG’S BEEN SENT!...”

 

“To who?...”

 

“ALL OF THEM…”

 

“Ooooooooh...but how our home blocks...oh when she got that broadcasted call...oh dear, what a stroke of bad luck…” she taps her fingers as she eyes everywhere else but him “Uh...cheer up sir!...It might not be so bad!...They might enjoy hearing it!”

 

“That’s not what worries me!...I know they’ll end up enjoying it!...What gets to me is the confrontation from it…”

 

“Ah...yeah that’s gonna be a bit awkward...uh...I think it’s time I should go!...when you wanna call me just give a holler! Or tell Leo or Aqua to give a holler and I’ll come back quickly!...now….BYE!” she floats into his hat to avoid the tension he’s put himself in.

 

* * *

 

“Well, we finished our check up and called Sixteen. He should be giving the results to everyone of us by now with a quick call. And currently, Leo’s doing fine! Better than fine even.”

 

“Thanks to my overhealin!~”

 

“Thanks again Miss Fleur! Now since that’s all fine and dandy, shall we depart?”

 

“You’re free to go Spinni. I think I’m gonna stick around to make sure everything’s gonna turn out fine for the remainder of the day.”

 

“Gotcha! Well then, tata ladies!” He heads out the store entrance and spreads out his shell and wings and flies off like a missle.

 

“Well now that he’s gone...Katy…you find it in you to give your mom another chance?...”

 

“No...not fully yet...it’s hard...but I want to...for Leo…”

 

“Oh boy...all this might get Leo sick again...I’ll just be with him to prevent that!...Lammy, you try and help her out!”

 

“H-Hey wai-...and she’s g-gone…” she facepalms before sliding down to the floor next to her friend “Sure there’s n-nothing I can say to give you any convincing r-reinforcement? O-Or lift your m-mood at the very least?”

 

“I mean I’m all ears...what do you have to say?”

 

“...You know...g-good point…” they both sigh in defeat before Lammy whispers to herself _“Come on Lady Luck...we could really use your help about now…”_

 

Not a second after, their phones buzz. Both confused animals see that they were messaged by Parappa. It had no message, just an attached file. They both eye each other before hitting play.

 

_There are things in life that I haven’t done!_

_There are still many chances that I gotta take!_

_All these days passing by put my heart on the run,_

_Telling me that there’s still moments that I gotta make!_

 

_Oh you are the wooooooorld to meeeeeeee!_

_I am the saaaaaame to yooooouuuuu~_

_Look at haaaaaappy we’d beeeeeeeee,_

_If maybe one day my heeeeaaart could make dooooooo!_

 

_I am left alone_

_In my tiny zone_

_Unable to handle everything on my own!_

 

_Why do I cryyyyy these teeeeeaaaaars?_

_It’s cuz I waaaaaant you neeeeeeeaaaar…_

_I just waaaaant yoooooou to staaaaaaay_

_By myyyyyyyy siiiiide alwaaaaaaays…_

 

_I’m just so aloooooone right noooooooow,_

_I need you to hooooold me tiiiiiieeeeiiiiight!_

_Here’s just anoooooother voooooooooow,_

_And stay with meeeeee all niiiiiieeeeiiiiiight!_

 

_Everyday I’m happy to have you with me,_

_Brighten up all my days as much as they can be!_

 

_Yeah you are my shiiiiining skyyyyyyy_

_Erasing the whiiiiiiiite and blaaaaaaaack!_

_Y’all make my heeeeeeeaaaart fly hiiiiiiiiight_

_Because you’re all whaaaaaaaat iiiit laaaaaaaaaacks~..._

 

_As I go on,_

_I just get all scared!_

_That soon you’ll all be gone,_

_Cuz I am love impaired!_

 

_What am I gooooooonna dooooooooo!_

_What is it that you seeeee in meeeeeeiiiieeeee!_

_I don’t wanna loooooooose any of yoooooouuuu…_

_How did I let aaaaaaaall of thiiiiiiis beeeeeeiiiieeeee…_

 

_Did my heart just maaaaake a mistaaaaaaake?_

_No cuz i’m glad that I still get to partaaaaaaaake!_

_So maybe it’s nooooooooot sooo baaaaaaeeeeaaaad,_

_After seeing all that weeeeee still haaaaaeeeeaaaaad!_

 

_I fear for the times that I might let go by_

_All these memories that might run away_

_Yet you all save me by being my heart’s ally_

_And choosing just to staaaaaaaaaay_

 

_OOOOOH YOU ARE THE WOOOOOORLD TO MEEEEEEEE!_

_JUST AS I AM THE SAAAAAAAAAME TO YOOOOOOOOOU!_

_NOW I GOTTA SEEEEEET MY HEART FREEEEEEEEEE!_

_AND SEE THIS LOVELY RIDE ALL THE WAAAAAY THROOOOOOUGH!_

 

_I WILL MAKE SURE TO STOOOOOOP THOSE TEEEEAAAAARS!_

_I WILL NEVER LEEEEEEEEET YOU FROOOOOOOOWN!_

_GONNA BLOCK OFF AAAAAAALL YOOOUR FEEEEEEAAAAARS!_

_YOU KNOW THAT I’LL NEVER LET YOOOOOOU DOOOOOOOWN!_

 

_CAN YOU PROMISE ME THAT WEEEEEE’LL BEEEE OKAAAAAAY?_

_I KNOW THAT IT ALWAAAAAAAYS WIIIIIIIILL!_

_CUZ THERE’LL ALWAYS BE NEEEEEEEEW SUNNY DAAAAAAYS!_

_TO THAT FACT I KNOOOOOOOOW WE’LL FULFIIIIIIIIILL!_

 

_I can’t help but still have doubt_

_Left feeling like there’s no way out_

_I don’t wanna do anything wrong_

_And so I just, gotta stay headstrong…_

 

_Can all this be truuuuuuue loooooooove?..._

_I don’t want any of yooooou to cryyyyyy…_

_I will always put yoooooou all aboooooooove..._

_I just hope that things don’t goooooo awryyyyy…_

 

_So promise me thiiiiiiiis last thiiiiiiiing..._

_Immortalized in this soooooong that I siiiiiing..._

_There’s nothing for y’all that I’d neeeeeeveeeer dooooooo!_

_So I hope you meet me halfway and do the same for me toooooo~..._

 

_I think I loooooooove yooooooou~..._

_My heart’s tellin me yeeeeeees it’s truuuuuuue~..._

 

The song repeats the last two lines two more times before the recording ends. Both girls sit there in silence until Katy gets up and rubs her eyes for a second before smiling.

 

“Well, I ain’t gonna fix my problem by sitting out here like a bum! Let’s see if I can give my mother the chance to see if we can be a functioning mother and daughter pair again!” she hugs herself briefly as she heads for the door, her rosy cheeks signifying her joy. She stops as her hand touches the doorknob “You comin Lammy?”

 

“...Huh?...Y-Yeah~...I’ll be right after. My uh...legs fell asleep thanks to staying seated~...” she rubs her own eyes as her own cheeks burn their pink hue.

 

“Heh. Suuuuure, just don’t wait uuuuuup~” she opens the door and closes it right behind her “Alright you.” She crosses her arms “Let’s give this family thing another shot~...” Leo smiles immensely after hearing her say that, then looks to Noella who merely wipes a few stray tears away.

 

“Yes...let’s~...”

 

“Good, starting with Leo as the first topic! And the body I might’ve given him if I am his mother!”

 

“I’m telling you that this is from daaaaad…”

 

“Not all of it! I probably gave you most of that bod!~”

 

“Excuse you? And who do you think gave YOU your bod?~” Noella speaks up.

 

“Aw shut it! I’m well aware already~...”

 

* * *

 

“Alright Sixteen, thanks for the heads up.” She poofs away the communication field as she looks to her husband.

 

“I’d say the info he gave you more than makes up for him bugging your head eh?~”

 

“Just a little. Oh boy...so what I tried to prevent happened again...thankfully Spinni and Miss K. were smart enough to not tell him what happened to him...and they were able to fix him relatively quickly. And my theory was correct…”

 

“That being?...”

 

“His body seems to not like it when he uses his abilities...now he awakened those of his mother and upon using them, he had the same poor reaction as when he used his father’s abilities...like when he beat us and my elder brother…”

 

“Womp-wahhh...seems like quite a cruel twist of fate if you ask me.”

 

“I did not. What I am asking is that it’s shocking to see that Miss K. was the mother of his mother. Although in retrospect, it was obvious…but what wasn’t is the fact that she was apart of mother’s old group and that she herself has abilities! With which were then passed to Leo!”

 

“I’m aware of the passing portion since I overheard Miss Ana’s and Parappa’s chatter over it.”

 

“When was that??”

 

“While you and Amby were playing catch up.”

 

“Ah…” she blows out bubbles “Right. Well he’s fine now. And we should really get Parappa and Paula to practice their dancing with Kayla now! There’s not many days left till their face off with Prince!”

 

“But what about Parappa?? He’s still kinda sluggish!”

 

“Oh worry not, Amby helped him out!”

 

“Wait Amby helped?? You sure he’s not in MORE pain??” Aqua smacks Sirius with her broom.

 

“DON’T BE RUDE!”

 

“Ow! I’m just saying!...”

 

“She tries her best! You can’t take that from her!”

 

“I wasn’t trying to!...Feh, let’s just go inform Paula to get Parappa since she’s still together with Kayla…”

 

“Right.” They both walk into the main room to see Kayla wave at the stairs “Eh? Kayla what are you doing??”

 

“Oh just watching my little cousin catch her prey~”

 

“Wah?” they both say before soon hearing sounds of embarrassment.

 

“P-PAULA!...L-LEMME GO!...”

 

“Weren’t you the one that said you wanted me to hold you tiiiieeeeiiiight?~”

 

“M-Meep...eheh...so you heard my song…”

 

“Yes...I heard it~...” She squeezes him tightly, leaving him winded almost immediately.

 

“THIS IS ABIT...TIGHTER THAN...I HAD...IN...MIND…”

 

“Welp, looks like she caught it~”

 

“Eheh...can you get em to stop? Parappa really needs you to teach him how to dance like ASAP…” Aqua says.

 

“Oh you party pooper Aqua...very well. Hey, I thought you said you wanted my help with dancing? I can’t really assist you if you’re ‘busy’!”

 

“Oh right!” Paula let’s go of the boy.

 

“HAGH...oh man...that’s right...and now that my body is slightly better, I can practice with the time we got left!” He runs up to Kayla “I’m under your tutelage Miss Dancing Princess!”

 

“I’m sure it won’t take more than just a day for me!” She extends her hand and he instinctually grabs it as they both give a bow and get ready to begin.

 

_And here we go! I really hope I’m not that hard a student to teach!..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter rather quickly! It helps not having college hound your actions! Also awkward family reunions in time for Christmas and the holidays! How ironically fitting! Happy holidays y'all~


	38. Who died and made you Queen?

The night enshrouds everything in a crisp breeze. Parappa and Paula lay in their beds as Parappa stares at the ceiling in disappointment.

 

“Man...I was...terrible…”

 

“Cuz said not to worry! You guys should have better luck tomorrow!”

 

“Paula I was horrendous! I moved like a top heavy elephant! I’m lucky I didn’t destroy things I ‘danced’ into or stepped on your cousin’s toes!”

 

“Aw come on you weren’t _that_ bad…”

 

“But I wasn’t good either! Far from it!...i’m starting to have second thoughts about this…”

 

“Parappa no! It’s all gonna be fine! We still have time! You’ll master this! If you couldn’t, would my cuz still have attempted to help you out?~” The boy rolls over in his sleeping back to look away from her and stare at the shut door. He sighs as he closes his eyes to try and fall asleep. He is startled when he feels arms wrap around him. Someone is now in his sleeping bag latched onto him. He quickly pieces together what’s happening, but he stays silent “Hey.” still no reply “Come on. You know what to do~” his mouth curls, struggling to find which emotion it wants to express “Saaaaaay iiiiiiit~” He merely mumbles out the words “Oh you can do better thaaaaan thaaaaaaaaaat~”

 

“I gotta believe~...”

 

“Atta boy Parappa~ That’s the proper response!~” She begins scratching him around his ears. His tail quickly begins wagging as his tongue pokes out.

 

“Staaaaahp~...”

 

“Not until you stay cheery! Can’t have you going to your practice tomorrow all mopey! You’d never find the motivation to give it your all!”

 

“Fine fine. Thanks Paula…~”

 

“Anytime~ There’s nothing that I’d never do for you~”

 

“Never gonna let me live that down huh?~...”

 

“Was the song not supposed to be sent?~”

 

“Nono it was...just not immediately after I saved it...heh...spoils what could’ve been a later surprise.”

 

“Oh but I’m glad it was sent when it was~...”

 

“I can tell by your increased affection. Oh well, maybe it was better to send it now.” He nestles himself properly “Let’s see how the morning goes.

 

* * *

 

_9 days left…_

 

The day is bright and quiet as Parappa stands before Kayla. The two are on their own as Paula is off being tutored elsewhere.

 

“Alright! Let’s give this another go!”

 

“Yes, this should hopefully go much better today Sir!”

 

“Come on Kayla, just stick with Parappa!...I know I can’t argue with how you chose to repay your debt, but atleast treat me like a friend rather than a higher up…”

 

“If that is what you wish Sir!”

 

“Gaaaah...fine...alright. Let’s see if my feet are more responsive today…” The two lock hands as they begin their practice once more. After just a little under half an hour, their practice ceases “Aaaaaand another flop…” Parappa says as he gets off of the floor then slamming his head into his hands “What’s wrong with meeeee, why is this so haaaard…”

 

Kayla begins thinking over their practice yesterday and what little they did today and soon speaks up about it “Your mind seems to be elsewhere while we dance. Is this challenge of yours really that distracting?”

 

“It’s not just the challenge! I’m thinking on so many things and each passing day got me thinking even more about them! Such as after meeting Amby yesterday...that made me put alot of thought it more things at once...especially after a little oopsie…”

 

“The song you sent my cousin? I must say you have a sweet voice.”

 

“Yes thaaaaat...that also puts a spin on my brain…”

 

“Can you tell me what the other problems are?”

 

“No...I’m sorry but I really wanna keep a good majority of what’s in my thoughts secret if you don’t mind…”

 

“...I won’t tell anyone.”

 

“I dunno Kayla…”

 

“I’m serious. I’ll even keep it a secret from my family if it involves them. I did say I’d owe my life to you did I not? Even with things like this, though rather difficult, I will fulfill the requirements.”

 

“Right…” he thinks it over on the spot “Fine...maybe having someone to talk this over with will prove helpful. Normally I talk this over with Matt or PJ, but I’m currently miles away from them.” He begins unloading all that he had backed up. And after he finishes, Kayla rubs her chin as she hums, lost in her own thought.

 

“That’s all quite a doozy to have to work out Parappa.”

 

“I’m already aware on that! And talking it over didn’t really empty my cluttered mind…”

 

She snaps her fingers “I don’t have a way to get that off your mind, but ease it up and prevent it from being a bother is something I do have a way to fix! Already did before you even told me anything!”

 

“Really? Then why didn’t you say that first?”

 

“I still wanted to have a nice chat with you.” she walks up to him and bends over to his level where she lifts up his beanie abit. She then places a cold kiss on his forehead.

 

“Yipe! Hey! Why’d you do thaaa…” his breath turns visible as his eyes turn bright indigo. His mouth drops while his eyes become shaky “M-Muh-Muh-My head...it-it’s...it’s empty…the thoughts are g-gone...no...they’re not g-guh-guh-gone...they’re just frozen o-o-over...Everything is so still...Everything is moving along slowly...this should be f-fr-freaking me out more...but i’m...at ease...I can keep up with the pace that things are going by at. I’m not overthinking anything. Everything is...ok!” His eyes steady down and soon he begins hopping side to side in place “I feel so nice! It’s like I lost so much hindering emotional baggage at the same time! I know this ain’t permanent, but man is it such a great feeling! I feel as amazing as I did since...before Sunny left...huh...I can’t believe how nice it felt to be happy without having anything on the sidebar stopping it. And it wasn’t even that long ago.” He holds the side of his head as his fingers run along his hair. He looks lost as to what emotion to properly feel “I’m amazed at my ability to finally put that under new light and NOT freak out over it. This is definitely a first in a long while. You know...having a friend who can do THIS is most certainly something I can appreciate.” He lets go of his head and begins opening and closing his hands in a slow repeating cycle.

 

“I’m glad you’re starting to come around to my choice of owing my life to you~”

 

“Yeah...still...you could word it a little better. Don’t want Paula, or Miss Bella biting my neck off from that poor wording.”

 

“I’ll work on it, for now, are you ready to dance for real?”

 

He stops cycling his hands. He then holds his hands close and shuts them tightly together. There’s a cold tingling sensation that gets his hands to split apart. The quick reaction he has gets him to smile “Sure as hell look more attentive than the last two times now~ Yes, I’d say I’m DEFINITELY ready~” he holds his hand out to which Kayla latches on gently.

 

“Shaaaaall we dance?~”

 

“Yeeeees let’s dance~”

 

“Then let’s prance!~” They both begin their lesson anew, and to much more success than the prior two times.

 

* * *

 

After the events that had happened yesterday, Lammy and Katy had decided to spend their time with Poppy here in PaRappa town. Lammy inviting along Rammy while Ma-san began tagging along from her own choice. The four of them meet up with the arriving Poppy.

 

“Oh! I had no idea that all four of you would choose to meet with me!”

 

“Lammy wanted to keep an eye on Rammy so she brought her along.”

 

“And I said ya didn’t fuckin have to…”

 

“Ura you’re c-clearly upset! Ever since Parappa vamoosed to w-who knows where, you’ve just been miserable!”

 

“I’ve been through worse! Sides, something that happened yesterday eased me up abit.”

 

“Oh! You got sent the song to?”

 

“To?? I mean...yeah. Really took my mind off of something.”

 

“That being?”

 

“None of ya business that’s what!” Both ewes continue their chatter as Ma-san walks up.

 

(“I just chose to tag along to see what Katy sees in ya!”)

 

“E-Eheh...well, who am I to say no! The more the merrier!” Poppy looks away quickly. Katy walks up to the flower and pulls her away from the others, then whispers in her ear.

 

_“We’re going to a special place today!”_

 

_“That bein?...”_

 

_“Club Fun! Today’s the day it’ll be fully back up and running~ Miss Gloria’s maintenance finishes today~”_

 

_“R-REALLY? THAT’S WONDERFUL!”_

 

 _“K-Keep it down! You almost shouted in your regular voice...and yes it is! Now let’s go!”_ “Come on ladies! To Club Fun!”

 

“Right!” the other girls say. They all rush over and soon spot PJ and Matt there, speaking between each other. Sweety is seen in the distance talking to Leo, who’s trying to go inside the building, but is denied.

 

“Oh hey look! Sweety seems to be doing fine!...wait...why are they here??” they walk up to the boys first and interrupt their chat.

 

“Oh hey girls. What’s up?”

 

“Nothing, we all just decided to spend the day with Poppy over here at the club re-opening! Why are you three here?”

 

“Sweety turned out fine! Yesterday she overcame the headaches and wanted to just get out of the house immediately. Course she literally just recovered and so i made her rest the entire day. She got mad at me and so I promised that I’d take her here to the re-opening to as an apology!”

 

“Why is Matt here then?”

 

“PJ called me over to be a second set of eyes for Sweety just in case she needs help. Can’t say no to my boy PJ, that and how was I gonna miss the re-opening of our Club?? I’d be an idiot to! Speaking of which...shouldn’t Paula be here?...”

 

“Yeah and Parappa to...where are they anyway? Haven’t seen them in a few days…”

 

“They’re off together...somewhere...apparently learning to dance?...”

 

“Together?? Just on their own??”

 

“Y-Yep! For a f-few more days to...hope they’re ok…” as Lammy says this, Rammy rubs her neck roughly, upset that she knows where they are but unable to say anything.

 

“Well, i’m sure they’re fine. Two of the three most tenacious people will surely manage with whatever gets in their way.” PJ says with a flick of the wrist.

 

“Off that topic, what’s Sweety doing now? She seems to be really buggin Leo!”

 

“Oh, Gloria told him he that he’s only needed around here when big events happen or at the very least, at nights if he so chooses. Yet Leo’s being persistent in choosing to be here. I’ve never seen the guy so worked up! It’s like something happened to him recently!”

 

“A-Aha...yeah who knows what could’ve happened there…” _I guess that, despite the fact that me and my mother made up somewhat and are on a healthy road of familial recovery...he’s still abit on edge from what happened before that...I should probably help with that..._ “That being said. So she’s trying to convince him to go back home?”

 

“Mhm, no luck.”

 

“I’ll see if I can do something.”

 

“K-Katy you sure that’s a good idea?...”

 

“Yes! It ended up fine then, and it’s gonna end up fine now!” She runs off to the other two. PJ and Matt turn their attention to Lammy.

 

“What happened when?...”

 

“U-Uh…something personal is what I guess you can c-call it…~” She smiles impishly as she hides behind Rammy.

 

As Katy reaches the duo, they had finished speaking, with Sweety seemingly coming out the loser.

 

“Hi guys!”

 

“Oh...hi Katy…”

 

“Yo.”

 

“Hey you two! Leo how ya holding up?”

 

“I’m holding up fine. Now even more so cuz of the obvious, but still a little on edge is all, worrying it might all come undone…”

 

“It won’t! Trust me! We’re doing fine and we’ll stay fine! It’s a slow process, but atleast it’s working~...”

 

“Alright alright…”

 

She then turns her head to the bear “Now Sweety, what’s got you upset?”

 

“Leo won’t go home! Miss Gloria told him that he doesn’t need to hover around here anymore!”

 

“Can you blame me for wanting to relax! Why prevent me from doing that?”

 

“Because aren’t you the one who tried avoiding this lifestyle??”

 

“Yes, at first! Yet recent events have taught me that I should start getting readjusted to this. Because i’m starting to think that this choice really was for the better.”

 

“W-Waaah??” Sweety merely ends up confused.

 

“Oh! Lammy told me about that! As did Poppy! It’s cuz of your old manager and your student Claire ain’t it!”

 

“Indeed.”

 

“I see! You wanna try again to see if you can make any of it better!” Katy says, like a child answering a teacher's questions correctly.

 

“That’s the idea atleast.”

 

“Why didn’t you bring any of that up?? You made me look like a dummy!”

 

“You didn’t ask Auntie Sweety.”

 

“That’s the most!...fine...I didn’t ask...that’s my bad…” she rubs her head “I rather not get another headache, just finally got rid of em!”

 

“And so with that, pardon me as I head on inside!”

 

“What do you plan on doing in order to relax?”

 

“Why it’s simple Katy! Gloria’s here no? So I’m just gonna reminisce about the Queens is all.”

 

“Ooooh! Can we all listen in??”

 

“No.”

 

“Why not?!”

 

“Cuz Gloria might spread some fallacies!”

 

“Falla...oh! You mean the truth that you disagree with!”

 

“THEY’RE FALLACIES!...”

 

“You know maybe I should’ve agreed with Sweety.”

 

“THANK YOU!” Sweety tosses her arms to the air before letting them drop back down as she pouts like a child “It's too late now...I give up on that.”

 

“Then would you like to know more about them as well Sweety?”

 

“Well no that wasn’t my main objective...but I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t wanna learn more about the people he was allied with! I wanna see how strange you all were together!”

 

“Rude!”

 

“Aw come on Leo just let us listeeeeeeen…”

 

“No, now leave me be.” PJ walks up to the trio, alerted by all the yelling.

 

“What’s happening over here?”

 

“Nothing Uncle, now please move along.” Katy rises up to his ears along with Sweety and they both relay the new situation.

 

“Mmmm…” He closes his eyes.

 

“You alright there Uncle?” Leo’s tail floofs into a question mark before straightening out once he opens his eyes again.

 

“Hey Leo, you’re part dog right?”

 

“Yessir Uncle. Thought that was established already.”

 

“No no just making sure.”

 

“Sure of what?”

 

“This.” He pulls out a squeaky toy and holds it front of the helmeted fox. He motions it around abit as the boy’s head follows the movements. Abruptly, he launches it into the far distance “Fetch.”

 

“YOU WILL BE MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!” Leo steamrolls after the toy.

 

“I say we have aboooooout...thirty minutes. Go on then ladies. Ask away.” the girls all nod as they head into the nearly complete Club Fun with the rest, filling them in on the plan. The boys slowly tag along right after.

 

“What are we doin PJ?” Matt asks as they walk.

 

“Learning about the Queens apparently.”

 

“Oh cool! They sounded like quite the bunch, it’d be nice to know more on em.” Katy soon calls out to the wrench lady inside.

 

“Hey Miss Gloria?”

 

“Hm?” She turns around and spots the girls “Oh it’s just all of ya! Ya be needin somethin?”

 

“What were the Queens like?...”

 

“Ohoho! Is that all?~ I take it you distracted ol Leo then if you’re asking me this. Cuz otherwise he’d ‘correct’ me after every word!” They all nod.

 

“Thanks to my dear PJ!” Sweety says as she hugs his arm, he merely shrugs before pulling out a victory donut to eat.

 

“Gotta say, how’d you do it?”

 

He pulls the donut out of his mouth “Oh it’s simple. I threw a squeaky toy was all.”

 

“What?!?! And that worked on the kid??”

 

“Of course it did. See, I know little secret ways of messing with my friends. And since Leo is potentially the son of them, I figured the same thing passes onto him. It proved to be true when Leo was in his cat form, I used a little laser light and it got his attention just like it does with Katy. However for this situation, I don’t really have much to mess with Paula, so I did what I do to mess with Parappa instead. Either throw a bone or a squeaky toy. Lo and behold, it worked like a charm.”

 

She looks amazed by the information drop while all the girls merely look at PJ angrily with Matt backing away from him in case things got physical “Well then.” she motions her hands to get them all to group up, to which they immediately do “The Queen’s, well they were a group of rambunctious and charming gals, as per usual. Why askin exactly?” all of them except for Ma-san, Rammy and Sunny kick the dirt around “Y’all curious about his relationship to them aren't ye?” They all nod except for Sunny who has to pretend she still doesn't know as that part wasn't told to her yet “Hoooo boy. So you wanna know the REAL Queens...Right then.” She pulls up a chair and slouches into it as if she was going to tell one hell of a story “Harper Lucifer was the lead singer and lead guitarist of the group. She, as i’m sure you’ve all been notified by now, has Hellish origins in being the literal daughter of the devil and heir leader of hell. She was also banished from hell and had that position revoked for many reasons that I prefer ta respect by not sayin. And she eventually even became Leo's first and late lady pal. Silphy Angelina was the backup vocalist and second guitar player. She was an angel girl kicked out of the heavens for her own reckless stupidity that was ‘unbefitting’ of an angel. Sassy and rebellious, she was just as destructive as the girl from literal hell, but still had the angel hypocrisy and mercy. So she would always be the first to want to handle a situation peacefully, as she went about with a slight air of arrogance. She was Leo’s...guide shall we say? For his morals and judgement as to what was good or not. Wuki Khan was a monkey girl and a tambourine player for the group. A scrapper by heart, she would always start a fight over anything, petty or not. She was the most unpredictable when it came to handling situations, but to say they never got good results would be pushing it. Makes sense when you’re the self proclaimed long descendent of the supposed ‘monkey king’! She was Leo’s coach...although it was probably just an excuse to use the boy as a punching bag. These three made the rowdy half of their group.”

 

“Dear god...they certainly sound it! How the heck did a group like that function??” Matt asks after hearing all that.

 

“I’ll get to that boyo, but first let me finish talking about all of em! Now...we go to the more...erm...well they weren’t exactly passive...but reserved is one way of sayin it I reckon? Ah whatever! Alright-o Gwenoyne Shirai is next. She was a scorpion gal. A strange lassie that was both very outgoing yet at the same time very much wanting her own space. For starters, she could be all up in yer face one second, than the next she could be keeping you away with a ten foot pole. That pole was more often than not, her tail, and boy howdy could that thing always end up just mere inches away from jabbing you! One hit and BOOM, you’re on the ground intoxicated. It was her main method of garnering attention whenever she wanted to be up in your face, but you weren’t willing to let her. Or her main method of telling you to ‘back off, get near me and you’ll wake up who knows where’! This bass guitarist of the group was Leo's teacher on handling people. Sometimes the obvious approach is to shoot the breeze and chat! But what if the other person isn't civil, or is more ‘kill first, talk never’ type biz? Well if that's the obvious case, then here was her obvious response. Raise the kid's paranoia level. Fine tune his innate fight or flight response to the absolute max. Treat every passing stranger as if they were your next adversary!”

 

“That's why he wears his helmet so damn much!” Rammy says, heavily annoyed.

 

“It's very likely. His sense of paranoia was so extreme after what she did, he could literally pick up when something wasn't right. Like when he's being followed, despite the pursuer never giving a sign that they were following. He mastered every keen way of finding out when he was being tailed thanks to her. Use mirrors, puddles, shadows. Hell, thanks to her, he could use the miniscule reflection on a falling droplet of water to see if anyone was there! It sounds ridiculous, but it _has_ gotten to that point. And believe it or not, it has saved his life quite a number of times.”

 

“No wonder he's so easy to put on edge!” Sweety, PJ and Katy say together.

 

“A guilty fault, but it's thanks to that, that he can see clearly through bad people. And tell when someone’s no good. Next off is Natasha Mae! The bunny gal and the keyboard to keytar player and probably the smartest of their little group, although...that really wasn’t much of a title given who she was with, nor was it that hard to do among them. But still, she was a more of a reserved bookworm lassie! She always figured out the best way of handling a situation! Just not a proper way of executing how to properly go about it. One reason for that you may be wondering? If she didn’t know you, she wouldn’t speak to you. As you would expect, for a good majority of their time together, missions were compromised because she refused to talk to Leo thanks to his tagalongs! So most of the time it involved Leo having to be solo, atleast until she adjusted to those two idiots and that poor girl. She managed to find easy bearings when it came to adjusting to Leo, but that’s thanks to the fact that he was a doormat. So naturally, that made him more approachable to her. She ended up becoming Leo’s teacher. As famous as the kid was, he was very lacking when it came to smarts. Luckily thanks to that Nana o’ his and Natasha, he caught on rather quick. He’s got quite the brain in his noggin, so once he got a hold of what they were teachin him, he got the jist then and there and learned at beyond a college level! Course I reckon that tidbit o’ knowledge is thanks to the fact that he’s part of a line of intelligent smart dogs! Although, before that you’d be hard pressed to prove that right!” She laughs to herself.

 

“Not that hard to believe seeing as his dad has his not so very smart moments, it wouldn’t be hard to believe that Leo can be a moron at times!” after PJ says that, the sound of a squeaky toy being forcibly popped is heard behind him, but he refuses to turn around “...Well...you’re alot faster than Parappa.”

 

“It’s thanks to my jetpack and magnet shoes…”

 

“Right…” he sticks his hands in his pocket and pulls out another donut “That damn suit of yours.” He corks his own mouth shut with the donut.

 

He spits out the busted toy and simply sits next to Gloria “Well...don’t let me stop you...go on…”

 

“Gonna interrupt?” She picks at her head as she gives him a cocky glare.

 

“Nah...you said so much that me denying anything now would be pointless now. Especially since you’re on the last girl.”

 

“There is that! Hehe, very well. Last but not least is Mocha Lotto, drummer gal cocker spaniel! And she was quite possibly the most special gal of the bunch. Now Mocha was born Malcolm Linel, someone who she felt wasn’t really...her. The life she grew up going through, the way she was told to live, that didn’t suit her.”

 

“So she did what made _herself_ happy. Malcolm was gone and in that place stood Mocha!” Leo shouts as his pupils turn into stars “She did what she found was the best for herself going forward!”

 

“Well good for her!” Matt and Lammy both say aloud with a stern nod.

 

“While I agree with that, Mocha was also prime to quite a bit of mental faults. Due to her choices in life, she grew to be quite a traumatized girl from public backlash. So she took the punches and walked along with them. Was that the proper way of going about things? No not really, it actually made her condition all the more worse. But it also made her empathetic and sympathetic. At the same time excruciatingly sensitive. I guess it’s a fault of being so in tune with your proper sense of self. You grow to be so emotive, that it becomes a blessing and a curse. Poor girl put herself in a constant need of therapy from it, but still she went on right as rain. Or atleast whatever right was to her!” Gloria twists her neck about “To Leo, she was more than just a teacher. She was like a second caretaker much akin to that Nana of his! Hell it was more than a babysitter. She was a girl who was finally blessed with a person to call their own joy in ta world! She, as an only child, treated the boy like a baby brother, but _he_ can attest ta that!”

 

Leo pushes his chair back, keeping it on its hind legs only “Mocha was a special person, to a point it's almost impossible to explain. She was the reason I ended up treating Amby and Cookie like little sisters thanks to what I learnt from her. And she also taught me a great deal of things that the other girls couldn't, neither could Emile, Milton or Amby! Nana probably could’ve, but she always tended to stray from topics like this since she never knew how to properly go about it without hurting my feelings if she said the wrong thing. Yet Mocha knew how to go about things like this and...well...hm…”

 

“I think for her, ya should show em.” she knees the helmet strapped to his waist “You said it yourself, to explain would be really hard to.”

 

“Yeah, that'd help!” he unstraps his helmet and plays a new video. Before them all appears the camera staring at someone who pushes the doors open with and swift kick, the camera immediately rises up and rushes off to the dog that walks in.

 

_“Mocha! You're back! How'd it go? Was this guy Mr Right?”_

 

_“Only thing this guy ended up being was Mr Goodnight and good riddance!”_

 

_“Aw...again?...”_

 

 _“Feh, it's for the better. I didn't really think it'd go anywhere anyway.”_ the dog shrugs with a fake smile plastered on her face _“And before I go anywhere else, no. You are not to harm this guy!”_

 

_“Pffft whaaaaaaat. I don't understand what you're talking about!”_

 

_“Lee, stop. I know you moonlight off to ‘get back’ at my lost dates…”_

 

The camera rears back and scoffs _“How dare you accuse me of such a thing!”_

 

_“Everytime I see them again they're massively fucked up, saying a guy with an oblong helmet beat the shit out of them.”_

 

_“...That could be anyone!”_

 

_“Your two stooges dumb and dumber ratted you out.”_

 

 _“WHAT?!”_ the camera jerks around to spot a bear and an otter trying to slowly walk off _“GUYS!...”_ they panic and book it _“W-Why you…”_

 

The dog is heard sighing as the camera now ends up being dragged along somewhere _“Come on kiddo, let me try and talk this bad habit out of you…”_

 

_“Why?? I can't just let them break my big sis’s heart!...They're always such assholes about it! They can't just be allowed to get away freely!...”_

 

 _“Cuz it ain't their fault. I'm just not the girl for them. Hell most of the time I don’t even appear AS a girl to them. Yeah they can be dicks about it, but that's just how guys can be at times. I'm not saying they're all bad though, cuz there ARE quite alot of sweet guys!”_ the camera is no longer being dragged. It's soon lifted and the new focus is the disgruntled fox staring at the dog _“You are most certainly one of em!_ ”

 

_“I'm not sure I count…”_

 

_“I say you do! So deal with it ya dig?”_

 

_“Whatever sis…now why’d you bring me to your room?”_

 

_“Cuz you're gonna vent with me in a nonviolent manner! I got a new song in the works! And Harper decided to make our next big single!”_

 

_“Eh?? So you just want me to let this jerk go on after he did you wrong??”_

 

 _“I mean yeah he did, but…”_ she twirls abit before flopping onto her bed. She places one leg over the other as her arms go behind her head.

 

_Everything's gonna be alright, everything's gonna be ok._

_It's gonna be a good, goooood liiiife, that's what my therapist saaaay~_

 

She chuckles _“We gonna sing them troubles away~ Get your guitar kiddo. I need a beat!”_

 

 _“But...why...you're just letting people walk over you…”_ The boy sadly pulls over his guitar as he sits by her legs and begins strumming weakly.

 

 _“Why? Cuz imma mess!”_ she pulls out her drumsticks and tosses them at the wall, they hit a rolled up poster and boomerang about. They hit covered up pictures here and there before bouncing back into her hands as she's now standing. All the hidden pieces of paper open up revealing pictures of all the guys she’s asked out or been asked out by, along with all the phone numbers given to her. They're all crossed over with marker and each are titled with a variation of the word ‘no’ or ‘fail’. She then walks around as she passes each rejection.

 

_I'm a mess, I'm a loser, I'm a hater, I'm a user!_

_I'm a mess for your love, it ain't neeeew..._

 

She stands there with her head tilting downwards. It was obvious that what she sung was clearly what she's been told by the guys in question countless times _“Cheers...to the failing…”_ the fox runs up to her and hugs her from behind. She ends up crying on the spot for abit before turning to look at Leo _“You know...one day I'll probably have my life in check, by then I'll probably have found someone that loves me for me.”_

 

_“I know you will sis...I'll be here rooting for you…”_

 

_“I know you will munchkin~...You know...my grandmother was the only one to ever support me and have my back through all this...and when Tycoon permanently took her away from me...I'd thought I'd be alone with no help whatsoever...then I met the other girls who understood me and just helped me ease up. But they couldn't speak to me over this...they just didn't have the efficient way of handling it or the relation. Then you come into our lives...and now I have my support again...I'm glad Harper picked ya up when she did~...”_

 

_“As am I! You've taught me so many things that I doubt the other gals could've taught me!”_

 

 _“Likewise.”_ she kisses the fox on the forehead before ruffling his hair abit _“Alright munch, let's sing this song, but let's make it happier aight?”_

 

 _“Got it!”_ they both giggle between each other.

 

The video ends there with the past helmet running out of power and immediately goes to a new video with Mocha looking at Harper and Natasha. The helmet appears to be on the ground, meaning Leo was somewhere else.

 

_“Alright bitch...what'd you do…”_

 

 _“Hey, for once, it wasn't me. This is all on Natasha.”_ Harper slurps on a smoothie as she leans back on a dresser.

 

_“I was just trying to thank him for being so easy to talk to!...”_

 

_“Thank him? Then why the hell is he locked in there then?”_

 

_“Dunno, Natasha just gave him some clothes as thanks then he looked at em, and immediately went in there and wouldn't come back out.”_

 

_“Clothes?”_

 

 _“Yes! I thought it'd be a kind gesture given how big a fascination for style he has, but he just ended up going mute from it! You get his exact size and this is how he repays ya…”_ the dog yanks on her own hair after hearing the bunny finish.

 

_“Oooooh nooooo… I know what you did now…”_

 

 _“What?? What I do!”_ she's ignored as Mocha picks up the helmet and runs off to a sealed door _“Munch? It's me...Leo come on open up, it's just me and only me. I promise…”_ the door opens and she's hauled in _“Alright...so then...she got you some rather accurate clothing huh…”_

 

_“The style is lovely...but how am I gonna cover my hips when this jacket and shirt don't even cover my midriff!”_

 

_“But you love having your midriff out and about!”_

 

 _“Not at the cost of having my hips fully exposed…”_ the boy hugs himself _“It’s a shame to...Natasha actually got me such cute clothes that I’d love to wear...but...I just can’t…”_

 

The girl taps his forehead _“You know... i’m jealous, I’d KILL to have what your body has. Or any of the other girls bodies! Me and my apple shape!”_

 

_“You're a pear!”_

 

_“Then that means I'm the only one with no hourglass shape like the other five! I’d trade with ya if possible, but then again, I really wouldn’t. That little genetic bonus is just a quirky bit of you that makes you your own unique boy!”_

 

_“I don’t fancy it very much...it’s a touch to embarrassing for me…especially with what others who gawk at me may think...”_

 

_“And I understand completely, but it really shouldn’t stop you from wearing what you like. You should never let anything about you or anyone around you scare you into hiding the true you! Stunting what you love. Never let anyone affect that.”_

 

_“It can be hard…”_

 

_“I know it can, trust me. I’ve been there COUNTLESS times kiddo. And i’m only eighteen! How’s that for fucked up?”_

 

_“How do you deal with it?...”_

 

_“I say fuck em! I do what I want regardless! If it upsets em, it just puts a big ol smile on my face! And if they wanna ‘talk’ about it in an attempt to get me to stop, I just tell em to suck my-...erm...kiss my ass!”_

 

_“Don’t think I can be as impactful…”_

 

Mocha grabs the bag of clothes and pushes it into his chest _“You don’t gotta be as vocal as me! You just gotta be as happy as me! You got a style that deserves to show itself! Don’t let your body halt that! ‘Side’s Munch, ya’d look cute as heck in em~”_ The fox smiles lightly as he grips the bag.

 

_“Alright...I guess I can wear it while I’m here for now~...”_

 

_“Sure thing! Then soon after, in public like the glorious icon you are!”_

 

 _“Maybe, just not so soon!”_ Mocha nods then leaves the room with the helmet and waits patiently outside. Soon after the boy walks out wearing the new get up _“Well...how do I look?”_

 

_“Like a model, little man!”_

 

 _“Maybe that’s a stretch, but thank you!~”_ he twists his upper body abit _“Fits nicely to, gotta thank Natasha now! Thanks for the uplifter sis!”_

 

 _“Anytime, now go strut ya stuff!”_ the boy gleefully skips off and the video ends right after with Mocha tossing the helmet straight into the ground like a victory football after seeing his joy.

 

“Wow…” All the girls and Matt manage to force out.

 

“SHE HAS SUCH A CONTRAST FROM THE OTHER FIVE, HOW THE HECK DID THEY ALL GET ALONG??” PJ blurts out.

 

“Hey PJ, MilkCan exists don’t we?” Katy says as she eyes her friend angrily.

 

“I mean yes, but they’re a different example!”

 

“How so??”

 

“I dunno! Just!...urgh…”

 

“Should you explain it kid or should I?”

 

“Mmm...you explain, I’ll show a video afterwards that perfectly exemplifies their relationship along with my inclusion into it.”

 

“Ya got it! Well then, let me start off by saying...yeah they were quite an assortment of ladies. And you’re not wrong that they’d get at each other’s throats quite easily, but really...what friend group hasn’t gone through that? It’s the sign that it’s a healthy friendship if you can call your pals out on their faults when they’re pushing it!”

 

“...Eh...can’t argue there.” PJ shrugs.

 

“They were just your typical girls with a drive for music as a way to vent out...then they were each done wrong by Tycoon. Each of them affected greatly by his lunacy that they all went after the guy in hopes of getting back at him. Then they all met one another, and saw they each had a bone to pick with that crazy freak that they decided to get along with one another as a way of backing each other up against him. As time went on they genuinely started to respect and care for one another. And not long after, the girl band simply titled ‘The Queens’ came to be. Think of it as a similar fashion of starting a blood pact. The girls knew me prior to their union and as you know I simply ended up as their agent. I knew very well what they did behind the scenes when it wasn’t music related. They became quite a thorn in Tycoon’s side, and they knew that they’d eventually be the target of his anger. They all agreed that they’d be fine with whatever happens, as long as the freak himself went down with em, they had that much faith between one another. Now despite all that, there were clearly moments when they just couldn’t deal with one another. It’s just how they were, it’s typical nature. Of course...all six of them were very strong and threatening in their own rights. So getting physical was a usual thing. In a sense it was their way of getting it out of their systems. The following day things would go back to normal until the next time they tried killin each other...that is until…~”

 

“I was added into their lives!” Leo begins another video.

 

The video Leo is currently watching all six of the girls starting to lose their cool. The video camera vibrates lightly, signifying the younger Leo is quite scared. Harper and Gwenoyne are the first to snap.

 

_“For the last time can you just shut the fuck up Gwen??”_

 

_“Why don’t you make me miss ‘in charge’??”_

 

 _“I will shoot you with my eyes I swear to dad…”_ Harper’s eyes begin glowing purple.

 

 _“Not if I poison you first bitch!”_ Gwenoyne holds up her tail as poison begins dripping from the tip.

 

 _“Can you two calm your shit?? Or better yet, shut up?! It’s hard to do anything with you idiots just going at it over and over!”_ Natasha shouts, but is yelled at by Silphy.

 

_“Oh you should heed your own words you dumb fuck! God...that’s like the biggest hypocritical thing to say…”_

 

_“Oh?? Care to explain how??”_

 

_“You are always in a frenzy over the new shit you try to get us to do that you never hush up about it! And why even change shit anyway?? We’ve been doing fine with how we usually go about our things! Why fix what isn’t broken?!”_

 

_“SORRY FOR TRYING TO MAKE THINGS MORE EFFICIENT!”_

 

_“RUINING A STEADY FLOW IS WHAT YOU BE DOING!”_

 

 _“CARE TO WALK UP TO ME AND SAY THAT TO MY FACE?!”_ She presses some buttons on her computer, a small drone floats up next to her, armed with electrical nodes.

 

 _“IF YOU INSIST!”_ Silphy’s hands light up with a bright light as her halo begins spinning rapidly.

 

 _“Are we seriously going through this again?”_ Mocha blurts out with a tired groan. Yet Wuki replies with a laugh.

 

_“Let them! It’s better for them to prove who’s right to finally shut the other up for good!”_

 

_“Wuki has that ever fucking worked?”_

 

_“I’d say it has given how things usually go, but I wouldn’t expect you to know that ya soft served prick!”_

 

_“Oh gee, sorry for actually...ya know...GIVING A DAMN…”_

 

_“Pffft, is that what you call it?~”_

 

_“What would you call it?”_

 

_“Being a fucking coward.”_

 

_“Coming from you? That’s a compliment Miss Keepaway!”_

 

_“Say that again.”_

 

_“You heard me Wuki. You’re nothing. But. A. Coward.”_

 

 _“Ohoho now you’re gonna get it!”_ Wuki pulls off the staff attached onto her back and holds an armed wedge end towards her.

 

 _“Ya sure? Not gonna run away?”_ Mocha’s gloves arm themselves with studded knuckles.

 

All six girls are prepared to hurt each other viciously. The camera finally gets up and rushes to them _“H-Hey!...I can’t just sit back and stay quiet anymore!...You guys are friends! You shouldn’t be doing this!”_

 

 _“QUIET!”_ they all shout as they ignore him, and fire their attacks.

 

 _“NO!...”_ The camera gets in between the six of them and is immediately smacked away. It lands on the ground and watches the fox boy get zapped by the angel girl and the bunny, bludgeoned by the monkey and the dog and direly poisoned by the devil girl and the scorpion _“GAHHH…”_ They all realize that they’ve hit the wrong person and immediately stop with a gasp. The boy woozily stares forward, his entire body had turned purple from the venom, he then ends up falling onto his back _“H-Hagh...ughhhh…”_ He is now motionless on the ground and he doesn’t make a single noise.

 

 _“M-MUNCH…”_ Mocha says as she stares at the immobile body.

 

 _“L-LEO!”_ Silphy, Harper and Natasha blurt out after.

 

 _“FUCK…WE K-KILLED HIM!...”_ Gwenoyne and Wuki finish off with.

 

 _“OH FUCK OH FUCK OH FUCK...WE REALLY DID IT THIS TIME…”_ Natasha freaks out as she cowers onto the ground.

 

 _“SHUT UP!_ _Alright...we may have done a big bad right about now...but this is no time to panic girls…”_

 

_“WE JUST KILLED AN INNOCENT BOY HARPER! THIS IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST TIME TO PANIC!”_

 

 _“SILPH, QUIET.”_ she groans _“Look...we maaaay have fried his outsides, crunched his insides and have possibly melted to mush whatever was left...but this is something we can collectively agree on that we have to hide the fact that we did this.”_

 

_“Harper how the FUCK are we gonna hide this?! People are gonna know what’s up!”_

 

_“Look, we can fool the two idiots pretty easily, and as for the his babysitter...we might need to lie to her that he decided to stick with us full time...that might work…”_

 

_“What about the axolotl girl??”_

 

 _“Pinkie? Dammit...that’s right...she’d be on our case about it twenty four seven...luckily she’s not her-”_ The sound of a gasp along with an object being dropped and shattering upon hitting the floor is heard _“You’ve got to be kidding me…”_ Harper takes a step to the side and allows the camera to see a mortified Amby, who dropped a plate of snacks. The Queens all rush up to block her sight of the currently downed body.

 

 _“YO! Uh...ignore him! He’s just really sleepy is all!”_ Silphy brings up.

 

_“Y-Yeah Munch just had...uh…”_

 

_“To much to drink!”_

 

_“T-That’s right! Me and Wuki kinda pressured him to and turns out he gets drunk really easily!...H-Hahaha…”_

 

_“T-That’s right Gwen! A-Also turns out that it makes him purple! W-Who knew right?...”_

 

 _“I-I can take care of little Munch no problem Amby, me and all the girls are perfectly capable, so you just-”_ Mocha shuts up when she sees the girl about to scream in terror _“GIRLS SHE’S NOT BUYING IT, SHE’S ABOUT TO CRY WOLF!...”_ They all instinctively try to knock out the girl to prevent her from screaming, but all seven of them stop what they’re doing when they hear pained groaning. They all turn their attention to the body that slowly gets off the ground. The Queen’s eyes turn to that of horror themselves, caught off guard by the fact that the fox survived.

 

 _“H-HE’S ALIVE?! HE TOOK ALL THAT AND SURVIVED?!...”_ Natasha blurts out in fear.

 

 _“Z-ZOMBIE?!”_ Gwenoyne says as she curls her tail around her body as a safety measure.

 

 _“Well so much from hiding that fact from Pinkie…”_ Harper squeezes the area between her eyes as the body fully gets up.

 

 _“I-I said...friends s-shouldn’t...D-DO THIS DAMMIIIIIIIIIT!”_ the body rushes forward to the six of them, Harper quickly flies off as a fast fist connects with all the other girls in their faces cleanly. They are all knocked unconscious on the spot.

 

 _“H-How in the he-”_ before Harper can finish, something strikes her heavily in the back of the head _“GACK…”_ she enters dreamland with her bandmates as she collapses face first onto the floor by her pals.

 

 _“WOOOOO! MAN IT FELT GOOD TO DO THAT!”_ Milton shouts out as him and Emile are shown to have been behind her, their fists clearly the cause of knocking Harper out.

 

_“You know that she’s just gonna shove a broom up our asses for doing that once she wakes up right Mil?”_

 

_“Oh I know, but she can’t take away from us the fact that WE knocked her out. She ain’t never gonna live that down Emile!”_

 

 _“I suppose that’s one way to look at it…”_  he rolls his eyes and looks to Leo _“BUDDY! You’ve certainly seen better days! Me and Emile saw what the fuck happened to ya, but were too terrified to do anything about it! Thought you kicked the ol bucket, but lookie here! You still kicking around! You even kicked them to the curb! Man I gotta say you are such a won- what are you doing?”_ Leo is seen dragging the unconscious girls towards the main room couch. He then kicks the couch and it opens up into a massively large bed _“W-We’re...gonna have...a movie night...sleepover…”_ He coughs heavily _“These...idiots...need to learn...to not...hurt each...other…and just...have...fun...”_ Amby quickly runs over to him.

 

_“You’re really trying to help THEM out after what they did to you?!”_

 

_“Of...course!...I don’t...want to see...friends...fighting…plus...better me...than...them...”_

 

_“Ugh...what do you see in these six morons…fine...let me heal you atleast...you look like you’re gonna collapse again…you know the drill...take a deep breath cuz this is gonna sting...alot...”_

 

_“We’ll handle the bodies ol pal!”_

 

 _“Emile you...fine...we’ll carry the dumbasses...but I’m picking the movie!”_ They both begin carrying the bodies while the axolotl begins repairing the boy’s body.

 

 _“Thank you guys…”_ the video cuts out and randomly cuts back in again. Five of the six Queens have bandages over their broken noses as they sit around Leo. Harper has an ice pack on the back of her head. Amby sits next to Leo while Emile and Milton stand in the distance, in fear of Harper. As they watch their movie, all the Queens sigh and speak up.

 

_“We’re...sorry Leo…”_

 

 _“Apologize to yourselves! I already forgave you all! Now hush up! This is the best part of the movie!”_ They all look to each other and laugh before they all grab the boy’s head and ruffle his hair. They then turn to Harper who simply nods.

 

 _“Hey Leo...you really surprised us today...in more ways than one. You're certainly one special toy. Actually I don't think I can call you that anymore.”_ she laughs once more _“...How would you...like to join the Queen’s?...be our lucky seven?...”_ Amby begins coughing heavily, nearly choking on the popcorn she was eating _“And I don't mean it like when I said I wanted you to be ours...this is like...your call. Be our newest member...rock the world with us…You can play any instrument right? That'll work...or you can be another lead singer and just dance along with our performance. You can be_ **_our_ ** _little rapper Rappa just like your dad was for his friend group...plus...we'd fight alot less with you around to keep us in check.”_

 

 _“...”_ video Leo and current Leo say the next line together _“I'd love to...but...you sure I'm the guy you want joining you? I wouldn't wanna bring down your quality…”_

 

_“Rappa darling, our quality has no way to go but up! People love us, people love you! Unite the two, and we got something...entirely new.”_

 

 _“You think so?...”_ all of them rest their heads on the boy. Amby watches what goes on as she faints on the spot, squeaking out a distressed yelp.

 

 _“We’re the Queens darling...we know so~...”_ they all say in unison.

 

 _“...I accept then~...actually...I'll be a full member with you all once I beat Tycoon!”_ the movie scene just enters its final segment, all of them had talked over the part that Leo wanted to watch, but he didn't pay attention to the scene at all from the joy of the news he'd been given _“Still the best part of the movie…~”_ the video ends as Gloria chuckles, looking at the mixed, yet expected reactions from the group as Leo sighs in regret.

 

“They're all crazy! And they nearly killed you in the process!...Wait...How DID you survive?”

 

Leo realizes that he never told them all that he holds back and immediately regrets showing them that “Uhhh...I'm just...ridiculously durable…”

 

“Kid did you not tell them how strong you really are?”

 

“...Nope…”

 

“We'll discuss that later, for now...they seemed like a humongous mess!” Katy enters a deep thinking pose “But they were so ok with how things went...cuz no matter what...they would get over it and still remember that they were a group...and clearly you made it so that happened less and skipped straight to the getting along portion again quickly. But man...they were crazy.”

 

“They were, but they were my new crazy family! And in the end I was the last Queen standing...actually thanks to what I said...I don’t think I count...I said after I beat the guy...but they all died before that...and even then, he came back...refusing to lose so easily...I’m nothing short of just a guy who let em down…”

 

“Aw kid, you know that ain’t true. They would’ve been overjoyed to see how badly you thrashed that pompous monster around! Sure the big ol yellow belly backed up his life into a robot body, but that just means he was scared that you’d win. And ya did! And he knows you’ll be able to mess with him again. That alone makes em happy I’m sure of it.”

 

“And besides! We’d be happy to include you in our group!” Katy says as she jumps with joy on the spot.

 

“Maybe so.” He loses focus on his chair and falls over. He flips back onto his feet “Point is. They may have been insane maniacs, but they were my insane maniacs! Times were fun, and they got better thanks to my...much needed assistance. They got so much better that they even opened up to my other pals. It was grand.”

 

“Can we hear more of THAT maybe?”

 

“Sure. I’m actually in a gushy mood to talk about how things were like after going through all this...but first. I should kinda come clean.” The others all look at the boy “While yes, I wanted to relax here with Gloria over happier times, I didn’t give all the reasons for needing to be relaxed...you see...my first gig happens soon. And I’m a mess…”

 

“Why? You’re a natural!” Matt shouts as he steps forward.

 

“Thanks to all of us!” the MilkCan quartet say.

 

“Gotta agree with Matt. While you show incompetence, you’re still fully capable with something as simple as that!” PJ adds on.

 

“It’s not that...it’s just...my gig falls on the day...Raparra comes back for Rammy...I wanted to apply some background support, but now I can’t even do that...And I’m afraid of how things might go in this new version of the event…”

 

“Ah...yeah that would cause alot of panic wouldn’t it? But you should have faith in us! Unlike you, we’re plenty competent!” As PJ says that, his friends all give their own varying response through gestures that simply make him facepalm “Atleast...enough to properly solve the current problem…”

 

“While we may not be the b-best examples...we can still manage ourselves! We won’t let anyone take Ura a-away from us!...” Lammy says with slight increasing courage.

 

“Don’t worry over us Leo dear, plus, I think we have our own ways of handling things better now!” Sweety winks at the boy, referring to her new ability that she got thanks to him as her open eye twinkles. He merely emits a grunt of mixed emotion.

 

“I dunno...hopefully it ends soon enough so that I can help in some way regardless.”

 

“Don’t ruin your return to form so quickly you dumbass!” Rammy says as she gets angry at the boy “The urge to help us is understandable, but don’t ruin shit you gotta fix immediately all over again! Things will be fine! As you said, I’m still your aunt in the end aren’t I?~”

 

“Mmmm...ok! My own words are being used against me so I’ll just accept it!” He chuckles on the spot.

 

“All this makes me wonder...was that why you went to visit my mother yesterday?”

 

“Eheh...yeah…”

 

“Your mother?" Everyone but Poppy and Lammy say to Katy before looking to Leo.

 

“Don’t look at me! I didn’t know Nana K. WAS Katy’s mom until yesterday!”

 

“NANA K IS KATY’S MOM??”

 

“Please can we handle that another time? I’ve already had my fill of the subject yesterday…”

 

“Great! Then back to the stories! But before we learn more about the better moments of those girls, you gotta tell us about what she meant with you not telling us how strong you really are!” Katy says, snaking her way from one touchy subject into another.

 

“...Aight...fine let’s get this over with…”

 

* * *

 

The day reaches its later half as Parappa and Kayla finish their dance.

 

“Well...I’d say that was a MUCH greater improvement from the first two attempts~ That should about do it for our lesson! Good thing to, it would appear my magic has run out.” She notices the blue coloring on his eyes melt away.

 

“I FELT the improvement! Man...I didn’t think I had those moves in me...solo or duo! Phew...my head’s getting all mangled up again…can you do that thing that froze my thoughts again?”

 

“If you wish! But don’t you want to settle those thoughts rather than seal em away?”

 

“The thing is...I just don’t know how to…” he sighs “My head and my heart are a conjoined mess…”

 

“Oh deary me...well...I don’t think I’m the person you can talk to about this. This is best handled with someone who has no bias. Because with me, you know I’ll be pushing you towards my cousin.”

 

“Good point...well...I’ll just shake it off until our dance lesson tomorrow! For that, then can you do that kiss thing again??”

 

“Worry not, I shall~”

 

“Great! It was certainly a big help!”

 

“What was?” Paula says as she and her two mentors walk on in.

 

“Oh just stuff involving my dancing!”

 

“Ah, how’s he doin with that cuz?”

 

“Phenomenal! If you saw him, you wouldn’t have been able to tell if he was the same person or not!”

 

“Really?” She glances to the dog who bashfully waves, then back to her relative “Wow! You really are amazing!”

 

“Oh all it took was a little mind clearing was all! After that he moved like a natural! Followed my instructions and my steps to a T! Even went off on his own freestyle that amazed me! Like he didn’t really need a teacher~”

 

“That’s not fully true! I’d still be a mess without your assistance! I only do as well as my teacher that helps me!”

 

“Your modesty is insurmountable! Fine fine, if that is what you see as proper~”

 

“Which I do!” He smiles before turning his attention to his friend “How goes it with you?”

 

“Wonderfully! I’m starting to get better grips at what I can do!...Just...managing how when I can do it is a bit bothersome…”

 

“I can assume it is. I take it you’ve come to the conclusion of taking up the witch offer?”

 

“Yes actually. Although it’s easy to see that I’m still hesitant…”

 

“What was the motivating factor that made you accept this as something you wanna do?”

 

“It was just some things I discussed with my cousin and my late aunt during the moments you walked off! I heard of somethings I could learn to do that I thought would be amazingly beneficial to all of us!”

 

“Sounds like it judging by your hyper enthusiasm that finally came back!”

 

“Guilty~” she turns to her cousin “By the way cuz, Aqua and Sirius thought it be best for you to help along with my teaching for tomorrow.”

 

“I can do that, but Parappa, are you fine with that?”

 

“Course I am! After your help, I’m certain that I can master this in NO time!~”

 

“Then there’s your answer my dear cousin~”

 

“Great!” she fist pumps the air “Parappa lemme show you what I got steady so far!”

 

“Alright!” She yanks him by the arm and runs outside with him, the three older adults laughing as they see it happen.

 

* * *

 

_8 days left…_

 

Parappa waits atop the bed as he wonders how time will go by. The competition being mere days away unsettles him as he decides to take a stroll along the water’s edge. He merely emits a happy sighs before continuing along the sand. His body still slightly discomforted, but much more manageable than how he was prior. The discomfort got him to wonder if it’d be a hindrance to him in the competition much like how Leo ended up being. He shudders as he decides to spend the rest of his free time resting up to avoid that, or at the very least slim the chance of that being a problem. He ends up napping the entire time as he’s awoken by his friend.

 

“Wake up! You can’t shirk off your lessons by napping!”

 

“Huh?...but I was…” He turns on his phone to notice he had overdone his resting plan “OH MAN!” His feet rev up into a heavy spin “Thanks for the wake up call!” He zooms out the room and down to his teacher.

 

“Oh there you are. I thought you had up and gotten yourself hypnotized again!” she playfully giggles.

 

“Not unless they cloned your evil clone!...Did they?...”

 

“No silly, just take the joke as it is! No need to over complicate the meaning!”

 

“I didn't mean to! It's just I really would prefer to not end up in that scenario again…”

 

“Ah...right. My deepest apologies, living with my nearly unsalvageable allies has given me a bit of a morbid sense of humor…” she hisses at herself while twiddling her thumbs and glances away.

 

“Oh don’t worry about it! A diverse sense of humor is something I’m used to given my friends group!”

 

“That…does not make me feel any better.”

 

“Yeah I could’ve worded that better…um...well we can help change your sense of humor!”

 

“Oh it’d be nice to have that, but having you visit me here would be a bit problematic with Spectora running amok…”

 

“You got me there...man...that’s a bummer.”

 

“How do you think I feel? I can’t fulfil my vow by being miles away from you!” As they both end up defeated by the reality of the situation, Aqua comes in with an awkward facial expression upon her face.

 

“Actually Kayla…abooooooout thaaaaaat…”

 

“I don’t very much like the tone of your voice...what is it…”

 

“I...think it would be...for the best if you...left with Parappa and Paula and...never...came...back…” there’s a hint of sorrow and regret in her voice as she manages to say what she wanted to.

 

“Did...Did I hear that correctly?...”

 

“Yes. Kayla...you are to leave this place in two days from now with these two, and you are not allowed to return...ever…”

 

“T-This is a joke right?”

 

“No. It is not. All your life you’ve been with us when it really shouldn’t have been the case. My mother wanted to return you to your proper family once you hit your thirteenth year, but you know who arrived and you were denied that gift. You instead chose to stay here and attempt to keep order. You were spared the fate that all of us were forced into and were it not for the efforts of Leo and Ambrosia...I would not be here with Sirius in order to free you of your fate caused by my mother. She found you to be a nuisance and sought it better to give you a better purpose. Now that you’ve been liberated, it will not take her long to catch on. Me and Sirius will do our best to play off your others demise as an unexpected fatality, but you need to run. Run as far away from here and never look back. I don’t want any more harm to befall you. Go to your family and rebuild your ties, rebuild your life, rebuild your freedom.”

 

“But what if it doesn’t work?? Do you understand what she’ll do if she ends up finding out it was you two??”

 

“We will cross that bridge when we inevitably get to it.” she walks up to the distressed fox and holds her hands within her own “For now...please don’t waste your life any further here…”

 

“I’ve never wasted my life here!...”

 

“But you soon will if you stay here any longer. Don’t forfeit anymore of your time. Please, I only do this as your friend. I don’t want to lose you. So please, with all my heart I ask you to run and survive.” her hands tremble within the fox’s.

 

“...Very well…” she tightens her grip on the depressed axolotl. Soon after their hands separate as Aqua runs off to vent alone. Kayla then turns to Parappa “I guess this is the new circumstance I’ve been placed in...I apologize for imposing on you…”

 

“Oh no! Nononononononono! You aren’t imposing at all! If anyone should be apologize, it’s gotta be me! I’m kinda the reason for this happening...so I’m sorry…”

 

“Don’t apologize because I don’t blame you. I suppose this is just how things must be.”

 

“...You...probably have a lot to deal with, maybe we should skip today’s lesson…”

 

“No! It might be costly to avoid teaching you! I-I’ll be fine…”

 

“Kayla, it won’t help if you have a messy head just like me...just take the rest of the day to come to grips with this. I’ll try practicing on my own.”

 

“I can’t do that! I’ll manage! I promise!” She strikes an adamant pose, but she wobbles in places, her facade broken, she gives in “...Alright...but are you sure you can manage on your own? You’ll just be repeating old steps over and over…”

 

“Better than doing nothing right?”

 

“But will that be good enough to put you on a juggernaut professional’s level?”

 

“It’ll still be something I’ll have a step up in!”

 

“I understand that...and yet...wait! Why not practice with my cousin? She’ll be able to help out some while also working on her own skill as well! Doesn’t hurt to bump up the chances! Tomorrow I’ll work with the two of you to the extreme then! I’m certain that I’ll be fine by tomorrow!...Hopefully.”

 

“Even better!” He runs up the stairs and returns back just as quick with Paula right behind after a quick yelp. His expression is unamused.

 

“That was quick…”

 

“Turns out she was right at the tip of the stairs listening in...”

 

“Ehehe...guilty…”

 

“Whatever though! It saves on the explanations!” Parappa shakes his head and tries to keep a smile on.

 

“Very...alright so then...please try to help him out. I’ll put in the double time tomorrow. Is that alright?”

 

“Of course cuz! Just go take your time with this!”

 

“I will. Worry not for me. Now I must go to Aqua as well…” she tries to head off but Parappa stops her.

 

“Wait wait WAAAAAIT!”

 

“What is- oh! Right I forgot to help seal _your_ troubling thoughts!”

 

Paula bounces as she looks to her relative “You can do that???”

 

“Of course! Like so!” She lifts up the dogs beanie slightly and pecks him on the forehead once more. Again his eyes find them their new indigo hue as shakes his head. Paula loses track of her own thoughts at that moment.

 

“Whew. That’s better! Now I’ll be able to do my hardest again!”

 

“I only wish I could do that to myself, but what can you do.” She holds her face as Paula snaps out of it.

 

“I-If I became a full time witch...would I be able to do that??...”

 

“Well...yes, but not in an instant. Such an ability requires quite a large amount of practice...otherwise the results could vary astonishingly...such as literal brainfreeze.”

 

“Then I’d practice if that were the case! It’s certainly a motivator to if stuff like THAT is what I could be capable of doing!”

 

“Very good reply! Now I really must be off…” She rushes off without allowing the other two to halt her further.

 

“Paula you sure about that?”

 

“Of COURSE! If things like that are also what I can learn, then I can help you even more! Not to mention our other friends! It’d calm down Ma-sans anger inducing thoughts, Lammy’s anxiety inducing thoughts and Matt’s fear inducing thoughts! And Rammy as well! It’d certainly help in her endeavours to try and keep a steady mind to! All if I just give this my fullest as usual!”

 

“Those are all nice reasons. Well, alright then…”

 

“Now enough of that! We got some dancing to do!” she holds out her hand “Ready partner?”

 

“Always!” The duo bow before one another before taking each others hand and beginning their own lesson. The duo follow each others steps perfectly as they instinctively know how to carry on the movement. The reflex between each other was astounding as they kept up in trying to teach the other better movement, and before long it was nightfall. The duo parted their hands as they happily thanked the other for what they were able to accomplish as the headed off to their beds.

 

_7 days left...lucks running thin…_

 

Both animals awake from their bed and say their good mornings before parting to do their own thing, only to meet up with all three elder animals.

 

“Morning you three! What’s up?...”

 

“Good morning to the two of you as well. The three of us have decided that it’s best you spend this full day with your dance lessons.”

 

“But my-” Paula blurts out and is just as quickly cut off.

 

“Yes yes. Worry not. I’ll be returning with you home after all. So I can teach you then. Right now this is more important. You see...tomorrow I’ll be testing you. The oaf you’ll be facing surely won’t be a match for me! So if you can satisfy my test, you can most definitely best that idiot.”

 

“...” the duo look to each other. With a reassuring smile and nod, they both look back to the trio “Alright!” they both say.

 

They head towards the area where Paula was practicing her own abilities and both wonder why. The curiosity fades as Kayla and Sirius both end up turning the entire area into a serene blue ballroom. The floor and the walls all reflecting everything that appears on it. Aqua instead uses her magic to create specific clothing for the two.

 

“Might as well fit the scenery no?~” both nod rapidly “Good answer~”

 

“Alright. I’ll cut in now and then with one of you while the other does their best to watch how I dance with the other. The solo dancer must try to continue where the other dancer left off when I separate with them and go to you. Understood?”

 

“Crystal clear!”

 

“Great. Now get dressed!” Aqua and Sirius spawn separate changing rooms for the duo. In an instant they’re in the new attire “Wonderfully quick! Well then...let’s help with the tempo! Help me with this you two!”

 

“We got it, don’t worry!” Sirius transforms his main dagger into a full on flute while Aqua transforms her broom into a violin. Kayla creates an ice piano that she immediately sits by and begins playing. The smaller duo both begin their flashy and overly organized dance as they continually progress with their style as the piano soon stops and Kayla is now splitting the duo up as she instructed. This went on until the others simply danced alone, not realizing she had long since stopped. They soon realize and regroup as they resume their dance together, while also splitting off from time to time to practice on their own as well even further. Repeating this process for the remainder of the day. The three adults all silently breathe an air of relief. They were already well prepared since Parappa’s first proper lesson. However, it didn’t hurt to let them have some alone duo time. And maybe tomorrow’s test would also help out in this while providing some last second lecturing. No harm in turning a lesson into a fun little dancing date. Especially if the three kept quiet about it. Kayla laughed to herself silently.

 

_Whether this leads to something or not...I’ll be satisfied knowing they at least spent this time alone together~_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, song belongs to its proper owner! This case being Bebe!


	39. Dance the time away

_ 6 days left... _

 

The duo practice once more on their final day at the beach side city. A thought soon popping in Paula’s head.

 

“Hey...Parappa…”

 

“What Paula?”

 

“It’s...occured to me that...we might get caught in the same predicament Leo was put in…”

 

“Oh I doubt that. I’m sure Leo will have found us a bigger space.”

 

“Ok...then what if he tries to cheat? Not like we’d have much in line to do much in retaliation.”

 

“I mean he got a draw for hurting Leo, so if they seem him ‘act up’ I’m sure it’s grounds to give us the right to defend ourselves!” His hand sparks up “We just pump up our power and send him off his feet! We’re dancing after all! We just avoid his strikes and just give him a taste of his own medicine!”

 

“Think we can?...”

 

“Nope!” Paula stares at the boy “I don’t think we can. I KNOW we can!” she headbutts him playfully.

 

“You jerk! Don’t scare me like that!” He only laughs, getting her to join along to.

 

Parappa then abruptly stops laughing “One thing though...I feel like...this face off is gonna end quickly…like I mean, we'll win, but it'll feel to easy and anticlimactic. As if it's not the last time we'll face Prince.”

 

“Strange...I feel the same way. Like there's gonna be more encounters...and they're not gonna be fun...how many more encounters? I don't know...just that this challenge ain't gonna be the last we'll see of him…”

 

Parappa shakes his head “No matter if it is or isn't our only time facing him. We'll still take him down! No matter the face off!” Paula nods as they both grab each others hand tightly, flickering off their power into a hardy and determined handshake.

 

They resume their practice while also trying to implement their own abilities as a safety precaution in secret. Soon it reaches the late evening and Kayla calls them over.

 

“So then...are you two ready?~”

 

They both strike a pose before lining up together “Yes we are Dancing Princess!”

 

“That's what I wanna hear! Now let's…” she creates an ice statue mimic of herself that lines up with her just like how the other two are.

 

_Stage 5:_ _The_ _Dance Princess’s Test_

 

**Lesson 1**

 

**_BEGIN!~_ **

 

_ “OooooOOOOooooh “ _

 

_ “It's been years baby, but I still got it!” _

 

_ “I wanna see if you both have what it takes to win that challenge!” _

 

_ “Show me that you been paying attention, no snoozin or you losin!” _

 

_ “We gonna do it real simple now! Ok? And begin!” _

  
  


_ “Take a little step~” _

 

“Take a little step~”

 

_ “Follow with a tip tap!” _

 

“Follow with a tip tap!”

 

_ “Stomp all around!” _

 

“Stomp all around!”

 

_ “Swerve across the ground!” _

 

“Swerve across the ground!”

 

_ ”Oooooh dance with me! Sing with me, _

_ Join along with the Dance Princess of the frozen sea!” _

 

“Dance with you! Sing with you!

Together we'll show you, all that we can do!”

 

_ “Feel the beat flowing, there's no way of knowing how your feet will move! _

_ Do you got the groove?~” _

 

“Feel the beat flowing, there's no way of knowing how our feel will move!

Yes we got the groove!”

 

_ “Can ya shake it, can ya make it? _

_ Can you prove ya didn't fake it?~” _

 

“We can shake it, we can make it,

we will never ever fake it!~”

 

_ “Can ya style all the while? _

_ Is your rhythm versatile?~” _

 

“We can style, all da while!

We aren't just juvenile!”

 

_ “Can you follow my beat? No I will not repeat, _

_ With a tap and a step, _

_ You can raise up your rep! _

_ Know I got goals you gotta meet!” _

 

“We can follow ya beat! Won't need ya to repeat,

With a tap and step,

We will skyrocket up our rep!

We will pass just like an elite!” Both of them flip about in the air before reuniting and landing flawlessly between the Kayla’s. Both of them are greatly pleased.

 

**Lesson 2**

 

_ “Okay my little pupils! You got it, you got it!” _

 

_ “But we still got more to go! Cuz it ain't over dontcha know?~” _

 

_ “We only made little progress!’ _

 

_ “But can you keep it up? Let’s see chicoooooos~ _ ”

  
  


_ “Tip, tap, stomp!” _

 

“Tip, tap, stomp!”

 

_ “Tap, tap, step!” _

 

“Tap, tap, step!”

 

_ “Tip, step, slide!” _

 

“Tip, step, slide!”

 

_ “Slide and stride, prove ya better than the rest! _

_ Make em run and hide, only you can be the best! _ ”

 

“Slide and stride, prove we're better than da rest!

Make em run, make em hide, only we can be the best!”

 

_ “Tip and then tap! _

_ Get that audience to clap!” _

 

“Tip and then tap!

Winning this will be a snap!”

 

_ “Live it and Love it, hold your fire! _

_ Show that your movements are a strength to admire~” _

 

“Love it and Live it, burns our desire!

To win this challenge, force our foes to retire!”

 

_ “Take to the sky, _

_ As you dance like you fly! _

_ It’s all quite shocking, _

_ Seeing how well your body’s rocking!” _

 

“Our joy is rising,

It’s really mesmerizing!

But we aren’t cold!

We’re just making our victory told!” They get split up and each are now dancing with a Kayla.

 

**Lesson 3**

 

_ “I can feel your conjoined rhythm! There’s no need to fear! _

 

_ I can hear it! It’s ringing loud and clear~” _

 

_ “We may be halfway done, but don’t let that lower your performance! So no more maybe! _

 

_ Let me show you how it’s done baby!~ “ _

  
  


_ “Oh Ooh ooohh! Do you got the new fresh?~”  _ The Kayla’s let go of their partners and begin wiggling their hips as they sing the upcoming verses.

 

“Yeah we got da new fresh~” The duo wiggle back in response.

 

_ “Can your styles, really mesh?~” _

 

Ya our styles, really mesh!~”

 

_ “Can ya make the watchers move?~” _

 

“Yeah they gonna bust a move!”

 

_ “Move it to your funky groove!~” _

 

“Lose it to our one true groove!”

 

_ “Keep it up, this flow is nice!” _

 

“Glad you love our duo spice!”

 

_ “Follow any sick beat!~”  _ The Kayla’s grab their partners again.

 

“Show our fans quite a treat!~” The duo smoosh together with their respective teacher. They follow said teachers quick steps to a T as the mirror as best and as quickly as they can.

 

_ “Keep the funky beat a bumpin!” _

 

“Rocking like our hearts a thumpin!”

 

_ “Gotta make sure your beat is sick!” _

 

“We will make sure it’s really ridic’!”

 

_ “Stick it to that pointy man!” _

 

“Don’t worry, cuz that’s the plan!~” Both separate as their ice Kayla’s dance away from them. As both Kayla stand far away from each other, they mirror each other's movements as they continue.

 

**Final Lesson**

 

_ “Here we are, and yeah I’ve seen ya come far!” _

 

_ “It’s a joy to see, and it’s partially thanks to me~” _

 

_ “But we’re not done yet! Don’t stop the Vinyl!” _

 

_ “Get set my pretties, it’s time for the final!” _

  
  


_ “Is this it? Does the moment draw near?” _

 

“Our final act is here, there is no time to fear!”

 

_ “Don’t be obtuse, don’t end up a recluse! Get your sights set on go! You’re the real royals of this floor show!” _

 

“We’re playing with a full deck! So don’t worry, we’re in check! We’ll beat Mr. Ego, with our amazing combo!”

 

_ “That man’s actions, will you rectify?” _

 

“Yes cuz we can really electrify!”

 

_ “What will you do to him? Whatcha gonna say?~” _

 

“Beat him on whim! Tomorrow won’t be his day!”

 

_ “Oh my!” _

 

“Oh my!”

 

_ “Oh wow!” _

 

“Oh wow!”

 

_ “Is this true?~” _

 

“Ya it’s true!”

 

_ “Really true?~” _

 

“Really Really!”

 

_ “Go all in?~” _

 

“Gotta win!”

 

_ “Hey guess what?” _

 

“Guess what?”

 

_ “I think we’re done!” _

 

“Are we done??”

 

_ “Yes! We are! Congratulations! You both pass my little test~”  _ Kayla spins around as her icy double melts away with the song coming to a close.

 

“Do you think we can do it?”

 

“My little ones of course you can! And you know the best part? Parappa my magic wore off the second the test began!”

 

“I-It did?!” Parappa realizes that she’s telling the truth as the thoughts were in his head, he just pushed them aside on his own.

 

“When it mattered the most, you tossed the things aside to do what was needed of you!”

 

“Huh...I guess I did!” he grips tightly onto his ears “I...don’t think I’ll be able to keep like that…”

 

“What about for the dance challenge? Can you manage for that?”

 

“...I think so!” He stands in a faulty pose as his knees wobble endlessly.

 

“He’ll be fine cuz! I’ll make sure of that!” Paula slaps his back causing him to fumble and catch his balance with a slight gasp of fear.

 

“Uh...sure! I know you will!” she pulls at the neck of her attire as she sheepishly smiles. Just then enters the two aquatic mages.

 

“Well, it’s time you three drive off! You’re gonna have quite a drive if you wanna make it in time for your challenge!”

 

“Ah right!”

 

“All your stuff has been prepped and packed and set back in your car Parappa. I have also packed your essentials Kayla. At least...what was left to pack.”

 

“Oh...well that’s a bit of a low blow from Spectora...but worry not. I will never lose those memories. Not as long as you two stay alive!” She shuffles her feet around “Stay safe you two…”

 

“Aw we will. I’ll make sure Aqua here will be fiiiiine!”

 

“Excuse you? I’m the stronger of us with magic!”

 

“And what happens once you lose both your broom and your arm? I at the very least am deft of blade!”

 

“How often does that come up??”

 

“How often does it not??” Both bicker before getting slapped up the head by the older fox.

 

“Truly I worry that I won’t be able to keep you both in check…” She laughs as the two apologize.

 

After a small bit of time, they’re all packed into the car.

 

“Thanks so much for the help you two!”

 

“It’s us that should be thanking you Parappa!”

 

“She’s right man. You’ve been a blessing to us! We don’t deserve the level of generosity you or your kid have given us.” both do a ceremonial type bow before him. Kayla picks up after them.

 

“I’ll miss the two of you…”

 

“And we’ll miss you. Take care! Parappa you best keep her safe!”

 

“I will! With you guys and Leo watching our backs, we’ll be just fine!” they all wave as the car drives off. 

 

“Just follow my broom and you’ll be back in no time!” Aqua shouts as her broom flies after them “We'll meet up again once things are hopefully in the clear!!”

 

The night enshrouds the road, but the ride is calm and entrancing. The trio stay quiet mainly because the smaller duo have no way of conversing with the older add on. Eventually Paula speaks up “Hey cuz...how you feel?...You know...about all this?”

 

“Terrified. One hundred percent.” she groans “I...I’m thought to be dead! I have no clue how Aunt Bella will view me as once I just simply waltz back into her life! Not to mention I am to witness my long deceased mother speak to her as well...watching my family reunite itself is just a bewildering thought...All my life I was raised knowing that the family I grew up with wasn’t my own...yet I still treated it as such. To go back to my real one is frankly...scary...very scary…”

 

“Oh but my mother will be thrilled to see you again I’m sure! Regardless, I’m sure once she sees you, she’ll also feel a great sense of fear...I did when I spoke to you. But I did get to say my peace and I got to see and learn a lot about you! I was overjoyed! Just imagine my mother’s reaction!”

 

“That imagination IS what’s got me on edge…” Snowflakes start flowing around her as her long hair starts to stiffen up. The road becomes slippery, resulting in some driving difficulties.

 

“Hey would you look at that...apparently subconscious panic freezing is an innate trait for you guys…” Parappa says as he tries to keep steady behind the broom.

 

“M-My apologies...my stomach has just frozen over...I feel like I want to vomit...but I think it froze before it could even reach my throat…” She plops over onto her side and she holds her stomach. Her body turns green.

 

“That ain’t good...P-Paula have anything we can talk about to help her out??”

 

“You think I’d be here like a mime if I did?!”

 

“Then what are we gonna do! I dunno if that’s healthy or not?!”

 

“You’d prefer that she barf everywhere??”

 

“I’d prefer she not cause something in her to explode from the backed up frozen vomit!” he grumbles before calming down “Think you can go back there and try and help her out??”

 

“But what if she pukes on meeeee…”

 

“It’s probably ice by now! And even if it isn’t, just freeze it before it touches you!”

 

“Fiiiiihihihihiiiiine...you owe me for this…”

 

“Ok! Just help her out! I don’t think I can manage driving like this the entire night…!”

 

Paula moves herself into the back row seats as she helps her cousin upright and tries to ease her out. She manages to do so and also settle her stomach. The trio then spend the night talking about a different subject altogether to avoid causing this again.

 

* * *

 

_ 5 days left… _

 

Leo paces around the main street of Neon Heights as a crowd of people walk by minding their own business. Poppy runs up to him, apparently looking for him.

 

“Finally found you! Leo what are you doing?”

 

“Panicking...Paula and Dad still haven't shown any sign of returning...and Prince is on his way!...”

 

“They'll be here!”

 

“I hope they will Poppy...otherwise I'll have to take the challenge again.’

 

“No way. You'll get hurt again.”

 

“My guard was lowered from me being frozen and left a withered mess! That ain't gonna happen now! I can take him on!”

 

“I find that very hard to believe. On that topic, especially after finding out what I did...you could have very well taken that car that hit you without my help!”

 

“I didn’t KNOW it was there or so close to me!”

 

“What about the rock that almost squashed us??”

 

“My hand was busted, my body worned out and batter. I had no strength!”

 

“Hmph...you’re lucky you have valid excuses…”

 

“Why is my strength such a big defacto now??”

 

“Because you really shouldn’t hide it! It probably could’ve changed the outcomes of somethings!”

 

“Perhaps, but it also could’ve given me away all the more faster.”

 

“...urgh...that’s to good a point to argue with…” Sunny grumbles before she soon notices the boy walking away.”Where are you going??”

 

“Gotta find a big place for those two to dance! I wanna lower the chance of him messing with them like he did with me…”

 

“Let me help then!”

 

“No. I want you to be on the lookout for them! If you find them, you can call me to tell em where they gotta go!”

 

“But I don’t fully know all the locales here! Plus almost all the clubs here use the same neon lights!...”

 

“Hrng...dammit…” He taps his helmet “We can’t exactly swap roles then either...if you don’t know where you’re going or where you’re at...well...just call me anyway. I’ll make it easy for you to find me!”

 

“In the pitch black night overrun with countless neon lights??”

 

“Trussssst meeeee. I ain’t a liar here!”

 

“Ok ok! Just go! That big guy could be here any second!...”

 

“Good luck Poppy!” The boy runs off as the distressed flower squeals in frustration as she runs off to the entrances of the town. From that poiny she inspects the cars approaching from the distance. She soon sees a familiar van driving alongside another car that has a familiar person driving it. The both stop near her “Hey! What are you all doing here?”

 

“Today is the day they supposedly come back right? We wanna shake em down for leaving like they did out of the blue!” Katy says as her head pokes out of the driver’s seat in her van.

 

“Katy we can’t just abruptly do that. You gotta lower their guard with worry before you strike in with the explanation hunting.” PJ says as he pokes out of the driver’s seat of the other car.

 

“Can you all take a rain check on that? They’re gonna be busy once they arrive…” Matt and Sweety poke their heads out of the other windows.

 

“Come again?” everyone in PJ’s car says together while everyone in Katy’s van stays silent.

 

“Uhh...I’ll...tell you when everything's dealt with…”

 

“You can tell us now!”

 

“Can’t! On a lookout!...”

 

“POPPY!...”

 

“SORRY!...”

 

* * *

 

“Thanks again for letting us use this place!” Leo bends over repeatedly in an exaggerated bow before a strange purple man.

 

“Ah think nothing of it! The whole ordeal will gladly bring more people to my club!”

 

“Really wish you guys would quit battling over who’s the better club…is that why you accepted so easily?...”

 

“Hey if it shows better results, we’ll take on that chance.”

 

“Gah…” Leo shakes his head as the man along with all the other patrons currently in the club begin running off in a panic “Wah? Where did-?...” Leo stares at the now empty club before him, confused over the sudden vacancy until someone behind him speaks up.

 

“Well I’d say you performed quite the recovery to that leg of yours!”

 

“...there’s my answer…” His helmet lights up as he spins around “Well ello Princey! You’re early!”

 

“The contrary you little nuisance. I am quite on time, if not late by a few minutes. Now tell me, where is that overly energetic fox and curious dog?” He looks around “If you’re here, then that would mean this is the place I am to beat them. Is that not correct?”

 

“Yes...but they aren’t here yet...they’re running a little late…”

 

“Pah! They’ve probably realized that they can’t win against me.”

 

“They’ll be here…”

 

“How can you be so sure?~”

 

“Cuz they wouldn’t miss watching you rolling around in utter defeat…~” Prince scoffs as a the robot man walks from behind him.

 

“Oh good! I am not late! I thought I got to miss Prince making an utter fool of himself.”

 

“Oh joy...you’re here… I don’t think anyone asked for your opinion.” He tries to kick away the robot man, but he effortlessly dodges.

 

“Uh-uh-uh! Save that energy for when you’re flopping on your face upon the dancefloor!”

 

“You really think I’m going to lose as well?”

 

“‘What can I say? The potential that used to be in you, is sure as hell within them! And unlike you, they don’t look like they’ll ever lose it!”

 

“Bold of you to ever say I lost anything at all!”

 

“I just say it how it is~” he turns to Leo “I gotta say...i’m puzzled as to how your leg actually did recover in this short amount of time…”

 

“I’m just that miraculous~”

 

“Feh...fine, keep your secrets.” 

 

“I told you he’d be fine! In fact we should have a small exhibition match before they ar-OW!...” A guitar clocks him on the head again “ALRIGHT WHO IS THIS TIME!”

 

“Back off Jack! Leave my teach alone!” Claire states aloud, exposing her appearance.

 

“Oh how lovely...she even learnt THAT from you…”

 

“Cookie?? Why are you here?!”

 

“Wanted to make sure that tall, gold and ugly here didn’t try anything funny on you!”

 

“Oh relax! Not like he could’ve done anything to me!”

 

“Your leg that broke easily says otherwise.” Prince says with a huff.

 

“Hey! No one asked you! Plus I was having an off day!”

 

“Whatever excuse you wish to say.”

 

“Enough of that! Now how long must we wait?” Yismun brings up as he quiets the three of them down.

 

“They’ll be here...just wait. They’re probably proudly driving their way over here, completely composed!”

 

* * *

 

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” Parappa yells while trying to keep his car steady as it uncontrollably drifts along the ice that makes up the road beneath its wheels. It skids forcibly, unable to drive in a straight line “I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU WERE FINE KAYLAAAAAAA!”

 

“I WAS, BUT THEN PAULA BROUGHT UP HOW WE WERE ALMOST THERE!”

 

“PAULA!...”

 

“I’M SORRY! I THOUGHT NOW WOULD’VE BEEN THE PERFECT TIME TO DISCUSS!”

 

“CLEARLY NOT IF SHE MADE THE ROAD  **MUCH** WORSE NOW!” the broom struggles to try and lead the skating car on the right path as the car enter the sightline of Neon Heights.

 

Meanwhile the others continuously interrogate the flower.

 

“Pleeeeeease...just wait it ooooooooout…”

 

“No can do! Now just tell us what’s happening!” PJ says to the distressed flower.

 

“Nothing bad! Don’t wor-...hey...do you all hear that?”

 

“Ohhhh no! You ain’t changing the subject that...easil...y…” Katy and all the others turn their heads to see a car drifting in such an extreme manner as it heads towards their two cars.

 

“WATCH OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUT I CAN’T STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!”

 

“Uh oh…” They all say as the car nears them for impact. They all pop their heads back inside and brace for said impact.

 

“GIRLS WE’RE GONNA CRASH!...MORE IMPORTANTLY INTO OUR OTHER FRIENDS!...”

 

“KAYLA DO SOMETHING!”

 

“I AM DOING SOMETHING, IT’S ME TRYING NOT TO FAINT, VOMIT AND CRY ALL AT THE SAME TIME AS I HOLD ON TO THE SEAT I’M IN FOR DEAR LIFE!”

 

“UGH…PARAPPA ARE YOU SURE THERE’S NOTHING YOU CAN DO?!”

 

“THE BRAKES ARE USELESS ON THIS KIND OF ICE, I’VE TRIED HITTING REVERSE, AND TURNING THE CAR OFF JUST MADE US GO FASTER! Trying to figure that out… NOW WE’RE JUST STUCK ON THIS PATH! I CAN’T TURN TO SIDE OR ANYTHING!”

 

“THEN IF WE CAN'T STOP OR GO AROUND THEM…” Paula turns the the tip of the continuously spawning icefloor into a ramp that forces the car to fly over the others. Everyone on the ground looks out their windows and heaves a sigh of relief “HAHA! It worked!”

 

“Yeah...BUT WHAT ABOUT US?!” Kayla shouts as the car is now soaring through the air. The others on the ground are quickly snapped out of their relief as they drive off after with Sunny running along. The broom flutters about, ultimately choosing to return to Aqua since they technically made it back.

 

“I GOT THIS!” Parappa tries his hardest to focus “I hope…”

 

“Whatever it is you’re doing, can you maybe do it faster?! WE’RE GONNA CRASH INTO A BUILDING!...”

 

“HERE GOES!...” Parappa let’s go of the wheel and extends his arms out. The car stops dead in its tracks and merely hovers in the air, albeit incredibly wobbly.

 

“Oh i’m so glad your father had magnesis as an ability to pass down…”

 

“O-One slight problem…” Parappa says in a strained voice.

 

“What’s wrong??...”

 

“A couple...things… the first is...that I don’t know...how to make us...go down safely...the second is...I can’t...hold on...for long…” his head starts turning purple as the car wobbles even more sparratically.

 

“U-Uh...Um...The car won’t move further anymore will it once you let go??”

 

“I...don’t think...so…once I let...go...we’ll drop...why?...”

 

“Because maybe I can create another slide down??”

 

“We-We’re…too close...to the building…”

 

“It’s better than just sitting here panicking!...”

 

“Fine!...Try...whatever!...Because...we’re...going down…!” Parappa starts gasping for breath as the car suddenly drops. Paula struggles to create a safety net spiral.

 

“I-I CAN’T DO IT!...”  Kayla quickly prys her hands off the seat and immediately creates a giant snow cloud beneath the car.

 

“B-BUT I CAN!...” The car begins to gently float downwards “Oh thank heavens I can atleast manage this…”

 

“Uh...cuz?...”

 

“What?...”

 

“Not to rain on your parade...but the car is slowly being trapped in ice…” the older fox looks at the car as it slowly turns blue from being enveloped in ice.

 

“O-Oh no…” she waves her hands, but nothing changes “I-I can’t stop it!...W-We have to abandon ship!...”

 

“Technically we’re in a car and secondly, c-can’t we wait? We’re floating down so slowly that we’re still super high off the ground!...”

 

“By the time we reach proper bail distance we’ll be ice adornments! Just open the door and leap out! We can all fly anyway so what big deal is it??”

 

“ _ I _ don’t fly! I  **float** ! And I don’t think I can anymore! Kinda used all my focus saving us!...”

 

“That’s still flying! And just try alright?! We’re out of time to complain!” The foxes kick their doors open and shut them as they leap out and fly off.

 

“M-Meep...well here goes…” he takes a deep breath and shoves his door open, he closes it with one hectic leap and plummets straight downwards “Well...I can’t even yell because I knew this would happen…” He sighs as he nonchalantly falls. Attempting, and failing, to float.

 

“P-PARAPPA!” Both foxes divebomb for the dog who has accepted his fate once they spot him dropping, but are beaten to the save by Lammy.

 

“G-Gotcha!...Phew...you nearly gave me a heart attack…”

 

“Oh man...thanks a million Lammy...wait...h-how’d you catch me?? We’re still high off the ground!”

 

“I owe that to Poppy!” Parappa blinks before looking downwards. Lammy was sitting on a large flower that had sprouted out the ground and all the way up to where Parappa was “That aside, OOOOOOOOHHH...WHERE WERE YOOOOOOU...YOU HAD ME WORRIED SICK OVER YOU! ALL OF US WERE!...” she crushes the dog in a tight hug.

 

“I WAS...LEARNING HOW TO DANCE…BETTER...”

 

“Lammy i’m sure you’re filled to the brim with questions for him, but we’re kinda in a rush, also the car is still floating downwards so you might wanna move aside to let it land…”

 

“I know it was dance related...but...alright P-...Paula why are there two of you?...”

 

“Erm...long story…” the two foxes grab the lamb and dog and fly downwards as the car lands on the flower and is brought down slowly by Sunny. By the time it reaches the ground it is now a block of ice. Everyone crowds around the dog and the two foxes.

 

“PAULA! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU AND PARAPPA BEEN? Also you multiplied...and got older?...”

 

“Matt relax...we were just off learning how to dance!...This right here was and is our teacher! Who also happened to be a long lost relative of mine that my family was kept in the dark about!”

 

“...W-What?...” Matt shakes in disbelief as he turns his attention to the older fox.

 

“H-Hello there…~ My name is K-Kayla...glad to have you acquaintance…~”

 

“...Hi…” he blinks abit before backing off “I...am gonna just back away and wait for context...”

 

“You’ll get it! Right now we somewhere to be! Ugh…” Parappa hunches over, the exhaustion taking its toll again.

 

“You alright?...”

 

“Yeah Poppy I’m fine...just abit sore here and there…”

 

“From dancing? Was the practice really that grueling?”

 

“No it went by easily! It’s uh...long story...real long...point is me and Paula are both fine! Just uh...tired and sore and whatnot…”

 

“Well...here!” she grabs both of his hands and immediately begins patching his body up.

 

“Whoa whoa!...you can heal to??”

 

“Yeaaaah...lotta things happened while while you two went off it seems!”

 

“I’ll say! Course we have our own tidbits of stuff that happened that we’d be happy to share…” He sighs “And truthfully? This is actually really relieving!”

 

“Eh?...”

 

“I thought my tired body was gonna be a liability! But now you prove to be quite the superhero again! She lets go once he’s fully healed and tugs on her tied back petals.

 

“Oh what is it with all of you and your compliments! I don’t deserve em!...” She walks off to Paula and begins doing the same to her.

 

“Well I say you do!”

 

“Say P-Parappa...you just said you have somewhere to be...would that have anything to do with the big b-brute you have to face off with?...”

 

Parappa and Sunny both turn to her wide eyed and say in unison “You knew about that??”

 

“Y-Yeah...Leo kinda told us...he just didn’t tell us WHERE you w-went to practice…”

 

“That’s why we came here to yell at him for! While also seeing who said brute was!”

 

“Wait how come you didn’t tell us about what exactly they were doing??” PJ says to the MilkCan trio.

 

“I mean we didn’t know where they went either!”

 

“I did…” Everyone turns to Rammy once she speaks up “He went off with a few of Leo’s friends in an effort to help out a person in need that could also teach em better dancing...That person is clearly Kayla.”

 

“U-Ura how do you know that?...”

 

“He told me…”

 

“And you didn’t tell ANY of us about it?!” Katy shouts.

 

“He also told me to keep it secret till he got back...and well, here he is. Back and in one piece!”

 

“That!...ugh...fine…” she whips her tail on the ground.

 

“Was that w-what got you feeling d-down this past week?...”

 

“Eh…” She glances to Parappa “Maybe…”

 

Parappa looks away “Sorry for...asking to much of you Rammy…” She taps his head.

 

“Feh...i’ve grown to soft...cuz I don’t even blame you. Tch… Ain’t you gonna hurry? I’m sure you running late about now!”

 

“That’s right!...”

 

“And you’re done to!” Sunny lets go of Paula.

 

“Great! Let’s go!” 

 

“H-Hey wait!...” Lammy tries to intervene.

 

“Go where?!” Parappa continues from Paula.

 

“You guys aren’t off the hook!...” Matt blurts out.

 

“Leave that to me!” Sunny pulls out her phone.

 

“Stop ignoring us!” Katy says angrily, but the anger is silenced when the phone immediately rings.

 

“Aha! That was quick! Alright...now where do we have to-” They soon hear a loud boom as a singular explosive is hurled into the air “Well...that was abit over the top...but that’s where you gotta go!” Paula and Parappa nod before running off with Sunny and Kayla towards the source of where the makeshift firework came from. The remainder of their friends simply follow, upset that they couldn’t get a word in edgewise.

 

“Well...glad things are back on track!”

 

“PJ can it…”

 

“You’re only proving my point!”

 

* * *

 

“Quite the guitar you have there Mr. Steps…”

 

“What was the point of that spastic firecracker you fired off into the sky??” Not a second after Prince asks that, the challenging duo arrive.

 

“PRINCE!”

 

“That’s why!” Leo crosses his arms as the giant creature sighs.

 

“Well, they’re certainly fashionably late now aren’t they?”

 

“We had a little detour! But we’re back on track and here on time!”

 

As they both run up, Paula turns to Leo halfway through “Your leg’s all better?? Ho-” She turns to Sunny in the distance “Ah...right...makes sense…”

 

“Eheh...but I didn’t do anything stupid! Nothing even happened to me aside from getting hit by a car!...I REALLY gotta learn to shut up!...”

 

“We will discuss THAT later! Right now…” She runs up next to Parappa to stare at the hulking Satyr “We gotta take you down!”

 

“Glad you still have the ridiculous bravado! Truly it’ll make beating you both all the more sweeter!” he laughs heavily as he backs away from them “Well then, let’s not keep the gathering masses waiting shall we?~”

 

“Right!” Both smaller animals say as they ready up. Kayla watches along with Sunny.

 

“Did you really teach them enough to beat him?...”

 

“I’m certain! Now...if they can work with what they learned properly is a different story…”

 

“I know they will! Parappa’s never let anyone down before! None of them have!”

 

“I guess it helps to have your optimism! Do you know them?”

 

“Ah!...No I’m just a recent friend!...I’ve just been informed of their history is all! My name is Poppy!...”

 

“Glad to meet you, I’m Kayla, but we can save the formalities for later. Right now, we can only witness how this goes…”

 

Both sides strike a starting pose as Leo backs off and pushes the crowd away to give the dancers their space. He then hops behind the turntables and starts the music.

 

“Paula, you ready?”

 

“Not at all.” Parappa’s eyes widen at her reply “You can't be ready for something that's a guaranteed victory!” Parappa’s confidence reappears as he smiles with determination. He then turns to the giant.

 

“Hey Prince! I got something I wanna say before we start.”

 

“Oh what could you possibly want now?”

 

“Mind if me and Paula sing a little bit as we dance?”

 

“Pfft why? Is your coordination that bad that you need help in the form of song?”

 

“Nah, I just figured it’d be nice to have some singing to accompany our victory!”

 

“Oh you really are cocky...fine! All you’re doing is just making my victory all the more momentous when it happens~”

 

“Wouldn’t be to sure about that!” Paula says as she and Parappa grab one another's hands.

 

_ AND START! _

 

Both Initial P’s spin around as Prince stomps with one foot forward. The rest of the group arrive to see the face off begin. As the duo continue on spinning, Prince begins extravagantly dancing on his own. The duo split off and dance in a strange separation and combination method. Parappa spins Paula around and then hoists her above his head before gently placing her on the ground again. They split off once more to dance solo until Parappa dives underneath the fox, she instinctually grabs him once he fully dives through and flips him upwards. He spins into a triple backflip and lands on his hand as he transitions into as topspin as Paula drops into splits before breakdance backspinning herself. Both spinning dancers collide and rotate upwards effortlessly back into a duo dance with a flashy pose to the audience that only gets them more into it. They then resume their dance joyfully. This goes one until Prince notices attention going towards the others to which he decides to intervene with their act by getting in the way. The duo notice and finally begin singing.

 

_ Here we go now get this party going! _ The split off and bounce off in leaps.

 

_ Celebration starting cuz we’re the ones winning!  _ Prince spins off in a slide.

 

_ Your delusion stops you from knowing!  _ Princes slide lands where they were supposed to meet back up, but instead of stopping them like he hoped, they both leap over him and meet up in the air.

 

_ Watch as your world ends up spinning!  _ The land on his head and bounce off, separating once more. They spin around him before flipping away.

 

_ Dance all ya want.  _ Prince angrily and dizzily gets back up. He performs his own flips as each time he lands on the ground, it shakes rather heavily, but the duo avoid this by not being on the ground the moment he lands.

 

_ We will still make ya flop!  _ They both slide towards him in a breakdance spin as he’s about to flip once more, offsetting his jump and making him land face first into the floor.

 

_ Cuz our dance will make ya daunt!  _ He slams the ground with his arms and uses the impact to push himself back onto his feet quickly.

 

_ It with our voice are the one true bop!  _ Prince hears the crowd chanting his name sarcastically as they laugh at him. Having enough, he now decides to ‘end it in a draw’ once more. He performs jarring moves as he attempts to slam his foot into them much like he accidentally did to Leo.

 

_ Looks like ya mad!  _ They effortlessly dodge. Prince growls as he keeps at it in a motion that mimics a cossack dance.

 

_ Boy that makes us glad!  _ They slide under and hop over his kicks and simply reunite and begin jumping over the remaining kicks like a jump rope motion.

 

_ Cuz now we got you running!  _ Both smile as they split off and launch their own kick. This throws off the Satyr’s balance and he falls over once more, but on impact with the ground he launches his leg.

 

_ Betta buckle down cuz here we come GUNNING!~  _ They rear their upper bodies back as the leg barely misses them. Electricity surges around Parappa and snow around Paula as her hair resolidifies. They both lift their arms and encase it in their own affinities as the drive their hands down onto his leg. Their strike shatters his hard scaly armor, making his left leg no longer a threat.

 

_ Now ya see what we mean?~  _ Prince rears back his leg in pain and aggression. It was still usable, but not as a weapon to his great dismay. Stupidly, he learns nothing as he pirouettes towards them and finishes off with a large sweep from his still armored leg. 

 

_ Or are ya still striking out?~  _ They jump and slam downwards on his sliding leg, breaking off the scaly armor on that one as well. They land and strike a pose to taunt him.

 

_ Don’t make a scene!  _ Prince stumbles and nearly falls over a third time, but catches himself and instead uses his flawed momentum to launch himself into a triple frontflip and drive his arms downwards.

 

_ Just accept that we won, no doubt!~  _ they hop to the side, avoiding the slam and the shockwave made from it as they both lift one of their legs upwards and immediately slam them down on Prince’s arms. Not only doing the same thing that happened to his legs, but the sleeves of his fancy jacket are torn off. Prince gets back up wearily. He can still dance, but he refuses to stop striking at them. Without his rough scales, Paula and Parappa block them without worry as they continue dancing.

 

“Sad man~ I thought you said you were gonna win~”

 

“Maybe it would’ve helped if instead of trying to get in our way, you just kept in your own lane~ But the moment you tried messing with me and Parappa, looks like you sealed your fate! And man that sad excuse for a dance wasn’t even good!”

 

“And you call yourself an idol!”

 

“SILENCE!...” He hops backwards and intends on bumping into them, but he loses his balance and merely flops forward.

 

_ Your position is so contradictory!  _ They encase their hands in their element again as the catch him by the chest.

 

_ Now it’s time for our victory!  _ The blow him away, blasting off the remaining of his scales and his jacket. He lands on his back, and resumes dancing as he gets back up, but at such a pitiful state that the victors are decided.

 

“Well, can’t say I didn’t see that coming!” Yismun says as he walks up to Prince, laughing all the while.

 

“How come you called my accident a draw, but not there clear attempts of hurting me a disqualification?!”

 

“Because you oaf, thanks to what you did last time, I’ve decided to loosen up the regulations. Not only that, but they were only doing that in defense! Because I saw you strike first~”

 

“Youuuuu…” He growls, but his attention is gotten by Leo.

 

“Sorry Princey, but you lost fair and square~ Even with you trying to cheat! Now I suggest you leave. Your little challenge is over, and you’ve clearly been quite hostile to a point that I might have to do something about this.”

 

“You?!”

 

“Yes me, now leave. You lost and therefore you have no more purpose here!”

 

“I WILL NOT, THIS IS A FLUKE!” He nears the helmeted boy aggressively.

 

“You don’t wanna do this…” 

 

“And what exactly are YOU going to do about?! I broke your body fairly easily so you are in no position to threaten ME!” Prince grabs Leo by his jacket. Leo merely looks down at the giant hands grabbing him by his jacket then tilts his head upwards to look at Prince in the eyes.

 

From the outside of the facility bursts out Prince from the ceiling. He flies off into the distance as he yells from being uppercutted away.

 

“GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” He becomes nothing more than a twinkle in the distance.

 

“And out goes the trash~” He dusts off his hands as he glances over to Yismun walking towards the victorious duo while they’re happily basking in their victory. Leo slides in front of him, cutting him off “Hey there~”

 

“Hello to you as well.”

 

“What are ya doin~”

 

“Well isn’t it obvious? I’m going to meet the victors! I’ve done a little digging and found that those to are simply free talent without agents, why not offer a job! Especially after you vaulted my ex compatriot into the atmosphere! So i’m just gonna go recruiting~”

 

“No you ain’t~” Leo glances over to see Katy run up to the two. She begins yelling at Parappa who begins bowing in repeated motions. Leo chuckles lightly, knowing how this will end and decides to use it to his advantage.

 

“I’m not? Oh don’t be rude! You don’t speak for them.”

 

“I repeat. No. You. Ain’t.~”

 

“Well aren’t you persis-” Leo leans his face closer to the man, the robotic man can see his face clear through the helmet screen.

 

“No. You. Ain’t…” His face quickly flickers into his cat shape “Lest you wanna go down memory lane~” his face settles back on his fox form.

 

“EU...You…” He inhales deeply “So this is where you’ve been...and here I thought you were merely a recruit…”

 

“I’ll admit. I never wanted to reveal this until the last clash, but I guess things change.” He crosses his arms “But...not like you’re gonna do anything about it.”

 

“Are you daft? Boss man’s gonna love-”

 

“That you did nothing to apprehend me? That you’ve known and just gave me a free week? That you got rid of that thorn in your side only thanks to me? And all that is just what’s at the tip of my tongue! My my I wonder how your ‘boss man’ will think about that!”

 

“...”

 

“What’s with the silence?~”

 

“...Just because I won’t tell him...doesn’t mean you’re safe...he’ll try to recruit you along with them...and if you deny...he’ll send more!...T-This isn’t over!”

 

“Judging by your fear...I’d say it’s over for a little while~”

 

“D-Don’t mock m-me!...I could kill you if I wanted to!...”

 

“Then why don’t you?~” He chest bumps the man away “Or are you afraid because you know that you’re not able to?~”

 

“I-I used to be stronger than you!...”

 

“Keyword metal head, used to~ But since that day...how many bodies of yours have I broken? How many times has Tycoon had to rebuild you~ What version of Yismun am I currently talking to?~”

 

“H-Hnnng…”

 

“I lost count after we started reaching triple digits~”

 

“I-I’ll be back!...M-Maybe not sometime soon! B-But you can count on it! You..L-Leo Steps!”

 

“That’s my new name, don’t wear it out~” The robot growls as he storms out of the club “Thanks for stopping by, come back never!~” Leo waves in a tormenting manner as he disappears. Claire immediately pops up from behind him.

 

“What was that about teach?”

 

“WAGH!...C-Cookie!...How much did you hear?...”

 

“All of it I think. So what’s your story with that guy??”

 

“Yismun...erm...I guess I can fill you in on that...you remember what my job aside from performing used to be? Er...still kinda is.”

 

“Yeah! You were a crime fighter you said! Stoppin bad people left and right like some vigilante superhero! Helping them useless cops when they couldn’t do anything!”

 

“Right!”  _ I mean...It’s not a total lie...just instead of crime, i’m fighting an insane lunatic...who is a basically a supervillain...but i’m not any better seeing as I’m technically a killer to...  _ “That guy is basically the right hand man of a kingpin sorta guy.”

 

“What?! Then why not get the authorities on him! Why are you just letting him off??”

 

“Not that simple. They have a type of...diplomatic immunity I guess you can say. I can’t really do much to him, so he gets to be off the hook.”

 

“Man that stinks!...” She blows a raspberry at the door before regaining her composure “But i’m ignoring that! Your friends did it! Speaking of which, they wanted to talk to you.”

 

“Oh?” He runs towards the trio and immediately speaks up “You guys need something from me??”

 

“Yeah! But first...DID YOU SEE THAT?! And we were worried over nothing hahah!” He and Paula high five.

 

“Gotta say, he was pretty good! If we didn’t learn what we did we wouldn’t have done as well at the beginning!”

 

“Clearly he thought so to since he tried to get in our way! That just made us win much quicker! How anticlimactic~”

 

“I know right! Really says something when a supposed professional gets scared of our skill!”

 

Parappa laughs as he crosses his arms “And he even tried to cheat from that fear! And still he failed! Man that’s such a confidence booster I’ll tell ya what!” He then changes the subject “Since we’re finally in the clear with everything for now, I thought it’s high time to call someone over for you!”

 

“Eh?”

 

“Yeah! But first let’s go outside! Don’t want the crowd to interrupt with this!” They all rush outside. The remainder of his friend group follow, leaving the boy to agree without much of a choice as Claire tags along with him. Once outside Parappa plucks his beanie off.

 

“Alright, if you can hear me. Now’s the time to come out and talk to him!”

 

Leo blinks a few times, thinking his father had lost it until it starts to shine. Not a moment later something poofs out from it. Once it’s shape finishes materializing, the boy’s jaw drops “...Amby?...” everyone except for Paula, Parappa and Kayla are caught off guard by this.

 

“Huh...so you met more dead people...how nice!” Katy says as she rubs her eyes to make sure she’s correct with what she just said.

 

“Hi~...It’s uh...been a while hasn’t it Hero?~...”

 

“Oh you know. Five years is neither here nor there…~” they both laugh awkwardly “You uh...haven’t aged a day!”

 

“Yeah being dead kinda immortalizes you in the shape you were like when you died. Dermatologists hate me!” She earns a snort filled laugh from the boy “You on the other hand...finally wearing that suit more often huh? You look like a rugged bum!”

 

“Oh shut up! You know I work this look phenomenally!”

 

“If saying that helps ya sleep at night! I honestly preferred your more vibrant color sense of style! But whatevs I guess~” They both resume laughing before they quiet down and fail to find anymore small talk.

 

“Is that really all you two have to say to each other? You know. Reunions are more than just awkward chatter!” Parappa says as he slyly raises an eyebrow, smiling all the while.

 

“Eheh...he’s right! Leo it’s...it’s super great to see you again…~”

 

“The feeling is mutual...but that goes without saying…~” he quickly pulls his helmet off, throwing caution and secrecy to the wind, all in favor of looking at her more clearly “I can’t believe I’m talking to you again…~”

 

Her eyes flicker abit at his appearance “Same here, but lookin at you again is also very nice~...”

 

“...reunion hug?~...”

 

“Dunno if I can...kinda...spectral and all that…”

 

“Won’t know unless ya try~...” he opens his arms to which the girl looks down and then decides to take the chance. Thankfully, it seems to work.

 

“Hehe...guess we got lucky~...” she takes her time enjoying the hug as her eyes close from the blissful moment, but as she opens she spots Parappa who motions his hands as if to tell her ‘tell him your feelings’. She swallows abruptly as she speaks to the boy she’s hugging without looking at him “Hey...Leo?...”

 

“Mhm?”

 

“I have...erm...something I feel I should really get off my chest...you know...since I have the ability to speak to you again...mostly…”

 

“Sounds important…”

 

“Yeah...um...no...wait...I think it is!...maybe!...It’s...i-it’s…”

 

“Is it about the crush you had on me?...” Amby pulls away from the boy as she stares at him head on.

 

“How did you know about that?!...”

 

“Cookie told me a year after you passed away.” he rubs his arm “Something tells me she wasn’t ‘sposed to do that huh…”

 

“H-Hahaha…” Amby quickly stumbles backwards in a dizzy fervor as she huddles to the ground. Her body starts to float around on its own “O-Oh joyyyyy…”

 

Cookie slowly starts to walk away from the mess she’s been outed on until a set of arms wrap themselves around her waist “Wha- Oh Teach!...Eheh...you sneaky affection hunter!...Y-You should’ve just told me you wanted a hu-” She’s lifted off her feet and driven head first into the ground with a power suplex by the boy. The crack in the ground is much bigger than the one created by Rammy when she did the same to PJ many days prior. Everyone merely stares at the boy in shock. Rammy however speaks up.

 

“HA! I bet I taught ya how to do that huh?”

 

“U-Ura can you pat yourself on the back another t-time?...”

 

“Yeah I kinda figured I read the room wrong…” as she says this, Poppy runs up to the unconscious cat girl.

 

“I’ll uh...handle this…” before she begins healing however “Don’t you think...that was a little...over the top?...”

 

“Maybe...but it’s not the first time I’ve suplexed a friend into the ground for doing something they weren’t supposed to!”

 

“You know I’m terrified that I find that easy to believe...remind me to never overstep any boundaries…”

 

“Relax, it’s just for my past friends, and it’s also not the first time I did this to her. She’s fine! Besides she’s done the same to me a few times as well when I did a bad.”

 

“You taught her how to suplex people?!”

 

“Well yeah, what kind of teacher would I be if I didn’t??”

 

“Your way of thinking just makes my brain hurt…” She sighs as she begins healing the cat. Leo walks back over to Amby.

 

“Sorry about that…”

 

“No...it’s fine...just upset that something I could never really say to you up front was said to you behind my back…” She floats back up “Granted I was dead so there was an excuse…so maybe that’s for the better?”

 

“If you want to call it that...erm...either way…” he flicks his pseudo dog ears around “I think my answer is rather obvious…I'm...sorry to say…”

 

“It is...I didn't want to change anything, I just...wanted to get it off my chest now. I couldn't back then when it could actually make a difference...but I figured I could get the closure I needed now…”

 

“I see what you mean… well it was very brave of you to tell me yourself. I'm very flattered and honored! But I just don't see you in the same light you hold me to. You're too much like family to me for me to view you like that. Plus I guess I must've also felt that...if I did think of you in that way...and it actually...LED to something...I feared that if anything went wrong...I'd not only lose a great friend...but my tether to stay...down to earth…with Harper...I felt like there wasn't really a risk because...well...we meshed so well. So that could've gone only well...and it did!...till she died…” he pinches his ear “I'm...really sorry…”

 

“Don't be. I figured as much. And I've since come to grips with that ever since the two of you hooked up. I was then content just being there for you!...Course...now I'm really not am I?...”

 

“I mean...you're here now…”

 

“...Am I?” she floats higher into the air “I'm not really here...I'm just...detached from everything...being part of the afterlife...it just messes with my head...or rather...whatever my consciousness is now…”

 

“But you’re still here regardless. Talking how you would if you still had a physical body! I don't know much about being dead, but I know for a fact that you're still here.” what Leo says reinvokes Parappa’s urge to get the others to see if they would like to speak with their long deceased family, but waits for another time to tell them.

 

“I suppose I am.” she floats back down.

 

“Good!...erm...I have one thing I wanna say now...seeing as you are here and whatnot…”

 

“Yes?...”

 

“Do you...have the ability to...stay?...”

 

“Ah...hm...yes and no…I can pop in from time to time! But to stay would mean I’m signing up to erm...haunt a spot for like...ever… and I don’t think I’d find peace in that…”

 

“I see...so not a permanent thing, just a time to time whenever called upon thing?”

 

“Right-o! Being dead certainly has alot more regulations than you’d think! That being said, i’d love to pop in whenever you called! As long as what you need of me isn’t to stay around always. Kinda wanna be alive for that instead. Although that’s not feasibly possible so...”

 

“Understood. I’m happy with what I can get! Hell, i’m just happy to see AND talk to you in general!”

 

“As am I~ If you wanna chat, just call me over and I’ll come runnin~” They smiles towards one another until Leo speaks up once more.

 

“Did you...by chance see any of the others where you were?”

 

“Unfortunately not...which is strange...you’d think we’d meet up if we all ended up going to hell.” Parappa speaks up right after.

 

“Aw come on! Cut yourself some slack! I doubt you ALL went to hell!...” Leo and Amby recoil rather quickly, releasing a drawn out hiss of regret “...Oh boy…”

 

“Even if we were doing things in order to stop a mad a man...it still wasn’t exactly...good to do those things you know. Sooooo...”

 

“Yeah I get it...oof...what a...complicated setting…” He shakes his head with a shrug as he backpedals away from the duo.

 

“Erm...yeah. So no, I haven’t run across any of them…”

 

“That’s disheartening...but hey! I atleast have one of you to talk to!”

 

“Yeah...there’s that~” She floats into a curtsy “Then I’ll be taking my leave. Like I said, just call for me when I’m on the mind, and I’ll be-”

 

“WAAAAAAAAIT!” Amby’s cut off yet again by Claire as she finally awakens.

 

“Oh, you’re up quick!” she looks to Sunny “My you must be quite the healer! I’m jealous!”

 

“Oho I’m just happy to do what I can, it’s nothing special really!…”

 

“Well I say it is! Now what’s wrong Cookie?”

 

“How did you die! Teach won’t tell me!...he keeps saying it was an accident on the crime fighting front!...”

 

“A-Aha!...right...well...I uh...bye!” She poofs back into the hat.

 

“HEY!...”

 

“Ehe...what a dramatic exit!” Parappa places the hat on his head as he watches the reinvigorated cat girl flail her arms and tail at the fox boy who laughs flimsily as it happens “This was quite the day...and it’s still not over!...” He runs off to his friends “Can either of you give me a lift to Paula’s place? We still gotta escort Kayla to safety!...and my car’s currently still thawing out...“

 

(“You sure you don’t want me or Lambs to melt that for ya?”)

 

“I rather not have my car melted in the process…”

 

(“I’ll have you know there’s only a ninety-six percent chance of that happening!”)

 

“M-Ma-san that doesn’t really h-help your case…”

 

(“Oh yeah? Then why don’t you do something then!”)

 

“I-I rather not risk breaking it…”

 

(“Alright, guess we’re leaving it an ice cube.”)

 

“Oh don’t worry gals, I’ll keep dad’s car sa- did you say it was thawing out?”

 

“Yes I did! Long story that I’ll be happy to inform you on later, but for now I have Kayla to deliver back to her rightful family.

 

“Wait…” He looks over to see the older fox that he had not been paying attention to “YOU FREED KAYLA?? HOW?!”

 

“Even LONGER story! Also quite painful and scary! But in the end, Parappa wins again! And it turns out I can use electricity after all!”

 

“I noticed after seeing you and Paula beat up on Prince over there. What the hell...you guys didn’t really do any of this in the future…”

 

“Future us either never learned or did what my dad and everyone else did, not use em as a safety measure. I can only assume it’s the first thing though.”

 

“Yeah...so you all learned from grandpa? What triggered that event?”

 

“I can explain later! For now I have a promise I made to Aqua and Sirius to escort Kayla here back to her Aunt! Now I repeat, PJ or Katy. Either of you wanna drive me over to Paula’s old place?”

 

“I can-” PJ feels a burning gaze on the back of his head “Not. I cannot drive you.” Matt and Sweety roll their eyes as the MilkCan quartet walk from behind PJ towards Parappa.

 

“Guess that leaves us!”

 

“Huh...well alright can we all fit in your van?”

 

“Oh it’s still a van! Even with this many people I’m sure we can squeeze you lot in! And besides Parappa! With your compact size, you can sit on any of our laps if need be!”

 

“You know I think I’m just gonna walk back to PaRappa Town if that’s alright with you gu-” All four of them each grab Parappa by his arms and legs and carry him off “Or not, this is fine to…” They chuck him into the van as Paula just sighs, Kayla then whispers to her.

 

_ “Your uh...competition?” _

 

_ “Yep.” _

 

_ “Seems...fierce…” _

 

_ “Very.” _ both foxes hop into the van as the teddy bear groans with the van vanishing from sight.

 

“He just came back and already they’re back on track with this.”

 

“Aw Peej, let em. That’s just how emotions be like.”

 

“Matt cut the philosophy...let’s just go back home.”

 

“Hey wait, before you three leave. Where’s my dad’s car??”

 

“Oh I can take you to it!” Sunny says as she cuts the bear off.

 

“Oh...alright then Poppy! Well then sorry for holding you three up. Take care!” Leo waves to the remaining three as he and Sunny walk off from the three driving off to their own homes.

 

* * *

 

It was a moderate ride to Paula’s old place as Parappa and Paula explain the events that happened with them alone.

 

“And all that happened while you were trying to help Kayla?!”

 

“Pretty much yeah. But I mean...we came out alive! Along with her!”

 

“How it ended up does NOT justify what happened with the events prior!”

 

“I mean...I’m ok in the end...and I was kind of a necessity in ensuring that everything was ok…”

 

“I-I don’t think I agree with that way of thinking…”

 

“Me fucking neither…”

 

“Hey! I was the one that got me and Paula back to shore the first time she appeared and the one that beat her the second time she appeared! Albeit being battered in the process...but I came out alright! And I even got to see more people to remember! Two specific ones as well being Kayla’s mother and Amby! Leo’s friend! Who he was super SUPER happy to speak with again! Now just imagine that joy on Paula’s mom’s face when she gets the ability to speak with her niece and sister!...well partially with her sister, but something nonetheless!”

 

“You getting hurt is what we’re trying to PREVENT…”

 

“But Katy it’s not like I ended up hospitalized from it! Beside! Poppy’s a healer now so-”

 

“I’m gonna have to cut you off right there because you’re starting to sound like Leo. Just because you can fix yourself from whenever you get injured in your constant helping occasions. That doesn’t give you the right to throw caution to the wind and allow your body to become nothing more than a ragdoll!”

 

“I wouldn’t do that! Give me credit Katy! I can hold my own!...besides...things are gonna start getting rough soon anyway…”

 

“Unfortunately...I’ve come to learn that on my own...still not a valid excuse…” Paula shimmies uncomfortably in her seat after hearing Katy’s discomfort.

 

“It will be sooner or later…” Parappa grunts “Ma-san are you sure this is fine??...I feel like i’m squishing you…”

 

(“You can’t squish me, i’m bigger than you!”)

 

“Ma-san we’re roughly the same height...Your dynamite is what made you taller...now you’re only barely bigger!”

 

(“Oh shut your mouth! I said I'm fine!”)

 

“Alright…”

 

Parappa sighs as he adjusts himself and waits out the remainder of the ride. As he does this, Paula texts Lammy, telling her to inform the other three to speak with her in private once Parappa was distracted with the reunion. Confused, she merely accepts. Thus allowing Paula to speak up “You know Parappa, it occurred to me that my cousin my have trouble keeping her emotions in check while reconnecting with my mom.”

 

“What makes you say that?”

 

“The fact that I had to encase her in a block of ice to ensure she doesn’t freeze over this van like she did your car…” She uses her thumb to point to the block of ice holding her cousin.

 

“Yeah alright...I was trying to be nice…” He clears his throat “Well...what do you propose we do? I know your mom will at the very least be safe from freezing...can't say the same about your dad or their house…”

 

“I was getting to that! Why not be by her side? What better motivator than having her savior be there to close the aged and forgotten gap!”

 

“But wouldn't you make a better medium? You know since you're ALSO her family member? And she got used to you quickly and vice versa!”

 

“Well you see, what if me being there makes the tension within her unbearable? As you said, I'm also her family. She could handle me since she didn't know me prior. Mom was a different story!”

 

“Oof, that's right...well I'll do my best! I just hope that  _ I _ don't end up an ice cube!”

 

“Great! Thank you!”

 

“You know, speaking about that whole ordeal. So Paula you finally tapped into your abilities to huh?”

 

“Yeah it happened- wait to?? You mean-”

 

“Ya huh. I triggered it not to long ago! Well...my mom's atleast...and uh...it was not a fun time…”

 

“Wow guess you and Parappa got lucky after all! And neither was my time finding it out...what happened with you?”

 

“Oh not much, just had to speak with my mother. And after a whole lotta yelling, mostly from me, I decided to try and fix our shit up. And so far? It's decent.”

 

“Wait wait wait. You actually went to your mom and came to terms?? How the hell did you manage to even be in the same room as her??” Parappa intervenes.

 

“Yeah see...this is where the reason for it comes in...I was with Lammy...and we spotted Leo sneaking about...and well. After a bit of snooping around...well long story short...turns out my mom was the mysterious Nana K…”

 

“WHAT?  _ SHE'S  _ NANA K??...” Parappa thinks it over. With this bit of context, some of his acquired memories make slightly more sense “It...does make sense as to how she was so quick to just help him out...since she was my mom and dad's best friend...and him being my parents grandson...of course she'd be willing to help! Along with a bonus of him potentially being HER grandson as well. Man that's weird…” he rubs his chin “And uh...How'd you take that realization?”

 

“Like a responsible adult!”

 

“She s-snapped and got angry almost i-instantly...to which she triggered her voice...and I w-was the unfortunate first target of it…”

 

“LAMMY!”

 

“That makes sense…”

 

“HEY!”

 

“Katy I'm already aware of how bad they were, no need to hide your well warranted spite from me. And with all that, how'd you find it in you to actually give her the chance?”

 

“I know but...look just...back on track. Again. Leo. He really tried to be the mediator and I was just not being cooperative. I kinda got angrier and my voice more destructive...I uh...knocked Lammy out in the process...and was about to do the same to her after blaming her for it. But Leo got in the way. Kinda...broke my heart with some things he said, but I guess I deserved it for shattering his...over and over...and over...after some angry shouts on his behalf...something within me just wanted to finally give it a shot...and so I did. And it went well. Not an immediate fix, yet on the road to it. And here’s hoping it ends well at the very least...truthfully i’m worried it won’t…Even Leo’s paranoid about it.”

 

“I mean it’s understandable as to why you’d believe it’d fail. To just fix off all those years...it’s mostly gonna be a swing or a miss. And you’re swinging with a glass bat and the ball is a beehive. Can the hit be made? Yes, but it’s also very possible it’ll break and be a miss...you must’ve had quite the day…”

 

“You would not believe...didn’t help that Leo’s body ragdolled again!”

 

“What happened this time??”

 

“We don’t know! The conclusion we came to was that the emotion strain was just to much that his body thought it was actual inflicted pain. Cuz boy howdy did it act like it, he coughed blood and everything!” After Katy says this, Parappa’s beanie vibrates intensely as the Aqua Opera and Soul of the Funk sigils spark abit. Parappa inspects his hat, but nothing else happens.

 

“Weird...but he’s fine now right?”

 

“Well yeah. You saw him, you can easily see he’s nothing like how he was then! But enough about my powers and the lack of proper control I have over em. I wanna hear what happened with YOU TWO!”

 

“Right...well...Paula you go first since you got yours first.”

 

“Put me on the spot quicker why don’t ya...alright well...it kinda happened over  _ my _ potential motherly instinct kicking in...see we met his old agent along with his apparent protege and heard some more about his career and what went on with it. The history of his student and how alone he really ended up. That all got me...upset...real upset...I didn’t want him to go through what technically was supposed to be something we went through. I mean don’t get me wrong, I don’t want US to go through those things either, but with us...atleast we all had each other AND came out of it all alive...with him...neither of those happened...and I wanted to blockade him from everything bad that I...froze him…”

 

“Like how you did with your cousin?”

 

“No...I didn’t trap him within a block of ice...I turned him INTO the block of ice!...luckily Parappa managed to help me undo it but still...it was scary. They popped out again when I saw his leg get turned into a limp noodle as I lashed out against that big guy you saw us challenge and win against! Only at that point I didn’t really do much to him and was also putting the innocent people there at risk from my anger alone...but thankfully when we were offered help from a dance teacher, said teacher could also help with my power! Then said teacher turned out to be my cousin that I was kept in the dark about cuz my mother thought she died years ago! Turns out she didn’t! And instead she was turned into the forehead adornment of one f-ugly sea monster with a rather dangerous mermaid attached to her head. Once she was freed, she along with Aqua basically taught me as much as they could! And I can do quite abit now! There’s still a ton that will take a long while to get down, but I got enough of the essentials down to practice with just Kayla alone. Plus I can fly now! Watch this!”

 

“W-Wait you’re still in-”

 

Paula flies up quickly, only to slam her head into the roof of the van “OW!...”

 

“Side my van…”

 

“Augh my head...erm...yeah ignore that…”

 

“Yeaaaaah…”

 

“S-Sure…”

 

“Don’t worry!...”

 

(“I’m not.”)

 

“Neither am I.”

 

Rammy and Ma-san upset the poor embarrassed fox “Aw come on!...Well...yeah, before we rescued her, Aqua taught me and that led to me learning how to get a slight feel for my abilities as well as how to fly!...through teasing me... Later that day I decided to help Parappa see if he had anything. It was a slight struggle and so I decided to tease him to see if that’d work and…”

 

“She didn’t get the result she thought she’d get from me. I didn’t get upset at the teasing like she did with Aqua, but regardless...I began floating! And erm...kinda became quite a strong magnet to...took quite abit of time to touch the ground again as well as turn OFF the magnetism…” he scratches his head bashfully “And I wasn’t as lucky as her. Being electric based made it really hard for those guys to work with me, so in the end I didn’t really learn much except how to get a good flow of my lightning so that I don’t short circuit myself. Not to mention how to better control my magnetism...barely...floating is still...really hard…”

 

“We noticed.” The four other girls say.

 

“Ehehehehe...riiiiiight. Well. Needless to say, I’m gonna need to get my dad’s help for this. And fast!”

 

“Atleast you two have your teachers, along with Ma-san. Me and Lammy kinda have to wing it.”

 

“A-Agreed…”

 

“Did either of you even properly as-”

 

“NO!” they both waste no time in shutting down that suggestion.

 

“E-Eep...s-sorry for suggesting…”

 

“Ignoring that, we’re here! Now unfreeze her!”

 

Paula nods, but stares at the ice block blankly before turning her head back towards them with a defeated smile “I um...don’t know how to do that…oops~...” everyone else in the car sighs as they help her get the block of ice outside the vehicle. After they do that, Ma-san and Lammy do their best to slowly melt their ice without hurting the captive fox. After what feels like forever, they thaw her out.

 

“YOU’LL NEVER TAKE ME THERE ALIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII- Oh hey this place is new, where are we?”

 

“We’re here!”

 

“Oh I se- NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” The bigger fox flies off almost instantly.

 

“Ahem...gimme a sec~...” Paula flies off after her terrified cousin. The sky is soon filled with indigo lights before ultimately resulting in Paula landing with her cousin frozen from the waist down, her hands trapped in mini ice cubes as well “Sorry bout that~ Now...” She pushes the half frozen Kayla towards Parappa “Here you are Parappa! I bid you good luck as well as adieu!~” She waves once her cousin is within his reach as she grabs the other four girls and runs off into the van as it then drives off.

 

“H-HEY YOU DIDN’T SAY THAT...you’d...be leaving...drat…”

 

“P-Parappa would you be so kind as to chisel me free?...”

 

“Sorry Kayla, but I don’t want you running off and freezing who knows what else.”

 

“A fair fear...well...guess this is the moment of truth for me.” She sighs as Parappa knocks on the door.

 

“Coming coming!” says a voice from behind the door. Not long after the door opens and there stands another older fox “And here I am! Oh! Hello there! You’re Papillon’s boy! Oh I haven’t seen you in quite the while! How goes it! Is my daughter being a good friend to ya?~”

 

“Oh she’s fine Mrs. Fox! Paula’s always a joy to be around!”

 

“Oh you’re just as big a sweet talker like they were! Now what brings ya here? I know it’s not uncommon for you to drop by and say hi to be friendly, but I’d assume you’d be here with Paula for any other reason...but I don’t see her.”

 

“Ah...she had things to do...so I’m here in her stead! The reason for my visit is this!” He walks away and pulls the half frozen fox up to the doorway “A delivery! A special one at that! Know anyone who’s been missing a niece they haven’t seen in twenty years?~” 

 

“H-Hello again Aunt Bella~...It’s uh...been long since our last chat no?...~”

 

The other fox stays silent. He facial expression doesn’t change from her cheery demeanor she had when speaking to Parappa alone. Then out of the blue, her entire body tips backwards and falls roughly onto the ground, she has immediately dropped unconscious.

 

“A-AUNT BELLA!...”

 

“M-MRS. FOX!...”

 

* * *

 

After Kayla had been freed from her icy trap by Parappa and Bella had finally woken back up, the scene before the dog was the oldest fox crushing the second oldest fox in a hug as she cried like an overdramatic sprinkler. The sight reminded him of Momo when she was hugging Leo. Kayla was also crying, but not to the exact extremes as her aunt. After a bit they both calm down as the Bella bombards Kayla with so many questions. When all of them are finally answered, Kayla has to halt the older fox before she continues her question volley again.

 

“A-Aunt Bella please! Um...I’m...I’m not the only one you’re gonna be meeting…”

 

“What?...But who else could possibly be coming along with you??”

 

“Well you see…” She glances over to Parappa who immediately plucks his hat off.

 

“This is who she means Mrs!”

 

“Y-Your hat?...” as she says that, the beanie soon puffs out another spirit. Before the fox now stands her long deceased older sister.

 

“Hello again Snow Bell~ My my look at you! People thought I’d grow up to be the beautiful one, but no way! You’re clearly the one with the looks dear sister!”

 

Bella once again stays silent and motionless as she falls over once again.

 

“N-NOT AGAIN!...” Both Parappa and Kayla say as they catch her this time. And thankfully she doesn’t faint again either. After a few more tears. The conversation gets back on track.

 

“And that’s the short of dear sister. Honestly I have this lad right here to thank for me being able to chat with you at all! What a weird trait he has that allows us long dead to float around the living once more!”

 

“You act as if being dead was fun sister…”

 

“It’s not! Dying sucked! Being dead so young sucks!”

 

“Exactly! So then Ana why do you sound so alright with your case?!”

 

“You wanna know why? Well that a simple answer really. I’m happy for two reasons.”

 

“Those two reasons being?” the ghost floats over to the two living foxes and smiles.

 

“Reason one~” She places her left hand on her daughter’s head “Reason two~” she places her right hand on her sister’s head “The fact that I succeeded in making sure our parents got to keep the two of your safe and live a healthy life. And from what I can see from how well and beautiful the two of you look! That it certainly came to fruition!”

 

“But you’re dead!...”

 

“Yes, but the people I love aren’t.”

 

“I never get you…”

 

“Oh I’m sure that’s a lie dear Snow Bell! I’m certain as you’ve grown up, you yourself have come into a situation that mimicked the circumstances I was within. I’m sure you’ve come to learn my reasoning.”

 

“Perhaps...but all I know is that...I missed you.”

 

“To that I will apologize. If I could’ve done what I did without dying, I would have. Yet it was not the case. And I missed you both as well.”

 

“But you’re gonna be off again.”

 

“Well yes, but like i’ve told my daughter and niece. You are also free to call me over if need be! Although I’m not sure if Mr. Rappa here needs to be within the vicinity…”

 

“Oh please no formalities with me! I’m barely an adult as is! Besides Mr. Rappa is my father!...”

 

“But you’re technically older than me!”

 

“Ah...oh my god...I am...huh…” Parappa stays stuck in deep thought as Ana laughs.

 

“While he’s thinking about that, all I can say is that I hope you’ll take care of my daughter dear sister.”

 

“Oh you idiot! I would’ve done so when she was an infant if our parents had the financial stability! You don’t even need to tell me!”

 

“Still as energetic as you were back then! Well then, toodles~ Don’t hesitate to call! Any of you!” she floats over to Parappa “And you, thank you so much for saving my family and for being the reason I’m even able to do...well any of this! Farewell!” She taps his head, snapping him out of his funk.

 

“Whoa!...Um...No problem! I think? And take care!” the ghost waves to her family before vanishing back into his hat “Sorry for the whole...popping in unannounced with such big new Mrs. Fox…”

 

“While it was quite a rollercoaster, I must admit that it was lovely hearing from my sister again as well as seeing that my little niece is no longer so little and quite the lady! You’re dressed so...regally!”

 

“Oh you know Spectora and her dress codes!...”

 

“That I do, but from what I learned. It’s a necessary dress code.” both of them share a laugh as Parappa only stays relieved that Kayla made it through the whole ordeal without freezing anything over. He now just sits back as the two catch up and explain what went on in the twenty years of their separation. Parappa only assisting whenever Kayla started losing her cool. Ultimately it went well. Meanwhile however…

 

* * *

 

In a short distance away within the MilkCan van. All the girls as laying in the open space within the back with their arms behind their heads as they stare at the roof of the car. All of them merely listening to Paula fill them in on parts that Parappa wasn’t aware about. They all listen in diligently as Rammy smokes, trying to the get lingering ill emotions off her mind.

 

Katy’s hands abruptly clench up as Paula’s explanation comes to a close “Parappa really did all that?...”

 

“I saw it with my own eyes and have two other witnesses who also saw him soooo...yeah I’d say he did. He saved me when our second plan went awry, but the thing is...it was like...he wasn’t fully there. You see, he passed out before he did any of it and his body was on autopilot for the rest of it.” She blankly stares at the roof. The image of nearly getting a large portion of her body bit off from a rather angry and large jawed mermaid returning vividly before her, only to be stopped by the dog miraculously appearing between them in a flash. Then blasting her away like nothing, with the third attack forcing the giant beast to retreat “He was something else. Yet when the autopilot ran out...Oh man was there some recoil. Despite him not getting hit once, he looked like he was hit by a truck! And had the exhaustion to match. It wasn’t anything to bad thankfully and he easily slept most of it off...then came the instance when he was taking on the thing on his own again… only this time he was awake and did not go into that butt kicking autopilot mode. Honestly I don’t know if that was a good or bad thing because he was still drained, but went to his fullest regardless. Rather than shock the thing and retreat, he basically turned his own body into a great big ball of electricity so that he could free himself and in turn free my cousin. It worked...sorta. One thing led to another with them trying to get off that thing and they soon find themselves in the air like we told you. Parappa takes advantage of the darn mermaid getting up in his face so that he could send her to kingdom come in one hit! What we didn’t tell you was that said hit involved him lighting up his arm like a firecracker in order for it to actually send that bitch a packin...”

 

“But his arm looked fine to us!”

 

“Well yeah, that’s thanks to Amby’s ghost from what he told me. Despite the fact that she was both dead and very inexperienced, she was still able to fix him up slightly. Thankfully Poppy could fix up the rest!” She blinks after saying that “Man that girl just seems so immaculate. Being able to control NATURE...not to mention she can now HEAL!” She rubs her nose “I’m not complaining though, it’s quite a nifty thing to have a friend like that. Especially when you have a friend as danger prone as Parappa!”

 

“That perk comes with it’s own ups and downs…” The four of them say to the fox.

 

“I mean...you’re not wrong, but I’ve adopted the mentality of just taking what I can get you know? When it comes to Parappa, just finding ways to keep him in one piece rather than preventing things seems to be much more helpful.”

 

“Fair point.” they all shake their heads as Rammy extinguishes her cigarette.

 

“Now...on the topic of all that with Parappa…It actually reminds me of something else we were both gonna have to inform you all in on. I kinda remembered when Katy brought up Leo breaking down again. And I figure now is a proper time to talk about it since the topics are so similar.”

 

“How so?”

 

“Well Parappa has to be kept in the dark about what I told you when he was unconscious as recommended to me by Aqua and Sirius. All he knows is that he just swam away with me in tow. If he knew it could probably harm him to try and replicate that due to him not properly getting a grip on what he can do completely.”

 

“A-All you had to say was that last p-part!...” The others nod with Lammy.

 

“I know, but it helps to fully explain. Considering this part, you said Leo coughed up blood and whatnot when you tried to fix things right?”

 

“Yes that I did.”

 

“Did he...perhaps use any electricity?”

 

“Wait...he can do it to??...well it does make sense he is Parappa’s son. Man Mr. Rappa was dead wrong over the inheritance thing! But aside that, I don’t...think so? I didn’t really pay much attention, why?”

 

“Well, what happens to him is like what happens to Parappa only much worse. It kinda...breaks his body? Judging by the descriptions atleast. They never said the results, but what you said sounds severe enough to be it!”

 

“Oh man...actually...thinking about it...when he yelled at me, it felt as if something just blew me off my feet!...Maybe that was it??...”

 

“Could be, he didn’t notice it right??”

 

“No, he was as unaware as I was…”

 

“Good! He has to stay that way.”

 

“Don’t gotta tell me twice!” all five of them sigh “Well come on girls! Back to Paula’s to see how it went!”

 

“O-Onward!”

 

(“Sure, let’s go see the ice cubes!”)

 

“I’ll get the chisels ready.”

 

“Oh come on girls! I’m sure my cousin got a hold of herself by now!...”

 

“You are defending the girl you had to tackle to the ground and freeze up again here girl.” Rammy says as she blows out smoke in Paula’s face.

 

“Blegh!...Alright yeah you got me there...let’s just hurry before it gets out of hand then!...”

 

They drive off in a hurry only to witness that the situation went by fine, and spot Parappa reclined outside the house merely waiting their arrival. He then notices them and waves to them gleeful as they drive up.

 

“Soooo...Cuz calmed down?”

 

“Yeah I’d say so. There was some slight trouble here and there, but ultimately Kayla was cool. Your mom was...overwhelmed to say the least. But she’s happy and she’s even got some nice closure with her long gone sis.”

 

“I see...I should probably walk in now huh?”

 

“Yeah you should. You need to help them discuss Kayla’s living accomodation. Despite all that fancy get up she has and that spectacular ice magic and whatnot. She’s...kind of a thirty-three year old broke hobo…” He smiles weakly as a sweatdrop glides along his cheek. The sight gets Paula to rush inside her old house. The rest of the day goes by surprisingly quietly now that everything is back to normal! Relatively.

 

* * *

 

_ 4 days left...i’m so ready to see how this will play out… _

 

Raparra blows out smog from his mouth as he hops to his feet. He walks along the jagged ground towards an open red area.

 

“Will they hide her? Will they run? I fucking hope so~...Make this fun for me why dontcha?~ The best part of the hunt is the prey’s struggle to escape~ Ugh...I’d check now, but my motivation is still not fully back yet...what a shame.” He kicks over a massive stalagmite with ease as he exhales melodramatically “Actually...what if those fakers try to fight back? That’d be MORE fun! Haha!” He rests along another stalagmite, laughing maniacally as the thought enters his mind “Oh I just can’t wait to see what you’ll do...cuz no matter what It is…”

 

_ I’m gonna enjoy ripping you to pieces for getting in my way… _

 

* * *

 

Parappa is seen running and flailing behind a running Rammy who is dressed rather nicely.

 

“Rammy wait up!”

 

“Wait up? You need to CATCH up!”

 

“My legs aren’t as long as yours! I can’t keep up fairly!”

 

“So float then why dontcha? I figure it’d be easier to keep up if you were flying.”

 

“I don’t know how to fully do thaaaat...and dad still hasn’t given me an answer on whether he’ll teach me or noooot…”

 

“That ain’t my fault! Now just keep up!”

 

“I’m trying...are you sure this is a ‘not a date’...it feels more like punishment for leaving you so down for an entire week…”

 

“Maybe it’s a little of both. But hey, you can’t really get upset at all. You offered.” She stops and turns to face him.

 

Parappa finally catches up, heaving like a dying wild animal “I did...but that’s cuz...I wanted to make up for my mistakes...you should...know this by now…”

 

“I do. But what I mean is. Why this? You know nothing ends up between us given Leo’s future spoiler.”

 

He manages to stabilize his breathing “I know that, but I mean...it doesn’t hurt to be nice and just...take part in the joy while I’m still single right? I’m not together with his future mom yet!”

 

“What a way of going about it! Normal people would merely laugh at a shitty idea like that and call you a dumbass!”

 

“Y-Yeah that is true-”

 

“But hey, I’m a dumbass myself so I’m in no position to judge! So as dumbasses...let’s enjoy this fucking beautiful day Paraps!” She takes off again.

 

“Oh c-come on!...I just caught up!...”

 

They both run, run off in glee. Despite Parappa’s predicament, he’s happy to make up for lost time. They joy between them is immense. After all, it has to be... when you’re so low on time.

 

_ Tick...Tock...Tick...Tock...I’m coming faker...and I’m waiting to see what you’re gonna do...Because no matter what it is...It won’t be enough to stop me… Better start believing…~ _


	40. The reason I'm like this

_3 days left~_

 

The day is still and quiet as we find PJ and Sweety in the mix of a silly argument.

  
“I’m telling you PJ, don’t drink that milk…”

 

“And why not? What, has it gone baaaad or something?”

 

“YES!”

 

“Sweety don’t be ridiculous. It’s brand new, still hasn’t expired AND it smells fine.”

 

“I’m warning you. You drink that, and you _will_ regret it.”

 

“Oh what. You can see the future all of sudden?”

 

“E-Er...no...I just...have some gut feeling is all…”

 

“Ooooohohoh...i’m soooo sure your gut is right...but I rather listen to my gut. And what my gut is saying is…’drink the damn milk’ And you know what?” PJ chugs the entire gallon whole.

 

“You are such a child.”

 

“Oh we’ll see who the child is when we see who’s right in the end.”

 

“Oh will we now?”

 

“Yep. And I’m telling ya, i’m gonna be ok.”

 

_Later that day_

 

“Awww...so PJ can’t come with?...” Matt and Parappa say together as they whine in front of the pink bear.

 

“Sorry guys, he’s been trapped in bed all day after drinking some bad milk. He looks more like a frog than he does a bear now thanks to his new green color!”

 

“That’s how sick he got??” Matt says as he covers his mouth.

 

“Yes but don’t worry you two, he’s gotten much worse food poisoning than this and still shrugged it off like nothing thanks to his iron stomach. By tomorrow he’ll have gotten over it and it’ll be like nothing even happened.”

 

“Luckily that’s true, but still. We worry for the guy!”

 

“As do I, but believe me when I say that...he completely deserved this.”

 

“Well that’s a bit mean don’t you think Sweety?”

 

“It is Matt, but trust me. He had all the precaution he could get and still he went for it. And the sad part is he’ll have learned nothing at all.”

 

“Yeaaah...that’s Peej alright…”

 

“Well I hope you’ll atleast take care of him Sweety.”

 

“Oh don’t worry Parappa! I can promise you that I’ll keep him in order! Someone has to! And that someone is ME! For better or for worse!” she giggles.

 

“With a woman like you in his life, PJ is sure to get his head sewn on straight for once!” All three of them laugh “Well, me and Matt should really get going then. Don’t wanna intrude on PJ’s recovery.”

 

“Oh no! Like I said, he’s gonna be fine. So there’s really not _that_ much I have to do.” she shakes her head “What were you two gonna do with him anyway?”

 

“I was gonna finally fulfill my promise to Matt on playing that game with him and we wanted PJ to be the uh...mediator. But guess we can either put that off or get someone else.”

 

“Aw, I’m sorry you two...”

 

“Nah it’s fine. It’s Peej’s own downfall here.” Matt flicks his ears “Maybe we can ask Rammy…”

 

“Sorry Matt, she went off with Lammy and Katy for today.”

 

“Aw really? Damn...guess we’ll just think over our options. Sorry to bother ya Sweety, send our regards and a smack up the head to PJ for us!”

 

“Can and will do!” She giggles as she waves goodbye to the duo.

 

Once far enough away, the duo begin chatting, ultimately deciding to reschedule the game seeing as they were pressed for time as is anyway and decided to just spend the day together. Upon their alone time, they stumble upon familiar faces.

 

“Hey! Hey hey!” ten small rabbit children find themselves circling around the two dogs.

 

“Whoa whoa! Easy there!”

 

“Hey backatcha!...What’s with the sudden energy??”

 

“You guys are the ones that helped us back when we were trying to settle into town!” one of the kids, a small purple bunny boy with one eye covered from one of his drooped over ears, says as they stop running around the two.

 

“Settle into...OH! You guys are the kids we helped back when those posers tried to start something! But uh...there were only five of you back then...why is the number now doubled??”

 

“There were more of us, but we were the only ones that were confident enough to try and see the town! When you helped us, we told our other siblings what happened! We tried to find you, but you were always busy with other things or we just couldn’t find you guys! Now we finally spot...two of you?...Hey where’s MIster PJ Berri?...”

 

“Stomach troubles.” Both say without hesitation “He’s currently outta commision.

 

“Aw we wanted to speak with all three of you…”

 

“Sorry guys...you can speak to PJ tomorrow! But for now why not talk to us about...whatever it is you clearly wanna talk to us about!” Parappa says as all the kids lighten up. They then resume running around the two “Eheh...well Matt. Guess we found something to do!...”

 

“You’re telling me…”

 

After a lightning round with the kids, the duo blurt out the next line together after the actual question is asked.

 

“BE OUR STUDENTS?!”

 

“Well yeah!” says a small yellow furred bunny with purple poofy hair. She bounces up to their faces with energy.

 

“You guys are the big deals of this town from what we learned! So who better to be our teachers!” Says a green fuzzy bunny boy who seemed to be the oldest.

 

“I mean...I may sing and dance, but ultimately I’m more of a techy sports guy...so I don’t think I’d be of much help little dudes…” All ten kids release a group ‘Awwwwwww…’ causing the taller dog to flinch.

 

“And I don’t think I’m cut out to be a teacher hehe...i’m still a protege myself technically!”

 

“Really?...Who’s _your_ teacher?”

 

“Uh…” _Who ISN’T my teacher...well for specifics, Mushi is technically!_ “My teach is none other than MC King Kong Mushi! Although...I haven’t been really keeping him up to speed with my antics like I promised him I would...wuh oh…” He whines sadly after bringing that up, but shakes his head to get the thought away so he doesn’t end up saddening the kids “But uh, yeah! He’s _my_ mentor! And if I’m still learnin, then I don’t think I’d be eligible to teach you lot! Sorry…”

 

The kids all drop their arms to their sides in defeat.

 

“H-Hey now...why do you want us to be your teachers anyway? We’re uh...kinda in some risky business. You’d be better of finding...well better role models!”

 

“But you are great role models! You beat out bad guys on a daily!”

 

“Eheh...word gets around fast don’t it…”

 

“Look kiddos, me and Parappa aren’t fit to be mentors yet. But...you are free to hang out with us if you please. That should be enough to show you how lackluster we are!”

 

“That’s abit rude to say, but what Matt said! Would that cheer you up??”

 

“YEEEEEESSSSSSS!” They run around the duo indefinitely.

 

“Why do I feel like offering them that was probably worse…”

 

“Probably cuz it was Matt...oh well...can’t go back on our word!”

 

* * *

 

“Kitty…come on...Poppy wants to clean her room and she can’t with you slumped over your guy’s bed…”

 

“I’m not in the mood to move...I wanna stay curled up here...and preferably die...that’d probably be nice.”

 

“Kitty...what’s wrong…”

 

“I ain’t tellin ya shit! And you ain’t getting me off this unless you pry me off! And good luck doin that!” Leo looks to her then glances over to Sunny. Within the next minute… “LET ME GO! P-PUT ME THE FUCK DOWN!...” The purple cat squirms as her face turns red “H-HOW THE HELL ARE YOU THIS STRONG?!...”

 

“It’s a secret~ Or rather, it WAS a secret~”

 

“H-Hnng...no fair...c-can you atleast not carry me away like this…”

 

“Well then how would you prefer I carry you??...”

 

“Something that isn’t a princess carry…”

 

“Wouldn’t any other carry method be more embarrassing?”

 

“Look I give up! I’ll leave on my own!...J-Just put me down…”

 

“You promise?...”

 

“YES!...NOW DROP ME!...”

 

“...Aight.” Leo quickly drops her. She lands on the floor with a heavy thud.

 

“OW YOU...fucking smartass…” she rubs her rears ”Eh…thanks...for real...I did kinda ask for that…” her mouth curls into a smile.

 

“Yes you did.” Both Sunny and Leo say.

 

“Kitty why are you so upset anyway??” Sunny asks.

 

“Why?? Cuz in a few days shit’s about to go down!”

 

“Eh?...Oh right! Raparra’s…’visit’.” Leo says, getting Sunny to remember as well.

 

“Well...if it’s messing you up that much...why not finally reveal that you’re here and go help Parappa out? It’d ease you up a bit i’m sure of it!”

 

“Hell to the fucking-”

 

“Would you rather feel like shit the entire time?”

 

“...No...I rather not…look i’m only telling the dog that i’m here...no one else…I feel like only speaking to him will make me feel better…”

 

“Eh?...only him? Hm...that...might be tricky since they're almost always together! I’ll drive you, let’s see what I can manage.” Leo says as he helps the hellcat up.

 

“Thanks…”

 

* * *

 

The two dogs finish off their day, exhausted by the small children.

 

“Kids please go away…”

 

“Never!”

 

“Dude this was the greatest mistake we ever made…”

 

“No kidding...is there anything we can do to make you leave us be…”

 

“Let us make you three our bosses!”

 

“Somehow had a feeling it’d go there…”

 

“Likewise...ugh...fine...Me and Matt here agree...dunno about PJ…”

 

“Let’s just save ourselves the trouble and say that he agrees to…”

 

“YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! What’s our first lecture to take part in?”

 

“Go home and be the people you wanna be rather than blindly following our orders!”

 

“But Matt wouldn’t that still mean its them following our or-”

 

“SHHHH”

 

“ROGER SIRS!” All the kids run off back to their home.

 

“Oh finally…”

 

“Thank the heavens…” Both dogs stretch their backs until a large pop is heard “Maaaaan...kids are such a task...I could barely play properly with anything with them all over me!”

 

“Same here...could barely even enjoy myself with them around nearly hurting themselves trying to be included…”

 

“And we both end up dads! Haha! How do we do it by then?”

 

“Maybe our future significant other helps us out with that.”

 

“You think?”

 

“I mean. I’d assume. We’re both rather savvy when it comes to knowledge over tech stuff and just handling bizarre situations, but when it comes to people skills and other general things...we uh...fall flat. Naturally i’d assume we’d fall for people we either see the same way or someone to fill the yang to our yin.”

 

“You know, you saying that makes it much more believable as towards how one of those girls end up your wife.” Matt sighs “Lucky them. No matter what, you get to be with someone you’ve been long since familiarized with. Me? Not so much… For me it’s nothing but a hit or miss. That is...if the people I even find interest in are like me…”

 

Parappa stays quiet, realizing the difficulties of his situation. He wants nothing more than to tell him that he ends up happy with a guy, but doesn’t want to chance anything with Leo. Instead he tries a different topic “Hey Matt...how’d you...find that out about yourself?”

 

“I...really don’t wanna admit that...but...hey. We’re already on this topic.” He groans “Can we...play basketball as we do? I’d feel easier explaining it if we were…”

 

“Sure. Let’s go.”

 

After a walk to the local court, the two start the game they planned for another day. They stay silent for a while as they play. The topic greatly getting to Matt as he finally decides to speak up “Ok so...truthfully...at first. I thought I liked girls. You know, with everyone saying how much of a ladies guy I was. Honestly I wanted to see if there was any truth to that. Cuz as you know, I have the confidence stability of a wet napkin. And it was then that I didn’t really see much interest in girls, but by no means did that make me believe I was gay. It just made me feel like...I couldn’t find anyone that was well suited for me.”

 

“Oof...yeah I think I understand the sentiment…”

 

“Then…” He grumbles in a sad manner “I meet you. And I get to know you.” Parappa has heard this all to often “Being around you...made me feel weird...and when I was thinking it up and asking others, without specifying, I’d get the answer that I was in love. I was in love you, another boy. I could never tell you though because just...telling your crush you HAVE a crush on em is...well. It’s nigh impossible…”

 

_Chris loving Raparra makes a whole lot more sense now…_ “I see…”

 

“Yeah...and well, I tried working up the confidence, but oh was that a mistake...you made it very clear that you were mainly interested in girls...what with Sunny and all. So I was plumb outta luck...my first love and it’s immediately destroyed thank to the guy I fell in love with...not being the same like me…” he rubs his eye “It was...it was rough.”

 

“Well...you probably should’ve.”

 

“...Why??”

 

“While I may seem that I’m just straight, i’m actually...well i’m actually pan. Believe it or not, but I’ve gotten the hots for quite a lot of people...other boys...other gals...others...I mean I also thought I was as straight as an arrow, but nah...little things happened that made me question that...I kinda owe that to you and PJ. Like for example with PJ, you remember that blunder I told you about when I was watching Tamanegi’s show with him?”

 

“That accident?”

 

“Yeah...it uh...wasn’t an accident...it was kinda my heart just acting on instinct despite me trying my best to not do that...look point is, had you actually done something. Well...maybe we’d actually have started something. But in the end, I totally don’t think it would’ve lasted. I just don’t see myself as a guy who’d keep you happy. And i’d feel terrible over it. I’d want you to be...with a better guy.”

 

“Oh shut up! You’d have been great!...W-What am I saying!?...”

 

“Your closure! Frankly I’m just as shocked as you, the guy you loved who made you had such a self discovery, who you thought was straight. Was probably gayer than you before he settled on a mostly female preference!”

 

“Why meeeeee...actually wait. Why is that?”

 

“Guys are assholes…I mean yeah they can be nice...but try to get closer or more intimate with one...and whew...everything you thought you knew goes out the window like shazam...”

 

“Ah...yeah...that’s true. Not many good willed ones are there? The only ones that I can think of are you and Peej, but that’s obvious rejection. Noodles is a bit to much for me, but that’s assuming i’m his type anyway. Any other decent guy is way too old for me and or already has someone.”

 

“Exactly the same reason why I go with girls. They’re alot nicer and understand the difficulty...course a majority of them have to LIVE with the difficulty...I feel bad...I wish guys were alot...better as a whole.”

 

“Yeah...makes it hard to fall in love with any of em…sometimes I think I’ll never find love…”

 

Parappa had enough, consequence or not. He was gonna tell Matt what he learned “Matt I-” Or atleast...he was gonna, were it not for fate beating him to the punch.

 

“H-Hello?...This court is erm...free for public play right?...” Both dogs lift their ears at the new voice and turn their heads to the shy boy who spoke. They see a very timid black rabbit, with poofy and curly white hair, who looked to be the same age they were. He was wearing a shirt with really long sleeves. So long that his hands didn’t even poke out from them. He also wore blue jeans and some casual white shoes.

 

“Yeah, anyone can play here man! Don’t mind us, just go on and do your thing!” Parappa says to the guy.

 

“A-Ah...ok!...B-But you two are here no?...”

 

“Ah ignore us, we don’t bother anyone. Hell we’d even leave if you want us to.”

 

“O-Oh no no! You two were here first! I-I’ll take my leave…”

 

“Hey hey hey! Relax man! It’s seriously no big deal!...Uh…”

 

“H-Hayden…”

 

“Hay-...what.”

 

“E-Erm...Hayden’s my name…” As the guy says this, Parappa’s mind explodes with pure unceasing joy. What freaking luck! The guy who he and PJ had learnt about, THIS WAS HIM!! Probably!!

 

“RIGHT! HAYDEN!”

 

“M-Meep…” The rabbit recoils from the sudden yelling.

 

“S-Sorry sorry! Uh...what was I talking aboooo- right! So Hayden, you don’t really seem to know much about this place. You a fresh face?”

 

“Y-Yeah...I moved to this town not to long ago with my family and ten little siblings…”

 

“Ten...siblings?...”

 

“Yes! I’ve been looking for them, but they found me and told me they were heading home because...their bosses told them so?...”

 

“A-Aha...right...wonder what kids mean by that!...”

 

“I wish I knew...but yeah we moved here...I would love nothing more than to go out more, but I find it terrifying to leave my house...all my siblings do as well...but they mustered the strength to leave so I finally figured...so should I!...and I'm now here!...s-scared…”

 

“Don't be.” Matt says as he slowly approaches “We don't bite. And like we said, you're free to use this place just like everyone else is. We can leave if you desire space.”

 

“It’s not that I don't have my preferred personal space…it's that I don't have anyone to play with...a-and i’m not...really...o-outgoing enough to ask anyone...I wanted my s-siblings, but they’re heading home for the day...so I decided just to find one of the places and either see if I could muster the moxie to play alone...or join the others, but at the very least I wanted to find a place so that I could atleast go to it from time to time...whenever I got the emotional strength to leave my house again that is…”

 

Matt stood their puzzled by the guy, but Parappa decided to be a little devious “Ohohoho Hayden man, don’t worry about that tidbit! Matt here can play with you!” Both taller animals look towards him.

 

“H-He can?...”

 

“I can?...huh...sure I can I guess. I’ve been meaning to go a few rounds without being pestered all day, and I finally found the time to do so, so why not. I can change the rules to a 2v1-”

 

“Actually, just you two. I’m gonna sit back and watch.” Parappa says shocking the taller dog further.

 

“W-Wauh...hmmm...you..sure about that?” Parappa nods “I see...Hayden, you cool with that?...”

 

“I-I guess...t-truth be told, the less people to play alongside with would be nice...less conjoined intimacy...although 1v1 isn’t necessarily any better...but I’ll take what I can...i-if that’s alright with you guys…”

 

“It is man no worries! Now uh...I guess I can hold back abit in order to make it fa-”

 

“O-Oh! Y-You don’t need to do that!...”

 

“You sure you wanna say that?...From what my friends tell me, I’m...kind of a monster when I get into the zone...don’t wanna do that against a nice guy I just met…”

 

“I-I’m serious! I-It might teach me some things...and make me b-better in the long run…”

 

“Uh-huh...I mean...your call my man.”

 

“Now while you both do that, Imma just sit right here and watch you guys play! Pretend i’m not even here Hayden if that helps!”

 

“U-Um...ok…”

 

“Great, and relax! After all! It's only-”

 

_A simple game of basketball._

 

The game begins, and for the first half, Hayden is utterly trounced. However it’s been noted by the small dog that he wasn’t really trying for that half, rather he was slowly inspecting Matt’s moves. Once the second half began, the tables had turned amazingly. The game ultimately ended a draw with both sides at a total of 62 “Whoa whoa whoaaa...where’d that second wind come from??”

 

“I-I um...I dunno…”

 

“Turns out Hayden’s a fast learner! When he said he might learn something, he wasn’t kiddin! He learned your entire play style so fast that first half that he was able to find a way to beat your strats! Or atleast...find ways to go about it, enough so to end it at a tie!”

 

“‘I-I…”

 

“Wow...damn man. Nice perception. No one’s ever really given me that hard a time before! And because of that, people barely play with me any mo’” He chuckles “I’m down to just playing with my close friends, but they ain’t naturals like me! So it’s refreshing to see someone actually keep up and almost beat me! You are somethin else!~”

 

“...R-Really?...”

 

“Yeah man!” Matt walks up to him and gives him a hearty hand tap on the shoulder “Welcome to PaRappa Town! It’s gonna be great having a guy like you around!”

 

“O-Oh...t-thanks…~”

 

“Don’t thank me, just welcoming a new friend warmly into our daily life! Wanna go a few more rounds? I wanna see if I can find some workarounds to your quick learnin, or see if you can beat me more times than i’m able to!”

 

“I-I was barely able to adapt…”

 

“Barely?? You were a beast! _I_ was barely able to keep up! Give yourself a lil more credit Hay! This is a supposed natural who can go pro givin you a compliment here! If anyone could go pro, i’d say it’s you!~”

 

“...Alright~...let’s go a few more games~...w-what after though?...”

 

“I dunno...uh...hey Parappa you have any ideas?”

 

“I actually have to take my leave Matt, just remembered there’s something I gotta do. So why not think between yourselves and have fun!” _Not really, but this is perfect bonding for you two~_

 

“Ah, alright man see ya.”

 

“Later Matt, Later Hayden!”

 

“G-Goodbye!...”

 

Parappa walks off, and after he’s out of sight he starts running while he grins like an idiot. He hops with joy as he flips all over the place. His bouncing is cut short when lands over the main road and a car almost runs him over. It stops dead in its place as the passenger seat window opens to yell at him.

 

“HEY WATCH THE ROAD!”

 

“S-Sorry So-...Kitty?!?!?!”

 

“...M-Meep…” she swoops her head back into the car and rolls the glass back up. The drive seat door opens up and out runs a flustered helmeted Leo.

 

“D-Dad!...You ok??”

 

“I’m fine! This is my bad anyway!”

 

“Why were you hopping around like that without paying attention to the road?”

 

“Well for starters I didn’t realize I had gotten onto the road...and secondly I was just so happy!”

 

“What made you THIS happy?”

 

“Oh nothing, just hooking up Matt with his future potential mate~”

 

“WHAT?! I SWEAR IF YOU RUINED UNCLE HAYDEN’S CHANCES, I’LL DO NOTHING BUT WHINE LIKE A NUISANCE TO YOU DAY IN AND DAY OUT! I DON’T WANNA LOSE MY FAVORITE BUNNY UNCL-”

 

“Ah so he is a bunny! Glad to see I did hook him up with the right guy!”

 

“H-Huh?...”

 

“Hayden, got him and Matt to have a little bit of a get together. Hayden sorta stumbled upon us, so I took the liberty of having them play around abit~”

 

“...This is...how did you know??...”

 

“Well, I had a dream that sorta spoiled who Matt’s husband would be by name only. Then this guy comes around saying he’s Hayden! The only problem was if he was a bunny or not! And you answered that for me~ So I guess I did a good thing after all~”

 

“Huh...That’s...strange...was he a black bunny with white hair?”

 

“Yeppers!”

 

“Then it is him...but I don’t recall them meeting this soon...then again...Uncle Hayden was very shy when talking about his past…”

 

“Well they moved here since before I first met you! Hayden just...never left home to actually...you know, learn about the town!”

 

“And I thought Uncle Hayden was shy and introverted in the future...ohoho man...he sounds alot worse now! No wonder he didn’t tell me about his past…” he rubs his helmet, it emits a sweatdrop “I really REALLY wanna meet my uncle...but...they’re not an item yet, let alone a married couple...I’d most likely freak Uncle Hayden out...bummer…”

 

“I can tell judging by the fact you called him your fave bunny uncle~ Why is that?~”

 

“S-Secret…~”

 

“Of course it is...speaking of which, if they adopted a daughter, what species is she?”

 

“They adopted another bunny.”

 

“Ah, how cute. Must’ve made it easier for Hayden to handle I assume.”

 

“Actually it was all Uncle Matt’s idea. Uncle Hayden didn’t know from what he told me. He said he’d be happy with any child, cuz it’d be their child all the same.”

 

“Ahahahawww~” the imagination gets Parappa feeling all fuzzy as his fur fritzes up as if he’d sliding across a carpet “Ooooh...got too happy there for a sec…” he pats down his fur then speaks up again “So...Kitty...how long has she been back?...” Leo does a zipper motion over where his mouth is on the helmet then throws it in the car’s direction “Right, should’ve figured...will she talk to me?”

 

“You’re the reason she wanted me to drive here.”

 

“Good, that oughta make things easier! However I assume she wants to talk more first, so I’ll ask that another time I guess if i’m not able to now. Come on let’s get to the car.”

 

“Let’s.”

 

* * *

 

The trio find themselves parked in a spot secluded from any interactions. Leo is outside the car, smoking as he reclines on a tree with his helmet off currently revealing a black sheep boy. He is honoring Kitty’s wish of speaking alone with Parappa. Both of them are in the main two seats, reclined all the way back as they stare at the roof of the car. They stay silent for a good while, confusing Parappa as he breaks the tense silence.

 

“So…”

 

“So…”

 

“How long you been back?”

 

“I’m sure you recall Rammy coming over to have a sleepover?”

 

“Since then?? Huh...should’ve known. It made the most sense.”

 

“I guess it did, but yeah. I wanted to keep quiet about me bein here…until the time was right anyway.”

 

“...Was there gonna be a right time?”

 

“That was the problem...I didn’t know…” She sighs “I’m...there’s many things wrong with me…”

 

“There’s nothing wrong with you…”

 

“Let me finish. Look...I mean wrong with me in the sense that...I just don’t...understand the situation i’m currently in…”

 

“Living on the surface you mean?”

 

“Well...I guess that. Mainly what to do with myself...since I can’t find a good time to tell you guys…’hey...I took your offer’...I’d just be locking myself up till who knows when...then came the paranoia of what’ll be happening soon…”

 

“Raparra…”

 

“Mhm...with him around there’s just...no safe place for me…”

 

“That’s not true. Up here is the best safe place! How’s it living with Poppy and Leo?”

 

She looks away from him in order to see out the window and spot Leo on the tree “...It’s nice…they’re good people...but I mean, there’s not stiff competition in that department. Not with those i’ve known…” she looks back to the roof and sighs “It’s odd...I see those two daily and always expect to be berated, but instead...they just pass happy greetings...ask how i’m doing...do things that generally...make me...feel...weird? I dunno the word...”

 

“You mean happy?”

 

“...Yeah...I think.” she scratches her ear “It’s just strange...no one really cared enough about me to wanna even try to make me as such...only one was my ex…”

 

“...What happened that split you off?...”

 

“My fault...atleast I say it is. You see, neither of us were healthy or happy down there...and we each had our own problems...and they all threaded back to our lookalikes...down there...you kinda have a right of mind to just say stuff...to much stuff...stuff you didn’t wanna say...stuff that should never leave your mouth, or rather you should’ve never thought up at all. We both kind of exploded on each other...it was unreal...and it hurt…” She rubs her nose “We took it a bit to seriously...and learned that...we weren’t fit to stick with one another...not with how we were...we were slowly coming to wits end with what we had to endure that it started seeping out into our only safe haven...and our relationship needed to end in order for us to not hate each other even further...even if we both managed to recover from that...we still decided it’d be best to just stay as well known peeps to one another as to not risk the resurfacing of any bad memories. It stung, but we learned to get with it so that we wouldn’t end up thinking that everything in life was bitter...and it was better off not living at all...but I guess no matter what we did...we both would’ve ended up as people on the tipping edge of death…”

 

“...in a sense...your deteriorating state of mind...kinda saved you.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Hear me out. Rammy’s condition got so bad that it subconsciously called for help. And she got it. Yours made it so you’d go after her and check to see if things ended up alright. And you slowly warmed up to being here to. You also got help and now here you both are. Nowhere near the exact same as those days of old. And in such short time to! Goes to show just how big an impact an environment change can really be!”

 

“...Will it last…?”

 

“People can always be nice, even when there are others who can sorta put a damper on it. No matter the situation, common generosity costs nothing, and is always nice to give and receive. Like I always say whenever I see a new face, both as bright as mine or as hindered as the hell shadows. Anyone can be a friend, no matter the situation. Disregard the past, and take in the account the effort they made to be the new person they are now. Love the person they ended up being despite walking on a road of spite all their life. Because they learned to love everything once they learned to love themselves. And that equals a new person to get to know! And that fun little quirk is available in everybody!...If you let it.”

 

“...you’re strange…”

 

“To an unchangeable fault! And I wouldn’t want to change it if I ever got the chance. This is who I am, and who i’ll always be!”

 

“...You still think you can fix everything with Hell?...”

 

“I’m gonna do all I can! I’m gonna stop Raparra and get it through his thick head that things can be different! That we can be different! They can be different! We can coexist...atleast I’m gonna try...what my main objective will be is making them aware of the fact that they can’t take you and Rammy.”

 

“Why do you care?...”

 

“Why?...oh...that’s just a part of me that I’ve just had since forever. I hate seeing people all...negative...any form of it...from being sad...to being downright...erm...don’t wanna say ‘evil’, but you get the jist...like I said, anyone can be a friend and that’s something I desperately try to abide by. And well, it has gotten me into faults. But it has shown merit. Even if they don’t end up a friend. They end up better. Healthy. Happy. It doesn’t help stunt my urge to do so when I learn more about the person. I just wanna make sure they end up better. Help em out of that pain…”

 

“...Thanks...i mean that...no one ever really struggled to do that much for me...Rammy tried...but had to much to deal with herself...vice versa with me...it’s nice to have people who care…” she looks to him “You’re gonna beat Raparra, I know it.”

 

“Thanks for the confidence. It’s gonna be tough...I know he’s probably gonna come up with loads of Hell Shadows…” he sighs “I hope we can keep up…”

 

“...You will...something in me is just telling me ya will.”

 

“Thanks. We’ll see in a few days. How ya feeling now?”

 

“Much better...but I think I wanna head home now.”

 

“That’s fine. Go rest up. I still have my own things to handle. You know...in preparation of the big day!” Parappa leaves the car and calls Leo over. He tells him about Kitty feeling better, but choosing to ultimately go home. And with that, they’re off. Parappa waving to them while they drive far away.

 

“So then, dad helped you o-...uh...you ok?...”

 

“...huh?...yeah~...why?~...”

 

“Well you’re crying...but your face is red...you got...sick or something?...”

 

“Or something…~”

 

“Uh?...”

 

“It’s nothing, just uh...dusty stuff got in my nose…~”

 

“Oh! Allergies! Now I see why you wanted to head home! Well then better hurry!”

 

“Yeah...better~...” she looks away from the boy as she decides to talk again “Hey...can you take me back here tomorrow and the day after?...”

 

“I can...why?”

 

“I’m...gonna be busy...really busy…”

 

“Doing?...”

 

“Talking to some people. Or rather...a lot of people…”

 

“Alright…be careful I guess.”

 

“Oh don’t worry. It’s all gonna be ok.” _If this works at least…_ “Got alot of stuff to talk over with Poppy to...so bring her along with me aight?...”

 

“I will I will. Don’t you worry.”

 

“Thank you~”

 

* * *

 

_2 days left...i’m getting giddy~..._

 

The day goes by quickly, everyone doing their own thing to ease themselves for the slowly approaching madness that’s creeping upon them every passing second. While the others were doing their own thing. Kitty had been sneaking about...from person to person. With the aid of Sunny, she was enacting her plan.

 

“Please...will you help him?...” Kitty says.

 

“This is gonna be big! Surely Parappa will need help!” Sunny adds on.

 

“Of course I’ll help my friend out! What kind of pal would I be if I didn’t! Gonna show these hell invaders that Noodles is not one you gotta mess with!”

 

“Zay won’t know what hit em if they plan to mess with our town!”

 

“Hmmm...my student needs help with this imitations yes?...Mmmm...yes! It is to be! And help I shall!”

 

“Wow! You need my help? Well, i’ll do my best!” Fussenpepper is struck on the head by a book “GONNA MAKE EM THINK TWICE ABOUT MESSING WITH OUT TOWN!”

 

“Oh? These invaders wanna act like kids do they? Well, I guess it is my job to calm em down when they act up. Why not!”

 

“Bunch of hotheads coming from Hell to cause a ruckus? Well we are fire fighters! So this is right up our alley! Right guys?~”

 

“Right Sir!”

 

“Some punks wanna mess with Parappa? And the town??”

 

“Uh uh! They ain’t messing with nobody!”

 

“Well then what’s your answer my sistah?”

 

“Looks like somebody has to close the door on their attitude! We’re in!”

 

“Mess with the town? Oh no no! They’re messing with the wrong kitchen now!”

 

“Tryin to be the rain and snow on our clear days? Naw man, we’ll still show them our funky flow!”

 

“Ah so we gonna be having jerks come up here? Uh-uh! Son idiotas si piensan que puedan venir aqui para hacer lo que quieran! I’ll trim them up!”

 

“Oh so they wanna mess with all of us ey? Hah! They’ll be easier to cut down than the trees!”

 

“You don’t even need to ask us to help!”

 

“Yeah girls, we’ll size up these fools for thinking they wanna mess with us!”

 

“Though it’s strange to see my son keep this to himself...guess it shows the severity of the situation! Oh boy…”

 

“All our bosses are gonna be in trouble?? We gotta help!”

 

“Oh, we better get our big brother!”

 

“Oh he ain’t gonna be of help! Us ten can do plenty to stop those bad people!”

 

“I’m sorry you two, i’d love to help, but I’m gonna be busy. I have to be there with Leo on the day of his performance. It falls on the same day. Believe me, both he and I would love to help you gals out with this. But they told Leo to go on board with his resurgence, and I gotta be there for him. Good on you for doing all this! I hope you can get the rest of the town to help!”

 

“Thanks King Kong.” They both leave the premises and talk between each other “Man Poppy can you believe how many people we got on board with this?”

 

“That’s PaRappa Town for you! Just as bright and cheery as the guy named after it!” she smiles but then panics “A-Atleast that’s what Leo told m-me!”

 

“But we’re not done yet. There’s still so many people to convince! And the more the better!”

 

“Right!...Hey Kitty?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Why are you doing any of this?...”

 

“Dunno. Don’t care. Stop asking.”

 

“Okaaaaaaaaaay~”

 

“Why that coy reply?”

 

“No reason~”

 

“Oye, I just got the urge to help is all!”

 

“I’m sure you did~”

 

“I’m done with this subject...now come on! We got more people to talk to!...you’re helping us to right?”

 

“Of course I am! What kind of people would we be! Rallying up everyone, but doing nothing ourselves!”

 

“That’s the spirit! Let’s go!” They both run off to enlist more people, but around the corner of the place they were just at drops an ear. Parappa than walks from behind his cover and chuckles.

 

“Thanks a ton Kitty~”

 

* * *

 

_Tomorrow’s the day...ohoho...it’s really almost here…~_

 

Parappa had be called over by Leo and 16-bits at an urgent notice once the day began. He decides to take Lammy and Rammy with him to see what’s going on. Once they arrive they are quickly bombarded by the duo.

 

“Dad finally!”

 

“Young Parappa here! Take these!” the robot shoves an assortment of clothes into his arms.

 

“Oof!...huh?...clothes?...OH RIGHT! The scaled down version of Leo’s suit!”

 

“Good memory. Sorry it took so long dad...so much crap happened that really stunted progress…”

 

“Oh no worries! You made with slight time to spare! Let me just put this on…”

 

“Right this way to a fitting room Young Parappa.”

 

“Thank you Sixteen!” Parappa walks off and after abit of time returns with the outfit on “How do I look!”

 

“I don’t think it suits you Paraps.”

 

“K-Kinda have to agree with Ura…”

 

“But you don’t say anything about it when Leo’s wearing it!”

 

“Well...it’s all we’ve SEEN on the guy. Hard to get judgemental for him when it’s what he’s mostly wearing half the time.”

 

“W-What she said.”

 

“Rude...but not inaccurate.” Leo says with a flat chuckle “Right well. It’s an acquired taste of style. Recall that parts of the suit came from you guys bugging my dad and Uncle Matt alot. The design choice was thanks to Uncle Matt so if you don’t like it, blame him and get used to it. It grows on ya rather quickly regardless!”

 

“I doubt that.”

 

“S-Same.”

 

“Oh come on girls! I trust my son’s call!...Now uh...how do you work this thing?...”

 

“Right! I gotta teach you! Come with me alone!”

 

“Alright.”

 

“It’ll be quick and easy!” both Rappas disappear into another room, leaving the two ewes to watch what the miniscule horse bot does in the meanwhile. He quickly begins tinkering on a large machine.

 

“Hey uh...whatcha doin?”

 

“I am simply trying to finish up my prior work now that the suit is finished.”

 

“T-That prior work being?...”

 

“A device that tells me and Leo along with the others, where or when our old adversary is deciding to act up. Atleast, it’s trying to be. The device is hard to muster given the fact that it’s another machine we’re trying to home into...it makes tracking him down quite a hassle! But I will not let that stop me!”

 

“Need help?”

 

“Oh no. There isn’t much you two can assist me with. Sir Papillon and Young Leo’s friend Gloria are potentially the only ones capable of doing so. And even then it’s still abit tricky.”

 

“Cool…” _Call us stupid some more why don’t ya…_ “So how’s it work? Or atleast, how’s it ‘sposed to work?”

 

“Well. You look through those devices over there that look like binoculars. And they will tell you where the danger is taking place. But that’s really tricky to do...and i’m certain he’s well aware of what we’re trying to do...which is why this is taking so long...but strive I must!” He gyrates heavily before speeding up his working progress. Both ewes back away as they whisper to each other.

 

_“Little old guy’s crazy!”_

 

_“I mean...it’s admirable that he’s trying his best to find ways to limit what the bad guy is doing…”_

 

_“Well yeah, but I think he’s letting it get to him…”_

 

_“He’s a r-robot though?...shouldn’t he be o-ok?”_

 

_“I mean he was flesh and blood at one point wasn’t he?”_

 

_“G-Got me there…”_

 

“AHA!” Both ewes are jolted in place from the robot’s sudden yelling “I THINK I HAVE MADE SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS! HAHA YES YES YESSSS THIS IS VERY VERY GOOD!” He hops off the machine and heads towards the binoculars. His metal head clinks away, unable to see due to his head being much to large to fit “CURSES!...A MAJOR DESIGN OVERSIGHT!” both girls merely stifle a giggle at the sight of the horse bot repeatedly banging his head on the headset only for a large *clink* noise to repeatedly emit from the failure “You know...I think there is something the two of you can assist me with!”

 

“Need us to look through your thing?~”

 

“That would be very much appreciated yes!”

 

“What do you say Lammy?~”

 

“O-Oh alright~” both giggle as they walk in place. Each of them taking one of the headsets and looking through the binoculars “I-I don’t see anything…”

 

“Same here...it’s all foggy…”

 

“Oh that can’t be right! I was certain I made some progress! Hold on…” he flies back atop the machine and begins tinkering some more “Eh...anything now??”

 

“Still foggy...but it’s abit brighter now?”

 

“Really? Then if I just...tighten this here…”

 

“H-Hey it’s getting abit clearer!...K-Keep doing that!”

 

“W-What?...But that can’t be right…” He keeps altering the portion he’s currently on.

 

“Hey Lammy’s right! It’s getting alot clearer! I think I can make something out…”

 

“It can’t be...this part shouldn’t be the cause...well...if it’s working I suppose-” He fiddles with the part one last time, but after the last ‘tune up’. The devices grab both ewes heads very tightly.

 

“H-HAK…”

 

“O-OWWW!...”

 

“Oh dear…!”

 

“U-UNDO THAT!...”

 

“WHAT SHE SAID...THIS HURTS!...”

 

“I’M TRYING!...BUT THE PIECE IS STUCK NOW!...”

 

“GET IT UNSTUCK!...” they both say.

 

“Oh wow...why didn’t I think of that…” He emits a static filled groan from his sarcasm as he tries loosening up the part. He keeps on fiddling with it that soon, the entire part comes off altogether “Ohhhh that’s not good…” the latched on headgears now suddenly release a large zap on the two ewes, both screaming heavily.

 

“BAAAAAZZHZZHZHZHZHZHZHZHHZZZZ!...” The machine then promptly explodes, filling the room in black smoke. Once it clears, the robot horseman quickly tries helping the two ewes up.

 

“MISS LAMMY, MISS RAMMY! ARE THE TWO OF YOU ALRIGHT!” The two ewes could barely hear him from the ringing in their ears, but they eventually make out what he’s saying as it starts to calm down. Both sheeps manage to sit up, but only sit up.

 

“O-Ooooohhhhhhhh...my head...yeah i’m fine...Ura you ok?...” the black sheep says.

 

“Augh...fucking head’s killing me…” the red sheep says.

 

The robot beeps in quick succession after processing what he heard “I’m sorry...who is Miss Lammy?...”

 

“M-Me…” Rammy’s body raises its hand.

 

“And who is Miss Rammy?”

 

“Right here ya maniac…” Lammy’s body raises its hand.

 

“Oh no…” Without hesitation, he begins explaining what happened.

 

“WHAT?!” both ewes quickly look at each other.

 

“Y-YOU’RE IN MY BODY URA!...”

 

“AND YOUR IN MINE LAMBS!...”

 

“S-Shhh!...D-Don’t panic!”

 

“DON’T PANIC?!” both sheep shout, tumbling the old robot away. They immediately stand up, and that’s when the full realization starts kicking in.

 

“O-Ooooooh...Ura what the heck is wrong with your body...e-everything’s killing me…I feel SO exhausted...and stiff as a rock…”

 

“Yeah...years of unhealthy living and beating the crap outta people does that to you...”

 

“Y-YOU NEED A TRIP TO THE DOCTORS! WHY DIDN’T YOU S-SAY ANYTHING!...”

 

“Cuz I can live with it...what I can’t live with is your stomach!...It’s like it’s drop kicking every other organ in my body as it simultaneously tries to eat itself!...and my brain is treating itself like a rubix cube...it feels like it’s snapping apart and back together...augh...and my lungs...one’s acting like an accordian and the other like a whoopie cushion...girl you think **_I_ ** need a trip to the doctors?! Look at YOUR body!...”

 

“Because I can live with-...ok I’m starting to see alot more similarities…” Both ewes quiet down as they get upset at their doubles living conditions.

 

“Look, can you both settle down? I can fix this!”

 

“You can?? I have a hard time trusting you there when it’s cuz of you that this happened!”

 

“Yes! I can! Believe it or not, this has happened a few times already with Leo’s other allies! And I always had to undo it…”

 

“Great, so that means you must have the thing ready then if this is a normal occurrence!”

 

“I do!...not…”

 

“W-WHAT?!”

 

“The last time I had to swap people back into their bodies, one was not pleased about the experience so much so that she trashed my work place...Fret not! I can easily fix it back up in a jiffy as I still have the parts! It will take a small while however…” He rolls up to them “Please do not inform Young Leo about this! He is unaware of my blunders of this calibre and I would really like to keep it as such…and on that point. Young Parappa as well as to not freak him out!”

 

“PARAPPA AND LEO!” they both shout.

 

“That’s right I forgot about those two!”

 

“O-Oh man...what are we gonna do…”

 

“This is perfect!”

 

“Say whaaaat…” Both Lammy and 16-bits say.

 

“Yes! Lambs! It’s easier for me to handle Paraps and I’m in YOUR body! I can give you some...assistance in being forward~”

 

“Iiiiii’m...not so sure i’m down with that…”

 

“Oh come on it’ll be perfect! Plus i’ve learned that Leo stuck around me alot when he was younger! So you can easily get some snippets of what his dad likes and hand em over to me so that I can get you on top of Parappa’s priorities!”

 

“U-Um…”

 

“Why that’s a macabre way of handling your predicament...but why not! Go do that while I fix this device!”

 

“B-But!”

 

“Come on Lammy! Take that chance! It might blossom into something!”

 

The black ewe rubs her head “A-Alright...let's take a chance…~”

 

“Atta girl! Let’s go!”

 

* * *

 

The four of them exit at the base of the building that 16-bits holes himself up in. Into a new grand city.

 

“You girls sure about this?...”

 

“Y-Yeah! Why not spend some time in this n-new place! It’s as p-pretty as Neon Heights!” Rammy does her best to mimic Lammy’s stuttering.

 

“Y...eah! Why not ma...ke the most of this t...rip!” Lammy does her best to not stutter and act as gruff as Rammy does.

 

“Well...aight! That cool with you dad?”

 

“Sure is! Wouldn’t hurt to see more of this place!”

 

“Great! Then I’ll go off with Parappa!” Rammy latches onto Parappa, but quickly lets go “E-Erm...if that’s alright with you…”

 

“But if we split up...won’t it be hard to navigate the place?”

 

“I mean...kinda, but why not. You can give me a call whenever to help you around. And this town ain’t that hard to navigate anyway. Because, unlike Neon Heights, this place does get some semblance of light!!”

 

“That is true...what’s this place called again?”

 

“Burnout Junction! This place is a fun metal head’s paradise! The tech seeking Metal heads or the music seeking metal heads! Or any kind of metal head really. This place runs along the era’s of punk to! All along within the main sections of the city! Right now we’re in the cyberpunk, the most recent addition to this city. Or rather, it’s gonna be!” he spins forward and stands before the construction of a massly futuristic portion of the city “All era’s of this city connect to many great places. Believe it or not, but this upcoming place will connect to Neo Metropolis. Otherwise known as...ugh...Prince’s territory. Ignoring him. Neo Metropolis is one hell of a city…to actually connect to a place like that is marvelous…Not to mention, this is where my performance will be held!”

 

“It all looks great. How come you haven’t brought us here sooner?”

 

“My memory is very faulty as it comes and goes, or in this case...got pickpocketed…”

 

* * *

 

“ACHOO!...”

 

“Sweety you alright? Don’t be getting sick after I just recovered!”

 

“I’m fine!...just felt like someone was talking about me...weird…”

 

* * *

 

“But anywho. My memory comes back slowly! This just wasn’t one of em I guess...my bad!”

 

“Aw it’s fine! Well then, come on Lammy!” He runs off, but both ewes follow him “Uh...Rammy? You go with Leo remember?” It takes a second for Lammy to recall the plan.

 

“AH RIGHT! My bad! S-Sorry force of habit Pa-raps!...”

 

“Ah I getcha.” He then walks with the red sheep, but then stops “Erm...Leo you kinda got me worried...if Prince shows up due to this being close to Neo Metropolis...how do I activate the suit again to help out?...You only told me how it works not how to turn it on, and I don’t feel like I’ll get lucky again with my abilities…”

 

“Music activates it remember?”

 

“Which reminds me...how do you always play music...I never hear your suit emit any!”

 

“Ah...here’s your answer.” he motions his finger for the three of them to get closer to him, which they do. He then motions for them to place their ears on his chest.

 

“Uhhhh…”

 

“Just do it.” They all look at one another and do as instructed. What they hear amazes them. His heart was beating to the tune of music rather greatly. It was like a boombox with it’s rather bizarre beating. They quickly pull their heads away and look at him with wide eyes.

 

“H-How??...”

 

“Y-You’re the one that needs a trip to the doctors…”

 

“Can you teach me how to do that?...”

 

“Ok. One, when you do the shit that I did, all the near heart attacks, panic attacks and high blood pumping. Your heart tends to beat more than it should, so I took advantage of that of learning how to make my heart beat rhythmically! Two, relax, I’ve been checked and it’s completely fine despite how scary and unhealthy it seems. It’s nothing bad, i’m ok. And three, I can, but it might be tricky and take to long so another day.”

 

“Wow…” They all just stare at him as Parappa speaks up.

 

“So…”

 

“Just play music to activate the full effect of the suit. Since I doubt you’ll be able to do what I do...just do what you’re known for...singing!~ Show em the power...the power of Parappa the Rapper!”

 

He shakes off the amazement and just smiles with a nod “Got it! Come on Lammy.” He and Rammy walk off, while Lammy stays with Leo. They walk off in their own direction as Lammy decides to speak up.

 

“S...o. With me bei...ng your aunt and all...how’s life like in the future when it comes to just...interactions that me and Pa-raps do?”

 

“Eh...I guess I can talk about that...well...um...I dunno the proper way to word it…” he taps his helmet “You act like kids having fun.”

 

“Huh?...”

 

“You know, your relationship is such a close one that you act like siblings who just...never wanna let the fun times go. You always helped in keeping my dad as happy as he could, and kept trying to as that slowly became harder and harder to do. You were also the most...rambunctious...provocative...ridiculous...basically my favorite auntie. And the one I would cling to the most as you know. Mother was not to happy about having you as my role model hoo hoo! She blamed dad for it since he was the reason you always got closer to me for me to gain that bond. I mean everyone in my family loves you, but they know that you have the potential to be...a bad child influence. Course to a child, they think the opposite! I thought you were great, and would wail endlessly if they tried taking me from you. Mother eventually gave up, she couldn’t deal with my constant blubbering and decided to let me be. You taught me some things that I still keep clearly in my mind and heart to this day...you’re...even the one that convinced me to try and help my dad...heh...to uh...tell you a secret...you and Uncle Hayden were both saying how you were gonna be taking that car back in time yourselves to give better warnings...better help...But Uncle Hayden had to much on his plate with his family and his own anxiety...and you...you had your daughter and your self made job of staying by my dad’s side so that nothing would happen to him. That stopped you to...so...I took it upon myself...I never told either of you...and now...here we are.”

 

Lammy struggles to process everything, but then something else takes her thoughts “Wait wait wa...it. I don’t recall you bringing up a daughter when we last asked about family…”

 

“I didn’t?...AW FUCK...U-UM..f-forget I said that!...P-Please!...”

 

“...What’s up with it…I clearly don’t get married in the future...or did I divorce?...”

 

“...Remember when I said I missed the births of my twin baby sisters?...”

 

“??...Yes?...”

 

“T-They...they aren’t the only siblings I left behind…”

 

Lammy doesn’t get what he means at first, but it slowly ticks within his head “O-Oh my god…”

 

“P-PLEASE! D-DON’T TALK ABOUT IT!...F-FUTURE YOU KEPT IT A SECRET THE ENTIRE TIME!...NOT EVEN FUTURE DAD KNOWS!...”

 

“H-How did it even happen?! I thought your parents were happy together!”

 

“They were!...It was...an accident...from fear of the end...erm...synopsis?...You both got lost and stranded...got drunk from the fear of potential death to try and ease up and hold onto hope...got abit too cozy...don’t remember what happened after that and got rescued some time after...atleast...dad doesn’t remember what happened...You played it off as a one night stand some time later from some jerk that doesn’t even exist to hide awareness away from him… You chose to keep the baby. She has no clue she’s my half sister. It was an accident that I found out.”

 

“Did you...hate he- me! Hate me for it?...”

 

“...No...this is...hard to explain...I was a kid...and I didn’t know how to properly...think of it? I was all ‘OOOH I HAVE A SISTER!” His helmet emits multiple smiley face “And my joy...hurt her. She explained how I couldn’t speak of it. I had to promise her that I wouldn’t tell anyone. And I didn’t get it. As I got older, I understood more. And no, I didn’t hate you. It just made me feel bad...something happened...you...couldn’t bring yourself to get rid of the kid...You can’t TELL anyone for fear of losing what you have left. I just want you to find happiness. You’re still my favorite Aunt and I just want what’s best for you and my sister.”

 

“...I won’t tell a soul.”

 

“Why would you?...It’s your life that you wanna keep safe!”

 

“R-Right!...Uh...I mean you know what I mean!...”

 

“Yeeeeah…”

 

“What’s her name?”

 

“...Euphoria.”

 

“...I think I can see why. Is it hard to hide the fact who her real dad is?”

 

“No...future you played off the guy as some asshole dog who was near similar to Parappa, atleast enough to take advantage of her while her guard was down. Thankfully everyone bought that.”

 

“I see…”

 

“Can we...get off this topic?”

 

“Sure...can we just talk about your dad?...”

 

“Why not…”

 

* * *

 

Rammy spends her time with Parappa as planned, for some reason an uneasy pit suddenly begins shaping up in her stomach. She shakes it off and soon her little plan begins. Lammy would periodically send tidbits of how to try and make it so Parappa’s attention was latched onto Lammy. And it was going smoothly so far.

 

“Eheh...rather affectionate today ain’t ya Lammy?...I can see why you wanted to single us out…~”

 

“Oh y-you got Ram- er Ura to thank for that!~”

 

“Her and that plan of hers! Even with tomorrow being a scary day, she still has the confidence to do this! Haha!”

 

“Y-Yeeeeaaaah…”

 

They keep up the flirtatious momentum going as things get a bit to much for Parappa to be able to handle.

 

“Heheh…who man it’s getting abit to heated for me…~ I-I think I wanna regroup~...Man Rammy’s been rubbing off on you alot! Can’t wait to cool off with Ura’s bluntness…”

 

“Yeah that sounds- NO!”

 

“No?”

 

“Uh…” _You can’t do that! He’ll figure out that something’s wrong if he does! He can’t talk to Lammy like he does with me! She’d break the facade! U-Um…_ “Weeeeell...I can tone it down if you liiiiike~...” She stands bashfully, but it merely leaves him abit unsettled.

 

“I uh...dunno...think I’d rather regroup...h-heh…~” As he starts walking off, Rammy’s thoughts go ballistic.

 

“Come on don’t go!” _Nonono!...How do I stop him! Gahhh...what the hell would Lammy do here?! Fuck it!_ Rammy bumps Parappa into a wall and immediately lifts and stomps one of Lammy’s legs to his side, just a smidge away from hitting him as she closes the distance between them. Raising the intimacy due to her lifted leg and his short stature “I said…” it then clicks into Rammy’s head that she might have done the wrong thing “...E-Er…” _Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!...Lammy would NEVER do this!...fuuuuhuhuhuck...dammit brain!...How the hell do I get out of this now?! What do I even say????_

 

“L-Lammy I don’t m-mean to cut you o-off but...k-kinda awkward position we’re in d-don’t you-”

 

“Wanna make Leo??...” Rammy mentally punches herself. She wants so badly to claw her own mouth off were it not for the fact that she’s not in her own body.

 

“W-Whaaaaa…” the absurdity of the comment gets the dog to drop on the spot. His eyes turn into X’s as he lays on the ground pathetically.

 

“Ok...plus side...he ain’t gonna go over there now!...downside...Ohohoho Lammy I might’ve single handedly made making attempts towards him all the more harder…”

 

* * *

 

Back with Lammy and Leo, the duo continue their chat. Eventually Leo begins feeling uneasy. They resume chatting until Leo decides that it’d be best to get more assistance to assure Parappa’s safety tomorrow. He starts walking off to find the other two so that they can head back much to the dismay of Lammy. She continuously tries to get him to stop to no avail.

 

“L-Leo I said stop!”

 

“Auntie I said no! I really must find dad and get back to 16-bits’ study to see if we can give dad anymore suppooooOOOOOAGHHH…” Leo clenches his gut as he squats in pain. Tiny sparks flickering off of him for about a millisecond.

 

“What’s wrong?!...” She nears the boy, but he jerks back upright. The pain seemingly only lasting that split second. He forcefully removes his helmet, his head now matches Rammy’s instead.

 

“Oh I dunno...HOW ABOUT YOU TELL ME _LAMMY?!_ ”

 

“U-Uhh...what are y-you talking about...I-I’m R-Rammy haha…”

 

“Lammy. Quit it. Recently I’ve been able to sense and hear what triggers my dad’s change of attention that causes me to swap…”

 

“O-Oh dear...what happened…”

 

“Rammy said something that got his attention all to your body, but I don’t look like YOU do I? So I can easily deduce...she’s in your body, you’re in hers. Now I ask...WHY ARE YOU IN THE WRONG BODIES?!”

 

“E-Eheh...d-don’t blame 16-bits please...it’s technically our fault…”

 

“Oh for the love of hell…WAIT?! I TOLD **_YOU_ ** WHAT FUTURE RAMMY TOLD ME NOT TO TELL ANY-”

 

“B-Before you go off o-on a tangent...c-can you atleast tell me what it was she said…?”

 

“Ohohoh sure...why not…” He snorts out smoke as he repeats what his heart heard Rammy said “Ahem… _Wanna make Leo??..._ ”

 

“W-WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!” Lammy rev’s up Rammy’s legs and storms down the street in the direction that she and Parappa had gone off in.

 

“Hey wait up!...” Leo haplessly runs after her.

 

* * *

 

It doesn’t take long for them to reunite, and they’re soon back at 16-bits’ study once more as quickly. Leo is seen conversing with Sixteen in the distance as the unconscious Parappa is straddled onto his back like a baby. While the two discuss the situation in its entirety, the two ewes have their own chat.

 

“Look, how many times can I say i’m sorry before you accept my apology?”

 

“Keep saying it! HOW COULD SAY _AND_ DO THAT WHILE IN MY BODY URA?!”

 

“It was a subconscious thing! I was trying to stop him from figuring out what happened and I was left with virtually nothing to do since I don’t know what YOU’D do in that situation!”

 

“I’D HAVE JUST LET HIM FIGURE IT OUT RATHER THAN DO THAT!...”

 

“Yeah well I’d rather go down sinking! I couldn’t call it quits!...Especially after his help…”

 

“T-That’s a sucker punch from the t-truth...ooooooohhhh…” Lammy’s struggle get’s Rammy to grab her stomach.

 

“Oooooh...oh that doesn’t feel good…hey cut that out...your body is reacting to your anxiety and that’s not fun to feel…”

 

“Sorry…” she takes a deep breath and soon both bodies calm down “Ugh...since you’d never quit...there was virtually no way to get out of that without giving out that you weren’t me…”

 

“Yeah...and my brain started picking at straws...don’t know how that happened...I doubt it did it because it knew it was in YOUR body…”

 

“Maybe your urge to help me was just that intense...or still some subconscious desires with trying your luck yourself...regardless...this is a mess…”

 

“Look we can just tell him. No point in hiding it since Leo knows. Might as well inform him as well. I’ll admit to my folleys so that he doesn’t get the wrong idea about you…”

 

“...” Lammy pounds at the side of her head as she squeals in emotional agony, as if she was having an inner fight over something. She eventually sighs as her face turns red “No. Don’t.”

 

“What?? Why! It might make your attempts to get closer abit rougher!...”

 

“Or...it might help…”

 

“Help?? I don’t get it…”

 

“Look...he might think that I’ve slowly started taking steps into being more forward...which...might make him take a different approach with how he chats with me…”

 

“But with confrontations like those, you wouldn’t last very long…”

 

“True...but if I get used to those situations, it could be a benefit in the long run...if it’s just building off of a little white lie…”

 

“But that ain’t honest...a true relationship builds off of honesty don’t it?...” _Granted...what I was trying to do was sorta dishonest to..._

 

“Ooooh...you’re right...but...I don’t really have much to offer aside from the other girls even if I’m honest do I?...I’m to much a coward to really...DO anything...he may give me the confidence to do things...but I have to face facts...I can only do so much, and my progression to do more is alot slower than what the other girls can do...it also doesn’t help that said other three are extremely peppy and energetic...that just leaves me in the dust in building the intimacy…”

 

“Talk about your slow burn...ugh...I dunno...I just don’t like the idea of lying to Paraps...not anymore than we already have…”

 

“I’m on the same boat! I don’t like this either, but...I’ll come clean eventually about it once I see myself with suitable enough courage…”

 

“You mean that?”

 

“Yes! The thought a keeping a lie like that, especially to him, for to long a time would eat away at me!” _And...I wonder how much it eats away at future you to keep a lie much bigger?..._

 

“Well...I can believe you there atleast...just...don’t make the lie grow any bigger alright?”

 

“I won’t! You can trust me there!”

 

“I’m not sure _I_ can though…” Leo speaks up, freaking both ewes out.

 

“WAHEY!...Don’t sneak up on us like that!...Also...you heard all that didn’t you…”

 

“Only everything...Lammy-”

 

“L-Leo please!...j-just let me go through with this!...”

 

“...I dunno...what if it backfires?”

 

“A-Ah...I don’t know…but...I might not have another shot at building something like any time in the future...and it’s not like i’m doing this to guarantee my chance! It’s all just to keep me up to speed with the other three!...”

 

“But you already are on equal footing as them…”

 

“I don’t feel like it…i’ve learned of how much of an advance Paula made! And Ma-san and Katy could easily close the gap they’ve let grow!...What about me...”

 

“Lammy…”

 

“You’ve let Paula...why not let me…”

 

“...” Leo rubs his forehead and exhales heavily. She was right on all fronts. It didn’t help that what she told him the first night of them leaving was replaying in his head. Hearing her emotion for his dad filled him with guilt. He felt bad for his Aunt. And that guilty feeling, made him agree “Alright...I’ll keep quiet about it, but like with what Auntie Rammy said, don’t let this little lie grow...don’t...build your relationship off of dishonesty…”

 

“I won’t! You can leave that faith in me!...and...and thank you. It’s just to help me build up an actual start from my own means! You should know that I’m not lying to you.”

 

“Yeah…” he sighs again “By the way...the reason why I came over...Sixteen finally fixed his machine. Get over there so he can put your minds back in your proper bodies.”

 

“R-Right! Come on Ura!”

 

“Don’t gotta tell me twice!” They run off as the sheep sighs, turning his head to look at his unconscious father.

 

“Our family is one giant piece of work...hehe...but it’s my piece of work~...”

 

They all agree to leave the building once more as they all decide to head home. Parappa is awake by now and decides to talk with his son outside, but the two ewes are talking with the robot as they’re still within the building.

 

“Well...that was a fun experience…”

 

“I’m g-glad it’s dealt with...I learnt a bit more t-than I feel comfortable with…”

 

“Eheh...sorry Lambs…”

 

“It’s fine! It’s been an eye opener at understanding you better!” She grabs Rammy’s hands “Though if for whatever reason we had to do that experience again...I wouldn’t mind as much now~...”  suddenly they are zapped once more! “Ugh...huh?! You’re back in my body!”

 

“What the hell I thought you fixed this!”

 

“I-I did!” as the robot shouts, both ewes are zapped once more.

 

“Owowow...huh?...and we’re back??”

 

“H-How...w-what...i-is this supposed to happen?...”

 

“How peculiar…” the robot’s eyes open up and a green light hovers around the two sheep “Oh my word…”

 

“What?...” they both say.

 

“It seems that because of how similar your genetic makeup is compared to the other, you can swap consciousness on a whim!...What a scientific marvel! Oh I have to study this!”

 

“No offense, but we ain’t letting ya!”

 

“Y-Yeah...we rather not have anything else happen to us…”

 

“Ok that’s a blow to my confidence, but very well...But please do be careful. I’m not certain how touchy that mind swap will end up being or what the two of you will do that’ll trigger it...but I suppose it’s something to keep in mind...who knows! It may benefit you! And if you feel that this is leading to nothing but bad, please inform me and I’ll do my best to fix the situation as need be.”

 

“Right.”  They both nod and leave the little bot’s area. As they walk down the stairs they look towards one another.

 

“Well...looks like this experience doesn’t have to end!”

 

“Ura please…”

 

“I’m joking! Relax. I rather stay in my own body thank you very much! I’m sure we won’t need to do this again at all!”

 

“Why don’t I f-feel confident in those words…” She chuckles much to Rammy’s dismay as they catch up to the two boys. Parappa quickly takes Rammy along with him and immediately dispatches sentence after sentence in an attempt to ease up his stomach, unaware that the girl he was asking for help was the cause of it. Meanwhile Leo approaches Lammy “Don’t worry Leo...I promised you that I wouldn’t tell a soul…”

 

“I know...but still...ugh...I shouldn’t have said it at all!...this completely-”

 

“I don’t hate Ura.”

 

“You...don’t?”

 

“No. As my mind was trying to process everything from learning more than I’d like to. It was slowly analyzing the whole ‘Parappa and Ura had an unexpected accident’ scenario. I looked at it from a different perspective and thought how Ura must have felt, how she STILL feels like. If i’m your mother or another of your aunts, I mean yeah it’d sting for me, or the other girl who’s probably your mother. The guy we had faith in ended up having a child with another friend of ours...I mean their situation isn’t a very good excuse, but you have to take into account Ura’s history. It sucks that the whole thing went down, but how does she feel about it! Ostracizing her would only make the situation worse and make everyone else the bad guy...Plus...I don’t think I could hate Ura regardless. That being said, think you can tell me the FULL story?...”

 

“Another day...please…and...thanks for understanding her situation...”

 

“Of course. I feel for you, her and Euphoria. And hope that it gets settled out ok.”

 

“...What if…”

 

“If it happens again in this timeline? I mean...I’m aware of it now, so it’s...gonna be weird expecting the whole ‘Oh wow, they’re gonna end up having a child that only one of em will be aware about!’ scenario...I mean I could talk to Ura about it...see how that plays out. It’d ease off the stress. But that’s for the future. And who knows if what you’ve done by now hasn’t already altered that. You said they got stranded, but Parappa now has access to his electrical abilities so maybe that won’t happen anymore...which means that...oooh...ohhhh nooo...erm...I mean I dunno! Time travels weird...maybe it’ll still happen?”

 

“Frankly...i’m not sure which side of the stance i’m on...On one hand...I wanna keep the timeline as exact as I possibly can make it...on the other hand...it could liberate Auntie Rammy’s stress and secrecy from the group...at the cost...of a living...being...you see the problem?”

 

“I FEEL it. After having that out of body experience, I can safely say...that I just want Ura happy.”

 

“You and me both…”

 

“And so my answer is...I hope it stays the same…”

 

“Eh?...”

 

“I don’t want you to lose your sister.”

 

“But-”

 

“You’re like your dad, therefore YOU make Ura happy. You still want your sibling ok, as family makes YOU happy. As long as you’re happy, so is she. It’s a...peculiar thought process…but that’s my answer.”

 

The boy scratches his head around his horns. He heaves a tired sigh. And looks back with an equally tired but relieve smile “I’m glad you were Auntie’s double.”

 

“You know?...I am to.”

 

* * *

 

_Today’s the day...I can’t wait to see what they’ll do...are they gonna run? I hope…~ Or will they try to take me on? I doubt it...he knows better...or maybe he doesn’t...oh what to dooooo~_

 

“RAPARRA!”

 

“Yeah yeah Archie what is it.”

 

“Do we all have to remind you what your main objective is??”

 

“Yeah you lot want me to just grab Rammy and that’s that.”

 

“Correct.”

 

“BUT YOU ARE INSISTENT OVER BESTING YOUR DOUBLE! We strongly request you ignore those urges.”

 

“If you were to go by what you prefer, it would most likely not bode well for the objective at hand.”

 

“And I should care why? Not like any of those shit heads can do anything about it! None of them. NONE. Hold so much as a dying matchstick close to me. I’ll eviscerate him and anyone else who dares get in my way...then drag that bitch back here kicking and screaming if I have to…”

 

“You will only do the latter! Lest we need to force our hand!”

 

“Ohohoh are you guys trying to THREATEN me?~ ME?~ You guys know you can’t try it. I’m far stronger than any of you, so you gavel clacking eggheads can piss right off. I will do as I please and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

 

“Unless you were to be overwhelmed and left battered. Like it or not, there is bound to be stronger people than you.”

 

“Likely? Yes~ But the odds? Not very high~ I’m never gonna be left in that position and you lot will never be able to threaten me.”

 

“You are a bastard and a failure of a hell shadow.”

 

“And yet you rely on me. With every single little thing you do. Who’s the real failure?”

 

“You will not always get your way you arrogant swine. In fact you weren’t always the nigh invincible nuisance you are now. You were fragile at one point. And reports say that you have suffered such a brutal irreversible injury as a result. Does that not prove you to be weak? To have such a painfully obvious reminder?~”

 

“THAT WAS PAST ME...I AM NOW THE ENDLESS FLAME...AND NOTHING WILL EVER DRAG ME BACK TO THAT PATHETIC POINT...I’M DOING WHATEVER THE FUCK I WANT. YOU’LL GET YOUR STUPID BITCH OF A SHEEP BACK, AFTER I RIP THE HEAD OFF OF THAT DAMN FAKER!” He slams his fist into the giant seating stand that the eight of them are sitting upon. It shatters, leaving the eight high official just barely away from falling off as everything but the seats shatter. Raparra storms away “I’M TAKING EVERY SINGLE FUCKING HELL SHADOW...the surface...it’s gonna learn who the real fakes are by the end of this…”

 

_Starting with you...Parappa Rappa…today is the final chapter in your story..._


	41. Pride of PaRappa Town!

Leo walks into to the backstage of the large concert hall to his dressing room with Claire and Mushi by his side. Once the door is opened he sees Momo in a heavy panic.

 

“Momo? What’s wrong?”

 

“Ohhhh terrible news!...the backup dancers nor the makeup team didn’t show up! They said they didn’t really believe that you were coming back! Oh and it’s all a mess now…!”

 

“WHAT?! HOW WOULD THEY NOT BELIEVE IN TEACH!”

 

“Chill ladies. I can work with this. I don’t really need a makeup team, as I much prefer working on my face by myself~ Plus I have a specific style I wanna wear throughout this entire performance that I know they just can't do, but I can~ As for backup dancers? No need~ And if there is need? I’ll manage~ I am the one man show after all!”

 

“Haha! Glad to see you so confident man! Just like Parappa would be!”

 

“Guilty~ Now run along to your seats! Let me work on my outfit and makeup! I have a show to start in a bit!” he gets behind all three of them “Shoo shoo shoo! Out!~” he playfully scoots them outside and shuts the door with a lock. He then walks towards the counter with a mirror and then melts over it and sighs “Ohhhh man...I really hope I can do this…”

 

“You can Hero~ You just gotta believe~”

 

“Ehe...I don’t recall calling you over Amby~” He turns around to see the spirit staring at him.

 

“Maybe not physically, but something tells me you need a confidence booster~”

 

“...heh...I really really do~...”

 

“Well I can help with that! As you get dressed! Hurry now! Don’t wanna run late and disappoint your fans!”

 

“Alright alright!” There is a large assortment of noise heard from the room. It becomes so strange that one of the stagehands actually arrives to inspect the cause, but the door opens just as he arrives. The poor lad is scared by the sight before him “Oh! Good! I was gonna go look for one of you guys! How would you work the smoke and lights of the stage?...”

 

“T-There are s-switches underneath the stage that l-let you leave your personal presets of how t-the stage a-acts…”

 

“Oh goodie! Now does said spot underneath the stage have a spot that rises up to a trap door?”

 

“Y-Yes?...”

 

“EXCELLENT! Now how do I get under there?...”

 

“Y-You go down this hall and take the third door o-on the left…”

 

“Perfect! Thanks so much!” Leo runs off as the stagehand merely mutters out a fear caused word.

 

“D-Demon…” he then faints.

 

Over to PaRappa Town, we have the main group all circled around Rammy.

 

“Alright. So our objective is sneaking Rammy out of the town were she can rush off to a spot that can safely exit her to a different spot for the time being. They’re all likely to just stay in town to look for you so if we can keep em distracted for the whole day, we should be able to work our magic and get them to buzz off for good!”

 

“Think we can?”

 

“We have to Matt! We can’t let them take Rammy from us!”

 

“What PJ said! These hell jerks ain’t taking away a member of Leavin to Believin if we got anything to say about it! Right girls?!”

 

“R-Right!”

 

(“Hell to the fucking yeah!”)

 

“They’ll have to chill out if they think about trying to get to her!”

 

“We can do this! Me and PJ can simply bowl them away! You have to be pretty dumb to mess with bears~”

 

“And that’s that! Great! Come on Rammy let’s get going!” They all begin moving, but Rammy stays stuck in place “Rammy?”

 

“...I’m...I’m scared guys...what if…” She tightens her fists “What if things get messed up?!”

 

“Rammy. Relax.” Parappa and all the others grab Rammy’s hands “We won’t let anything happen to you. We got your back from now till forever.”

 

“You're a PaRappa Town citizen.” PJ says.

 

“And if you mess with one of us!” Katy continues.

 

(“You mess with ALL of us!”) Ma-san cracks her knuckles.

 

“W-We will never let them take you!” Lammy shouts.

 

“We’ll fight them off and make them see that you’re staying with us!” Paula stomps her foot harshly into the floor.

 

“No one messes with PaRappa Town and gets away with it!” Matt says haunches over with great vigor.

 

“We’ll see this through to the end! That’s a promise!” Sweety finishes off.

 

“I just know that things will go great today. We’re quite the conjoined unit! And together we stand for you!” Parappa says as they all nod.

 

“...” She wipes a few tears away “T-Thanks…~ A-All of you…~”

 

“A-Aw don’t cry! We can’t let them see that!...”

 

“U-Um...how can we calm you down…”

 

“Music! Get her some music to listen to!”

 

“Oh but nothing good is playing…”

 

(“Hey hey, actually it looks like Leo’s about to come on soon...that oughta work.”)

 

“Ya think Ma-san??”

 

(“Well he’s Mutt’s son, and Mutt’s singing is a nice thing to listen to. I assume his son should be to!”)

 

“...Can’t argue with good logic!” Katy grabs Rammy’s phone and begins inputting the site of where Leo would soon start singing. She then attaches her own earbuds to Rammy’s phone and plugs the buds in her ears “This oughta ease you up, atleast just be a little! For now dry your tears girl! It’s all gonna be ok!” Rammy nods, reignited with hope. She quickly cleans her face and shoves her phone in her pocket.

 

“Let’s go guys!”

 

“LET’S!” They all run off.

 

We then end up finding ourselves with a disgruntled Raparra.

 

“Chris...any songs that I can listen to as I start my hunt? Already listened to everything they got down there.”

 

“Would topsider songs make do?”

 

“Fuck if I got a proper choice. I’m tired of listening to the same ol shit from down there. What’s on?”

 

“From those you don’t hate? Currently, only a live performance from some guy named...Leo Steps?...”

 

Raparra pulls out his own phone and checks “Huh...strange guy...what’s his other look like?”

 

“...He...doesn’t have one by the looks of it…weird…”

 

“Oh?...heh...how curious~” he plugs his headphones to his cellphone and then pops the buds into his ears “Let’s see if he sounds better than all these fakers up here~” Raparra then looks down the open street as all the other hell shadows gather behind him.

 

Parappa stares at the empty path before him as he gathers his friends to book it down the clear path.

 

Smoke fills the stage as the platform that Leo stands on rises slightly, stopping just below a part that's about to open up. He smiles as he holds out his microphone. From all three of their respective locations they all all smile and squint their eyes. They soon all say the exact same line.

 

_Let’s go!!_

 

The music ascends as Leo bursts out of the ground with his jetpack over the audience. Smoke cascades the entirety of the area. Alarms and lights flash around all over the place in a wild frenzy as if the concert were under heavy lockdown. The people see a weird demon like figure dressed in nothing but red. His jetpack was altered to look like devil wings. He stops in the air as the music starts to rise into a steady tempo. The audience stare at the stationary boys helmet. Suddenly two little dots are able to be seen from the screen. Then a smile brightly shines from behind the glass as well. The helmet then begins to slowly come off his head as a type of smog leaves his face once fully detached. He is shown to be in his black sheep shape and his horns have been outfitted with an accessory that makes them seem longer than they actually are. On the sides of his head actually two more sets of horns. One pair that spirals around the side of his head like a typical ram and another that arch out sideways before point upwards like his main horns, like that of a bull. On his face are painted yellow and purple streaks along his cheeks and around his eyes in a sort of demon marking manner. His long tail slinked about, outfitted with accessories to make it appear like a demon tail. His eye sclera are yellow in color while his pupils are red thanks to some contact lenses. He holds the microphone close to his face, his black fingers stand out on the purple and red handle of the mike along with the jagged long nail accessories, as he slowly descends. His free hand immediately resting on his hip.

 

 _I've been hellbent, baaaaaaaaaby…_ he stops in front of a handful of old fans.

 

 _Hellbent on loving you,_ He holds out his free arm and points forward.

 

 _All day loooooong!_ He winks at the small group as they quickly reach out to him, but he flies off leaving a cloud of smoke.

 

From the smoke walks out Raparra as smog just leaves his mouth from a heavy exhale. The other hell shadows emerge from the smoke as well, closely behind him.

  
_Hellbent on drugs,_  Everyone begins lighting up a smoke as they walk while Raparra continues without doing so.

 _'Cause they turn you oooon!_ The ecstasy gained from his brute tactics was all he needed to be happy. And with a smile on his face, he looks up to the sun.

 _  
_ _Don't know what else to doooooo...mmmmmmm~..._ Leo’s body arches backwards vainly within a giant bright yellow spotlight as he vanishes back into the sun.

 

The sun beats down heavy rays that spotlight over Parappa and his friends as they resume their stealth evacuation. Rammy walks warily as she glances about every nook and cranny in anxious desperation.

 _  
_ _I've been hellbent, baaaaaaaaaaaby…_ her eyes soon fall towards Parappa.

 

 _Hellbent on making you love me tooooo!_ He notices her staring and merely gives her a determined and reassuring smile. It calms her worries just a tad.

  
_Even tho not what I’m ‘sposed to dooooooo!_ She gives her own smirk as she resumes moving forward.

 _I don't know give a damn...mmmmmm…~_ The fear had begun melting off of her. She wasn't afraid of what'd happen as no matter the outcome, she knew they'd be alright. She then spots a clear window to an empty building. The window merely reflects her appearance before being distorted by the oncoming ray of light.

 

The figure reshapes itself to be Leo again as he hovers aloofly over everyone in his audience. He stops hovering as he lands on stage once more and onto his feet. Before him appears a backup dancer from his belt that matches his appearance entirely as it stood in a mirrored pose before him. The only difference was that it still had its helmet. It was also a tad more different in body type. Such as its wings and tail appearing much more realistic. But the nails, while still long, we're much more well kept rather than slightly jagged like his were. He smiles as the backup dancer’s helmet falls apart revealing a fake Harper. Both stare at each other as the audience gasps, confused over the apparent dead walking, unaware that it’s nothing but a fake. The harper holds out her own microphone while they fly around and away from one another as they hold their free arm out to each other. Their hand turning into a finger gun as the sound of a gun prepping itself is heard echoing throughout the entire building. The two of them slowly leaving their eyes in a half shut state as they begin. Many of the spotlights aligning on them creating a blinding gleam.

  
_I've been hellbent, baaaaaby…_ The gleam fades off the reflecting metal posts that Parappa and co. run past,  
_(I’ve been hellbent, baaaabe...)_ The gleam leaves the reflective eyes of the hell shadows as Raparra stops and pulls out one of his earbuds and lifts an ear. He smiles and points to a direction that gets them all to run towards instead.

 _Since too long, baaaaaby…_ The gang continue running as the see the end of town in sight, making them run faster. _  
__(Since too long, baaaaby...)_ The hell shadows all hear the sound of running much more clearly now as they pick up their own pace in the direction they’re off in.

 _My eyes wide shuuuuut…_ Everyone except for Katy, Parappa and Ma-san shut their eyes.  
_(My eyes wide shuuuut...)_ Raparra shuts his eyes with a cruel smirk, waiting in anticipation.

 _And I feel your touch…_ Lammy and Parappa grab a hold of Rammy’s hands.  
_(And I feel your toooouuuch...)_ Raparra clenches his fists tightly.

 _Ooohhhh, and I'll prove you wrooooong…_ They finally reach their ‘safe zone’ as they attempt to carry on running, but they all stop dead in their tracks.  
_(Oh and I'll prove you wrooooong...)_ Parappa slowly tilts his head to the side to spot none other than his double along with many MANY more doubles staring them down.

 _You make me stroooooong…_ The group all swallow in fear before steadying their confidence as they stand tall.  
_(You make me strooooong...)_ Raparra is the only one to walk forward a few steps.

 _Said all I need is…_ He raises his hand as he smiles crookedly, looking at his double.

 _All I need is…_ Parappa eyes him down as he slowly comes to a halt.

 _All I need is you!!!_ Raparra drops his arm straight forward, pointing directly at his topsider double.

 

The pointing hand is still extended out as the gray and white finger turns into a gray and black one met with violet finger. The owner of the violet finger breaks away as their body fades into nothingness with the song coming to an end. A gunshot is heard that causes all the lights in the area to shut down, leaving the place in pitch black darkness. The darkness gets everyone to freak out as they all look about to see what else will happen. The lights return and everyone spots Leo back on stage. The wings are gone and he smiles.

 

“YO YO! HOPE MY OPENING ACT WAS ENOUGH FOR ALL Y’ALL TO GET A TASTE OF WHAT’S TO COME. KNOW THAT I AIN’T SLACKIN!~ SO HOPE THAT ALL YOU WHO DOUBTED THAT MY COMEBACK WAS LEGIT OR NOT LEARNED TO NEVER SECOND GUESS LIL OL ME!~ NOW WHO’S READY FOR THE REST OF THE SHOW?!~” The audience explodes into cheers and chanting, awaiting the show to continue. “AFTER ALL! TALENT NEVER LEAVES! IT JUST HAS TO **COME TO ME!** ”

 

The glare of light flashes by, just as Leo’s about to continue the performance, as it turns into sunlight that beacons between the two dogs.

 

“What?...” Parappa says.

 

“I said...Come to me…~” Raparra says as his pointed finger turns upside down and he begins curling his finger. Demanding that the dog walk forward “You...and only you…~”

 

Parappa grits his teeth and walks away from all his friends to approach Raparra “I take it you wanna ‘macho’ it up…”

 

“You’d be right...but...you look as if you expected it to come to this...as if you wanted me to fight...could it be that you...wanted to fight me to?~ What...do you want to hurt me??~” He laughs “Buddy...i’m sure you’re well aware of me by now~ You can’t win against me~”

 

“That remains to be seen. You certainly are my opposite. I’d never get that cocky...towards someone I know I’d lose against!~”

 

The dark colored dog snorts out aggressively before laughing “Ohohoh...you’re quite the funny man~ I’m gonna enjoy beating the shit outta ya~...But…”

 

“But?...”

 

Raparra snaps as the horde of hell shadows rush around the two towards Parappa’s friends “But I think I shouldn’t waste my time...ya know?~ While I do this...they’ll do THAT!~”

 

Parappa’s eyes widen, but he quickly calms himself “Heh…”

 

“Aww what’s wrong? Accepting the inevitable?~”

 

“Like I said...I’d never get cocky...towards SOMEONE I KNOW I’D LOSE AGAINST!~” loads of doppelgangers are blown away. Raparra tilts his head around Parappa to see Lammy’s legs ignited in flames, Paula with her hair solidified and Ma-san with her fists flickering like a dynamite’s fuse. The hell shadows all freak out, unaware of this tidbit of knowledge as they look towards Raparra with immense concern. Raparra himself looks back to his double in anger “You clearly haven’t done YOUR research you asshat. We’re alot more stronger than you give us credit for! Not all topsiders are ‘soft’ as you say we are...and we’re proving this now...AS WE END IT **NOW**!” Parappa flicks his fist forward and it quickly clashes with Raparra’s fist. Raparra glances back to the other hell shadows. His eyes burn with anger, telling them to just do what they’re instructed to. Reluctantly, they agree and carry on. They’re all immediately swatted away by the trio. Katy and Matt also assist by striking the others away and by also knocking them into the attacks of the powered up trio. PJ and Sweety merely use their size and strength to grab and launch the doppels who were unfortunate enough to get caught by them. Rammy however does what she’s known for and begins pummeling anyone who tries to grab her.

 

The focus goes back to the two dogs as Parappa is slowly being pushed back “WHERE’S ALL THAT MOXIE MUTT?! DID THAT LARGE BRAVADO LEAVE THE SECOND YOU THREW THIS PUNCH FAKER?!”

 

Parappa growls as Leo’s words echo in his mind.

 

_Just play music to activate the full effect of the suit. Since I doubt you’ll be able to do what I do...just do what you’re known for...singing!~ Show em the power...the power of Parappa the Rapper!_

 

“THIS WILL SHOW YOU TO MESS WITH ME FAKER!” Raparra’s fist scraps past Parappa’s and strikes him in the chest **“GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY FACE!”** Parappa is launched away, through the glass of a building “PAH...fucking weakling… Thinking you got a chance of handling me…”

 

 _I don’t think, I know it._ Singing is heard for where Parappa landed.

 

“The fuck?...”

 

 _I just act, do it bit by bit._ Parappa stands upright. Completely fine.

 

“You take the hit and your first instinct is to sing?? You making a fool outta me?!”

 

_You don’t need me to do that,_

_I just say all the verses that need to be spat!_

_Better prepare yourself cuz now I’M up at bat!_

_AND I’LL BEAT YOU DOWN YOU ANNOYING LITTLE GNAT!!_

 

Parappa lunges forward and the two connect their punches again.

 

“Again with this?? You saw how this went last...time??...The hell?!?!” Raparra struggles to get past his punch, and instead it’s Parappa who breaks through and smashes his fist into his chest.

 

_I WILL BEAT YOU DOWN, THE RHYTHM MAKES ME A MARVEL TO SEE!_

_SMASH YOUR FACE IN, WON’T LET YOU PLEA!_

_BETTA KNOW THAT THIS ALL FILLS ME WITH GLEE,_

_CUZ I KNOW THAT YOU WILL NEVA BEAT_ **_ME!_ **

 

Parappa forces his fist up, causing Raparra to flinch backwards from the impact. Parappa then proceeds to release a barrage of punches all over him. The combo ends with a straight hook to his face, smashing his cheek in as he’s sent flying. The hell shadows gasp at the fact that Raparra was sent off his feet.

 

“R-RAPARRA!...” Chris shouts only to be smashed in the side of his head by Rammy’s foot.

 

“SHUT YOUR ASS UP AND DROP AS QUICKLY AS HE DID!”

 

“G-Gah...you bitch…” Before the hell shadow Matt can get up, he notices that Raparra has gotten back to his feet. Smiling with joy.

 

“BWAHAHAHA! OHOHOHO MAN! GOTTA ADMIT...YOU CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD! BUT YOUR BEGINNERS LUCK RUNS OUT NOW! BUT BY ALL MEANS! TRY AND KEEP UP FIGHTING! IT’S THE ONLY FUCKING TIME SOMEONE CAN ACTUALLY PUT A DAMN SMILE ON MY FACE AND I’M GONNA CHERISH EVERY FUCKING SECOND AS I **BREAK** YOU!”

 

_Your face is a bore,_

_Staring at it is the ultimate chore!_

 

“THIS IS MY FACE WHEN I FUCKING **_GET YOU!_ ** ” Raparra drives both his fists forward, only to be perfectly blocked by Parappa.

 

_Get me? That’s a laugh_

_So lemme tell ya this on my behalf_

_Know what I’m gonna do?_

_I’LL TURN YA BLACK AND BLUE!_ Parappa forces his arms apart, flicking the double off balance and he unleashes another punch barrage across his face before uppercutting him away.

 

“WHAT THE HELL...THERE’S NO WAY THAT FAKER IS AS STRONG AS RAPARRA!” Chris shouts out as he blocks another hit from the topsiders.

 

“GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!” Raparra roars as he gets back to his feet “WHAT THE EVERLASTING **FUCK** IS UP WITH YOU!”

 

_What’s up, he says as he’s gazin?_

_Boy nothin other than me just bein that amazin~_

 

“BE AMAZING WITH **_THIS_ **!” Raparra slams the ground opening up more entrances from hell. Hell shadows immediately pour out. They all swarm to get Rammy as the others form a circle around her.

 

“This is alot more than I think we can handle…” Katy says as she roundhouse kicks the double of Guru Ant away.

 

“Y-Ya think?...” Lammy stomps on and knocks out Cheep Cheep’s double.

 

(“FUCK IT! I SAY BRING EM ON! THEY AIN’T GETTING PAST US!”) Ma-san uppercuts away Tamanegi’s double before sending a fireball towards where he flew. It explodes and he gets flung away.

 

“Like hell they’re getting past me.” PJ grabs the double of hairdresser octopus and Paul chuck as he slams their heads together and flings em off.

 

“No shit Peej, you can just eat em if they tried!” Matt says as he kicks away the two moose doubles.

 

“You know i’d never eat a person Matt.”

 

“But they don’t, and the scare tactic always makes for a brilliant weapon~”

 

“I’ll turn them to ice if they even so much as TOUCH Rammy!” Paula says as she freezes the fake Fleaswallow’s feet and kicks him in the gut, forcing him to slide away.

 

“I’ll do my best to help keep them at bay!...” Sweety hoists up Fussenpepper’s double and hurls him like a bowling ball at a bunch of hell shadows, but more get closer and closer, pushing them back.

 

“You should know better than to try and take us all on!” Chris says as he attempts to strike at Matt, only to get batted away by a guitar.

 

“AND YOU SHOULD FUCKING KNOW BETTER THAN TRY AND MESS WITH US TOPSIDERS!” Shouts out Kitty as she hoists her guitar over her arm.

 

“KITTY!” Shout all of Parappa’s friends.

 

“TRAITOR!” shout all of the hell shadows.

 

“FUCK IF I’M A TRAITOR! I’M SICK OF ALL THE SHIT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH DOWN THERE, AND THIS IS A CHANCE FOR ME TO FIX IT. AND IF IT MEANS TAKING YOU ALL DOWN TO DO IT!” She snaps her fingers “Then so be it!...~” The ground erupts as massive vines sprout out and grab many hell shadows while chucking them away at others, clearing out so many rows of them in the process. The controller of the vines walk out as she dusts off her outfit.

 

“My my quite an annoying bunch aren’t they…”

 

“POPPY!”

 

“Hey all~ Looks like you lot need a hand~” more doubles run up attempting to attack Sunny, but a laser zaps them all, trapping them in noodles.

 

“COLONEL TIME BABY! HAHA!” Noodles appears from an alleyway as he fires more lasers at the hell shadows.

 

“NOW’S THE TIME TO STRIKE! FOR OUR BOSSES GUYS!” From the roof’s of nearby buildings sprout out ten bunny children as they drop large barrels that break on impact with the heads of unfortunate doubles that were under them. They release marbles that begin messing up the fakes as they roll into more attacks.

 

“WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!” Raparra shouts as he looks to Parappa.

 

_Like I said, i’m amazing!_

_It’s me you should be praising!_

_Now you’ll face the ultimate beatdown,_

_FOR MESSING WITH PARAPPA TOWN!!_

 

From every nook and appear almost every PaRappa town citizen. Parappa’s father appears with Guru Ant as they fire more noodle lasers that wrap them up as well as give them noodlefied afros “GO BIG OR GO HOME!”

 

“ORALE, IT’S TIME SOMEONE CUT YOU JERKS DOWN TO SIZE!” Shouts Takoyama-san as he swings his arms around wildly with his scissors. The sight of the energetic red octopus scares the hell shadows, getting more to trip over the marbles.

 

“COME ON EVERYBODY LET’S GO! LET’S SHOW THESE JERKS THE MESS THEY REALLY PUT THEMSELVES IN!” Sista Moosesha shouts as she and others dressed in camo skate around the marbles as they kick away more doppelgangers. These include Paul, Cheep Cheep and Fleaswallow.

 

“TIME FOR SOME FUN IN THE SUN! HAHA!”

 

“CRACK THESE EGGHEADS DOWN!”

 

“LET’S SHOW DEM OUR FUNKY FLOW!” the three of them shout as the drag random look alikes with them and slide them away.

 

“STEP ON THE GAS AND _BEAT_ IT!” A car drives by that bowls over a large amount of doppels, the driver being Mooselini. As they run to try and avoid the car, a plane arrives to scoop up those that the car couldn’t.

 

“My oh my. It looks like we have here-” the panel detaches from the device above Fussenpepper and hits him on head “SOME SCRAWNY PUNKS ATTEMPTIN INSUBORDINATION!”

 

From the windows of the building pop out multiple firemen armed with hoses that begin blasting the shadows with water “I think you hotheads need to cool off! Right guys?~” says Puddle.

 

“YEAH!” says the large group of firemen.

 

The shadows that run away are swept up in a baby tidal wave being control by Cathy “Oh hello there dears, normally my job is to put these bundles of joy to bed as soon as I can, but now I thought...what’s the harm in letting them play around abit? Go on kids! Try not to break your toys!” all the baby’s erupt into laughter as the shadows are sucked into the wave.

 

“STOP RUNNING YOU IDIOTS!!” they ignore Raparra as they try to run and blindside some of the other civilians. But they are stopped by a singular person.

 

“HAAAAIIIIIIYATATATATATA-CHAAAAA!” They are all smacked into the air by a roundhouse kicking onion that flies all over the place with his kick. As they are launched by Chop Chop they land on weird metallic objects. As they sit up they are met face to face with a ghost with a rather nice beard.

 

“HEY! WOULD YOU LOOK AT ZAT! IT’S TIME TO TOAST ZE BUNS!” The object they’re all sitting on ignites, setting their rears on fire as they all blast off and run around in panic.

 

“WHAT THE FUCK IS WITH THIS FUCKING TOWN?!” Raparra seethes with anger before being tackled into the air by Parappa. They skid along the ground as Parappa repeatedly beats Raparra in his face and torso.

 

_I AM SPECTACULAR_

_OR MAYBE EVEN ORACULAR_

_AS I SAY MY LINES MUST BE BLESSED TO BE VERNACULAR_

 

Raparra flips around so that Parappa is under him and begins pummeling him, but he blocks it and waits for an opening to flip him back down. Once he does so, he resumes his beatdown

 

_Can you take much more?_

_Or should I show you the door._

_All ya body, my fists will explore!_

_Get ready cuz your best friend is gonna be THE FLOOR!_

 

He strikes at the fake again, but he blocks and shoves him away. They both launch their own punch barrage that clash with each launched punch

 

_PARAPPA THE RAPPER IS MY NAME, MY GAME, MY CLAIM TO FAME!_

_You can't handle our pride!_

_You will succumb to this wild ride!_

_I think it's time for you to go…_

_AS I FINISH YOU LIKE-_

 

Parappa wins the barrage clash as Raparra is left wide open from being blown back.

 

**_DO_ **

 

**_RE_ **

 

**_MI_ **

 

**_FA_ **

 

**_SO_ **

 

**_LA_ **

 

**_TI_ **

 

**_DO!_ **

 

Each heavily pronounced verse was a heavy punch to a random spot on his body. However, with the final ‘Do’, his fist connects with his lower left abdominal region, just slight under his ribs. The impact was more painful to Raparra, but Parappa hadn't notice. It didn't help that it was the final hit of the combo as well as the launching hit. Raparra was left winded and gasping for breath as he flies off into mailbox.

 

All is quiet and still. The silence gets both sides to temporarily stop. It seems as if Parappa had won.

 

“How's that? I sure made you a believer!”

 

But you should know that things are never that easy.

 

“ **_Yoooooou…_ ** ” the mailbox explodes as black hair whips about wildly. The metal in the immediate close area starts melting at a rapid pace **_“Yoooooooooouuuuuuu…”_ ** Raparra rises from the mini crater, emblazoned in a red light as his eyes burn in a red color. He raises his arms and wipes around his mouth. To his amazement, there was blood. He then looks back to Parappa **_“YOU LITTLE WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT!”_ ** He flies forward with his ignited fist. Parappa swallows in heavy shock as his launches his own fist forward. Their fists collide in an explosion that launches them both back in a cloud of smoke. When it clears Raparra is already back on his feet as his hair whips about much more wildly. Parappa is also on his feet, but… the gloves are completely burned off as is a good majority of the jacket. In its damaged state, it can no longer serve its purpose of reducing incoming damage. Raparra flies forward once more and again they clash. Raparra finds himself doing as he did when they first started. Parappa was being pushed back **_“Heh...hehehehe..._ ** **hahahahaha**...AHAHAHAHAHAHA! I KNEW SOMETHING WAS UP! IT WAS THIS STUPID ASS MONKEY SUIT YOU HAD ON! AND NOW WITH IT GONE, ORDER CAN BE FUCKING RESTORED!” his fist breaks through.

 

It slams into Parappa’s face and immediately the shadow laughs, but is silenced when a fist slams into his face as painfully “You never learn do you…” both sides resume fighting.

 

“How...fucking how?! I broke your damn suit and am going all out against you! SO HOW ARE YOU STILL ABLE TO TAKE MY HITS **AND** STILL STRIKE BACK AT ME!?”

 

“Honestly...I knew that suit wasn't gonna last me long anyway. I knew it would eventually burn off from your hot temper. So my objective with the suit on wasn't to knock you out...oh no no...it was to WEAR you out!” both dogs are pushed away from their punches “I knew that trying to beat you in a quick time frame was near impossible. We share our stubbornness! So I figured I'd start wailing on you in specific parts in specific ways to wear you thin! So when and if the suit came off…” Parappa raises his arms “I'd still be able to beat you down without it…”

 

 **_“WHY DON'T YOU SAY THAT TO MY FACE FUCK BOY?!”_ ** Raparra arches back with his arms extended as flames leave his mouth.

 

“GLADLY! CUZ NOW IT'S AN EVEN MATCH ASSHOLE!” Parappa slams his left fist into his chest as a taunt as he runs up to his fake. They connect with strike after strike. Dodging wasn't an option as while they avoided the main attack, they'd be left open for a blindside strike.

 

Both sides begin to bruise, but Parappa slightly more due to Raparra’s ridiculous strength as well as him shrugging off most of the pain. Regardless of the appearance, they are even. They lock hands together as they slam their heads into each other “You're a fucking joke…”

 

“And you're a punchline since I'm still keeping up!”

 

“I'LL GIVE YOU PUNCHLINE!” Parappa blocks his faker’s incoming punch and retaliated with a kick that sparks off with electricity. It slams into his side and forces him to flip onto his feet to maintain balance “I don’t fucking get any of this...you’re WEAK...ALL OF YOU ARE WEAK...And yet...all of you fucking topsiders are here...pushing us around like nothing...YOU’RE here treating ME like I’M NOTHING! HOW ARE YOU EVEN MANAGING THIS WITHOUT YOUR CHEATING ASS SUIT!”

 

“I don’t know how things are in Hell, but up here, we as ‘topsiders’ coexist with one another. When things show signs of going wrong, we come together hand in hand to take on whatever challenge that decides to rear its ugly head! We work together, we see this future together. No matter the challenge, we unite as a group to defeat whatever tries to destroy our peaceful and loving way of life! I am Parappa Rappa! I was born and raised on this very philosophy! I hear all their hearts beating with mine, and they want nothing more than to KICK YOU OUT! You aren’t taking Rammy from us, you aren’t taking Kitty from us. You all treated them so horribly down there that they’re better off up here. I’m sure you’re ALL treated like shit down there so why not do the same?”

 

“I would rather die...it’s our way of life...and it’s no thanks to all you fucking topsiders who think you’re the head honcho real fucking deal...down there it’s all we ever learn and are strived to do...BEAT ALL OF YOU. AND SO HERE YOU ARE TALKING LIKE A PROPHET SAYING SHIT ABOUT HOW ALL YOU UNITE, WHEN IT’S YOUR FUCKING UNION THAT CAUSED ALL THIS SHIT IN THE FIRST PLACE!”

 

“That’s what you think. You all put YOURSELVES in that situation. I’d say you’d probably be a bigger threat if you’d learn to cooperate better with your fellow shadows-”

 

“DON’T YOU FUCKING CALL ME A SHADOW YOU **_FAKER_ ** ! AND FURTHERMORE...YOU THINK I NEED HELP?! YOU THINK I NEED TO SINK SO LOW AS TO RELY ON ANYBODY ELSE BUT ME?! WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! SOME NAMBY PAMBY LITTLE BITCH WHO THINKS THE PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER MAKES YOU STRONGER?! IT **FUCKING** **_DOESN’T!_ ** ”

 

“Your messed up face says otherwise you stubborn brat.”

 

“FUCK YOU! I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU! I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF THE SURFACE! **YOU KNOW WHAT?!** **_FUCK_ ** **THE SURFACE!** ” Raparra roars at such an intensity that it hurts everyone’s ears, shadow and topsider alike, as he slams the ground creating tremor after tremor. The holes that he created so that more hell shadows would appear from now eject pillars of fire that fly high up into the sky **_“I’M GONNA LEVEL THIS GODDAMN PLACE TO THE FUCKING GROUND! BURNING EVERYTHING TILL ONLY ASHES ARE LEFT! I’LL FUCKING SHOW YOU UNITY!”_ ** the flames immediately fall. They spread over and target only every topsider that is in the area.

 

“ **NO!** ” Parappa shouts as the flames cover everyone that came to fight the hell shadows, along with his friends that came to escort Rammy to safety.

 

 **_“EAT THAT ASSHOLE!”_ ** Raparra shouts as the flames make contact, but immediately they are dispersed and everyone is fine **_“WHAT?!”_ ** standing in front of everyone were the Ex Tempo’s. Their bodies were immune to any sources of fire and they used that immunity to protect everyone and absorb the flames.

 

In front of Parappa’s group of friends stood Deto, they all marvel at being saved by the portly lumberjack “Aye, are ye alright their you lot?” They all nod “Good, i’m glad we weren’t late to this lil shindig.” He looks towards the angry Raparra “Ohohoh laddie, you shouldn’t ‘av dun that!”

 

“Why fucking not? Are you gonna do anything about it you sack of flaming shit?!”

 

“Oh of course not. I ain’t gonna do anythin aboot it. Hehe...He’s gonna do the reprimanding for me~”

 

Raparra shakes his head in confusion until he hears electricity crackling. He turns his attention back to Parappa. The topsider dog was shivering in pure anger as electricity sparked alongside his entire body “H-How...DARE you… How **_DARE_ ** you!” Parappa looks up. His eyes were now a greenish gold. They looked like that of a feral wolf. Thunder booms across the sky as Parappa jerks violently upwards **_“HOW DARE YOU TRY AND FUCKING HURT MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS!”_ **

 

 **_“WHY DON’T YOU TRY AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT YOU LITTLE BITCH?!”_ ** Raparra’s eyes matched his feral wolf eyes, but were a reddish orange as they appeared more demonic. They fly into each other at an incredible speed as they started flashing around in the air from the speed and strength of their struggle. Red and yellow lights were flashing along the sky as the two were fighting in their pseudo flight.

 

“Whoaaaaa...look at Boss Parappa go guys!”

 

“C-Can all rappers do that?”

 

“If so then I wanna be a rapper to!” The kids all jump and shout at the fighting dogs.

 

Papa Rappa separates himself from everyone else as he stares at the sky alone. He makes sure no one is around to hear him before he speaks up “Oh Parappa my boy...this was something I wanted to keep as far away from you as possible...but it seems as if maybe that was the wrong thing to do...I thought that if I lied to you and said that it was possibly not within you, that you’d cease trying to learn more...but all it seems to have done was increase your tenacity in reaching for the forbidden.” Papa Rappa sighs “I AM wrong...that is a part of you as much as everything else that happened in your life is. My grandson told me that today would be different, but it seems like you have your own story to forge now...and it’s all my fault...I’m sorry Parappa...I’m sorry Europa...I have failed you as a father and as a grandfather...but now I will not...not anymore. Go my son, forge the future you will always fight for! Show your hell shadow the true intensity of your heart! Show him…”

 

_The power of Parappa!_

 

Papa Rappa turns around to see a blue cat lady walk up to him “Yes...that…”

 

“You have failed no one Papillon. After all, your grandson fought to change his outcomes, your son will do the same. They fight as the true heroes that they both are. In the name of your family and old allies. To do a right that will correct any wrong. Was that not the motto of your group as a whole?”

 

“...You are correct Noella...my son will do all he can to win. Because all he has to do…”

 

“Is believe…” They both say together as they look to the sky again.

 

“What am I even looking at…” PJ says as he stares at the fighting dogs as he slams another hell shadow to the ground.

 

“Ain’t it obvious Peej? Our boy Parappa has always been one to drop jaws in his heroic acts. Now ain’t any different! He’s fighting

to save those he cares about from people who wish to do them wrong. This is classic Parappa the likes of which we’ve always known. He has the strength to take on anything, and we have his back. Always believing in him, and that belief makes him see things through to the end.” Matt says as he stomps and knocks out another doppel.

 

“Yeah...I guess you’re right with that.” He closes his eyes and exhales briefly “Kick his ass buddy.”

 

“We know you can Parappa!”

 

Despite the surge of strength Parappa gained from his adrenaline anger, he was still only capable of using his dad’s inherited abilities only. He tried to force it to be like his mothers and that was slowly wearing him down. The dogs continuously clash until they find themselves upon and open portion of the street, within the middle of everything. They look at each other angrily before calming down. The flames and lighting still surging about them “Even you're surprising me with what you can do...but I gotta say...you can't win...we'll outnumber and overwhelm you.”

 

“That has yet to work.”

 

Raparra grimaces before smirking as he looks to his side “I dunno...it’s working out now!” Raparra points to the hell shadows overwhelming Kitty over to the right.

 

“OOF... GAH... WAHHHH…” Kitty is flung off her feet and onto her back by a barrage assault from five hell shadows “Gah...can’t take me out one on one so you decided to blindside and overwhelm a single gal?...Ain’t you all pretty petty…”

 

“SHUT UP TRAITOR!” Two hell shadows grab her by the arms lift her onto her knees. The other three hold up a large rock that was severed from the ground due to Parappa and Raparra’s fighting “THIS’LL SHUT YA UP YOU WORTHLESS EXCUSE FOR A DOPPEL!”

 

“KITTY!” Parappa tries to save her, but Raparra gets in front of him.

 

“I’M STILL HERE SHIT HEAD~” They clash wrists, one yellow and one red. Both brimming with their power “Why are you sticking your neck out for Kitty? She’s a worthless sack of shit...sucks as a doppel so much so that honestly she’s better off with you pansy lot...but in truth...she sucks as a topsider to!”

 

“YOU SHUT THE HELL UP! WHO MAKES YOU THE JUDGE OF WHAT MAKES A PERSON THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL?!”

 

“WHO ARE YOU TO DECIDE ANYONE’S WORTH YOURSELF?!” they resume their fighting.

 

Katy sweeps away a doppel that tried to assault her and notices Kitty about to have her face smashed in by a massive rock “KITTY!...” She tries to run, but notices she won’t make it in time to save her **_“NO! STOOOOOOOOOOOP!”_ ** a white ring blasts out of her mouth and smashes into the six doppels. The rock shatters into pebbles as all six shadows try to get up. The five that try to hurt kitty get up faster and immediately hold their heads in pain. Not long after, their arms drop as they stare at Katy. Their ears and eyes covered in a white light. Katy realizes that she triggered her voice again, but checks to see if they will listen **_“STEP AWAY FROM HER!”_ ** they do just that “...I could blast you away right now...for what you tried to do...but no...you can make yourselves useful... **_YOU ARE TO GO AGAINST YOUR SO CALLED ALLIES AND HELP US KICK EM OUT!_ ** ” the five nod as they run off. One of them quickly grabs a running shadow.

 

“Y-YO WHAT THE HELL I’M ON YOUR- GRAUGH…” His face is smashed in by a fist, downing him instantly. The puncher is then off to stop more shadows.

 

“Good…” She runs up to Kitty and helps her up “You alright?...”

 

“...Yeah…” she looks towards where the hypnotized shadows ran off to “How did you…”

 

“Family thing...d-don’t worry about it...I...didn’t wanna use it, but then I just saw them about to...and I just…”

 

“Chill...it’s fine...thanks.” She smiles “I mean that, you saved me. You’re not a bad gal Katy.” She places her hand on her shoulder “Think you can do that some more? The more people we have fighting these idiots off, the faster this will end!”

 

Katy takes a deep breath “You’re right. Let’s kick these jerks outta our home!” They both run off.

 

The duo dogs stay stuck in their assault until Raparra looks to the ground. He sees loads of doppels fighting one another instead of the topsiders “WHAT THE HELL?! HEY YOU IDIOTS! WHY ARE YOU ALL TURNING INTO TRAITORS?!” He’s hooked in the face by Parappa.

 

“Maybe they just realized that they had ENOUGH of Hell’s crap?” Parappa’s face is slammed away by Raparra’s fist.

 

“DON’T BE FUCKING RIDICULOUS!...” He then looks to his side to see Katy hypnotizing more and more doppels “Oh you have got to be…”

 

“DON’T YOU EVEN TRY IT!” Parappa dives for his other only to smashed away. With him temporarily distracted, Raparra lunges towards the two cats.

 

“That’s another group of em lulled by my voice!”

 

“Great! Now- WATCH OUT!” Kitty shoves Katy away and is immediately kicked away by Raparra.

 

“MOVE ASIDE BITCH!”

 

“K-KITTY!”

 

“OH DON’T WORRY! YOU’RE NEXT!” Katy hops back to avoid his slam into the ground and immediately drives her foot forward. It smashes into his face, but he’s unfazed as he grabs her leg and pulls her in. He slams his fist into her stomach at such an impact she nearly vomits on the spot. She’s left winded and limp “YOU’RE GONNA BE TROUBLE IF I LET YOU CARRY THIS OUT! SO BUH-BYE!” He slams her with a flurry of fists before launching her away with swift kick to the chest. She flies like a missile into a store. She smashed through the glass, but she is long since unconscious before she even crashed.

 

“KATY!” Parappa and Kitty shout out as they both dive into Raparra and unleash hell on him. Because of their anger, their assault is sloppy and easily avoided by the laughing hell dog.

 

“GAHAHAHA! SORRY, BUT I CAN’T MAKE IT TO EASY FOR YOU SHITSTAINS!” He grabs Kitty’s arm and uses her as a bat to smack Parappa away, then chucks her far away like a ball. Parappa slams back into him after he does so “OH YOU JUST DON’T KNOW WHEN TO GIVE UP DO YOU?!”

 

“BACKATCHA ASSHOLE!” They’re back into their fervor as they grab onto each others hands and try to grapple the other again. The force blows Parappa’s hat off his head and into the distance. It slaps onto Sunny’s face.

 

“OOF...What?...” She grabs his hat then looks towards the direction it came from “Oh man...I gotta help tilt the odds in his favor!...” she holds onto the hat tightly as she tries to run to the duo, but is stopped when she’s jumped from behind by a shadow.

 

“LIKE HELL I’D LET YOU EVEN TRY PANSY!”

 

“TECHNICALLY I’M A DAISY! ALSO WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” She’s saved by Chop Chop who power arms the doppel and launches him into a street lamp, ko’ing him.

 

“MY STUDENT CAN HANDLE HIMSELF. YOU WILL BE A LIABILITY IF YOU CAN’T EVEN PAY MIND TO THOSE AROUND YOU!”

 

“I-I’m sorry!...”

 

“APOLOGIZE WITH YOUR ACTIONS. HELP ME CLEAR THE ONES TRYING TO SNEAK AWAY THROUGH THE ALLEYS!”

 

“R-Right!” They run off to do just that.

 

The dogs refuse to give in as they yell at one another.

 

“GO FUCKING DOWN!”

 

“HOW ABOUT YOU DO THAT INSTEAD?!” as they try to push in the other, they’re both launched as the building that Katy was thrown into explodes violently. From it’s remains rises a blue pillar of light as water flies into the sky with it, said sky was also turning dark from all the gathering clouds and immediately pour rain. From the pillar rises an unconscious Katy, an energy heart created on the outside of her chest. It was blue as the water that flowed around her. The event that’s happening to her is similar to what happened to Parappa. Her body has gone into autopilot. Her eyes were empty, yet they glowed blue as if she weren’t unconscious. She holds a creepy smile across her face. Unlike Parappa’s auto pilot in which his instincts were more reserved and serious. Katy’s was grinning ear to ear in a sadistic fashion. Both dogs get up and just stare at the flying cat “K-Katy?...”

 

“Oh so you wanna try your cheap tactic again huh?!” Katy’s eyes dart over to Raparra and she soon snaps her fingers. Every single hostile doppelganger is raised into the air around her “HRAGH...WHAT IS THIS?!...” Katy swings her arms to the side of her body and all the doppels violently fly around her in a circle. They create a mini cyclone around her as this happens. They rise higher into the air and disappear within the clouds. She claps her hands together and a blue flash flickers from the clouds as all the shadows drop from the clouds, incredibly battered. They flop painfully onto the ground. Raparra is the first to get back up as he shakes it all off and is energetic once more “GET BACK UP. ALL OF YOU! DON’T LET A SINGLE BITCH TOSS YOU AROUND LIKE TISSUES!” the shadows reluctantly get up as more also appear from the openings again.

 

Katy’s eyes slit up as they become half shut. She floats over to Raparra and stares at him dead on “Look at you...such an angry little speck aren’t you~...” the voice is slightly different, whether she herself is altering the pitch or if someone else was speaking through her was unknown.

 

“I’LL SHOW YOU A LITTLE SPECK!” He attempts to punch her, but he’s kept in place as she lifts her hand up “W-WHY...WHY CAN’T I MOVE?!...” as opposed to the magic grab that she did on all of them prior. This one was different. Raparra’s entire body was in pain from within his veins. As if the blood with in them was trying to leave his body “G-GYAGH…” He coughs up a bit of said blood, the sight gets Parappa to jump onto Katy’s back causing her to drop the hell dog.

 

“K-KATY QUIT IT! KILLING HIM IS THE LAST THING I WANNA DO!...I mean yeah what i’m doing isn’t any better...BUT DON’T END THE GUY...ESPECIALLY LIKE THIS!” Katy doesn’t shake him off, she merely snaps her fingers and he’s now in the predicament Raparra was in moments ago “K-KATY...WHAT ARE YOU DOING…” he’s forced to be directly in front of her. Her eyes are cold and distant “A-Are you even Katy anymore?...”

 

“You are...what I need…”

 

“W-What?...” before either of them can continue, a white blast hits Katy in her back, causing her to drop Parappa. She angrily turns to the origin of the blast to see her mother.

 

“THAT IS ENOUGH NOW KATHERINE!” she looks to the dog who runs up to her “Well Papillon...it seems you were right yet again…”

 

“You know, i’ve come to the conclusion that me being right is more of a bad thing than it is a good thing.” Papa Rappa brings up a large assortment of metal to block the water blast Katy fires at them as Noella fires more vocal blasts.

 

“H-Hey what are you two doing?! That’s Katy you’re trying to attack!” Paula shouts at the two.

 

“Now Paula I know this may seem rather hectic on our end, but trust us...we don’t mean her much harm...we just need to apprehend her…if she goes on like this it could very well be bad for everyone…”

 

“T-Then let us help sir!” Matt says immediately.

 

“We cannot let you do that. Worry not, we have this handled…” Noella says as she and Papillon stand together.

 

“We have experience handling a siren…” they say together.

 

Katy flies higher up into the air. Parappa watches her go and tries reaching out to her “K-KA-” He's tackled away by his doppel once more.

 

“I AIN’T DONE WITH YOU YET!...”

 

As Katy ascends she looks down to the ground and immediately raises her hands. This time everyone has started being lifted off their feet “PAPILLON NOW!”

 

“RIGHT-O!” he presses a button on his tie which gets Katy to grab her head in pain as everyone is let go “Phew...and they said that the device to stop a siren’s liquid control over a person's blood was pointless to make and keep since they were dead! But I proved them wrong!” Katy stares angrily at the duo as she flies at them “Ok now here comes the tricky part…” Papa Rappa scoops up Noella and flies away as she flies off after them.

 

“You think those two can calm this destructive Katy down?...” Sweety says to Paula.

 

“No clue...we have to many other things to worry about right now…” Paula worries for the safety of her friend as she flies off “Katy...you really are a siren...oh...I hope this isn’t anything bad…”

 

As the two try and calm the instinct driven Katy down, the two dogs keep on wailing on one another “CAN YOU JUST GIVE UP?! YOU CAN’T WIN!”

 

“YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP. RAPARRA NEVER GOES DOWN, AND HE AIN’T GONNA START NOW!” Raparra tricks Parappa into believing they’re gonna clash again, but instead slams his arm into his neck and flips him off his feet. Left breathless from the strike, his eyes vibrate heavily as they stare at the dog who downed him. His consciousness was fleeting, but Parappa did not want to pass out. If he went down, who knows what Raparra would do to him. What he would do to his friends. Or what he would to do everyone. His fight or flight sense was going crazy. Parappa struggled to do anything that all his thoughts caused his mind to snap, and against his will...he faints.

 

“THERE SEE? YOU WERE AN IDIOT TO THINK THAT YOU COULD EVER STAND UP TO ME. NOW FUCKING PERISH!” He attempts to slam his foot on Parappa’s head, but just before it makes contact, he’s grabbed and flipped onto his back “OH COME FUCKING ON...STAY THE FUCK DOWN!” a yellow pillar rises into the sky while Parappa levitates to his feet. Much like Katy, he has an energy created heart beating in front of his chest. Although his is golden as opposed to Katy’s blue heart. Like Katy, his eyes were empty, but still gave the presence as if he were there, but ultimately like Katy he was unconscious and driven on instinct fueled autopilot “What the fuck is with you now?” with a flash punch to the stomach, Raparra is sent straight into a random building. Parappa rises into the air. The already existing clouds grow more darker as the rain now is joined with thunder and lightning.

 

In the far off distance, Noella and Katy launch continuous sound blasts at one another in an attempt to strike the other down “Papillon this is getting nowhere fast…”

 

“Well it is just the two of us, not to mention we’re trying to take her down WITHOUT hurting her...as opposed to last time when everyone just went on relentlessly without holding back…”

 

“It doesn’t help that I have to do this to my own daughter…”

 

“I don’t feel any better about it! I raised her along with my son and daughter so she’s just a big part of my family as she is your actual flesh and blood!...” He sighs as he avoids Katy’s attacks “Well...think of it like this Noella! Atleast Parappa isn’t also running on instinct!” The sky near them surges with lightning as all three of them look towards the sky “Oh...I might’ve just jinxed that…” Katy’s smile returns as she tries to leave.

 

“PAPILLON SHE’S TRYING TO GET TO HIM!...”

 

“O-ON IT!...” He tries to fly off and block her path but she quickly turns around and opens her mouth. The ring of light shrinks into a ball within the center of her mouth. The ball quickly expands and she shouts out a pure white laser beam that forces them back. The area that was struck by the beam explodes sending them further back, allowing Katy to make a clean escape “D-DARN IT!...” They take a longer route to try and catch up to her.

 

Raparra gets up again “I’M SICK AND TIRED OF ALL YOUR GODDAMN SURPRISES! JUST WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU FAKERS?!” he hops around to avoid avid lighting bolts that are being called to strike him by Parappa “OH YOU THINK THIS CAN STOP ME?! NOTHING CAN STOP ME SHIT HEAD!”

 

“You’re asking for a bigger storm…” Parappa keeps launching thunderbolts to the area’s he’s pointing to.

 

“A storm we can make~” The autopilot Katy flies up to the autopilot Parappa. They both stare at one another before looking towards the ground. They look back at each other and nod. They each raise an arm and fire their appropriate energy together as it converges into a ball of blue and yellow. They are stopped by an angry Raparra chucking a stop sign and street light at them. They are unfazed but angry. Parappa holds his arms to his side.

 

“HEY! DON’T IGNORE ME YOU **_CUNTS_ ** ” Katy holds her hands together above her head.

 

“SOUL SHOCKER!” Parappa pumps his arms forwards, launching a torrent of static electricity.

 

“CRUISIN ARIA!” Katy drops her arms forward resulting in a massive flood of water bursting from her hands.

 

The beams both fire straight for the hell dog as they unite together into an electrified water torrent. Soon it becomes a blast of pure green energy that slams into Raparra “G-GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!...” Raparra stubbornly holds the beam back for as long as he can before ultimately getting flung away.

 

In the distance Rammy is struggling to shake off three shadows that have latched onto her “GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME!” They refuse to let her go, but their grasp loosens when they see Raparra fly through a building into another one from the blast.

 

“HOLY SHIT THEY’RE DOIN A NUMBER ON RAPARRA…” Rammy manages to shake them off and smashes them all away before looking towards the duo in the sky. She runs to regroup with everyone else and immediately asks.

 

“What the fuck are they doing?!” the moment she says this, the duo return to uniting their energy once more. Papillon arrives and quickly lands. He gently puts Noella to the ground.

 

“They’re both running on instinct alone…neither of them are purposefully doing this of their own free will. It’s merely a bloodline thing…”

 

“Sir no offense, but how can we trust you with this when you were clearly wrong about them not having powers to begin with!”

 

“I LIED!” they all stare at the elder dog “I lied so that none of you would try and reach out for it...I knew from the getgo that the genes for said abilities were within all of you...it was just a matter of when you were able to awaken them…”

 

“You KNEW we all had these abilities? How??”

 

“The front door to our house is a scanner! I was paranoid if BoTy would ever return and try to hurt me or my family that I made it so it could scan and tell me whenever someone was to peculiar a person...since you lot always visited my son I was able to see that you all could do so many things if you were able to awaken these things...but I honored your parents decision to keep that a secret from you all...but then you asked to see the past that I forgot we were...kind of throwing them out there left and right...it didn’t help that two of you already awakened them. From the getgo I knew of the dangers. Specifically from Katy and Parappa. Katy is...the next generation Siren...and Parappa has our combined ability of body enhancement and electrical manipulation along with magnetism and technology manipulation...making him quite the lone power source genius...both are prodigies, blessed with outrageous and destructive abilities...I never wanted either of them to ever tap into it...like I said that day, I feared it because of their emotions...they both were very VERY emotional...with that flaw...who knows what could happen if they ever lost control…” he looks to the powering up duo “Like that…”

 

“So THAT happens?!” Shouts Rammy.

 

“That i’m afraid...is only the tip of the iceberg...here’s a brief history lesson…it might shock you to hear this...but centuries upon centuries ago, the group that I hailed from along with the one Noella hailed from were once the closest unions you could ever find. At one point it was even speculated that they may have been one group altogether. But as time went on, tensions rose between the factions...and what used to be allies that knew they could rely upon one another, became two sides that would kill the other if it came down to it...now answer me this...what do you imagine when you hear the terms. Endless water and booming thunder together?”

 

“A great big storm…” They all say together.

 

“Correct. Only much greater. A supercell even, but on a scale that could cover the entire planet.” says Noella.

 

“Believe it or not, in ages when our groups still tolerated one another. They were known as keepers of the world. Course since the separation, this knowledge would never be taught, I had to search so much just to learn any of this! Now, they were called that because if they thought that things had gone terribly in the world, they’d create the storm and wipe the slate clean...A...world reboot if you will.”

 

“WHAT?!” they all shout.

 

“SO THOSE TWO ARE CURRENTLY TRYING TO CLEAN THE ENTIRE PLANET OFF?!” PJ erupts.

 

“Now relax...it’s only just the two of them...they can’t do that...however the end result is still bad because they still have the power to annihilate the town and any nearby locales…”

 

“Well on the bright side the entire population of hell shadows and Raparra will be wiped clean off the planet in the process…”

 

“MATT!”

 

“I’M SORRY I MAKE TASTELESS JOKES TO HIDE MY FEAR…”

 

(“That’s my fault...”)

 

“When things such as sirens started appearing in the water half of the group...that’s when tensions started rising...and led to their inevitable separation because each generation Siren would eventually try and recreate the storm… why do you think I needed saving by Noella? The triplet sirens of that generation's first instinct was to recruit us to create the storm as ordered by BoTy! But when we all refused, they decided to kill us all…”

 

“This is a wonderful history lesson and all, but shouldn’t we...you know...STOP THEM?!?!”

 

“You can hit them all you want. They currently are on such an adrenaline high that they won’t feel it. If you manage to faze one of them, they’ll both simply attack you and that would not be a fun experience…” Noella says.

 

“So what do we do?!”

 

“We need to split off their attention…”

 

“...W-We can try…” Paula holds up her hand and lines it up with Parappa’s back.

 

(“Shit man...first hell shadows and now the subconscious existential minds of our two friends...what a fucking day…”) Ma-san holds her hand up and lines it up with Katy’s back.

 

Paula’s arm trembles as it drops “I-I CAN’T DO IT...I DON’T WANNA HURT MY FRIENDS...ESPECIALLY _THOSE_ TWO!...THEY’VE BEEN THROUGH THE MOST OUT OF ALL OF US!...I’D RATHER CLEAVE MY ARM OFF…”

 

Ma-san flicks her arm down as well (“FUCKING...WHY’D YOU SAY THAT, NOW YOU GOT ME FEELING OUT OF IT…”)

 

“Guys get over it! We don’t have much time! That stupid ball is getting bigger!” PJ shouts at the two.

 

“Forget it! It was wrong of us to ask you lot for help. This is much to big an emotional burden. Me and Papillon need to keep our word of handling it ourselves. Like we said, only we’re capable of dealing with a Siren.”

 

“But what about Parappa?! How will you distract him?!” PJ turns his attention to the older adults.

 

“That’s how…” they both point to the air as an extremely irate Raparra slams Parappa out of the sky with a tackle, Katy immediately try to fly after.

 

“NOW NOELLA” Papa Rappa performs the move that Parappa called the ‘Soul Shocker’ while Noella does the mouth laser that Katy did in order to get away. Their beams swat Katy out of the sky, gaining her attention.

 

“You all must run! NOW!” the group waste no time listening to Noella as they all run away from the incoming danger, all except for Rammy who runs after Parappa.

 

“RAMMY WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU GOING?!”

 

“AFTER MY BEST FRIEND!”

 

“PARAPPA CAN HANDLE HIMSELF!”

 

“PAULA YOU SAID THAT HIS AUTOPILOT THING DIDN’T LAST LONG AND ONCE IT ENDED HE WAS LEFT IN A SORRY STATE! I AIN’T LETTING THAT ASSHOLE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT!” before anymore yelling can be done, a large wave of water splits them apart. Rammy resumes running after Parappa while the rest get the hell away and deal with more doppels that get in the way.

 

The clash of red and yellow resumes once more as they smash each others face in with punch after punch. They fly along the streets of PaRappa Town, away from everything else as they continue their relentless battle.

 

On a stray road we have six different school girls running around trying to avoid the rain. One of the girls talks to the girl in front of their group.

 

“PINTO DO YOU SEE ANY PLACE THAT CAN SERVE AS COVER?!”

 

“NEGATIVE! THIS RAIN IS JUST COVERING EVERYTHING! LET’S JUST FINE SOMEPLACE TO GO INSIDE AND BUM AROUND IN THEIR TILL IT BLOWS OVER!”

 

“ALRIGHT!...MAN IT WAS A CLEAR AND SUNNY DAY TO! HOW’D THIS HAPPEN?!”

 

“BEATS ME!...LOOK! ACROSS THE STREET! THERE’S A PLACE WE CAN GO TO!” all the girls follow Pinto’s call, but before they’re able to cross the street, the two fighting dogs fly past them. The two just barely miss the six girls as they fly about in their punch fest. As they fly past, time goes in slow motion from the sudden shock the girls experience, mainly for Pinto due to being the closest. As this happens. Pinto clearly sees her brother fighting against someone that looks exactly like him. Time resumes and the red and yellow lights disappear down the street again.

 

“W-What the heck was that??”

 

“Hey Pinto...wasn’t that your brother?...”

 

“Yeah it looked like him!...Also...was he fighting...erm...himself?...” Pinto answers none of the three. She only faints as she falls onto her back.

 

“PINTO!” The five of em shout as they pick her up. Just as they all bend over to do so, Rammy runs by and hops over all of them.

 

“IT’S NOT SAFE TO BE OUT ON THE STREET YOU BRATS! HEAD INSIDE SOMEWHERE QUICK!” is all she shouts before disappearing after the two lights.

 

Back with Katy, she quickly makes short work of the two adults.

 

“SORROW WALTZ!” she strikes at them with a swift set of dancing kicks that drops the two onto their knees.

 

“Gagh…”

 

“‘Ohoho...i’m still the least durable out of all of us…”

 

“DO NOT INTERFERE…” Katy’s hands are encased in water as she's about to blast the two straight on.

 

“Well...I deserve every bit of this…” Noella sighs as she looks down.

 

“I can’t speak for your parenting tactics, but that’s not fully true...you did keep her safely away from Robert after all...I on the other do deserve this for also having my fair share of lies…” Papa Rappa does the same. Before they’re both blasted however, a quick blur smacks Katy around before spiraling around her at a speed that leaves her dizzy. As that happens, Bella and Kayla fly down and scoop the two injured adults away. Once the blur leaves Katy alone, she’s left to catch her eyes as she dizzily stumbles. She angrily composes herself as she extends her hand out and closes it slightly. The blur is stopped and the elder dog is lifted into the air.

 

“GOOOH...I FORGOT THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING SHE COULD’VE INHERITED FROM BOB…” Before Katy can do anything else, she’s struck from the back by a foot and a fist cover in flame. She lets go of Tom as she’s sent flying.

 

“L-Let him go!”

 

(“The only ones allowed to hurt Tom are us!”) Marcel and Penny are shown to be the ones to swat Katy away.

 

“Y-You guys!”

 

“When...how...why??” Noella says as she looks at her old friends that she has since cut ties with.

 

“We saw an ominous storm cloud that gave us Siren PTSD over the entire town! Now three things came to mind. It was either Robert trying to give everyone a scare, Papillon’s invention went out of whack again or the third option that we all kinda talked over with Papillon...the fact that your offspring potentially ends up as the NEW siren...and wouldn’t you know it. It’s the third one after all.”

 

“It’s not like she’s doing any of this because she wants to!”

 

“We are already aware. Worry not.”

 

“Right...well thank you Bella and...oh hello we haven’t met before I don’t think…”

 

“Good day Miss, my name is Kayla and I am Bella’s niece.

 

“OH! THE BABY THAT WAS TAKEN ALL THOSE YEARS AGO!”

 

“I’m glad you know of me, but right now we have a bigger topic to deal with…” everyone stares at the enraged cat as she launches another vocal laser. Before they can react, they are safeguarded by a bear who shrugs it all off easily.

 

“Man you lot always seem to find yourselves in trouble no matter the point in your lives…”

 

“Glad to see you’re as sturdy as ever Raz!”

 

“Not now Papillon… Now...ideas as to how to apprehend her? Everything you’re all doing is making her angrier and more destructive.”

 

“Well she can grab me out of my running so I got nothing…”

 

“Me and Marcel are unable to hit her as well if she stays in the air…”

 

“My arms as well as Kayla’s are currently preoccupied holding the two of you…”

 

“Well I can’t really do anything...if I try to go all out with my electricity I could severely hurt her…”

 

“And while she’s like this, my voice is completely useless against her…”

 

“Well I can’t do anything! I’m just the wall!...HRRK…” while they were all bickering, all the adults are lifted into the air.

 

“MAN...W-WE NEVER LEARN DO WE...H-HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE BEEN IN A NEAR SIMILAR SITUATION FROM BEING UNABLE TO AGREE ON SOMETHING??...” Bella says, completely strained.

 

“I’M...NOT HAPPY...WITH THAT SPECIFIC NOSTALGIA…” Penny says as she struggles in the air.

 

In the distance the group are seemingly done fending off anymore shadows as they notice their parents in the air “H-HEY! OVER THERE! KATY’S ABOUT TO ANNIHILATE OUR FAMILIES!...” Paula says garnering their attention immediately. They all rush towards her to stop her, but are beaten to the punch as Katy suddenly grabs her heart in pain.

 

“H-Haaaargh…” The blue light leaves her eyes as she coughs up a slight bit of blood. Her body slowly drops downwards.

 

“T-The hell?” PJ shouts as he stops running.

 

“K-KATY!” Lammy just picks up the pace to now catch her.

 

(“Did her auto run out?!”) Ma-san does the same.

 

All the adults are let go as the fall downwards. Bella and Kayla stop their impact by summoning snow, but Katy is caught by a calico cat before she hits the ground “Katherine...that was marvelous...you’ve made me so proud...finally~...” the calico vaults Katy over his shoulder as the others finally run up to him. The younger group stop running and immediately hide away.

 

“ROBERT! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO OUR DAUGHTER?!”

 

“Calm yourself dear. She is well.”

 

“THAT IS THE OPPOSITE OF WELL. I SWEAR IF YOU HARMED HER-”

 

“Are you an idiot? I would NEVER harm this amazing talent! Noella think for a second, our daughter is a glorious prodigy! Why would I want to harm this?!”

 

“...What did you do…”

 

“Well clearly seeing as you idiots were about to get yourselves killed for talking to much once again...I decided to lend you my aide once more. I stopped her heart for a bit by cutting off the blood circulation so that her body would finally calm down. After all, if you let her continue on like this, she’d destroy everything in her wake. And can you blame me for my decision? This was the way of stopping her without hurting her in the process and without much hesitation needed. She is fine and apprehended now no?~”

 

“That’s not...gah…”

 

“Bob...we are thankful for your assistance.” Papa Rappa says as he walks up “Though your method was severely unorthodox...it was still amazing to receive your help at all…” _But how strong is your liquid control if you bypassed my device..._

 

“Think nothing of it...I was just overjoyed to see how amazing my daughter ended up being…~ Think of the things she could do if she raised her ability properly! You know Noella...I agree with your method of keeping her away form us. Had she been with us throughout her life...this ability would’ve been tainted and she might have come off as quite a more destructive girl, but here she didn’t really strike at us, only those strong doppelganger fellows.” The other adults all grimace as they hear him speak on “Well I must take my leave. You lot are still busy with said doppelgangers right? I’ll leave you to it! And I’ll leave her with…” He extends his arm backwards and then flicks it forward. A quick scream is heard as Sunny lands on her butt in front of Robert “You there.”

 

“W-What...w-where am-”

 

“You can ponder that later. Here.” He hands the flower the unconscious cat “I can smell that you are a healer correct?”

 

“E-Erm...yes?”

 

“Then heal her up. If she stays like this, her instincts might run amok again. You wouldn’t want that right?~”

 

“M-Meep…” Sunny wastes no time in healing the cat. The calico turns around and begins walking away, the other adults merely scoff as they all run off to stop more doppels. Noella and Papillon walk up to Sunny.

 

“We're sorry to burden you with this…”

 

“I-It’s no biggie...I would’ve done this anyway.”

 

“Please take care of my daughter…”

 

“I’ll do my best!” the remaining two elder adults run off as Sunny is now surrounded by the group instead.

 

“Poppy are you alright??” Matt says as he tries to help the flower and the cat up.

 

“Aside from a sore butt? I’m fine, can’t say the same for her...but I’m fixing that right away!”

 

“I hope Parappa’s having a better time than she did…” Lammy says as she looks to the air.

 

* * *

 

Leo finishes up the final song of the performance as he now talks to the audience

 

“NOW I HOPE YOU HAD JUST AS FUN A TIME AS I DID!” they all roar in a unified ‘yes’ “THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKIN ABOUT! NOW HOW’S ABOUT- HRRK…” Leo grabs his torso as he falls over onto his knees. The image of his mother’s heart stopping flashes quickly through his head. The audience gasps but he quickly gets back up “SORRY FOLKS! I HAD JUST REALIZED THE TIME AND LOOKS LIKE I MAY HAVE HAD TOO MUCH FUN WITH YOU ALL! AFTER ALL YOU KNOW THAT I USED TO BE ONE BUSY BOY IN THE PAST RIGHT?” The conjoined noises that signify yes are echoed through the building “RIGHT! AND NOW’S NO DIFFERENT! I MIGHT HAVE ORGANIZED SOMETHING THAT I WAS ALSO SUPPOSED TO BE HEADING OFF TO RIGHT NOW! AND WITH THAT I SAY THANK YOU FOR TODAY BURNOUT JUNCTION! EVERYONE BETTER STAY AMAZING! PEACE!” His jetpack starts up and he quickly flies out of the building. Claire runs after him.

 

“TEACH! WHERE ARE YOU GOING??”

 

Momo walks out and stops her “Now now there Claire! He’s just busy is all! Be a dear and get his car won’t you? He went off in such a hurry that he forgot he left it!”

 

“Yeah, he’ll be fine Claire. Have some faith in your teacher!” Mushi says with a reassuring but hard slap on her back.

 

“...Ok…”

 

* * *

 

Parappa and Raparra show no signs of stopping as they crash around into each other, but finally they land harshly into the ground.

 

“You’ve done nothing...but PISS ME OFF…” Raparra coughs violently as he grabs Parappa by the neck and continuously slams him into the ground.

 

The body lights up and forces him off from all the static. The body once again performs its ‘soul shocker’ that stuns the hell dog heavily. Before he can try to shake off the lightning. Parappa’s fist connects once again with that lower left portion of his body “RHAPSODY...WRAAAAAAAATH!”

 

“GYAGH...N-Not...t-there...you...fucker…!” His fist slides upwards into an indignation filled uppercut that launches Raparra skyward. Once in the air, his body jerks heavily from all the electricity. It’s topped off with an explosion that slams him back into the ground before Parappa “F-Fucking...dammit...I won’t...I won’t stand for this!...blargh…” He violently vomits on the ground, giving Parappa the opportune moment to strike. Unfortunately, as luck would have it...Parappa’s autopilot had finally clocked out…

 

 **“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”** Parappa’s body is encased in a massive thunderbolt that begins dispersing off of him, signifying that he could no longer keep up with what his body was forcing itself to do as every bit of electrical energy was sucked dry from him. He falls to his knees and hands, the pain of what just happened forced him awake. He has no memory of what happened as the last thing he saw was Raparra about to stomp his face in “W-Where...where am I…” his body aches everywhere almost immediately “Ragh...m-my body...everything...it hurts...I can’t...move…”

 

Raparra stops vomiting and soon he notices Parappa unable to move. He walks up to him slowly “I gotta say...what you did...what you’ve done...it’s ridiculous...You’ve done the impossible...you kept up with me...you HURT me...you’ve wounded my body, but most severely...you’ve wounded my pride...gotta say...I’m actually overwhelmed...It’s a sense of enjoyment to see that someone...someone actually kept up with me...someone actually brought me to my goddamn knees. I always pictured this event as putting a smile on my face because I’d finally for once get some enjoyment...and you know what?...I did…” He grits his teeth as he lifts the topsider dog by his neck “UN-FUCKING-FORTUNATELY FOR YOU. IT’S ALL OVERSHADOWED BY MY ETERNALLY DAMNED RAGE! OF ALL THE FUCKING PEOPLE ON THIS FORSAKEN PLANET. IT HAD TO BE YOU. FUCKING **_YOU!_ ** ” His hair once again whips about “THIS IS A NIGHTMARE, A FUCKING NIGHTMARE THAT I JUST CAN’T WAKE UP FROM! YOU BROKE MY BONES, YOU MADE ME BLEED...YOU BROUGHT ME TO MY FUCKING KNEES AND NEARLY BEAT ME...I WON’T ACCEPT THAT...I WON’T GO DOWN TO YOU! I WILL FUCKING DESTROY YOU! SO THANKS FOR NOTHING YOU PIECE OF-” Two legs embed themselves in the side of Raparra’s head as he’s sent off into a wall, busting it open immediately. The rain and thunder all stopping as that happened.

 

“FUCK RIGHT OFF. I’M SICK AND TIRED OF YOU ALWAYS GETTING YOUR GODDAMN WAY!” Rammy notices the clearing skies “They must’ve stopped Katy to...but forget that...Paraps...can you get up?...”

 

“I-I can stand…barely...but I can...what the hell happened to me...I feel like I’ve been bled dry…”

 

“Don’t worry about it...just know you nearly kicked his ass on your own…”

 

“I-Is he finally down?...”

 

“Yeah...the fucker finally went down...and not just him...the others, they beat all them other shadows...we finally won man.”

 

The wall that Raparra was sent through explodes even further open.

 

“Oh you’ve gotta be fucking kidding me…”

 

“H-He can’t be…”

 

“ALRIGHT THEN BITCH...YOU KNOW WHAT...I’LL THROTTLE YOU AS WELL!” Raparra sluggishly walks out from the crash site and looks at the two of them “My body hurts...BUT I’M GONNA MAKE YOU ALL HURT SO MUCH MORE!”

 

“LIKE HELL I’M GONNA LET YOU LAY ANOTHER FINGER ON PARAPPA!” Rammy takes a fighting pose.

 

“AND I AM NOT LETTING YOU TAKE RAMMY AWAY FROM US!” Parappa forces his body upwards.

 

“JUST FUCKING TRY AND STOP ME!” Raparra roars as he runs to them.

 

“WATCH US!” Both topsiders shout as they run to him.

 

In the distance a sluggish Chris tries to catch up to the action, only to stop and say aloud “Can you...fucking...leave me be...you...traitor?!...”

 

“Nu...Nuh-uh...you’re...gonna try and help...that asshole Raparra…” says a battered Kitty.

 

“So...what if...what if I am?...”

 

“Open...your fucking eyes...and clean out...your fucking ears...i’m only...gonna say this once…” She gets closer to him “You...fucking lost...that stupid asshole...fucking lost...EVERYONE IN HELL…FUCKING LOST...but that damn idiot is gonna keep on at it...he’s gonna throw so many people away just to do something that won’t even be fucking worth in the end...and you know that better than anyone Chris…”

 

“I don’t give a shit…”

 

“You’re gonna...you were advocating for his crap...they’ll do you in much harder than they will him…”

 

“...What the hell are you suggesting?...”

 

“Help me...help them...knock that fucker down…”

 

“I’D BE BRANDED A TRAITOR LIKE YOU!”

 

“Atleast it’s a better end result than what will happen to you if you don’t do this…” She crosses her arms “I know you could care less about yourself, but you do care about that asshole. So why not try and mitigate the shit he’ll put himself in? Just take the L, and let us live our lives here in peace…”

 

“...I fucking hate you…” the shadow Matt cries angrily in defeat.

 

“Oh don’t give me that, everyone down there hates me. You’re nothing special scum…”

 

He growls before scoffing “Fine...let’s go stop Raparra…” They both force themselves to the trio.

 

We see Parappa and Rammy repeatedly strike at Raparra while he does the same to them. Despite the condition that the hell dog was in, he was still hitting exponentially hard. He slams his fist into their guts. They slam theirs into his chest. He slams their faces together, they stomp their feet into his face. This brutal exchange goes on, neither side wanting to give in. Raparra finally speaks up again “Why is it that you lot refuse to just accept the end??”

 

“I mean...the same can be said with you...” Parappa says as he breathes heavily, his body twitching from pain. Shivering from the agony of what his body forced itself to do. Raparra finds himself in a near similar situation, but he shrugs off the screaming pain that his body is telling him as he stands upright. Rammy stands next to Parappa also heaving, but not on the same level as either dog. She stands slightly balanced, not as much as Raparra, but not as slumped over as Parappa.

 

“Why are you even doing any of this faker? Why even fucking care for a traitor of ours?!”

 

“Because has it ever occured to you even once, that the conditions you all subject yourselves down there is...I dunno...unhealthy??”

 

“OF FUCKING COURSE IT’S UNHEALTHY, THAT’S WHY WE WANT TO BEAT YOU ALL AND SWAP THE ROLES!”

 

“Oh don’t give me that crap...you honestly think that if you even manage that… that if you guys turn the surface into your own personal version of it...that things will get better??...Just like that??”

 

“YES...That’s what we’ve been told day by day...that’s what we’ve been shown to be the case...it’s all I have left to believe...and now...I finally have that fucking opportunity...but you...fucking you...you ruined all of that…”

 

“I DIDN’T RUIN ANYTHING. YOUR _‘PLAN’_ FAILED BECAUSE YOU’RE AN IDIOT. YOU’RE ALL IDIOTS! NONE OF YOU CAN STAND ONE ANOTHER THAT YOU CAN’T WORK WELL ENOUGH TOGETHER...YOU’RE GETTING IN EACH OTHER’S WAY BECAUSE YOU REFUSE TO WORK TOGETHER IF IT WON’T BENEFIT YOU ALL AT THE SAME TIME!” Parappa coughs violently “Urkkk...feeeh...even...if by chance you won and got your way...you wouldn’t be happy...you all can’t stand one another due to the…’motivation’ you all give yourselves to be your topsider double...it’d just be hell all over again…”

 

“You shut your fucking face...you wouldn’t know that…”

 

“OH BUT I DO!...WHY THE FUCK DO YOU THINK RAMMY **AND** KITTY WANNA STAY TOPSIDE?! I DON’T SEE ANY HELL SHADOWS UP HERE! DO YOU?!” Raparra growls “EXACTLY! YOU GUYS AREN’T ANYWHERE AROUND TO RUIN THEIR RECOVERY! THEY’RE SURROUNDED BY PEOPLE WHO AREN’T COMPLETE AND UTTER SHIT TO ONE ANOTHER! WHO INSTEAD CARE FOR THEM! GIVE THEM SUPPORT RATHER THAN TWISTED WORDS THAT I REFUSE TO CALL ‘ENCOURAGEMENT’! ALL YOU IDIOTS...WE’D WELCOME YOU ALL WITH OPEN ARMS IF YOU WEREN’T SO DEAD SET ON THIS STUPID NON EXISTENT RIVALRY! THIS STUPID AGENDA YOU ALL HAVE!”

 

“SHUT THE **_FUCK_** UP!” Raparra flies at them at an unresponsive speed as he slams his flame infused fists into their stomachs once more. The impact is nothing like his prior attacks as both Parappa and Rammy are flung like nothing away, the flames burning away what remained of their shirts. The slam heavily on their backs, and they struggle to find the strength to stand back upright **_“I DON’T WANT TO HEAR ANYMORE BULLSHIT LIES FROM YOUR BITCH ASS MOUTH! ALL MY FUCKING LIFE I’VE BEEN TOSSED AROUND AND DRAGGED FACE FIRST ACROSS THE SHARP JAGGED GROUND! DAY BY FUCKING DAY MY BODY’S BEEN BATTERED AND BROKEN TO A FUCKING POINT THAT I JUST HAD IT! I PURPOSEFULLY ABUSED MY BODY FROM THEN ON SO THAT IT COULD WITHSTAND FUCKING ANYTHING. I WAS ROBBED OF MY HAPPINESS THAT I STRUGGLED AND BRAWLED TO RAISE MY STRENGTH SO THAT I COULD TAKE IT BACK BY FUCKING FORCE! I BECAME HELL’S STRONGEST MAN, IT’S NIGHTMARE! AND I REFUSE TO LOSE TO YOU! I DID NOT COME THIS FUCKING FAR IN MY SHITSTAIN OF A LIFE TO LOSE IT ALL AGAIN! I HAD TO FIGHT AND CLAW MY WAY OUT. CUT DOWN FOOL AFTER FOOL JUST TO KEEP ON HOPELESSLY CHASING AFTER MY SHOT AT JOY! AND I REFUSE TO LET MY FUCKING FAKER CHERISH IN THAT JOY THAT I COULD NOT. FOR. FUCKING. FREE!”_** Raparra howls at the sky before running to take them on again, but he’s stopped by a fist and a guitar slamming him into the ground “ **FUCKING!** FUCK FUCK _FUCK FUCK_ **_FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!_** WHO FUCKING ELSE WANTS TO MESS WITH ME?!” his eyes meet with Chris and Kitty “YOU TWO?! FUCKING WORTHLESS TRAITOR...AND _YOU?!?!?!_ ”

 

“Your goddamn right me…”

 

“Raparra...just give up man...it’s not worth it. What your damn double said...we just can’t do shit...we can’t coordinate properly like they can and we can only do so much by going lone wolf...every single hell shadow as been knocked out senseless...we don’t have anymore people to send...and if we force them to fight we’ll end up being wiped out...the court...they’re not gonna be happy with you...even if you get this girl down there...it won’t be worth it...even if you win...you lose...they’ll punish you severely for what you’ve lost now...don’t increase that torture by forcing this to go on.”

 

“YOU...YOU DON’T FUCKING GET TO SAY ANYTHING...TRAITOR!!”

 

“I’M TRYING TO JUST STOP THE NEEDLESS PAIN SO THAT AT WORST YOU JUST GET A SLAP ON THE WRIST!”

 

“I DON’T FUCKING CARE ABOUT ME! I’M FUCKING CLOSE TO WINNING. I DON’T CARE WHAT THE OTHERS DO. KEEP ON DOING WHATEVER SHIT THEY CAN TO DISTRACT THE TOPSIDERS. BECAUSE ONCE I FINISH THESE FUCKERS, THEY’RE NEXT... **_YOU TWO ARE NEXT!_ ** ” He tries to get back up “I WILL DO WHAT I FIND WORTH IT TO FUCKING WIN, EVEN IF IT FUCKING KILLS ME, EVEN IF FUCKING EVERYONE HAS TO DIE FOR IT! I WILL NOT LOSE TO FAKES!”

 

“You’re mad...that unyielding personality that I fell for...oh it’s nothing more than blind rage and insanity...you’re gonna get yourself killed and you’ll be forcing everyone down with you...that’s not what you’d do before...that’s not why you got this strong in the first place...what do I still see in you…”

 

“FUCKING SHUT UP! YOU DON’T KNOW ME...NOBODY FUCKING DOES!”

 

“...You were right Kitty…”

 

“Feh...nothing new…now I let you talk, and he ain’t pacified...so that leaves my suggestion…” She holds out her guitar “BEATING HIM DOWN!”

 

“...Yes…” Chris sadly readies a fighting stance.

 

“YOU TWO AREN’T HALF THE TROUBLE THEY WERE! I’LL **END** YOU TRAITORS!” Raparra beats his chest like a gorilla as he fights with the two weakened hell shadows. Like he stated, they weren’t much for him even in his withered state, but they still did enough to harm him further. Chris was swatted aside, and Raparra grabs Kitty’s guitar as she tries to hit him with it and throws it aside. The two are left deadlocked in a grab “You stupid worthless fucking piece of shit...how dare you approach me and think you’re on my fuckin-”

 

“Blah blah fucking blah…I’m stupid? Who sent the entirety of the hell shadows only to have them all lose, i’m a piece of shit? Who’s currently fucked up like they had a nice embrace with a jet engine, I’M WORTHLESS? WHO’S ON THEIR FUCKING KNEES TRYING TO GRAPPLE WITH ME?!~”

 

“FUCK OFF YOU CUNT!” He flicks his arms out, taking hers with them. He uses the opening to smash his head into hers, breaking her nose as she’s sent back “I AM NOT AS WORTHLESS AS YOU! I CAN ACTUALLY FIGHT... **AND WIN!** ” Kitty falls over, but instead of being angry, she laughs through the pain “WHAT IS IT?!”

 

“Y-You think you’ve won?...N-No fucking way...you’ve lost...the second you came to the surface...and’ i’m fucking chershing it...the big bad Raparra...dropped to his knees...Raparra bled like a bitch...Raparra got his bones broken like glass...Raparra...LOST TO HIS SO CALLED FAKER...WHO HE CLAIMED WOULD NEVER BE A MATCH FOR HIM. BUT IS NOW NOTHING MORE THAN HIS PLAYTHING. RAPARRA, IS THE WORLD’S BIGGEST FAKE. AND THE WORLD’S MOST WORTHLESS FAKER!”

 

 **_“I’M GONNA KILL YOU!”_ ** the hell dog tackles the girl while she’s on the ground and begins punching her in the face. He only gets three punches in before his fists are caught by Parappa and Rammy. He’s now left open for them to slam their own fists along with his own right back into his face, getting him off the hellcat.

 

“T-Took you long enough…” the hellcat coughs out as her cheeks turn a darker shade of purple mixed with blue from the bruising.

 

“Thanks for buying us time to catch are breath Kitty…” Parappa tries to help her up, but she uses the last of her strength to smack his hand away.

 

“S-Shut up and kick his ass...you...m-mutt…” She looks away, her mouth turns into a smile as she begins crying on the spot. Despite the pain, she’s happy she actually got to hit Raparra and survive to enjoy that fact. She’s also happy that these two managed to save her when they did.

 

“Ohoho believe me...I’m gonna do just that.” Rammy says as she and Parappa walk up to the dog who gets up and vomits once more, this time more painfully. He once again shakes it off and stands back up.

 

“Y-You...you fuckers...ain’t gonna win!”

 

“Neither are you…” Rammy glances to Parappa “Paraps...you have enough juice in you to do more electric shit?...”

 

“Rammy I don’t even have enough strength to throw another punch...I used all that I had left in getting him off of Kitty…”

 

“Dammit...same here...but on the bright side...dipshit over there...doesn’t look like he has much left in him either. The self proclaimed ‘endless flame’...is about to burn out…” she glances over the withered Raparra who shakes and trembles, no longer able to shrug off the pain it would seem.

 

“Does that tidbit matter?...He could sneeze and we’d keel over…”

 

“It does because what you just said...applies to him also...come on Paraps...this is the home stretch…One more hit...together...that should be enough...I can feel it…”

 

“Ohhhh man...I’m gonna puke if I do...but...you’re right...I feel it to…” The both perform a pathetic readying pose as they stare down the hell dog.

 

“I’m...I’m gonna...fucking...ah forget it...forget the stupid ass threats...I’m just gonna beat ya...HERE AND...N-...NOW!” all three of them shout as they rush towards each other. Raparra makes the first hit though as his fists connect cleanly with the center of their faces. Raparra laughs thinking he’s won, but the two don’t give up as they still launch their punch. They slam together upon his weak spot once more for a third time. Raparra yells as all three of them are sent flying. But as the hell dog flies, his mind is send into a nervous shut down. _Three strikes...i’m...oooooouuuuuuuttttt…_ He crashes onto the ground painfully, and he does not move. Raparra...has lost.

 

Rammy and Parappa land on the ground side by side and merely breath heavily until Parappa speaks up “D-Did we...did we f-finally do it?...”

 

“H-Ha!...Y-Yeah!...we did!...the fucker...i-isn’t getting up any more!...w-we won!...W-WE BEAT RAPARRA!...” She painfully forces herself to sit up and helps Parappa sit up as they both weakly laugh. They try to stand back upright, but as they do. They hear weak laughter from where the shadow fell “No...N-No…”

 

“H-He’s fucking insane...he’s not real…”

 

“A-AAAAA...AHHAHAHAA...L-LIKE...urf...L...IKE I...SAID...R-RA...P-PARRA...N-NEVER...loses…” He fraily holds himself upright, his left arm is completely out of it, but he’s still standing “I-I...won’t...fall...n-no matter the...p-p...ain!...” He ‘runs’ to them.

 

“D-DAMMIT!...” Rammy sluggishly ‘runs’ forward as well

 

“I WON’T...L-LET YOU!...” Parappa also ‘runs’ forward to.

 

As the hell shadow gets close to them, the pain from having his weak spot hit three times finally catches up as his body, completely shuts down. He was still very much wide awake, but his body would not be. He falls onto his knees as he slides between them. The action tosses the two off balance as they trip and fall onto their own knees. Parappa violently begins vomit from no more strength being within him. Rammy is left as the only one able to move, and move she does as she gets back up. With Raparra temporarily disabled, she quickly grabs Kitty’s guitar and walks over to Raparra.

 

“I-It’s game over…”

 

“d-dammit…”

 

“Forget just knocking you out...you’re too much an insane unending nuisance...

 

_“Dammit…”_

 

“I’M GONNA CAVE YOUR SKULL IN AND END IT ONCE AND FOR ALL! NO MORE THREAT OF RAPARRA!...” she holds the guitar up her head.

 

**_“DAMMIT!!!!!!!!”_ **

 

“RAMMY NO!...” Parappa says as he finally stops puking.

 

 **“HEY! TRAITOR!”** Rammy stops mid swing, she looks to the side and immediately her eyes grow wide “That got your attention…” The hell shadow that spoke looked similar to Paula. Next to her was AJ who was holding Chris by the neck, and next to her was a Ma-san shadow that was holding Kitty by hey neck “Now. See here, I’m gonna need you to NOT kill that idiot.”

 

“M-Maaaaan...we were right in not going out at the time...everyone else got fucking destroyed!...” Says the toy panda “You made the right call Charlotte…”

 

(“Eh...I prefer staying put...why rush shit ya know?”)

 

“Fei-bo shut up and just keep your hands around that girls neck…”

 

(“Waaah...I don’t wanna...I’d rather be helping that cutie who kicked that idiot’s ass so nicely~...”)

 

“Fool around with that topsider another day...right now...the mission...right well...Alright Rammy. See...you-”

 

“KITTY!” Parappa’s friends shout out as they arrive on the scene, all of them revitalized thanks to Sunny, even the freshly awakened Katy.

 

“Ah-ah-ah! Not one step closer! Alrighty, as I was saying...see...gonna need you to not kill him...he’s now in big trouble along with you and these two dummies over here. I’mma need you to drop the guitar and just come with us…” Rammy grips the guitar neck tightly “Up-up-up! Now don’t do that...or else they’ll…” She snaps her fingers. AJ and Fei-bo’s grips on the two other traitor hell shadow’s necks tighten as they slowly twist their heads “Be snapped like a twig!~” Rammy growls “I’m sorry...but it’s orders from the court...I gotta follow else they’ll just fix up Raparra and send him kick my ass, or if I let you kill him, they’ll send someone for my head for failing to do as instructed. So either way I die, atleast with Raparra I’ll be unconscious in a flash sooo...yah. You don’t do that, we don’t do this.”

 

“H-Hnnng…”

 

  
“R-Rammy...don’t do it...just...kill that stupid idiot…”

 

“...Yeah...I got no love left to live for so i’m cool with dyin...kill him off to for me...tossing us all aside like garbage...that wasn’t Raparra...and I refuse to let what’s left of him tarnish his name further…”

 

“Oh you two are such bad sports…” Charlotte sighs as she slaps both traitorous shadows.

 

“Rammy…” Parappa wants so badly to tell her not to, but at the same time...this might happen again if she doesn’t “Do what you feel is right. Follow your heart…everything will be ok no matter the choice you make…”

 

Rammy takes in his words and shuts her eyes, her arms go back over her head “Oh...you made the wrong…” she let’s go of the guitar as it drops to the ground “...choice...huh...good girl~”

 

“Rammy…” Kitty squeaks out.

 

“Guess i’m left to suffer further…” Chris sighs.

 

Rammy turns her head to Parappa “You better save me...I don’t want to be down there…”

 

“Don’t worry...it’s fated to happen...I’ll be down there to get you out before you know it…” with that said, Rammy falls to her knees. The others are unable to get to them due to the other shadows still holding the two hostage.

 

Charlotte slams her hand down on Rammy’s head like a chop. Charlotte isn’t exactly as strong as all the other shadows, but given Rammy’s current condition, it was enough to knock her out. She then looks to Parappa as she starts wobbling “What a day, but I gotta agree with Fei-bo, you are quite the hottie! Not everyday I can see a guy do all that he did as if he were an action superhero on the big screen, it was bewildering and heart snatching~ It boosts your attractiveness tenfold with the fact that you kicked Raparra’s ass so amazingly~ Really made a mess of him good! It was like a dream come true~...but I guess every dream needs to end as you wake up, but still, you are quite the superhero! Atleast in my eyes~” she bends over to the motionless boy and pecks him on the forehead before turning around, but Parappa calls out to her.

 

“Wait you saw everything we did??”

 

“Of course. The court had an eerie feeling that mister ham fist here would somehow fuck it up ever since he failed his first scouting mission and came back all pissy. So when he went up today, they decided to gather some cameras from the since dead Satan and used them to spectate the entire ordeal you lot have been through. They saw him not only fuck up in managing everyone, but also lost to his double. And more importantly, ignoring the mission he was supposed to be doing in the first place. What was originally supposed to be one person being brought to trial now has to be seven.”

 

“That explai- Seven??”

 

“Yes seven. Rammy along with the newly traitorous Kitty and Chris. Raparra for his neglecting failure. And even us three for not going up here to sneak around and complete the mission ourselves. While waiting kept us out of danger, it was still not doing anything to better the situation. And when they found out, well our new mission was to pick these guys up and turn all ourselves in.”

 

“And you’re alright with that??”

 

“Listen cutie, like i’m sure you heard me say aloud. Even if I didn’t do this, and I tried to sneak away...they’d probably done something else or send someone else to have us suffer the same fate as what Rammy over here would’ve done to Raparra. So we were shit outta luck from the start. They could never threaten Raparra or any of us this way because of his ludicrous strength, until now. Thanks to you, it looks like the seven of us...are outta luck. Like I said, the dreams over, it’s time to wake up.”

 

“That’s...that’s not what I wanted…”

 

She resumes walking to the downed body of Rammy and motionless Raparra “Alright...you’re coming with us…” Charlotte gets AJ to place Raparra over his shoulder as he holds the limp Chris over his other one. Fei-bo places Kitty over her back as they all walk by. Charlotte grabs Rammy and drags her away. Once a decent enough distance away, she stomps the ground creating one more entrance to Hell, one that slowly starts closing up. She hops in with Rammy. Fei-bo jumps in with Kitty, but just before AJ can jump in, Raparra separates himself from the panda and kicks him into the hole. He stomps the ground making the hole grow back to it’s wide open state and stay that way.

 

“R-RAPARRA WHAT ARE YOU DOIIIIIING!” AJ shouts as he and Chris fall down the hole. Raparra merely stares at the group.

 

“I...FUCKING WANT YOU TO FOLLOW ME...THIS...ISN’T...OVER!…I REFUSE TO...DIE BY EXECUTION...WITHOUT...BEATING…….you……….” with the last of his energy gone, he passes out and falls down the entrance.

 

With the shadows all gone, Sunny rushes up to Parappa and starts healing him on the spot. Everyone else rushes up thereafter “You’re gonna be ok…”

 

“I know...the wounds will heal...but I still let Rammy down…I let them all down...how was I supposed to know that the threat was bigger than I could’ve ever imagined! I DIDN’T KNOW THEY’D ALL DIE JUST FROM ME TRYING TO HELP OUT TWO PEOPLE! I’VE JUST ENDANGERED ALL THE HELL SHADOWS!”

 

“To hell with that mentality Parappa! We won! YOU won! We beat back all them other doppelgangers that they ran away with their tails between their legs! And you beat YOUR doppel! We didn’t know that it’d end up this way! And they didn’t even bother telling us so it’s on them! But regardless, Raparra even made it so you can go after them and get Rammy and KItty back! And potentially save all of them! You didn’t fail anyone except for your body! Are you ok for real??”

 

“Peej i’m fine...heh...hoo...fuck everything burns like you wouldn’t believe...I don’t know what the hell happened...I wake up to see the guy badly beaten up, but I can’t move...did you guys see anything??”

 

“I didn’t really see anything...I was passed out to after Raparra smashed me away...Did...I do anything??...” Everyone looks at Parappa, as if to tell him to not tell her.

 

“No...Nothin happened...how about with me?...”

 

“Nothing happened there either man, don’t worry. Other than you kicking your doppels ass.”

 

“Heh...I still can’t believe...I actually beat Raparra...how’s everyone else?!”

 

“Relax, everyone’s a-ok! And anyone who got a little scuffed up got quickly fixed up by Poppy here!” Sweety says as she grabs her shoulders and shakes her gently.

 

“For once, I’ll accept the praise! This was one massive thing that desperately could’ve been alot worse had there not been a healer! And luckily I was here~”

 

“N-No kidding...who knows what would’ve happened if y-you weren’t...I shutter to think about i-it…”

 

(“Relax Lambs! It’s gonna be fine! Now come on, let’s go get Rammy AND Kitty back! That Kitty...I cannot believe she got the entire town to help…”)

 

“That’s why I was so confident in going through with this plan...I had faith that she’d convince everyone to help.”

 

“So you knew?” Matt says with a raised eyebrow.

 

“Yeah...what threw me for a loop was the constant little mix ups that happened here and there...man...but the end result was the same in the end…”

 

“And...fixed! Along with a little extra OOMPH to get that pep back in your step!” Parappa feels incredibly energized as she lets go of him. He front flips onto his feet and begins breakdancing around.

 

“WOWOWOWOW! I FEEL GREAT! Man it’s almost as if I didn’t get the snot beat out of me painfully!”

 

“I really rather not give that little extra boost as I worry it’ll make you guys more reckless, but here...I think you’re gonna benefit from it!” She winks at the dog as he stops dancing.

 

“Thanks so much Poppy! Man I feel amazing!”

 

“That’s great to here man, but please, can you put a shirt on?”

 

“Huh?...OOOH! My shirt got burned off thanks to Raparra!...and...MY HAT! WHERE’S MY HAT?!”

 

“Relax! I have it!” Sunny pulls out the hat that’s neatly folded and protected “I made sure to keep it one piece!~”

 

“Man that’s another thing I’m thankful for! I owe alot to you Poppy, thanks a million!”

 

“Ohoho it’s no biggie~...”

 

“Right then...I’ll get a shirt, and then we head down that hole…”

 

(“You know...I ain’t sure it’d be smart of us to just...jump...this place is really fucking jagged...and unlike them, we don’t know how to properly fall without hurting ourselves…”)

 

“We’d need to fly down…but only Paula can fly!...” Katy says abruptly.

 

“A-Ahah...yeah only I can fly…ahem...well...I can’t carry all of you!”

 

“But I can!...” A new voice says from above. They all look and spot Leo.

 

“LEO!”

 

“Are all of you ok?!”

 

“Aw we’re fine ma-OOF!...” Matt’s shoved aside as Leo runs to Katy and Parappa.

 

“Are the two of you ok??...”

 

“We’re fine son, you clearly see me and Katy movin about right?”

 

“Yeah what he said, we got a little battered is all, but thanks to Poppy we’re up and runnin again!”

 

“Yeah...sure...ignore the rest of us…” Matt says with a sigh.

 

“S-Sorry Uncle Matt...it’s just something in my heart was telling me that something terrible happened to both Katy and Parappa specifically.”

 

“Oh...well your heart’s partially correct. We had quite a big...oops moment, but they’re fine.”

 

“I’m glad...what about the rest of you??”

 

“We barely got hit. And even for whatever hits we did take, Poppy here helped patched that up.” PJ says as he pats Sunny on the head.

 

“Eheh…”

 

“Man, you are such an angel Poppy.”

 

“Oh nono, I just helped where I could is all~...”

 

“So...then. The reason you wanna go down that hole is to rescue Auntie Rammy right?”

 

“Yeah, and Kitty...they got taken...but...not the way as it should’ve gone. Now they’re all in danger!”

 

“Huh?...”

 

“I beat Raparra! But then a few more hell shadows appeared and used Kitty and Chris as hostages...they took her that way, but it turns out it was a forced scenario since they’re all in danger now...”

 

“You beat Raparra?...oh...that’s shocking...well...like I said, I can take you down there safely.”

 

“How?” as he’s asked, he calls for backup dancers. Matching them in number. All their jetpacks immediately open up.

 

“This is how.”

 

“Right...forgot about both those things, also...why do you look like that?”

 

Leo realizes he never changed and tries to cover his body, suddenly filled with embarrassment “Performance purposes…”

 

“I’m not even gonna want context. You look like a demon, or a hell shadooooooooooooWAIT THAT’LL BE REALLY USEFUL IN GETTING CLOSE TO THEM!”

 

“I’m regretting my offer already.”

 

“Oh hush up son! Everything’s still going as it should, only now you can help us save your auntie!...Auntie’S!...and...potentially even Uncles... Now come on, first fly me home so I can get a quick change of clothes!...Gonna need some for Rammy and Kitty to...well I have Rammy covered, but uh...Katy can you come with so we can let her borrow some of yours?...”

 

"Sure sure why not.”

 

“Oh boy...come on let’s hurry then.” He scoops the two of them up and flies away.

 

* * *

 

“Everyone ready?” All the Leo’s say to the group latched onto their backs.

 

“READY!” they all shout gleefully.

 

“Perfect, than awaaaaay we go!” They all fly up into the air and dive down the open entrance to Hell.

 

“WE’RE COMING FOR YOU GUYS! JUST WAIT A LITTLE BIT LONGER!” they all shout.

 

The Leo’s sway about, avoiding every dangerous formation protruding from the walls of the drop “It’s getting a little cramped…”

 

“We can make it! If they can, so can we!” Parappa says with moxie.

 

“Parappa, Leo does make a good point...we’re running out of room...we should maybe take it abit slower…”

 

“But Lammy! Every second wasted could lead their demise! We need to move! And by that we gotta go faster!”

 

“...Dad does make a point…”

 

“Ok, I gotta intervene. Leo you gotta take into account that your dad’s spontaneous plans can sometimes backfire exponentially! I say this as his best friend who knows him the longest! I’ve seen how badly his sporadic call to actions tend to end!”

 

“PJ please...there may not be anyone left to save if we go slow…”

 

“No means no! They’re gonna have a trial aren’t they? I’m sure it’ll take some time.”

 

“You don’t know that! They might just start and immediately say guilty!”

 

“I won’t deny that it’s a possibility.”

 

“THEN?!”

 

“No.”

 

“LEO!”

 

“Leo don’t you dare.”

 

“I’M YOUR FATHER, YOU GOTTA TRUST ME!”

 

“And i’m the one that made it so he could end up your father, otherwise he’d have done a stupid call like he is now.”

 

“LEO!”

 

“LEO!” Parappa and PJ go back and forth as the boy’s head starts to pound

 

“GRRRNNNGGGHHHH…” Leo panics and then ejects a struggled groan “I’m sorry uncle PJ…”

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me…” The Leo’s all pick up the pace and blast downwards at a top speed. They keep flying downwards until the main Leo smashes into an unexpected obstacle, doing so after positioning himself so that Parappa wouldn’t get hit. He is immediately knocked out and the other Leo’s vanish as a result.

 

“NONONONONOOOOOOO” Matt screams as they all hurl downwards.

 

“I TOLD YOU!”

 

“DON’T RUB IT IN!”

 

“OH I AM DEFINITELY GONNA RUB IT IN!”

 

“PJ, NOW **_WE’RE_ ** GONNA DIE!”

 

“AND WHO’S FAULT IS THAT!? I TOLD YOU NOT TO MAKE HIM GO FASTER!”

 

As they fall, six white lights appear and circle around them all, scooping them up in a miniature cyclone that takes them all to the ground safely, albeit rather roughly as they land in a painful splat once two inches off the ground. Everyone painfully tries to pick themselves off the ground, but Parappa is the only successful one as he’s the first on his feet. He looks around to see what exactly saved them and helped them all the way down. As he looks around, one of the lights appears before him as it molds into a spirit. He looks up to meet it face to face and is amazed by who he sees.

 

“Y-YOU’RE!...”

 

_Harper..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters! And credits go to Mystery Skulls!


	42. To Hell and Back

“YOU’RE-” The ghosts all whisk Parappa away, shutting him up as he vanishes away from everyone else who still struggle to sit up. He lands somewhere far away from everyone else and slaps onto the ground again “OOF...owowow…”

 

“Ya need to be less excitable you know that?~” Harper stands before him as the other lights turn into their own wispy spirit forms. They back away and stay silent. Only letting Harper speak.

 

“Harper!...erm...sorry...I sure owe the six of you alot! Saved us from quite a sticky predicament…”

 

“Yeah we did! You best be groveling at our feet this very instant!”

 

“What?? Why!...It’s not even my fault we got...actually yes it was...but still whyyyy!”

 

“Naw naw, my bad! Heh, sorry, force of habit. Can’t help playin around with people. Doesn’t help that your demeanor is equal to Leo’s. But then again, you are his pops so duh~”

 

“Sheesh, luckily i’m used to chatter like this!” he shrugs meekly “Why’d you save us anyway?”

 

“We could hear you yelling up a storm! We heard Leo’s voice in the mix and decided to pop in to stop the inevitable disaster.”

 

“Ok but HOW’D you save us? You’re ghosts!”

 

“I’m sure by now you’ve been informed of me being the heiress of hell~”

 

“That I have.”

 

“Being part of such a…’special’ lineage gives one such fun perks even while dead!~”

 

“...huh...that does make sense...wait...BUT WHY NOT DO ANYTHING TO STOP THE HELL SHADOWS FROM FLOPPI-” Harper wedges her tail into his mouth “BLGHGPHPPHH!...”

 

“Man you’re hard to keep quiet. You think I haven’t tried? The court that used to abide by everything my dad said quickly became turncoats after his demise. They won’t even listen to me so they just do whatever the fuck they want…”

 

“Wait, your dad should be a spirit to right?”

 

“He is.”

 

“Then why doesn’t he do something??”

 

“Oh cuz he’s currently in a specific part of hell and can’t come out.”

 

“Whyyyyy?”

 

“Cuz if he leaves, then evil people will try to escape and run amok on the surface again.”

 

“WHAT?!”

 

“Yep. Dad’s currently keeping the evil dead in check so he can’t really do much.”

 

“Oh that’s such an inconvenience…”

 

“Not like they’d listen to him even if he wasn’t. Those fucks are acting like the new officiants of Hell and it’s pissing me the hell off. I can’t do shit to them cuz my body can’t enter the spot they’re at! I’d kick their asses if they weren’t holed up in that little area…I don’t even wanna rule Hell, but they’re disgracing my old man...and I ain’t with it…”

 

“Do you know what’s currently going on?...”

 

“Yeah, the idiots at the council decided to use your hell shadow to evoke the same mentality that they embedded into his head, into the others. But the only problem was that the idea ended up mixing to well with the aggressive mind of your double that he did his job a little to good that nobody even wanted to do shit. See, the court wanted to get them all organized and set so they could do what Raparra tried doing...only with actual results. Any hell shadow who couldn’t abide was seen as useless and was therefore meant to be done away with. However, thanks to Raparra existing, threats couldn’t really be done and they couldn’t act on their own accord because Raparra wouldn’t kill em if they stepped outta line since Raparra still needed em for his own plan. And they couldn’t send anything else to get them because nothing was stronger than Raparra. Till you came along. Now your double’s a broken mess that’s chained away with the other six of em in the main jail cell. Problem is ALL hell shadows were proven to be useless.”

 

“As i’ve been told…”

 

“So with Raparra outta commision they can actually send their killers to do their killin.”

 

“Which I gotta stop!”

 

“Which is another reason why we saved you. See, we want you to deal with the council.”

 

“Ohohoh am I gonna deal with em!”

 

“At ease. The court themselves are pretty weak individuals. They’ll listen if you show force, which you got plenty of. Plus, since you’re NOT a spirit, you can get close to em. One problem. The killers they have are also what’s guarding em.”

 

“Aw great...so are we talking mercenaries??”

 

“Nope. My dad’s eight pets.”

 

“...I’m sorry can you repeat that.”

 

“My dad’s eight old pets that have been cruelly reeducated. Now they’re mindless killing machines that would rather be put down than suffer at the hands of those idiots. I want YOU to put em down. Get rid of em, and the court crumbles.”

 

“I can’t just kill animals!”

 

“Well they’re more like monsters really, and they’ve been put under such cruel conditions that it’s really mercy killing at this point. You’re doing them a favor.”

 

“Ugh...fine...whatever...so what are talking about? Lion’s? Alligators?”

 

“Oh nono, Cerberus and the seven layers of hell guardians.”

 

“Oh I see- WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!?! ARE YOU INSANE?! I CAN’T STAND UP TO THAT!”

 

“Oh chill oooooooooout. Their abuse put them at such a state that they’re NOTHING like they used to be now! Even the council could kill em if they were tactical enough! For a guy like you who manhandled that brute? Pssh, cakewalk!”

 

“Are y-you sure about that…”

 

“Listen Rappa, why would I lie? Like seriously, why would I want my boo’s old man dead?”

 

“Your...boo?”

 

“You forget you heard that.” she presses her finger against his nose.

 

“P-Pffft...right...forgot you two were an item~...”

 

“I  _ will _ poof away and leave you to fend for yourself.” the other five girls all nod behind her.

 

“No no no!...Alright so...tell me what I gotta do…”

 

“Right. Keep going down that path. It’s gonna eventually fork into two paths. The left will lead to the holding cells where all the shadows are imprisoned. The right should lead to the monster cages. You send your posse to free the hell shadows while you deal with the beasts! Once that happens, you just go to where your friends are and take the path to the cowards! Show em the beasts are dead and they’ll wet their pants faster than they can plead for their lives!”

 

“You sure this’ll work??...”

 

“Sure i’m sure! Now here’s the tricky part. Which group are you gonna send Leo with?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“If he goes with you, dealing with the demon pets will be easier, but you leave your friends sorta confused as to what to do. You leave em with them and they’ll have it easy as he has been here before courtesy of yours truly, but you will be going on a 1v8 mission.”

 

“Hmmm...that’s true...we’ll decide when we get there!”

 

“Great, but say it was YOUR idea. We didn’t meet, got that?”

 

“But why-”

 

“I have my reasons, trust me aight?”

 

“...Ok...So who am I fighting?...”

 

“Well you’ll have to kill Cerby, Lucy, Mams, Deus, Levi, Bub, Belphie and MonMon.”

 

“...wait...but that’s not what their names ar-”

 

“Cuz the names my dad gave em suck. Mine are way more better! Wouldn’t you agree?~”

 

“E-Eheh...s-sure are!”  _ Hard to sound terrifying when the daughter of Satan changes your names to sound cutesy...although you guys are apparently just pets...what classifies as a pet for Satan?!?! _ “Right then...so if we get lost on the path to the fork in the road, I should just ask Leo right?”

 

“Bingo. And again, this conversation didn't happen.” she flicks her hand “Now go. Your friends are that way.”

 

“Alright. Thanks Harper!”

 

“Meh, don't thank me. I just did it to save Lee’s fam as well as give the court their just desserts.”

 

“...Thank you.~” Parappa quickly knows she's trying to brush off the generosity.

 

“Leave.”

 

He smiles and runs off. His friends are finally off the ground and Leo is awake again thanks to Sunny.

 

“There you are. We thought we lost you up there…” Matt says with a relieved sigh.

 

“Sorry!...I heard voices so I decided to scout ahead and see where everyone is!...” he points over to where he was “I heard something about holding cells over there along with stuff they plan on doing to the hell shadows!”

 

“We can't have that!...” Lammy shouts.

 

“Exactly! So we gotta go!”

 

“Can't we catch our bearings first…”

 

“PJ, shut up.”

 

“Fine...almost kill us and then you're still at it…”

 

“Relax! This is another reason for me wanting Leo to come along!” he runs over to his future boy “I want you to walk in front of all of us. With the way you look, you can fool anyone that we run into by telling them that we're prisoners being sent over to where other guys are being held! In this case the other hell shadows!”

 

“That's some smart thinking dad...but...I'm not sure it'll work…I don't think I'm convincing.”

 

“We have to give it a try!”

 

He exhales sternly before looking up to him “...Alright. I'll do it then. For Auntie Rammy!” he stands upright “I've seen how shit works around here. You guys have to stand in a set formation for them to believe you're prisoners. It's a diamond pattern, girls in the front, guys in the back!” Leo organizes everyone into position. Behind him is Lammy at the start of the diamond and at the end is Parappa due to his size as well as to properly cover their backs “Good. Then let's go!”

 

Once they get a move on, six little light orbs float over to Parappa secretly out of everyone else's sight but his own. They quickly hide under his ears, to which he instantly knows who they are. After a bit of walking, the group take in the scenery.

 

“M-Man. I must've landed in a nicer part of hell last time I ended up here…”

 

“You and me both Lammy...course I was escorted down here by Miss Yoko...you kinda…”

 

“Yeah… b-but it's odd...should the other officiants of Hell be doing something about this? The hell shadows make up a large majority don't they? I'm sure they outnumber e-even the demons...so why wipe em out…”

 

“Maybe whoever is calling for it to happen had it planned for some time…” Leo says as his tails flows about. It catches Lammy’s attention.

 

“H-Hey Leo?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Why is your tail so long in this particular form of you if Rammy’s tail is as small as mine?”

 

“Well...a couple of reasons I guess. For starters, I keep my body as how my parents left me. So I don't change my hairstyle much or get piercings and whatnot as to remember the past. I only cut my hair to keep it check. So if my other forms have something, it's a choice of my mom. In this scenario, maybe Rammy opted to not get my tail cut and wanted it to stay long and Parappa obliged. Or a personal reason, I dunno. Another reason is that I'm also part dog so my tail is probably long cuz of that. Trying to cut that off would probably…not be the same as a sheep? I don’t think that’s it cuz this next thing debunks it. When I'm your son, my tail IS cut. Or rather, it's shorter, but not as short as yours.” He shrugs “So i’ll leave it at preference of the mother and just drop the subject before my brain hurts.” He strikes his back with his hand “Speaking of hurting...man was slamming in a rock not on my to do list...thank the stars I got a friend who can fix that! ...Gotta say though...I still feel stiff…”

 

“That’s odd...you should be all good…” Sunny says as she scratches one of her tied back petals.

 

“Eh, it’s probably just nerves over this.”

 

“Oh NOW you feel remorseful??” PJ rolls his eyes “Just shake it off, that’s what we do when we realize we just have to go with it.”

 

“Oh believe me, I'm well versed in doing that. I just feel...weird is all.”

 

“Maybe it's cuz you have a chance of meeting your dead allies. The thought is probably making you anxious.”

 

“You know...you bring up a good point Katy...maybe it is that.” He hangs his head downwards “Maybe...it’d be alarming...but let’s carry on shall we?...” they move on quietly. As everyone stays silent as to not attract attention, Lammy decides to try something. She tries thinking of her shadow and begins to try every mannerism of focusing. She starts to give up after many failed attempts and that’s when something happens. It isn’t a complete swap seeing as they weren’t nearby as well as the fact that Rammy is currently behind bars, but it was a decent enough result. Half of Lammy’s vision was skewed as she could see what Rammy was seeing through her right eye. She presumed that Rammy could see what she was seeing through her left. When she sees that Rammy is about to panic, she instinctively goes ‘shhh!’ It stops Rammy who catches on, but this also alerts Leo.

 

“Shh?...Can’t get any quieter than this can we?...”

 

“N-No...I um...s-sneezed!...t-that’s it!...”

 

“Oh.”

 

“Bless you!” Everyone else says, but the ground begins rumbling, prompting Leo to panic.

 

“D-DON’T SAY THAT DOWN HERE!...” Everyone flinches as the ground stops shaking after a bit. They all sigh as Leo growls “Remember that we’re in Hell. Terms like that are poison here…” They all refocus their attention forward. One of the little orbs of light under Parappa’s ear starts to descend as if it were injured. He grabs it shoves back under his ear, painfully so as he whines from the sudden force prompting everyone to turn around to look at him.

 

“S-Something got in my eye and it stung is all!...I got it though so no worries!...” They all roll their eyes and go back to walking. The injured light whispers.

 

“Y-Yoooou fucks...don’t say stuuuff like that with meeee arouuuund…” The voice was Harper. She sounded woozy and frail. Parappa quickly whispers as low as he can.

 

“S-Sorry!...forgot you’re a demon…!”

 

“Iiiit didn’t huuuuurt befooooore when I waaaaaaas still aliiiive... only huuuurts to hear noooow cuuuuz i’m a deaaaad deeeemoooon…”

 

“W-We’ll try to avoid doing that again…” he sighs and looks forward only to see everyone looking at him again with concern “What?...”

 

“Leo I think your dad might’ve hit his head harder than you did…”

 

“You might be right about that PJ…”

 

“What???”

 

“Oh nothing...just you talking to your ears…”

 

“A-Ah...yeah bet that does seem strange don’t it?...I...have no excuse i’m sorry…”

 

With all tension and focus on Parappa, Lammy decides to start talking in a way for Rammy to understand without giving away what's happened “Hey Leo...so you've been here before?”

 

“A couple of times yes, why?”

 

“Do you know where the shadows are?”

 

“Yeah they're-”

 

“Down the left path of an upcoming fork in the road.” once again they look to Parappa “Hey, I said I scouted ahead didn't I?”

 

“Yeah...on the right should be a vacant lot if things stayed the same...but vacant spaces are a common thing here. Hell Shadows, demons, citizens of hell, spirits, zombies, etc. None of em really know what to fill the empty spaces with.”

 

“Monsters…”

 

“Eh?...”

 

“The lot is now filled with the cages of the beasts they plan to let loose and kill all the doppels with…”

 

“Man you’re amazing with recon and Intel gathering...how come I didn't inherit any of that!” as Leo says this, the partial mind swap quickly breaks from both sheep's entering a flustered state.

 

* * *

 

“They're planning on feeding us to demons??!!” all the doppels of the main group look to Rammy with a raised eyebrow.

 

“Well someone did their studying…” Raparra says from his corner. He is bound by multiple shackles. His feet and hands are bound to each other with specific cuffs and his waist and neck are chained to the wall.

 

“You saying you knew about this?”

 

“Those fucking idiots wouldn’t shut up about how ‘OH WE MANAGED TO REPURPOSE THE OLD RULER’S PETS TO FOLLOW OUR BECK AND CALL!’... I could care less. I could’ve handled them then...now with me actually done in dirty...those fucks can actually go along with their bluff…”

 

“So that’s what they meant…” Charlotte says with a defeated smirk “In a sense...these idiots were planning on killing us whenever they so felt like it...and like it or not...but you were our safeguard...that was destroyed.” She sighs “How cruel that the sight I so longed to see just meant an even worse fate for me in the end…”

 

“I mean...atleast you guys can relish in Raparra’s defeat and shame!” AJ say as he approaches the chained dog “Look at him! He’s as harmless as a puppy n-”

 

“GRAGH!” Raparra bites his hand off.

 

“OW!...” the dog spits it back into his face “Ok...not harmless...b-boy am I glad to be a toy right now…” the toy panda quickly reattaches his hand as he rushes away from the chained dog.

 

“Idiot…” Everyone rolls their eyes at the Panda.

 

“Eheh...oh what does it matter if I put myself together or not...WE’RE ALL GONNA GET EATEN ANYWAY!”

 

“You know if it shuts you up faster, we’re not getting eaten in one bite. Oh no, those things love takin their time. Sooooo. That’s a fun way to go~” Raparra says getting under the toy’s skin.

 

“AAAAAAHHH-” Charlotte raises her leg as far up as it can go in order to kick the yelling panda, smacking his head off as it ricochets off the walls. Shutting him up once it stays stuck face first into the floor.

 

“Was not about to listen to that for about an hour…”

 

“Yo can you lower your leg? I’m kinda chained here against my will and your strange fad choice in underwear is not what I wanna see…” as Raparra says this, Charlotte drops her leg into a stomp as it lands just next to his head “Oh so this is what we’re doing now huh?”

 

“I could kick your face in if I so pleased…”

 

“You could. You COULD do that, but what would you get out of it? It won’t hurt me, it won’t help your situation. And if and when I do get out of these chains, I’ll just return the favor...and your skull ain’t as durable as mine...ohoho...that pretty little face of yours would become so unrecognizable…so really, by all means. The choice is yours! Although I highly suggest you take your chances!~”

 

“...” she sighs, defeated as she drops her leg and drags her body away, completely upset “Out of all the places to die...it had to be in the same cell as you…”

 

“Could you two  _ try _ and get along? Since we’re in here and all? Same goes for all of you really.” Kitty says as she tries to get the tension between everyone in this specific cell to ease up. All this does is get Fei-bo, Chris, Raparra and Charlotte to look at her with the most uncooperative of gazes “Hey, don’t stare at me all pissy and such. It would help to ease the stupid tension in this fucking little confined space we got put in. Oh but what do I know right? I’m just Kitty Kattz, the worst excuse for a living thing imaginable. But really, am I the worst if you idiots are in the same cell as me? Really says alot don’t it. Means all of you fail just as much as me and Rammy ‘failed’.”

 

“I accepted my failure the second Raparra proved to be a bastard who changed the way he was...so that petty comeback is moot to me…I was a bigger failure than you from the start it seems for trying to stick my neck out...” Chris says as he leans back on the bars.

 

AJ manages to roll his own head around “I mean...I was a fucking mess prior really. So I’ve been knowing...don’t need you to tell me that…Course a reminder never hurts...”

 

(“Maaaaan...to hear you of all people call me that...it fucking stings...but...you’re not wrong…and I ain’t exactly doin anything to circumvent that…”) Fei-bo scratches her nose.

 

Raparra scoffs “I’d fucking bite your head off...but i’m currently incarcerated... not to mention you actually held your own marginally well against me...so me as I am now would rather not deal with you...and I regret to say you’re partially correct...I was a fucking idiot to lose to a fucker like that...whatever fluke it may have been...blegh...it leaves a shit taste in my mouth...no wait...that’s blood…” He spits out a wad of blood that had mixed with his saliva “Gross...man...that never happened to me anymore after I got this strong...was all that damned training for nothing then?...what a fucking joke I am…” Kitty and Rammy merely stare at the others willingly admitting to them being inept failures.

 

Charlotte also stares, bewildered that they’d all let Kitty get to them, especially Raparra. If he gave in to the insult so easily, how much lower was she? Was she even more worthless than the infamous Kattz? Speaking of her, when did she get the bravado to speak up? The moxie to talk back? The superiority to bring everyone down with her? When did she get...so much better? Was the surface really that big a changer for someone?... Irritated, she growls in anger as she bursts into tears “I-I’m not a failure…”

 

“Sorry to burst your bubble, but you ain’t exactly doin anything more than we are...we’re all just chained up messes…” Raparra snarls as he bangs the back of his head against the wall over and over as AJ picks up his head and reattaches it. Charlotte gets even angrier, but ultimately accepts her fate.

 

“I am a failure...a failure who’s gonna die here...a failure who is trapped in desperate anxiety inducing suspension with other failures...I woke up from a dream only to fall into a nightmare…what even am I?...”

 

“According to the council?...Nothing...just like the rest of us…” Chris says with a groan.

 

“Apparently we were never really anything to them…” AJ says trying to spin his head around.

 

“Despite the problems it caused...turns out Ram and Kattz had the better idea of going topside and staying topside...who the fuck knew...it ain’t fair…they get it for free by giving up their pride...” Raparra says as he bangs his handcuffs against the cuffs around his feet.

 

“We didn’t give up shit! We just chose to get along with our doubles! And guess what, we were happy till you assholes decided to intervene with that...Me and Kit over here were actually enjoying ourselves for once...helps when you don’t have jerks just ragging on you negatively twenty four seven...and hey...you fucks could’ve been apart of that had you not gone along with what those uppercrust jerks told you to do…”

 

“...I refuse to just be buddy buddy with my faker…”

 

“You’ve made that very clear while you and my best friend were kicking each others asses up there…”

 

“Best friend???” Raparra stares, completely bewildered.

 

“Yeah best friend!”

 

“My friend to.” Kitty adds on.

 

“Our best friend!” Rammy corrects herself.

 

“You two are unbelievable...but hey. I’m the one shackled up with you two so...maybe there’s some validation there. Seeing as we’re all gonna die and shit…”

 

“Oh stop with the ‘we’re gonna die’ bullcrap! We aren’t! You did open that hole for them didn’t ya?”

 

“I did...but they’re a no show...they probably just left us to die.”

 

“Paraps would never! And he hasn’t!”

 

“What makes you so sure that your butt buddy hasn’t just vamoosed?...”

 

“Cuz Paraps ain’t a dick like you!”

 

“You know you’re lucky we’re opposites...because that little tidbit makes me unable to argue with you.”

 

“Call it a hunch, but I know they’re here trying to find a way to rescue us as we speak!” Rammy winks with the eye that was temporarily able to see what Lammy could.

 

“Whatever…”

 

“I agree with Rammy! So let’s not get all up in each others throats! And I repeat, why not get along? We’re stuck with each other in the meantime so?”

 

“You fucks get along...I don’t see a point to it…” he blows hair out of his face “Just because our fakes are all buddy buddy with one another don’t mean we gotta be...I don’t see a reason.” He groans as he scoots closer to the wall.

 

“I agree with him...but then again...in case we do die...might as well not go down all spiteful and resent filled...why not…” Chris pulls off from the bars.

 

“I guess I don’t see a downside...even if it does seem pointless…” AJ says as adjusts every limb on his body.

 

(“Meh, got nothin better to do. Why not I ‘spose. Might as well do something extraordinary on my supposed final moments.”)

 

“...Well...i’m already pathetic and whatnot...why not hang with equal people…” Charlotte doesn’t stop crying, she merely looks away from everyone.

 

“Stop treating it like it’s torture…”

 

“Oye...we got our work cut out for us Kit…”

 

* * *

 

“We can’t let t-them get eaten!...”

 

“We won’t Lammy...dad clearly thought up a plan during his recon...so...care to fill us in?...”

 

“Riiiight...well. I want you guys to go down the prisoner path and free everyone. With Leo lookin like a demon, he could fool any of the demon guards into swapping shifts! All while I go the beast route and handle the giant monsters so that they can’t harm anyone ever ag-”

 

“No.”

 

“What do you mean no?”

 

“What do you mean, what do I mean no?? Did you already forget the entire purpose of me being back here in the past to begin with?!”

 

“...I can handle myself...plus I got the extra bonus from Poppy…”

 

“That does not necessarily make you superman dad…”

 

“I have to do SOMETHING! Otherwise the damn court will just get in the way again!”

 

“Then I’m going with you…”

 

“No way, you gotta help them out!”

 

“I’m sure once they free the hell shadows, THEY can help them out in finding the councilmen. All I gotta do is get them safely there, once I do that...i’m tagging with you.”

 

“...I refuse. I want you to assist them.”

 

“Parappa if you can ‘handle’ yourself with monsters, then we can definitely handle ourselves with freeing some shadows!” Paula states with bravado.

 

“Fine...just be careful…” they all nod as they resume walking. They soon reach the fork in the path “Alright...I’ll try to keep low and avoid any guards, you guys try to free them all as quickly as possible!”

 

“Roger!” They all rush off as Parappa discreetly rushes down the other path with maneuvers mimicking that of a spy movie. The light orbs poof out of his ears.

 

“What are you doing you dork…” Natasha says as she glances at Parappa.

 

“Being stealthy!” Parappa states this as he crawls along the ground.

 

“Wow, he really IS Leo’s dad!” Wuki says through loud laughter.

 

“Mr. Rappa sir please stop...the area is clear...just stick along the walls and hide behind the rocks whenever you hear something...just stop...this mess…”  _ Munch has one hell of a dad…  _ Mocha sighs as she rubs her forehead.

 

“Hey! Parappa’s fine! I ain’t married yet! Or have a stuffy office job! So none of this ‘Mr. Rappa’ yet!..” He says with a harumph as he sadly stops his ‘stealth maneuvers’.

 

“Dude, just go.” Harper belts out, unamused.

 

Back with the others, Leo ends up running into the guards as predicted.

 

“HALT!” WHO GOES THERE!” Shouts an all black demon with red eyes. There are four of them, and they’re all impish in appearance. Their wings are large but basic. Their tails are short and their horns are simple. They have hooves and only three fingered claws for hands as they hold tridens that they lock together to prevent further movement.

 

“Chill out you stuffy gents. Dante sent me. Said he wants a better guard keeping all of em in check seeing as I also caught these topsiders snooping around here!”

 

“Dante or the other councilmen have mention NOTHING to us over this!”

 

“Then I guess that means you’re fired. If they want a single demon to replace what many were originally doing, it shows they had no faith in you lot.”

 

“WHO ARE YOU TO SAY!”

 

“...He appears to be an archdemon.”

 

“Blasphemous! They all disappeared with Lord Satan’s demise years ago!”

 

“He has the appearance...looks like he could’ve been Satan’s right hand…”

 

“Preposterous! I will show you now! You are not allowed here! I will dispatch of you!” the demon flies towards Leo as he sighs and merely readies a fighting stance. As the demon ends up at point blank, Leo jabs him in the stomach and from the flinching motion uppercuts him with his free hand. The impact rips the demon’s head clean off his body, decapitating him with ease.

 

“Now why’d you have to go and do that…” another demon flies after him to attempt and finish what the first tried to do, but Leo grabs him out of the air and slams him into the ground. He then stomps on his head, squishing it like a grape “Man you guys aren’t smart…” He looks towards the remaining two “You gonna follow their lead?”

 

“N-No sir…! We are not foolish like them! Our humble apologies for question an archdemon...what was the order?...”

 

“They want every single one of you gone...they don’t wanna see any one of you anymore…”

 

“Understood!...” The final two demons fly towards the cells, then they fly back out and past the group with many MANY more flying after them in fear. After what seemed to be groups of thousands leaving, they finally stop and disappear in the wild yonder.

 

“That was easy! Right g-...guys?” They all stare mortified at what Leo did “Oh. You guys shocked at what I did? Don’t be. Those fuckers are lesser demons. Their durability is the equivalent to that of a fly! Even a baby could kill them with just a rattle! They’re that weak! Hell, Harper even SHOWED me a recorded video of a baby killing a swarm of em! Wanna see?~”

 

“No!...we’re good…” PJ says as relaxes his face “So in case they come back-”

 

“Just don’t let them swarm you and you’re good. Their heads are squishy and their chests are very fragile. Their arms and legs are brittle and their wings are like moist paper. Tails are also a nice thing to grab, but they don’t stay attached for long. Take your pick on how to take em down and they’ll go down faster than you can imagine!”

 

“Good to know...speaking of knowing, how’d you know about that?...”

 

“Harper used to take me to Hell just to kill loads of these fuckers just to vent...it was macabre...but I mean it worked! And there’s like an endless amount of these guys so it isn't harmful! Even the entirety of hell hates these guys and does whatever they want to them! They’re the equivalent of dealing with a swarm of angry bees. They’re also...not smart. Like...VERY not smart.”

 

“We could tell.” Matt says, also easing up “This just proves it, we can handle ourselves, you go help Parappa NOW!”

 

“Roger roger!” Leo flies off leaving the group to head on in.

 

“Now let’s find the way to open their cages…” Katy says as she looks among all the trapped hell shadows.

 

Back with Parappa again, we see him sneaking his way along. He spots lesser demons in the distance and tries to figure out a way to get past them.

 

“Demon guards here to huh?...makes sense…”

 

Harper whispers into his ear “Relax, they’re lesser demons. These useless little shits die to just about anything! They’re the hell equivalent of the dodo bird!”

 

“Well that’s not nice...i’m sure these guys are-” Of the six lesser demons he sees. One of them reclines along the wall and is immediately crushed by a rock. The one next to him bounces back in fear, causing his trident to impale the head of another lesser demon. The shock gets him to jump again and slam head first into the rock that squashed the first lesser demon. The impact to the head kills him almost immediately in the most pathetic of ways since the bruise and impact weren’t that bad. The remaining three all sigh at what just happened until the middle demon sneezes, igniting another demon on fire and killing him on the spot. Now there are only two left “...wow...like...super wow…”

 

“Mhm~”

 

“I...kinda don’t wanna hurt em now…”

 

“Then try to sneak past em...shouldn’t be too hard to fool these idiots. You’d have to be quite the fuck up to...well...fuck this up!” All the six lights hide back under his ears as Parappa takes a deep breath and attempts to roll along the shadows out of their sight, but he trips and flops right in front of the remaining two demons “You know I always forget that you’re the source of Leo’s accidental tendencies…” the sound of six tiny facepalms are heard as the demons stare at Parappa.

 

“HALT!”

 

“WHO GOES THERE!”

 

“H-Hiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeee!...” Parappa says as he is hoisted up from behind. He calms down once he hears the person speak up.

 

“At ease. This little bugger tried to run is all.”

 

“Who are you?...”

 

“Your replacement. Virgil and the others told me that you lot are no longer necessary. So they contacted me after spotting me catch these intruders. They’ve since ordered me to tell you all to scram as I feed this little guy to what we got chained up! Now get out and never come back...lest you wanna be food to?~”

 

“R-Right away sir!...” The two demons fly into the den and then fly back out with just a big a swarm as the other path. Leo chuckles as he watches them all disappear, once they’re all gone the two speak up.

 

“Man, thanks for the save Leo…”

 

“Not like you needed it. These fuckers are weak.”

 

“I...saw that for myself...I felt bad…”

 

“Yeah...they’re pathetic aren’t they?”

 

“Very much so…” he crosses his arms “Enough of that, we got monsters to deal with!” They run into the next area and spot a massive cage “That’s it huh?...”

 

“Seems like it...what demon is in there?...”

 

“Demons, plural. From what I heard? Cerberus, Lucifer, Asmodeus, Leviathan, Belphegor, Beelzebub, Mammon and Amon.”

 

“Those aren’t their-” Harper angrily whispers only to be cut off.

 

“Shh!...”

 

“So the pets of Satan?? Aw man...poor Harper...I can’t believe I’m gonna be forced to kill these guys…”

 

“You’ve...seen em before?...”

 

“Hell yeah I have! They were destructive beings and they were awesome! They were so chill and tame and extremely cuddly if you weren’t their enemy! And with me being the boyfriend of their new owner, it was a fun time!” He pulls out his phone and shows Parappa some pictures of the monsters. They were terrifying in stature, but they looked so docile and happy as Harper and Leo played about with them. In the pictures he spots the giant three headed dog, with it are a goat demon, a type of fly demon, a snake demon, A lanky humanoid type beast demon, a demon that seems to be mimicking an angel but is still very much an animal demon. A weird bipedal horned and winged lion demon and a horned bird demon “Despite their appearances, they were clearly literal animals. And so pets is a fitting term. The guys were nice and it was a real joy to be with them! I loved every time I got to visit!...how’d they let the court take advantage of them…” 

 

“We’re about to find out...that switch seems to open the gate...” they both take a heavy gulp as Parappa hits the switch. The gate slowly opens, and once it’s fully moved aside, all seems empty. They soon hear low weak growling as out from the shadows pops out a massive three headed dog, but the sight was not welcoming to the two. The beast was in fact cerberus, but it was missing larges patches of fur. It’s skin was severely infected from what could be seen from the lack of fur. It’s covered in blood stains and it’s eyes seem distance and empty as they just appear to be simple glowing red dots with no emotion to be seen. The two were mortified, this was not the same proud and happy beast from the photos.

 

“Cerby...what did they do to you…” Leo looks as if he were about to cry. His body walks forwards immediately “No...no no!...What happened to you boy…” The beast snarls at Leo’s approach “E-Easy there Cerby...it's me...Harper’s left wing...you remember me don’t you?...” He quickly removes all the accessories on his body and wipes his face clean of the markings “My face is different...but its me Cerby...you remember my voice don’tcha boy?...” The beast quiets down as it eyes him once he’s directly below and in between the three heads “T-That’s right...it’s just me...and it’s gonna be ok…” The beasts opens all its jaws and rears its heads back and attempts to consume Leo “C-CERBY NO!...” Leo is tackled away by Parappa as the beasts chomps down. They both land on the ground behind some large rocks, confusing the dog “Cerby…”

 

“...That’s not Cerberus anymore...what they did to him...what they probably did to all eight of them...it’s...it’s disgusting...those eight cowards...THEY’LL PAY FOR THIS!...” Lighting flickers off of the angry dog for abit before he calms down “Truth be told...I didn’t want to kill them either, but I heard that they were at such a state that it’d be better off killing them...I didn’t want to believe that...but it looks like mercy killing  _ is _ the proper way to ease their pain...what do you say?”

 

“...” Leo closes his eyes and stands back upright “Let’s put em out of their misery…” Both hop out of their hiding spot to see a massive bird, angel beast and lion beast accompany Cerberus “Alright...looks like Mams, Lucy and Belphie came out to play to…” both run off to take the beasts head on. Parappa rolls under Belphegor and hops onto his back.

 

“Mind if I take you for a spin?” The lion beast hops about and soon takes off into the air.

 

“Sorry I gotta do this Lucy…” Leo swiftly evades the false angel’s strikes forcing the thing to take off into the air “Oh no you don’t!“ Leo flies after and uses his guitar to cleave off its wings, sending it straight to the ground “I’M SORRY!...” Leo flies after it and drives the bladed body into its back and then slashes upwards, splitting the upper half of the body in two “There’s...there’s one...that wouldn’t have been so easy if you were at the top of your game...may you find peace in your sleep my friend…”

 

Parappa leads Belphegor towards a wall and flips off of him. Leading the beast to slam into it. Stunned, it falls and gets impaled on stalagmites directly below. It slides further down making its end instant. “Sorry I had to do that Belphie…” Parappa quickly hops aside to avoid Cerberus’s flames. Leo tries to deal with Mammon in the process. Parappa uses the main head of Cerberus to climb on to it “Need help with Mammon??”

 

“He’s too fast! If we take our mind off him for just a second it could be bad!”

 

“What’s the plan then??”

 

“He’s still a bird! And you with your new lightning powers...ZAP HIM!”

 

“GOT IT!” Parappa grits his teeth and tries to keep his balance from the shaking hellhound. Once he finds a steady enough footing, he fires small strings of electricity towards where the bird was heading and blocks it off in an electric bind that zaps the poor withered thing. It drops to the ground and is grappled by Leo not a second later. It writhes about trying to get him off.

 

“MAMS COOL IT! IT’LL BE OVER SOON!...” the bird wriggles harder “I KNOW YOU’RE IN PAIN, BUT WE’RE TRYING TO FIX IT!” It settles down just abit “T-There we go...D-DON’T HATE ME FOR THIS!” He uses his guitar to cleave its neck, severing its head “I-I hope you’ll find a peaceful sleep...I only wish you lot could end off as spirits so you could atleast be in the afterlife…”

 

“I HATE TO INTERRUPT THE MUCH NEEDED MOURNING, BUT I COULD USE A HAND!...” Parappa screams as he hangs on to the neck of the main head as it slams across the walls trying to squish or shake Parappa off. Leo flies off to try and stop the final beast.

 

“CERBY! HEEL BOY!” he flips his guitar around and fires off lasers from the nozzle neck straight at its feet. It stops like a freaked out horse, nearly chucking Parappa off in the process.

 

“LITTLE HEADS UP WOULDA BEEN NICE!” Parappa yells as he clings to the scruff of Cerby’s neck. The beast dog spits out its flame breath at the airborne sheep.

 

“YELL AT ME LATER!...” Cerberus proves to be a bit tricker to deal with as he doesn’t give either a proper opening to dispatch him with. Eventually Leo flies onto Cerberus’s back and they both take the left and right head respectively. The heads bite and attack each other in an attempt to get either of them off. They use the heads to blast each other with flames, incinerating the left and right heads right off as the father son duo leap off and land on the ground. Despite losing two of its heads, the destructive dog still chases after the two.

 

“Persistent ain’t he??”

 

“Well he was the guard dog of hell!” Due to the size difference, Cerberus is unable to get to the smaller pair when they hide under the indent formations of the walls, but still the beast tries to strike at them, only to slam its head roughly along the wall. This goes on until Leo forcibly runs out of hiding to stop the dog “CERBY JUST STOP!...PLEASE...I CAN’T...I can’t keep doing this to you...I thought you’d stop after the first failed attempt but you’re just keeping at...please boy...j-just stop...please…” Leo drops to his knees with his hands raised passively. He refuses to budge as the dog sluggishly rushes up to him. It tries to strike at him, but stops when it gets halfway. The dazed dog looks at the boy and whines “I know it hurts boy...I know it all must hurt…” He crawls with his knees closer to the dog’s remaining head. It growls lowly in wary defense “Please just...stay calm...don’t make anything else hurt boy…” He grabs onto the large muzzle of the dog, it growls heavily for abit, but stops as it feels slightly at ease in the embrace of the small sheep boy. It pushes it’s nose deeper into his grasp before blowing out hot air from its nostrils. It’s whining, but the pitch is really low. The dog was tired, the pain it had endured prior to their visit had left it drained “I know boy…” He grips the nose tightly, refusing to budge “D-Dad...I-I can’t do it…” he turns his head to look at the smaller dog.

 

Parappa is transfixed on Leo’s face. He’s sobbing immensely. He’s BEEN sobbing throughout the entire scuffle. The appearance matching a crying puppy. It hurt Parappa, and it hurt him much more with the fact that he couldn’t feel the exact emotion Leo was feeling for the once proud hell guardian and other pet demons. Leo looked like a child who didn’t want to let go off their family pet that had been with them for years and finally had to be put down due to complications. Parappa wanted to cry as much as Leo was, but he took a deep breath and slowly approached the two. He pats the larger dog on the side of his nose “It’s...gonna be ok soon boy.” He lets go and walks over to Leo. He pulls the guitar off his back, this gets Leo to tighten his grip on the dogs nose even further “Leo...I can’t  _ make _ you let go...if anything...holding on to Cerby will probably ease the upcoming grief...just...close your eyes and try your best to...drown out the sound.”

 

“I-I can’t do that…I can close my eyes...but...drown out the noise?...I c-can’t...”

 

“I guess...I can try to help with that...just keep your focus on my singing…I’m gonna force out a quick little thing...”

 

“I’ll try…”

 

Parappa changes the shape of the guitar body into a large motorized electro axe “...Here we go…” Parappa clears his throat as he nears Cerby’s neck “Truth be told...singing oughta help me be at ease with all this myself...lucky I have just the song in mind…” he looks at the giant dog, it eyes him wearily. It knows what Parappa is about to do and just accepts its fate. What will happen now will hurt much less than what eternal pain is was currently forced to feel. If anything, it'd finally stop the pain. With that blissful thought in mind, the dog exposes its neck much more openly. Parappa starts his incredibly short song.

 

_ I never meant break your heart… _ Parappa lines himself up with the exposed neck of the final head.

 

_ Your world I didn't mean to tear apart… _ Parappa holds the axe above his head.

 

_ I was just rocking… _ Leo’s grip on the dog slightly loosens up as he heaves a shaky breath.

 

_ To the sound of my heart… _

 

The cave walls echo with the disgusting sound, but the worse has come and gone. Parappa hands the distraught sheep his guitar back as he helps him to his feet and wipes his face clean “You...wanna go back to the others? I can handle the last four if you want…”

 

“...No...i’m good...I can’t really grieve forever you know?...I already did all that when Amby and all the others died on me. And even then I didn’t get much time as I was still in the middle of action...just like now. There’s a time for mourning, but for me...that time seems to be never. It’ll...be alright. I’ll just shrug it off as per usual.” He shakes his head “I’m...gonna go get the last four...they’re probably hiding in there...you wait here while I draw em out…”

 

“You do that…” Leo turns and walks into the giant pitch black cage. The small lights exit from Parappa’s ears and reform into their spirit bodies.

 

“Poor Munch...kinda forgot that he’d be put in a similar situation he’s been forced to be in five years ago…” Mocha says as she floats in a dejected manner.

 

“It was a fifty-fifty chance on whether he’d take it well or not...atleast judging by his demeanor prior...once he actually saw them, the chances tilted to a ninety five-five chance...the possibility completely slipped my mind…” Natasha tilts her head, overwhelmed by the small unseen calculation.

 

“Well...you can’t blame it on his soft personality alone…” Harper brings up in a weak sigh “Hell knows i’d have been the exact same mess...if not worse…”

 

“Harp, you’d probably be a bigger sobbing mess if you were in his shoes!” Silphie states as she flies into her face.

 

“QUIET!...” the ghost angel recoils back to avoid her flailing arms.

 

“Harper, it’s alright to be sad you know. Being tough is one thing, but real toughness comes from embracing the emotions that want to show! Even the negative and painful ones. Shows how strong you really are when you don’t bottle them up all your life!” Parappa says to the turned away Harper.

 

“I didn’t ask for your input…’sides...already heard that little lesson before.” she flicks her left hand while her right wipes something beneath her eyes.

 

“...Yeah...I’m sure you have~” as he smiles they all hear a loud yell that’s quickly approaching. This scares the six of them to hide under his ears again.

 

“DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!”

 

“What is it??”

 

“THE OTHER FOUR AREN’T IN THERE!”

 

“WHAT?!” Shouts Parappa along with the six hidden ghosts.

 

“YOU AND THE STRANGELY FEMININE ECHO YOU HAD ARE RIGHT TO PANIC!”

 

“Well they gotta be in there! Where else could they be?!” Parappa runs inside the cage to see if what Leo said was fact. He runs back out “They’re not there…”

 

“I don’t understand...there’s no hole that shows they could’ve broken out…”

 

“But they aren’t here...and they weren’t where we were...so that means the only place they could be is…”

 

“BACK WITH THE OTHERS!” They shout as they stare at each other.

 

* * *

 

“I thought getting to know one another would be stomach turning...but it’s been decently fine…” Chris scratches his neck as he turns his gaze away from the others.

 

“It’s probably because we’re on death's row...we’re more vulnerable and therefore easily able to stand each other?...” AJ shrugs as everyone looks at him, but only Raparra speaks up.

 

“To think you could make them all drop their jaws with such a line. Didn’t think your brain could produce such a statement given how little you feed it.”

 

“I-I can’t help that...I didn’t ask to be anorexic…but even if I wasn’t...the concept of eating is...just...I dunno…”

 

(“We call that depression.”)

 

“Isn’t depression what happens from lack of eating, or does depression cause lack of eating?...” Chris says as he gazes back at them.

 

“It causes it, cuz if you don’t keep your body well fed it starts to slowly shut down as it begins hating itself, and by extension you start hating yourself and whatnot.” Raparra says as he clinks his handcuffs against his head.

 

(“No see it’s caused by depression maaaan. When you’re just down in the dirtiest of dumps you’re just fed up with everything and just don’t wanna do jack shit.  Even simple things like showering, sleeping and eating just become mundane with how bad of an inability they become. You wanna do em, but ya can’t for whatever your reason is.”)

 

“See that’s what I was thinking to, but you have to take into account of just... What if you’re not showing all the signs of depression and just refuse to eat for other things? Aside from anorexia, that slowly withers down and becomes true blue depression see?” Raparra states as he holds out his cuffed hands.

 

(“Well yeah if you wanna be anal about it...but that set of specifics is rather jarred since not everyone who has depression experiences-”)

 

“ENOUGH!...” Charlotte shouts getting them all to stop “Trying to get along with all of you is torturous...how the hell did you all get along with each other?!”

 

“...I unno…” Fei, Chris and AJ all mutter out as they look at her.

 

“And YOU...you said you wanted nothing to do with us, so why the hell are you at ease and chatting with them?!” She stares at Raparra who only shrugs with a smile.

 

“Fuck if I know. Maybe getting my face smashed in knocked some screws loose. Or I guess I’m just in a mood to just put up with what you lot have to say.” He chuckles “I dunno, just accepting the end maybe~”

 

“I don’t get any of you...I want out…but that ain’t happening…” she reclines along the bars, but she falls onto her back as the door opens up “HWAAAAA-”  she gets up to see their cage open “W-WE’RE FREE?... **_WE’RE FREE!_ ** ” She runs out of their cage and looks around, she then hears bickering from above her. She gazes up and sees the control filled with the topsider group.

 

“M-MA-SAN!...YOU MIGHT’VE PERMANENTLY LOCKED THEIR CELLS!”

 

(“WELL MAYBE IF YOU STOPPED BREATHING DOWN MY NECK LAMBS! MAYBE I’D HAVE NOT SLAMMED MY FISTS ON THE CONTROL PANEL!”)

 

“Can the two of you calm down?? That didn’t happen! Look some of them got out!” Katy says trying to get her two bandmates to cool it.

 

“She’s right, someone’s out there cherishing their reinstated freedom.” PJ says as he presses his face on the glass.

 

“Hey! That’s my double!...uh...Charlotte was her name!”

 

“Let’s not beat around the bush then! Come on, they’ll wanna see who freed them so they no longer have hostility towards us!” Matt says, hoping this would be the case...but upon entering ground level…

 

“I WAS RESCUED BY YOU?? NEVERMIND I’LL GLADLY DIE IN MY CELL!...” Charlotte launches herself into the cell where body slams roughly next to Raparra. The shackled dog merely gawks at her, unfazed by the ludicrous action.

 

“Wow...now that’s pitiful…I thought you said you wanted out.”

 

“YOU SHUT IT!...”

 

“GUYS!” Kitty and Rammy both run out towards the group.

 

“KITTY!”

 

“RAMMY!” the hell shadow’s respective other runs up to them and tackles them down in a hug.

 

“G-GACK!...LAMMY YOU’RE CRUSHING MY RIBS!...”

 

“H-HEEL KATY HEEL!...” Sweety and Sunny pluck the overly affectionate duo off of their doubles as Sunny then begins healing the two knowing that they are still greatly battered.

 

“Well how about that...we’re free…” Chris sighs as he walks out.

 

“Guess it’s a good thing Raparra left that entrance open h-huh…” AJ says as he follows after.

 

“...Feh...I guess…”

 

(“Oh can it with your sorry broken heart you pansy. I’d say he’s about broke even with the shit he’s done. For once his angry agenda benefitted us.”)

 

‘Whatever…”

 

“W-Wow...so you’re my double...nice do!...”

 

“...Thanks...your hair’s nice to...er…”

 

“Matt Major!”

 

“...Chris Prime.” Both tall dogs gawk at one another awkwardly.

 

“Hm...i’ve heard of you. Hard body, but incredibly soft willed.”

 

“Y-You’re not any b-better...you may be soft and cuddly, but you’re t-terribly blunt and rough when you shouldn’t be...from what I heard atleast…”

 

“...I can’t deny that accusation...guess we’re both some bad bears.” PJ and AJ merely look down with a sigh.

 

(“...So...you’re my copy eh?”)

 

(“Ruuuude maaan...who’s to say you’re not my copy?”)

 

(“I guess it’s a perspective thing...sooo...whatcha do? How you like?”)

 

(“...Eh...not much to say maaaan. I rarely do stuff, you’d be hard pressed getting me off of a bed or couch or any other comfortable place. I don’t really try to do much if I can avoid it, but I can be a hectic mess once I start. You?”)

 

(“Wow...as for me? Well...being honest I may do  _ to _ much...way more than needed and it’s thanks to my temper. I’m getting better at keeping it in check, but now it’s become more of an impulse action...not as destructive, but still potentially as disastrous…uh...you like readin?...”)

 

(“Naw...well...kinda, only really read magazines.”)

 

(“Same here!”)

 

(“Coo’ ”)

 

(“Cool.”) Both mice gals rub their chins as they stare at their mirrored self.

 

“What an utter gushfest…” Raparra rolls his eyes “You sure you don’t wanna be like them and make nice to your double?”

 

“No. Absolutely not.”

 

“Eh, suit yourself. Makes no real difference to me.”

 

“Really? You went apeshit over Rammy going topside.”

 

“I mean I do care, but you can clearly see me can’t you? I’m bound to this wall without the strength to crack some skulls, so passive is all I can be. Unless I saw my faker, but he ain’t here so neither is my ability to give a shit.” he smirks “So why not relish in your freedom, why not return to your dreams eh? Surely it’d shut your whiny ass up.”

 

“...”

 

“Before you whine like a bitch again, remember you did admit to being a failure, like the rest of us~”

 

“...You’re insufferable…”

 

“Backatcha baby~”

 

“Ew…”

 

“Likewise~” She grunts with an eyeroll, but smiles.

 

“Fine...might as well.” She gets up and stretches her back to relax herself from the pain of slamming into the wall. She heaves a pained sigh “Really starting to regret doing that…” A large pop is heard with a whimper as she stays stuck in place “...o-ow…”

 

“...idiot…”

 

“Likew-wise…” she grunts out as she stays immobile. Raparra sighs.

 

“YO COTTON CANDY HEAD!” the main group all take notice and look at one another. Soon after they all focus on Paula.

 

“What, you think he means me??”

 

“The pink hair kinda makes it a dead giveaway.” PJ holds his head “Unless they have some bizarre cotton candy down here…”

 

“Alright fine…” She storms off to the chained off dog “What do you want…”

 

“Not me, the idiot over here who threw out her back.”

 

“Oh!...” Paula runs over to the immobile Charlotte and tries to straighten her posture.

 

“E-EASY!...”

 

“I can’t be easy or else I can’t get you unstuck!”

 

“O-Ow!”

 

“Oh relax! I’ve been in this exact predicament myself thanks to all the strange postures I had to hold during some of my acting points! Chiropractors helped enough to a point that I learned how to do it myself! It’ll sting abit, but you’ll be fine after...this!” She holds onto her hips with one hand and wraps her free arm around her back and quickly pulls her forward.

 

“YEOUCH!...WHY YOU-” Charlotte calms down after seeing that she’s mobile once more “...I can move again…”

 

“Told ya~”

 

“...Much appreciated…”

 

“No probs Charlie~”

 

“...Charlie?...”

 

“Charlotte sounds like a stuffy name to be called all the time! Why not have it shortened into a cuter variant? We’re shadows of each other right? I’d assume that would’ve been an idea you’d have a long time ago! Charlie’s perfect! That or...ooooh! Even better! Initial C! Those sound great right?~”

 

“...I guess...no one really cared as we all mostly call each other by full first name regardless...so why bother...ya know?”

 

“Yikes that sucks. But hey, after we open up the other cages, we’re escorting you lot outta hell towards a better start! Up on the surface you can have fun doing things you couldn’t really take initiative on down here!”

 

“...Is that...true??”

 

“Hell yeah its true!”

 

“...O-Oh...that does sound nice…” The hell fox holds her hands close to her chest as she struggles to make eye contact.

 

“Awww...such a sweet sight!...makes me wanna puke…” Raparra sticks his tongue out as he makes a mock gag noise.

 

“NO ONE ASKED YOU!” Both foxes shout, but only get a laugh in response.

 

“AHAAAA! Relax your asses, just helping you two find some much better common ground~ Ya both dislike me don’t ya?~ Build off of that~” both of the girls rear back in shock. They growl but sigh, angry at themselves for falling for the chained dogs little beneficial ploy.

 

“I didn’t think a guy like him would help with something like this…”

 

“I thought the same, but after being trapped in there with him...well I learned more than I’d like…”

 

Paula blinks at that revelation, but she finds it difficult to say anything else. So she decides on saying her name proper “...Paula Fox.”

 

“...Charlotte Fennec.” as they stare at each other, the unified group all enter the cell and stare at the chained Raparra.

 

“Sup, here to laugh of the chained failure?”

 

“...well actually- AUGH…” Katy and PJ both say before being painfully elbowed by Sweety and Lammy “No...no we’re not.”

 

“Then why ya lining up infront of me? Plan on offing me?”

 

“Can you shut up??” Kitty grumbles out.

 

“We’re here to get those stupid shackles off of you.” Katy says as she cracks her tail on the ground.

 

“Well that’s surprising. Why?”

 

“Don’t you want out?”

 

“I do, but it being by your hands wounds me so! Either way you can’t get these things off unless you’re as strong as me or my fake.”

 

“Pfft...how hard can it?” Rammy walks up to the locks and immediately tries breaking them. She fails repeatedly “Gah...some fucking tough ass chains…”

 

“Told ya~”

 

“Is there a key??”

 

“Nope. They busted it so that nobody could break me free. Now the only thing that could help is my own strength which is sapped dry.”

 

“Well we can’t just leave him here!”

 

“I mean... we ca-”

 

“Katy…”

 

“ALRIGHT MATT FINE!” she ruffles her hair to a point that it becomes an unruly mess “Let’s think up an idea to bust him free.”

 

“Why not heal him?” Rammy brings up, only to be shot down instantly by everyone

 

**_“NO!!!”_ **

 

“Yeesh...i’m just throwing options out there!”

 

“Healing him is the worst possible decision!” Kitty shouts.

 

“Alright!...but I ain’t hearing anything better out of any of you!”

 

“Look let’s just all quiet down and try to-” they all become quiet after hearing loud stomps. They all turn around to spot for large demonic beasts walking towards them.

 

“Oh hey would you look at that, it’s the demons Amon, Asmodeus, Beelzebub and Leviathan!” Raparra says with a cheesy smile “Otherwise known as the things that were planned to kill us!”

 

“I thought Parappa was supposed to be handling these things!...” Paula says as she backs away.

 

“Looks like some snuck by…” PJ does the same.

 

“Come on! We can handle them!” Katy jumps forwards trying to take them on before being held back by her double “Heeeey! Lemme go!...”

 

“I ain’t letting you get killed out there!...”

 

“I’m fine! Me and the others can handle this nicely!” As she wriggles she yells out more rings in an attempt to both hurt and or hypnotize the four demon pets. Neither effect happen as they tough through it and show no signs of being hypnotized “...Huh...guess I can’t do anything…”

 

“Relax! Me and Poppy got this!” Paula tries to fire ice, but it explodes at her fingertips, sending her into the wall “O-Ohhh...w-what happened?...I can’t summon any ice…”

 

“Paula!...Well...looks like I gotta do something!...” Sunny tries to get vines to sprout from the ground, but nothing comes about as she also gets sent flying back into the same wall “WAAAGH…”

 

“What the heck?? Why didn’t your abilities work!”

 

“They’re ice and plants respectively eh?” Raparra says as they all turn to him.

 

“Yeees?...”

 

“Think of it logically. You think you gonna be able to make ice or call for plants in the driest and most barren place imaginable?”

 

“...Oh dear…”

 

(“Hey wait! If that’s the case than me and Lambs should have home field advantage! Time for a field day!”) She elbows Lammy.

 

“U-Um...that does make some sense…” Both Lammy and Ma-san trigger their own abilities, yet the results are…

 

**_“ARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!”_ **

 

**_(“GRAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!”)_ ** Two pillars erupt from where they stand, and orange one around Lammy and a red one around Ma-san. They each get a respective colored energy heart in front of their chests as the pillars disperse. Both their eyes are fully emitting a red light in which they can’t see anything but blurry masses. They both angrily launch flames and explosions everywhere except the needed targets.

 

“Ahhh, sensory overload~ Always such a fun experience to feel! Like a lovely dizzying high~” Raparra says as he swoons within his chains.

 

“SENSORY OVERLOAD?!”

 

“Well yeah. They’re both fire based right? So trying to trigger their powers in a realm where everything is filled with a mass amount of flames...ooooh that was a bad idea~”

 

“WE GOTTA STOP THEM!...” the main group except for Sunny run towards the destructive duo as the shadows and Sunny all hide away from the approaching demons.

 

“This went south really quickly…” Charlotte cowers backwards.

 

“Y-Yes indeed...looks l-like we’re still gonna die…” AJ mutters out.

 

“Feh...dying to those things...I’d kill em if I weren’t shackled like a bitch…”

 

“How?! You’re body is still a mess! Even if you were broken free you would at most take down one before the rest would overwhelm you.” Charlotte shouts out, to stricken with panic.

 

“Feh...speak for yourself…”

 

The shadows bicker as Rammy and Kitty look at each other. Rammy motions her eyes to Sunny then Raparra, but Kitty quickly shakes her head. Rammy then looks at the approaching demons forcing Kitty to think it over quickly. She finds herself defeated in any outcome so she nods in defeat “Hey Poppy.”

 

“Y-Yes?...”

 

“Heal Raparra.”

 

“You’re kidding right…”

 

“Nope. Not at all.”

 

“Rammy that’s a terrible id-”

 

“I KNOW! YOU GONNA LOOK AT ME AND ALL THE SHIT I’VE BEEN THROUGH AND TELL  _ ME _ WHAT TERRIBLE IDEAS I BRING UP? GUUUUURL I’M THE FUCKING QUEEN OF EM!”

 

“...o-okay...but...you sure it won’t end up badly?...”

 

“I know it won’t, cuz Raparra ain’t gonna do any other shit aside from stopping those monsters! He’s gonna stop them, help us free the other doubles and stop the court for good!”

 

“Hooool’ uuuuuup cunt. What the fuck makes you believe you know me? Bitch you better know that the second I get healed, the first thing I’m doing is running off to find my faker and kick his fucking ass. With these fuckers here it would make sense that he’s somewhere close by. And besides? Why should I help you guys survive? I may tolerate these idiots, but you shit lords I hate with every fiber of my being. Why in the living fuck would I help you at all.”

 

“Cuz I  _ do _ know you. You may not like us, but you’re more pissed off at the court for thinking they can kill you. For chaining you up and thinking you can be dealt with like nothing! You want to go at their throats just as much as we do~”

 

“Oh yeah?...”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“OH YEAH??”

 

“YEAH!”

 

**“OH YEAH?!”**

 

**“YEAH!”**

 

“WELL IT JUST SO FUCKING HAPPENS...you’re right~” They both stare at each other with a crooked smile “Fine. I'll play nice. Atleast until the eight of them are dead. So I'll do your heavy lifting!” he closes his eyes.

 

“Did Rammy just order Raparra around right in front of his face?!” Charlotte states as she looks at the mentioned duo.

 

“AND DID RAPARRA JUST AGREE TO IT???” Chris says feeling an array of badly mixing emotions.

 

“Alright Poppy, that encouraging enough for you?”

 

“N-Not really but...atleast I can tell he's n-not a liar…” the flower reluctantly and cautiously approaches the chained up hell dog “I hope you're right about this…” She places her hands on his head and begins healing the dog as quickly as she can. The raging uncontrollable duo finally battling it out with the four other beasts behind her. The exact second her healing finishes, Raparra’s eyes snap wide open. He annihilates the chain cuffs. Breaks off the leg shackles. Destroys the chain keeping him bound to the wall and finally snaps off the heavy collar.

 

“BACK AT FULL BABY!  **_LET'S BREAK SOME SKULLS!_ ** ” Raparra roars as he slams into Asmodeus and pummels it brutally.

 

“...I-I hope we don’t regret this…”

 

“We won’t, Raparra has his angry priorities straight. Even if he gets into another feud with Paraps, he’ll have the court in mind first.”

 

“Strangely enough, I believe the same thing that Rammy sees.” Kitty says as she walks up to them.

 

“See?~ Now come on...we gotta calm down Lambs and Mar…before they get themselves killed...or worse the other shadows...or us...” they run off to the bigger group to help calm down the uncontrollable flame duo.

 

Back with Parappa and Leo however.

 

“WE HAVE TO GO BACK. IF THE OTHER FOUR DEMONS ARE IN FACT WITH THEM THEN THEY WON’T STAND A CHANCE IF THEY’RE CAUGHT BLINDSIDED!” Both run back to the entrance of the area but Leo grabs Parappa and pulls him back “WHAT?!”

 

“Look…”

 

Swarms of lesser demons arrive back “LOOK, HE IS A FAKE!”

 

”It seems that they caught on faster than I thought they would...they’re all coming back with reinforcements...they may be easy to take down, but having them swarm around us like bees will be problematic...we gotta go the other way...if we draw them into the narrow corridor we’ll have an easier time, but it forces us to go the long way…”

 

“We don’t have a choice do we??”

 

“Our only choice is to shut up and go as fast as we can…”

 

“This choice is starting to bite me in the ass…let’s just go!” They both run the other way with a swarm of lesser demons after them. Once in the narrow pathway, they resume their punch out as they deal with the fragile demons. They are much easier to deal with as they get beaten down with ease due to the limited amount of confrontation “Man, you guys are seeing how easy we’re manhandling you and yet you still go after us!”

 

“Lesser demons do that! They have really low intelligence. They take the fight till you drop idealeology super seriously since even when they drop, you still have like sixty bajillion more running right after to pick up the slack…”

 

“God they’re annoying…”

 

“This is why Satan exiled them all. The number tactics proved useless when they die at the drop of a feather super easily.”

 

“I’ll say...OW!...Parappa punches off a demon that tried biting him as a last resort before flinging him into a wall where he goes splat like a swatted fly “God damn...ugh…I can’t wait to be done with them…”

 

“You and me BOTH! You know? This is perfect! I just had quite a bad time and really need to vent...and you guys are the perfect way to do just that...” having enough of the punching, Leo once again pulls out his guitar and fires a large blast from the nozzle, shredding through multiple demons in a row.

 

“Why not use that more often?” Parappa looks over to Leo, only to see him overwhelmed by more lesser demons.

 

“THIS IS WHY, THEY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AN OPENING!...”

 

“D-Dammit...um…” Parappa beats away more demons before quickly lifting his hands up. He fires a large burst of lighting out and at Leo. He’s encased in it as the demons swarming him all get electrified and drop like they had an encounter with a bug zapper.

 

“ZZZZZZ…o-oh man...please n-never do that again to m-meeee…”

 

“Sorry!...It’s all that came to mind on the spot…”

 

“I’m starting to agree with Uncle PJ more…” they both chuckle as they continue running now that they got a huge portion of them dealt with. The remainder follow, but with the new distance, they can now safely fight from afar.

 

Back with the others, Raparra beheads Asmodeus and Beelzebub and begins to brutally beat down Leviathan.

 

“EAT SHIT YOU STUPID ASS SNAKE!” Raparra grabs the giant serpent by its tail and begins swinging it around wildly. He slams the withered thing’s head roughly against the wall as he drops it. The impact causes rocks to fall and crush its head “Three down...one to go.” He looks towards the mutant goat demon “Amon...otherwise known as Lil’ Devil...or Mini Satan… You were the guy’s favorite! Gotta say, I can see why! You look freaking amazing! But you’re existence pisses me off because the damn cowards think they could’ve used you to kill me...and I need your head to show them that NO one can mess with me…” the demon roars as it rushes Raparra down “THAT’S IT BABY COME AT ME!” he stops it by grabbing its horns “Gotta say...you being what you are makes me happy. I get to vent a lil. THIS IS-” he slams a fist into its eye “ALL BECAUSE-” he slams a fist into the other eye “OF THAT FUCKING-” he slams it’s head again, breaking off a few horns “BITCH RAMMY!” he smashes it away. It stumbles in place before attempting to charge at him again “But in a sense...I should thank her letting me wreak havoc some more...still...it’s nice to beat on another black sheep...shame it had to be such a glorious one...OH WELL~” Raparra drives his fist forward, using the running motion of the ram against it as it just increases the force of the punch. Its skull is destroyed on the spot as it drops dead “That’s four dead as fuck demons~...” He chuckles before looking at a large door “And there are eight more left to go…”

 

As he storms off to the door, the others have their own tasks. The hell shadows free the others who are caged while Rammy, Kitty and the topsider group try to calm Lammy and Ma-san down.

 

“You know...if activating your powers in an area that’s basically made of the same thing leads to this big a mess...I hate to see what would happen if we were in a jungle or blizzard…” PJ says as he avoids flying fireballs.

 

“Oh come on! As if me or Poppy would become overwhelmed like they are!”

 

“That has yet to be seen! So far I have little faith in ANY of you after today! What i’ve witnessed just proves that you guys are just flat out dangerous!”

 

“Oh like your inevitable powers won’t be??”

 

“Judging from what I saw my father do, what could I possibly do?? I’m more of a glorified meatshield if anything! Doubt any harm could come from that!”

 

“And all I’ll be able to do is just bolster parts of my body to enhance motions in a superhuman way. Doubt that can lead to anything bad...” Matt says with a roll of the eyes.

 

“See? Matt agrees with me.”

 

“Peej I was being sarcastic...haven’t you ever seen the comics where the good guys inevitably have their own powers used against them??”

 

“I think I rather prefer you quiet.”

 

“Can you lot shut up?! What we rather hear is ways of getting close to them!” Katy says as she keeps getting pushed away.

 

“Is that even possible with the amount of fireballs and explosions ending up everywhere??” Kitty adds on.

 

“Well...we can’t freeze anything to cool em off as already established…” Rammy looks over to everyone but Katy. Once they notice her staring, she motions her eyes to Katy as if to tell them if she should tell her about the things she can do. They all shake their heads. Rammy widens her eyes now telling ‘why?’ but they only repeat their previous action. Rammy growls and ignores them “Yo Katy!”

 

“Kinda busy!” Katy flips away from an oncoming explosive fireball “Phew...what??”

 

“You have the ability to deal with em probably.”

 

“I don’t think my voice will get through to them and I rather not hurt them with it…”

 

“That’s not what I meant.”

 

“Rammy shut up…!” Matt flusteredly says.

 

“I’m a little lost here…” Katy says as she gives a quick glance to her friends before looking back forward.

 

“Ignore em. What I mean by that is-”

 

“Rammy stop!...We don’t know how things will end!...” Paula says trying to stop her.

 

“Maybe differently if she learns to get a better hold of it!”

 

“C-Can you get to the point? You’re freaking me out here…”

 

“God you’re starting to become like Parappa with poor spontaneous thinking…” PJ says knowing how this might end.

 

“Shut it!...Look Katy! You’re a siren!”

 

“W-What?...Oh so just cuz I have the voice of one I’m just a full one now huh?”

 

“No you idiot! You can do more than that!...Alot more...while you were knocked out you nearly wiped the entire battlefield clean in your tantrum.”

 

“You know, messing with me at a time like this ain’t fun. Can ya knock it off!”

 

“I’M SERIOUS!” Rammy groans before Kitty speaks up.

 

“She’s telling the truth. You exploded out of the ground in a pillar of water and just started going in on the enemies. Then you nearly went ham on everyone in general, good or bad.”

 

“...I-I did?...”

 

“Kitty!...” everyone except for Rammy shouts at the hellcat.

 

“Rammy has a point! If Katy’s aware of the things she can do! Maybe it’ll go better and she won’t get overwhelmed!...” The others look at each other and sigh.

 

“Not only do you have a lulling voice, but you can control water and all other forms of liquid in general.” PJ says.

 

“Such as blood...not only that, but you also have like...um…like telekinetic abilities?” Sweety adds on.

 

“Basically magic like a witch would. You have that. But of the fullest extent of the magic you got, we just don’t know since you mostly did water and voice things.” Paula closes off.

 

“...What did I do to everyone?...”

 

“Relax! Thanks to your mom and Mr. Rappa, you didn’t hurt anyone!...Cept for our families...but they’re fine! And thanks to Poppy they healed rather quickly!” Matt says trying to ease her down.

 

“They helped calm me down?...”

 

“Er...No…” They all say in a mix of emotions.

 

“It was...your dad…he popped in and stopped you, saving them in the process as they almost blundred your rescue.” Sunny says.

 

“...So I can do magic and water stuff...big whoop...I can’t do it now…”

 

“This is why we’re telling you! So you can try! If you blast these two with water you should be able to cool off and extinguish them!” Kitty dodges a flaming uppercut.

 

“Or hold them in place long enough for them to cool it!...” Rammy says while avoiding a flaming kick.

 

“But I can’t do any of that! I barely got a grip on using my voice powers!...”

 

“We don’t really have a choice! You have to try Katy! Otherwise we’re all gonna become nothing but ash!...” PJ says as he barely avoids the two of them together.

 

“...Hope you guys aren’t fooling with me…” Katy emits a quick ‘gulp’ before trying to approach the duo. They take notice and quickly try to assault her. She backs away and immediately begins fling her arms forward “U-Um...ABRA CADABRA!...” She bounces back to avoid a dive kick “A-ALAKAZAM!...” she bends over backwards to avoid a point blank fireball “S-SHAZAAAAM!...” She gets flung off her feet and she stumbles onto her bottom.

 

“What are you doing Katy?!” PJ shouts at her.

 

“I don’t know what I’m doing!...I figured since it’s magic that I did, that they’d activate from magic calls!...”

 

“TRY CRUISIN ARIA!” Paula shouts in order to give her help.

 

“Wha-”

 

“JUST TRY IT!”

 

“C-Cruisin Ar-” She’s hit in the face with a joint kick and punch attack from the two as she’s sent flying into a wall. The impact causes a decently sized block to slam atop her head, KO’ing her.

 

“Oooooh…” all the girls wince at the the sight.

 

“Oh why does this feel bad…” PJ forces out as the ground ruptures with the ground beneath Katy starting to fill up with water.

 

“Maybe that’s why Peej…” Matt starts backing off “Come on! We gotta move!...” Everyone except for the berserk Ma-san and Lammy run off.

 

Katy floats to her feet and the blue heart reappears as she stares at the duo with her deep blue eyes “Cruisin Aria…” she drowns the two in water, they’re sent into the wall like she was. Their flames are extinguished and they are forced to calm down.

 

(“Argh...where...am I?...why the hell...am I drenched?...”)

 

“Owww...why am I soaked?...oh god please don’t be a repeat of ten year old me days…wait that can’t be i-it...i’m entirely soaked…ooooh...and in incredible paaaaain…”

 

Katy floats over to the two of them as Paula gets in between them “H-Hey there now Katy! Y-You did it! You cooled them off and stopped their rampage! Now leave em be!...They’re still our friends after all!...” The cat girl scoffs as she holds her hands back up and conjures up water, but Paula grabs them with her own. She uses Katy’s water as the source to finally conjure up ice, stopping her attack “‘H-Hey! C-Come on now! I know K-Katy’s still in there! You can snap out of this!...” Katy tries to pull her hands away, but when Paula refuses to let go she instead opens her mouth and readies her vocal laser “M-Meep!...K-KATY PLEASE!...I KNOW YOU DON’T WANNA DO THAT!...” 

 

“H-Hnng…” The cat closes her mouth and begins shaking her head.

 

“T-That’s it!...Come on!...W-Wake up!” the cat struggles as she grits her teeth, eventually going back to blasting Paula’s face off “N-NO!...” Paula shuts her eyes and braces for impact, but Katy grunts before firing and collapses ontop of the fox instead “H-Huh?...”

 

“Fucking hell you guys make alot of noise…” Raparra says, his fist held up indicating he knocked out Katy “Luckily she was distracted enough to go out in one hit this time.” Raparra flicks his hand to soothe it “Damn her fucking head’s thick as a brick...it hurt just hitting her…” He scoffs “Alright, heal her up and get the hell out of here with the other losers. I got a few cowards to deal with…”

 

Paula stares at Raparra “Thanks…and...right.”  she shakes her head “Why’d...you help?...”

 

“I dunno. Felt like it. If I let her run amok here then she might ruin hell. Thought it’d be wise to calm her shit.”

 

“...Well we appreciate it…”

 

“Just heal her and get moving. Don’t be thanking me cuz I will be going for Parappa’s ass once I skin the council alive…just get out and be happy those two ass kissers are free to go.” he walks back to the door he’d been attempting to break down. Sunny runs up and takes Katy from Paula’s hands as Paula runs over to the in pain duo and helps them up.

 

“You guys ok?...”

 

“I’m f-fine...nearly got throttled by Katy again so it’s no biggie...weird that i’m getting used to this…”

 

(“Ah i’ve been through worse...ow…”) Ma-san rubs her head (“I take it we’re the cause of Katy going cuckoo again huh?”)

 

“Yeaaaahhhhh...thankfully, Raparra helped us out with that!...Surprisingly…” Sunny runs to the two fire aligned animals after finishing with Katy.

 

“G-Gyah...my head...ugh...what happened…” Katy comes to once again.

 

(“You rocked our shit in girl…”)

 

“Y-Yeah...but I can tell we had i-it coming…”

 

“I did?...ugh man...what did I do...and why is there water every...oh...so you guys were right…” Katy tries to find her bearings as Sunny begins fixing the others up, but halfway through she collapses “POPPY!”

 

“O-Oooooh...m-my head...w-what’s wrong...with me…” she shakes her head and tries to resume her healing, but the same thing happens again “N-Naaagghhh…”

 

“Wait...if you can’t use your plant powers here cuz of the environment...does that also mean that you can’t heal either??” Paula begins piecing the problem together.

 

“B-But I healed...Leo, Kitty, Rammy and...R-Raparra…” She nearly falls over as she begins sweating and breathing heavily.

 

“Yes, you could still heal...but that was probably not the smartest idea while you’re down here…” she catches the withered flower “Great...we can’t rely on healer...wait…” she remembers what Leo said and what Raparra just said.

 

_ Gotta say though...I still feel stiff… _

 

_ It hurt just hitting her… _

 

“YOUR HEALING IS CURRENTLY JUST TEMPORARY!...OH NO THAT’S BAD!”

 

“I-It is...?”

 

“YES! LEO STATED TO STILL BE SORE DESPITE YOU HEALING HIM, AND HITTING KATY’S HEAD HURT RAPARRA WHEN THAT WASN’T THE CASE LITERALLY NOT THAT LONG AGO!”

 

“O-Oh no...w-well...luckily...R-Raparra dealt with the...monsters…” Sunny passes out, completely out of it.

 

“You say that, but I feel like we’re still not out of the boiling pot…”

 

“LESSER DEMONS!” the hell shadows all shout as they run back towards where everyone else is.

 

“And that’s probably why…” the remainder of their friends regroup with Paula, the sluggish MilkCan trio and the unconscious Flower.

 

“What happened here??”

 

“Raparra stopped Katy’s little flip out, but now these three are left halfway healed since trying to heal while in hell was not the smartest idea…”

 

“Whyyyy?...” Rammy asks.

 

“Because not only did it cause our friend to pass out from it, but now I can only assume that Leo and Raparra are probably gonna be running thin in abit…”

 

“That ain’t good...we got lesser demons comin...and there’s a whole metric fuckton of em...Raparra could help us even the odds against them, but if he drops then we’ll be to shortly after…”

 

“Lesser demons are fragile though right? As Leo told us, so then if we can rally up the other hell shadows than we should have a chance!...” Matt says pulling at strings.

 

“Good luck getting them to work together...they didn’t do it while invading us and I doubt they’ll do it now…” PJ says as he stares at them all running amok. 

 

Rammy and Kitty look at each other and run off to Raparra who continuously tries to beat the large door open.

 

“Why won’t...this stupid fucking...thing open…” Raparra was noticeably reverting back to his exhausted state.

 

“Cause your healing process was botched. All of ours were. Turns out it wasn’t just her plant powers that were limited.”

 

“Fucking...dammit...how long do I have left all juiced up?...”

 

“Not much if you keep trying to punch that door open!”

 

“I take it that’s why you two are here next to me…”

 

“Got that right butt head. Look, rather than burn your remaining battery power on this door. Use it to rally the others, cuz we got a swarm of angry bees coming at us and we’re gonna go down given the numbers.”

 

“I can...swat em down easily…”

 

“Not like that you aren’t. Get it through your head idiot!...”

 

Raparra snarls, but feels his body become heavier and sighs “I don’t have a choice in the matter...but small problem. These idiots ain’t gonna listen to me. Not anymore.”

 

“While it’s true you nearly got them all killed, you’re still the strongest thing here and they don’t have much in a way to argue.”

 

“Fair point. But do you really expect these numbskulls to work together?”

 

“The top siders do it easily and look how far it got them.” Rammy says as she and Kitty cross their arms.

 

“Blegh...don’t even go there...but that could be a motivator...alright…” Raparra storms over to the running masses “HEY IDIOTS!” instinctually, they all stare at him “LOOK, WE’RE CURRENTLY ABOUT TO BE OVERWHELMED. YOU ALL HAVE ONE OF TWO OPTIONS TO PICK. DIE HERE AND NOW, OR WORK TOGETHER FOR ONCE IN YOUR MISERABLE LIVES AND SEE IT THROUGH THAT WE’RE GONNA DO THE KICKING AROUND FOR ONCE! AFTER ALL, THE TOPSIDERS DID AND WE ALL GOT OUR ASSES HANDED TO US. THINK HOW THINGS WOULD BE IF WE DID THE SAME! WE’D BE HELLUVA LOT BETTER! Don’t that sound better then dying like a bitch?” They all stare at him aggressively but then look towards each other and then to the quickly approaching swarm of lesser demons. They all quickly yell and line up “THAT’S BETTER! NOW LET’S SHOW EM WE’RE MORE THAN JUST MERE SHADOWS!” All of them rush down the lesser demons as Kitty and Rammy run towards the main group, slowly becoming exhausted once more.

 

“H-Haha...our persuasion...actually worked~...”

 

“You...said it Rammy...hoo man…”

 

“You guys are in no position to do anymore, just sit back with the four of em. Me and the three of them will help the Hell shadows beat these jerks to the ground!”

 

“Ain't saying...no to that…” Rammy and Kitty drop down and immediately try to catch their breaths as Matt, Paula, Sweety and PJ all run off.

 

As we return to the father son duo, Leo find himself grow more and more weary.

 

“Leo what's wrong?...you've been not as active in punching these guys off...and that’s kinda becoming a problem…”

 

“I-I dunno...my body...it’s just getting exhausted all of a sudden…”

 

“B-But Poppy healed you didn’t she?...”

 

“She d-did...but something’s wrong...something’s...really really wrong…” He holds onto one of his arms.

 

From within his ear, Harper whispers to Parappa “Wait wait wait...did you guys try to heal someone down here?...”

 

“Yeah, why?...”

 

“Oh that’s a big red light. See, trying to heal while down here will only prove negative results.”

 

“...Explain, now.”

 

“Like yeah you’ll heal, but the healer will slowly be drained of their own vigor the more they do it. And even then the healing will eventually do the OPPOSITE effect. Such as draining you and leaving you worse off than how you were originally.”

 

“WHA-”

 

“S-Shhh!...Just shut up, grab your son and get out of here! You already killed the big threats! These lesser guys will stop once you stop the councilmen!”

 

“‘B-But…”

 

“I am the Princess of Hell, you would be wise to listen to what I’m saying.”

 

“Actually Harper you’re technically the Queen now since your dad is permanently retired and your sister is MIA along with the rest.” Silphy brings up.

 

“I am the Queen of Hell, you would be wise to listen to what I’m saying.”

 

“...” Parappa runs over to Leo “Come on...we gotta get out of here. These guys aren’t our main target…”

 

“They won’t let you reach them…”

 

“Yeah well...I gotta get you out of here! Something clearly botched up your healing and so you’re in no condition to do anything!...”

 

“No...leave me and run…”

 

“Are you insane?!”

 

“I’m about to be…”

 

“H-Huh?...” something in his mind triggers as he hears what Sirius told him.

 

_ And the only way to get him to do so was if your safety is threatened...but if you wanted him to try his hardest...you'd need to break his mind… _

 

“You need to get out of here now...I’ll...I’ll handle this…”

 

“No...I’m not letting you force your mind down just to handle something we can clearly do together!”

 

“How d-do you?...”

 

“Not important! Now come on, work with me here!” Parappa begins dragging Leo along towards the exit. As the giant door ends up within sight, a swarm of lesser demons appear from that direction as well “AW COME ON!...”

 

“W-We’re surrounded…p-please just back off and let me handle this…”

 

“As your parent, I say no!” Parappa drops Leo and stands in between the approaching swarms “TIME TO DO SOMETHING STUPID!” He floats a little bit off the ground from his fleeting focus, but it’s enough for him to do what he’s trying to do “Oh this is gonna hurt...and I can’t be healed until we go back to the surface...forget what happens to me!...FOR THE HELL SHADOWS!” Parappa’s body flashes yellow and white with large amounts of electricity flowing out of it. All the flying demons are zapped and fried on the spot. The lightning chains off of one to the next. It extends over to alert the ones that are fighting with the others. All the hell shadows smash away hundreds upon hundreds of lesser’s at the call of Raparra who leaps off.

 

“COME ON! WE’RE MOWING THEM DOWN! THAT’S HOW WE DO IT!” Raparra says as he rips the wings off of one of the demons and flicks them off at other ones. He then grabs the same demon by the tail and swings it around like a mace smashing more out of the sky. Its tail rips off the body as it flies into a wall with a splat. The large flickering of the thunder energy is shown to gather their attention as they all fly off and head over to Parappa and Leo instead “YEAH THAT’S RIGHT!” He starts breathing much more heavily “Damn body…gragh...well i’ll be damned. We actually scared them off from our conjoined strength! Ain’t that dandy?” They all cheer as they relish in their victory “BUT WE AIN’T FINISHED YET! OUR NEXT TASK IS TO BUST THAT FUCKING DOOR OPEN!” They all agree in a warcry as they start beating down the door “That oughta do...still...the hell happened that caught their attention…” he swats his hand as he and everyone else slam against the doors while the main group tend to the weak.

 

Back with the dog and sheep however…

 

“Ohohohhh...that was so not worth it…” Parappa’s body glows a green hue before it disappears. His safety net used up.

 

“Y-You cleared them all out…”

 

“Good job!” whisper all the Queens that are hidden under his ears. But suddenly the demons that were bugging the others now appear to torment Parappa and Leo “Bad job!”

 

“Man there really is no end to them…”

 

“And what’s worse is I can’t move...I need to catch my breath after doing that…”

 

“Dad we g-gotta move!...”

 

“I’d love to, but my feet feel like they’re glued to the ground…”

 

“Darn it…” Leo tries to move so he can shove his dad out of the way, but he lacks the ability to do so. It doesn’t help the tension to see the flying pests approach them at such a high speed. With that in mind, instead of trying to push Parappa away, Leo instead flings his body in front of Parappa.

 

“L-Leo??”

 

“Get your breath and run…” the target for the annoying monsters becomes Leo as they swarm him like vultures. Parappa stares at his overwhelmed future child as he's still unable to move, cursing himself for that “Please...Just…Run…” they completely cover him over, getting Parappa to lose it.

 

“G-GET OFF OF HIM!...” Parappa forces his hands upwards and tries his best to force electricity out of them again, but no avail “PLEASE JUST A LITTLE BIT OF LIGHTNING WOULD BE LOVELY RIGHT ABOUT NOW!...ANYTHING! PLEASE I JUST WANT THEM TO GET OFF OF HIM!” he gets his wish, but it wasn’t caused by him as the giant dogpile was quickly blown away with all the lesser’s just getting launched with ease, some not surviving the launch.

 

“GYAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA!” Leo’s pupils had vanished as his eyes were warbling an assortment of colors, like if he were on an induced high given their spiraling. He was clearly unconscious, but his body was doing all that it could to get rid of everything on him. He was fighting everything within arms reach with his full strength, killing the demons with faster ease.  However, once he did just that, his body kept striking at air to and fro. He swings his guitar wildly getting the lesser demons to freak out. They couldn't take him on anymore. Some tried to flee, the others decided to attack Parappa instead. A few saw it best to keep hitting him regardless. Leo saw those trying to run and those attempting to get his father, unable to reach them all. He merely laughs until it devolves into a growl. He huddled down and his body starts to hover off the ground. Electricity starts to jitter around him. Unlike Parappa’s, Leo's electricity was blue.

 

“W-Whoa...so this is what Aqua and the others saw…”

 

“You might wanna avoid the incoming fire…” the girls in his ears tell him.

 

“Right…” Parappa dives behind a large assortment of rocks and soon the blue energy all builds up around the sheep as it explodes off of him and destroys their door to the councilmen along with every lesser demon in sight, they are all gone now. Leo then moans as his own autopilot runs out and falls over. As also mentioned, his body starts writhing in pain not a second after, waking him right up.

 

“A-Arrgghhh...w-what ha-ha...ppened?...” Parappa runs to him and holds him up

 

“Um...I helped get them off of you...but you’re pretty banged up. They’re all dead but you’re in no condition to do anything else...oh man what can I do now… You can’t even move…”

 

“Just...leave me seated here...you stop...the eight of em...and go help the...o-others…” He falls unconscious after coughing out small droplets of red liquid, his body still twitching all the while. The six little orbs of light rush out from under Parappa’s ears and manifest around him.

 

“Aw geez…” Harper says as she yanks at her tail.

 

“Munch!...” Mocha says as she hovers around the sheep.

 

“Not again…” Silphy scans the boy.

 

“I take it you’ve all seen this happen before to…”

 

“Yeah we have...and what happens to him after he does all of it…”

 

“Can you help him out?!”

 

“We’ll see if my perks extend this far...like I said, trying to heal while down here is a big negative… Ladies?” The all float towards her “You stop them, we’ll do our best to help him out.”

 

“Thanks!...” Parappa regulates his breathing until he’s ready. He runs up to the busted down door and stares at the giant pedestal that seats the eight meager looking individuals.

 

“HARK! WHO DARES INTRUDE UPON US!...”

 

“IT’S THE BLOODY OPPOSITE OF RAPARRA!...”

 

“QUICK ALERT THE GUARDS!”

 

“All of em are dealt with…”

 

“WHAT?!”

 

“T-THEN GET THE BEASTS!”

 

“Four of em down…”

 

“W-We still have four mo-” the other door to the area bursts open as a swarm of hell shadows run on in.

 

“BOOM BITCHES, WE IN HERE TO FUCK YOUR SHIT UP! ALSO NICE TRY SENDING FOUR BEASTS TO KILL US! I DEALT WITH ALL THAT EASILY!”

 

“Oh would you look at that...four plus four is eight...you guys are out of defenses…”

 

“H-Haaaa…”

 

Raparra hops in front of the eight of them “Hey assholes...what was that about giving me threats?...”

 

“Y-You should’ve been weak enough t-to kill…”

 

“I am again...but I was helped out by a topsider. And while the thought does sicken me to my very core...i’m grateful it allowed me to be able to kill you…” Parappa hops up to them as well.

 

“Hold on there tiger! Kill em after I force em to do one little thing!”

 

“My anger can’t wait…” he grabs the neck of the main official.

 

“H-HRKK…”

 

Parappa body checks his double off “I SAID QUIT IT! Lemme just do this one little thing then feel free to pop their heads off!”

 

“YO, DON’T EVEN TRY! I’M STILL PISSED AT YOU AS WELL! THIS IS  **_YOUR_ ** FAULT!”

 

“YES IT IS!”

 

“YE-...yeah...glad we’ve established that…and therefore-”

 

“No. Look, you’ve waited a little bit to kill these assholes, but what’s the harm in waiting a little longer?”

 

“Why would I listen to you? Thanks to you, you nearly got us all killed.”

 

“YOU’RE HALF TO BLAME FOR THAT JUST AS MUCH AS I AM!...”

 

“I mean, it was all to get Rammy who you stubbornly resisted in giving back.”

 

“Don’t try to turn this on me asshole!”

 

“Oh you wanna fight again?! I’ll rip your head off!”

 

“I rather not, but if I gotta!” both dogs clash fists once more, but neither are sent flying. Instead, they both pull their fists back and grab them in great pain “Owowowowowow!...Still sore from using all that electricity…”

 

“Fucking...gah that stupid healing was a rip off…”

 

“Poppy healed you?? Well that does explain alot...but that was a mistake. Trying to heal while in hell equals a massive drawback not that long after.”

 

“That explains a fucking lot...urgh...I can’t fight you, but you can’t fight me.”

 

“That’s fine by me. It gives us the chance to be civil and be more diplomatic.”

 

“No.”

 

“Figures...look what will take for me to go first with MY request?”

 

“...hmmm~ You’re my double...and you won by fluke over strength...but I can’t get back at you through that regards, so I’ll get back at you through a better mean!”

 

“That being?...”

 

Raparra crosses his arms “Rapping!” Parappa squints his eyes with a smile.

 

“Rapping huh? Sure…~ Can’t deny a challenge involving that~ What’s the prize for the victor?~”

 

“Now that’s where the sour part comes in. You get to ask these shit heads what you want, but what do  _ I _ get specifically? I get nada from this.”

 

“R-R...Raparra…”

 

“Eh?...What do you eight want…”

 

“I-If you s-spare us, should y-you win w-we will heed you every c-call...w-what you wish, w-we would allow and grant!...”

 

Parappa speaks up immediately “Are you eight idiots?! What kind of fool do you think Raparra is to agree to th-”

 

“Is that so?~...”

 

“Raparra you cannot be serious…”

 

“Hey now, don’t get the wrong idea. I still hate these shitstains, but if there’s one thing I love more than enacting my revenge...it’s watching the targets of my fury grovel at my feet and plead with theirs for whatever they can get if it means they stay safe~...That’s true diplomacy in my eyes...and it’s such a tantalizing offer to be able to make these eight scumbags my personal pack mules! Plus I’ll get to lead and organize the others my own way and finally take the surface for ourselves...this is just business you fake...something you’d never understand.”

 

“ARE YOU STILL ON THAT?!”

 

“Hey...you should’ve let me kill em while I had the chance. Now you let them speak and they gave me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

 

“Then it’s a good thing that the thing I want to ask for completely neuters your crazy power obsessed fantasy…”

 

“That’s if you win...and you ain’t winning…”

 

“We’ll just have to see!...”

 

Raparra growls and chokes the lead councilman again “HEY! You idiots are gonna regulate the rules for this…”

 

“V-Very well...w-what praytell...are the rules?...”

 

“The rules are simple. I’ll start and Faker here has to follow. Now Faker will have to rhyme with the last thing I said and then finish off however he pleases. It then goes back to me and I will have to rhyme with the last thing HE said. And so forth until one can no longer continue off the last persons rhyme. You have a one minute timer to be able to think of a rhyme for the last line. If time runs out. They lose. If they say a word that’s not a legal rhyme. They lose. If they stutter or say one of those…’stalling’ words three times in a row, that’s an automatic loss since they can’t obviously think of anything. Got that?”

 

“Y-Yes...b-but how will we know what’s an authentic r-rhyme?...”

 

“Don’t you fucking play stupid. Eggheads like you? I’m certain you have a dictionary and thesaurus back there to help out…”

 

Seven of the councilmen look towards the eighth one on the right end “...W-Well you’re fortunate that I just happen to have one…”

 

“Great...you good then faker?”

 

“I’m peachy keen...so I just gotta sing along?~”

 

“That’s all it is fucker~”

 

“Well...lucky for me I’m used to having many obscure teachers!”

 

“Fuck off...you lot are giving us the starting word, when you feel as if the main rap has gone stale, start us off again.”

 

“R-Right…”

 

“Good...then with that…” All the hell shadows along with Parappa’s group all sit at the seats in the courtroom “I’d say we’re-”

 

_ Stage 6: I am you and you are me _

 

**Lesson 1**

 

**_READY TO GO BAYBEEEEE!_ **

 

**“We begin to judge this face off with the same faces off. We have two sides of coin, but lives are on the line. Will it be ours or there’s? It all runs in the grubby little hands of two tenacious dogs…And so we see how things will be…”**

 

_ “YO! HERE’S THE HELL DOG IN THE HOUSE.” _

 

_ “I’M THE REAL CERBERUS HERE!” _

 

_ “HOWLING AND RUNNING AND BITING SOME HEADS OFF!” _

 

_ “AND MOST OBVIOUS OF ALL IS THAT I SPIT FIRE! MY RAPS WILL LEAVE YOU AS A PILE OF ASH!” _

 

**“THE FIRST WORD IS MISERY!”**

 

_ “THIS HOUSE IS YOUR TRUE MISERY. _

_ TO YOU, IT’S A SPECIAL DELIVERY! _

_ I AM A MASTER AND I’LL BRING YOU DISASTER! _

_ NOW BOW DOWN TO YOUR NEW RINGMASTER!” _

 

“I AM A STAR, JUST LIKE ASTOR!

MY LINES WILL COME OUT FASTER!

YOU BETTA PREPARE FOR DEFEAT

CUZ YOU KNOW YOU WILL BE BEAT!”

 

_ “NOW AIN’T THAT SWEET? _

_ YOU THINK YOU PACKIN HEAT! _

_ BUT ALL YOU GOT IS LIES _

_ I CAN SEE IT IN YOUR EYES!” _

 

“NOW THAT AIN’T VERY WISE!

IT ALL JUST SOUND LIKE CRIES

YOU'RE JUST PICKIN UP STICKS,

AND SMASHING YOUR HEAD UP AGAINST SOME BRICKS!”

 

_ “I AM UNBEATABLE CUZ IT ALL JUST CLICKS, _

_ BESTING EVERYONE BE IT HOMIES OR CHICKS, _

_ AND ON THAT LITTLE NOTE, YOU'RE THE BIGGEST FUCKING CHICKEN! _

_ COMIN UP TO CHALLENGE ME, ALL YOU EARN IS A BIG ASS KICKIN!” _

 

“YOUR RAP AIN’T SICK, BUT IT SURE LEAVES ME STRICKEN,

BETTER DODGE YOUR STANK, I BEST TRY AND QUICKEN!

YOU’RE COMIN UP AS NOTHIN BUT SMOKE!

I GUESS THIS MEANS THAT SOON YA GONNA CROAK!

 

**“ENOUGH! WE ARE RESETTING THE ROUND!”**

 

**Lesson 2**

 

Parappa begins shaking abit. Worrying if he can keep up or not.

 

_ “Keepin up are we? Ain’t that a riot!” _

 

_ “But you know you don’t hold up a candle next to me!” _

 

_ “I see you shakin, but you put yourself in this mess!” _

 

_ “So shake your lips instead! We still innit!” _

 

**“THE NEW WORD IS WARY!”**

 

_ “NOW HERE YOU ARE LOOKIN QUITE WARY! _

_ BET TO YOU I BE LOOKIN REAL DAMN SCARY! _

_ NOW THEY SAY YOU CAN ALWAYS TEACH A DOG NEW TRICKS, _

_ BUT ALL I SEE IS A GUY CAUGHT LOST BETWEEN STEPS THREE TO SIX!” _

 

“NOW LOOK AT YOU HERE WITH YOUR PUMPED UP KICKS!

YOUR ATTITUDE IS SOMETHIN SOMEONE REALLY OUGHTA FIX!

I HOPE YOU KNOW IT’S TRUE!

THAT THIS DAY YOU’LL REALLY ROUX!”

 

_ “MAN I REALLY HATE YOU! _

_ BUT I KNOW NOW YOU’RE THROUGH! _

_ CANNOT KEEP UP WITH MY FIRE! _

_ IT BURNS WITH THE HEAT OF MY ANGRY DESIRE!” _

 

“CUTTIN THINGS DOWN TO THE WIRE?

WHY YA TREATIN ME LIKE I’M CAUGHT IN SOMETHING DIRE!

KNOWING THAT I GOT TO MUCH AT STAKE TO LOSE,

SO LETTING YOU BEAT ME IS AN OPTION I’LL NEVER CHOOSE!”

 

_ “NOW YA RAPPIN POORLY, SURE IT’S NOT THE BLUES? _

_ HEAD FEELIN AIGHT? SURE IT AIN’T MISSIN SCREWS?~ _

_ YOU CAN’T COMPARE TO MY RHYMING FEVER! _

_ YOU’RE COMING UP SHORT, NECKS PREPPED FOR THE CHOPPING BLOCK CLEAVER!” _

 

“KNOW THAT YOU’LL NEVER BEAT THIS BELIEVER!

I STILL HAVE FAITH, I AIN’T NO GRIEVER!

I WILL NEVER BE GLUM

CUZ I KNOW MY TIME WILL COME!”

 

**“CEASE! ANOTHER ROUND RESET!”** _The topsider is holding his own much to well…_

 

**Lesson 3**

 

Parappa starts to steady out, but feels as if somethings about to go wrong.

 

_ “I’m honestly surprised ya fake!” _

 

_ “You’re holding out more than I’d like!” _

 

_ “But as I said, you’re getting awfully wavy~” _

 

_ “Let’s see if I can’t tip ya over!” _

 

**“THE NEXT WORD…”** The eight of them look at each other before nodding  **“DUNCE!”**

 

Raparra blinks abit, wondering why such the odd word, but then smiles widely. He quickly caught onto what they wanted him to do.

 

_ “YEAH YA SEE ME HERE, BOUT TO BEAT THIS DUNCE! _

_ STOMPIN HIM AROUND WITH A QUICK SIMPLE PUNCE! _

_ ALL THIS MESS STARTED THANKS TO THAT DUMB LITTLE CHILVER! _

_ NOW SHE’S BACK HERE SO BRING ON THE GOLD AND SILVER~” _ he gazes to Parappa who steps back abit. Parappa curls his mouth, almost unable to rhyme.

 

“NOW THAT WAS A CRUEL LINE TO DELIVER!

YOUR CRUELTY ALMOST MAKES ME WANNA SHIVER!

BUT DON’T BE THINKIN YOU’RE AIGHT,

CUZ YOUR RHYMES AIN’T THAT TIGHT!”

 

_ “THAT’S SOME WEAK BARK AND BITE! _

_ YOU THINK YOU CAN KEEP UP, BUT NO NOT QUITE! _

_ YOU’RE FLIMSIER THAN A FABRIC SHOWING AGE, _

_ IF ANYTHING YOU’RE LOOKIN KINDA GREIGE!” _

 

“I-...I LIKE TO THINK MY COLOR WOULD BE BEIGE!

A TESTAMENT OF MY SKILL IN MY YOUTHFUL AGE!

MY TALENT IS EVERGOING MEANING IT’S UNMATCHED!

THE LIMIT OF MY CAPABILITIES WE HAVEN’T EVEN SCRATCHED!”

 

_ “I THINK FROM REALITY, YOU’RE HELLA DETACHED! _

_ YOU’RE LOCO IN THE COCO IF YOU THINK MY VICTORY CAN BE SNATCHED! _

_ KNOW THAT OUR BATTLE IS QUITE DANGEROUS! _

_ THIS RAP BATTLE IS MORE THAN JUST A GAME TO US!” _

 

“NOW THAT’S JUST EXTRANEOUS,

ALL OF IT IS SPONTANEOUS!

NOW STOP WITH THIS RULE BEND,

I THINK IT’S TIME FOR THIS MATCH TO END!”

 

The main councilman Dante slams his head against the wall  **“ENOUGH!...ANOTHER ROUND END!...”** _ HOW?! HOW IS HE MANAGING ON SUCH SHORT TIME?! _

 

The others in the audience talk between each other, each discussing their own thoughts while the main group all discuss angrily.

 

“This is a rip! Raparra and those eight nuisances are trying to prevent Parappa from being able to rhyme!” Rammy says angrily.

 

“Luckily, Parappa is to good a rapper! He has rhymes for just about anything!” Matt says swinging his fists.

 

“But remember...Raparra is the one saying the starting lines...so eventually he’s gonna find a word that Parappa may not be able to rhyme against…” Sweety says as she cradles Sunny.

 

“...He can do it...if anyone can...it’ll be him!” Kitty says as she angrily stares at Raparra.

 

**Final Lesson**

 

_ “You’re cutting it close! I think you’re hitting your limit!” _

 

_ “So let’s finish this already!” _

 

_ “I think you and I both know who already won…” _

 

_ “So let’s make this one HELL of a Finale!~” _

 

**“ALONG WITH THE NEXT WORD, WE HAVE A SLIGHT CHANGE TO THE RULES! EACH OF YOU WILL BY GOING AT IT WITH TWO VERSES LESS!”**

 

“Huh?”

 

**“YOU HAVE THE VERSE THAT YOU RHYME WITH AND THE VERSE YOU START THAT NEEDS TO BE RHYMED BY YOUR OPPONENT!”**

 

Both dogs look at each other and nod.

 

**“THEN BEGIN! RAPARRA CHOOSE YOUR OWN WORDS!”**

 

_ “EVERYTHING YOU DO IS SIMPLY UNBELIEVABLE! _

_ BUT YOU’RE STILL JUST A PLANT WHO’S STUCK AT THE BULB!” _

 

“I...HAVE JUST ABOUT HAD IT WITH YOUR UNENDING CULB!

IT JUST REALLY GETS ON ALL OF MY NERVES!”

 

_ “YOUR PRETTY LITTLE PANIC MAKES SUCH GREAT HORS D’OEUVRES _

_ YOUR HOPES OF WINNING ARE JUST COMIN UP FALSE~” _

 

“I W-WON’T STOP STEPPIN UP, GOTTA KEEP UP THIS VALSE!

THERE'S STILL TO MANY THINGS I GOT LEFT TO GAIN!”

 

_ “YOU? GAIN? ALL THAT'S LEFT IS PAIN! _

_ CUZ ALL THAT'S LEFT OF YOU IS FILTH!” _

 

“IT AIN'T FILTH, JUST THE RESULTS OF MY TILTH!

CAN'T STOP ME NO MATTER THE TRICK!”

 

_ “I'LL SHOW YOU, YA ANNOYING LITTLE PRICK!”  _ Parappa and Raparra walk towards each other and slam heads together. Raparra was seemingly out of rhymes that could stunt Parappa and now it seems like they're ready for the end in a rapid fire chain.

 

_ “YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A FUCKING LITTLE PEST!” _

 

“NAW, I JUST KNOW THAT I'M BETTA THAN THE REST!”

 

_ “YOU'RE JUST A FUCKING MESS!” _

 

“THAT MEANS YOU'RE SOMETHING LESS!”

 

_ “FUCKING FAILURE FROM YOUR HEAD TO YOUR FEET!” _

 

“SAYS YOU, THERE'S MORE OF ME TO MEET!” Raparra’s eyes bullet around Parappa’s body.

 

_ “HELLISH EYES OF BROWN!” _

 

“SIGNALS MY RENOWN!”

 

_ “SHIT HAIR THAT'S BLONDE!” _

 

“WHAT, ARE YOU FOND?~”

 

_ “JAILED SHIRT OF WHITE AND BLACK!” _

 

“GONNA HAVE A HEART ATTACK?~”

 

_ “F-FREAKING JEANS THAT ARE B-BLUE!” _

 

“IS THAT ALL YOU’RE ABLE TO DO?~”

 

Raparra is at wits end. That is until, his eyes spot a lovely little portion of his body.

 

_ “LITTLE FREAK, NOT UNIQUE WITH A STUPID HAT THAT’S ORANGE!” _ Parappa freezes up. In fact, everyone aside from Raparra and the councilmen all stay stunned.

 

“Cheap little-...” Rammy says through her teeth.

 

“Oh no…” Lammy loses hope.

 

“It just had to be that word…” PJ curses silently.

 

“How cruel...his hat was used against him…” Sweety hugs the unconscious Sunny.

 

(“There's gotta be a rhyme!...”) Ma-san tries to think of something.

 

“U-Uh…” everyone in the audience gasps “U-Um…” Raparra and the councilmen lean forward.  _ NOTHING RHYMES WITH ORANGE!...I-I LOST!... _ Parappa struggles to not say a third stall word, while also not trying to waste his remaining time. Just then...he remembers something he once thought to be pointless.

 

_ “Like did you know that the plastic bit of shoelace is called the aglet! Or that oxygen is actually harmful to breathe? Oooh ooh! Ooooor one of the few words to rhyme with orange is door hinge?” _

 

“SO SQUEAKY, SO NOISY! YA WHINE JUST LIKE A DOOR HINGE!” now the court and Raparra are blown back.

 

“D-Door hiiiinge?...” he looks to the eight, they look to the one with the book. He flickers through the pages until he stops and shivers. He raises his thumb begrudgingly, the rhyme was legal. He turns his head angrily to his double.

 

“Well? What's the next verse you got for me.”

 

He can't even growl from how flustered he is, he's sweating profusely while trying to think of what else to use that hasn't been said “U-um…” but he had nothing, that last rhyme disoriented him “H-Hm…” his dirty tactic earned him nothing but awe, and that meant one thing “E-Erm-  OOPS!...” a small rock conks on the hell dogs head from nowhere. Everyone gasps. Raparra had lost.

 

“Ra-...Raparra...has nothing else...the winner...is...P-Parappa…”

 

Raparra has a flood of emotions on his face, but all that's showing up is a strange crooked smile “H-Heeeeheeee...I lost?...to you??...AGAIN???” he clutches his head as he rears back “HOOOOOW! HOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOW! I LOSE TO YOU IN  **_BOTH_ ** ASPECTS WE SHARE! BOTH OF WHICH I AM BETTER IN! I SHOULD'VE BEEN BETTER IN! I TRAINED IN BOTH ALL MY LIFE! I WAS UNMATCHED, UNBEATABLE,  **UNTOUCHABLE!** THIS IS A FLUKE! A FLAW! A NIGHTMARE! WAS EVERYTHING I EVER WORKED FOR REALLY NOTHING?!?! WAS MY PURPOSE FOR NOTHING? MY LIFE? MY...my f-friend…” Raparra falls to his knees, his eyes water like floods, but he isn't necessarily crying “T-Tarien...I let you down after all…” his eyes roll to the back of his head as he arches his entire body back  **_“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”_ ** Raparra roars at such a force that it shakes all of Hell violently. The roar hurt everyone as they grabbed their ears in pain. Raparra’s sorrow filled howl ends as blood dramatically ejects from his eyes, nose and mouth. He drops onto his back as he twitches like a mess. Despite the twitching, he's completely unconscious.

 

Parappa looks at those seated then towards the eight “That's right, I ko’d him without even touching him. I beat his ass twice.  **_I_ ** am stronger than the last line of defense you had. GAME. OVER.”

 

Dante slowly raises his gavel. He struggles to drive it down. After a long fight...his drops it and cries in anguish at the sound it makes “T-The victor is Parappa Rappa...s-state your command…”

 

Parappa smiles “LIBERATE THE HELL SHADOWS! NO LONGER DO THEY NEED TO STRUGGLE WITH THEIR DOUBLE! THEY CAN GO FREELY AND  **_LIVE_ ** ! FOR ONCE IN THEIR LIVES DO THEY NO LONGER NEED TO FEEL LIKE THEY NEED TO WIN TO GET SOMETHING THEY COULD’VE HAD FROM THE START! Hell will not be their prison! Only their start to something much more grand!”

 

“I-It...is...doneeee…” Dante slams his gavel again. As he does, a dim light surrounds every hell shadow. It disperses and gets absorbed by a light that surrounds the entire room they're in. It shatters the light dome as the other seven all panic. The second main demon of the councilmen, Virgil shouts.

 

“E-EVERYONE FOR THEMSELVES!...” the seven abandon the immobile Dante as they rush out the door Parappa came from. There is brief sounds of a struggle before the seven of them get flung back inside. Parappa glances over to the door, but only six little lights fly by and hide under his ears.

 

“Thanks for breakin their barrier~” whisper the six lights.

 

“All in a day’s work~ Speakin of which…” He stands in front of everyone “Hey...would ya look at that, you lot are free!” They stay silent “Ok...I know this must be...quite a culture shock...and a bit...spiteful to see a topsider like me be the reason for your freedom...buuuut...if you lot promise to get along with everyone nicely...you all can be ha-” All the shadows explode in delight “Ppy...well...talk about your delayed- OOF!” Parappa is tackled into the ground, by a new lovestruck fan.

 

“THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!” It wasn’t someone he’d expect. It was Paula’s hell shadow “THE DREAM REALLY DOES NEVER END! BUT THE NIGHTMARES SURE DO! MWAH MWAH MWAH MWAH MWAH!” she unleashes a machine gun kiss assault on his face.

 

“I'M GLAD YOU'RE HAPPY, BUT I'M COOL WITH A SIMPLE THANK YOU! I'M NOT DESERVING OF SUCH AN OVERZEALOUS THANKS!...”

 

“I SAY YA ARE HERO!” the assault goes on for a little while longer. The others unable to help him due to being crushed in hugs by the other hell shadows.

 

Chris walks up to Raparra’s limp body “Oh now you remember who you were...after being humbled to the extreme…” he sighs “Better late than never…” he smiles as he looks to Parappa “All it took was a better, more appealing guy to help~” he laughs as he watches Parappa struggle in his thanks.

 

The fox is eventually plucked off by an exhausted...fox “Alright Missy, let the guy breathe…”

 

“H-HEEEEEEY!...C-COME OOOOOON...LEMME STAAAAY!”

 

“You can thank him some more on the surface…” he fully pulls off Charlotte to reveal a pink face Parappa, plastered with even pinker lipstick marks all over his face.

 

“T-Thanks Le-...oh no…”

 

“Eh?...I wake up ok on my own and come to see you and your reply is oh no?” Parappa stares at Leo’s head. It matches Charlotte.

 

“I-I…” _ I have a problem…  _ “I am happy to see you!...I’m glad to see you’re alright! Anything feel off?...”

 

“Naw...just woke up exhausted and in slight discomfort all by myself, and all I hear is cheering so I decided to pop in…”

 

“T-That’s great!”  _ Can’t draw attention to his face… _

 

“H-HEY!...WHY DOES YOUR FACE LOOK LIKE MINE!...”

 

_ GOD...DAMMIT… _

 

“I’m sorry what?...” Leo lets go of Charlotte and holds out his guitar. He stares at his reflection on the back of the body before dropping the instrument and looking at his dad. Parappa meekly shrugs.

 

“I...guess it doesn’t take alot to win me over…~” Leo sighs as Charlotte looks between the two.

 

“Wha?...”

 

“I’ll...explain everything on the surface...which you all get to go to! Come on!...

 

* * *

 

Everyone leaves the massive hole connecting Hell to the surface, only now instead of being there from a malice filled mission, they’re there as free beings. They all wander about like a sheltered person touching grass for the first time. The group all help them around, but Parappa sticks around with the hell shadow variations of his main group of friends.

 

“Well...you guys are free! What do you plan on doing?”

 

“Me? I dunno. Need to...think that up...gah...it’s so fucking bright...what is that thing?? It was annoying when we were up here earlier to…” Chris stares at the sun, trying to shield his eyes as best he can.

 

“That’s the sun dude.” Kitty answers for Parappa.

 

(“That sun thing sucks...hurts the eyes so goddamn much…”)

 

“Relax, it’s setting so you guys won’t have to deal with it for much longer.” Rammy says, already accustomed to the sun.

 

“Y-You guys really h-have adapted to the surface…” AJ says trying to shield his eyes “It’s a marvel...h-how do you do it?...”

 

“For starters...STOP STARING AT THE SUN!”

 

“Yeah ya idiots, no one’s forcing you to look at it…”

 

“...Oh…” They all turn away from the sun.

 

“Well...that’s a start for you three! Also...Charlotte c-can you let go of me?...”

 

“Noooooope~ You asked what we’re gonna do now? Well I think ya can take a hint~” Parappa ejects smoke from his ears as his jaw drops from her promiscuous line.

 

(“Hey no fair...actually...you said I could mess around later…”) Fei-bo latches onto Parappa as well (“Now’s later~”)

 

“Girls please…” Parappa looks over to Rammy and Kitty “Heeeeelp…” They don’t heed his call. They’re to distracted by something. Parappa turns his attention to what they’re looking at, and he spots Raparra. Everyone looks at the hell dog who had finally woken up. He’s staring at the sky as he reclines on a streetlamp. Parappa shakes off the two girls and runs up to his double “Hey.”

 

“...Yo.”

 

“You actually came up.”

 

“Yeah ain’t that quaint.”

 

“...why?”

 

“The fuck am I ‘sposed to do down there on my own now?”

 

“Good...point… Well...what are ya gonna do now?”

 

“Me? Hell if I know. I think I’m gonna wander about this place. I’m tired...i’m sick and in pain...I’m just gonna see where the wind drags this body of mine.”

 

“Don’t you want Poppy to heal you now that we’re on the surface? Her healing will actually work this time.”

 

“Naw...I wanna heal this off myself. There’s something I’m aimin to do.”

 

“‘Eh? So you do have something in mind? What is it then?”

 

“I’m gonna rest up my bod, i’m gonna bulk it back up...tune up my skills with my fists and my mouth. I’m comin back to see you again…” he turns to his double “You ain’t gonna die, you ain’t gonna lose. Nobody’s allowed to defeat you…” flames flicker about his hair “THAT HONOR BELONGS TO ME!~ ONCE I’M EVEN STRONGER THAN I AM NOW...I’LL COME BACK TO FACE YOU!” He calms down “But no more cheap shots...if its a rhyme battle...I’ll give it my all again, I haven’t rapped in so long that I got super rusty and let my emotions get the better of me. In a fight...I’ll be stronger… In the end, you were right. I was greatly undermining you and got one pulled over me. Not next time. I’ll become even stronger. Until then...you aren’t allowed to let anyone else beat you...I refuse to let that happen. THE ONLY ONE WHO’S ALLOWED TO BREAK YOU DOWN IS ME AND ME ALONE!~” He smiles “Ya got that?~ Fa...Parappa?~”

 

“...I do!” Parappa’s smile beams brightly. Despite the shadow’s rather rude and disruptive threats, Parappa seems to feel at ease around him compared to before “Parappa Rappa will always accept your challenge!”

 

“Then Raparra Parra will be there to supply! Don’t make it to easy for me! I won’t take satisfaction in beating you as is though...I want you to get tougher to! In both regards! I wanna beat you when I know we’re on the same level!”

 

“...When will that be?”

 

“Who can say for sure, but I know that we’ll both know when the time is right. I can just feel it.”

 

“You know something Raparra? I can feel it to.”

 

“Until then man...take care of these fuck heads alright?...”

 

“Eh?...”

 

“...after being demoralized twice in the same day...my head was jogged quite heavily. I remembered some shit I had long since forgot. Or rather...I was forced to look over due to being taken advantage of from the court...eleven years...I was their pawn, forgetting that they were one of the reasons for my anger...they used my anger so that I would immediately overlook a friends last wish...for eleven years I was spitting on his grave unwillingly...all because of my ego...my temper...my easily moldable mind...but now I remember...and...it’s to late for me to do so. So who better than the guy who looks like me?”

 

“...Of course I’ll keep these guys happy. But can you tell me...what it was you remembered?...”

 

“It ain’t worth your concern. Don’t fret. My old pal likes to keep his secrets, even in death...wherever he may be…”

 

“Eh?...If he’s not in hell, then maybe he’s in-”

 

“He ain’t...he definitely ain’t...heh...not if you knew his story.”

 

“...Tarien right?”

 

“Yeah. Now that’s all for now. Peace.” He turns back around and attempts to walk away, but Parappa stops him.

 

“Naw, not yet.”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Not yet! I...I wanna have a welcoming party for all of you! Can’t be for all of you if even one of you guys is missing now can it?”

 

“Tch...I dunno...I ain’t one to-”

 

“I insist!”

 

“The topsiders and the other hell shadows would not like having me arou-”

 

“I’m  _ inviting _ you.”

 

“...Your funeral…” Parappa grabs Raparra by the hand and takes him to the hell shadow version of his friends who all panic at seeing him approach. PJ and Leo watch from afar.

 

“Not even a second after being threatened RIGHT IN HIS FACE...he’s already getting all buddy buddy with the guy who planned to tear the surface down!”

 

“That’s my dad for you...but still...something’s bugging me…”

 

“Is it the fact that your faces now include Charlotte and Fei-bo?”

 

“No...well...yes, but no. It’s just that…” He sighs “Dad was...supposed to lose…”

 

“What?? But you said we got Rammy back…”

 

“You did, but dad lost.. Dad proposed a rap battle and he lost…”

 

“Then how’d we get Rammy back?”

 

“After losing...Auntie Rammy spoke her heart out on all the things she’s had up here compared to down there...the council deemed her a failure of a hell shadow and exiled her...she was never allowed to return to hell, none of you were...permanent banishment…”

 

“...Well look at it this way. Now she gets to be free and happy along with the rest of them. And they get to return to hell if they so please AND still be able to come back freely. I see nothing bad coming from this...so...maybe it’s a good thing the future changed in this regard.” He taps Leo on the back “Trust me, this seems like the necessary change that I’m glad you caused.”

 

“...” Leo looks to the hell shadows taking in the surface, then sees the hell shadow version of the main group all yelling at Raparra as he sighs, Parappa trying to stop them “...I hope you’re right Uncle PJ…”

 

_ I really hope you’re right... _


	43. True Colors

“There are so many hell shadows!” Katy says as she stands on her tiptoes to see the ever growing number.

 

“Well yeah Katy, there’s one for everyone in the world! They’re just flooding out...I wonder how others will react to seeing a nearly exact copy of themselves…” PJ says as he starts seeing faces that aren’t from PaRappa Town or Neon Heights.

 

“I mean...we handled it quite nicely!” Matt says as he flicks his left ear.

 

“Oooh...I don’t see mine...it’s not fair that you lot got to see yours! But me and Poppy didn’t get to see ours at all!” Sweety says as the mentioned flower finally starts to wake up.

 

“Ungah...where am I?...”

 

“Back on the surface! Mission complete!”

 

“Huh?...” She gazes about groggily “Ohh...OH! THAT’S AMAZING!” she shimmies in place so much so that she falls off of Sweety’s back “WAHHH- owie…” the others help Sunny to her feet as PJ answers Sweety’s original statement.

 

“Well...You’re bound to run into to them! They’re all up here in town after all!”

 

“Easier said than done...it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack!”

 

“What is?...” Sunny says, out of the loop.

 

“She’s just upset that you and her are the only ones not to spot your hell shadows.” Paula explains.

 

“O-Oh...well um...I-I’m in no rush to see mine! Doubt we’d even find her!...H-Hehe…” _I hope we don’t...she might give me away...granted even if we did find her, she probably wouldn’t know I’m Sunny...I hope…_

 

As the group gawk about the hell citizens. Leo finally manages to help his dad in calming the others disdain for Raparra.

 

“Finally…”

 

“If it makes you lot feel better, I ain’t probably gonna stick around here anyway.” Raparra says in hopes of making them cool their temper even more.

 

“No...honestly I think I’d prefer you nearby so I can yell at you some more!” Chris says as he crosses his arms and turns around. The others nod in agreement.

 

“I don’t get you lot. Not at all.”

 

“Well look at this way Raparra...in a sense...they technically said they’d miss you if you left!”

 

The other hell shadows open their eyes and immediately yell at Parappa, completely embarrassed “N-NO WE DIDN’T!...” the dog recoils and whines as Raparra chuckles.

 

“Whatever.~ So you plan on hosting a welcoming party eh?”

 

“Welcoming party?? For ALL the hell shadows?” Leo looks to the small dog.

 

“Yeah!” He realizes just how many there will actually be “...I’ll admit...it sounded better in my head...but I mean come on! They need a kind welcoming!”

 

“First you double the world’s population, next you plan to throw a party for them all! You know how you’ll manage?”

 

“Yeeeee-no…” The dog scratches his head.

 

“Oh boy...you’re lucky you got me!”

 

“What can you do??”

 

“I’m used to handling parties for crowds this massive~”

 

“...Can you word that a little better?...”

 

“Why do you think I would ever mean it like that…” Parappa merely eyes his entire outfit “Dad...I’m offended…” Leo’s face turns pink.

 

“Hey I’m just saying...peculiar style is all…”

 

“Blame the Queens...they influenced my style!”

 

“Eh...they’re dead.” Leo hands him his phone, set to a photo of Harper wearing the exact same outfit “...Ok...shut me up right quick why don’t you?...well atleast I can say you wear it better!”

 

“Hey!” Harper shouts from under his ear.

 

“What was that?”

 

“Just me! Anywho, ok! My bad! I’m not judging you!”

 

“Really? You literally just judged me, thinkin I was a stripper!”

 

“That wasn’t judgement! That was just me not wanting you to handle a welcoming party _that_ way! I could care less if you were! In fact I’d be very supportive of you if you were! What kinda dad would I be if I wasn’t!” Parappa’s line get’s the mini hell shadow group next to them to all snort in disbelief.

 

“HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL’ UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP” Raparra says as his eyes look between the two.

 

(“Didn’t think Raparra’s double was into THAT sorta stuff.”)

 

“Huh...maybe I do have a chance with him~” Chris says giggling.

 

“Oh my...kinky~” Charlotte says as she squeezes Parappa’s arm again.

 

“WAWAWAWAWAWAIT! LET US EXPLAIN!...”

 

The duo quickly debrief the hell shadows on Leo’s situation.

 

“Ooooooh that’s what you meant by daddy.” they all say in unison.

 

“EY, I SAID DAD. I DID NOT SAY DADDY, **_ONCE!_ ** ” light giggling is heard from under Parappa’s ears.

 

“Whatever~” they all say together. Then Charlotte speaks up again.

 

“Honestly...this is great news for me~”

 

(“Ey there bitch, same with me~”)

 

“Has it not occurred to either of you that NEITHER of you girls end up my mother...cuz...you know...in the future none of you are up here since my dad lost in the proper time…”

 

“Well...you helped fix that did you not?~ Now you gave me and your father a fair shot~”

 

“NO I DIDN’T!”

 

“Says the boy who’s currently _my_ potential boy~”

 

“I…” Leo’s is unable to retort to Charlotte’s words. She’s technically correct as the timeline has extended to a point that now he could have even MORE potential mothers. He was still swapping faces as well, meaning that despite this IMMENSE radical change...it was still alright and on the right track to HIS future. Only with the complication of, should it disconnect for whatever reason, there are now more females to mess up Parappa’s proper marriage partner “This is unbelievable…” As Leo suffers more existential problems, Raparra calls on him.

 

“So you knew that this was gonna happen then ey fucker?” Raparra eyes Leo.

 

“I...did yes…”

 

“Tch...well...gotta say thanks.”

 

“Thanks?...”

 

“Yes thanks, cuz now I get a good game out of this. I can only assume the proper timeline didn’t have this happen?”

 

“No sir…”

 

“Strange...I should be angry...so much so that I’d wanna fight you…”

 

“With all due respect Raparra, I could hold my own against you fairly easily…”

 

“...Yes...I can smell the hardships on you...smells nearly similar to mine oddly enough...can’t pinpoint a reason as to why. Ignoring that. It’s probably why i’m not angry, cuz I would be undermining you incredibly so. That being said...I’m cool with this outcome...because bizarrely enough...I’m happy. I feel like I have a purpose in my life again...it’s still quite a bit toxic, but It’s on a means we can both agree on. Ain’t that right?”

 

“Right!” Parappa says with a thumbs up.

 

“Without your intrusion kid, the game would no longer be fun...and that just won’t do for me. So I gotta repeat. Thanks.”

 

“...Erm...You’re welcome!...” Leo bows for no specified reason.

 

Fei-bo speaks up (“So...you can be potentially be a spawn of mine?”)

 

“That’s a marvel in it’s own right you lazy bum! Fei-bo i’m honestly surprised you would actually get active enough to procreate!” Charlotte sneers at her immediate competition.

 

(“You kiddin? I gots the advantage there THANKS to me not getting my ass outta bed. He probably joins me and things carry on from there~”)

 

“Hmm...that’s actually a fair assessment...I REFUSE TO LOSE TO YOU LIKE THAT!” She quickly points to Leo “I WON’T LET ANYONE GET A HEADSTART ON ME! YOU ARE TO CALL ME MOMMY THIS INSTANT SO THAT I MAY CATCH UP TO THE OTHERS!”

 

“Not on your life…” Leo says with the most deadpan expression.

 

(“I’m cool with whatevs you wanna call me man.”)

 

“Please change subjects…”

 

“E-Eheh...S-So Leo! You said you had it covered! So what do you have in mind?” Parappa says in order to free his son of the current torment.

 

The boy sighs “Well...It’ll take some time to organize...but for now-” Leo is interrupted by the sound of heavy jet’s floating down. They all look up and spot 16-bits descending towards them. Ontop of him is Claire.

 

“TEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” Once in a safe enough distance, she leaps off the robots head and slams down on the hell fox boy.

 

“COOKIE N- YEOW!...” Leo is slammed to the ground by his sobbing friend.

 

“I HAD A BAD FEELIN IN MY GUT THAT YOU WOULDN’T BE ALRIGHT AND IT WAS RIGHT! NOW YOU LOOK LIKE YOU WERE SHOVED INSIDE A BLENDER!...” She sobs dramatically, preventing him from getting up.

 

“I’M...FINE...SIXTEEN GET HER OFF…”

 

“Young Leo if I do that, she’ll rip my parts off.”

 

“C-CAN ANYONE HELP?...”

 

“Uh uh, I don’t touch crazy.” Raparra backs away.

 

“U-Us to…” AJ and Chris back off to.

 

“H-Hands are busy Leo…”

 

(“I can’t be bothered.”)

 

“I caaaaaan~” Charlotte blurts out slyly.

 

“THEN PL-”

 

“Iiiiiiiiiif~...”

 

“...CAN ANYONE ELSE HELP?!” No one answers Leo’s plea “OH FOR THE LOVE OF...gah...please...help me Mom…” Cookie is to lost within her sobbing to properly hear Leo.

 

“I asked for something specific~...”

 

“Oh just stick a ten foot pole up my...fiiiiiihihihiiiiine...please...help me...m-mommy…” the line is still missed, but some of it is slightly heard by her this time, and it quickly confuses her. However, before she can do anything about it-

 

Charlotte let’s go Parappa and walks over to Claire “Will do son~” She holds her hand above the cat girl and quickly does a chop, similarly to the one she did on Rammy earlier in the day. The cat girl is left out like a light, unable to hear or understand what was just said. She's then picked up by Charlotte.

 

“Well I’m not living today down…thanks Miss Charlotte…”

 

“If you don’t permanently keep on calling me that, I will throw her back onto you.”

 

“I’d rather have that than this…” he sighs “Please just...settle for mom…”

 

“Mmm...fine…”

 

“Thank you...as I was SAYING!...” he clears his throat “It’s gonna take a little while...for now...you guys just do whatever to pass the time...after I give Parappa a call...you all follow him with everybody over to Club Fun...got it?...”

 

“Can Club Fun accomodate everyone Leo?...”

 

“Just...trust me...you’ll see. For now enjoy yourselves! I’m gonna go get things ready!...while also slamming my head against a wall to hopefully get a concussion and forget most of today…” Leo flies off, and immediately after, Sixteen apologizes.

 

“You must pardon my intrusion Young Parappa...Miss Claire instructed me to bring her over here post haste to see what was going on…”

 

“Ah it’s no biggie...say! Actually it’s great that you’re here!”

 

“Oh?”

 

“Yes! Can you go scan my friends to see if they’re alright? We had...quite a rough time down there and wanna see what we can mend on our own since I think Poppy is still unconscious…”

 

“Very well, who shall I start with?”

 

“Raparra! He’s been through the worst of all!”

 

“And yet i’m still standing! A majority of my body may be broken, BUT THAT HASN’T STOPPED ME YET!~” He performs a victory pose before violently puking blood on the spot as his eyes turn into comedic X’s.

 

“RAPARRA!...” Parappa panics and separates himself from Fei-bo in order to run over to his shadow.

 

“Idiot…” All the hell shadows roll their eyes.

 

After a quick scan and clean up, Sixteen is left bewildered.

 

“Well...how is he?...”

 

“I’m going to be frank...He should be dead. It’s a large miracle this imbecile is even alive. He has expelled more than ten times his body weight in blood. Every single bone in his body is fractured or broken. His muscle tissues are horrendously damaged. And all his organs are drastically rearranged improperly. By all means. He should not be alive right now, and I have no clue how he even is at this very moment. It baffles me to see him still standing and talking as if nothing was wrong. His organs also seem to have some sort of heavy electrical damage on them and his lungs look as if he were drowned in water. What even are you??”

 

“The fuckin...best~...”

 

“After the party, I’m taking you to a hospital.”

 

“Uh uh. I don’t do hospitals. All dem needles...and disgustin medicine...no siree…”

 

“Raparra you’re going to die if you leave yourself in this state.”

 

“I will fucking not. I’ve been through worse you pansy! But if you’re gonna be on my ass about it...then...fucking get that flower girl to heal me or something!”

 

“Well...let’s see if she’s even able to...Come on 16, let’s get you to scan the rest.”

 

“Right away.”

 

The lot of them unite with the others, and the robot waste no time in inspecting their injuries. The girls calmly let him do so, but Sunny instinctually covers her body as she’s scanned due to recalling what she learned about 16-bits from the memory video.

 

“Alright...Miss Katy you’re fine, your ribs are slightly battered as is your face, but it seems they were much worse before being fixed. Miss Lammy and Miss Ma-san, your backs are in the same condition as Katy’s body. So really, the most you can do is sleep it off. Miss Kitty and Miss Rammy, your body’s have been remedied of the bruises you suffered today...but you lot are in the same boat as Raparra. Please go to a hospital, you three should feasible not be alive.”  


“Haha...the conditions of Hell baybeeee~”

 

“I know right?~” Kitty and Rammy fistbump, perplexing the robot further.

 

“WAIT ARE YOU _ALL_ LIKE THIS??” Sixteen performs a 180 spin and scans the others. To his amazement, they all are like the trio “WHAT THE SCIENTIFICAL MARVEL IS THIS?? HOW ARE YOU ALL CAPABLE OF LIVING LIKE THIS??” Charlotte, Fei-bo, Chris and AJ all shrug. They lack an answer to give him “...Ok...so...maybe they...dooooon’t need medical attention?...” electrical sputtering starts ejecting from his head “I-I need to take my mind off of this…”

 

“Um...M-Mister Bits?...Y-You told us to either sleep it o-off or seek medical help...c-can’t we just ask Poppy to h-heal us?...”

 

“AH! Yes right! I was gonna get to that before getting distracted. Alright, let me be blunt. She can’t anymore.”

 

“WHAT?!” everyone shouts at the little horse bot.

 

“Yes, it would seem that the effect of healing down there to the point of her nearly killing herself has had its fair share of negative effects up here to. She didn’t LOSE the ability to heal...merely, it’s locked away somewhere in her. Her body seems to have subconsciously shut it off so that she wouldn’t kill herself proper whilst healing down there. So now it’s a matter of her body not believing she’s gonna die for doing it so it unlocks it, or if she could just yank it out of wherever the ability is being stored manually to resume doing it naturally.”

 

“So what you’re saying issss…”

 

“You can’t heal, until you relearn how to do it.”

 

“BUT I NEVER _LEARNT_ HOW! IT JUST SORTA STARTED ENTIRELY FROM THE GET GO!”

 

“Yes that is a problem isn’t it? Unfortunately that’s all the logistics I can give you Miss Poppy…” he beeps sadly as the daisy sighs.

 

“Thanks...atleast I was informed over it…” _Maybe I can look at this like a positive...I did say I didn’t want an easy way to success...so maybe now I can actually work for this...problem being is that these guys are gonna roll out into action soon and they desperately need a healer...I better haul it!..._  “Well, that’s a sour note to end off at...I’m sorry guys…”

 

“Don’t apologize! We should apologize to you for forcing you to heal us!” Katy shouts.

 

“Oh you didn’t force anything! I did it on my own!”

 

“You wouldn’t have had to if we weren’t so reckless…” Paula adds on.

 

“Ease up! I’m sure I can relearn this in no time at all! And by then I’ll have learned to permanently keep it! So just in case I find myself in a similar situation, I don’t lose it again!”

 

“T-That’s one way to look at it…” Lammy say as she kicks the ground.

 

(“Look, this just teaches us to not take what we got for granted!”)

 

“Ma-san!”

 

(“If the robot man is gonna be blunt, then by all means, I sure get to be to Katy!!”)

 

“Ooooh let’s just get off the topic of me and our injuries! And just try to better get to know one another!”

 

“She’s right! All of you seem like nice people to wanna truly get to know!...Well...almost all of you…” Katy eyes Raparra specifically.

 

“Pfft, aight~”

 

The lot of them begin talking amongst themselves after telling all the other shadows to stay put and enjoy the area until further notice. They discuss simple things regarding the new daily lifestyle all while Sweety now holsters the conked out Claire on her back.

 

“I mean...you’re technically PaRappa town citizens what with being OUR mirrors...but...can our town accommodate EVERYONE?...”

 

“Where do you keep Rammy and Kitty?...” Chris asks.

 

“Rammy we kinda bunk up with us. Kitty bunks with Leo and Poppy in Neon Heights.” Parappa answers.

 

“The problem is the sudden inclusion of HUNDREDS of new people! I mean Neon Heights as a whole might be able to house all the shadows of THOSE guys, but for PaRappa Town shadows...I dunno. Same goes for other places! Some hell shadows might be able to live in the town of their double! But others...may not be so lucky…” Katy sighs.

 

“Well...I mean they don’t HAVE to live near their double.” PJ says as he snaps his fingers “They can choose to go wherever they want to. That _is_ the whole point of them bein here after all.”

 

“Right! So I guess it’s just up to you guys.” Parappa closes off with as they all just teeter their heads “Oh i’m sure it’ll come to-”

 

“I wanna stay here.” Chris starts off.

 

(“Same.”) Fei-bo adds on.

 

“Yep.” AJ continues on.

 

“Obviously~” Charlotte closes off.

 

“Aaaaaalright…” Parappa forces out a flat laugh “That was simple…”

 

“You do realize it’s YOUR fault they chose here specifically right?”

 

“Yes Raparra...I’m aware…”

 

“So then man up and accept the new strays into your pack!”

 

“Eh?...”

 

“Wolf terminology. Sorry.” he shakes his head “Get used to it, cuz it’s your new life!”

 

“Yeah…” he looks to his new extended friend group “Guess it is~”

 

* * *

 

Within Hell...

 

“So for what reason do you bother boss man?...It irks him to be disrupted on such short notice, so I arrive in his stead. Now WHY do I arrive?”

 

“W-We…we carry unfortunate news…”

 

“If it involves the Hell Shadows, what else is new? They showed to be ineffective, and have no proper brain to which take over. Granted, that’s your fault. With how much you destroyed their thinking process by making them hivemind the same agenda...it’s a wonder they all lived as long as they did.”

 

“It’s not that...we...no longer have possession over them…”

 

“Oh so they finally revolted?”

 

“No...we were about to execute them for their failure.”

 

“Oh that would’ve been SUCH a great error. Thankfully it did not come to pass. What, praytell, did happen?”

 

“A mutt… F-From the surface...he was the reason we deemed them all much to useless...then he came down here and called for their liberation...unable to realistically stop him...we went along with his demand…”

 

“Dog eh? That’s peculiar...well they’re probably better off on their own than with you lot...still...tell me who has them now so that I may see if I should intervene.”

 

“A-A dog named Parappa Rappa…” Yismin freezes up, recalling Europa’s threats.

 

“...Feh...it would appear it’s out of my realm of assistance.” He holds out his left hand, it opens up and reveals a mini screen. On it appears Parappa, along with the rest of them “So he is with them…” He taps his chin, then smiles “Honestly? This is good~ With him assisting them, the failures might actually prove useful~ Tell me...do they ALL still have the micro virus embedded in their bodies?”

 

“Y-Yes!...all within their bloodstreams! The only ones who no longer have it are Raparra Parra and Charlotte Fennec whose bodies mysteriously created antibodies against it...and Rammy Ram and Kitty Kattz...there's just upped and vanished from their bodies! It wasn’t purged by antibodies like the other two… However, why is this important?...It doesn’t affect them and it doesn’t seem like it ever will…”

 

 _“Because_ you eight ignorant dolts...it may not affect them, but it may transfer over to the people up there~ You see, we were deciding on enhancing the small electronic virus so that it could potentially work on them finally, buuuuuut. If they are staying within such close proximity to those up above...then maybe we can make it so that the virus instead transfers itself over to them! Those up above clearly don’t have the inabilities that the hell shadows do so we can use this to get more ‘helper’s’ after all!”

 

“Is that so?...”

 

“Yes...of course this will take quite a lot of time...especially since our technical helpers have either gone and died or gone turncoat...we had our old helper Artio...but he’s been killed within his own abode mysteriously...For now, it’s just a glimmer in the skyline! But it is within reach of the realm of possibility!~” he laughs deviously as his hand returns to normal “THIS IS SUCH A GLORIOUS OUTCOME!~ Are they still unaware of what’s inside of them?”

 

“Y-Yes! Blissfully unaware!”

 

“...Peeeeerfeeeeeeect~”

 

“S-So in the end...we did well?...”

 

“Yes…~ And now I must say…” His hand morphs into a cyber weapon, he shoots one of the eight demons, blowing its head off.

 

“W-WARRGH!...”

 

“You’ve run your usefulness dry…”

 

“W-What are you doing?!...” Yismun kills another one and blocks their path to the exit.

 

“Isn’t it obvious? Getting rid of a nuisance~”

 

“B-But we helped Bohemian immensely!...”

 

“Yes, I’ll admit to that, but have your really? Yes you helped us kill the renegade angel Sagittarien, but that just created his little avenger Raparra...yes you helped us catch the Lord of Hell and his youngest spawn Astina, but that made one of his eldest, Harper, into a revenge driven nuisance… She created the Queens which caused us nothing but turmoil! Yes you gave us the idea AND helped us with turning the captured Satan into a roboticized servant that helped accelerate our plans...but that caused that damned Eu-...the damned Leo Steps to step up and fight us...HE KILLED OUR NEEDED HELPER SATAN ALONG WITH EIGHTEEN OF OUR MOST CRUCIAL ELITE! HE DESTROYED MY ORIGINAL BODY WHICH WAS THE MOST INDESTRUCTIBLE! AND SMASHED BOSS MAN’S NECK, PROMPTING HIM TO START HIS MUTATIONS WHICH ENDED UP BEING HIS DOWNFALL IN THEIR CLASH THAT LED TO BOSS MAN’S NEW ROBOT BODY!” Yismun’s body turns into a gigantic robotic monster as he fires multiple lasers, incinerating four more of the demons, leaving Dante and Virgil **“YOUR IMBECILIC HELP HAS COST US SO MUCH! AND HERE YOU ARE…”** he calms down and shrinks back down “Honestly? You’re about even~ Maybe even good now, finally after this!”

 

“Then why kill us?!?! It’s not OUR fault that the kid could control lightning and water! It was out of the realm of logical possibility and therefore you can’t kill us!...”

 

“Even if I didn’t now...you’d still be killed off eventually~ You see...boss man doesn’t like keeping unworthy loose ends, especially ones that will talk~”

 

“B-But...w-we won’t!...y-you can’t do this to us...w-we have our rights!...”

 

“Rights? You have none~ Not here. This is Bohemians world...you were just allowed to live in it...not anymore…” his arms change into drills.

 

“B-But it’s not h-his world yet…”

 

“No...but it soon will be~...” His drills start up as he drives them forward. The sounds of screams are heard along with metal breaking bone. It echoes throughout the empty section of hell they’re in. Once he’s alone again, Yismun adjusts his tie “Heaven’s me...I’m glad my body is non stick~ Their brains and blood just drip right off!~ Have to thank boss man for that again~ Now...how am I gonna explain this to Bohemian…” He walks out of Hell in a heavy thought.

 

* * *

 

“You sure you don’t wanna talk about anything else involving you guys?...” Matt asks the doubles.

 

“There ain’t much to us.” Chris says with a shrug.

 

“Is it alright if we can ask YOU some stuff?...” AJ turns the question around.

 

“Sure!” Katy says as she pokes her head past Parappa’s and Matt’s, nearly toppling them over.

 

“What’s...with the things you can do? With the ice, water, fire, explosions and lightning! We can’t do that…” Charlotte asks, bringing up the whole spectacle.

 

“Ah...see...it’s a...genetic thing really...and the funny thing is...we would’ve almost never learnt about it were it not for Leo...and...by extension Kitty!” Katy says as she sticks her tongue out.

 

“Eh?”

 

“See...thanks to Leo, Raparra ended up...running into me. And thus changed how the actual kidnapping of Rammy was supposed to go. This caused Kitty to go topside to warn us. Something that didn’t happen originally. Now, during the time of waiting for today to come...well...I started getting to know a few of my friends even more thanks to Leo’s intrusion, which caused some...abilities to awaken! Now back to Kitty, thanks to her finally choosing to wanna stay up here! She ended up calling Rammy over for a sleepover, but when Rammy came back...she ended up curious over how this town got its name! And well we asked my dad who showed us!...then by accident he ended up showing us our lineage specialty! And one thing led to another and...most of us learned how to use em!...Kinda!...”

 

“So it’s cuz of string bean _again_ that I lost to ya twice for eh? Well...I’m cool with that, made you all the more interesting!~” Raparra giggles abit, prompting everyone to look at him “What?”

 

“Did you just...giggle?...”

 

“...Yeah?...I can giggle…just cuz I look and act like a hardass 24/7 doesn’t mean I gotta be one all the time…”

 

“Huh…” They all say as they resume listening to Parappa.

 

“Um...yeah...that’s our reasoning. I’m from a group of geniuses akin to electricity!”

 

“Pffft...you? A genius?~”

 

“Heeeey! I’m smarter than I let on!...sometimes…”

 

“Whatever man~” Raparra rolls his eyes.

 

“I’m from a family of ice witches!”

 

(“I”m from a large legion of pyrotechnics.”)

 

“I-I’m from a family who dance with f-fire!”

 

“I’m!-” Katy tries to bring up what she is, only to recall the combination of what she earned from her parents, plus from what her friends told her, making her quite a terrifying thing. “...oh...I uh...guess I’m a siren…”

 

“You don’t look like a fish!”

 

“Not like that!...but I mean...I still have the voice and water control and magic...but you all saw that for yourselves...i wasn’t made aware of it until later…”

 

“So they told ya huh?...” Parappa looks to his friends who all sigh, but Rammy speaks up.

 

“Since...we’re being honest…”

 

“Rammy please...it clearly didn’t work for Katy…” Paula forces out.

 

“Atleast she’s aware now!...Same will go from Paraps!...”

 

“Huh?...”

 

“Paraps! Just like Katy, you’re also a destructive prodigy!...You are able to use BOTH your parent’s shizz!... And man can you use em…”

 

“You’re...joking right?...”

 

“She’s not...I saw what you can do Parappa...it’s...it’s how you saved me from the fake Kayla mermaid…” Paula brings up.

 

“Oh...huh...well that’s a shocker...erm...pun not intended. But what do you mean by also destructive?...And prodigy?? Me???”

 

“Ok...by destructive we mean...well while on your little uncontrollable madness...you’re a walking storm of devastation…” Matt says as he stretches.

 

“Speaking of storms...you and Katy tried making one that could’ve wiped our town clean off the face of the planet. The details about it and your reasons for being prodigies are really limited...gonna have to ask your dad and Mrs. Noella for the proper rundown. We can only answer from what we saw and were told.” PJ says as he starts eating some donuts.

 

“Oh my…” Parappa tries to take all that knowledge in “Guess I know what I’m doing tomorrow…”

 

(“Hot daaaaaaaamn...our doubles are somethin else! Specifically Raparra’s and Kitty’s. Which makes sense in a way. Coo’!”) Fei-bo chuckles to herself.

 

“And I thought I was destructive. But you guys were really something else! Course I still took the brunt of your assault!” Raparra laughs as he rubs the back of his neck “Man, even with your rampage, I still got back up again and again! Even took your combined blast shizz that sent me through like...four different buildings before I stopped flying! Hurt a lil, but the ride sure was fun~”

 

“We...did all that to you??” Parappa says as he starts to worry over the things he did while out of it. He then recalls Rammy mentioning how badly he hurt Raparra.

 

“Combined blast?” Katy asks, confused over that.

 

“Dunno what the fuck it was, but you shouted soul something, cruisin whatever...and KABOOM! I get a facefull of pain sending me on a free trip across the sky.” Raparra laughs as he holds himself “But yes, what they’re saying is totally true.”

 

“Can we change topics again please?” Parappa says as he rubs his arm, flashing a weak smile as his canines merely give a bad glimmer.

 

“Aight! I don’t really got anythin to say yet, only these guys do so...have it.” He waves his arms back to the others.

 

“Well...what can we really ask?” Chris asks

 

“How aboooout...Ah! Well, we may be opposites in some regards, but we should also be similar in others! Which of you ladies is the main big fashionista of the group here~” Charlotte leans forward awaiting her answer.

 

“ME!” Paula and Katy do not skip a beat as they reply together. They look at each other which earns a group groan from everyone else thinking they were gonna bicker about it again. Yet their actual reply surprised them all “US!~”

 

“T-The two of you?...”

 

“Yes!”

 

“T-That’s...odd...Kitty isn’t exactly...the type to care about her looks…” Charlotte looks to Kitty.

 

Kitty shrugs “Eh~ I just grab whatever I find aight and within arms reach~”

 

“I can attest to that.” Rammy nods.

 

“Same here…I’d like my top back once we get home please…”

 

“Oh yeaaaah...kinda grabbed yours~ Sure but uh...it’s kinda...damaged beyond repair as you can see.” She pulls the shirts downwards, showing the incinerated edges and holes burned in it.

 

“Yeah that’s my bad~” Raparra shrugs.

 

“Shame to, it made a nice crop top.”

 

“Aw...that was my favorite shirt…” Sunny whines as she slumps over, but regains her composure “Alright, can’t cry over spilt milk! I’ll make do with it another time! For now, you can’t keep walking around like that! Yours and Rammy’s clothes look as if they’re gonna fall apart any second!”

 

“Ah right! Parappa helped me plan for this…” Katy pulls out a bag she had hoisted onto her back and rummages around it “I’m so glad this didn’t get burned off while down there. It did get a lil soggy though...but it’s better than walking around like THAT!” She plucks out a spare set of clothing for Rammy, and a spare set of her own clothes for Kitty “Here! These are for you to wear!” The two girls take the clothing replacements “Now follow me! Gonna find a place for you to swap outta that.” Katy yanks Kitty and Rammy off as they head to find a proper changing place secluded in privacy.

 

Charlotte watches as they head off, filled with confusion “Well...that happened...I must say though. The spare clothing she got for Kitty seemed quite alluring! Can’t really see Kitty working it that well…” she sneers “But back on topic...what do you and Katy really do for style?”

 

“What DON’T we do? Whenever we’re not sticking to our iconic getup, we have quite a diversity in what we choose to wear! But it’s hard to get us out of our main getups you know? You slide into that homey feeling that you just find yourself difficult to wanna break. So most of the time you’ll just see us wearing this, or some nice suits~”

 

“...S-Suits?”

 

“Yeah! We certainly look amazing in em given our peer’s delight~” She turns to her friends of the surface “Ain’t that right?~” Parappa, PJ, Matt, Ma-san, Lammy and Sweety all nod “Not only _just_ suits, but clothing that’s ‘meant’ for boys in general! Me and Katy can pull the looks off oh so better~” she beams with joy as the shadows avert their attention to Parappa.

 

“She does, they both do! It’s no contest really.”

 

“Well...g-good! I expect nothing less from my double!”

 

“...Do you enjoy wearing clothes like that?” Paula asks her double.

 

“I-I um...I’m not sure...h-haven’t really given it any semblance of thought…h-honestly I feel as if I’d look silly if I tried…”

 

“Oh come on! I’m sure the shadows wouldn’t judge you!” She looks to the shadows, but Chris and AJ look away as they sweat profusely. Raparra and Fei-bo speak up on their own accord.

 

“I wouldn’t, I could honestly care less.”

 

(“Same.”)

 

“Yeah see? Wear whatever.”

 

“Huh...didn’t expect to hear that from you Raparra…”

 

“I mean who gives a shit with what ya wear. Gonna let a few sets of eyes stop you from doing whatever the fuck ya wanna do? I wouldn’t.” He nods to himself.

 

“There see! If a guy like _him_ can attest to that, then what do you have to be fearful of?~”

 

“...I’ll give it a shot another time I guess…”

 

“Hey Charlie, if it’s any motivator, I’d think you’d look great as you do now!” Parappa says with a sincere smile. The hell fox stumbles in place “O-Oh sorry!...On our way back to the surface, I heard Paula call you that so I thought...I could give it a shot as well heh...my bad!”

 

Charlotte exhales heavily as her face turns magenta. She turns to Paula “I think I’ll definitely do it now!” Paula feels both happy and upset. Happy that her lookalike easily got over the discomfort and upset that she just created another love rival. Still, she’s much more happy than upset and so brushes it off.

 

“Great!” Paula wants to bring up more small talk, but Parappa’s phone starts ringing.

 

“Hello?...Oh Leo! What? Yeah she’s still unconscious. He’s also here with us! Send em both? And just them? Alright!” He turns off his phone and turns to the robot “Hey Sixteen! Leo wants you to take Cookie and head on over to Club Fun!”

 

“Is that so? Very well. Um...where is it?” Parappa points him the way “Much obliged! Now Miss Sweety, if you would be so kind as to latch the rambunctious girl onto my head once more!”

 

“Sure thing!” Sweety helps the dozed off Claire onto the robots head. Once safely latched on, he flies off.

 

“I wonder what he’s planning that he needs THIS much preparation…” Parappa scratches his ears and as he does, the six little lights fly out and after Sixteen. Before Parappa can question that, his phone vibrates “Oh what now?? A text?”

 

_“Please call over Grandpa and Auntie Pinto.”_

 

“Huh??? What could he even...man, just what does he have in store.” He stores his phone away “Alright...I gotta go handle that, you lot just wait here and...don’t kill one another!” He looks to Raparra specifically “Got it?”

 

“How many times must I say i’m too bored and tired to do shit?”

 

“Can never say it enough!” Parappa runs off to find both of his family members. He finds his father back at his old house with an ice pack on his head. He fills him in on Leo’s request to which he agrees to, but Parappa fails to find Pinto.

 

“Sorry son...haven’t heard word of her. One of her friends popped over to say she was gonna be with them for a while, but that’s about it...she won’t answer her phone herself. Her friends just say she’s not in the mood and that just leaves me worried...but I’m in no way capable of handling whatever funk she found herself in. So can you do me a favor? Mind helping your sister out as you go get her?...”

 

“Of course pops! Now who’s house she at? I’ll handle it with the good ol big brother charm~”

 

* * *

 

“PINTO…STOP...PUNCHING...ME...IN...THE GUT…AUGH...” Parappa struggles to hold his sister at bay as she repeatedly punches him in the stomach with as much force as she can muster “WHYYYYYYYYYY?!” the crying puppy finally speaks as she continues punching her elder sibling.

 

“ **_YOU SAID YOU WOULDN’T SCARE ME AGAIN YOU JEHEHERK…”_ **

 

“WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!”

 

“Don’t play dumb Mr. Pinto’s brother!” One of Pinto’s friends says.

 

“Yeah we saw you flying down the street punching out the living daylights of someone that looked like you as he punched out YOUR living daylights!”

 

“I did??”

 

“Yeah! You were both beyond messed up! It looked like you were fighting till one of you permanently stopped!” Parappa quickly recalls Rammy and Paula telling him about his situation while unconscious, then recalls himself coming to only to be in immense pain as Raparra was about to do him in.

 

 _It must have been then!..._ “Oh uh...that was…” _Kitty clearly didn’t include them and Pinto was never aware of Raparra fully...erm…_ “Me just...messin with a lookalike buddy is all!...” _what are the odds that she’ll buy that?..._

 

Pinto kicks her brother in the shin “IM NOT AN IDIOT!”

 

‘HORKGH…” _ow...t-tough puppy...i’m so proud…_ “Y-Yeah...I know...I just...I just wanted you to ease up and see that i’m fine! I got a little roughed up, but it was a necessity! Two friends of mine, PLUS the entirety of the town were in danger! And in the end I come out of it alright and with new pals to boot~ Now do I look like I went off recklessly again?~”

 

“Your pants look like you were in a blazing inferno and your fur is all frizzled as if you got zapped with heavy gigawatts…”

 

“Ahah...you see...a-about that…” _I forgot to change the pants off after my fight with Raparra!...And...forgot I had to take out a bunch of annoying demons…wait...she’s not aware of what we can do!...s-should I tell her?...no...I keep nearly KO’ing myself whether it’s an accident or not! Don’t want that to happen to her._ “It’s a really long story…” he scratches his face “Yes...what I was doing was one hell of a mess, but I came out of it ok! And I’m serious! I ended up making a TON a lovely new friends! And just look at me! I may _look_ a lil scuffed up, but do I sound or act as if I were? You’ve seen me when I was so you can surely tell i’m fine right sis?” He spins and strikes a pose, shaking his hands. All of Pinto’s friends merely stare at the massive dork before them as they slowly turn their heads to Pinto.

 

“E-Eheh…” Pinto feels the gazes burn through her head as she rushes to her brother and grabs him by the arm. She drags him out the bedroom they’re all placed in and slams the door behind them. The other girls plant their heads against the door to hear silent bickering between the two. They can make only some words out, but it’s all to unintelligible to properly understand or give context to.

 

_“WHY…IT…YOU...DUMMY!”_

 

_“ME?? I...HELP...DUH!”_

 

This goes on for a couple of minutes until…

 

* **SMACK** *

 

All the girls recoil away from the door. It soon opens up to show a smiling Pinto and one unamused Parappa. On his cheek is a red imprint of a hand the size of Pinto’s hands. The girls all blink as they stare at their friend, waiting for a response.

 

“It looks like my brother was telling me the truth, and is ok after all~ But we both agreed that he was still an idiot and we came to a mutual conclusion and understanding!”

 

“...Yeah…”

 

“See?” She walks up to the friend who’s room they’re all in “Alexa, thank you for allowing me to be here for a little bit to get my emotions in order!”

 

“Yeah sure...no problem…” she gulps in slight fear of her friends passive aggressiveness against her brother “Yoooou...good?...”

 

“Peachy~ I’ll be taking my leave now. Thank you for being there for me girls!”

 

“R-Right!” All the girls nod as Pinto crushes her older brothers wrist and drags him away. Once they leave the house and are a good distance down the street, she speaks up in an exhausted tone “Alright...now what do you want…”

 

“Whaaaat? Can’t a brother be worried about his family?!”

 

“You were recently informed on my condition. Cuz if you were worried, you’d have come to me the moment I fainted!”

 

“I mean...yeah that’s my bad...b-but I was busy! I had to go to Hell!...But that doesn’t mean I WASN’T worried! I just had to much on my hands! LIVES WERE ON THE LINE!”

 

“When aren’t they? I just wish you weren’t the one that ALWAYS has to be the hometown hero…”

 

“But...no one else does. And even if they did, I can’t just sit idly by and watch people get hurt…there’s a world of people to save and I don’t wanna lose it!” she squeezes his hand tightly.

 

“‘Yeah...I know bro...but I don’t wanna lose _my_ world...or what’s left of it…” she rests her head on his arm.

 

“Ohhh...you really know how to make me feel bad over my calls to action…” he sighs as he places his free hand atop her head “I understand how you feel...believe me I do. But you should know me better! I’m too tough to bring down! I was in situations where others would just expire on the spot! But me? I came back strong to get back into the swing of my life! I’d say I’m too lucky a guy, but does luck really play that big a factor? I think it’s just my desire to stay with you guys. It ain’t my time, and therefore I can always come back...just as long as you guys want me to!”

 

“Don’t be a dummy...why wouldn’t I want you back?...why wouldn’t anyone who knows you?”

 

“Exactly! And so that means, you shouldn’t worry~ I refuse to be taken out, and even then I have friends who always have my back to make sure I never get to that point again! Heck, my own SON came back from the future to grant me even MORE insurance! Don’t that reassure you?”

 

“I guess…” she rubs her eyes “While you may be a great big idiot...you’re not a liar. Just...know that I’ll always worry for you…”

 

“I know, and to that I say I’m sorry...and...thank you!”

 

“Thank you?...”

 

“I’m so happy to have a sister who cares that much for me!”

 

“...You dork~...”

 

“That’s meeeeeee~” The two hug it out, followed by Parappa explaining his reasoning for being there. She ponders it over and nods as she runs off.

 

Parappa regroups with the others who immediately question the mark on his face “Yo Paraps, who’d ya piss off??” Rammy says, she is now in her new fresh attire.

 

“Don’t worry about it. Just uh...slight communication difficulties!...”

 

“You upset Pinny didn’t ya?”

 

“Is it that obvious??”

 

“Yeeeep.”

 

“I didn’t mean to!...Whatever...I cleared that little grievance and I more than made up for it! Now uh...we just wait until Leo calls again!...” he stares at them all “I...dunno what to talk about…”

 

“Well, we got alot of our questions off of our chest so...we don’t really got much left to ask…” Charlotte says as she looks to the others.

 

“We don’t got anything left to say either.” Katy says as she scratches her head.

 

“Oh well in that case-” Parappa’s cut off by his double.

 

“I actually got a question.” He rubs his nose “I’m curious about stringbean.”

 

“String?...OH! Leo. Uh...what about him?”

 

“What more can you tell us on him?”

 

“Uh...not much really. He really wants to keep on the down low. Heck not even WE know that much.”

 

“Eh?...He’s your kid right? Then why be secretive with you?”

 

“He has to be to preserve the timeline. He fears we’ll muck it up if we get to many insights on what’s gonna happen…”

 

“Oh come on...you don’t actually believe that do you?? Like you would change history if he...told...you…” Raparra holds his face as he mimics a donkey braying. The other hell shadows all laugh at the realization “Aight...point taken. What can you tell us that you’re ALLOWED to tell us?”

 

“Uh...not much. Kinda told you everything we could! Like I said, we’re also lacking info ourselves.” Parappa shakes his head, shimmying his ears about in frustration.

 

“Alright...how about this...he’s supposed to be your son right?”

 

“Mhm.”

 

“As well as one of these potential dames right?”

 

“That is also true.”

 

“So why is it that he looks more like them than you?”

 

“Oh! Well it’s just how genetics are sometimes you know? Regardless, he still has some things that match me! Like no matter the body, he still has a black nose just like mine! His eyes are also my lovely family hazel brown~ Also his hair! The lower portion of it that makes his ‘dog ears’ is blonde like mine! Mixes cutesy with the varying hair colors~ Even with Katy’s Leo as you can notice the differences in blondes! And his tail! It’s as fluffy and ruffled just like mine no matter the body, and no matter if they have a long tail or not, fluffy or not!~ And he has dog paw marks on his palms and fingertips! And I can assume it’s the same on his feet and toes!”

 

“Hm...but is that all??...”

 

“It’s all that I took notice on! Anything else is hidden under his outfits! And nobody knows what’s-”

 

“He has white fur patches all over his torso and legs matching Parappa’s fur color! But he also has a distinct brown fur patch on the back of his left leg behind the knee that’s in the shape of a heart and an orange one behind the right that’s in the shape of a star! He also has the cutest little beauty mark just above his tail~” Katy closes her eyes and squeals in delight after remembering that, but when she opens her eyes, everyone is staring at her in immense concern. Parappa is the only one to speak up.

 

“Katy...hoooow do you know thaaat?...We never ever saw the guy with few enough clothing to notice any of that.” Katy panics, immediately recalling that the only reason she knows this is thanks to her convincing him to streak with her in the nude all around the interior of the now destroyed Club Rainbow. But nobody else knew about that.

 

“Well you see...e-erm...there’s a funny story about that...h-heh…” Her eyes drift about from gaze to gaze, but stops on PJ’s. He’s staring at her with the most unimpressed face he can muster. She then remembers that he technically caught on to their shenanigans on that day. She looks at him, pleading with her eyes, but he only shakes his head as he mouths the next silent words.

 

_You walked yourself into this mess, you’re walking yourself out._

 

She feels as if she was gonna cry on the spot “It’s...c-cuz…”

 

“OH! HOLD THAT THOUGHT!” Parappa cuts off Katy as he pulls out his ringing phone. Katy exhales ridiculously thanks to the lucky miracle that befell her while everyone else pays attention to Parappa. PJ groans in disdain as he walks over to Katy and drags her away, and out of hearing distance from the rest.

 

“L-Lucky break eh?...”

 

“Katy you’re an idiot.”

 

“I know…” she plays with her fingers as she intertwines her hands together “Pleeeeease don’t tell the others.”

 

“Oh I won’t.”

 

“Thank y-”

 

“You will.”

 

“WHAT?! NOOOOOO!”

 

“They’re gonna get curious in the future and ask you again.”

 

“BUT I’M GONNA DIE OF EMBARRASSMENT IF I HAVE TO OWN UP TO **THAT**!”

 

“Then you should of thought about that first before deciding to go on a nature run with Leo all those days before.”

 

“Hey!...When was I ever gonna get a chance like that again?! And with people who wouldn’t have judged me for it!”

 

“While you make a fair point, you sure none of our friends at the time would’ve helped?”

 

“Paula would’ve tried to compete with me, Lammy would’ve died on the spot and Ma-san would have turned that occasion into future blackmailing. And you three were boys soooo...duh.”

 

“You telling me you skipped the chance on inviting Parappa?”

 

“YES! Cuz at the time back then I'D die! Now obviously...I have a little more courage to do so...but Rainbow is gone soooo…”

 

“Then it was a moment of common sense. And you failed.”

 

“I WANNA HAVE FUN _DAMMIT_!”

 

“How is being naked and running around like a lunatic fun??”

 

“You wouldn’t know! You’re naked 24/7!”

 

“I’m not naked!...”

 

“A shirt only doesn’t count as clothes PJ…” The bear extends his arm and grabs his wrist. He then pulls away at fur which then turns out to be a sleeve “Wha-huh?...”

 

“Why do you think my nickname is PJ??”

 

“...I thought that was your name…”

 

“I mean it is, but the initials still equal PJ! P J. PAJAMAS! AS IN, YOU CRAY CRAY!”

 

“I WANTED THE FULL ROCKER GAL FUN AND I STILL DO DAMMIIIIHIHIHIHIHIHIIIIIT!...”

 

“You ain't gonna shut up about this are you?...Ugh...fine, I'll try to help out in changing the subject whenever they get curious again…”

 

“Thank you…”

 

“But you're on your own if they ask you when I'm not around.”

 

“Understood…” she tugs at her ponytail as Parappa and the others run up to them.

 

“IT'S TIME TO GO TO CLUB FUN!”

 

“Really? Well then what are we waiting for? Katy, save the worry for another day, for now we got a party got go to!”

 

The cat girl relaxes herself after the teddy bear speaks to her “Right right! Let's go!” They all run off to the newly reopened Club Fun and quickly Parappa worries.

 

“What did Leo even do?? It's still a small clu-” the club site starts to rise out from the ground as it begins extending into a large tower. It stops once it scratches the sky. Not on the level of Rainbow or the Heights Hotel, but it was still a giant spectacle “Whoaaaaa…” many signs pop out from the sides and light up while speakers also pop out “Huh?...what's he doing?...” a voice speaks up.

 

“Testing...testing...1...2...AHA! IT WORKS!” the voice belonged to Pinto and it was immediately replaced by Cookie and Gloria as they spoke in unison.

 

**_“ATTENTION ALL YOU PARAPPA TOWN CITIZENS! I KNOW IT'S SUCH SHORT NOTICE, BUT THERE'S A PARTY ABOUT TO START AND Y’ALL ARE INVITED! SO THOSE WHO CAN HEAR OUR VOICES, WHICH SHOULD BE EVERYONE, COME TO CLUB FUN! THE NEW REINSTATED ONE! YA CAN’T MISS IT OR THIS PARTY! SO COME ON!”_ **

 

“Huh...guess Cookie woke up! And Leo managed to convince her that he’s fine after all!” Parappa says happily.

 

“Sounds like it by the enthusiasm in her voice.” PJ states.

 

“Y-You boys clearly don’t know w-when a person is feigning emotion do ya?...” Lammy says gaining their attention “She’s still upset, but she knows that Leo’s trying to do something bigger before fully explaining to her his situation, or atleast what he can to keep her unaware. You can hear it in her voice!”

 

“Really??” Parappa turns his attention back to the speakers then back to Lammy “Oh man...now I feel bad...you really are great at reading emotions you can’t even see!”

 

“W-Well when you’re in that position yourself...i-it becomes obvious to see and hear in o-others…”

 

“That is true…” he shakes his head “B-But no sad topics! They called over the entire t- THE ENTIRE TOWN?!” Parappa only now notices the order the two females called for. Apparently, so did the others.

 

“W-Why does he want to make the crowd b-bigger?!” Lammy says stunned “C-Can this bigger Club Fun hold everyone?...”

 

The doors to the club bursts open. 16-bits and Papa Rappa are seen diligently working at two separate panels while Leo struts out the door. He has his helmet back on, but his clothing remained mostly the same aside from the lack of accessories that he took off. As well as most of the decal on his remaining clothes being fried off from the electricity he got zapped with and fired off himself. His helmet emits a sideways smiley face as he runs up to the conjoin group “Hey hey!~ How’s this for having ya covered~”

 

“I’ll admit...I’m impressed. How’d you manage this?!”

 

“Gloria had it built into the club just in case this town wanted to Par-taaaaay like neva before!~” the smiley face turns into an X and a D “Course she needed help with managing the full on techie stuff, which is where Pinto, Sixteen and Grandpa come in~” His helmet now emits an 8 and a D “Plus I need some stage help which is where Cookie comes in! Plus with her and Pinto’s peppiness, it should help ease in the atmosphere for the upcoming conjoined group! Gotta get the shadows used to the topsiders and vice versa no?~”

 

“That does make sense...but this place doesn’t look like it’ll fit EVERYBODY!...”

 

“Ohohoh trust me, it’s alot bigger on the inside~” He waves for them to come in. They all head after him and see the giant spacious area that is the interior. It was far more massive than Rainbow’s.

 

“H-How?!” they all say as the walk around the inside of the building.

 

“That would be thanks to me~” Papa Rappa says as he tips his tiny hat “Course, it was also thanks to my two helpers” He motions to 16-bits and Pinto who both nod “And Miss Gloria’s and Leo's designs and schematics~” He then points to the wrench headed lady and helmeted boy “To me, the realm of possibility in inventing is vast and unceasing, but always in my grasp!~ And here is just a product of my passion!~”

 

“Dad you’re amazing!”

 

“Why thank you Parappa my boy~ Now you better get out there and ease the tension for the two groups that’ll be arrivin soon!”

 

“Right-o!” Parappa heads off with the others following. The six lights return to hide under his ears secretly out of sight, to which he happily totes them along. As the two groups meet up, there is heavy tension, but the small dog easily disperses it as he shows that things are gonna be alright. He explains the situation with the now freed doppels and strives to make sure the people of his town are alright with him. After some heavy humming, everyone looks to one another and nods happily before looking back to Parappa agreeingly. And with that, he let them all pour into the club. He stays by the door with his friends just in case he needs to continually calm anyone else that appears that missed his prior explanation. He soon spots ten familiar young children tugging along their familiar older sibling.

 

“P-Please!...I-I’m fine b-back hooooome!...” the black bunny says as he resists his movement.

 

“Come on ya wet blanket of a big brother!”

 

“Yeah Hayden! Enjoy yourself for once!”

 

“The voice in the sky said to come here cuz it’s a party you can’t miss! And you’re part of the town now so DON’T MISS IT!”

 

“B-But!...” Parappa and Matt run up the eleven of them with PJ tagging along.

 

“Hayden!” Matt blurts out.

 

“So these are the kids you two told me about??” PJ states as the kids stop yanking their brother and begin running around him.

 

“Yes indeedy! Energetic aren’t they?”

 

“Far to much, but I'm not one to talk.”

 

“T-Thanks for the rescue y-you three...n-now I gotta get-” Hayden’s hands are caught by Matt and Parappa “E-Eep…”

 

“Come on man!”

 

“Yeah! I know this must be quite the thing to be invited to, but no one’s gonna force you to interact with anyone. You’re free to stay away from anyone you don’t wanna, but atleast stay here and enjoy the fun alright? This is a town thing, and like your siblings said...YOU’RE apart of this town now~” Matt says as he grips tightly onto the bunny boy’s hand.

 

“Couldn’t have said it better myself! So it’ll be fine Hayden!” One of the lights poke out from under his ears.

 

 _“H-Hayden?...”_ the voice belonged to the bunny of the group of lights.

 

“We-Well...I-I’ll give it a shot…”

 

“Think of it as a learning process...like with basketball!”

 

“Yeah! Just like that!” Lammy and AJ walk up and join in the chat.

 

“If you have reached your limit, but still want to be around, you can hide behind me. I know h-how hard it can be to have to socialize with many many people. It's not fun and sometimes you wanna hide!” AJ offers the bunny.

 

“O-Or if you can't handle the over excited noise, you're free to step outside and regain your c-composure. I'll help you walk out and e-ease up! And if you can't calm down, I-I’ll walk you back home. It's not fun if you aren't having fun, and forcing you to stay is no g-good! We'll respect your decision!” Lammy says with a reassuring warm smile.

 

“...I-I guess I'll give this a go...T-Thank you for the assistance! I might just take you two up on that!...” they both nod “Um...m-may you two introduce me to the rest?...”

 

“S-Sure! I'm Lammy Lamb!”

 

“A-And I'm AJ Wynters!” they both grab his hands.

 

“I-I’m Hayden M-Mae!...” Lammy’s ears twitch. The name was familiar, but she couldn't fathom why.

 

“It’s great t-to meet you Hayden. Those l-little kids your sibling?”

 

“Y-Yes!...they're a handful…”

 

“Are they your only siblings?...”

 

“Now they are...I had an older sister...but…” the realization kicks in. This bunny was related to Natasha of the Queens “I...didn't really get to see her all that much...or get to know her really...and now I never really will...oh but that shouldn't worry y-you guys!...s-sorry for bringing this u-up!...”

 

“Oh it's no b-biggie at all! R-Right AJ?”

 

“R-Right!” They take him away to meet the others while the little kids leave PJ alone and follow. As they leave, Parappa hears light sniffling from under his ears. He can't do anything about it as Matt and PJ speak up.

 

“Man they took a fancy for each other real quick…” Matt says dejectedly.

 

“it's helps that they're all such anxious messes. Find that common ground ya know?” PJ adds on.

 

“Atleast they're helping him warm up to us more Matt! As well as the others! Isn't that great?”

 

‘Yeeeeahhh. I guess you're right.”

 

“I am right! Now please excuse me…” Parappa darts away and hides in a tucked in alley. Out of sight and mind. He then reaches under his ear and pulls out the upset light ball. She reforms into her ghost body almost instantly “What got you crying Natasha?...”

 

“Nothing...just...sad from what my little brother just said aloud…”

 

“Little...HAYDEN’S YOUR BROTHER??”

 

“Yeah...he was…” all the lights leave from under the dog's ears and reform in front of the dog.

 

“Hey there nosy! Respect a gals privacy!” Gwenoyne says with swinging arms.

 

“Yeah! Don't upset her further!” Wuki says as she gets up in his face.

 

“I’m not! I didn't mean to be!...”

 

“Girls it's fine!..” she moves them aside “I'm sorry for that…”

 

“Don't be! It's nice to see you girls stand up for each other! Even if I was the target of aggression by accident…” he chuckles “But regardless, you gonna be ok?”

 

“Yeah...I kinda have to…”

 

“I mean...yeah...you wanna talk about it?...”

 

“...Maybe another time…”

 

“You got it.” Parappa clears his throat “So...why’d you girls go after Leo? Decided to tell him you tagged along and what not?”

 

“Nono! We just…” Harper struggles to get the line out, Natasha wipes her eyes clean and says it for her.

 

“We wanted to see our boy all grown up on his own~...” she smiles brightly.

 

“T-Tch...I wouldn’t have said it as sappy as she did...but...yeah that’s basically it…”

 

“Awww~...That’s so sweet of you girls!” All of them except for Natasha and Mocha turn their faces away in embarrassment “Well, I take it you girls wanna see what he’s got in store right?~” the two girls who aren’t embarrassed nod rapidly while the others give a single nod “Well come on! I gotta keep you lot hidden don’t I?~” They all return into their more compact form as they go under his ears yet again. He walks back to the others only to spot them in a bit of a bind dealing with what appears to be a blue punk Sweety.

 

“W-We understand! But we don’t know where he ran-” Matt struggles to speak until Parappa cuts in.

 

“Guys what’s up?...”

 

“Here he is!” PJ shoves Parappa in her direction and then yanks Matt away “And away we go!” they run off with the rest leaving the little dog alone to stare face to face with the rather peeved bear.

 

“Uh...hi!...”

 

“CORK IT!”

 

“Yes ma’am…”

 

“So you’re why we’re all free huh?...”

 

“That would be I yes...e-erm...you don’t seem to happy about that…”

 

“Urgh...what a bother…”

 

“Is something wrong Miss-”

 

“Sao.”

 

“Sao?...OH SOUR-”

 

“I GET IT!”

 

“Meep…” _definitely Sweety’s hell shadow…_ “I reiterate...something I can help you with?...”

 

“Why’d ya do that exactly?...”

 

“What do you mean why?? Everyone was miserable ANNNND you were all going to DIE!...”

 

“Feh...would’ve been a better situation than what we have now...what am I ‘sposed to do on the surface?...”

 

“Well...anything! What would you like to do!”

 

“To make everything slow down…”

 

“...I-I’m sorry?...”

 

“...So much change…” She sighs as she backs away and stares at the sky “I don’t like it…”

 

Parappa tilts his head, then the realization hits him hard “A-Ah...oh m-man...I’m...i’m really sorry about this...i-it must all be just such...a hard thing to readjust to…”

 

“You have no idea…”

 

“I’m...i’m real sorry about all this.”

 

“Feh…”

 

“I mean...you can go back to Hell if you’d like.”

 

“It’ll be empty...no one’s gonna be down there anymore…”

 

“I mean...there’s...the OTHER types of hell citizens…but uh...I getcha…” He bites his index finger “...what was your lifestyle down in hell like?...I can...try to see if I can find you a nice private spot in near similar state so that you can slowly adjust to things at your own pace!”

 

“You can do that?...”

 

“Of course! I brought this little predicament! So I have to fix it!”

 

“Thanks...my conditions were slightly dull and dreary...but not bland...kinda...homey in a sense.” She shakes her head “I’ll ask about it another day. I guess I’ll go back to my place in hell for now, but at this instant? There’s a party going on no?”

 

“There is! And you are invited after all~”

 

“Then let’s see if this place is worth adjusting to!” She walks past him and enters the building.

 

“Man that was a lot easier than I thought it’d be! Hope I can help her out…” everyone else returns back to his side.

 

“Man, how do you make confrontation look so easy??”

 

“It’s a gift Peej~” they resume escorting the remaining hell shadows and town people in. Parappa tells the others to head on in seeing as that’s everyone, but just before they can do that, Parappa spots a flower from the corner of his eyes. Her colors are all bleak and dreary and she looks as if she has wilted ages ago do to how drooped over her petals are. Parappa know’s whose shadow this is “‘S-Scuse me guys…” Parappa runs off, confusing everyone until they spot what he saw. Sunny freaks out as she sees him catch up to her “H-Hey there!...”

 

“...”

 

“W-Why are you all here…alone?...Wouldn’t you rather be with everyone else at the party?”

 

“...”

 

“Is something the matter?...”

 

“...” she tries to walk around him.

 

“A-Ah...my apologies...I'll leave you be.” he bows before getting out of the flower’s way. She stops moving and turns to him.

 

“These...kinds of...events...aren't my thing…”

 

“I see. Please excuse my needless excitement. I hope I didn't make you feel uncomfortable.”

 

“No it's...fine...it's not...that...I just...don’t want to be...a killjoy…”

 

“Oh I'm sure you wouldn't be that!”

 

“It's happened...before…”

 

“Why's that?”

 

She looks around before walking up to him and whispers into his ear “You won't believe it…but...people judge me on my color, figure and mannerisms…” she slumps even further “They think I look like a downer…”

 

Parappa blinks and speaks up slightly shaky “W-Whaaaaaat. No waaaaay!”

 

“It's...true…” she whimpers “They don't even know how I'd really be...and so I've been looked at and labeled as such that now...now I actually...act like it…”

 

“Wh-”

 

“Why?” Parappa freaks out as he turns around. He spots Raparra and the hell shadow version of his friends, even Sao who he was just introduced to. Raparra says again “Why??”

 

“It's all I'm seen as…”

 

“And you're gonna let it?... Let them get away with disrupting your life?...” Sao says.

 

“You're gonna let other people judge you?” Charlotte angrily blurts out.

 

“Other people mock you??” Rammy angrily adds on.

 

“Other people DEFINE you???” Kitty stomps in place.

 

“What more... can I do?”

 

“Defy what o-others think of you! K-Keep on keeping on!” AJ leans forward with moxie.

 

“I don't have the courage…”

 

“You don't need courage! You just need whatever motivates your drive to be you! Be a little crazy with it!” Chris clenches his fist with resolve.

 

“I don't have the strength…”

 

“Then use what you DO have! Scratch, kick, or HEADBUTT that brick wall! Keep doing it until it breaks!” Raparra’s hair whips about.

 

“I could...could never…”

 

(“You can. Even of you feel like your body can't, you still got a voice.”) Fei-bo taps her forehead.

 

The flower drops abit more “I don’t know if that's something I can be anymore…” Parappa grabs her hands and pulls her forward.

 

“People can be anything they choose to be. It’s never to late and there's never a limit.”

 

“...Can I?”

 

Parappa opens his mouth, but the hell shadows cut him off as they smoosh their faces against his, speaking in his place “YES!”

 

“...W-Will I need anything to do that?...” Parappa blinks and soon gets lost in thought, but the doppels only turn their gaze to the dog in the middle of them. They all look to each other right after and nod in agreement. They all shove the dog forward and into the sad flower “Um…”

 

“A good hearted person. Or better worded...a friend!”

 

“S-So...him?...”

 

“...yes! Him!”

 

“H-Hey i-is pushing me into her face really necessar-”

 

“SHUT UP!”

 

“R-Right right!” he shrugs all the other hands off “I was gonna help you anyway. And they have a point. A good friend can help you out of this, but I won’t make you choose me if I make you uncomfortable. You should choose a person who you find easy to be around who can also help you like that.”

 

“...I don’t really...have anyone like that…”

 

“Oh! Then how about-” Parappa turns around to suggest one of the doubles, but all that’s left is a smoke cloud in all their body shapes “...” He sighs “How about you pick one of us here at the surface?~ Everyone here in PaRappa Town is kind! You’ll find a helper in no time.”

 

“...I pick you!...b-but...can I have another helper?...”

 

“Oh?”

 

“I-I fear...I’ll be...to big a nuisance to help...m-maybe having another helper would make me...tolerable?...”

 

“Oh you wouldn’t be a nuisance to me! But if that’s what you want...hm…who could I ask that you’d lik-”

 

“Would I be a suitable helper?” Sunny says as she walks up.

 

“Oh Poppy!”

 

“Poppy?...” the sad flower looks to her double, Parappa stays unaware despite looking at the flowers face to face as the disguise still fools him, but the hell shadow immediately knows. She doesn’t say anything after looking at her eyes, the look as if she needs to keep her real identity a secret, and so she agrees with a nod.

 

“Yes, Poppy Fleur is my name. It’s really nice to meet you-”

 

“Rayn Vain...likewise…~”

 

“Come on Rayn, let’s get you out of your shell. How’s that party sound now?~” Sunny says as she grabs her double’s hands.

 

“Very nice…~” they nod and walk off as they regroup with Parappa’s other friends. Parappa crosses his arms contently from the sight.

 

“Very nice indeed! Now that’s everyone!~” He walks towards the club to spot the the doppel friends of his all reclining against the wall of a nearby building “Hey...that wasn’t nice just abandoning me on the spot!”

 

“If we stayed there, you would’ve tried to pass her over to us. And we’re not cut out for helping the girl.” Raparra says as he blows out smoke.

 

“Really?” The others nod in agreement with Parappa’s double “Have a lil more faith...sheesh. Anywho, thanks so much. That was something...really really nice you all did! And you...well you didn’t _have_ to do that. Specifically you Raparra.”

 

“Yeah...I didn’t, but I did. Don’t get used to that.”

 

“I’m aware. Don’t worry. Yet...why this?”

 

“Hell if I knows…” he scratches his head “All I know is...these guys felt it to.”

 

“...Felt...what?” they all shrug, struggling to answer him.

 

“Dunno...something in my chest felt like it was pushing me to help her...actually...that something felt like Lammy was telling me to do it, but she didn’t tell me anything at all in actuality!” Rammy says.

 

“Same here, but with Katy.”

 

“Matt with me.”

 

“P-PJ…”

 

(“Ma-san here.”)

 

“Paula with me.”

 

“Tch, my double Sweety with me as well.”

 

“Meh. I hate to admit it, but it’s the same with me also. It was as if you were gonna whine to me nonstop if I didn’t. And I guess I was just so easily persuaded.” After they all say that, Parappa’s insides all warm up from the swelling emotion.

 

“Hey. ‘Member when you said that just because we were all friends, that didn’t mean you all had to be to?” they all look at him “I think you guys were wrong~” they all turn red in the head and turn their backs to him “Hahahah!~ You’re not proving me wrong!”

 

“Let's just get to that party before I kick your ass again…”

 

“Sure thing~” they all resume their walk and once they near the club, he speaks up once more “Ok I got a question myself over Leo...how come he doesn't have a hell shadow?” the doppels all get lost in the thought, they had no idea.

 

“We can answer that!” 16-bits and Papa Rappa say and they open the doors and close them once they head out to prevent anyone from listening in.

 

“Oh?” Parappa states, clearly caught off guard by them, but still allows them to go on.

 

“You see, Leo's not from this time, so he can't have a hell shadow here.”

 

“Correct! Young Leo's doppelganger is left in the future where it should be. Which makes for an odd occurrence here…and a fascinating one at that!” they both nod as they run back into the club.

 

“Well that was jarring…but we got our answer!”

 

“Your dad's weird…” Raparra says with a blink.

 

“I'm aware of that yes…”

 

“Same with that...robot...video game character?...” Chris says as he glances at the door.

 

“Oh he's beyond weird, that I AM alright to admitting to!” they enter the club and split off. Parappa still sees Hayden with the others, but his siblings are off doing their own things. Parappa joins up with the others, but before they chat it up, they’re called over by Pinto. They see that Leo wanted to speak with them, but before he can speak his tongue, Hayden splits himself off of Lammy and makes his wobbly way over to the helmeted idol, alarming everyone.

 

“Y-You...you were the guy...w-who hung out with my s-sister and her band…”

 

“...I am…”

 

“W-What happened to her?...only you k-know…”

 

“I can't tell you…”

 

“W-Why not!...”

 

“She wouldn't want me to…”

 

“I-I’M HER BROTHER!...T-The only one to share the same late m-mother!...w-why...why wouldn't she…”

 

“She wouldn’t want you to suffer over it…”

 

“I-I’m suffering NOW!...” he tries to hit Leo, but he lacks the willpower and simply flops onto him. He cries on the spot and Leo waits no time in hugging his future Uncle to be “I m-miss her…”

 

“...I do to...so _so_ much…”

 

“I know...sorry for asking about s-something you yourself probably d-didn’t want to revisit…”

 

“Don't apologize for any of that...I'm...honestly glad that was the first thing you asked me...shows you DID care for her...heh...she would always worry that you hated her...thinking she abandoned you…”

 

“...I mean...at first...I did think that...but I came to realize the reasons she had for running away...but hate her?...n-never!...”

 

“I'm glad. I kept telling her you didn't! But she was always skeptical and would only believe me begrudgingly. In the end, I was right. And I think she knew that. Maybe if she was a little less scared, she would have gone to see you before her accident.”

 

“...A...fatal flaw we both share…”

 

“I mean...you can't call how you are a flaw...she was just so scared to leave her new happy place...or ‘home’ to make a change within herself for the better...maybe that in” Hayden pulls away from Leo and looks at his hands.

 

“Yeah...she did...didn’t she?...” he gulps at the realization of him doing the exact same thing. Parappa hears light whispers in his ear from Natasha. He quickly grabs Matt and Lammy’s hands and tugs them over to Hayden. He places their hands within both of his. Hayden is caught off guard, almost forgetting the people he was with “...Maybe it won't b-be so bad to leave my home space…” the two animals he's attached to nod with a smile “Erm...Mr. Steps…”

 

“Call me Leo, Hayden. If your sister did, it's only fair that you can to right?”

 

“O-Ok...would it be ok...to talk about the things she did while...she was still here?... like how she was?...I barely know who she was after she left...”

 

“...I think that's fine~But another time! I think you should enjoy this party!”

 

“I-I will!...”

 

“Great! Now before I forget!” He walks to Parappa and plucks him away.

 

“Heeeey!”

 

“No hey! I need you for the opening act!”

 

“Huh?”

 

“You're the hero that made all this possible! So I'm gonna be needing you on stage! I'm also gonna be needing Lammy and Katy along with Rammy and Kitty!”

 

“U-Us to??”

 

“Ooooh! I'm fine with that!” Katy plucks Lammy away from Hayden and runs over to where the other two girls are to get them as well.

 

“Great! Come on then Parappa! I'm gonna get the backup dancer clones to handle the other instruments and get this party a-rockin-” he tries to summon the clones, but his belt merely sputters “...Uh oh…”

 

“Oooooh...I think that's cuz of me...my bad!...” he tugs at the neck of his shirt “Don't worry! The girls will be more than hap-”

 

“NOOOOOOOOO!”

 

“Py...why not…”

 

“I WANT YA TO ENJOY THE SONG WITH DANCINGGGGGGGG. I DON'T WANT YOU TO WORK DURING WHAT SHOULD BE CELEBRATING!”

 

“That's fair...well I got nothing…”

 

“Oh man...WHAT AM I GONNA DO NOW! THIS IS IS A BIG MESS! WHYYYYYYYYY!” as Leo suffers his mini spazz attack, the lights leave Parappa’s ears yet again and discreetly fly off over to a costume rack in an out of sight distance. After a couple of minutes, Leo is cut off from his panic.

 

“Hey!”

 

“HAAAAAA-huh?” Leo turns over to see the voice that called him over. He spots six individuals in bizarre outfits that completely skew how they look like. Through the weird mask she has on, Harper speaks up again.

 

“Heard you getting your underwear in a knot cuz you were needin some peeps to help play some instruments for the upcoming songs.”

 

“That I was...who are you lot?”

 

“Eh, travelin freelancers. Saw how big of an occasion this was and so we decided to check it out. Now we see you be needin some quick assistance.”

 

“Ohhh...I don't really have the time to discuss or question this...alright, how much do I gotta pay each of you.”

 

“Naaaaah. Don't worry over that. Performin at an event like this is payment enough!”

 

“Oh...well...thanks! That's really nice of you! Um…”

 

“Jus call me H!”

 

“Ok then H! Lemme show you six where you gotta go...come on Parappa!” Leo runs off.

 

“Right!” Parappa turns to the six and nods coyly “Thanks a ton ‘H’~” he heads off after Leo with the six following.

 

The immensely large group of people all stand before the stage as they see it start to move about. They hear panels on the floor open up with people rising, but just before they're able to see who's showing up, the lights shut off! Everyone is left in pitch black nothingness. Suddenly a light appears, illuminating six people in bizarre outfits. The one of in front of them all pulls out her guitar and starts playing. A spotlight appears in the center with Leo’s back turned. After the first guitar riff finishes, Leo snaps his fingers and out appears Katy and Kitty in their own spotlight. The second guitar riff ends with another snap, and now Lammy and Rammy are also included in their own spotlight. The third and final guitar riff plays and ends with Parappa appearing in front of them all as the song starts!

  
**_(Tonight! We honor! The hero!!)_** Leo and the group behind him all say as the lights flare up in the entirety of the club. Everyone begins partying about as the festivities finally begin. The five in front of Leo also dance their hearts out as a giant monitor behind Leo turns on along with his helmet.  
  
_Stubborn, No-masks, and destructive crazy kids…_ Leo’s mask emits little emoticons in shape of Parappa’s face along with his main group of friends. They all get plastered on the big screen and immediately turn into their hell shadow variants. They’re all frowning as the background they appear to be in is Hell.

 

 _Hate lies? Destruction? Throw down those old days…_  the emoticon heads double as their top sider variants appear. Upon their appearance, the Hell background changes into that of PaRappa town, and the frowns on the Hell Shadows reverts into that of a smile.   


_Sweet honey flavored…~ Body warmth’s aroused…~_ The sun in the background begins expanding and immediately covers the whole screen in yellow.   


_Arouse the flavor..._ **_flavor_ ** _..._ **_FLAVOR~_ **  It pulses once, then twice, and upon the third time it explodes. This causes many, MANY little holographic emoticon heads to scatter among the crowd.   
  
_Just wanna hold your haaaaaaands~_ Lammy and Rammy interlock their hands together.

 

 _Just wanna hold your haaaaaaands!_  Katy and Kitty do the same.

 

 _Just wanna hold your haaaaaaands…_ Parappa extends his hand to Raparra who was directly below him.

  
**_(Hey people! Let's go back to zero!)_ ** Raparra looks to his double and then the screen behind him. It shows emoticon Rammy and Kitty living much more happily up here in their time before his intrusion. He then remembers his own past actions and sighs as he grabs Parappa’s hand. His double quickly yanks him up to the stage. The sight of the six of them dancing together amazes top sider and hell shadow alike as they wonder if they should do the same.   
  
_Be crazy, Hey Kids!! Brighten up the lost yesterday with an impulse from no-where!_ Blue beady dots emit from behind Leo’s helmet as little jolts of electricity glimmer along his fingers as he starts strumming his own guitar along with Harper.   


_Be crazy, Hey Kids!! Make up for the time that can’t be retu-retu-returned!_ The hell shadows that can, approach their respective double.   


_Be crazy, Hey Kids!! Give up your worthless pride! And drop that stupid ego…_ Every single one of them all swallow roughly as they decide to give up all the lies force fed to them by the council of below.   


_It's okay to be crazy!... So, why won't you call my name?...~_ They introduce themselves as a fresh start, their doubles do the same.   
  
**_(Are you ready? I respect the hero!!)_ ** The screen starts to sputter as Leo’s Helmet begins smoking from the building electricity behind it. As this happens, many emoticons of Parappa and Raparra appear on the big screen.   
  
_No sen-sa-tion? The funny dis-tor-tion…~_ Leo’s helmet starts sparking wildly, the screen showing glitchy sound waves and colors all swirling about.   


_Now we are in the presence, of the accomplice of the heavens!~_ From his head, suddenly sparks an explosion.

  
**_(Who is the master who calls my favorite name?!~)_ ** Leo woozily straightens his posure, part of the glass on his helmet was blown off, revealing his left eye. It was currently flickering with blue lightning, but he was unaware of what he was doing for he was far too lost in the song he was singing. And unlike the prior times he did this, it was seemingly not hurting his body this time.   


_Let's go forever..._ **_ever_ ** _..._ **_EVER!~_ ** With his helmet no longer connected to the big screen, it starts playing on its own. It starts showing the music players in a psychedelic trance as their silhouettes start to fly about the screen in different perspectives with afterimages following them in a luminescent trail! Harper had a red one, Silphy a blue one, Natasha a white one, Mocha an orange one, Gwenoyne a purple one, Wuki a green one, and Leo a yellow one.   
  
_Be crazy, Hey Kids!! Brighten up the lost yesterday with an impulse from no-where!_ Rammy and Kitty along with Katy and Lammy get lost within the happiness of their dance as they gleefully laugh with their fun movements.   


_Be crazy, Hey Kids!! Make up for the time that can’t be retu-retu-returned!_ Raparra stares at his double along with Kitty and Rammy as they all dance. Then he looks to the crowd below and smirks. They were finally in the right hands. They to _could_ be happy for once.   


_Be crazy, Hey Kids!! Give up your worthless pride! And drop that stupid ego…_ The same light that enveloped them all while down in Hell once freed coats them all again, slightly alarming the top siders.   


_It's okay to be crazy!... So, why won't you call my name?..._  Katy and Lammy toss their partners as they slide into a wild spin. The light covering them grows more intense as they are completely enshrouded in light. As their spinning comes to a stop, the light begins to fade off, but the sight...amazes everyone. Once Kitty and Rammy stop, their appearance was altered. Greatly altered. Their colors were much more alive! They were vibrant and non dreary! And not just that! In Rammy’s hair appeared silver streaks and highlights, while the tips of her hair were turned red in the same color as Lammy. Her wooly fur also became brighter along with silver patches alongside the now more vibrant black and gray. Kitty’s purple body turned into a more brighter color as it is now orchid. Her eyes end up separate colors as the pupil on the left eye becomes green as opposed to her right eye staying brown. Like with Rammy, streaks and highlights appear in her hair, but blue as opposed to Rammy’s silver. Small patches of blue appear on her fur, complementing its new brighter color. Their hairstyles also changed up as Rammy’s hair ended up growing a little bit longer than Lammy’s and Kitty’s becoming more kept and fluffier than Katy’s Just like their bodies, the clothes they had on ‘evolved’ with them as well as they became a fusion of their own style along with their double’s style, colors as well! The sight was a marvel to everyone who act as if they witness a miracle. And they have. Kitty and Rammy look at themselves and are at a lost of words, but they take it as a good thing once their doubles wrap them in a hug and resume their dancing. Leo looks back to the other performers and assures them that they can keep going, and so they resume.   


**_OOOOOOOOOOOOH-OOOOOHHOOOOOOOHHHHHH- OOOOOOH_ ** Chris, Charlotte, AJ, Sao and Fei-bo all look to their doubles and soon they interlock their hands and begin dancing with them. Sunny and Rayn do the same out of their sight to keep Sunny’s identity secret They are encased in the same light as they split off. Chris’s white hair becomes brown by the tips by his neck and blonde by the tips around his forehead and in his fur he gains small brown circle patches along the back of his hand. Sao’s blue body ended up gaining a pink coloring, making her seem like cotton candy. Charlotte’s dark blue hair gained so many pinkish purple highlights all along it as it grows to reach halfway down her back. Her brownish fur gained orange spots along her shoulders and arms. Fei-bo’s greenish yellow fur gains some reddish orange lines along her wrists as her white hair turns black by the center of her head, making a fun yin yang coloring. A good chunk of AJ’s white and black spots of his body turn into to brown like PJ’s body, they also turn slightly bright along with the remaining black and white portions of his body, now he looks like a red panda. Rayn’s petals turn from black and gray to pure white as her face and body get a slightly yellow hue akin to Sunny’s body, but only as a coloring. Her white petals gain some pink and red hue on the center of them, making her appear like a peach blossom. Their outfits also turn into a fused style of their own plus their doubles as they resume dancing.

 

 **_OOOOOOOOOOOOH-OOOOOHHOOOOOOOHHHHHH-OOOOOOHHHH…_ ** Parappa looks to his hell shadow, Raparra’s hands almost slip out of the grasp with his own, but Parappa reaffirms his grip as if to tell him that it’s alright. Even with their bizarre rivalry, there is still something new to be built off of. They both flash a cocky smile at one another before dancing some more. The light encases Raparra as well as soon he’s changed as well, his fur brightens up, now no longer gray as it seems to almost match his double’s fur color. At the ends of his hair the black mixes with new blonde streaks that appear. Like with Kitty, his eyes also change, the left one stays red, but the right one turns gold with light hazel undertones. He smirks as his clothes change, but it doesn’t gain that fused style that the others have. Instead, a visor cap with shades appear on his face. On the center of the visor lies a frog insignia.

 

 **_OHOOHOOOH!_ ** The sight of Raparra doing such a thing gets the remainder of the hell shadows to all do the same. Soon the entire club is filled with light before vanishing. Giving light to the new Hell Shadows...but they were shadows no more!

  
_Just wanna hold your haaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnds…!_ Leo’s helmet, or what’s left of it, starts to spark once more.

 

 _Just wanna hold your ha haa haaaaaaaaaaaaaands~_ The group up on the stage dance even more vividly with their new double.

 

 _Just wanna hold your ha haa haaaaaaaaaaaaaands~_ The ones in the audience do the same.

 

 _Just wanna hold your ha haa haaaaaaaaaaaaaands~_ Papa Rappa, Pinto, Claire, Hayden and Gloria bond with their shadows as well.

 

 ** _JUST WANNA HOLD YOUR HA HA HAAAAAAAAAAAAAANDS!~_** Leo’s helmet explodes, no longer shielding his head.  
  
_Be crazy, Hey Kids!! The era changes grad-ua-lly, and the impatience continues…_ Leo’s head changes between Charlotte and Ma-san.  


_Be crazy, Hey Kids!! Were you who I was supposed to me-ee-eet?!?!_ It then flashes between Rammy, Kitty and Fei-bo.   


_I crazy cried... I searched hard for the unforgettable love that I wanna be connected to forever!..._ Next it turns to Katy, Lammy and Paula.   


_Be crazy, Hey Kids!! So tell me... Is the future still too vain?~_ The lightning vanishes from his eyes and hands, but his face keeps swapping. He is far to unaware as he’s lost within his happiness after seeing all the Hell Shadows unleash their true colors.  
  
_Just wanna hold your haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaands…~_ Parappa and his friend group quickly try to tell him to stop singing and cover his face, but no luck.  
  
**_(I swear I respect the HERO!!!)_** He swipes his hand across his face eight times as it changes to eight of his current available bodies before ending off back at the black sheep hybrid body as he ends the song with a peace sign. Everyone in PaRappa Town who didn’t know about Leo, along with their hell shadows, all gasp at the revelation, but the shadows of one who weren’t from PaRappa Town along with Cookie, all cheer, blissfully unaware of his identity as they all assume it was a big act. The disguised Queens all facepalm as Parappa and his expanded friend group all wince and panic at the boys ignorance. 16-bits quickly whispers to Papa Rappa.

 

“You...wouldn’t happen to have anything that removes a specific memory?...”

 

“Nooooope...I wouldn’t dare attempt it for fear of accidentally lobotomizing people…”

 

“I was afraid of that...oh dear…” they look back to the stage.

 

Parappa quickly tries to think of something to say as an excuse “Uhhh…-”

 

Raparra cuts his double off “WELL HOW WAS THAT PERFORMANCE! AND WHAT AN ENDING EY?! SWITCHING HIS FACE TO MATCH THE HEROES WHO MADE THIS POSSIBLE WITH FUN TECH MADE BY THOSE TWO NERDS OVER THERE!” A spotlight covers 16-bits and Papa Rappa, everyone releases a group ‘ooooooooooh’, believing Raparra’s lie as Leo freaks out after seeing his face exposed “Course. The biggest hero here is this guy!” Raparra points to Parappa with his thumb “How’s about we get a rousing cheer for this dolt?~” Everyone starts to cheer and chant for Parappa as he bashfully rubs his head. While they’re all distracted, Leo runs off stage.

 

As this goes on, Lammy and Katy talk to their doubles.

 

“OHOHOH MY GOSH! LOOK AT YOU TWO!~”

 

“Y-You look like completely different people!~”

 

“Heh...ain’t that right?~”

 

“Sure as fuck is! Gotta say, this silver suits me~” Rammy flicks her now longer hair “Hell even my horns grew a little! Got a bit pointy to~ And Kit, that blue really looks nice on you~”

 

“Damn straight it does~ Along with my slightly longer and fluffier new do~ Hell even my tail’s much more fluffier~” She lifts her rear as she smacks Rammy in the face with her tail.

 

“Hey! Watch it~”

 

“I am~” they both laugh as the their doubles just stare happily.

 

Eventually Leo returns with a mask, he hops back onto stage and announces the continuation of the party!

 

The night is filled with partying as music booms throughout the town. And yet it ends super quickly due to how much fun everyone is having, despite the protests. It’s really late as everyone heads out the club. Papa Rappa, 16-bits and Gloria stay behind to help the Hell Shadows find their places to be. Sao returns to Hell as she said she would so she could readjust better while the main friend group leaves the building together. Hayden leaves with his siblings back to his place, thanking the others.

 

“That was some party~”

 

“I’ll say, and we got you to thank for deciding to throw it!” Chris says as he slaps Parappa on the back.

 

“I’m amazed of what happened to us...look at us! We look...so different!” Charlotte says as she looks at herself.

 

“Don’t ask us for an explanation! We’re just as amazed as you are! It even affected the hell shadows of non PaRappa Town citizens!” Paula says to her double. As they all discuss, Rayn walks up to Parappa, with Sunny tugging along.

 

“T-Thank you for offering me to join…~ It was such a good time…~ The two of you made it fun~...”

 

“I’m...no...we’re glad! Although it confuses me Poppy as to why you would help out.”

 

“Hey! She’s a flower like me! She may not be my shadow!” _Totally is, but only Katy knows that for now~_ “But she’s still someone I just gotta help out!”

 

“Great answer! And we’re happy you enjoyed yourself Rayn.”

 

“I did more than just that...I know look more vivid...now maybe people will stop looking down on me…”

 

“And if not...now you’re a new you, who can make them stop!”

 

“...Maybe I can be~...” She bows formally. Sunny then speaks up.

 

“Hey um...Kitty…”

 

“The answer is yes.”

 

“Huh??...”

 

“You wanna group Rayn up with you so you can be of better help to her. That’s fine, I can just stick around with Leo here!”

 

“Thank you!...speaking of him...I can’t believe he almost blew his identity were it not for Raparra’s quick thinking.”

 

“He got to lost in the music, happens to the best of us. And thinking up a quick lil lie was no biggie...where is string bean anyway?” Leo bursts through the club doors “Speak of the devil.

 

“GUUUUUUYS! Have you seen H and the other five anywhere? I wanted to thank them! But they’re gone and they left their costumes littered on the ground! So not only have the vanished without a trace, but they’re also naked!” The lights under Parappa’s ears all flail about, wanting so badly to clear their names, but he didn’t know it was them so they couldn’t.

 

“I’m sure they’re not naked, and they’ve probably gone off to other places to help!” Parappa states.

 

“Aw...I wanted to give them thanks for saving my blunder.”

 

“I got a feelin they already know~”

 

“Ok…”

 

“Well this chatter is nice and all, but I really should get goin.” Raparra says as he tips his visor.

 

“You’re still headin off?”

 

“Well yeah, gotta build myself back up for my rival. I still got that in mind don’t ya know~”

 

“...Ok. Just take care of yourself alright?”

 

“Don’t worry about me. Worry about the new cluster of peeps ya gotta take care of.”

 

“I can worry about both!”

 

“Whatever~” Raparra splits off from them and walks off into the distance “Peace.” He flashes a thumbs up as he heads away.

 

“Always the killjoy. Oh well...hope he betters himself…” Chris sighs then turns to the others “We...better find our places of residence, peace!” Chris, Charlotte, Fei-bo and AJ all walk over to Gloria and the others. The group watch them leave and see Leo regroup up with Claire.

 

“They’re in good hands. Sixteen’s gonna call over Spinni and Athena in case buildin needs to be done, but otherwise. They’re fine! Now come on! Poppy, Kitty and now Rayn! Let’s head home. You as well Claire, I gotta drive you home now since 16-bit’s is gonna be busy.”

 

“Alrighty teach~” Leo and the girls wave as they head off.

 

“Gonna have to hitch a bus...since you left my car at my place.”

 

“Eheh...I’m not a quick thinker…”

 

“Ah it's fine you chaotic little munchkin~” He ruffles her hair as they vanish in the distance.

 

“Man...what a day! And hey, Leo was right. You still got to stay with us Rammy!”

 

“Damn straight I did~ But i’m just glad today is over...BRING ON THE BETTER DAYS!”

 

“Aye aye!” they all jump in the air like a cliche movie finale, but as Parappa lands back to the ground, his ears fly upwards, launching the lights away. The poof into their full bodies and flutter in distress “Oops…”

 

“IS THAT HARPER?!...” they all blurt out at the dizzy hell girl.

 

“Whoawhoawhoa...why’s the world spinnin…” the girls struggle to regain their composure.

 

“Ehehe...they’ve been helpin us out ever since we got to Hell~...”

 

* * *

 

Parappa slumps in his bed as his roommates all chat among themselves gleefully now that the problem with Hell is all over. Parappa stares at the six ghosts that hover before him and recalls all the explaining he had to do a few moments prior. As well as the apologizing for blowing the girls cover. Everything ended well enough. He sighs and is then called by Harper.

 

“Yo Rappa.”

 

“What?”

 

“What’s with those things on ya head?”

 

“Things on my...OH! You mean the symbols on my beanie?”

 

“Yeah those. They band insignias or something?”

 

“Ah...close! You see, they’re symbols of groups who were started all because of music as well as other common ground things among them for generations! Like this one is one for a group my family was a par-” he’s cut off by an overly enthused bunny girl.

 

“HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY! I KNOW THAT ONE! THAT WAS ONE MY MOTHER AND GRANDFATHER HAD ON THEIR LAB COATS!” Natasha points to the Soul of the funk emblem.

 

“WHAT?? Really??” Parappa and the other girls stare at the bunny “Well...that’s a little overwhelming to figure out! We both descend from the same group!...Neat! Does that mean were related or are just family friends? Ooooh that's confusing...Wait...that means...you can control electricity in some way shape or form! And are quite the egghead to boot from what I was told!~”

 

“Well I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but I am the smartest on of the six of us here~”

 

“Don’t start Natz. We may be dead, but you’re still gonna bore us to death even further…”

 

“Bitch...alright...anywho...control electricity?...Not...really...mine is kinda...screwy...all I can really do is simple magnetism and heavy overriding…”

 

“Oh?? Soooo...like a hacker??”

 

“If a hacker could hack literally anything...then yes~ I guess I’m a hacker!~”

 

“Oooh ooh! Show me something you can do!”

 

“Whaaa? N-Now?...Um...let’s see if I can while dead...um…” She hovers her hand over the light of the bedroom. She then slightly closes her hand and the light grows dimmer, she opens her hand and it goes brighter than how it usually is.

 

“Whoooooa...normally can’t do that with this light!”

 

“That’s not all I can do!” She hovers over to the window and Parappa follows. She glides her hand along over the other buildings and as she does, all the lights that are on turn off and those that are off turn on. The cars that were in the way start their alarms and wipers as well as bounce in place.

 

“Wow…”

 

“And it’s not just inanimate objects!”

 

“Wait...you mean you can control LIVING things to?”

 

“Not exactly. I can just stimulate a body response due to iron in the bloodstream! Since that’s so compact compared to an object that’s non-living. I have very limited stuff do. The most I can do is stuff like...this!” She points to his left arm with her left hand and snaps. She then lifts her left hand and waves. Parappa’s left hand rises on its own and does the same action.

 

“HOLY-...T-THAT’S AMAZING!~”

 

“I know~”

 

“Hey Rappa, don’t stroke her ego...Leo already did enough ass kissin…”

 

“Dammit let me have this! I’m dead with the knowledge of mentally scaring my little brother and my student! I need as much restructuring of my motivation that I can get!”

 

“Whatever...so back on the original topic. Rappa, why do you have those symbols?”

 

“To remember.”

 

“Remember?” they all say.

 

“Yeah. They all lost their lives in a bad war...caused by someone you girls are greatly aware of…”

 

“Freak-o… Man I knew the asshole did shit prior to ruining our lives...but damn that’s alot of emblems…”

 

“No kiddin...that’s why I have them. To remember the people who were done in unjustly. I even spoke to them as they appeared in front of me just from remembering!”

 

“You can?...huh...dad mentioned about special people who can do that...but he said those guys bit the dust ages ago. Guess not since you’re one of em! How fun~” She smiles, but then reclines in the air in a serious pose as she hums. She then calls the other five girls to her and they begin discussing.

 

“Uh…something up?”

 

They break the huddle as Harpers eyes glow “Yo, hold your hat up to me.”

 

“W-Why?”

 

“Just do it.” he quickly pulls off his hat and holds it up to her. She zaps it with a laser from her eyes. Once she stops, he pulls back his hat and sees a new insignia “Boom. Call us over anytime ya like.” The insignia was as bizarrely diverse as they were. It was also actually six different pieces making it up “Call us over individually or all together. Feels like if we keep in touch with you, we might get an edge in over Tycoon!” she smiles “Plus...it's nice to feel included...as if we were still alive you know?...”

 

“Can't you...come back? My friend and roommate Lammy kinda died and she came back…”

 

“Can't. Coming back IS a possibility, but only if your body is in near perfect condition so you have a spot to return to!” Parappa recalls what Amby showed him.

 

“Ah...yeah...can't really...go back to those bodies…” he scratches his face “So you guys gonna try and stay secretive?”

 

“Yep. We can't have Leo knowin we're out and about...not yet atleast.”

 

“So what are you gonna do?...”

 

“Bum around with you or stick around in hell. Either of the two. We just can’t be found out by anymore peeps.”

 

“Seems kinda unfair...but I getcha...can you...can you atleast give me another symbol of yours so I can give it to him?...”

 

“What for?...”

 

“It should be no surprise that he misses you.”

 

“We're aware.”

 

“But he also holds resent and guilt...feeling himself responsible for your deaths…”

 

“He shouldn't…”

 

“Well he does, my friends also told me he feels as if he let you down tremendously, and regrets making it so that he had to beat Tycoon before he became your seventh member...now he feels like he isn't and got you all killed for it.”

 

“For all we care, he's BEEN our seventh from the getgo. He shouldn't think like that. But we can't give him one...he'll suspect something…”

 

“I'll tell him I found it while down there. On one of your ex pets!” the five other girls look to Harper sadly.

 

“Alright!...here…” she fires her eye beams at the palm of her hand, then drops what she creates into his hands “We didn't give that to you, got it?”

 

“Got it!” he bolts out of his room with them hiding with him again as he tells his roommates that he'll be back soon.

 

* * *

 

The drive to Neon Heights was quick. Parappa enters the hotel to see the three girls on the ground level chatting, meaning Claire was already dropped off. He heads on over to the top floor to chat with Leo, but finds him asleep on his bed. He's on his stomach, he was reading something before he conked out. Parappa notices that it's a scrapbook. It has photos of his time with his prior friends. He looks to Leo's face to find the boy frowning and tearstained. The sight gets the little lights to wobble from under Parappa’s ears “Guess when Hayden brought you guys up, it made him get abit nostalgic in a sad way…” Parappa quickly walks over to his shirt that's hung over a chair and grabs a nearby thread and needle. He sews the symbol on and turns to leave the room, but when he nears the door he hears light humming that soon turns into singing. He turns to see that the Queens had left from their hiding spot and are on the bed around him to sing quickly to the sleeping miserable boy. Harper being the main singer as per old habits.

 

_Boy you should knooooow thaaaat…_

 

_I got you ooooon mah mind~..._

 

_Your secret admiiiirer_

 

_I've been watchin you…~_

 

Music starts from nowhere as they all lift their legs and begin kicking them to the beat.

 

_At night, I think of yooooou~..._

 

_I want to be your laaaaydy, baaaaaybe._

 

_If your game is on, give me a call Boo…~_

 

 _If your love is strong, gonna give my ALL to YOU!”_ the boy's frown turns to a smile as he shakes around abit. He mutters out a happy noise as the six of them all peck him on the forehead. They wink at Parappa before vanishing into his hat. He then quickly leaves to let the boy sleep. Before long he's back home and finds himself back on his bed. His hat vibrates and spits out the Queen’s one last time.

 

“Soooo. Feel better yourselves?~”

 

“Completely!” They all say.

 

“Well then, I hope you guys can reveal yourselves to him soon.”

 

“Same here.” Harper floats over to him “We were...informed on what you’re gonna be doing. Be careful aight? Don’t end up like us.”

 

“I didn’t in the main timeline! And now, I’ll end up in even better shape! Thanks to all the new people who will be helping me now. Such as you girls!” Parappa grips his hands together “If...I get the chance...I’ll want to bring you lot back!”

 

“Resurrection is super touchy. It requires ALOT of benign stuff. So don’t worry about us.” she rubs her nose “We had our time, now you gotta live yours! Only now, with a happier ending.

 

“Ok…” he gives a solemn nod before regaining his smile. They give their temporary goodbye as they fade away into his hat again. Parappa just stares at the ceiling and after an hour of thinking, he falls asleep.

 

* * *

 

Parappa awakens in a pitch black room as vast as it is empty. He grumbles as he looks around.

 

“Here I am again...lovely...aight so am I connecting with someone like I did with Rammy and Sirius or am I just havin strange dreams again like when I finally got out of my depression funk…” the room lights up. He is revealed to be in a giant circle room “The latter...joy...alright what cryptic meaning that I still won't get am I gonna be shown now…” the upper balcony of the room suddenly begins emitting a dark smog. The smoke shapes itself into many different people. Parappa sees faces he's seen and new ones alike. He sees the mother of Aqua and Amby along with the man that was accompanying Prince. Speaking of Prince, he was also there, but hideously different. Tundra appears with her lackies. Parappa sees a massive hercules beetle in the same black body color as Spinni and Athena. He shockingly sees Katy’s father up there, but he's dressed in a bizarre opera, pirate suit combo. He sees Joe Chin, but his body seems to be different. And most outrageous of faces he knows, he sees Leo. He's in the body hybrid combo of him and Katy, but his fur and hair is all white and his eyes are orange. He's wearing an all black cloak with a strange red visor lifted up to his forehead. Was he his hell shadow? Now before he could get an answer now came the new faces. Parappa sees sees futuristic type knight with a mechanical knight helm. Others in near similar armor are with him, could they be a mercenary group? An aggravated bird man with a spear pops in. More people appear around the man named Yismun and they seem as obscure as him. He notices that they're robot people. He sees two adorned in blue rocket armor, one in sleek purple armor, a lady in red heavy armor and silver guy in a black cloak like armor. There was a devil girl who looked almost like Harper. A guy who seemed like a simple street magician given his style. He sees a dog girl armed to the teeth in weapons, she looks like a trained assassin. A lady completely dressed out in pompous attire, clearly a diva, is there with a ludicrously large hammer, she stands next to Yismun. Another guy with futuristic gear only he resembles a spaceman. And inky black shadow being that looked like it came out of nightmares. A bizarre dog that had had a near similar fur pattern to his dad. Two cats that stood alongside Robert. One male and the other female, they seemed to be a married couple. A mechanical mess in the shape of a giant warthog man with three letters plaster on it, being R.T.O. And between all appears a massive man. Parappa knew who he was “Bohemian Tycoon SP…” They all drop down from the balcony and close in on the dog “Eheh...you guys don't seem happy to see me…”

 

The Leo lookalike is shown to have a weird device on his chest that holds the thought to be destroyed Maestro Lesson. Was it the actual Leo but controlled? Bohemian raises his hand “Kneel fool...you're in my world now~...” Matt, PJ, Paula, Ma-san and Lammy appear, but their appearances are different. They were being controlled.

 

“Boss man's world is the one and only…~” Yismun raises his hand and out pops a possessed Katy and Sweety.

 

“My darling Tycoon controls your fate~” Spectora summons reanimated people. Specifically the Queens, Amby, Milton and Emile. More soon spawn and now he sees Lupe, Tupper, Mason and Ana. And finally a possessed Poppy appears.

 

“Truly the new world order will snuff you out!” One of the blue armored robots summons Claire, but her body is covered in black shadows as her eyes match Leo when he's mind broken.

 

“Truly a marvel…~” Robert summons Papillon, Noella and their old friend group.

 

The Leo speaks up “Pleaaaase...HIS world?~ He just made it so that I could clean up his mess and take for myself~ You and Parappa over here made me...and taking this body and making it my own accelerated my success!” he snaps his fingers, all his possessed friends fall under HIS control. Even the hell shadows appeared as they're also possessed. Leo's new friends also appear under his control “Maestro…Mekaba...Europa...I'll accept any name~...as I use it to unite the world under me...and it's all thanks...to the two of you...and Europa to~ Can’t forget the boy whose life I took and made it mine~...” everyone stares at Parappa. They all say the exact same line together.

 

“YOUR STORY ENDS HERE!” they all attack the boy.

 

“NO _NO_ **_NO_ ** AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!” he's surrounded with a heavy burst of diverse attacks. Parappa is overwhelmed. He's flung into the abyss, deeply drowning into the despair. He finds himself unable to move, but just when the nightmare starts, a white flash blows everything away.

 

 **“HIS STORY WILL GO ON!** ”

 

Around the dog are his friends, along with new faces. Katy was floating before him with a blue light cloaking her, as water spiraled around her in and helix pattern. Matt had a white light around his body as he hopped in place, rings of energy appear around his feet and hands. PJ had a brown light around him as small rocks hovered about his body, he stood like a wall. Paula hovered in place as a mini aurora light circled around her like a tutu, an indigo light glistening off of her as well. Lammy was striking a fighting pose as a beautiful flame circled around her legs. An orange light covered her body as Tupper’s old mask was on her face. Ma-san stood proudly, her body glowing red as little fireworks flickered off her body. Her hair whips about like Raparra’s as the tips flickered like sparklers. Sunny was there without her disguise, she glowed green as vines wrapped around her arms and legs. Rammy was floating, she had demon wings on her back and her horns were longer, so was her tail! She even grew fangs. She bathed in the violet light that was around her. Kitty was moving as if she were part of the ground! She went on like a shadow, cloaked in black light. Sweety was surrounded by as pink light as it complimented her shiny blue eyes. Visions of what she was seeing quickly reflected off her eyes in mere seconds. Charlotte floats about with her own wings, black angel ones as violet lights cover her to, dark energy around her hands around feet. AJ gets a white light a Chris a green one. The toy red panda was splitting himself apart as shadows linked the pieces together and molded them into other things. Chris had an inky fog surrounding his hands, it seemed toxic. Fei-bo was cloaked in a brown light as she started creating things from the palm of her hands such as blades. Sao was covered by another orange light. Wind violently blew around her body like a mini tornado. Rayn had a blue light and she was covered in chains that spawned from her body. Hooks, claws, grapples. All the types and they also seemed to be coming from the ground as well! Raparra had a dark blood red light as pure red energy was under his control, as if he was moving pure plasma with his hands “G-Guys!...” the new faces surprised him as some were ones that were about to attack him. The big hercules beetle stands with Spinni in front of Parappa. The street magician, purple armor wearing robot man, and devil girl were also there defending him. The dog was there standing next to his dad and the other adults who were possessed. Leo was back along with Cookie, but their bodies radiated in electrical AND water energy. Their eye sprouted water and lightning to make make shift point triangle glasses. Leo had electricity on his right and water on his left. For Claire it was vice versa. Claire’s eyes are closed in like how Kitty can do. Leo's left eye was also like that, but his right was like that of a feral wolf, like how his or Raparra’s could do. They wore a new outfit, it being a shirt that said HERO! On both their chests, but Leo's said EUROPA RAPPA, while Claire’s said COOKIE RAPPA. They nod at Parappa and turn back to face the others, on their backs say the same thing, SIBLING HEROES! Parappa then sees Aqua, Kayla and Sirius, the two avian mages Rize and Soren, Athena along with Joe Chin and Gaster. 16-bits now looked like a battle bot as he stood at about the size of the hercules beetle. Three possum girls are all standing before Parappa, all dressed in knight gear as they hold shields out to cover him. Hayden is covered in inventions, one's that Parappa was informed that Natasha made as it looks like he turned them all into a makeshift battle suit. Pinto stood beside him as she helped him up, she was flickering with electric energy herself. She smiled at her older brother as he got up. He spots Mana floating around on her broom as she lands next to Sunny and Rayn. Noodles was seen in his old attire when he tried to take over as he stands with them all. A girl with her head holstered at her hip stands with them, the sight freaks Parappa out, just what was she?? She had flames coming from her open neck socket! Next to her was a statue type angel, upon closer inspection, it was Mica! But a heck of a lot older...how?? She was also holding a sword that radiated the same light that came from Pallet’s head. There were three fireballs that unite together and out spawns a lady made of flames. She looks similar to the three flame sisters that Deto was taking care of. Another shocking face appears. It was Niles, but he was clad in armor and shining in a blinding light. Bruter was also a sight to see as he was standing next to Sirius in a fighting pose. The dog girl assassin was seen in between Europa and Cookie. They all turn to Parappa.

 

“WHY WOULD YOU FIGHT FOR SUCH A SMALL SPECK IN MY WORLD?!”

 

“It won’t be your world thanks to him!”

 

“And why do we fight with and for him?”

 

“Easy!”

 

“We believe in Parappa~” They all smile, elating the dog as his ability activates on its own. His energy heart reappears along with his main friend group and their hell shadows.

 

“WHY?!”

 

“BECAUSE WE LEAVE IT TO HIM! AND HE LEAVES IT TO US! WE’RE-”

 

LEAVIN

 

_TO_

 

**_BELIEVIN!_ **

 

They all move an article of their outfits aside and each reveal LtB! tattooed on a part of their bodies. Parappa’s energy heart grows as does his power.

 

“YOU ALL ARE FOOLS! AND FOOLS AREN’T WELCOME IN MY WORLD!” The remaining evil forces all fire their attacks and Parappa’s group all fire theirs back. A majority of the evil enemies are destroyed, but Tycoon remains and blasts almost all of Parappa’s friends away as they slam into the walls of the room. Only Leo and Cookie are left with Parappa. “YOUR DREAM WILL NOT OVERSHADOW MINE!” Tycoon summons and fires the Magna Groove Cannon at the dog. He shields himself as best he can, but ultimately takes the brunt of the hit. He opens his eyes to see himself still standing.

 

“How am I...not dead??...” He looks forwards to see the two cats gone, and instead only in front of him is one. It’s a female with a pink and blue color scheme. Her hair that looks like Cookie’s neapolitan ice cream is now blonde at the base to act as a cone. Red, black, pink, blue and other colors that Europa took as his hairstyle appear as little streaks along her hair. It looks like sprinkles. The fake dog ears look like dripping melted ice cream leaking off the cone. The outfit she’s wearing looks like a fusion Between Europa’s suit and Cookie’s casual clothes that he first met her in. Who was this girl? Whoever she was, she was shielding him from the attack. She turns to look at him, and when she speaks up, Parappa hears Cookie’s AND Europa’s voices overlapping in a smooth mix coming from her mouth.

 

“I keep telling you, I’m here to protect you! And we always will~ Now come on dad! Kick. His. Ass!” Parappa nods. The girl lifts her tail, Parappa runs and jumps up and lands on her lifted tail. She flicks it, launching him over the blast.

 

“HEY BOHEMIAN!”

 

“WHAT?!?!” the giant man is astonished by Parappa surviving.

 

“HERE’S YOUR RHAPSODY!” Parappa dives down and slams his fist into his torso, then drives it up to his neck and uppercuts him away. The giant robot behemoth sputters in the air before violently exploding. Covering the entire room in white. When the light disperses, they’re all on a flower patch in a large beautiful field.  Parappa gets onto his feet and spots his friends all getting up to “HAHA! I DID IT!” he jumps repeatedly in the air as the others all smile. Once the dog finishes his victory dance, he runs up to them all “Thank you...for helping me~”

 

“We should be thanking you.”

 

“The reason we’re together.”

 

“The reason you were able to do that.”

 

“It’s all on you!”

 

“I have so many questions! Like...I saw most of you as bad guys! But you’re not! You came to our side! And Joe! Gaster! You did end up becoming my friends after all!”

 

“Gaster will not agree or disagree with that~”

 

“Parappa old boy, maybe another time you can relish in that fact.”

 

“Oh but I just HAVE TO! And-AND SUNNY! YOU’RE POPPY?!~”

 

“I guess I am~” the flower giggles with a wink.

 

“AND MICA YOU GOT BIG!”

 

“It’s thanks to my group. They passed their hopes and dreams to me.”

 

“AND YOU CAN TALK NOW!” he spins around and stops in front of Bruter “And Bruter...why would you help me?”

 

“Cruel bitch was possessin me, and you freed me. I owed you so much. This was just one of the many MANY things.”

 

“And you...who are you?...” He looks at the strange dog man.

 

“That’s no way to talk to your Uncle!~”

 

“My uncle?...MY UNCLE! THAT’S WHY YOU DIDN’T APPEAR! YOU’RE ALIVE! OH BUT WHERE ARE YOU?!”

 

“That’s for you to find out my boy!”

 

“Oh there’s so much I wanna ask all of you!...But this is to generous...I’m gonna forget all of this once I wake up aren’t I…” Everyone nods sadly.

 

“We are just YOUR dream after all. We just gave you a little vague gaze into the future is all. It's just your luck giving you a vision. Sorry.”

 

“I can tell…” He then walks to the catgirl “And you...who are you?...”

 

“Dad i’m hurt! How could you forget me??” a light covers the girl and she splits off into Europa and Cookie.

 

“HOLD UP, WHAT?!”

 

“Hehe~ It’s a little fun trick that was limited to very specific people from Cruisin Blue’s and Soul of the Funk members due to their history! Both you and Katy have it cuz you inherited from Grandma’s Europa the first and Noella! and it was passed to me as well~” Europa states as he chuckles.

 

“I CAN DO THAT TO?! OH MAN!...IT SUCKS THAT I’M GONNA FORGET THIS!...”

 

“Oh relax Papa! You’re gonna learn it tomorrow!” Cookie giggles.

 

“Huh? I am?...And P-Papa????”

 

“Yes you are! And yes papa, you end up adoptin my lil sis here~”

 

“Well that’s something...and I do?? Oh man...Well good! You deserve loving parents!...and...Europa...hehe...I marry Katy then huh?...~”

 

“What do you think doofus?~ Was the water control, the cat dog hybrid body or the name not hints enough?~” Dream Katy says as she walks up to him.

 

“I’m just really overwhelmed!...And...i’m gonna be forgetting all this anyway so...I guess I overlooked it…”

 

“I’m sure it’ll be alright in the end dear.”

 

“But what if!...What if I choose a different girl?...”

 

“...Well...I’ll be a lil unhappy...as will Europa obviously! But, I can’t stop you! I gotta be happy for the girl that did win! After all, all your other options ARE my besties~ I’d be rootin for the relationship you did get in to!~ I’d be your biggest cheerleader!~”

 

“I wish I could be as enthusiastic. But if that happens then my future disconnects with this past! But if that were the case...I’d still help you out! I promised to save the past. And I will keep doing so. And...I hope you find happiness in the relationship you do end up with.”

 

“...Thank you...and um...I don’t fight everyone all at once right?”

 

“Goodness no! It’s more of a...you find one doin a bad! Let’s stop em! Kinda deal. Of course we can’t tell ya the order! Not like you’d remember it anyway.”

 

“And about that order...when do I meet and, or recruit you guys...like...LIKE POSSESSED YOU!...AND-AND YOU THAT DOESN’T GET HURT BY USING YOUR POWERS!”

 

“Well...possessed me...oh well that’s FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR into the future...if ya play your cards right that is! If the future disconnects, you won’t fight me. If you do fight me, that means the future stays connected to this past…or you somehow reconnected the timelines on your own! But that’s like super far. Hell i’m pretty sure you’ll have killed Bohemian by then! As for me that finally can control my abilities...I’m afraid that won’t be happening prior to possessed me. The me you see right now is from a time much farther than that! But I still have that little combining trick! That I do learn prior to the possessed me encounter! Much earlier!”

 

“A-And what about you Cookie! Why do you also have the same powers?”

 

“I owe that to my new bro. My old powers were really destructive...and I thought I’d hurt so many people trying to help...see my abilities are to take from people...their consciousness...their strength...their lives...but...bro never gave up on me...mama never gave up on me...YOU! Papa! You never gave up on me!...my abilities triggered a different way… and I absorbed that special link and it made me like you guys...and I’m now a second Europa!~ It even deleted my old abilities! I’m no longer a monster and am now a 100% Rappa hero! And that’s thanks to the three of you~...Thank you for being my new family~...” she then looks back up “Oh! And this also happens post possessed big bro! Once I get the abilities!...I...also hurt myself using them...hehe...not fun…so I don’t get full control either until way later. But we do have full control when we fuse together! Who’d of thought? Two wrongs CAN make a right!~”

 

“...Heh...guess so~...” The area around him starts to disappear “Aw man...time to wake up...um...can you guys tell me things about yourselves before I wake up!”

 

“Why? You’re not gonna remember any of it…”

 

“I know, but still I wanna have my mind blown noooooow!” Everyone looks at each other then all giggle goofily.

 

“We fight again and you WHOOP my ass!” Raparra states.

 

“Really??”

 

“Naw, it was a draw. We ended up needing to be in intensive care for three whole days.”

 

“Aw fuck...the girls will not let me hear the end of that…”

 

“Me and Sweety get engaged pre Bohemian final boss battle” PJ and Sweety lift their hands up, revealing engagement rings.

 

“AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!~”

 

“I’m am the ex captain of angels. I was one of the elites before I stepped down in favor of saving the world.” Niles says “The reason i’m such a task master to Katy and Lammy is because I can see moments in time where I still exists. And in many of the futures where i’m still alive, I see myself watching Tycoon’s downfall thanks to the two of them and their toughened up wills! I’m only a hard ass, because I want you all to live.”

 

“Whoa…”

 

“Me and Hayden here start datin!...Unfortunately, once the mess with Bohemian and possessed Leo’s over...I kinda leave town as I pursue the dream you and Peej suggested to me.”

 

“Wait...you mean-”

 

“That’s right~ I’m choosin to go pro~”

 

“Erm...I...end up getting mind controlled by Spectora and end up causing a bit of a riff in our friend group…” Sunny says as she grabs her head in shame “I tried to take her down and in the end I was made the fool of…”

 

“But we fix that right?...”

 

“Yeah we do!...FYI we end up having to be the pack mules of the girls whose hearts you broke for a lil while to make up for it…”

 

“Aw geez...atleast we save our friendship from Spectora meddling…”

 

“AND MY LIFE! I NEARLY GOT ERASED!” Europa states angrily.

 

“H-How’d we stop that??”

 

“Yooooou...now have another person going for your heart thanks to my blunder~...”

 

“Really now...who would that be?...”

 

“Hello~...” Mana speaks up.

 

“Well now this catches me COMPLETELY off guard!”

 

“The hold Spectora had over the two of you was impeccably strong...to break it...I had to link your heart to mine and...well...ergo make us fall in love...It worked! And I broke the spell afterward!...but...I fell in love for real with you not that long after…”

 

“This definitely needs context...hoo baby…”

 

The three possum girls run up to Parappa “You saved us! In a marvelous MIRACULOUS way!”

 

“I do?”

 

“Yeah dad, these three were princess of a time long forgotten, and you and I kinda fuck up and get sent back in time while fighting a Bohemian baddy. I’m sure you noticed a type of futuristic space man??”

 

“I did.”

 

“Yeah him. We get sent back in time...and we...kinda change history...ALOT…”

 

“How so?...”

 

“These three were supposed to die, we prevented that. The ancient old group that eventually became Cruisin Blues and Soul of the Funk weren’t supposed to help at all, we changed that. We were supposed to leave the girls alone, WE ENDED UP BRINGING THEM BACK TO THE FUTURE WITH US…”

 

“That does explain why they’re here…”

 

“Yeah, and now they’re your new step sisters.”

 

“Oh well how love- WHAT?!”

 

“Yep!~ I get new lovely actual aunties~” Parappa clutches his head, but notices Athena, Joe and Gaster all look from afar sadly as the terrain starts fading away faster.

 

“H-Hey...why aren’t you guys sayin anything?...”

 

“Should we?...”

 

“He asked…”

 

“Gaster says it might be ok...since he’s gonna forget what Gaster tells him soon anyway…”

 

“The three of us are gonna die…”

 

“WAIT WAIT WHAT?!”

 

“Yep. They’re needed to.”

 

“H-HOW?! AND HOW ARE DEATHS NEEDED??”

 

“Gaster saves an entire civilization! HAHA! GASTER DIES A HERO!~”

 

“I help you countless times Parappa old boy, because I’m working for Tycoon! But I remain unaware of what his actions are. Until we meet up again and as such I become a type of inside job kinda guy! They eventually find me and turn me into a monster...we have a fight...and...well I’ll let you experience that when we get to it. But I to, die a hero.”

 

Dream Athena sighs “I guess I die a hero to. I die protecting you from Bohemian’s attack...I tell you to keep on going on with life~...and just like that...i’m erased from existence...it's thanks to my death, that you finally start to get a grip on your abilities. So i’d say it was needed. You make Bohemian, Hercules, Spectora AND Yismun look like fun ragdolls~”

 

“Unfortunately I figure out that I can control lightning at that same battle...and...it ends up making me a hell of a lot more reckless…” Dream Europa chuckles goofily.

 

“Gah…” The place starts to turn completely white as his friends start fading away “It sucks that I won’t remember any of this...but that’s ok! I get to experience it all again as it happens like it should!...I just wish some things were different…”

 

“Never forget Parappa! We’re always with you! And we will always…”

 

_Believe in you~..._

 

* * *

 

Parappa wakes up in a fit.

 

“WAAAAH! MY DREAM!...i had a dream?...Did I?...what was it about?...Wait...what am I talkin about aga- AGH!” Parappa’s kicked off the bed by an upset Rammy who was kicked off the bed herself.

 

“Maaaan...was not expecting to have THAT happen again...Guess we really did get back into the swing of things~”

 

“Ehe...sorry Rammy~ Guess I got a little excited waking up!...”

 

“I can tell! The fuck happened Paraps?”

 

“Ah!...um...I dunno...I guess it’s nothing. I must be turning crazy!”

 

“You’re already crazy buddy! You let a girl like me into your life!~”

 

“Pffft, if that makes me crazy? Then I’d always choose to be insane! Being your friend was the best choice of my life~”

 

“THAT’S IT!...” She grabs the dog and crushes him in a hug “YA GET A HUG!~”

 

“HEHEHEHEY!...YOU’RE STILL NAKED!...GET DRESSED ATLEAST!~”

 

“Nah~ Plus you don’t really mind do you?”

 

“With a roommate like you? I got used to it a while back unfortunately!~”

 

“Doesn’t look like there’s anything unfortunate about it~”

 

“Maybe, maybe not~” The two chuckle as they shove each other away playfully “Yep...i’m lookin forward to these better days~”

 

“You and me and the rest of us to Paraps!”

 

_Let’s see what else the world has in store for us!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter, and another credit to two groups! The Oral Cigarettes and Ghost Town DJ's!


	44. How bad can we be together?

“There see? Ain’t a clothed hug better?”

 

“Naaaah.”

 

“Yeah I guess you’re right.”

 

“Well you gave up quickly!”

 

“Not like I was gonna convince you otherwise!”

 

“Smart~” She laughs before rubbing her horns “Hope I didn’t hit you with these while we were snoozin…”

 

“I don’t think you did! Then again I was pretty doinked out...so maybe you did and I didn’t notice it!” he shakes his head around to see if anything aches, but nothing does “Doesn’t seem like it! And even if you did, I’m more than sure that it wouldn’t bug me!”

 

“You think?...They’re pretty pointy…”

 

“Rammy I had a WAREHOUSE collapse on me! I even got my body manhandled by Raparra! And I took BOTH like a massive champ! A little pointy poke from your horns won’t hurt me~” he snaps his fingers into a finger gun point “‘Sides! You’re fluffiness counterbalances with the pointiness!~”

 

“Don’t...actually fuck it. You’re right~”

 

“Now who’s giving up quickly?~”

 

“Not like I was gonna convince YOU otherwise!” They both laugh as they head off to greet the morning with their roomies.

 

* * *

 

Rammy is still seen in the kitchen room table as Katy and Ma-san stay in their rooms. Lammy and Parappa are in the living room couch as they just watch what’s on T.V. Rammy moves about in her chair as she begins talking to herself.

 

“Man...a full month of just...panicking over what would come from Hell and it’s all...gone...dealt with…” Rammy leans her chair back “No more to worry about. I can’t believe it’s finally over...and with different, better results than how it was originally supposed to go!” She tilts her chair farther back “And it’s all thanks to Paraps jr! I wonder if this means I gotta thank him or somethin…” Her chair teeters on its hind legs “Or is he just content with me bein alriiiiiIIIIIIIIIIEEEEE!” her chair falls over, sending her onto her back.

 

“Y-You ok Ura??” Lammy hops over to her and lifts her friend up.

 

“Y-Yeah...I’m good...just got a bit to lost in my new happy thoughts is all! And remember!” She knocks her head with her knuckles. A thick knock is heard “Head’s made of tougher stuff!~”

 

“W-Well...that’s good. On that thought...you gonna be joining Parappa on his visit to his dad in order to learn more things about himself and Katy?”

 

“Course I am! After yesterday, my emotions nearly vomited EVERYTHING on the spot...I need my bud by my side to help erase all that shit...wait...what about you guys?? Ain’t you three comin with?”

 

“Work…”

 

“Ah right...you girls still...do that…”

 

“It’s not just them! Tamanegi FINALLY patched up the cafe! Me and the other three will finally get back to work to!” Parappa says as he joins in on their conversation.

 

“Aw bummer...what the hell am I gonna do then!”

 

“Well...do what you did before! Just tag along with me and just stick around at our workplace.”

 

“But I don’t wanna impoooooseeeeeee...It’s thanks to me that the place go destroyed in the first place…”

 

“Oh don’t think like that! We all enjoy your company! Even sensei does!”

 

“Eh...sorry man. After everything, I just gotta readjust again...ya feel me?” She rubs her arms.

 

“Yeah...I getcha.”

 

“Well y-you two better go off! At the very least Matt, Sweety, PJ and Paula might be able to accompany you guys!”

 

“Here’s hoping Lammy!”

 

Before Lammy can reply again, Katy shouts as she runs out of her room and towards the main exit “LAMMY! COME ON WE GOTTA GO!”

 

“H-Huh?...Why the ru- IS THAT THE TIME??” Lammy sprints out the door with Katy, the sound of a van driving off is the only noise to be heard for the following minute.

 

“Man...this is earlier than usual...Just what the hell did Niles want from them this time?? Could he BE a bigger hardass?”

 

“Oh I’m sure he has his reasons…”

 

“Paraps, what reason could he POSSIBLY have??”

 

“I dunno...I just believe he means well...something in me just feels like he is…”

 

“Oh, you just can’t bring yourself to hate him can you?”

 

“Maybe…”

 

“Whatever buddy, come on let’s get a move on! I wanna see what more there is to know about you!”

 

“Right-oh! But first! LATER MA-SAN! HAVE FUN AT WORK!” The dog shouts down the hall with the bedrooms. One of the doors opens up and out pops a yellow thumbs up causing the boy to giggle as he heads off with Rammy.

 

* * *

 

“Sweety, why are we visiting Leo and the girls exactly?...”

 

“Because PJ, I wanna invite em over to see if they wanna hear what Mr. Rappa has to say!”

 

“But wouldn’t that make Leo question whether or not HE can do what Parappa does? And from what Parappa told us, that’s the opposite of what we want given what Aqua told him.”

 

“Oh i’m sure he won’t think THAT far ahead. Plus he deserves to know! It _is_ a way of making sure his dad doesn’t hurt himself!”

 

“I guess you’re right...but do Poppy and Kitty need to be included??”

 

“They are his friends to! Duh!”

 

“But they’re busy with Rayn!”

 

“She can come along to!”

 

“I doubt she’ll wanna…” PJ rolls his eyes as they arrive. They find the two girls trying to help Rayn socialize.

 

“Rayn you got this!” Kitty says as she gets in the flowers face.

 

“I-I don’t…”

 

“Come onnn...how are you gonna keep your wish of living on your own as a sociable person if you can’t even handle talking to your reflection…”

 

“We interrupting something?” PJ says as the two bears approach the trio.

 

“Oh it’s just me and Kitty helping out Rayn with bolstering her people skills. Last night she told me that she wants to live on her own in a grouped neighborhood. But wants help with being extroverted! So she’s staying with me only until she manages that! But at this rate it looks like she’ll be with me forever!”

 

“I’m s-sorry…”

 

“Rayn don’t be sorry!” Sunny pats her double “It was a joke! I _know_ you’ll break into the new you soon!~”

 

“Poppy you’re really generous to a girl who isn’t even your hell shadow.” PJ states.

 

“A-Ahem...guess I am!...” Both flowers slightly panic, but Sunny quickly finds a way to ease the conversation “I mean. I helped Kitty out to right?”

 

“True, true.”

 

“Exactly! And she’s not my shadow either! I just like helping!”

 

“Ya got me. Hm...how about I help out as well if I can, while I explain the reason for us being here.”

 

“I mean...ok?...Just be gentle with the girl PJ…”

 

“Psssh...I’m a teddy bear!”

 

“A rather ineffective one once your mouth starts runnin!” Kitty says which gets Sweety to laugh.

 

“Ey! You’re supposed to be on my side Sweety!”

 

“Can’t help it dear! When she’s right, she’s right~ She nailed you on the head!~” she laughs some more.

 

“Fine then! You go inform Leo while I help these three out!”

 

“Fine fine~” she heads off over to the elevator after splitting off from them. After a wonky ride up. She finds a cat Leo sitting on the floor by his balcony. He’s staring at the sky as he’s seated like a child “Um...Leo?” he doesn’t budge. He’s clearly distracted by something, so she closes the door behind herself and walks abit closer “Europa?...” the name snaps the boy out of his trance like a magnetic attraction “Ok good...thought you were broken again or something...what are you doing?...”

 

“Rememberin some stuff~...”

 

“Eh?...”

 

“Some memories of mine came back to me again and...they just made me happy. I’ve been really happy since wakin up actually...which is odd cuz I thought I fell asleep so sadly...but I woke up feeling so...joyful~...” He turns around and Sweety spots the new symbol on his shirt.

 

“Hey...what’s that?”

 

“Oh? It’s actually something special~ I...woke up and saw it there. I found a little note by my shirt from dad, tellin me he found it while we were down in Hell. But he couldn’t hand it over at the time cuz we had to stay diligent. And so he tried to give me it last night and well...I was asleep!...Maybe having that made me rest easy~...You see, it was the Queen’s band logo! It would make sense for how he probably found it given the things we were fightin...and I’m so glad he gave it to me~...”

 

“Oh that’s sweet!”

 

“It is~...As for what I’m rememberin now...it’s an old one from when I was such a little boy…~” He turns to his Aunt to be “Wanna see it to?~...”

 

“Um...how?...” The boy rolls his eyes at her with a smile, confusing her further until he speaks up. Once again using a higher pitched baby talk.

 

“Papa...why awe we inna huwwy?...”

 

“...W-Wha?-” Sweety’s eyes flicker again as she’s back in the blue spacious zone. Before her, Leo’s being carried about by an older Parappa, who has him on his back. With him were Katy, Lammy and Rammy. They had all grown as well. Katy and the two sheep were slightly taller than how they were now, but Parappa’s growth change was massive. He was now almost as tall as them! Just being slightly shorter than Katy! Parappa and Katy both wore black tops, Parappa’s being a simple tee and Katy’s being a sleeveless one. Katy’s pants were the old classical red with white stripes, but they were emblazoned with stars that had mini frog heads in them. Parappa’s pants were orange with blue stripes circling around the legs in rings. On their left hands are rings on the same fingers. Their ring fingers hold an obvious wedding ring, Katy’s was a blue stone in the shape of Parappa’s head, Parappa’s was an orange stone in the shape of her head. On their pinky fingers were a ring that said an abbreviation. Katy’s said PtR, while Parappa’s said MC. The final ring on their middle and index fingers were ones that said a phrase together. On their index’s it said ‘Loyal to’, but Parappa’s middle finger ring said K.R. while Katy’s said P.R. It was obviously their names, or in Katy’s case, her new name. Both of them had earrings, but Parappa on his left and Katy on her right. They were half of a star. Parappa had a long chain around his neck with a golden circular object connected to it by his torso. Lammy wore a red and black shirt that had ‘LtB’ on the chest and ‘MilkCan!’ on the back. Rammy had a blue jacket with the zipper wide open, revealing a pink shirt underneath with a broken heart icon that was sewn together. Both ewes wore tattered and ripped blue jeans. Lammy had a wedding ring on her ring finger, but Rammy did not. Lammy wore skull earrings, while Rammy wore triple earrings on her left ear, a red, yellow and blue one. It matches the color if the original MilkCan trio. She also had a nose and lip piercing that was located on right side of her nose and left side of her lower lip. Parappa’s hair was long once again, and it was pouring out from under his beanie! It extended almost to his elbows! Katy had her hair much longer as well and it wasn't held up in a ponytail either. It went past her shoulders and was styled as well in a fun poofy manner. Lammy’s hair was slightly longer with the back tied up into a tiny ponytail. Her horns had not been filed down as they were starting to become pointy little nubs. Rammy’s hair was longer as well, reaching the same length as Katy’s, it also had silver highlights in it as it flowed freely. Her horns were fully grown out and pointed. They all clearly just got out of separate cars as they run up to a studio building. Lammy and Rammy also have kids on their back. Lammy’s was as expected, but Leo never mentioned Rammy having a child. They were both almost perfect spitting images of their mothers with obvious differences such as eye color, in which Lammy’s child had green eyes and Rammy’s child had hazel ones. Lammy’s kid also had more red along with her orange wooly fur. While Rammy’s had white along with the gray. Their tails were both long however, but it seemed like Rammy’s kid was for necessity as it didn’t seem feasible to cut while Lammy’s was left long for preference. The four adults started talking as they ran.

 

_“Because Jr.! Your mom and I kinda lost track of time…”_

 

_“Geez Paraps, talk about your poor planning…”_

 

_“Hey! This was NOT my fault! Katy told me she had finished prepping all the paperwork for getting Europa into school already!”_

 

_“It’s not my fault either dear! How the heck was I supposed to know that getting a kid into preschool could be so paperwork filled! I thought it was just apply your kid up and PRESTO! They’re in the school!”_

 

_“While I will admit, that is a really terrible way of handling a school system...like seriously, Jr’s a four year old toddler! Not some jail watched felon! Why need so much??...It’s still a school system we gotta abide by if we want our son to get ahead in life!”_

 

 _“Some crummy system…”_ the two sheeps blurt out together.

 

 _“Be that as it may! It’s a necessity!”_ Future Katy huffs out.

 

 _“It just sucks that the NECESSITY fell on the exact same day as us needing to record our next song!...”_ Future Parappa says irately as they head inside the building _“Luckily, the four of you were able to be here to help finish it all off-...where’s Ma-san…”_

 

_“I’ve been trying to TELL you Parappa! I told her to wait at the school so we could finish everything!”_

 

_“WHY??”_

 

 _“BECAUSE, AS I REPEATEDLY TRIED TELLING YOU, I THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA HANDLE THAT_ **_FIRST!_ ** _”_

 

 _“KATY WE HAVE TO GET_ **_THIS_ ** _DONE FIRST!...Ohhh...maybe we can get off easy if we just record the vocals now and handle the instrumental another day for the song...come on.”_

 

_“Are you seriously still ignoring me...Parappa, we’re handling THE SCHOOL STUFF FIRST!”_

 

_“But we’re already here!”_

 

 _“ONLY BECAUSE I TRIED TO STOP YOU!...”_ Future Katy irately claws at her face _“LOOK! I’M HANDLING IT ON MY OWN THEN!”_

 

_“BUT WE NEED YOU HERE! YOU HAVE TO SING THE SONG WITH ME!”_

 

 _“I’LL BE BACK BEFORE YOU KNOW IT!...”_ she runs off.

 

 _“W-WAIT!..._ ” Parappa bursts back out the door as he sees her car start up and drive off _“IF I CAN’T STOP YOU, ATLEAST DON’T FORGET TO-”_ she vanishes down the road _“Take...the kid...you needed to show...them…”_ He hangs his head in exhaustion _“Here we go again…”_

 

_“Relax Paraps, she’ll remember who she forgot to take and will be back before you know it!”_

 

 _“Ura, last time she forgot something like this, it took her an entire DAY to realize it…”_ he sighs _“What am I gonna do now...I can’t sing the song on my own! It ends up a duet!... AND SHE’S THE ONE WHO WROTE IT SO SHE COULD ATLEAST BE HERE!...”_ He leans his head back upright as he whines _“Ohhhhh I love her with all my heart, but I swear we’re both idiots…”_

 

 _“Parappa I’m sorry...I wish there was something we could do to help…”_ As Future Lammy says that, the three of them gently place their kids onto the ground. Little Leo walks up to his dad.

 

_“Wuz dis my fauld papa?...”_

 

 _“No...No Jr. it’s not...your mommy and daddy just have very limited braincells to work with…Some smart guy I turned out to be...a great inventor! Pitiful planner...She’s a wonderful planner! But her perception of time is like mine...leaves much to be desired...”_ The two sheep kids walk up to Europa.

 

 _“Wad duz yo papa need help wid?...”_ the black sheep girl says.

 

_“Papa neds mama to sing wif him!...no one else nos da song…”_

 

 _“N-Nod twue! My mommy nos da song do!”_ the red sheep says that gets Rammy’s attention.

 

_“Hey hey hey! Your kid’s got a point! Lammy! YOU can sing the song with Paraps!”_

 

_“W-What?? Why me??”_

 

_“Katy always asks you for help with songs remember? You were with Katy as she was rehearsing it to you for proper testing! As well as correcting her when she messed it up! You know the full thing word for word like her!”_

 

_“U-Uh...I mean you’re not wrooooooooong...b-but I don’t think Katy will be to happy…”_

 

 _“Katy won’t mind if it allows her to do what she’s trying to do...in this case, it’s bail out of this to handle something else...plus you’re her friend and bandmate! Who she keeps supporting in order to get to sing more! She’ll be fine with it!”_ Parappa says which just gets the lamb to stutter.

 

_“I d-dunnooooo...I-I just don’t w-wanna cause p-probleeeeems…”_

 

_“Lammy please...I really need the help…”_

 

_“...ooooohhhh…ok…”_

 

 _“YES! YOU’RE THE BEST!”_ he gleefully runs back inside with Rammy after him. Lammy emits a sigh of distress as she plucks up her daughter.

 

_“Ewena why did you bring that uuuuuuup…”_

 

_“W-Was I nod suppowsd do?...I-I’m sowwy mommy…”_

 

 _“No sweetie...it’s ok... alright...time to sing!...oh dear…”_ she places her daughter back down and quickly she runs to the other two kids.

 

 _“Is dis a gud ding?...”_ The black sheep girl shrugs but Europa instead replies.

 

_“Id helps Papa! So yes id is gud!” Europa grabs Ewena’s hands and shakes them gleefully._

 

_“O-Ok! Whad do you dink Eufowia?...”_

 

 _“Well...id made my mommy happy do...sooo...I guesh so!”_ the three kids nod and run on inside. Sweety then sees them all inside, with Parappa and Lammy speaking to what appears to be a manager. They seem to be distraught.

 

_“I can make that work...but I will need the music to come no later than tomorrow!...”_

 

 _“We can manage that! I’ll drag Katy over here by her tail if I have to!”_ Parappa’s knees buckle in the moment he says that _“Actually I can’t...I love my wife far to much to do that even as a joke…b-but we will be here!”_

 

_“Alright...get in the recording booths as per usual. Lammy, you’ll be taking Mrs. Rappa’s place since she is currently not here.”_

 

_“I got it!...”_

 

 _“Oh thank the heavens we decided against making a music video for now…”_ the manager books it off to the recording station to inform the other crewmen.

 

Parappa and Lammy turn to Rammy, Parappa exhales longingly in slight relief _“Well...we just barely made it manageable…”_ he walks over to the three small children _“Sorry we gave you three a big scare with our adult nonsense! How would you three like to hear the song we have to sing?~”_ the trio all jump in place _“Haha!~ I’ll take your enthusiastic energy as a yes~ Ura, corral these kiddos and get em to listen in!”_

 

 _“Gotcha~”_ she swoops down and scoops the kids who try to scurry out of her grasp, but her size difference makes her catch them in seconds. She spins around, swinging the trio in her arms as they all laugh. She sits upon a giant cushion chair and pecks the three of them on their heads. Parappa and Lammy smile at watching the four of them having fun between themselves. They then look to each other and nod as they head off to record their singing, but not before Parappa walks off to the tiny Leo and places his beanie on his head.

 

“Hope I ain’t too nervous to make a good beat~” He rubs his son’s head and then books it.

 

The big screen that’s in the room the four are in blips on as the speakers also turn on with it. Rammy helps the two little ewes up onto her shoulders _“Come on Ewena, Euphoria, get up here!~”_ They sit happily as they hold onto her horns for balance support.

 

_“Aunnie Uwa! Wad aboud me!...”_

 

 _“Sorry Euro! I only got two shoulders! ...Hm...I could put you around my neck...but I don’t want you accidentally kicking either of these two squirts!”_ she scratches her neck _“Sorry lil guy, my lap will have to do…”_

 

 _“Aw…”_ he sinks into her stomach sadly, she wraps her arms around him in a hug. He still stays sad, so she then scratches him under his chin around his neck to which he begins purring _“N-No faaaaiw Aunnie~...”_

 

 _“Hey~ I know just what to do to perk ya back up~ If I make it a mission to keep your pops happy, you can bet your tail I’ll be doing the same for you~ Even if I gotta take advantage of little quirks you inherited from your mom~”_ she keeps at it and he eventually moves around her lap on all fours and rubs against her gut before curling into a ball on her lap _“Is my lap still not gonna do?~”_

 

 _“Ids ok now~...”_ the small Leo continues purring as he stays snuggled against the black sheep. She laughs at the cute sight as the four of them turn their sights at the screen once they hear Parappa about to start. He appears on the screen as he passes the command to those off screen to get ready to record. Parappa flicks his wrists as a pseudo beat starts, mimicking the music Katy and the other girls planned to play were it not for their complications. Parappa snaps his fingers as he starts to the beat of a digital piano.

 

 _Girl, why are you playin with me? Girl, who are you playin with?_  
_You've been on that new stuff, I've been on the same shit!_ Four little lights appear around Parappa’s head. They are shaped in an x, a square, a circle and a triangle.

_Girl, why are you playin with me? I don't got the tiiiiiiiiime for that!_

_Might need me a refund, haha~ I'mma need that tiiiiiiime back!_ He swats the chain around his neck. It flips around and reveals a clock strapped onto the chain.

  
_You say you'll try!_  
_I've heard that lie, a thousand times befoooooooore…_ he circles his fingers at the sides of his head.

_I'm not sad, I'm not cryin,_

_If you mad, that's fine, but I think that I should gooooooo!_ He points his thumb to the side.

_Yeah, why you tryna play me?_

_You bein a different you, and I'm bein the same me!_ He shakes his head as he points forward then quickly points to himself.

 _  
_ _You could have had Gucci, but now that's Old Navy..._

 _And your homegirl wanna date me, she shady, baby!_ He smiles as he shrugs.

_Girl, why are you playin with me? Girl, who are you playin with?_

_You've been on that new stuff, I've been on the same shit!_ The children, clearly not understanding the cruder words, only dance and bob to the beat in place.

_Girl, why are you playin with me?_

**_(With me, with me)_ ** a light echo of Parappa’s voice and another’s overlay lightly.

_I don't got no tiiiiiiiiiiiime for that!_

_Might need me a refuuuuuund, yeah I'mma need that tiiiiiiiiiiiiiime back!_ Parappa performs a swiping motion as the camera pans over.

Lammy has her back turned to the screen, a light whimper heard as she shakes abit. Rammy’s teeth chatter as she worries if her mirror image can go through with it or not. Sweety very much would like to reassure the Rammy, but it’s all just a vision. Future Rammy calms down once she hears the Lammy give a light laugh as she turns around with vigor. She starts her portion of the song.

 

_Damn, why are you playin with me? You don't even like girls, ha!_

_So I need you to tell me, baaaaaaaaaaaybe... What you want just like the Spice Girls~_ she snaps her hand into a quick finger gun flick and wink.

_It's confusin cuz you're flirty!_

_But you ain't gon be the one to say you ever did me dirty!_ She taps the sides of her head once as she forces out her tongue playfully with a shrug, tilting her head to add to motion.

_I got priiiiiiiiide for that, pay no miiiiiiiiiiiiind to that,_

_But believe me, if it's fire, I'll make tiiiiiiiiiiime for that~_ she wraps her arms around her stomach and swings her hips from side to side. A big smiles starting to form on her face.

 

_I'll be faithful, Johnny Cash, walk the liiiiiiiiiine for that._

_Otherwise, I'll just be single and I'm fiiiiiiiiiiine with that, huh~_ She flicks her hands forward as the same four symbols that were around Parappa’s head float around her hands.

_Girl, why are you playin with me? Girl, who are you playin with?_

_You've been on that new stuff, And I've been on the same shit!_ She hugs herself as she does a quick spin.

_Girl, why are you playin' wiiiiith me? I ain't got no tiiiiiiiiime for that!_

_Might need me a refund, Cuz I'mma need that tiiiiiiiime back!_ She makes a motion with her arms as if to expand something. The visual display then pans out to show the two of them at the same time.

 

_Girl, why are you playin with me? Girl, who are you playin with?_

_G-Girl, why are you playin with me? Girl, who are you playin' with?_ Parappa picks up before passing it back to her again immediately.

 

_Girl, who are you playin with? Yeah~_

_Wooo-oo, yeah!!_ Lammy’s clearly gotten comfortable with singing, atleast she seemed to be.

 **_(Yeah)_ ** Parappa’s voice echoes lightly after.

 _I've been on the same shit!_ The beat picks up as greatly as her moxie.

 _Girl, why are you playin with me?_ The sing the verse together.

 _Girl, who are you playin with? Huh?~_ Lammy starts and begins alternating lines with Parappa.

  
_You've been on that new stuff!_ Parappa strikes a pose, Lammy immediately mimics it.

_And I've been on the same shit!_

_Girl, why are you playin with me?_ She tilts back as she raises her arms, Parappa mirrors the pose.

 _I don't got no tiiiiiiiiiime for that!_ He smiles greatly, flashing his canines as he shakes his head slowly.

 _Might need me a refuuuuuuuund!_ Lammy brings her arms in together and crosses them as she reclines her back against Parappa’s

 

 **_(Refund!)_ ** Lammy’s voice echoes lightly.

 _I'mma need that tiiiiiiiime back, yeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaah!!~_ They finish off the last line together with Lammy finishing it off with the final word.

 _Da-do-doo…~_ Parappa closes it all off with a light vocalizing. Signifying the songs end.

 

The screen turns off and the two little sheep on Rammy’s shoulders applaud gleefully, but Europa merely recoils into Rammy, prompting her to check if he’s alright _“Euro? You ok lil guy? I thought you’d love hearing your dad sing! Along with your Auntie La-”_ She tilts her gaze to look at what he was staring at, She spots Katy leaning on the wall with her arms crossed, staring at the turned off screen. Future Ma-san was at her side, she was also much bigger just like Parappa, but she was just barely shorter than Future Parappa. She wore an orange dress with orange and blue swirls. This Ma-san didn’t have her hair out and about, meaning she either didn’t find out she had any, or she did but prefers to have the dynamite. Speaking of the dynamite, she had eight together on her head instead of the old one she used to have. She had hoop earrings on both ears and a wedding ring on her left hand ring finger. Within her arms was a tiny mouse girl. She was scratching her face as she kept her gaze away from Katy’s _“Oooooooh...Now I see why you’re scared…”_ She pulls down the two ewes and wraps them and Europa together in her arms _“Eheh...lookie here!...You’re back! F-Forget somethin?”_

 

_“My son…”_

 

_“W-Well I have him right here! W-We were just enjoyin-”_

 

 _“I know, I saw.”_ she sighs _“Well, atleast they managed to handle THAT on their own~ And she seemed like she was havin fun!”_

 

_“Soooooo...you ain’t mad?”_

 

 _“No no. Just upset that they could’ve at the very least wait for me so that I could hear the WHOLE thing! Now I gotta wait till release!”_ she laughs to herself. The sight eases up Rammy and Ma-san along with the children attached to them. Ma-san heads over to the black sheep as she hands her kid over to Rammy.

 

_“Sorry girl, gonna have to leave my kid with ya to. Me and Katy here have to go clarify some shit while we’re here.”_

 

_“I’m cool with that! Already got three munchkins with anyway! So what’s the harm in a fourth one?~ Also hey! You’re speakin english! Trying to make your kiddo expand her linguistic library?”_

 

_“Yeah, figured it’d save her the headache in the long run! Heaven forbid she grows up to be like me y’know?”_

 

_“But you ain’t that bad a gal you know Mar?”_

 

 _“Maybe so! But I still would like to keep her on a better track!”_ she places the little mouse down. Her hair is held up into a bun from a pair of dynamite sticks on her head. The yellow of her fur is mixed with a tint of light brown. She wobbles over to the black sheep who scoops her up _“You play nice now Myra!”_

 

 _(“Ok Mama-ma!...”)_ Future Ma-san smiles as she walks with Katy over towards where the other two adults are stationed. The vision fast forwards as now all four of them walk back to Rammy.

 

 _“We handled the music!”_ Future Katy says as she holds her hands together.

 

_“Are you sure you d-don’t want to reshoot the singing?...”_

 

_“Nope! Lammy you rocked it better than I ever could’ve!”_

 

_“T-Totally not!...”_

 

_“Yeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssss!”_

 

_“I feel uneasy with the lyrics thoooooough...why did you write them like thaaaat...we’re both married and way past THAT young age margin…”_

 

_“Hey! I am forever 19 thank you very much!”_

 

 _“As in, she started writing the song when she was 19, but stopped because of lack of motivation.”_ Parappa says _“Then we started dating obviously at 21, and so she couldn’t really fit into the vibe of being single, cuz she wasn’t anymore! Then we got married and thus that song got pocketed away!”_

 

_“That explains alot...why’d you finish now? We both recently turned 30!”_

 

_“They asked for a song that was a little different than what we normally dish out! That’s when I remembered that old thing! So I decided to finish it! And ooooooooooh baby does your voice just WORK IT!~ You owned that song like no other Lammy~”_

 

_“Waaaaaaah…”_

 

 _“I dink you did amashing mommy!”_ Ewena runs up to her mother’s feet and bounces up and down.

 

_“See? Your three year old agrees!”_

 

 _“Mine does to by the looks of it!”_ Euphoria is seen hugging Lammy’s leg.

 

 _“And mine as well!”_ Myra does the same to Lammy’s other leg.

 

_“What about you Jr? If 3 three year olds enjoy Lammy’s singing, what about the only four year old here?~”_

 

_“I wuv Aunnie Wammie’s singing! Ids beaudiful!”_

 

 _“That’s my baby~ Thinks just like his mama!~”_ Katy picks up Europa _“See? The kids all love your voice~”_

 

_“Oh you cheap shot!...D-Don’t use the kiiiiiids on me...I-I can’t deny it noooooow…”_

 

 _“Exactly! You shouldn’t have denied it at all! Now show Lammy your love and appreciation kiddos!”_ the two ewes and mouse climb up Lammy’s legs while the kitten leaps out of Katy’s arms and onto Lammy’s face.

 

 _“E-EYAAAAAH!...”_ she falls almost instantly as the kids all squish the big lamb. Leo pecking his Auntie’s face all over along with Ewena while Myra and Euphoria hug her belly _“O-OK OK~...I ADMIT DEFEAT~...”_ all of them laugh as they help Lammy up. They hug her along with the kids that refuse to let go. The vision ends as Sweety stares the older Europa putting on his jacket.

 

“Now I can see why you’re happy~...”

 

“Do you?~”

 

“Very! I forgot that I have your memories all in my head~” She grabs her head “While cute...what was with Rammy’s kid? Don’t recall you ever mentioning SHE was a mother!”

 

“A-Ah...t-that’s just...s-something that slipped my mind is all!”

 

“Is that all it is? Really?”

 

“Yes!...”

 

“Really Reeeeeaaaaally?”

 

“Auntie yes!”

 

She looks him straight in the eyes “Are you sureeeee?”

 

“Y-You won’t get anything out of me!...”

 

“Oh...won’t I?...” She begins doing what the future vision Rammy did and begins scratching under Europa’s chin.

 

“H-Hey hey heeeeey!...” He buckles in as he starts to purr, his entire body turning to jelly “H-Hoooow…” He’s unable to move or retaliate as his tail begins wagging like a dog’s.

 

“Probably a bad idea of letting me in on this~...Now talk...and I stop.”

 

“I-I...c-can’t…”

 

“Why?...It’s just another kid is all!”

 

“B-Because...I-I don’t want you to h-hate my dad or Auntie R-Rammy!...”

 

“...Why is that a factor?...”

 

* * *

 

The two leave the wild elevator as they stay outside it’s entrance once on the ground level, Sweety solemnly sighs as she then stays silent for a good minute before showing her teeth in a mixed expression.

 

“Alright...I don’t hate your dad, despite the fact that he put himself in a drunk hangover that he has no memory of...it was a moment of fear and...well I guess it’s a context you need to see for yourself...and Rammy? I don’t hate her either. I’m upset with the choices she made and the taking advantage of your dad as well as holding it as a lie for so long...but...it makes sense why she would. I can very well understand her position. Once it started, all you really could do was lie...and lie...and just keep on lying. I wanna slap em across their faces! But I can’t slap future them because they don’t exist yet! And I can’t slap the current ones cuz they haven’t DONE that yet!” She pinches the area between her eyes “I’m upset, but I’ll clearly get over it. It’s easier to after witnessing the bond those two knuckleheads have currently! It would make sense how an…’accident’ like _that_ ended up happening...golly I wonder if future me would have been as easy going on this like I am right now…” She bites her thumb “And most of all I feel terrible for Euphoria, but it does explain her appearance...but still...having to grow up without a father! When in reality he’s ALWAYS been within arms reach!”

 

“Y-Yeah…”

 

“Think Rammy married someone some time after you left?”

 

“I doubt it...Auntie Rammy always said she wasn’t really in the field of falling in love and getting hitched...she always preferred sticking close to dad and taking care of him, and by extension my mom and me along with Euphoria…”

 

“ANOTHER reason...ugh...They’re definitely in the clear with me...begrudgingly I might add...but with underlines in the explanations like that...I just can’t hate em for it...don’t think future me would be so generous...atleast not until i’ve been given a few days to myself. I love all my friends to much! Even when they perform stupid stuff! And believe me, THIS IS BEYOND STUPID!” she sighs “But I can’t blame a poor unaware girl, or her two low braincelled parents. I feel bad for your mom to…I hope they managed to sort it out.”

 

“Believe me...Same here…” he sighs “Sucks that Euphoria just hated me around the time I decided to go back in time...they all did...blamed me for my dad's conditions...me leaving probably only increased that spite...so that's good...my half sister who doesn't even know it most likely hates me endlessly.”

 

“Oh...I doubt that!...she probably misses you with all her heart!”

 

“...if she still exists…”

 

“Can you repeat that??”

 

“The accident that led to Euphoria’s existence might not happen anymore with dad being an apparent super being…”

 

“Oh my goodness...that's a terrible thing to have on your mind...but I'm sure she does! If you believe in that then I know she'll still be around!...Do you want her as a sister?...”

 

“I…” he rubs his hands together “I do...this is a hard and touchy for me...the whole thing down to its core...well...it messes with the foundation of my parent’s marriage…” Sweety remembers the rings they both had on and feels his uneasiness “I love Parappa and Katy with all my heart like any child would love their good parents. So naturally I should hate anything that intervenes with that.” he places his helmet back on “But this is hard...because this is different...Euphoria is kinda like Lacey...she was slightly nicer than the rest...thanks to Auntie Rammy...before things got bad. Even then she wasn't AS bad as the other girls...and Rammy herself...I loved her, she was like a second mom rather than an aunt. And from the start, I always treated Euphoria like a sister...she was the exception...then I find out she IS my sister...little kid me...I was so happy because...I didn't understand the full view of the situation. All that went through my head was…’YAY! I HAVE A REAL SISTER!’...and it never clicked until I started getting older and started understanding more. In the end, I decided I wouldn't change anything. She was my sister, my irreplaceable family. So I keep it a secret. Only Grandma Noella and Auntie Lammy know about this...and...well...you as well, obviously.”

 

“It must've been a tough answer to come to.”

 

“Drastically so.” he forces out a chortle “Now that I know who Nana really is...It now makes sense as to why Nana didn't like Rammy for a good while once I told her that…”

 

“I can assume.”

 

“Hahaaaaa…” he curls backwards dramatically, then slingshots his posture back upright “So why ya visiting me anyway? I don't think it was to force personal knowledge out of me…I hope”

 

“Ah yes! Want to come with me and PJ to learn more about your mom and dad? Power wise?”

 

“...hm...I'd love to! I hear that their powers could be problematic, so to know more about them should teach me how to go about it in keeping them safe!”

 

“Great! Let's go tell PJ!” they run back to the entrance and find PJ face first on the floor with Kitty sitting on his dropped body. Sunny is consoling the heavily upset Rayn, her mood was clearly very negative as a mini rain cloud spawned above her head. Sweety facepalms and talks through her hand “What did he do…”

 

(M MPH MFFMMHH!) “I DID NOTHING!” PJ muffled out, unable to peel his face away from the floor.

 

“Kitty…” Sweety ask the cat pinning him down.

 

“Let's just say...it might be best that he stays far away from her as possible until she completes her desired metamorphosis…”

 

“Ugh...get off him...I'll take it from here…”

 

“Y’okay.” Kitty hops off of him and immediately the bear gets up.

 

“Thanks for the assist Sweety-” as he's dusting himself off, Sweety’s fist connects with his face heavily. As it does, a squeaky noise is heard from his body. A second after, the impact sends him flying. He's sent out the front doors and into the parking lot. Sunny and Rayn drop their jaws after seeing that, but Kitty and Leo only smirk.

 

“Honestly you let him off too easy. He clearly didn’t feel that given his soft body. He didn't feel the can of hurt I unleashed on him and I was MUCH worse!”

 

“Uncle can be quite the moron.”

 

“It's a tough life being moronsexual! I can't bring myself to hurt him! But he still needed to learn his lesson so I gave him a little tap!”

 

“A LITTLE TAP??” the flower’s shout.

 

“I'm from the future, this is the most that I've seen from what she can bring herself to do to someone and it's still really gentle!”

 

“Plus you have to take into account her size and the fact that she's A FREAKING BEAR!”

 

“Oh no kitty, it's because Uncle PJ’s still technically a toy.”

 

“Really? He flew pretty far.”

 

“I'm certain! Here lemme show you! Auntie hit me!”

 

“B-But you didn't do anything…”

 

“As a demonstration!”

 

“...ok…” she performs the same action on Leo's face. He stays standing and isn't sent flying. Sweety pulls back her arm and Leo is left with and smile on his face.

 

“See?”

 

“Most certainly…”

 

“Great! Now I'm off to…” the moment he takes a step, he drops to the ground “Hahaaaa…lasted longer than I thought I would…~” Sweety helps Leo up to his feet “My word! I never thought I'd take that hit as well as I did!” Sweety and the flowers facepalm as Kitty laughs.

 

“Oh man am I sure _seeing_ alot!”

 

* * *

 

“Great to see the four of you tag with us! But couldn't Poppy or Rayn come to?”

 

“Sorry dad, but thanks to Uncle PJ here...they had to stay behind.”

 

“Ah...I see.”

 

“Hey! It's not my fault! Not even a little!”

 

“You know I don’t believe you, not even a little.” Parappa rolls his eyes.

 

“Rayn’s gonna be fine, she just needs a teacher that isn’t PJ!” Kitty snickers after she says that. Rammy and her walk alongside Parappa as Leo and Sweety fill in the newly arriving Matt and Paula in on the situation they all missed. Within moments they are all at Parappa’s old home.

 

Parappa wastes no time in opening the door and running on in “Hey daaaaad!”

 

The elder dog is startled almost instantly. He calms down once he processes who the voice belonged to “What is it my boy?...”

 

“Mind if I request another story time?...”

 

“Eh?” He turns around to spot the mini group with Parappa “Well this is an odd combination...MilkCan isn’t here but instead my grandson and Katy’s doppelganger-no-longer Miss Kitty are! What...story time would that be?...”

 

“I wanna know about the full on capabilities that I’m capable of doing! Both me and Katy as these...so called ‘prodigies’ we’re apparently dubbed as!” Steam ejects from his ears and from under his tiny hat as he hears his son ask him that. His eyes gaze to Parappa’s friend group, but they all point to Rammy who immediately gets upset at being outed.

 

“Oye...nothing is sacred is it?...”

 

“I know exactly how you feel grandpa…”

 

“Oh come on! Just tell me! If i’m aware of it, then maybe I can train my body up to NOT do any of that!”

 

“I ain’t talkin.”

 

“DAD!...”

 

“Nope.”

 

“COME ON!”

 

“I’ll talk about any other subject than this.”

 

“DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!”

 

“Did you lot hear that we’re gonna be having a celestial marvel soon? A full seven days of full moons is coming up soon! And the second to last day of it is halloween! Ain’t that quaint?~”

 

 **“DAD!”** Electricity crackles off of Parappa as it zaps wildly around him, nearly blowing his friends back were it not for Papa Rappa stopping the lightning and dispersing it “O-Oops...s-sorry…temper made me lose it for a sec…”

 

“This is one of the main reasons as to why I am not talking.” he removes his hat and rubs his head “Your emotions and Katy’s emotions are the most drastic drawbacks to have with the unbelievable abilities that you two possess…”

 

“Well I could probably work with it, IF you told me...US...what we gotta avoid!...”

 

“Why on earth would I ever do that?? There’s NOTHING to avoid! It’s all a matter of your ability to manage!”

 

“Because think of the things I could do!”

 

“Parappa you may be an adult now, but I am still your father and I know when and what is beneficial for y-”

 

“Dad...I'm gonna be ending up in a bunch of hellish situations going on from this point forwards...I'll be facing a terrible man who I'm sure you're well aware of! His destructive call to action...it could happen at any given moment...and I wanna be ready for it…”

 

“...” He turns away from them all and holds his arms in a thinking pose “Oh I know...I very well know it all...and that's what leaves me at such unease…” he laughs miserably “But honestly...I should've expected nothing less...from my son. You have your mother's bravery, my ingenuity...and our combined idiocy...as well as our combined compassion!” He rubs his chin “Is this my karma for what I said all that time ago?...” he shuts his eyes and an old vivid memory enters his head. He sees himself in his halcyon days along with his old friend group. Before them all stands a male calico cat. There is static like white noise heard throughout the memory that prevents much from being heard. This was due to it being a memory long since repressed. It reaches a point where he’s able to hear people speaking, but only himself and Europa along with the calico.

 

_“It’s so fun, seeing how stupid you all look...struggling when it’s quite obvious you have no chance of victory. Not anymore atleast.”_

 

_“Don’t get an oversized head Rob!...You’re still the on the losing side! Just because you awoken your abilities does not give you an edge! You’re still linked to water, while me and Europa still have the advantage with our affinity!”_

 

_“YEAH! So go take a hike! It’s OVER!...We won’t hesitate to beat you down further!”_

 

_“...Is that what you really think?...My word...and you say I’M getting the oversized head...then by all means. TRY AND HURT ME~”_

 

The memory turns into tv static for a second before resuming, they’re all down on their faces with Robert sitting on the stacked unconscious bodies of everyone except for Papillon, Europa and Noella.

 

_“Hehe...believe my words now?...~”_

 

_“N-No way…”_

 

_“H-How…”_

 

_“How?~ You imbeciles. You absolute fools. Don’t you know what I am? My ENTIRE lineage was bred to be Siren killers! Our bodies, once our abilities finally awoke, could resist ANYTHING. No element or force of reckoning could harm us lest for physical combat, and even then it was a coin flip unless you catch us off guard! Siren’s had the ability to possess anyone or could potentially be diverse themselves! We had to make sure we were resistant to anything to make sure we could fulfill our role~ And fulfill it with the greatest of ease thanks to the strength of what we could do! My foolish mother perished because she ‘cared’ for the safety of the blasted idiot Tupper. And in the end that ‘emotion’ got them both killed~ Just like how it will get all of you killed~...Unless that is…~”_

 

_“FORGET IT!”_

 

_“W-WE’D RATHER DIE THAN HAND NOELLA OVER TO YOU!...”_

 

Both he and Europa get up and shout together.

 

 _“WE WILL PROTECT THE INNOCENT!...FROM BOTY...FROM PEOPLE LIKE PANZER...FROM OTHER EVIL PEOPLE LIKE YOU! WE WILL DO ALL WE CAN! FORCE OUR BODIES TO PERSEVERE AND USE WHAT WE CAN TO THE FULLEST! EVEN IF THE RESULTS WILL KILL US...WE_ **_WILL_ ** _DEFEAT YOU ROBERT!”_

 

_“...Pshh...you’re funeral~...How quaint. Freshly engaged and already on death’s row before your wedding day! But you know what they say...those who whine together...die together~ Let’s see ‘effective’ your protection is!”_

 

 _“SAY ALL YOU WANT! WE’LL STILL TRY OUR HEARTS OUT TO BRING YOU_ **_DOWN_ ** _!”_

 

The memory ends with the two dogs diving towards the cat, and just like that, it becomes pure static. The result was foggy, but the answer seemed somewhat obvious. Noella ended up being wed to Robert. As Papa Rappa looks back to his son, they all look back in confusion “Alright...i’ll tell you everything…but first...I’m going to need help explaining.” He pulls out a radically bizarre looking phone. He presses a singular button and waits for someone to pick up. Someone does, and he immediately speaks up “Hello...I’m...gonna need help explaining some things to Parappa...yeah...it’s about his things and Katy’s...they know...yes...they told them...h-hello?...” he stares at his phone which just stays silent. In a minute after that action, the door to his house flies across the room. Where it stood now stands an exhausted but upset Noella. Her eyes were flaming like Katy’s do when extremely angry.

 

**“WHO TOLD THEM?!”**

 

“N-Noella did you run here??...and in under a minute?? YOUR STORE IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN!...”

 

**“WHO. TOLD. THEM!!”**

 

“Oh dear you’re beyond angry…”

 

The angry Noella turns her gaze to the younger group **“ANSWER ME!”** Everyone except for Leo instinctually points to Rammy out of fear. The angry cat spits out fire **“OF** **_COURSE_ ** **IT WAS YOU!”** she gets much more angrier.

 

Sweety swallows abruptly after hearing her say that. _Oh dear...looks like she might still not be happy with Rammy…_

 

Not a moment after the angry cat steamrolls to the black sheep. Everyone darts away from her, but Leo instead shoves Rammy away “NANA NO-” He’s taken down almost immediately. He grips onto her arms so that she can’t get off and resume her assault on the terrified sheep “C-COULD USE A HAND IN KEEPIN HER RESTRAINT!...”

 

“We ain’t touching that!...” Kitty and the rest of Parappa’s friends lift their hands and back away.

 

“N-Noella! Please calm down!...I-It’s all gonna be fine!...” Papa Rappa tries to pacify her along with Parappa and Leo.

 

* * *

 

At Port Barracuda, an elder axolotl descends from the skies and barges in upon the two she left in charge.

 

“Ah mother, you’ve returne-”

 

“Please, you need not welcome me back. Just inform me on how things were while I was gone.”

 

“Simple and uneventful. The others tended to themselves and didn’t really ask us of much.”

 

“Simple fools can entertain themselves, what of my precious beast?...”

 

“About that...we couldn’t find her.”

 

“What?...”

 

“She wouldn’t come to us when we called, and we searched along the seafloor with no luck. We assumed she ran off after being antagonized by another passing ship...we scanned the nearby areas, but no luck. We have no idea where she ended up.”

 

“Impossible…” She blasts out the door and dives underwater.

 

“Think she bought that?...”

 

“Not at all...now we just hope and pray…”

 

“Are you scared Aqua?...”

 

“Terrified...but I can only keep the attention on us...and just wish that things go smoothly…”

 

The angered Spectora scans the ocean floor, looking for her monster. Turning the entirety of the sea over until she uncovers the dead beast body far off into the distant ocean “WHO DARED TO SLAY MY PRECIOUS MONSTER?!” the water stirs about violently from her anger. From all the cycling, a leftover diver suit piece that was broken off of Parappa smacks into her head “Gragh...what is this?...” She scans the item and foams at the mouth “Only they would have access to my old study...and even then that truth is about as valid as mud!...it wasn’t them who did this, but they assisted who did…now who was it…” She zaps the piece with her magic and suddenly all the other pieces fly back and connect to the part before her. Before long it ends up back in Parappa’s exact figure “...A dog?...what miserable little fiend dare mess with me...strange...the scent of this suit is similar to the blasted cat that cost me the vision in my left eye...why…” She floats back up to the surface with the suit. There she activates a minor communication spell to which Spectora is answered by Yismun.

 

“Deary me...what’s with all the constant obstructions...Boss man is busy I’ll have you kn-...Ah Spectora...I didn’t expect to hear from you immediately upon finishing your errand...care to indulge me as to what happened?”

 

“Do you happen to have a database on someone...who looks like this?” She hovers the suit in front, and Yismun rears back “So you are aware. Tell me at once.”

 

Yismun ponders his options then smiles “Very well, but you are to not inform Bohemian. Not yet, it would make him most...sour.”

 

“I do not wish to cause that...very well.”

 

“Good! He is a rising star called Parappa Rappa. Said star name being Parappa the Rapper. He hails from the place that shares its name with him. PaRappa Town...which I do believe is near your place is it not?”

 

“Hm...yes. It’s quite a ways by foot, but by flight or vehicle it is not that long a trek.” she sneers “I have just the way to handle this~...as well as...catching some traitors…”

 

“Ooooh this is why you’re Boss man’s favorite! Always thinking ahead and having JUST the right thing to do~”

 

“I try darling~”

 

“And then some! Now, with that said. How did your objective go?”

 

“I found the lunatic dead in his office, but as I inspected the corpse, another him arrived again right in front of me alive in well. It would seem his time manipulating device was a success, and as such I have recruited him to our lovely Tycoon’s cause~ He’s awaiting his instructions now.”

 

“LOVELY!~ I’LL BE SURE TO CONTACT HIM PRONTO!...And...what of Artio?...”

 

“His establishment was destroyed entirely. Except for the secret laboratory of his. I decided to pop in and found he had downloaded his brain into the mother computer. He is alive...if you so wish to call him that.”

 

“Is that so?...Perfect…~” he laughs maniacally “Things are starting to fall into place~...I’ll instruct boss man so that he can contact Robert and seek out Artio. Now we’re just waiting to see if the bumbling oaf Joe can find Whirlin and we’re about set! Now go do your thing, I must contact our new time traveler~ There is something he must immediately do~”

 

“Very well. Thank you for your assistance.” She cuts the communication “Well...my own daughter and her idiot husband dare defy me eh?...Well if they want to play around with me...Let’s play around with them~...” Spectora flies over to where there other two are as she pretends to be a sobbing mess. Once she arrives, her daughter questions what happened.

 

“Mother? You’re crying?? That’s unbefitting of Master Bohemian’s most beloved ally is it not?”

 

“No...it’s just...it’s just I found what happened to m-my...to K-Kayla…” She continues her crocodile tears “S-She’s dead...and it’s my fault…”

 

Both Aqua and Sirius stare at each other before Aqua continues “What do you mean mother?”

 

“Seeing that dead corpse made me realize...Kayla had to be killed in the process...and just...that thought...it shattered me...the poor child I swore to protect...is now dead...what have I done...what have I BEEN doing…”

 

Aqua’s eyes widened, had her mother snapped free of her mind control? She took a shot “Mother...do you regret what you did?...”

 

“OF COURSE I DO!...The girl who I treated as a daughter with you and Ambrosia...she’s dead...goodness...they’re all dead and it’s thanks to me...I let some man take control of my actions that now...it’s all gone…” she internally laughs at the act that’s lowering their defenses “Apparently some dog killed her, trying to save some passing boats…”

 

“Mother! Kayla isn’t dead! She’s been liberated by that dog you bring up! He helped us save her!”

 

“Yes Miss! She’s very much alive!”

 

“S-She is?...” the both give a stern nod “T-That’s wonderful!...W-Where is she then??...”

 

“We...kinda sent her off in fear of what you’d do…”

 

“...That was smart...keep her hidden. I don’t want her to return to this life…” _She already proved to be a failure of a monster if she got bested so easily… the one who defeated her though...hehe…_ “But I must tell the dog who saved her my thanks!...Oh…”

 

“We can tell you where he is Miss…”

 

“No no! If I go to him, he’ll get the wrong idea!” _I can’t enact my plan with witnesses after all!~_ “Can you tell me his address?...I want to send him a letter, stating my most heartfelt thanks…maybe to come here so I can thank him personally...oh but I need you two around so he doesn’t get the wrong idea!”

 

“We can do that Miss.”

 

“Smart idea Mother! Get to writing your letter, we’ll handle it’s mailing!”

 

“Oh that’s much appreciated my wonderful daughter! You as well my lovely in law!” _You traitors are going to rue this day for your actions against me and Tycoon…_ “I must get to writing!” She walks off, once her back is turned, her mouth curls into the most twisted of smiles.

 

* * *

 

Niles is seen stocking things with Lammy and Katy helping about as well. He grabs his head immediately as he’s in the middle of organizing.

 

“Yo Boss...you good?...”

 

“Ugnh...excuse me a sec...I believe I heard something…” He enters the back room and shuts the door tightly behind him. He holds out his hand and spawns a small white orb that shows him all that Spectora and Bohemain are doing “Oh you’ve got to be...which do I deal with first?...the ruined mansion, it shows to be the biggest hindrance if I let that advance any further…” He despawns the white ball and heads back out “Something’s come up girls, and it’s something I need to address to personally.”

 

“Weh? Fine then...we’ll hold the fort down while you’re-”

 

“No. You both are dismissed for the day.”

 

“W-What! B-But Niles-” Lammy tries to see if there’s a catch.

 

“You will still be paid for the day, don’t worry. Go on and do whatever, I’ll handle things here on my own once I finish what I need to.” The girls stare at their boss “If you don’t want to get paid and stay here by yourselves in the boring silence. Be my guest.” Their legs rev up and they rush out the store “That’s more like it...my mistakes are catching up to me far faster than I’d like...Jema my long gone sister...give me strength…I wonder how well I can be on my own...some gemini angels we turned out to be…” he sighs as he teleports away.

 

* * *

 

“Are you good now Noella?...”

 

“Yes yes...I’m fine.” She glares at Rammy before scoffing and looking away “I’m just peachy…” Leo lets her go and the two dogs help her up.

 

Rammy sweats from afar as she gets upset at the whole ordeal “The hell did I do that got her so pissed at me! I mean I know I told Katy and Paraps about the shit they can do, but I doubt it warrants THAT much aggression towards me!...What other reason could she have for the spite??” Everyone but Sweety perform their own action to symbolize ‘I dunno’, while Sweety speaks up instead.

 

“E-Ehehe...beats me!” _Totally not the fact that you kiiiiiinda messed with her daughters future marriage on accident...and had an illegitimate child with her husband to be in the process...No, most definitely not…_ “I haven’t t-the foggiest!...”

 

“I need to clear my name!...”

 

 _Ohohooo...good luck with that…_ “Uh...yeah...good luck…”

 

As Noella is helped up she just sighs in anguish before speaking to Papa Rappa “Alright...what is it that you need of me.”

 

“Well, I’m going to be covering the book I found back then that informed us of our group as a whole. As well as what we learned separately about the potential of our children to be once we both became soon to be parents. Clearly if we’re going to be discussing Katy, you’re gonna need to help with that. Not like I could ask you know who!”

 

“That is very much correct...fine then.” She turns to Parappa and his group “So then, I tell you the info and you’ll relay it to Katy?” They all nod “Goo-”

 

“Or I can just hear it for myself.” Katy says as she and Lammy stare at the busted doorway.

 

“Katy! Lammy! You guys made it after all!” Parappa happily wags his tail.

 

“Yeah...Niles was uncharacteristically panicked all of a sudden...so he asked us to beat it for today…” She looks to see where the door ended up “What the heck happened here?...” Just like how everyone pointed to Rammy, they now point to Noella “Ah the figures…”

 

“Erm...I will admit that this looks rather bad...b-but I had my fair reasons!”

 

“She tried popping my head off for her reason!...” Rammy brings up as she wildly shakes her hands about, getting Katy to gasp.

 

“Ok yes...without context THAT would seem...bad…b-but I can assure you it IS well deserved!...Well...just know that now I’ve decided to stop permanently!...s-so no more of that!...A-Ahem...” As the older cat tries to clear her name, Sweety leans over to the flustered Katy.

 

“Just...take your mother’s word for it…”

 

“Whyyyy?...”

 

“Just...trust me...she...does have a reason…” Katy scoffs but is then elbowed by Lammy who nods her head in Leo’s direction. She groans before nodding.

 

“Sorry Rammy...I gotta take my mother’s word for this…”

 

“Aw come on!...” She slumps her body before accepting defeat “Whatever...atleast that crazy mama’s finally calling it quits on trying to gank me…”

 

“Y-Yes...I will no longer attempt that…” _Even though you greatly deserve it...although the present you has yet to do that...so I wonder if I really was in the wrong...my emotions are just as fickle as my daughter’s…_ “Well then...Papillon we really shouldn’t keep them waiting. Let us start explaining.”

 

“Right away!”

 

Everyone gets properly seated and awaits further foresight from the two older adults. Said adults contemplate the position they’ve been put in before just accepting it and beginning.

 

“Alrighty...well since I found the old thing in the first place, I’ll start I suppose.” Papa Rappa taps his cheek “Well I don’t have the book on me to show you all...it’s lost in my study, you know the one. The one where you need to use the long slide to get to?” They all nod “Yeah it’s down there, so let me inform you on the knowledge I made sure to keep memorized. Of the thousand of tidbits needed to be memorized that is.” He mumbles “Anyway, so as I told you lot with the hopes that you wouldn’t tell them, the groups you both originated from were once one group as a whole. The name escapes me, but it was a union between people who were known as ‘Keepers of the world’. They were basically the people of the sky and the sea, the were what carried the development of those on the land seeing as they were under their judgement thanks to being in between the two. They were wonderous minds that could seemingly do anything. They were tasked with resetting the world if ever it was deemed to.be to toxic and needed a fresh start. And with their marvelous abilities, it made sense why they were tasked with that judgement.”

 

Parappa and Katy blink in astonishment “Is...that what we tried to do?...”

 

“Correct. You both tried to recreate their signature super storm to try and purge what you deemed toxic. Well...Atleast Parappa did...you Katy...had the instinctual Siren necessity of wanting to create it just because…” Noella coughs lightly.

 

“...” Katy looks down on herself “Am...I a monster?...” she holds herself “I'm...the new Siren right?...and...they've had a history of always turning out bad...r-right?...” her claws dig into her shoulders “Am I...am I gonna be the same?...just a monster bent on flooding the world over?...” her voice starts breaking as she begins crying on the spot. Papillon and Noella notice the kitchen sink and the dishwasher begin to vibrate heavily, shocking them because Katy only had her vocal ability under somewhat control. For her to actually have water control on the spot was shocking.

 

“Of course not!” Parappa grabs both her hands “I've been around you nearly my whole life, it would've been the whole thing had our parents been on better terms to be around each other more, and you've not once showed signs of ever being a bad person, let alone a monster. The time before doesn't count because that wasn't you, that was your sadness. I've grown up with you and saw one hell of an amazing person! You're no monster, just a strong wonderful gal with many likes and hobbies that have led her to be one rising band leader that the world will one day all love and know by heart! I know I do, I always have. You may be a full on siren, but you're the first to be a great one. One the world will love and idolize for generations to come, I know it!...cuz I do~...” she can only stare at him, caught off guard from her moment of vulnerability, but at the same time it being something she'd be used to seeing. Yet she wasn't, this was the first true time he was so open with what he said, especially the last part. Her tears started floating upwards instead as they started grouping up. Her face was gaining a slight heat as she started calming down. A small pink energy heart poked out from Sweety’s chest as she held her hands together happily. Everyone was happy with Parappa’s intervention. The two adults more so, as with Sweety, they were aware of their future. The sight eased the two up as they smiled happily. Leo can't help but fall in love with the sight before him. He gets his own energy heart that was both yellow and blue. Unknowingly, he hides it under his hands without even realizing it’s even there as he begins conjuring small sparks and droplets of water against his awareness. Everyone else’s as well seeing as they were to enamoured with the sight before them.

 

Katy mumbles before speaking “I-I…” she tries to look to the ground, but is unable to look away from him “I...d-don’t know how to respond…”

 

Parappa smiles as he lifts an eyebrow “Really?~ Something tells me ya do~”

 

“Uwah-?” Parappa lifts a finger and points upwards. She looks up and spots that her tears had formed together to form the phrase ‘Thank You!!!’ The dots under the exclamation points were hearts instead “I-I guess I do...h-hahaha…~”

 

“Tail also~”

 

“Ta-” she looks to see her tail curled into a heart once more “Uwaahhh!...” she struggles to straighten out her tail, but it refuses “S-Stop you stupid t-tai-”

 

“Hey, it’s cool.” He stops her flustered battle against her tail “Shows that you believe what I said, and that makes me happy. See? You aren’t a monster, and you’ll never be one.”

 

“Correct. Katherine you are no monster. What happened was merely...hm...I don’t know how to word it…”

 

“I mean instinct is kind of the correct term, but it’s more or less a subconscious thought that abides in each passing Siren. A mentality if you will, one that they don’t understand.”

 

“What do you mean by that dad?”

 

“Well my boy, what I mean is...in the deepest parts of their psyche...it’s what drives them to seek out an electric counterpart to create the storm...atleast that’s what they believe in themselves. What I’ve noticed from every source of it that I could get my hands on...is that it’s not the storm that they so wish to seek out...it’s merely the companionship that they once had with their ex union brethren that they so wish to regain. From every text I found where it was described either by self or by witness I could see that it was just an urge to unify once more that was horribly looked over and thought to be a simple urge to destroy when that simply wasn’t the case.”

 

Parappa thinks to himself back when Katy first went under autopilot.

 

_“You are...what I need…”_

 

“I believe it, given what Katy said to me while she was out of it.”

 

“I said something?...”

 

“Yeah, you said ‘You are what I need!’”

 

“I said something as embarrassing as that?!?!”

 

“Well I didn’t find it embarrassing, more ominous without context really. However now WITH context it now makes a heck of a lot more sense! But it’s weird...me and Katy are already friends! The best even!” The energy hearts on Sweety and Leo shatter from Parappa’s blunt ignorance “It doesn’t really make much sense.”

 

“Ugh...you got us son…” Both adults sigh, also upset by his ignorance.

 

“Ok i’m missing something obvious cuz i can sense the tension that four people think i’m an idiot… Well it’d help if you explaaaaa-” he catches on “Ah...wow...I have such a problem picking stuff like this up…” Leo, Sweety, Papa Rappa and Noella sigh as Katy sinks in her seat, as red as she can possibly get while also emitting smoke from how heated she was “Eheh...c-carry on!...Please! Get us out of this odd spot!...”

 

“Don’t gotta tell me twice my boy…” He rubs his hands together “Alright what else was there? Well, the unification of traits that were given to you both. Katy’s has already been stated numerous times, but Parappa you’re technically a walking...erm…”

 

“Battery?...” Parappa answers.

 

“Generator?” PJ answers.

 

“Lightning rod?” Paula answers.

 

“All wrong technically. With his combination...he’s potentially erm...a walking nuclear explosion if he’s incapable of managing what he’s got. If he can, then yes, he’s a walking one man energy source. Capable of building an entire civilization with his untapped wit along with his magnesis and tech control. While also keeping it powered up always without putting much effort into it.”

 

“Like what you and the late Mrs. Rappa did when you were kids?” Matt asks.

 

“A great comparison. Yes actually! And at the same time no because Parappa could easily outdo us. That's how efficient he can be!”

 

“I can??” Parappa asks.

 

“He can??” PJ also asks, upsetting the dog.

 

“You could've said that without the condescending tone PJ!...”

 

“I would have if you had the evidence to prove me wrong.”

 

“Gah...you're lucky that's a fair enough point…”

 

“Ahem...yes...my son's brash actions and lack of thought processing aside… He can be quite the guy, but that's pretty much nothing new for you all to hear!”

 

“That's true.” hearing PJ admit to that gets Parappa to stand proudly.

 

“The range of what you can do depends on your physique and mental capacity.”

 

“...what?”

 

“...” The dog's father sighs “You can do more if your body is in a well enough shape. The better your mind, the strong your focus. Effects how well your magnetism is as well as conducting electricity. The more healthy your body is results in more effect usage of your skills as well as making yourself more mobile and finally be able to access the half you inherited from your mother, for it seems you can only use what you got from me...and rather limited I might add.”

 

“Well that makes obvious sense. Course that's proving tricky to manage...what with the accident and my constant run ins with pain…”

 

“I'm aware, we all are. It's not a necessity in order for you to use everything you got to the fullest, but it would sure help make it easier to do slightly.”

 

“That's reassuring!...kinda…so what's the lengths of what I can do?”

 

“Well as I said, summon electricity from your body or the sky, thanks to moi. Or enhance your body with supercharged energy to give yourself as electric edge in things. Such and being able to perform all nighters. Or go all day without the need of eating or sleeping or what not to maintain an effective workout or building spree, thanks to your mother, which I do no recommend... Speaking of your mother, you can potentially adapt to how you supercharge your body. You see, while we were growing up, your mother studied Matt’s old man and managed to...adapt and integrate how he used his abilities into her own powers in a fun and special way. I wonder if you can as well if you study Matt once he awakens.”

 

“Really?” Both young adult dogs say together.

 

“Yes! As you saw with Tommy back when he helped us not die from Katy’s unconscious reckoning, he was like a blur yes?”

 

“Yeeeeees?”

 

“Europa learned to do that to. You see. With Tom’s abilities, she can mimic nearly all of them. The problem being is that unlike Tommy who can do everything he can consecutively at the same time, Europa could only do one at a time. You wanna jump higher? Gotta focus on that, Run faster? Switch focus to that. Evade more effortlessly? Now that takes up the focus. Get it?”

 

“Wow…so kinda like…”

 

“A mini version of what I can potentially do right Mr. Rappa?”

 

“Exactly Matt, Parappa can potentially ‘copy’ you as well thanks to the slight similarity in activation. Just note that you’ll be able to do things he won’t be able to copy because there are limits!” his eyes widen “Oh! I forgot! This by no means is me telling you to try and be better than her and try and perform multiple ‘mimic’ actions at once! That’s bad! See if you do to many, you’ll overheat and your electricity will instead exhaust your body. If you try to do even more, you’ll flat out run dry and you will be left in a very, VERY, bad position. I say from experience of us just barely saving her after she got taunted into overexerting herself…”

 

“Yikes...um...thanks for the warning pops!...Fate knows I would’ve done that given the chance...not anymore now! Phew!”

 

“Riiiight…” He thinks to himself “I’m still trying to find out how to word this better...Noella how about you start with Katy now then?”

 

“Very well.” She clears her throat “Now with my abilities you took, there’s more to it than just ‘Yell and make things go boom’ or ‘Hypnotize people and then boss them around’. Yes such things as...hm..ah yes! Rather than make noise, you can take it away!”

 

“...I’m sorry...mom did you say...take it away??”

 

“Yes I did!”

 

“I’ll believe THAT when I-” Noella holds a finger up to her lips and simply blows out lightly, uttering the ‘shhhh’ noise in a gentle fashion. A white wind strikes Katy, and she is left unable to make noise. “...? !!! …!!!!!!!” Katy flails her arms about as she yells out nothing but silence. Noella now performs a blowing kiss motion as a heart shaped gust of white wind strikes Katy “-ESPEAKLEMMESPEAKLEMME-...thank you...Alright...boy will THAT come in handy…~” Ma-san, Paula and PJ all make an audible gulp after hearing her say that “What else?...”

 

“Well you can also disable the sound someone can hear rather than make.”

 

“So blow out their hearing?”

 

“Yes, but without the actual sound to make it obvious you’re doing so! More of a surprise attack, like so!” She holds out her hand and performs another blowing motion. A long and thin stream of air flies through one ear of Parappa and then leaves out the other. Parappa quickly scratches his ears, once he stops he looks around to see his friends mouthing out silence. The motion of their mouths were clearly saying ‘What’s wrong.’, but nothing came out. Parappa also started feeling dizzy, his balance was failing him as his legs started turning to jelly. Noella quickly performs the kiss motion again and Parappa can hear once more. The strength returns to his body as he catches himself before he falls.

 

“W-Whoa...was that it Mrs.?...”

 

“Yes! It’s a really potent effect. You didn’t even notice me attempting to get your attention.”

 

“Well If I can’t hear...I can’t really give awareness…”

 

“Precisely.”

 

“Oh man...but why was I feeling dizzy?...”

 

“The ear can be quite a limiting thing on a person! Damage it and you damage their balance as well! They become so dizzy that it’s impossible to do much! They’re basically helpless at what I decide to do next...or in this case, what Katy would decide to do next.”

 

“Wow...it’s really technical…and here I thought it was just yell and watch stuff happen…”

 

“At first glance yes. But that’s why you experiment! You might find more things to be able to do that I never thought of attempting!”

 

“I see...erm...what did I inherit from my dad…?”

 

“Ooooh…” She looks away from her daughter “Well...as I compose myself to say all that...Papillon, are you able to resume your half of the explanation?...”

 

“Yes! Now, same rules apply with you Parappa! As you’ve figured out, your magnesis allows you to hover. However! You can still float even if you’re nowhere near a surface to rebound off of!”

 

“Oh? How! Full on flight would be really nice!”

 

“Basically fill your body with enough electricity to a point that your brain thinks you’re an actual lightning bolt you’re trying to launch. And in order to launch it, it has to stay airborne. Meaning YOU stay airborne!”

 

“How do I do that without frying my body??”

 

“Lotsa practice my boy!”

 

“Aw drat...what else can I do?”

 

“Well with practice and lotsa focus...this!” He stands by a wall. His body vibrates as he starts appearing blurry to them. He fazes through the wall and vanishes. He then pokes his head from the entrance to the kitchen “Hi!~”

 

The young adults stare awestruck “Dad how’d you do that?!”

 

“Simple! I merely caused my cells to separate from one another, allowing me to just walk right through solid matter! By increasing their speed and charge I can split off each molecule of my being to allow me to perform things such as that! So say if I’m caged with no way of being rescued, I can just walk my way out! Provided the thing I’m trying to go through isn’t TOO dense and/or thick!” He snaps his fingers “And while I’m on that topic of cells! I can also overcharge them all to be able to do stuff like this!” He talks a few steps forward. As he walks, behind him appears images of himself taking each individual step in a sort of neon color. A psychedelic type vision near equal to that of old music videos “This one’s special. I call it the flash illusion!” All the Papa Rappa’s speak up as they’re still connected “It’s a type of feint. Where I can fool people into thinking i’m going somewhere.” The walking Papa Rappa’s fade away and only the one who was by the wall remains “When in reality, I never moved at all! Or vice versa!” the one by the wall disappears and the Papa Rappa that was walking away reappears as he stands in between all the young adults, spooking them fiercely “By making them believe I’m staying stagnant when actually, I clearly did move a while ago~ Or in a different direction!” He chuckles “There’s more to it, but that’s from your mother’s half, such as the flash after image and the flash step.”

 

“Those being?..”

 

“Well the flash step is quite literally...a teleport maneuver! Lightning flashes along the sky and POOF you’re gone! Only to reappear somewhere else entirely! You cause lightning to strike along the sky with which you use to transport your body elsewhere to a point you desire during the glimmer! Your mother LOVED abusing that...hehe...hoo doggy was she a rapscallion…”

 

“...Uh…”

 

“Let’s just say...during her youthful days...privacy didn’t exist for us with her around…”

 

“Oh my…” Parappa blushes at the thought of picturing her mother in such a devious fashion. Part of him wants to believe his father is lying to him, but then remembers when he tapped into Sirius’s subconscious. There he saw Leo do that exact move. Lightning flashed along the sky and out of everyone's awareness, he was immediately in between past Sirius and Aqua before crippling them “Yeah...I think I can believe that.”

 

“Good! Because I was not gonna feel comfortable showing you lot evidence! Showing an invasion of privacy is an invasion of privacy in and of itself! Now...the flash after image is like my flash illusion, only the images are very much real! Like a temporary clone that disappears if you lose focus, get knocked out or they get hit once. The clones themselves are made of electricity. But will act as if they were you! And boy was that ANOTHER thing she took full advantage of…”

 

“I never pictured Mrs. Rappa to be the trickster type...growing up with you guys...she was SUPER serious and orderly...never pegged her as the one to oppose that.”

 

“Well...she grew up. I mean she was still playful obviously! But I can only assume that she didn’t want to give bad examples to her kids who would inevitably do the same. Think of the complaints!”

 

“Ooooh...right…” Katy imagines the consequences.

 

“Man it's no wonder you called Paraps a destructive prodigy! Just look at all the shit can d-”

 

“Potentially do.”

 

“Just look at all the shit he can ‘potentially’ do!”

 

“Better, and yes. And that's only the tip of the iceberg. Like with Noella telling Katy, you can enhance yourself further and do things we never thought of! And one last thing I should tell you before passing it back to Noella...your magnesis can be use to do something as amazing...as this…” he walks out the open hole that used to be his front door. He stands out in the empty open road and suddenly metal objects fly at him. And not just metal as other stray objects lunge at the elder dog. He is buried under all that forced rubble as everyone except for Noella panics. The junk converges in on itself and soon explodes. From the clearing smokes emerges a giant robot. The head opens up and reveals Papa Rappa’s head, completely contrasting with the style of the machine “Haha! I can still do it with ease!”

 

“H-He seems abit to happy with this...” Lammy says, slightly afraid.

 

“Given the kind of goofy dad he is? It only makes sense for him to be happy.” Parappa brings up, unfazed by the robot mech suit. The suit explodes and disappears as quickly as it was made as Papillon dusts himself off.

 

“That’s about the jist of it my boy.”

 

“So there's more?”

 

“Well...a couple of things, but those are for another time. And some require Noella to finish with HER half.”

 

“Alright...well. Katy...from Rob, you’ve…been given quite a bit…” she rubs the side of her face in a manner that shows how little she wanted to talk about this “For starters, you have arcane abilities. Ones I thought to be as lightly as limited abilities can be since your abilities are that of a siren killer, but realization kicked in after recalling you being the new siren...you can do a VAST amount of things...but I won't cover that...yet. For now just what you got from your father. For starters you can fly. Simple levitation that needs no more explaining. You can control all forms of liquid, from water to blood. If it's liquid in shape, matter or mere definition, you can control it.”

 

“Definition?”

 

“Think condensation, perspiration...any stage of liquid. Like fog, clouds...and even ice! But that's siren territory to so again, another time. Your magic range goes from telekinesis and other forms of psychic manipulation. Such as conjuring up miniscule things.”

 

“I can??...” she recalls her grandmother making a full wine glass from nothing “Huh…”

 

“Yes. And as obvious as it should be. There's teleportation. Warp from point a to b. Slight mind control, but it's limited as opposed to your voice. Anyone with a strong mind, heart or will can shrug it off, but your vocal manipulation can't be stopped unless they are either deaf, or are immune to a siren's voice. Be it naturally or through help, which I guess is ONE advantage the magic mind control has over your voice... Mind reading is also something you're capable of doing. But like with Europa and _her_ teleportation and whatnot...it was very intrusive and I rather not explain the details…” she sighs “That aside. You can still do quite abit. Such as turn your very body into water, just like Parappa can very well turn his into pure electricity!”

 

“We can do that?!”

 

“Yes, but it’s very tricky. Papillon and Robert both learned it on the fly on a very...climatic event…and even then it was rather...messy due to lack of usage and practice with the ability. But you both should potentially be able to do that with loads of practice. There’s also one ability that’s a type of mix between Papillon’s Flash illusion and Europa’s Flash after image. Now what I mean by that is. You can create clones like the after image, but unlike her after image, they are much more fragile due to being made of water and can do less than what her clones could do as a result. And like the illusion, you have the ability to swap your being into one of the spots where a clone was created, meaning that clone becomes the real you while the spot where you _used_ to be turns to a water clone. I don’t see you mastering that any time soon.”

 

“Even so! As cool as that sounds, it just seems like a suckier version of something Parappa can do much better! I’m better off with backup dancer belt Leo gave me!”

 

Noella turns her attention to her future grandson “You GAVE her one of your belts???”

 

“She wouldn’t leave me be unless I did!...”

 

“You’re much to easily won over…”

 

“Sorry Nana…”

 

“And it was a good thing I DID win him over!” She summons a backup dancer, and they speak together in equal union “Having extra me’s around really helps with house work like you wouldn’t BELIEVE! Doubt a fragile water clone could do what my reliable NOT as fragile copy can do~” they lean on each other’s backs happily.

 

“Yes, but there comes a use for everything, even if it doesn’t seem like it at a first glance! You can also do something similar to Papillon’s cell fazing. While you turn your body into water, you can turn that water into mist and faze through anything that you couldn’t slip through as water! And unlike Papillon trick, you can phase through anything, no matter the density!...I saw from experience…” In her mind, she sees a younger Papa Rappa constantly summoning metal wall after metal wall to blockade them off, and Robert walking through each single one without so much as batting an eye. The memory gets her to shudder “Erm...yes...last but not least come...the signature tricks, isn’t that right Papillon?”

 

“Hm?...OH! Yes! But need we explain it?”

 

“Yes, since I doubt they know what they did while under instinct alone.”

 

“That’s true. Let’s ask them.”

 

“Alright...Katy what were you informed of when they told you about the things you could do?”

 

Katy recalls what they told her while in Hell “Not much, they just told me that I could control water and that I had a move called Cruisin Aria. And that’s about it.”

 

“So not much. Ok then, Cruisin Aria was the main technique your father used. It’s mainly a move that Siren Killer’s had by using the the combined passion of Cruisin’s that wanted to stop whatever adversary the S.K’s needed to take care of, or whatever the S K’s deemed an adversary…then there’s Sorrow waltz. It was another move used by him when he just wanted to be a sadistic little-...erm...getting off topic...sorry...bad memories…It’s a flurry of dance kicks that aim for precise strikes that try to get things away from you, or just lessen the numbers against you, since the kicks are meant for crowd control rather than one person as you glide along the ground kicking. Very effective, and very painful to be on the receiving end…”

 

“Oof...I can’t wait to hear THAT story…” her eyes flicker “Hey wait... Didn’t I inherit a... ‘signature move’ from you?...”

 

“Well...sort of?...It’s more of a all out version of just the basic sonic yell. Which you used while out of it!” She walks away from everyone and tilts her head to the sky. She opens her mouth and the energy ring that ends up the sonic shout encloses back into the small white orb that expands into a white laser as Noella screams it out into the sky. She turns her head slightly to ‘scratch’ the sky as the area struck leave a sparkling glimmer that soon explodes. The explosion part away the clouds as the clear blue sky is seen in its fullest “I have no name for it, you can get creative there if you wish. It’s a wonderful crowd clearer and what it lacks in pushing people away from you, it makes up for being able to hit through ANYTHING! It pierces even the toughest of objects!”

 

“I feel like I’d blow out my voice trying to do that…”

 

“You might if you don’t get the full hang of it and that can be quite the problem, but seeing as your body knew how to do it...I can safely say that you’ll manage with enough practice! And there’s alot to practice!”

 

“I’ll say...my head’s spinning from this knowledge bomb…” Katy’s eyes turn into white spirals as she tries to hold her balance “I wonder if I can actually master it all!...”

 

“Only time will tell really. But you are a prodigy, so it’s safe to assume that you’ll master it without much effort needed.” She looks to Papa Rappa and nods, signifying that it was his turn.

 

“Okey dokey! Now uh...for signature moves you only really get one from the two of us as opposed to Katy’s three my boy. From me you get a shocking laser blast I dubbed the-”

 

“Soul Shocker?” Paula says, cutting the elder dog off.

 

“Erm...yeah that. How do you-”

 

“Parappa saved me doing that exact move plus another one a few days ago.”

 

“Ah.”

 

“Not to mention he performed it against Raparra when he and Katy sent him through a few buildings.” PJ recalls

 

“Also correct. It’s a move that only few people from our group could muster out if they had the proper way of using the electricity within them. It uses the collective wishes of the group to volt out and extinguish any foe before us!” he grips his fist tightly, remembering when he clashed against Robert with the very move. The sensation of pain ebbing away as all on his mind was to best the unbeatable calico.

 

_“You know...it would appear we’re trapped in a deadlock! A...stalemate if you will!”_

 

_“S-Says you…!...I’m...GONNA PUSH THROUGH ROBBIE!...”_

 

_“The only thing you look like you’re gonna push through is a blood vessel! Can’t you clearly see that you’re forcing yourself thin on this, while i’m just barely doing anything on my end?~”_

 

_“Y-You can’t be serious…”_

 

 _“Oh but I am! And now...I grow bored of playing with you...tata!~”_ the water torrent fluxuates as it shreds through the giga volt beam like butter. The calico laughs at his apparent victory, but is left flabbergasted at the fact that he’s still forced to hold the beam _“Hm...i’m still clashing with something...I don’t like that...you still persist?...Why not cease? You can’t beat me no matter HOW hard you try! So it’s all pointless, utterly pointless!”_

 

The beam was struggling against a morsel of static. The miniscule flow of electricity was literally on Papillon’s hands as he was basically holding the beam back at this point _“I won’t give up…”_

 

_“Oh how dull…”_

 

 _“I’ll...NEVER...give up!...”_ The electricity started picking up once more _“I’LL NEVER GIVE UP...AGAINST PEOPLE LIKE YOU!”_ the energy surges wildly as it starts shredding through the water.

 

_“What’s happening right now?...”_

 

 _“I WILL PROTECT THOSE DEAR TO ME...I WILL FIGHT FOR WHAT I SEE AS JUST!...MY BREAKING POINTS WILL BE LIMITLESS AS I CARRY ON THE SOUL OF MY PEOPLE!...THEIR LESSONS, THEIR HOPES...THE WISHES OF THEIRS TO DO ONE THING AND ONE THING ALONE ALL FLOW WITHIN EVERY FIBER OF MY BEING!...AND THAT’S TO DO A RIGHT THAT WILL CORRECT_ **_ANY_ ** _WRONG! I AM PAPILLON RAPPA...A GENIUS PRODIGY...I WILL PROTECT THIS WORLD...BY ERASING THE BIGGEST WRONG SET BEFORE ME!”_ The thunder absorbs the water current as it arrives upon the calico within seconds.

 

 _“OHOHO!...JUST A...MINOR...SECOND WIND...WON’T STOP ME!...NO...SIREE...ME!...”_ He’s overwhelmed by the attack once his hands give way, eclipsing the entire room in a bright yellow light.

 

Papa Rappa sighs “It’s strength is as destructive as it is magnanimous. It can never defeat anyone who you just can’t find it in your heart to wipe out. So if you deem that person worth living, the move will never kill. The rule applied to everyone in our group. To only do as much as your heart wants to do.”

 

“What a weird move...but I get the emotion behind it~...” His tail wags as his dad smiles.

 

“Yeah...but...having a big heart...can be such a draw back as well…”

 

Papillon stares at the clearing smoke. Two eyes glimmer beyond it as they stare at him with burning anger. The next second, Papillon is struck with a beam from the smoke that pierces through his right shoulder _“W-Wargh!...”_ another beam strikes his left knee. Then a third beam hits his right knee and a four strikes his left shoulder. A fifth and final blast strikes him just above his stomach as he’s sent flying onto his back _“D-Damn…”_

 

 _“Oh...I am beyond angry...that little turnover has made me so seething mad that you just can’t begin to understand how much I want to kill you…”_ The smoke clears to reveal a tattered Robert standing with his finger raised.

 

 _“P-PAPILLON?!”_ Both Noella and Europa run to his side, with Noella immediately trying to do something about the open injuries he just sustained, while Europa storms towards the cat.

 

_“I’ve had just about enough of you…”_

 

_“Ohohoh that’s cute...well...the feeling’s mutual you electric nuisance…”_

 

_“I’M GONNA END YOU!”_

 

 _“Try it and see what happens...you’ll be on the ground like your fiance so enough…YOU CAN HONEYMOON IN HELL TOGETHER!”_ Both smash into each other as Noella holds Papillon up gently.

 

_“...I’m such a failure…”_

 

_“Don’t say that!...You gave it your all!...”_

 

 _“You don’t understand Noe...that should’ve wiped him out...but I...I just couldn’t go through with it...And now this is it...This is the end…”_ She stares at him with a horrified gaze as the memory stops once more.

 

“You have to be careful with who you give mercy to...it could be costly.”

 

“I’ll make sure to judge properly!”

 

“I only hope you do Parappa…” He sits on the front step of the open door hole “Next is your mother’s move. Where she focused all her anger, sadness, regret, joy, love...basically every single fledgeling emotion into her arm and just punched whatever was in it’s way. She called it…”

 

“Rhapsody Wrath.” Paula again answers for Papa Rappa.

 

“Bingo.” the memory resumes in his mind where it left off.

 

_“Why?...”_

 

_“...I don’t know...maybe it’s because he’s the son of Lupe...maybe because he did help us out before...I just...somewhere in my heart...it believes that he has a chance to be good...and I stubbornly keep giving him chance after chance to see if he does...but he doesn’t...and instead of accepting that...I foolishly give him more chances in hopes that he gets better…”_

 

_“That heart of yours...always wanting what you think is best…”_

 

_“Yeah well...now it’s clearly the worst…”_

 

 _“...Not yet…”_ they both turn their gaze to the fighting duo.

 

_“I’m growing tired of this you pathetic mutt…it’s been forever within thirty minutes...and you refuse to drop...you hopelessly pull at strings and the damn strings actually bless you with copious amounts of annoying luck! You’ve lasted far to long...you’ve struck me more times than I should have let you...and actually hurt me more times than I’d care to admit…”_

 

_“It’s just showing that your high and mighty shit can’t beat pure determination and grit! We ain’t giving up...we ain’t letting you take her...you can just kiss my ass as you beg for forgiveness...and I WON’T give it!”_

 

 _“The only kissing here will be you kissing the heel of my boot...as well as you kissing your loved ones goodbye! LADY LUCK CAN’T SAVE YOU THIS TIME!”_ He warps right in front of her and strikes her with repeated kick after kick to an ongoing dance. He slides along the surface of the ground as he carries her off with kick after kick. Once he finds all that he did suitable enough, he stops and watches her drop hard onto the ground _“What a waste of time and effort...I wouldn’t even spit on the ground you walk on were it not for you making me angry…”_ He stomps on her hand as he rubs his heel roughly upon her bone _“It’s no fun to even mess around with you...and that just gets under my skin...tormenting my enemies should bring me joy...AND HERE YOU ARE STRIPPING THAT PLEASURE AWAY FROM ME!”_ He continuously slams his foot on her hand and then her head _“DAMN YOU DAMN YOU DAMN YOU_ **_DAMN YOU!_ ** _”_ As he stomps, he’s blindsided by a white blast that tosses him off of the downed dog.

 

_“GET OFF OF HER!”_

 

 _“Hnng...you know...you’re a lot more trouble than I first thought.”_ he flies back onto his feet, and immediately teleports over to her and grabs her by her hand _“I don’t even know where you get the gall to fight me...when you’ve been doing ‘sooooo muuuuuch’ prior with them…”_

 

 _“L-Let me go!...”_ his grip tightens.

 

_“No...I did once...and that was a mistake...you suddenly thought the Sirens were a bad idea and helped those idiots kill the three most perfect beings in existence…”_

 

_“I ALWAYS thought they were a bad idea!...I was just lucky enough to not be around you long enough so that you couldn’t cloud my better judgement any further! Those monsters are DEAD!...”_

 

 _“...Yes...you are correct...they are dead...because they were WEAK!”_ He crushes her hand _“IF THEY WERE TRULY PERFECT, THEY WOULDN’T HAVE LOST TO IDIOTS LIKE YOU!”_ The bone of her palm is heard crunching up from his bravado _“And that’s why I need you...you are something spectacular...just like I...half of what makes a Siren.  Two halves that could easily create the next new Siren...a BETTER Siren! Not once has the potential to create a new one been so obvious with it’s requirements that it’d be STUPID to not take the chance!”_

 

Through her pain filled whines, she manages to say something _“L-Like i’d ever procreate with YOU!...”_

 

 _“Deary me...you don’t have a choice~”_ His free hand begins channeling water as he holds it over to the defenseless Papillon.

 

_“Y-You wouldn’t…”_

 

_“If you comply...then yes…I wouldn’t~ But say no again...and you can say goodbye to this braindead idiot~”_

 

_“NOE JUST SAY NO! FORGET M-”_

 

 ** _“SHUT UP!!”_** Robert kicks Papillon’s head roughly, forcing his consciousness to dwindle quickly _“Ahem...ignoring that intrusion...my my...you look like you’re about to cry...from me just kicking him?~ ...Oh that’s right~ You had fee-”_ The calico is tackled away as he lets go of Noella. She quickly checks on the slowly fading Papillon as he props his head up to see what’s happening. Europa is repeatedly punching his face in until he teleports from under her and stomps on the back of her head _“I’VE HAD ENOUGH!”_

 

 _“LIKEWISE! YOU’VE REALLY PISSED ME OFF...YOU MESS WITH MY FIANCE_ ** _AND_** _MY BEST FRIEND! AND I REALLY JUST WANNA WIPE THAT FACE OF YOURS CLEAN OFF YOUR BODY!”_ They tackle one another again, clashing at their arms. Robert uses his free arm to channel a magic blast to strike her with, but just as he launches it, he’s caught by a rising fist _“I HAVE SO MANY THINGS TO SAY...TO FEEL...EVERYTHING WON’T EVER BE PROPERLY EXPRESSED INDIVIDUALLY...AND THOSE EMOTIONS OF MINE AS JUST SCATTERING ABOUT WITHIN ME FOR A WAY OUT...AND THOSE EMOTIONS FUEL ME...FUEL MY DESIRE TO BEAT YOU...ME ANGER, MY DESPAIR...MY…”_ her fist blows back his hand as the magic blast hits nothing. With him open, her first connects heavily with his gut **_“RHAPSODY!”_** it rises upwards along his body and torso as it slams destructively on his chin **_“WRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATH!”_** she uppercuts him away. His pupils are annihilated as his eyes stare widely to the sky in equal fashion to how wide his mouth was open from the impact. He soars along the air until electricity zaps his body from the area’s he’s been punched in. And promptly explodes not that long after, driving his body painfully into the ground where his body performs one last bounce. Upon seeing that, Papillon passes out.

 

“Rhapsody Wrath is the unification of emotions you start to feel during the heat of battle that just can’t be expressed properly, even after the fight’s finished! You use all the fury within them to funnel your attack. The wild driving force gives you one hell of an uppercut to smack your enemy silly with! It’s a heavy blow that, no matter where it lands, it’s main objective is to uppercut them STRAIGHT into their jaw and launch them high into the sky. At that point the stored electricity finally triggers as it explodes and smashes them back to the ground. The move is supremely painful, but it has a grueling weakness. You’re on a timer once you start the punch. If you can’t reach their chin and/or you can’t uppercut them away, the energy explodes WHILE it’s still in your arm. It launches you away and temporarily disables your arm in the process leaving you quite literally...disarmed.”

 

“Ouch…” Out of reflex, Parappa opens and closes the palm of his hand in repeated motions “This is alot to get under wraps…”

 

“I would assume so!”

 

“Think I can get a mastery on all this?...”

 

“Of course! Hard work was always your main motif! And like what Noella said to Katy, you’re a prodigy! You most likely won’t _need_ to much effort in learning and mastering them!” hearing that does not ease the poor dog, in fact it only makes him afraid. Afraid of himself for the things he might do unwillingly. The fear also returns within Katy once she takes note of this. With him getting scared with himself, was she any better? It didn’t help that both were noticing the adults clearly remembering something traumatizing that they weren’t telling.

 

Both Parappa and Katy look to one another. Their faces seem uneasy, they both share a question and waste no time asking it together “If that old group was still unified to this day...what would we classify to them?...”

 

“Um...well...given your standing. You two would be the ones tasked with the world reset storm. That’s how much of a marvel you two are! Especially seeing as you autopilot tried to do it already.”

 

“Yikes…” their hands lock together from fear. They seeked each other for clarity and reassurance. Within the others grip, their fear slowly disappeared, knowing that the other had their back and would support them a plenty to avoid ever reaching disastrous results. Their tails tie together and pull each other closer to increase the feeling of safety. The worrying emotions subconsciously began triggering their abilities, but they didn’t hurt the other, rather it converged together. As their cheeks pressed together, they spark a mini storm burst that blows everyone off balance slightly.

 

“WHOOOOAAA!...” Leo spawns multiple backups to catch everyone minus himself as he flops onto his back. His head spared the impact thanks to his helmet “Ow…” He flips onto his feet “Everyone good?...” Everyone gives their own sign of approval as the backups fade away “Good. Whew, was that out of the blue or what!...erm...I mean-” The two merely hug each other much more tightly from the fear of accidentally doing something else wrong “Oh dear...erm...Nana, Grandpa... _do something!..._ ” His helmet emits an angry face. Both older adults panic as they whisper between each. After some silence they attempt to calm their respective child up.

 

“Now come on Parappa! There’s little risk in you harming anyone once you try and get a grip on things!...after all, you simply gotta believe!”

 

“Same with you Katy!...There is simple measures to avoiding problematic moments! You were always one with remarkable tenacity! You’re never one for cutting corners!” Both parents utterly fail in making a dent in their fear.

 

The mini friend group all facepalm at the pitiful attempt the adults have made, then a few recall the fact that Papa Rappa specifically stated that he was terrible with situations like these and Katy and her mother didn’t really have a proper connection for Noella to really be able to do anything of help. With that in mind, they attempt to help instead, but shockingly, everyone fails just as badly as the two adults if not worse. PJ then sighs and speaks up, knowing what to do and say “Come on you two. There’s no need to fear for the things you’ll be able to do! I’ve known the two of you for so long now that I can clearly see that all this worrying you two are doing is for naught!” He approaches them, and immediately they try to scoot away, but his size allows him to wrap around them and pull them towards him. He squishes the two of them against his large belly “You two are such amazing people, and are obviously not the type to do any sort of meaningless harm to random pedestrians, let alone your friends! From as long as I can remember...I don’t see destructive prodigies...I see a boy who was closeted from the world and a girl who was a bit to rough around the edges! Both longing for the same thing...a friend. Now they thankfully got their wish and boy did they open up. You could be blinded by the sparkle of wonder that shined in their eyes…~ They were such joys to behold as they grew up, turning into two amazing people.” The scared duo slowly start easing up. They don’t let go of each other however. In fact, they merely latch onto the teddy bear. His words reaching them loud and clear “I got to see them go from secluded and scared children to music loving fun goofballs. Now tell me...could people like that EVER be a threat to anyone?~” They snuggle their heads against his belly.

 

“No…~”

 

“That’s right! And I should know! After all, i’m older than the two of you~”

 

“By a single year~...” They playfully pout out.

 

“Still older~” They all giggle as the big bear ruffles their hair “Now, are you two still scared?”

 

“Not anymore~...”

 

“And what does that mean for each other?...”

 

Parappa and Katy look towards one another “I always got your back Katy, since way back then as I promised you.”

 

“And I got yours, since then, till now and forever more! Besides, someone has to keep your dumb tendencies in check! Always gotta pick you up after you inevitably hurt yourself again!”

 

“Hey! I only get hurt cuz I keep risking my safety to protect those near and dear to me! It's all to protect such amazing friends...such an amazing family~” he smiles “Ya catch my drift?~”

 

“I always did, since way back then! After all...we're friends~...”

 

“The best of friends~...”

 

“Friends forever~...” they say together as they hug it out.

 

The sight gets the big teddy to smile “Hehe...there we go! That's much better!” everyone stares at PJ “What?”

 

“How’d you do that?...” Paula wonders.

 

“What do you mean? I just simply did the obvious. Help out like a teddy bear does.”

 

“Buddy if you can do that, then how the hell did you fuck up with Rayn!”

 

“Well I don't know her that well compared to these two goofballs!” he ruffles their hair some more getting them to laugh as they increase the emotion in their hug between themselves.

 

Kitty growls “Fair enough…” Parappa body starts turning yellow as he starts appearing somewhat static-y. While Katy turned full on blue as she started becoming translucent.

 

“Exactly! You can expect me to know what to do and say from the get go! I need to get a good feel for how to handle things per specific person!” The laughter between the cat and dog intensifies as they become pure water and electricity, catching everyone's attention...except for PJ’s.

 

“Uh...Peej…” their bodies meld together.

 

“Not now Matt. I mean just because I'm a coping toy does not mean I work for EVERYONE!”

 

“Dear…” they converge into a beautiful light.

 

“Sweety, in a minute! And you expect me to work wonders from the get go to a stranger? A HELL SHADOW stranger who I just got to know??”

 

“UNCLE PJ!” the light molds into something extravagant.

 

“WHAT LEO WHAT?! WHAT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT YOU ALL HAVE TO CONSTANTLY...cut...me off…”PJ finally notices. Under him was no longer two animals, only one. It was a blue cat. She appeared to be purely female. Her eyes were hazel and her nose was black. She had cat ears, but her blonde hair that flopped on the side of her head made the pseudo appearance of dog ears. Her tail was long but fluffy and bushy. Her outfit was a combination of Parappa and Katy’s new getups. She was giggling as she held herself in a hug, completely unaware of her own existence. She looked like Kat Leo if he were a girl!

 

The sight left everyone else petrified with confusion. But Papillon and Noella are well informed on this phenomenon “Remarkable...they both inherited it from their mothers…the miracle ability...”

 

“The...two of you?...” Noella remembers the final parts of that fateful day.

 

 _“HA! TAKE THAT YOOOOOOOOOOOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!...I PUT_ **_EVERYTHING_ ** _I HAD INTO THAT!...”_ the calico gets up to his feet like nothing.

 

 _“Makes sense, your everything is nothing but ceaseless failures~”_ he twists his neck _“I must admit...you certainly astounded me~...you’re supposed to be my replacement in case my lineage were to perish no?~”_

 

_“I'm who I goddamn wanna be!...A smart gal who wants to protect her people whenever something goes wrong!”_

 

 _“Mmm...seems suitable. You'd make for a decent siren killer with THAT thought process~ Yet you choose not to, your loss~...but still...knowing that you and I are the same offends me...I suggest you-”_ he warps to her and grabs her by the face _“Crumble…”_ he launches her straight into the fear filled Noella _“I've played long enough...I'm clearly not getting through to you Noella...so I might as well start by killing the one dearest to you~ SO LONG YOU UNCONSCIOUS PEST~”_ he fires off a magic burst towards Papillon’s body.

 

 _“STOP!...”_ they both shout as try to get in between the blasts target but lack the speed.

 

 _“Farewell!~”_ the explosion happens instantly from the impact, but it didn't make contact with who he wanted to as the smoke clears quickly to reveal an angry cat girl. She looked nearly identical to what Parappa and Katy merged into with minor differences such as hairstyle, tail style and outfit design _“Oh?...so this is the miracle ability that I've been informed about...well then...let's see if a miracle is enough to stop me!”_ the two fight head on as the memory ends.

 

“...Yes...of course it'd be the two of you...with the bond you share...it's only natural…”

 

The fused cat girl finally takes notice of all the staring. She looks around to each individual confused face, except for Leo, whose helmet emitted the word ‘ERROR’ over and over on its screen. She then speaks up “Why is everyone looking at me?...” her voice was a smooth mixing overlay of Parappa and Katy’s voices. She notices that once she finishes speaking “My...My voice…” she looks down at her hands. They were blue like Katy’s, but had Parappa’s paw pads “M-My hands…” she quickly starts eyeing every little portion of her body “My...M-My...E-EVERYTHING!...” she clearly freaks out on the spot as she hugs herself and huddles down to the ground. Water and electricity wildly whipping off her.

 

“PARAPPA!...ERM...KATY!...I DUNNO JUST CALM DOWN!” Sweety says as she tries to close in to pacify them, but no luck. Everyone tries their own luck, but fail as she did. PJ quickly stops the madness by wrapping the new being in a tight bear hug, ignoring the pain from the two elements striking him as he does so.

 

“IT'S ALRIGHT! EVERYTHING IS ALRIGHT! CALM DOWN! IT'S JUST A LITTLE THING YOU'RE ABLE TO DO! JUST RELAX! WE'RE HERE FOR YOU! _I'M_ HERE FOR YOU TWO! AS ALWAYS! SO YOU KNOW THINGS WILL BE OK!” the girl calms down as she shakily starts to hyperventilate.

 

“W-What’s wrong with me...with us?...”

 

“Absolutely nothing. It's just another part of your abilities that make you special…Nothing’s wrong with you and nothing will ever be wrong with you. I'll always have your back, we all will…”

 

PJ words make the two adults remember the end of the that day.

 

The fused Europa and Noella was severely beaten up, but the calico looked like he barely suffered from anything. Robert was blasting away at them with a large arcane blast, while the fused cat girl was keeping it just barely at bay from an electrified hypersonic shout.

 

_“I grow bored...is this all that the ‘miracle’ can amount to? Some miracle…Very well Noella...if you so badly wish to die with them, then so be it…”_

 

Noella remembers the panicked chat she and Europa had within the conscious of the fused cat girl. It basically being their final farewells as they embraced the end.

 

_Europa please...defuse and run...he can't chase after you if he's still in the middle of this attack…_

 

_Are you fucking insane?? You’re gonna DIE if I bail on you!_

 

 _YOU'RE ALL GOING TO DIE_ **_WITH_ ** _ME IF YOU DON'T!...I DON'T WANT THAT...I LOVE YOU ALL FAR TOO MUCH...PLEASE JUST DEFUSE, GET THE OTHERS AND RUN...I-I’ll hold him here for as long as I need to...you just run and hide...it's not worth dying for...I'M not worth dying for…_

 

_Noella you're a fucking idiot. I will never abandon my friend, my best friend...my FAMILY...I will stand my ground for you, WITH you! Even if it's my last damn breath...we all would…_

 

_B-But-_

 

_BUT NOTHING! Just like you love us, we all love you back! We would never let you be with a guy like him! That's a fate worse than death in and of itself!_

 

_You'd prefer death?..._

 

_If I got you to hold, then I don't care where in the world or thereafter I'm sent. I'm happy just being by your side. We all would be._

 

_...You're crazy…_

 

_Hey, don't gotta tell me the obvious._

 

_I know...and I guess...I'm crazy to…~...Let’s embrace the end together…~_

 

_It's never the end with one of you guys by my side...just the start...of something new and fresh~..._

 

The fused cat girl cries as she smiles, the hypersonic shout fading away slowly.

 

_“Embracing your demise eh? About time...birds of a feather truly flock together!”_

 

 _“SOUL SHOCKER!”_ an electric blast helps the hyper shout blast back the magic beam.

 

 _“GELATO FUSILLADE!”_ A blast akin to a mini snow storm also helps the shout.

 

_“GOLDEN FLAME!”_

 

 _(“DYNAMIC DESPERADO!”)_ Two flame attacks blast along with them. A beautiful golden fire and flurry of fireworks unite with them.

 

_“ANTI GRAV-QUICKSILVER!”_

 

 _“ANTI GRAV-TOMBSTONE RAIN!”_ a cyclone and swarm of sharp rocks blast along with the group.

 

_“HRGH...EH?...STILL FIGHTING??...”_

 

The catgirl looks around to see her completely withered friends, barely able to stand, but still fighting with what they had left. Not to defend themselves, but to save the two girls who had lost hope _“WE WILL NEVER STOP FIGHTING!...”_

 

_“WE WILL PROTECT THESE TWO!...EVEN IF WE DON’T HAVE THE STRENGTH TO STAND!...”_

 

_“I-I WON’T LET YOU KILL MY F-FRIENDS!...”_

 

_(“WE WILL KEEP SMASHING OUR HEADS AGAINST THIS BRICK WALL, AND BREAK IT DOWN SO YOU CAN FINALLY PISS OFF!...”)_

 

_“LIKE YOU TOLD US BOB, WE’RE STUBBORN AS ALL HELL!...”_

 

_“A-AND WE’RE GONNA TOUGH IT OUT...NO MATTER THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS!”_

 

All of the girl’s friends spoke up in the order that they attacked in. The sight makes the already flowing tears merely spray out in pure emotion as they see them all push themselves despite it hurting them in the process. They quickly stop their tears as they are reassured enough to resume fighting back _“HOW...C-CUMBERSOME!...YOU CAN’T..._ **_BEAT ME!!!_ ** _”_ Robert summons water clones that help him blast back their efforts, but the main group just try harder as the near invincible cat is finally pushed back _“YOU...MISERABLE...INSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECTS!...”_ Robert is overwhelmed by the united beam as it blows him away. When the blast clears, there is no one in sight. The fusion ends as the two girls defuse and flop onto the ground along with the rest of them. They were overflowing with immense joy for at last, they had won.

 

_“It’s over...it’s finally over~...”_

 

Or so they thought.

 

The ground explodes as out rises an immensely pissed off calico. His eyes narrowed in like a cat usually does while his fur was all ruffled out like his late mother. Water flowed around him in a beserk motion as he rose before them all **_“E N O U G H !”_** He holds out his hand and immediately, everyone but Noella starts to rise in the air. Their very veins were being pulled at as the blood looked as if it wanted to be ripped away from them. He closes his hand slightly, forcing them all to be straightened out. He then closes his hand further, resulting in their body's slowly beginning to bend in, as if they were about to be crumpled like paper. They all scream in agony, they had nothing left within themselves to fight back with. It was the end.

 

_“ROBERT STOP!...”_

 

**_“QUIET! I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR STUPID PRATTLE ABOUT FRIENDSHIP AND THE VOMIT INDUCING LIKE! NOW WATCH AS I STRIP THEM ALL AWAY FROM YOU!”_ **

 

_“NO! P-PLEASE!...”_

 

**_“SAVE YOUR BREATH, IT’S OVER!”_ **

 

 _“YOU WIN!...”_ The calico stops closing his hand in. He angrily eyes the cat girl _“...I-I’ll...I’ll go with you…no questions asked...no fighting back...no rebellion...no more pointless fighting...you’ve won…”_

 

_“N-NOE…D-DON’T...”_

 

_“N-NOELLA YOU...STUPID...WHY ARE YOU JUST-”_

 

 _“This is my decision you two. And i’ve made it. Please just, accept that.”_  Robert opens his hand fully and all the others drop onto the ground.

 

 _“Took you fucking long enough...a wise decision be it a late one~...”_ he starts patting his fur down while Noella walks over to her defeated friends. Only Papillon and Europa are capable of moving and speaking properly.

 

 _“Noe...why...why would you-”_ Papillon stops once he sees the tear filled smiling face of the girl.

 

_“I can’t let you all die...not for nothing...if this is what I need to do in order to save you all...than I’d take this chance a thousand times over…~”_

 

_“But Noella...this is a fate worse than death…”_

 

_“I’ll gladly take hell on earth...because...you lot still get to be around to…~”_

 

_“You’re...an idiot...just...an absolute idiot…”_

 

_“I know...since back then, I guess i’ve just adjusted to that lifestyle...after being friends with you all for so long~...”_

 

Europa was teetering on the plane of consciousness as she says one last thing _“What now then?...”_

 

_“...Please just...forget about me~...y-you’ll be happier that way…”_

 

 _“Tch...then I guess I’ll be miserable...for the rest of my life~...I’m...cool with that~...”_ she smiles as she falls asleep.

 

Papillon now resumes speaking _“Noe...are you sure about this...you’ll be locked...into a life you don’t love...you’ll never be happy...never be free...you’re just...giving him what he wants…”_

 

_“If what he wants guarantees your safety...then i’m ok with that.”_

 

_“I’m not...I can’t let you suffer for who knows...how long...I could never live with myself knowing that…”_

 

 _“...And I can’t let the one I love with all my heart die before me...when I clearly have the ability to stop it...I could never live with_ **_myself_ ** _knowing that I let you down when I could’ve stopped it...so I did…”_

 

_“...Noe...i-i’m...s-”_

 

 _“Don’t be...start a happy life with her alright?...for my sake…we were never gonna get anywhere even if you had known sooner...and frankly...i’m just glad I got it off my chest~...”_ She gets up and walks back to the calico _“So...what now…”_

 

_“We move out of this putrid town...atleast for abit. It does have a cozy feeling that I might just miss if gone for to long. How disgusting…”_

 

_“...Very well…”_

 

_“See? You’re already being much more cooperative than previously~ Was that so-”_

 

_“ROBERT!”_

 

 _“...what is it Papillon…”_ he turns his head to the dog that’s slowly crawling towards them. He tries to fruitlessly get close enough to hit him, but loses the ability to move any further. As he gives up, images flash in his head. He sees a tall male dog in an orange beanie whose face was cloaked in shadow, fighting with a much older Robert atop a giant pirate like ship. They are fighting and still Robert seems as invincible as he did now, but despite all that he’s still laying on the ground. He’s defeated in the final image. The male dog who seemed faceless at the time, had impaled him with a type of energy sword. It leaves him strapped to the boat as it snaps in half, leaving the invincible calico cat, finally bested.

 

_“One day...one day Noella will be freed from you...one day...you’ll be on the ground...all defeated like me...one day you’ll finally get your comeuppance...ONE DAY...A RAPPA WILL BE THE ONE TO BRING YOU DOWN!...”_

 

 _“...Is that all?...”_ the dog growls before sighing _“Good...you know you’re lucky Noella finally came around, otherwise I’d kick in your stupid face. Honestly how delusional can you get?”_ he laughs _“Can you believe this guy?~ ‘A Rappa will be the one to bring you down!’ feheheh, what an idiot~ Come now Noella, we gotta get out of here. The smell of failure reeks off these idiots.”_

 

_“Can I atleast call help for them?...”_

 

_“Once we’re out yes. Now let’s go.”_

 

 _“...ok...“_ she looks to Papillon who looks back _“Serves me right...there was always something wrong with me…this is my karma...”_

 

 _“There was never anything wrong with you…_ ” Papillon states as the memory finally ends.

 

Both adults walk over to the fused girl and hold her tightly. She finally calms down in the embrace of them all as her gasping breaths stabilize “There’s nothing wrong with you, there never was.” The cat holds onto the three of them tightly, refusing to let go. In the embrace the cat glows as she splits off into the two of them again. The proper child hugging their respective parent while also clinging to PJ. The sight looked to be that of a big family, two siblings, their elder brother and their mother and father. Especially given how easily the three older animals managed to settle the situation.

 

The teddy bear sighs in relief “Care to explain?...”

 

“It’s...it’s a trait that was within the group since the beginning...it became very limited ever since the separation…”

 

“Makes sense as to how they can do it...but why-”

 

“Europa... _and_ Noella both had the trait…It was a marvel...and it got us out of a bind in our youth time and time again...so...there was the possibility that it’d get passed down...but given the rarity, we assumed not...” Papa Rappa holds his son tightly “But...right before our very eyes...we were proved wrong…”

 

“The ability to merge...and it triggered off their strong emotions aimed towards each other...they weren’t in danger...they just…”

 

“Wanted to be there for their friend.” PJ says as he tries to pull away, but the two prevent him from backing off.

 

“Yes...their safety...that explains it…” Noella tightly hugs Katy who only hugs back much more tightly.

 

The others speak among themselves “Man...talk about being super amazing…” Matt stares at the duo, completely awestruck.

 

“B-But they’re clearly s-scared of what they c-can do…” Lammy sadly stares at them.

 

“They’re only scared cuz they don’t have any actual hold on it! If they practiced, they’d probably lose that fear once they were confident enough in their things! If they need to practice that is! Like the two said, they may not even need the practice!” Kitty blurts out.

 

“Maybe it’s because of that...maybe they’re scared on account of them needing such little practice...if it’s that simple...what’s stopping them from accidentally doing something wrong unwillingly.” Paula rub her cheeks trying to process it all. Leo and Sweety panic between themselves, unable to word anything of use. Kitty then jabs Rammy in the side with her elbow.

 

“You’re their friend, what’s your stance on this?”

 

“...hm...well they’re scared right? So like PJ said. It’s best to be there for them, be the reassuring hand they need! They thought they would suffice with just themselves, but when they’re both scared...it’s clear they need all the helping hands they can get!” Rammy pounds her fist into her open hand. The others quickly all nod, but then tilt their heads to the hugging group to which Rammy replies with “NO!...not now! Right now...let them regain their ease with them and them alone. It’s a private family thing for now.” They all sigh, but Rammy quickly flicks a pebble at Leo’s helmet.

 

“Ow!...what was that-”

 

“I said private family thing! Parapa’s is still your dad and his pops is still your grandpa! Now get over there!”

 

“Oh...erm...y-you sure?...dad still hasn’t had me yet!...”

 

“Technicality! Now get!” She shoves the boy closer to the hugging five, and once he’s in range of them, she plucks his helmet clean off showing his cat appearance.

 

“H-Hey! There’s still people in the area who don’t know me-EEEEEP!” Parappa and Katy instinctually yank the boy into the hug “W-Whew...o-ok this is happening now...e-eheh…” the boy awkwardly hugs his parents in a way to not give out that they’re the correct couple. He tries to keep his distance, but PJ, Papillon and Noella squish him closer to them to which he gives up and gives in. The group stay like this until the duo finally speak up themselves.

 

“Um…”

 

“Go on, say anything. The four of us are here for ya.” PJ says reassuringly.

 

“What...are we gonna call that new…’us’?...” the other four blink. Leo and PJ stare at the older adults since they probably know the situation better. Papillon turns his gaze to the cat woman since she is the only one remaining with experience.

 

“Erm...well...since it was technically a unification of you both...what name seems right to the two of you?”

 

The two young adults look at each other, then look to Leo who only gets confused. Immediately, they have a name. They smile and look to the older adults.

 

_Leonora!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new chapter and a new set of people to credit! Song ownership goes to KYLE and Kehlani!


	45. A girl and her teddy bear

“Awwww...why’d ya have to pick THAT naaaaaame…” Leo covers his face, remembering that moment when he had to use that name himself..

 

“It just-” Parappa starts.

 

“-Felt right!~” Katy closes off.

 

“Of course it diiiiid…” the future boy glows pink from embarrassment causing the five of them to all laugh at his lament.

 

The duo then decide to speak up some more “Erm...how...does that ability work?...”

 

“Well, it’s pretty much self explanatory. It’s a merge of two beings. So it should serve obvious that the abilities unify as well! Of course it also allows you to tap into new abilities! Be it fused abilities or all new ones that the new being you become can do!” Papa Rappa says as he speculates the possibilities.

“How did you guys figure out that my mom and Parappa’s mom had the ability?...”

 

“Well like I said, it was an ability that saved us time and time again...when we were in quite the pickle...we thought we were DONE for! Then they merged into quite the cat! She couldn’t do it always though...they had to be on an equal wavelength in order to fuse...and as friends...well it’s obvious how catty they ended up being, no pun intended, especially given how in your face Europa was in her youth! But they still managed, because again...they were such close friends!”

 

“So THAT’S how they melded together...think you can do it again?” PJ asks the two who quickly become embarrassed.

 

“E-Erm…” Parappa stutters.

 

“Now?...” Katy rubs her tail.

 

“In front of everyone?...” they both say, confusing the bear.

 

“Yeah?...why is that a-” He groans, catching on “Oh you two are dumb...it’s just you two merging together again! Not like some private explicit thing!”

 

“Says you! You’re not the one who fused!”

 

He shakes his head and quickly turns to the future boy “Leo help me out with this!”

 

“Uncle PJ you know very well that there’s no winning in this argument.”

 

“Quitter…” he scratches his belly “Look, why is it such a big deal all of a sudden? You just picked a name so gleefully and now you're all flustered about it??”

 

“Well we did it on accident!” the boy hides his face under his beanie.

 

“Yeah! Asking us to do it now purposely is a different feeling altogether!” The girl whips her tail on the ground.

 

“You have no clue how to re-fuse do you.” PJ says, now fully aware of what they're really doing.

 

“Pffft whaaaaat?”

 

“We totally do!”

 

“Then prove me wrong.”

 

“...ok we will!” they both say, the taunting clearly getting the best of them. Their parents quickly facepalming. The two stare at one another awkwardly, unsure of how to reenact the power they used to become one “Umm…”

 

“I'm waiting.”

 

“DON’T RUSH US!”

 

“Alright. Take your time.”

 

The others stare at the group, then Kitty thinks of intervening “He's overstepping again...Time to stop-”

 

“Hold it Kit.” Rammy stops her.

 

“Hey! Why are you just letting this go o-”

 

“It may seem to personal, but he knows what he's doing here. Just trust him and watch.”

 

“...Fine...but I'm stopping it if I see nothing come from this…”

 

The two continually try to think up ways to refuse, but no luck “Just admit that you guys can't already, it's fine! You can properly learn-”

 

“WE CAN!”

 

“You sure?”

 

“YES!” their respective element flickers off of them.

 

“Cuz it looks like you can't.”

 

“WHAT DO YOU KNOW?!” their bodies are coated in their element.

 

“More than you two and I ain't even the one who can do what you two can.”

 

“OH YEAH?!” they turn into their pure energy state again.

 

“Maybe so.”

 

“YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!” they meld once more more.

 

“Hmmm...maybe you're right.”

 

“OF COURSE WE'RE-...wait really?...” the two are gone and Leonora stands before PJ again.

 

“You're welcome.” they are left at a lost and utterly confused until they realize that they are fused once more.

 

“O-Oh...w-why you…….”

 

“Hey, you needed to be on the same wavelength. I helped make that possible again.” they pout and cross their arms as they drop onto ground like an upset child.

 

Kitty looks to Rammy who looks back smugly “Told you.” she rolls her eyes at the laughing sheep.

 

PJ grabs Leonora by the tail and yanks her up to her feet “Come on, just be happy that I got you to do this again.”

 

“Sure…” the girl refuses to stop pouting.

 

“Now...let's see here...what are you?”

 

“We are...I am?...whatever- The cross between Parappa Rappa and Katy Kat! I am the both of them and at the same time I am neither for I am myself! The one called Leonora!” the girl stands dynamically as she points forward, but stops as she scratches her chin “Erm...Do I...we?...need a last name?...”

 

“Does it matter?” he stares at Noella who scratches her cheek, signifying that she most likely took Europa’s last name when they merged, causing the teddy to sigh “Alright, just pick one of the two you have!”

 

“Pick one?...” the cat struggles to do so “I can’t just pick one! It's unfair to the one I didn't pick!”

 

“Oh come on...fine...pick BOTH of them!”

 

“Great idea!...um...which rolls off the tongue better? Rappa Kat or Kat Rappa?”

 

“I DON'T-...actually...Kat Rappa does. The other starts off kinda rough sounding and doesn’t leave the tongue as smoothly.”

 

“Thanks! Leonora K. Rappa it is!” she smiles brightly.

 

“Good! Glad that's settled with...now. You're...a girl, right?”

 

“I think so…” she turns around and slightly stretches out her pants out of everyone's sight. She let's go and turns around to PJ, her face completely pink “That's affirmative...100% girl…”

 

PJ rolls his eyes “Riiiight...that's weird though, seeing as a boy was used in your creation…”

 

“Sorry...but I don’t know how this works! We just learnt about it today!”

 

“I'll accept that.” PJ circles around the cat dog hybrid girl “You're just a perfect blend of the two of them...down to the outfit you wear! Only thing missing is Parappa’s hat...which seems to have vanished upon making you...unless it's currently making some other clothing of yours…”

 

“I rather you not try and check…” the girl defensively covers herself.

 

“Relax. I'm curious, but not THAT curious!” he tugs on her tail again “You look alot like Leo right now and that's astounding in it's own right…”

 

Papa Rappa cuts in “Well it’s most likely because that's how genetics work! After all, a child really is just a fusion of their parents genes in the end. It would make sense that it'd end up so similar in appearance. If Leo is their potential child that is! I’m sure the same would be the case if Parappa were to fuse with any of the OTHER girls! It’d look like Leo mostly.”

 

“That is true, only Leo ends up a boy. Well, in case you still didn't believe that Leo was Parappa’s son, this oughta shut you up!” he chuckles “Alright, Leonora...how do you feel?”

 

“How do I feel?...” the bear nods “Well...I feel...weird...I'm both Parappa and Katy, and we both feel off...but happy! But as ‘myself’...as ‘Leonora’...I feel...confused...I know that nothing's wrong with us...with me, but I feel strange...what exactly...am I?...”

 

“Our friend, plain simple as that. Nothing’s different! If anything, you just made it a whole lot easier to care for ya since you turned two people to one! Of course either or, you’re still great.”

 

She giggles to herself cutely, both of her voices giving their own lovely to hear laugh as they overlay upon each other “I know that now~” her tail curls into a heart “I’m glad to have a friend in you PJ~”

 

“I am to! Who knows where you guys would be now without me!” He gives off a snide smirk.

 

“Normally I’d...we’d?...get upset at that, but in this situation...you’re right. We’d probably be so badly off without you man.” She bashfully holds her hands behind her as she kicks the ground.

 

“Huh…Yeah...right.” PJ scratches his cheek “Didn’t take either of you to be even remotely cute. You always ended up being a buncha dorks! So what’s with this adorable acceptance all of a sudden!”

 

“H-Hey!...D-Don’t be rude!...” Her hair stands on end as she hisses.

 

“Calm your fur! It was just something I didn’t expect from you!”

 

“But you didn’t have to word it like that…”

 

“So you’re saying you’re not cute?”

 

“I-I didn’t- S-STOP PUTTING WORDS IN MY MOUTH!...erm...IN OUR MOUTHS!...?”

 

“But I didn’t, you alluded to it yourself~” His response makes her growls like an upset dog as froth forms at her mouth.

 

Leo walks over to the others “uh...any of you know what's going on?...”

 

“I think...they're…’booooondiiiiiiing’?...hard to say…” Matt says, never really seeing this side of either of them.

 

“It's like he's talking to an old friend, but at the same time a completely new person…in such a...super casual manner.”  Paula says as her tails wags about in confusion over the situation.

 

“Y-You’d mistake it for f-flirting if you didn’t know e-either of these t-two…” Lammy stares at the back and forth chatter.

 

“PJ’s weird…” Kitty says with a huff.

 

“They ain't any better currently!” Rammy follows up.

 

“Honestly, it’s such easy thing to see! We just don’t get it because we haven’t seen what they were like PRIOR to us! And ever since we all became their friends, they haven’t really...SHOWN how they were like...they kinda adapted TO us being there! And then they kinda took off in their own joys. PJ with his DJing, Katy with MilkCan and Parappa with his rapping. So we kinda never got to see how they were before us at all.” Sweety’s words get everyone, except for Kitty and Rammy, to think on that. She was right. They barely had much time for themselves since they usually included everyone. As they think about it, they look to Leo who is as lost as they are.

 

“What?”

 

“Do they...do they not go back to that...even in the future??...” Matt immediately asks.

 

“I’ve never seen Uncle PJ or dad ever be truly buddy-buddy in a one on one casual conversation. Nor with him and Katy or dad and Katy. I mean yeah you’re all still friends...just never seen THIS calibre of it. They always have one of you by their side or never really had the time to chat for to long…”

 

“We...really ate up their time h-haven’t we?...” Lammy rubs her face.

 

“I mean...they haven’t really said anything on the fact that we were doing so...so how were we supposed to know!...” Paula yanks her hair.

 

“Well...maybe it’s best that all this crazy stuff happened! Shows that maybe these guys could do with the friend reconnecting they lost once we sorta expanded their comfort zone.” They others waste no time in agreeing with Sweety’s suggestion. As this happens, the older adults discuss things between themselves.

 

“The fusing of two beings...as one who’s experienced it myself...I still don’t have a full understanding.”

 

“Well the book is certain to have its treasure trove of knowledge on this front! But still, reading up on something pales in comparison to witnessing it first hand. It’s...it’s rather-”

 

“Overwhelming?”

 

“No, rather it's enlightening! I'll have to study up on this...see if there are things the book just couldn’t cite down…perhaps study Leonora herself to learn that.”

 

“Don’t do that! You'll make her think she's a freak! You’ll make THEM think THEY’RE lab freaks! Papillon remember they’re still our kids, not some lab rats...”

 

“Ohhhh...you’re right…guess I'll have to take the slow route to learning. It’s just that I got curious...the opportunity arrived again! I could never fully learn with you since you girls never let me...and then...we lost contact with you...and even later...” He sighs.

 

“...I know…” She looks away “I’m sorry...perhaps we should’ve let you…” she sighs also “Maybe you can check on them another time, once they’re fully comfortable and settled in as a unified being.” They both nod in agreement until they hear noises of awe and wonderment. They turn to see Guru Ant return with Pinto, who had just left highschool. The small girl had decorated the ant man’s head as his hair was all tied up by ribbons. The other young adults were chatting with the dolled up guru while Pinto scanned Leonora from head to toe.

 

“Who are yooooou!”

 

“Hey there Pinto, it’s-...actually...I’m Leonora!~”

 

“Your name is similar to my nephew’s! And not only that, but you look like him to!” She gasps “ARE YOU ALSO FROM THE FUTURE?!” Leo overhears her and rushes over.

 

“Auntie Pinto, she’s not from the future...Leonora is actually the fusion of Parappa and Katy!”

 

Leonora giggles “Hey Pinto! He’s tellin the truth! It’s us in here~” The overlapping voices are much more emphasized. The sound blows the young puppy’s mind. She stays there awestruck for a good while, Leonora speaks up again to break the silence “Um..Pinto?...are you ok?” the Puppy quickly latches onto the fused cat’s torso “Is t-this a yes?...”

 

“YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS” Leonora’s eyes flicker a spark towards the other, symbolizing the two beings that made her looking at each other in a confused manner. They soon realize the reason for her excitement and merely turn red.

 

“Erm...Pinto it isn't like _that_ … this is...well...actually- We...I don't know what _this_ even really is yet…I'm still...learning.”

 

“Huh?” Pinto hops off the girl “Actually...now that I really think about it… How did you two even do this?? This is a logical fallacy!”

 

“Eheh…” she taps her index fingers together as she looks to Papillon and Noella. Both groan as they head on over to the puppy. The explanation was brief but it still shook the girl incredibly.

 

“How come I never get to know stuff like this any sooner!...” her tail wags in an upset fashion “And don't say it's cuz I'm to young! I maybe fourteen, but I have a brain capacity and I.Q. that rivals that of super computers! I'm basically a college student if I decided to go through with skipping the grades! So I should be treated as an adult fairly!”

 

“Pinto...it's not that I thought you were too young...it's the just that I didn't want you endangering yourself!” Papa Rappa’s words anger her further.

 

“Oh but you let HIM...HER!......... _THEM_ in on it! And they've been known to be way less careful than I am!” she holds her arms towards Leonora who quickly becomes upset.

 

“I didn’t want them to know EITHER!... They learned about their powers against my control and even more so over what they are… we didn't really have any other option BUT to oblige!” the passing words make the merged duo feel progressively worse and worse. The others don't notice as they focus on the irate puppy.

 

“Like that makes it any better!... And what about _me_ then dad?? Can I do any of this??”

 

“You can… but unlike your brother, you only inherited my abilities. Very little was gained from Europa...but atleast you got something from her!”

 

“So them knowing more made them deserve more information?? They have greater risk than me!” she turns to angrily look at the fused girl, but she's nowhere in sight “Huh?...”

 

PJ frantically looks about “Oh no oh no oh no...just when I finally got through to them…” He glances around and notices in the sky a light trail of vapor and sparks. As he tries to run off, he’s stopped by a metal wall forming in front of his face “OW!...”

 

“Hooooold it PJ.”

 

“But sir! Isn’t them being overly emotional y’know...BAD?!?!” PJ gets annoyed, atleast as much as his face is able to show.

 

“I did. And I’m also saying that they know that. They left silently no? That means they’re probably heading off to an empty space to erm...let it out.”

 

“Alright. I admit that you know phenomenally more than I do in many aspects, but when it comes to emotional baggage sir, I have to object.”

 

“Getting near them could prove...painful PJ. Like with Katy, I treat you like one of my own...so I only look out for your safety…”

 

“And their’s?!...”

 

“I care for their’s as well! Even more so since they’re currently one being! In which it increases the worry!...”

 

“EXACTLY! So that’s why I’m going after them!”

 

“PJ!...”

 

“Mr. Rappa, you aren’t changing my mind. They’re my friends...no...they’re my little brother and sister at this point and only I can ease them back up again! And that’s exactly what I’m gonna do!”

 

Both he and Noella look at one another then back to him “...You’re right. Go on.”

 

“THANK YOU!” He runs off, the rest of the group head off to the older pair.

 

“Yo… Grandpa, Nana...you really agree with him being able to do this on his own?...”

 

“Haha! Of course!... **_NOT!_ ** ” They pace back and forth and Papa Rappa speaks up again.

 

“I’m gonna go to my study and get the book. Noella, you help them find the two of them…”

 

“On it.”

 

“Why is this such a big deal?...The sky is still clear Mr. Rappa...I think...they’re fine for now…” Matt says trying to understand the panic.

 

“Look Matt, it may seem as things are fine now...but that’s probably because they’re holding in the emotions. Something I was hoping would be obvious after their ‘practice’ merge was that all their abilities are available from the get go it seems...so if she were to go in an upset fervor...it could be unpleasant…” Paula recalls her dead Aunt telling her that upsetting a Siren was the last thing that you’d ever want to do. Leonora was technically a Siren herself. A STRONGER Siren thanks to Parappa being a part of her genetic makeup. To top off the threat level was that Leonora can create the reset storm BY HERSELF NOW. The thoughts make Paula dizzy from fear induced nausea. She whimpers as her head turns blue and her eyes turn to black spirals “There! She gets it!”

 

“Care to fill us in Paula?...”

 

“I rather not run those thoughts back in my head again…” she shakes her head to get the thoughts out “NEVERMIND THAT! HE’S GOT A POINT AND WE GOTTA GO GET EM!”

 

“G-Get who exactly?...” Lammy asks.

 

“EITHER! WE EITHER STOP PJ AND THINK THIS OVER PROPERLY. OR WE FIND LEONORA OURSELVES AND TRY TO CALM HER DOWN!”

 

“W-Wouldn’t they have defused by then?...”

 

“That’s another thing I would like to intervene with...the merging ability doesn’t exactly just...run out...not unless the mergers are both exhausted or reached their limit...and both were clearly fit as a fiddle! The only other option would be if they both choose to separate. Yet...clearly they both SHARE the same sentiments...the same pain...the same fear...and they themselves are the only things clinging to one another for a sense of safety. Would you want to split yourself off from that?...” Papa Rappa awaits an answer.

 

Rammy speaks up before anyone else “No…”

 

“Exactly! So think of Leonora not only as a combination of the two, but also, their sanctuary...or their safe space if you will.”

 

“Alright! So that gives us some insight as to how to handle them in case we find them before PJ does...we better move!” Sweety states, getting them all to nod. Leo gets his helmet back from Rammy.

 

“Good! Now you guys go! I gotta go see if there’s anything the book can help us out with…” Papa Rappa runs back into the house while the rest run off. Pinto tries to run off to help to, but is grabbed by Guru Ant.

 

“H-Hey!...Guru put me down!...I wanna go help!...”

 

“Girl I think you’ve done enough right about now…”

 

“Aw don’t blame ME for this!...”

 

“Kinda hard _not_ to. I mean...did you HEAR what you said out loud??” the puppy growls within his hold until she slowly recollects the words that left her mouth.

 

“...O-Oh…”

 

“Yeah. Oh.”

 

“...I mean...can’t I go to apologize?...”

 

“You crazy?... you hear what your old man said? It’s risky to try and get near em while they’re like that!”

 

“But it’s _my_ fault they’re like that!...I might be able to undo it!...”

 

“Forget it! You can apologize when they’re calm again. Lot of good you’ll be able to do if you get hurt in the process! You’ll only make em feel worse because they’ll believe they really are nothing but a monster! And you don’t wanna cause a _big_ mistake like that do you?”

 

“...No…”

 

“Right. So then?”

 

“I’ll wait it out…”

 

“Great. Now let’s go inside...speaking of which...what happened to the door?...”

 

* * *

 

“How did we lose track of PJ?? I mean Leonora it made sense cuz she can fly, but PJ??? Dude doesn’t look like the type to vanish in the blink of an eye!” Kitty says angrily.

 

“Don’t let his looks deceive you. Despite his rather...apathetic appearance. PJ can AND will spring up when he needs to.” Matt brings up “Whatever the reason, be it good or bad. If he deems it something of his interest, he’ll actually do something about it!”

 

“Sheesh...where was that guy earlier today…” They all keep searching about down streets and alleys, looking for the highs and lows in hopes of finding either of them.

 

While that goes down, PJ is back at the park as he heads on into the large grove “Alright...you’re both upset, and you want alone time. And since it’s the two of you together, that feeling is amplified now that you share a body...so what other place would it be but in here?” He runs along the memorized path and soon the trees emit a white light from the approaching exit. He enters the old pond area and spots exactly who was looking for “Called it…~” Leonora was sitting down, her face buried in her knees. She’s heard to be crying, atleast from what PJ can make of the noise from his distance away from her. The tears cement his suspicious, yet they fly upwards. They fly into the mini stormcloud that formed over her head that rains down the tears they shed back over them. It crackles mini thunder at passing intervals “Oh boy...well atleast I found you...Now it’s time to pick you up again.” He walks towards them, but soon steps on and breaks a twig on the ground. The sound alerts the fused girl as she spots the bear and immediately takes to the sky again, popping the storm cloud “W-WAIT! IT’S JUST ME! I PROMISE!” Her flying slows down, but doesn’t stop “Please… it’s all ok. I know what Pinto said must’ve hurt the two of you pretty bad...heck your body has two hearts in it, so getting your feelings hurt literally must hurt twice as bad...but she was just upset!...And your dad...er...half your dad...well he doesn’t have a way with words...and I don’t think your mom-...half your mom could even intervene at all because I think she was afraid she’d say something wrong like he did… but that’s ok. They don’t mean it.” Her flight comes to a halt “Everything is gonna be fine. After all...I'm here for you guys aren’t I? Always have been, always will be.” her tears resume as she divebombs the bear. PJ’s sent off his feet and onto his back upon the grassy ground “H-Hagh...heh...glad to see you two still LOVE doing that to me~...even now many years later…~” The girl cries into his belly as he rubs their head.

 

He remembers that fateful day ten years prior. A massive fire that would leave the two distraught as well as emotionally and mentally frail for years to come, and leave Katy with a phobia of heavy fires and enclosing flames along with crumbling buildings. Once Katy was escorted to Parappa’s family to inform them of the news, mourning lasted the entire day...and upon reaching morning, both Parappa and Katy had run from the household. Search for them began, but no one knew where they ran off to. Except for PJ who decided to take a shot in the dark by himself. He heads into the grove and soon spots the two ten year olds by the pond, doing their best to not cry.

 

_“I thought I’d find the two of you here.”_

 

_“G-Go a-away!...”_

 

_“A-And don’t t-tell anyone we’re here…!”_

 

PJ stays silent as he just continues walking forward, they continue telling him to beat it, but he ignores them _“It must hurt.”_ he stops walking _“Having to hold all that grief in and not let it out.”_ The two merely shake as they hold onto their heads. The bears words upsetting them _“I mean, she’d probably be proud seeing how tough the two of you are.”_ they close their eyes _“But at the same time. She’d also want you two to cry. What happened was the worst thing ever. She obviously would know that, and knows when it’s a time to grieve. And what you’re doing now isn’t a healthy thing...just running and hiding away from it all...she wouldn’t approve.”_

 

 _“_ **_WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW?!..._ ** _”_ they both shout, yelling at the teddy who stares at them, unfazed by their fluctuating emotions.

 

 _“Not much, and at the same time, alot. Because not knowing is its own way of knowing. I don’t need to see Mrs. Rappa here to know she’d be upset. You’re hiding from the truth. Yes, I know the current truth is something you wish wasn’t so. Believe me, I do to. But is this a healthy thing you’re doing? She wouldn’t think so. And you wouldn’t wanna disrespect her right?”_ they stare at him angrily, but falter in their stance because as much as they hate admit to it, he’s correct _“I wanna cry. Mrs. Rappa was super nice to me, to a point she felt like a second mother to me. And I did cry when I found out, but then I heard that you two ran off from it. That’s when I figured that it was time to stop crying.”_

 

 _“H-How could you stop?!”_ their voices warble.

 

 _“Because she would want me to. Something more urgent happened that needs me to be usual old me.”_ he extends his arms _“Come on now you two.”_

 

 _“S-Shut up!...”_ their voices break.

 

_“I’m a teddy bear, i’ll be a joy to hug in order for you both to let it all out.”_

 

 _“I-It’s...f-fine…”_ their eyes grow misty.

 

 _“It will be. Come on guys, mom’s gone, but big bro’s here to pick up the slack… and he says that it’s ok. We can cry for her together.”_ His last sentence was their breaking point. They shut their eyes an run into him, sending them all into the air and ontop of him as he lands on his back _“Ow.”_ he looks down to the two crying into his belly _“Heh. Better to let go of the negative so that the positive can return. I don’t want to see you guys like this again. Although, I wouldn’t really mind.~”_ he pets the two crying animals as the memory ends.

 

“Some things just never change, and that’s alright.” He sighs “They always talk about your emotional instability, but never the reasons as to why you both are like that to begin with...hell...Katy even got a heavy phobia out of it...and it only got worse as the years go on, but is that ever the topic of discussion? Nope…” He notices a heavy lack of sniffling and crying, when he turns his attention back to the girl, he spots her fully asleep “Heh...normally _I_ would be the one doing that~...what’s happened to me. I barely eat much or sleep much these days. I mean Sweety’s enjoying my healthier habits...but she’s also concerned for me on account of me shaking it off so...easily recently.” he rubs his head “Eh...guess it’s worry? If so then why is it only kickin in now? I guess I’ll try and figure it out later. And speaking of figuring things out...I figured you two would defuse if you’re asleep like this...but nope...you’re still merged! How...neat. I wonder what else you can do with this body…”

 

* * *

 

The gang all regroup, missing Noella, Paula and Leo. The latter two arrive as they fly down towards them.

 

“Any luck?...” Lammy asks the arriving duo.

 

“Negative. You'd think a bird's-eye view would be much more helpful, but no luck.”

 

“I checked around obscure spots I thought they'd be hiding in, but no luck there either.” Once Paula says that, both she and Leo sigh in defeat. They all discuss where any other possible locations could be.

 

“You think they might’ve left town?...”

 

“We can only hope they didn't Uncle Matt...that...would be really bad…” _In more ways than you can imagine…_

 

“What areas haven't we checked…!” Sweety says, starting to grow desperate.

 

“Maybe...we're over thinking t-this?...or are w-we not thinking enough…” After Lammy brings that up, Noella arrives.

 

“Or maybe you just overlooked a tiny detail. You were all looking for spots they would think up...separately. It did not occur to you all to try a place they'd try together.”

 

“Mrs. Kat, places like that would qualify for separate things as well since they share hangouts! We've already tried all our usual ones first!” Matt states, clearly offended.

 

“Again. Overlooking. What about a place that's just a usual hangout for _them_ specifically.” the wording hurts Matt, defeating his pride as he accepts that she's right. He slumps over and Paula responds for him.

 

“But do we know _their_ specific hangouts?...”

 

“Oh I'm certain you know their most special!” clicking goes off in all their heads until they all, minus Leo, catch on.

 

“The pond at the park!”

 

“Bingo!”

 

“The what now?” Leo asks, completely confused.

 

“Just follow them and go see for yourself precious! I must go inform Papillon of where he'll need to go!” everyone nods, and they're off without a moment's rest.

 

* * *

 

“... Man I wanna sleep to...but I don't wanna risk you wakin up and ditching me in my snoozin.” PJ sighs.

 

“We won't…”

 

“WHOA!...you woke up quickly.”

 

“Guess we...I did...you can rest...we'll still be here…”

 

“Well I don't wanna sleep _now_. I wanted to snooze along with you! But you're awake now so might as well be by your side. Can't do that if I'm asleep.”

 

“But-”

 

“I can't be of help if I'm leaving ya alone just to snooze for a lil. This is fine, I mean it.” He gives her a cheesy grin, a familiar one he would constantly do five years ago.

 

The sight gives more safety to the girl as she grips onto his stomach tighter, causing his body to release a squeaky noise, much like when Sweety clocked him in the face “...”

 

“Something up?”

 

“My bra and underwear…”

 

“...Excuse me?”

 

“Parappa’s hat...it became parts of the fabric that made my undergarments…you were curious…”

 

“I said I wasn’t THAT curious!...” He forces his eyes to look away “How’d you even figure that out??”

 

“I buried my head into my shirt to yell…caught a glimpse...simple really...and when I went to check to see if I was fully a girl, I recall the underwear as well…”

 

“This is info I was not ready to learn. And I don’t think I would ever be ready.” He hears her stifle a laugh “Well atleast one of us is enjoying my awkward suffering!”

 

“We’re not exactly enjoying it~...” They both laugh as they sit upright.

 

“Feelin a lil bit better again?~”

 

“Yeah~...Thanks...again~”

 

“Don’t thank me, just the older sibling doing his thang~” He brings them closer with one arm “Don’t let em get to you alright? They don’t really mean it. So when you’re split again or still together, know that everything will stay the same.”

 

“We got it~...”

 

“Good.” They both sit by the water, and quickly Leonora speaks up again.

 

“This is gonna take it’s time getting used to…”

 

“Is that why you guys haven’t defused? You wanna get a better feel of the body?”

 

“Well...not exactly...we feel...safer like this…”

 

“Oh, well I understand that easily...but you can’t stay fused forever!”

 

“...Can’t we?...”

 

“I mean...you guys do have your own lives to live separately. Parappa can’t end up as Leo’s dad if he doesn’t exist thanks to being Leonora currently!”

 

“...I know…we know...”

 

“Hey hey! That doesn’t mean you can’t fuse again at all! After all, you two are roommates. So all you gotta do is be on the same wavelength and choice and poof, Leonora returns again. Just make sure you return to being separate beings time and time again alright?”

 

“Ok…” she grips the grass tightly “Can we stay Leonora a little longer now?...”

 

“...Yeah. I think you guys deserve a little more ‘alone’ time. But I get to ask some stuff in the meanwhile!”

 

“That’s fair.” They look back to the water “What do you wanna ask?...”

 

The teddy bear holds his hands together as he taps his mouth. He thinks of what he’s about to ask, but he also figures it’d be nice to not overload her with things and try to get her to shift emotions. His face grows plain, clearly showing he found what to start with “If you were to wank off as you are now, does it count as mutual jacking off or does it count as sex?” Not a second after the words leave PJ’s mouth, he’s flooded by a torrent of water that was pulled from the pond. He isn’t moved from the spot he sits in, but he’s still left soaked. His face is still as empty as ever, but once the water stops, he’s left laughing heartily “Well that’s a fair response if any!”

 

“PJ what the FUCK was that question?!?!”

 

“Got your mind off everything else didn’t it?~”

 

“Ah...we-...I...reeeeeeally dislike you right about now.”

 

“But am I right or am I right?~”

 

“And you say you aren’t that curious…”

 

“I had to think up something that’d blow your thoughts away from all that in one fell swoop! I’d say I did phenomenally well~” She grunts in an unamused manner “And I did say I wasn’t THAT curious, but I was still curious regardless~”

 

The water pulls back around her aggressively, but stops and launches back into the pond hole once she gets an idea. She smiles and decides to toy with him back “Well if that’s the case, would you rather we figure that out right now! I can undress and you can see the cute hat themed underwear I got as well~” She teasingly lifts her shirt and lowers her pants a smidge.

 

“Heeeeeey! Stop it.” He turns around.

 

“Aw what’s the matter?~ You’ve seen us wearing nothing but air itself before!”

 

“Yeah, when we were KIDS...below the age of seven, when sharing baths and the like was just a common thing for us three! Now we’re adults! I don’t think the same logic applies!” He shakes his head “Have some modesty! Either of you!”

 

“Sorry! But half of us had Rammy rub off on them extremely and so all of us is to take influence~”

 

“It’s also awkward for the two of you to do this...TOGETHER!...Not to mention, please don’t tease me to much...recall I do have a lovely girlfriend!...who I hope I end up more with eventually.”

 

“Oh relax you dummy, it’s not like we...me is asking to date you! We both have our own preferences! And they stay while fused!”

 

“...Hey...come to think of it...you both currently have a thing for one another...how does that...correlate in your mind as Leonora…” The girl stops her teasing efforts altogether as she just holds her face. As she heats up, so does the water as it bubbles up, steam erupting from the surface of water “It...it seriously never came up?!...well you did have your mind on other things…” he sighs as he tries to place a hand on her shoulder to get her to ease up and forget the whole thing, but upon doing so he’s shocked from the touch “YEOUCH!...”

 

His yelp snaps them out of their self embarrassment as she gets a better grip on her abilities “S-Sorry sorry…” Leonora sits back down “Heh...guess they were sorta right with emotions getting a crazy grip on these things!...”

 

“I mean...i’m partly to blame for that...but it wasn’t negative emotions! Just love that made you go wildly!”

 

“Erm...yeah…” she starts motioning her hands about. Water rises and separates from the pond as it swerves around in a cycle. Her tail also moves to and fro, causing little jolts of electricity to dance about in the air around it “I have such an easier grasp over this, relatively, while fused as Leonora it seems…”

 

“What do you think you can do?”

 

“Not to sound like I have an ego...but...anything…”

 

“Hmm...I can believe you there. I mean you do have two brains in that bod. More focus, more control and whatnot.”

 

“But we also have two times the abilities…”

 

“True, but they're all in ONE body with TWICE the amount of control needed.”

 

“I guess there's some truth to that.” she looks at her hands “...Wanna help me out?”

 

“I'd be honored and would do the best I could.”

 

“Before I start...does your body...have or produce liquids in it??... Being a teddy bear and all…I'm asking so in case...I lose it again...that I can't liquid pull you…”

 

“...Weeeeeeeell...my...my anatomy is weird...I have blood, but no organs, bones, viens, muscles and the like. I have stuffing that counts as my ‘meat’ and organs. Thin long threads that count as my ‘viens’. And thick multi knot braids as my ‘bones’. Only thing is, the braids and threads aren't really that necessary to me. If they break or tear, I can still move. So it's for show if anything. The thing I really need is my stuffing I guess. But my body constantly ‘makes more’, along with my blood, so I can never bleed out.”

 

“Why do you say that so nonchalantly?...”

 

“To get you prepared.”

 

“Prepared for what?...”

 

“In case a limb of mine gets ripped off.”

 

“WHAT?!”

 

“Relax! I'm a toy, you can sew it back on. Even so, my dad's a legitimate bear so thanks to those genetics, it makes my fabric skin almost impossible to rip. But it has happened to me before some way or another, so I'm just telling you to keep calm. It'll sting, but I'll be a hundred percent be alright. I'm nearly invincible really, I could be 100 percent dismembered and I'd still be alright as long as you could put me back together. If you couldn't, then yeah I'd be boned. Good luck putting me in that position though! I'm made of tougher stuff for a squeaky teddy! If you liquid held me it wouldn't hurt much! Unless you started to crunch me, but I could atleast be put back together!”

 

“STOP!...y-you’re making us ill…” she's seen breathing heavily as she holds her stomach.

 

“W-WHOA WHOOPS…” he scoots over to her and begins rubbing her back “Eheh...TMI?...”

 

“B-Big time…”

 

“Sorry...I uh...always knew you guys would never like that fact about me...and I never knew when to bring it up...I thought now would've been a good time…”

 

“There NEVER would've been a good time to explain THAT…”

 

“Yeah well...with us...you never know.”

 

“...I don't ever wanna see you all ripped up…”

 

“Ehhh? Don't you have faith that I'll never let that happen to me?!”

 

“Yeah well...with us...you never know huh?...”

 

“I hate it when you guys do that…” he sighs “I'll be fine. Don't you worry alright? It's gonna take alot to pull me apart! Now come on! Let's see what we can do with you!” he gets and walks into the water until it's upto his belly “Come on in! You'll probably feel a little more natural in one of your two elements! In this case water!”

 

“N-Now?? But my clothes will get wet!...and it'll probably stay that way even once we separate again!...”

 

“You're at one with water, I'm sure you can get it all off or dry yourself off instantly or SOMETHING.”

 

“What if we can't…”

 

“If you both get sick, I'll be there to nurse you right back to full health since it was my idea in the first place. Gotta take responsibility for my actions.”

 

“...O-Ok…” she closes her eyes and begins walking towards the water after him.

 

“That’s it, there you g-” PJ shuts up once he sees them not enter the water, instead they are walking along the surface “...Oh boy.” he rolls his eyes.

 

The girl feels the air and immediately opens her eyes. She notices that she's walking on water “W-WHOA! LOOK AT ME!”

 

“I'm lookin alright.”

 

She starts laughing joyfully as she starts jumping and running about the waters surface, as if it were extended ground to her. Rolling and sliding like a happy child “THIS IS AMAZING~”

 

“I'd say. Not what I had in mind, but look at you now.”

 

She starts grabbing and molding a certain bit of the water and makes a liquid snowman “HIIIIII!”

 

“Hello!~” the snowman says, shocking the girl.

 

“WHOAAAAAAAAAAA!” her excitement causes the waterman to melt back into the pond “Awww…” she then gets an idea, she snaps her fingers and multiple waterman from from the water “HELLO ALL!”

 

“Hi Leonora!” they all say together. The girl merely giggles at the sight as the watermen wiggle their makeshift stick hands. Suddenly from the center of the pond rises a massive waterman that completely melts all the smaller ones.

 

**“HELLO LEONORA!”**

 

Leonora levitate off the water and flies to his face, pecking him on the forehead “HI BIG GUY!”

 

“What am I even looking at anymore?~” PJ smiles at the girl who's having fun.

 

The big waterman jiggles violently before popping and returning to the water. The girl gleefully floats back down as she glides along the water surface. As she skims along it, water rises in multicolored pillars, spraying out like geysers “EEEEEEEE~” she flies circles around PJ, causing a mini whirlpool to spin him around wildly.

 

“WHOAWHOAWHOAWHOA!” as he spins, he's pulled out of the water. Once he's out, he stops spinning. As he lands back onto the water, he doesn't fall in. Instead he bounces on the surface as if it were jelly “HUH??” he spots Leonora bouncing on the jelly water, having the time of her life.

 

“WEEEEEEEEEHEHEHEHEEEEEEE!”

 

“Man...you're amazing.” he smiles again around he also takes part in the bouncing. They bounce until Leonora makes massive bubbles fly out of the water. One of them scoops up PJ from within. Once up in the air, she hip checks the bubble PJ’s in, causing him to be ejected out and bounce off the other bubbles in a ricochet “WHOOOOOOOOHOHOOOOOAAA!” he eventually stops and bounces on a singular bubble only. Leonora does the same as she spawns backup dancers and water clones to join them on the remaining bubbles. They all bounce on their own bubble and bounce from bubble to bubble. PJ finds himself enjoying himself along with the Leonora’s as they all bounce about. The real Leonora bounces over to PJ and pops his bubble as he’s left falling back to the water. All the other bubbles pop and the other Leonora’s dive into the water and turn it back into actual liquid rather than jelly. PJ flutters his arms as he tries to avoid a painful belly flop, but just before he makes impact, he’s grabbed by the cat girl as his feet dangle on the water's surface.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“What do you mean what am I doing?! You dropped me!”

 

“No I didn’t. You could’ve just flown around!”

 

“I DON’T FLY!...EVEN IF I DID AWAKEN MY ABILITIES! FLIGHT ISN’T ONE OF THEM LIKE YOURS!”

 

“Well duh silly we know that! That’s why we’re helpin you! Just relax and fly around!”

 

“I c-can’t!”

 

“Just trust us!” the teddy grips on their hand tightly.

 

“Alright…” As he says that, his feet feel lighter as they flicker and skim on the water. Leonora lets go of him, but he doesn’t fall. He’s floating gently above the water “H-How am I-”

 

“You’re welcome~” She boops him on his nose as he floats around gently.

 

“Is it...temporary?...”

 

“Well, yeah. Once you decided to land, my magic will run out the second your feet touch solid ground again.”

 

“Oh so temporary by my choice?...”

 

“Yeah! Since I did to you what I did to the bubbles and those water snowmen!”

 

“I’m not gonna pop am I?...”

 

“Are you made of water like they were?”

 

“Well...obviously not.”

 

“There’s your answer!~”

 

“Alright...now...why’d you do this?...” he struggles to float about.

 

“What do you mean why?” She floats into his face “You can’t really enjoy this with us if you’re on the ground!~” She grabs him and yanks him towards the center of the pond where they dance. They skim along the water’s luminescent surface as PJ starts adjusting to his lightweight flight. She squeezes the teddy in a hug “I wanna see what else I can do!”

 

“I do to! Let see what other amazing things you can do!” She holds on tightly to his hand as they ascend to the sky.

 

* * *

 

The others finally reach the entrance of the grove.

 

“Ok! We made it!...slight problem…” Paula holds her head and sighs.

 

“What would that be?” Leo asks, not understanding the situation.

 

“We...don’t fully know the path we gotta go. Only Katy, Parappa and PJ know it and...currently neither of them are here.” Matt scratches his head as he kicks a tree.

 

“This place has quite a winding path, it’s very specific and not knowing the right way will either spit you out through a different entrance or worse, get you lost with no way out!” Paula waves her arms towards the trees.

 

“How?? Is the place magic or something?!”

 

“Yes actually.” Sweety answers the helmet boy.

 

“I’m sorry what.”

 

“It was made by Katy’s long dead grandmother. And we had quite the adventure there!” Sweety recalls the adventure they had in the alternate zone within the pond. Leo recalls Katy telling him this herself.

 

Leo, Kitty and Rammy shake their heads and then the helmet boy speaks up “Soooo...you sure they’re in there?”

 

“Positive. I only hope they aren’t in the alternate zone.”

 

“I don’t think they’d want to hide that far.” Noella says as she arrives with Papa Rappa who is still quite a ways away. Walking backwards for some reason.

 

“Nana! Why’s that?”

 

“Because they still want to stay around. I can easily assume that they don’t fully shut themselves in. They still wish to see you all soon.”

 

“Then why hide away anyway??”

 

“Everyone needs some time to themselves when it comes to an emotional breakdown.” the others merely look at the trees.

 

Papa Rappa finally arrives “Ok, big oops on my behalf, turns out there’s MULTIPLE books. I only said the one cuz I was in the middle of reading it still.”

 

“But didn’t you know this knowledge for years sir??” Paula’s silenced by the elder dog slamming a massive and thick book in between them all.

 

“It’s the most I could read from this one book alone while still busy!” He starts panting from lugging the massive thing around “Oh boyo...ok! Things I’ve learned. They’re a female because of Katy. The ability of fusion will always result in a girl if there’s atleast one when fusing together. Another thing, I made a mistake. Thanks to their bonds. Their fusion is a perfect fusion. So even if they’re exhausted, or say fall asleep, they’ll stay fused. They can only split if they both decide to separate. And because said fusion is a perfect one, all their abilities are available from the getgo, they only need to know how to use them.”

 

“That’s alot to get down from their simple fusion…” Rammy tugs at her horns.

 

“And there’s still loads more! It’s such a massive brain teaser!” he then looks around “Why are we looking around and not going towards them?...”

 

“We don’t know how to navigate through...only they do…” Matt scratches his face.

 

“Ah...well atleast we know they’re in there and they’ll have to walk out and into u-” They all see the two fly out into the sky and dash off along the air “Oh hey would you look at that…”

 

“A-After them!” Noella attempts to run off, but nearly trips over when they don’t budge.

 

“Do we gotta? They seem alot calmer now judging by the look on their faces.” Sweety says holding everyone back. Everyone decides to quickly catch a glimpse of their faces and see that she’s right.

 

“PJ did it! Again!” Kitty says, amazed.

 

“While I will agree that PJ proved me wrong, it still would be nice to follow them just in case as you never can be prepared…” Everyone starts thinking it over “Better safe than sorry right?...”

 

“What he said, think up as many safety nets!”

 

“Guys...you do recall that Leonora IS made from your kids right?...”

 

“We do! I know it sounds like we don’t care or have little to no faith in them, but we do care! It’s just that we know they also care about what they do! If they hurt someone, do you think they’ll be able to live with it?...”

 

“...” They’re all left silent. Despite the harsh methods of handling them, the two were in the right mind set. With that all agreed on, they all head after them.

 

The duo fly into the sky, and with her free hand, Leonora holds it out like a finger gun with her index finger coated in static. It sparkles in pink lightning as she shoots it off into the blue sky. It causes a pink flash to burn along the sky and once it ends, the blue sky was now pure pink “HAHAAAAAAA!~” she fires off more bolts as sky goes from red, to green, to purple, black, white and orange before stopping at yellow “THIS IS AMAZING!” PJ let’s go of her hand so that she can use both of them to see what she can do. She holds both hands together as finger guns and fires off a white pellet. It expands once far enough into the sky and streaks along the air. She had created a shooting star “OH MY GOOOOOOOD!~” she fires off an endless barrages, creating a spectacle of a meteor shower. PJ watches her, elated with her joy. Proving to herself that she was of no harm to anyone.

 

The group on the ground all watch what she does as they manage to keep up.

 

“Wow…” Lammy says starstruck by the new color sky.

 

“Look at her go!” Paula watches the endless shooting stars glide along the sky.

 

“For something that’s ‘sposed to be dangerous, it really ain’t lookin like it to me!” Kitty states.

 

“Same here Kit!” Rammy immediately replies.

 

Leonora finds herself satisfied with the shooting stars she’s launched and then opens both her hands back up as she holds them together and up in the air “LET THERE BE MORE **_LIGHT_ ** !~” she charges up a multicolored ball as she separates her hands **_“SHAZAM!~”_ ** She claps her hands together, crushing the ball as she does so. A blinding glare flashes by in a split second, only to then be replace by a sky that was slowly alternating color and brightness in a slow pastel fashion. As if the sky were a disco ball for the entirety of the land below “RAAAAAAAAAAAAVE IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP!~” she spins as she causes the water and lightning to converge around her into clouds that cover the sky and turn the slowly changing sky into a multi colored light kaleidoscope. Light flickered from every opening available as thunder started booming. But the booms were following a rhythmic beat as it sound like club beats.

 

“Talk about your eye candy...puts my old club to shame by comparison~” Leo’s helmet mimics the beats it hears.

 

Leonora flies back into PJ “A PARTY THIS BIG AND AMAZING NEEDS A DJ TO MATCH!~”

 

“Wha-? But I can’t play up here! I don’t even-” Leonora snaps her fingers. Metal flies up towards them as they combine into a DJ turntable. She then creates another set of shooting stars in her hands. She flattens them all into one big star that’s about as thin as a record. She spins it on her claw, digging a hole through the middle. She then pulls out her claw and tugs at disk from both sides. It pulls off and reveals an exact copy of the original star disk. She passes both star disks to him “Turn it up with THESE big guy!~”

 

“I…” PJ grabs both disks. He eyes them both carefully. He looks at the turntable which is brimming with its own self sustaining electric charge. He then looks at the massive spectacle of lights, sound and stars that create the one time only celestial club as everyone on the ground level starts walking out to witness the lights.

 

* * *

 

(“...Yo pops, look. The sky’s changing colors.”)

 

(“Yes Mar...the sky does that…”) Papa-Ma takes a sip of his coffee only to spit it out instantly after seeing the sky change colors radically. Both him and his daughter exit the pharmacy to see what had become of the sky (“Ooooh...this gives me so much bad nostalgia…”)

 

(“What are you on about pops? This just looks like the setting to one HELL of a party!”) Papa-Ma runs off to see if he can find Papa Rappa while Ma-san trails along afterwards (“HEY! WAIT UP!...What the heck got to him??”)

 

* * *

 

“Come on guys! Put your backs into it!” A bee girl shouts as all the ex hell shadows behind her start working on the multiple establishments in the area.

 

“With this much help, we’ll be done in no time eh Athena?”

 

“Should be Spinni, but rushed work ain’t good work. Gotta follow Sixteen’s and Gloria’s schematics to a T!” Both bugs nod as they pick head off with the hell shadows. Along with them are some builders who were also contracted to help out. Two of which are the exact same responsible for when a truck accidentally ran amok in the town.

 

“Why are we taking our time with this?...A job like this could be finished in no time…”

 

“That bee lady wants us to take our time with this, and she’s got a point. If we rush, the final product will end up shoddy.”

 

“Atleast they’ll get their end result quicker…”

 

“Hey, they’re paying, so it’s our responsibility to make it efficient.”

 

“Aight aight...let’s just keep movin…”

 

As they all work, the ex hell shadows of the main group notice the sky.

 

“Yo...is the sky supposed to look like a techno wonderland?” Chris looks about the colors.

 

“You tell us, you were up here the most!” Charlotte responds with a roll of the eyes.

 

“Yeah, but I ain’t ever seen it do shit like this! Only got dark when a storm was brewin, and the only storm I seen was when Raparra pissed off Katy and Parappa to a point they almost killed us all in one go. Or atleast tried to from their unconscious shit.”

 

“T-Think that requires our attention?...” AJ asks, now terrified.

 

“Wouldn’t hurt. Beats skulking around here with endless work!” Charlotte drops what she’s doing and runs off.

 

(“I can dig this idea!”) Fei-bo runs after her.

 

“H-HEY! YOU CAN’T JUST!...Fucking...ugh...come on AJ.” the last two run off after them. Spinni and Athena overheard the group that ran off as they converse with each other.

 

“Did you hear what they said?...”

 

“I did, and I’m sure you’re overreacting as badly as they did Spinni. Like usual.”

 

“Perhaps, but there’s also the chance that this could be a complete and utter mess!”

 

“‘Psshaw...this ain’t nothing bad.”

 

Spinnit tugs at his antenna aggressively as he’s unable to convince his older sister to check on the situation. He stops once an idea pops in his head “Sure. Probably isn’t. Better to let Leo handle it then. Walking up to danger on his ow-”

 

 **_“I’M COMIN BUDDY!”_ ** she bursts off in a sonic boom.

 

“Waaaaay to easy…Alright lemme just get Sixteen and I’ll be right after her!”

 

* * *

 

“Aunt Bella look! The sky is brimming in a wondrous spectacle of light!” Kayla watches the beautiful skylight show.

 

“Oh? Well the sky is no stranger to doing thaaaaaaaaaa-”

 

“Aunt Bella?...” Kayla watches her aunt fly out of the building like a bullet “A-Auntie??” Kayla flies after.

 

* * *

 

PJ was nervous. Always feeling inferior when it came to his love of music compared to his friends. To THESE two specifically! They could sing and play and that just felt like he was leagues below them from how unfair it all was. But he couldn't be jealous because at the same time, he was proud. So very proud of the names they made for themselves. The distances they traveled. And here they were, watching him be with them all along. He felt an emotion, was it happiness? Shock? He didn't know. It was foreign yet at the same time common. Whatever the emotion was, he payed it no mind. With a quick motion, he throws the disks backwards and they land perfectly in the slots where they need to be placed. He then smiles and pulls out some pointed glasses that he immediately places on his face along with some head phones “Ready for the DJ to turn it up?~” he smiles in the same old smile that he did not that long ago. That cheesy smile that was lost some years ago.

 

“We always are!~” he starts by spinning one of the tracks. The record could be heard scratching through the clouds. The clouds then part slightly to reveal the celestial DJ playing amidst the clouds. The beat was one that they all knew, but never performed. It was the exact same song Parappa had to sing along with Leo on the first day they ever met. A song that was apparently belonging to Parappa. It was time to listen, time to enjoy oneself and one another. It was time to.

 

_Love Together_

 

The music plays and everyone on the ground starts to gaze at the sky while others begin dancing as the music goes on and on and on.

 

“You know grandpa, looks like you were wrong one hundred percent!” Leo says as he looks to PJ’s performance and Leonora’s dancing.

 

“You know Leo my boy...you're right…” he sighs “I have...alot of apologizing to do after this…”

 

Before Leo can reply, he's smashed to the ground by Athena **_“BUDDY! ARE YOU ALRIGHT? IS THAT THING IN THE SKY DANGEROUS? WANT ME TO  D E S T R O Y IT?!”_ **

 

“Athena no! Cool it! That's just my friends!”

 

“Oh…” She helps the boy upright as she stares at the sky “What are they doing?”

 

“Performing by the looks of it!” Spinni says as he arrives with 16-bits. As the other young adults want to ask what they’re doing here, their ex hell shadows arrive.

 

“Yooooohoooooo! Gonna throw on another big party and not invite us?~” Charlotte proclaims as she arrives with the other three.

 

“Not like we knew it was gonna happen either!” Paula shouts out to her double. They all look at the rising music.

 

Bella and Papa-Ma arrive to meet up with Papa Rappa and Noella as they immediately question them to see what was going on. To which they immediately calm them down “No no! This isn’t that! It’s something much more...extravagant!” the joining two merely stare at the waiting two as they look up at the sky together. While they do that, Ma-san and Kayla tag along with the others who fill them in as well. Everyone looks to the sky striking DJ as he causes the light flashes to go in rhythm with his commands. The cat girl flies across the sky as she glides and dances to the beat, singing to herself lightly as it all goes down.

 

 _Love~_ she flies along the ground with a current of water beside her. She splashes it all over every plant in her path. Watering them, and reinvigorating them all on the spot.

 

 _Love~_ she zaps multiple electronic devices, restoring their power back to full. Also causing then to play along.

 

 _Love Together Baby!~_ she zaps a tree that has a loads of objects stuck within it that small children have been trying to pull out with no luck. The tree shrinks down allowing the kids to reclaim their toys.

 

 **_LOVE!~_ ** she jumps into a TV on display and warps between tv to tv. Her face on the TV she was currently on. The TV’s she left were emitting a letter instead. Once she hopped out of the TV’s, all of them together said LOVE TOGETHER.

 

 **_LOVE!~_ ** she blows out a large kiss that ejects pink bubbles in the shape of hearts. In the bubbles were light sparkles of electricity, making them seem like strobe lights as the hovered over the sky.

 

 **_LOVE TOGETHER BABY!~_ ** she flew over to where the ex hell shadows were working and claps her hands. All their objects fly out of their hands and start combining together in a mini twister that explodes out. In that instant, all of the buildings were constructed flawlessly as needed as PaRappa Town now had a new section to it. The hell shadows homes were complete.

 

 _AHHH YOU'VE GOT TO SHOOOOOW ME YOUR SMILE, LOVE TOGETHER AHHH AHHHHHH~_ Leonora flies off and hugs herself as she spins in the center of the sky just above PJ. A white ring leaves her mouth and expands over the entirety of the town. Obviously, everyone is struck. But they aren't hypnotized or anything. Instead they all feel relaxed. They feel calm. They feel happy just like her. They all can't help but smile as she asked.

 

The music goes on for a while as everyone dances under the partying sky. Eventually the music ends as PJ performs his iconic crossed arm pose. Everyone cheers and applauds “Haha. I'm moving on up in life! LITERALLY!~” the duo eventually land, changing the sky back to normal, and are quickly swarmed by the group that was looking all over for them.

 

“That was amazing!” Charlotte bounces in joy.

 

“YOU guys were amazing!” Lammy shouts gleefully.

 

Leonora curtsy’s cutely, overwhelmed by the cheers “Aw it wasn’t that big a thing from us…~ PJ played the music~...”

 

“You two gave me that opportunity, take SOME credit why dontcha!” PJ says with a laugh and a pat on their back.

 

(“They really are a combination of the two of them. Wow what a bewildering thing.”) Ma-san eyes Leonora as Papa Rappa and Noella walk up to them.

 

“Parap-...”

 

“Ka-...” Both sigh and speak up together.

 

‘Leonora, we're...deeply sorry for our choice of words and actions. Clearly we misjudged you poorly. Emotions or not, you could never be a threat. Only a joy to behold by everything and everyone!”

 

The cat girl can barely hold her smile behind her hands as she crushes the two in a massive hug. Their combine strength ended up magnified immensely, but only started kicking in now, much to the older two's poor backs “APOLOGIES ACCEPTED!~”

 

“W-WE’RE...GLAD…BELIEVE US WE...ARE!...”

 

“NOW PLEASE...STOP...BREAKING OUR S-SPINES…”

 

“Huh?...Oh whoopsie!” she let's go of the two. Their midsection’s were now obscenely thin. As if they were a soft toy that was gripped much too tightly. Which wasn't far from the truth “Golly we're...I'm alot stronger than I look!”

 

“We'll say…” their parent’s reply gets them to glow red from embarrassment as they release a guilty giggle.

 

“You guys are quite the girl!” Matt says as he walks up to them “You did quite alot as you were dancing!”

 

“Well we kinda got lost in the happy!”

 

“I'll say! You finished our work and THEN some!” Spinni states from the sky as he stares at the new district added to PaRappa Town.

 

“We did?...” she flies off to see the new massive section added to the town thanks to her. Her mouth drops, amazed at what she made “We...did all that?...”

 

“You mean you didn’t notice?”

 

“Nuh-uh…”

 

“Hey don't leave us in the dark!” Kitty shouts angrily from the ground

 

“Well, wanna show everyone your amazing job? I'd reckon they'd be pretty amazed!” the girl nods at lightning speed “Well then, get down there and lead the way!” she wastes no time flying to the ground.

 

* * *

 

Everyone walks into the new section with mouths agape. They look at the new buildings that were constructed on a whim.

 

“And here I thought Europa and I were quick when it came to this! Yet it looks like I was right. They made something that puts our work to shame by comparison!” Papa Rappa admires the buildings and houses.

 

“Aw they aren't THAT great dad…~” Leonora hugs herself. Overflowing with emotions.

 

In the distance the two workers were storing leftover building materials.

 

“I'm thankful that flying girl helped out with our job, but she could've also helped with the clean up!”

 

“Be happy we received help at all! You said you wanted to finish quickly and now here we are. Now be careful with that! Last time we did something like this, I ended up sending the truck on a mad run all over town!”

 

“Now even we ain't THAT stupid to cause that to happen again!” he places a leftover beam that pokes through and hits the gear shift, setting it on drive as, it knocks a concrete block fragment onto of the gas pedal. The truck starts moving forward on its own “Wuh oh…”

 

“Stop it stupid!...”

 

“Workin on it!...” he climbs about the storage area and climbs forward until he gets a good grip on the emergency brake. He yanks on it, getting the truck to jerks forward in place as it comes to a stop “Haha! Not todaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIEEEEEE!” the truck falls back from its stunted position. The motion chucks all the junk that was inside it, the worker being apart of it as he's slingshot out.

 

“We really needa seek a new profession…” the remaining guy throws his hard hat on the ground as he watches his buddy fly off into the sky.

 

Leonora is basking in her joy as everyone admires her. Atleast until they hear a shout from above “MOVE OUTTA THE WAAAAAAYYYYY! INCOMING DANGEROUS TRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!” he shouts as he clings to the sharp beam he's on for dear life. Everyone panics and runs away. Leo, Spinni and Athena smash the incoming junk as Sixteen, Papillon, Noella and Marcel blast the rest. Kayla, Paula and Bella create ice walls to shield the others from things that slip through. Leonora finally takes note of all the noise as she notices what's going on.

 

“What's going...on?” she sees the worker clearly praying for safety while on the sharp beam that's about to impale her in the face. She's unable to move or react as her eyes widen. A whimper escapes their mouth as they prepare for impact.

 

“MOVE!...” PJ slams Leonora out of the way with one clean shove from his left arm. The beam misses the girl and instead slices through PJ’s arm, separating it from the rest of his body “GYAHAHAHOUCH!...” blood and stuffing eject from the open hole that was freshly cut from the beam that embeds itself into the concrete.

 

The cat girl rubs her head from the sudden impact and slowly opens her eyes. The first thing she sees is the severed arm of the plush toy bear. Her eyes widen as the color from her pupils vanish. She eyes the guy attached to the beam that caused it as she also spots the teddy holding his arm stump. She floats to her feet. Lightning and water storming beneath her feet as her eyes emit a blue and yellow shine. Her hair wildly whips about as if it were caught in heavy winds. The guy opens his eyes to see the flight over “Oh thank the staRGHS…” his body floats out into the air on its own. PJ opens his eyes to see Leonora with her arm held out as the worker is lifted higher and higher into the sky.

 

“You…hurt...my...friend…” he stops moving.

 

“I DIDN’T M-MEAN TO! I TOLD EVERYONE TO MOVE SO THAT WOULDN'T H-HAPPEN!...YOU DIDN'T M-MOVE AND-”

 

“You. Hurt. My. Friend.” he finds his body forcibly straightened out. Dark clouds cover the sky.

 

“IT WAS NOT MY INTENT! HE GOT HURT TRYING TO PUSH YOU OUT OF THE WA-”

 

 **“YOU** **_HURT_ ** **MY** **_BROTHER_ ** **YOU INFERIOR, INSIGNIFICANT** **_WHELP_ ** **!”** she closes in her hand, scrunching up the poor man's body as it starts to bend in **“HOW** **_DARE_ ** **YOU!!”** the poor guy yells in pain. Her voice was different. It was neither Katy or Parappa, but rather someone new.

 

PJ quickly ignores the pain in his arm as he runs off to the girl “GUYS STOP! LET HIM GO!...I'M ALRIGHT! I'M GONNA BE FINE LIKE I TOLD YOU!” Leonora ignores the bear “HE DIDN'T MEAN TO HARM ME!” she continues with closing her hand “IF YOU GUYS CONTINUE THIS, YOU'RE GONNA REGRET IT!” she stops “YOU'RE GONNA PROVE THAT EVERYTHING THEY SAID ABOUT YOU WAS THE TRUTH AND THAT YOU REALLY ARE NOTHING BUT A MONSTER…” PJ finally breaks through to them. The blue and yellow lights fade from their eyes, revealing sad eyes of regret in their place.

 

“R-Really?...” she whimpers out, her voice was back to normal.

 

“OF COURSE REALLY! YOU'RE ABOUT TO KILL A GUY, who may be held to blame for this yes, BUT STILL TRIED WARNING US TO PREVENT THAT! AND YOU'RE STILL TRYING TO OFF HIM! HE'S CLEARLY SORRY! WAY PAST SORRY!”

 

“H-HE’S RIGHT!...I'D ALSO APPRECIATE NOT TURNING INTO ORIGAMI P-PLEASE…” Leonora looks at her arm, she's mortified at what she got lost doing from her angry emotions. Her arm recoils back, resulting in the worker being dropped next to PJ “I owe you my life, and I need a new job...I'm passing out now…” the guy faints as Leonora grabs her head again, the storm melting away and the black storm clouds clearing up. She screams as she pounds on her head.

 

“E-Easy easy!...” he plucks her out of the sky with his remaining arm once they descend low enough “Relax!...it's fine!...I'm fine, that guys still fine! He'll probably need therapy for abit, but you didn't off him! He's still alive! You're not a monster!...” he holds her tightly “I'm...I'm really sorry I had to resort to that...you just...nothing was getting through to you and I really didn't want you doing anything you'd never forgive yourselves for…” she stays in that hunched up position as she mentally berates herself “Come on guys...you’re still good…”

 

Everyone finally leaves from hiding and runs up to PJ and Leonora “Yo PJ are you guuuuuuuuuysssssss PJ YOUR ARM!” Matt freaks out first as they all lose it at the sight of his severed arm.

 

“QUIET! Don’t freak her out any further! I can reattach my arm regardless…” He sighs “Can you all...help me calm her down?...I’m having no luck since she keeps seeing me missing an arm…” They all agree as Leo and Sweety grab PJ’s arm and sewing gear.

 

After a good amount of time, the group manage to relax the fused girl as well as reattach PJ’s arm as they’re back outside Parappa’s old home “And done! Blegh...that was alot of blood leaking out...you sure you’re alright dear?...”

 

“Relax, the blood is pretty much for show with me. I’m fine without it!...makes you wonder why my anatomy made have so much of the stuff…” he exercises his reattached limb abit before walking off to Leonora who’s talking to the two adults who caused this mess.

 

“So...I’m...not a monster?...”

 

“No. Not at all. You both are whoever you make yourselves to be. Not what others say you might be.” He scratches his head “The fear of the past really leaves a bad taste in your mouth...makes you oblivious to the fact that the future will be different entirely…” Papa Rappa scratches his head “A destructive being you may be does not mean a destructive being you WILL be.”

 

“Correct. The two of you can be better. The two of you WILL be better! Leonora is a symbol of that!” they each grab one of her hands tightly, reassuring the girl permanently.

 

“...Thank you.” she nods and quickly spots Pinto.

 

“I'd like to apologize also...I kinda contributed a whole lot to this mess. Can you guys forgive me?...”

 

“Of course we do! We're also in the wrong a little given how spontaneous our emotions can be! Gonna have to work on that...but we will!...if you all help us?...” Everyone nods “Thanks so much! I'd like to call it a day...it was an insane day today...but I got to learn how amazing I am!...no...how amazing WE are!” she hugs herself.

 

“Looks like the ego is kicking in finally.” PJ laughs, annoying the girl.

 

“Whatever bro!” she shakes her head “But the ego is well deserved! Watch!” she fixes the busted doorway easily “Tada!”

 

“Alright. Fair enough.” Everyone laughs together. Everyone then returns to their own proper place, but the ex hell shadows thank Leonora for the homes before heading off. Sixteen, Athena and Spinni also thank them for the work help. Leonora herself apologizes to Bella and Papa-Ma for giving them a scare before they head off, but they insist that it's alright, even as they leave. Kayla leaves after asking them if it were possible for them to build her a home like they did for the ex hell shadows, to which they agree for another time. Ma-san ended up dismissed for the day as she heads back with her roommates while PJ heads off with Kitty and Sweety, so that he could apologize to Rayn after experiencing this runabout day. Matt and Paula split off on their own after reassuring Leonora one last time.

 

Leonora decides to stay merged until they arrive home. In which they get questioned by her three roomies.

 

(“Damn I didn't notice that you're actually TALLER than the two of them! Still shorter than PJ though.”) she scans her full height from head to toe (“Also how are you a girl if half of you is Mutt?”)

 

“Paraps’ old man said that as long as there is one girl in the fusion, the entire thing ends up a girl. So say like it's a three man combination. If one of them is a girl, the whole thing ends up a girl!” Rammy also scans Leonora “The body looks mostly like Katy, but does have its good share of Paraps! I feel bad though, Leonora’s chest is still as flat as Katy’s!”

 

“H-HEY!...I AM A SOLID B!...Minus…” Rammy and Ma-san burst out cackling.

 

(“Aw relax Noir! Atleast Parappa gave you a bottom to do what the top clearly can't!”)

 

“DON’T S-SAY THAAAAAAAAAT…Noir?...”she tries covering her chest and rear, but stops upon hearing that name.

 

(“Yeah. Leonora gets abit to draggy to say all the time. So a nickname helps! Noir works given how dark you can make everything in the blink of an eye when you're pissed. And is already a part of your name.”)

 

“Oh...thank you!”

 

(“It's just a nickname. It's not like I'm handing you some extravagant gift or anything.”)

 

“But it is like that to me!” Both her overlaying voices sound so sincerely happy as they leave her mouth so smoothly, putting a blush on the mouse's face.

 

(“It's like Mutt times infinity...I can only take so much, can we go back to talking about your ass and boobs?”)

 

“N-NO!...” she covers herself once more.

 

“I'm game for that!” Rammy smiles as she rubs her hands together.

 

“NOT YOU T-TO!”

 

“Hey Lammy what about you?”

 

“I'm not saying anything!...”

 

(“Ain't you the least bit curious about how this body ended up?~”)

 

“Maybe j-just a lil...but I mean…” Lammy shuffles her feet. The curiosity building up and getting to her “It IS interesting to see the kind of body a boy and girl can make fused together…”

 

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Leonora warps away like a thunderbolt. Flashing down the street to their house.

 

“Oh my…”

 

“Yeesh what a baby they are.”

 

(“I can guarantee that some other time in the future when they fuse back together, this'll be a topic they'll wanna talk about so much. Guess it's a waiting game now.”)

 

“C-Can we not treat them like t-this…?”

 

(“Hey, knowing this might make it possible for them to fuse with more than just themselves! Doesn't merging together with Mutt sound nice Lambs?~”)

 

“Oh don't put ideas in my head…!” Lammy’s horns emit pink flames again “Toooooooooo laaaaaaaaaaaaate….” Rammy pats her back as Ma-san laughs.

 

* * *

 

“Home at laaaaast!” Leonora drops onto Parappa’s bed like a log “Ahhh...wait...something doesn't feel right…” she then drops herself on Katy’s bed “Muuuuuuch better~...no this is wrong to…maybe I'm not sitting or laying on the bed properly...”

 

_Nope…_

 

_No…_

 

_Nah…_

 

_Nuh-uh…_

 

_That ain't right either…_

 

_How did I even find this position comfortable?..._

 

_I'm not even gonna ask how I got in this position…_

 

Leonora struggles to find what feels off with the beds “FINALLY!” She succeeds in getting comfy, only to realize she's on the couch now “How did I even...whatever...to comfy~...” Leonora snuggles into big couch lazily, finally defusing against their awareness. Katy is now seen holding onto Parappa as if he were a plushie. The door is suddenly kicked open, scaring the two as they drop onto the floor with a thud “WAAAAAAH!”

 

“WE’RE BACK!” Rammy shouts “Yo you could've atleast waited for us instead of ditching us like that!” they all walk in to spot the two on the ground in pain “HEY! Ya defused!...why are you on the ground?” the two on the floor only groan as the arriving trio stare at them in confusion.

 

The day goes by quickly since then. The dog and cat having to answer question after question. Now it is past midnight and everyone heads to their own room, cept for Katy and Parappa who sorta struggle once they bump into each other on the way.

 

“Ha...my bad!...”

 

“You're good Parappa! I just...wasn't paying attention to where I was going!...”

 

“Neither was I soooo...you're good!” they both scoot past each other and head to the doors, but they stop and turn to each other.

 

“This is your room! Heh!...” is all they say together as they walk to their proper doors, but still don't head in.

 

“Katy-”

 

“Parappa-”

 

“Yesssss?” they cut themselves off to respond together to each other “Oh...uh...you first! No you! I insist!” they stay quiet and soon Katy speaks up.

 

“Wanna bunk with me!...” Parappa blinks “After today!...I...I dunno...feel at greater ease around you...I dunno if it's the half of Leonora in me talking but...is...that ok?...”

 

“Sure! I uh...gotta ask Rammy if that's fine though. Since I dunno if she'll be aight with me gone. Course I'm still in the same building so I'm sure-”

 

“No no no no no! It's fine! It's a silly thing to bring up...I don't wanna intrude so...I'll just-”

 

“Bunk with us.” she blinks “I'm serious, If I can't go to you, why not you come to me!...I...also got the same feeling...not sure if the Leonora in ME is speaking either...heh…”

 

“Oh but someone's already there! These beds can't hold three people! They can barely hold two!”

 

“Then...I’ll get a sleeping bag and go on the floor! You can grab one to and we can both bunk around on the floor! Like that one time way back when! When my dad took us camping and we slept in sleeping bags under the starry sky!”

 

“But we’re staring at the roof of your room!...”

 

“I’m handing out suggestions here! Now obviously they’re gonna be bad! I don’t do well under pressure on the spot!” The two go back and forth until a microphone is tossed at Katy’s head as it bounces off and smacks Parappa on his head. They turn to see who threw it and spot a groggy Rammy holding Boxy Boy.

 

“Sheeeeeesh you guys can’t shut up can ya? Talk about the opposite of relaxing!” Boxy crosses his arms, signifying he threw the mike.

 

“God you guys are loud…” Rammy rubs her eyes “Pick whichever...either bunk on the floor of our room or Paraps...just go to her room…” She yawns, completely not in the mood.

 

“You gonna be good Ura?...”

 

“Your still in the same building ain’t ya?...Not like you’re traveling to some other place...I’ll be fine. You’re literally down the hall from me. Now pick so I can catch some Z’s in PEACE…”

 

“Katy, I’ll let you decide.”

 

“...You sure you’re good if he isn’t there Rammy?...”

 

“Yeeeeesssssssss… After today, I’ve noticed that I can’t be usurping ALL of Paraps time for myself…” With those words, Katy grabs Parappa and yanks him away.

 

“Yo, you sure that was the wisest idea?”

 

“Buddy I’m about 89 percent asleep. Right now the wisest idea to me is slamming my head into the side of a freight train as my quickest way of falling asleep.”

 

“Boy Parappa sure can make some extraordinary friends…”

 

The duo stare at the ceiling together as they share a bed for the first time in ten years.

 

“This feels weird...but nostalgic in a way...you feel me?”

 

“I do. This is something strange, but familiar. It’s a warm and fuzzy feelin.”

 

“Yeah…~” Both smile as they stare at the ceiling that becomes their sky. In no time at all, they fall asleep.

 

* * *

 

_Help me...please...can any of you hear me?...I’m begging you...keepers of the world...my older sisters and I are begging for your help…_

 

“Hnnnnnnggg...wazzat?...” Parappa opens his eyes to find himself in a misty black area “What the...a dream again...” He facepalms, but the impact hurt. This was not a dream, he was warped away from his bed “Well...this is new...so it’s not a dream, but...someone is still...actively calling for me?” Parappa looks around “Hello?...”

 

_S-Someone!...Oh thank the gods...Who...who am I speaking to?..._

 

“Uh...I don’t normally give my name out to people I can’t even see…”

 

“That’s the smartest thing I’ve heard you say yet.” Parappa’s caught off guard by his son.

 

“LEO!...How are you-” Leo plugs his mouth with his finger.

 

“Beats me. I just woke up here to the sound of someone calling for help! I thought it was a dream, but I tried slapping my face in frustration, only for it to hurt for real.” They both look back to the inky black fog as the voice speaks up again.

 

_I-I can’t believe I actually reached out to someone..._

 

“Technically two people miss. Who are you and what do you need help with?” Leo asks the foreign voice.

 

_My name is Trinity! I am the youngest princess of the Kingdom of Arcadia. A kingdom that’s currently seeing siege from an unknown opposition! We have no capable means of fighting back! That’s why I’m calling to you! Keepers of the world! Please lend us your aid! We will surely perish without you!_

 

“This girl sounds a few screws short of a working machine Parappa…” Leo scratches his head “Kingdom of Arcadia...there ain’t no place in the world that sounds like that…Keeper’s of the world though...that’s recent...” Leo wasn’t wrong. That place never struck a chord to Parappa, even in history classes he took growing up. And yet she brought up a name that was freshly learnt.

 

_W-What??...T-Then have we truly be ostracized by your help after all?...So my eldest sister wasn’t lying…_

 

“Hold it right there Trinity! We didn’t say that ‘we’ specifically weren’t helping! We just...don’t know where you are…”

 

_B-But I told you! We are-...h-hold on...w-where are you two?...I’m using the thing I used to contact you to locate WHERE you both are...but I can’t find you...a-are you not on the same world as I?..._

 

Leo and Parappa huddle up and whisper “Not on the same world?...what is she on a different planet?...”

 

“No...doesn’t sound like it...do you think...it’s a time fiasco like with you?...She is calling us keeper’s of the world...and that’s what my dad’s group used to be called in times of old...”

 

“Aw geez...I’m not gonna rule it out...but we don’t got anything to work with for now...and we might forget some details anyway...so what do we do with Trinity here?...”

 

“We help duh!”

 

“H-How?? We don’t even know where she is! We don’t even know where WE are!...”

 

“...hm…Hey! Trinity! We’re gonna help you! But you’re gonna need to help us get to you!”

 

_H-How can I do that?..._

 

“Well...you’re talking to us right? Maybe yank us over from where you are with help from whatevers helping you talk to us?...”

 

_...T-That could work!...L-Let me try... Gods...please let this work..._

 

Parappa and Leo’s body become warbly as a green light grabs them both. They’re both warped away into a clock like plasma field. Time bending around them. They soon slow down as they head towards a weird spot, but their beings are limited due to the method of summoning them. Their bodies were solid, but not completely, yet they could still touch stuff such as the ground beneath them.

 

“W-What happened?...Why are you both like that??...”  A possum girl, about the age of 18 says as she looks at the two of them. She sports a green dress that currently looks like a nightgown given the time of day, and red hair that stretches just slightly past her shoulders. Her fur is as white as Parappa’s, just a tad lighter. Her eyes are hazel and her nose is black. The tail is slightly long and gently coiled around her waist as it pokes out a tiny hole in the nightgown. In her hand is a strange clock like device that looked like it didn’t belong in this time judging by the aesthetic. It’s held alongside a heart shaped locket. She eyes them in confusion and fear.

 

“It seems like you only pulled part of us…” Leo flexes his hand “But we still have some solid matter...It also looks like we aren’t supposed to be here like this…As if this place is rejecting us because of something” Leo closes his hand.

 

“Well it’s still something! We’re here to help! Fully here or not!”

 

“I-I was referring to your outfits...s-such a strange ensemble…I-It’s abit...scary if I may be honest…” Parappa and Leo look at each other with a look that says the same thing.

 

_This is definitely the past…_

 

“I can question your outfits later! For now please help us!”

 

“From what??...” As Parappa says that, a wall blows open as if to say ‘From That!’

 

“H-He’s here!...” the girl scurries as best she can from fear as she back pedals into a wall. A spaceman bursts in from the hole. He’s wearing an all white futuristic suit. On his torso is a circular clock device that matches the device the princess used to summon Parappa and Leo. His form was also limited like they were strangely enough.

 

“Eeeeeeeh??...Who are you two?...You don’t look like you’re supposed to be here…”

 

“You’re one to talk freak! What are you doing back here!”

 

“A job of mine!~ I was hired by a lovely man by the name of BoTy!~ And man am I glad I was, because only he understands my pursuit of knowledge!~”

 

“BOTY?! OHOHOH MAN, NOW I DEFINITELY GOTTA HELP OUT HERE!” Leo pulls out his guitar and storms forth as it shifts into its weapon form freaking the girl out.

 

“Blegh...you have to stable a body...it's more stable than mine...even the weakest of impacts will kick me back to the future and ruin my mission temporarily...and i’m on borrowed time as is...now that I properly think about it...my physical form isn’t fully allowed in this time period yet...as is yours...so now I understand. It’s because of you two that I can’t fully be here to complete my objective!” He floats into sitting pose angrily ”...gah...so be it!” he snaps his fingers and the ground starts rumbling violently.

 

“Trinity! Behind us!” The young princess looks between the three of them and ultimately accepts. She runs off behind Parappa and Leo as the spaceman laughs.

 

“I couldn’t really do ANYTHING back here without risk of getting sent back whenever looming over my head, so I had to ask for help from some questionable locals~ They agreed in exchange for some future intervention!” From the ceiling of the castle smashes a long mechanical robot. In the appearance of a worm or centipede. There are multiple pods, meaning it was manned by many people.

 

“Lemme guess...this thing is what your kingdom is struggling with?” Trinity nods to Parappa’s question.

 

“It's just this...their infantry was easily dispatched...this is the last thing that remains...and it proves too challenging a feat to overcome…”

 

The spaceman scoffs “GET EM!” Parappa fires off electricity, and it’s shrugged off like nothing as the machine lunges forth.

 

The two leap away from the smashing head as it slams itself along the room “WHOA…”

 

“WHAT THE HELL?...” Leo holds the princess on his back as they run away from the spike headed monster. Leo places the princess down after she's at a safe enough distance and the tries striking the machine. After enough swinging, he slashes at the head and breaks a portion of the main pod, forcing it back. It rears back and charges the nodes on its head. Parappa takes note and quickly panics.

 

“OH NO YOU DON’T!” Parappa fires off a blast of electricity at the nodes. It gets absorbed by the charging nodes and blows out a few of them as it stops charging by force. With the head damaged further, it resumes smashing about. Leo catches it as he holds it in a clash with his guitar.

 

“Tough guy ain’t ya??...” Leo keeps the deadlock and soon forces it back. He uses its attack motion as an opening and slashes it again. The main pod breaks open more, revealing the main pilot who panics. He tries to charge again with Parappa overloading the nodes again. The resulting explosion cracks the other pods revealing their pilots.

 

“HEY!...QUIT REPEATING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER! YOU'RE MAKING YOURSELVES AN EASY TARGET!”

 

“IT WAS THE EASIEST THING TO MEMORIZE IN THIS THING!” It holds his head up and fires off small explosive robot after explosive robot. Leo slashes at them, but they don’t shatter, only get faster “I-I can’t break those!...”

 

Parappa blasts them, but no luck either “They just suck up my lightning!...” they scurry past them “Huh?...”

 

“WHAT ARE YOU DOLTS DOING??”

 

“THE PRINCESSES ARE OUR BOSS'S MAIN PRIORITY, WE'LL TAKE OUT THESE MERC’S LATER!”

 

“THERE WON'T BE A LATER, THEY'LL DESTROY THE MECH I GAVE YOU!” The spaceman fumes on the spot as the exploding bots head towards Trinity.

 

“H-HELP!...” one of them lunges at her. Leo swoops in and bats it away. It explodes in the air harmlessly, but the blast still sends Leo to the ground.

 

“AGH...gah...cheap little...oh no…” the blast ruptures the other bots as they explode in a chain “TRINITY MOVE IT!” Leo runs on all fours and quickly shields the girl as the explosion blows them both into a wall. Trinity ends up with little to no harm upon her as she gets up.

 

“‘T-Thank you for the a-...Y-Your arm!...” She points to Leo’s arm that has gone limp from it being popped out of the socket.

 

“Eh?...oh…” He grabs onto his arm.

 

“You can’t help me like-” Leo grunts heavily as he forces the arm back into place “O-OH GODS!...”

 

“GYAH!...whew...augh that’s gonna be sore for a couple of days…” Leo flexes his slightly numb limb as feeling starts coming back “Why couldn’t this specific arm be the tangible one…”

 

“Yo Leo! You alright?” Parappa asks, completely ignoring the action he just did, knowing it wasn’t the worst he’s been through.

 

“I’m fine Parappa, just a little stiff is all.” He winds his arm.

 

“Ugh...I should’ve prepared more if this is the type of opposition BoTy faces…” The spaceman sighs.

 

“W-WHAT’S WITH THESE TWO?...” the lead pod pilot freaks out at the seemingly invincible duo.

 

“Y-You sure you c-can carry on?...” Trinity stares at Leo.

 

“Don’t worry about me, I’ve been through worse than this!” he stops winding his arm “Although...Gah...I can’t leave you alone if that’s their objective…” He nods to himself “PARAPPA! HEADS UP!” Leo chucks his guitar to Parappa who catches it in his hand perfectly.

 

“Won’t you be needing this?!”

 

“I need to keep Trinity here safe if that thing’s gonna be spitting up exploding bots at her! You have to stop that thing! That and my arm’s not fit to be swinging that at the moment!...”

 

Parappa nods “Leave it to me!” he grips the guitar tightly as his electricity pumps into it. The machine stays out of Parappa’s reach as it fires more exploding bots. Some head for Parappa while the rest head for Trinity “Here we go…”

 

“I thank the gods that my sisters aren’t here right now...but I only wish I were in safety to…” Trinity tries to run off.

 

“Hop on my back again...I’ll try to keep us out of blast range…” she obliges.

 

“D-Don’t you mean to fully avoid them…” She looks at the enclosing robots.

 

“Well...atleast you will.” Leo bounces away from the approaching robots. Parappa also bounces to avoid his robot threats as he soon spots one that has a node. Two thoughts click in his head. When one went boom, it set of a chain reaction, and those nodes absorb his power and self destruct. He fires off an electric burst, it absorbs it, but still doesn’t stop moving. It is however blinking.

 

“That’s my cue!” Parappa uses the guitar to pogo off the robot. It explodes and vaults him towards the machine. The other robots explode before they’re able to reach Leo and Trinity, allowing the boy to land safely with the princess.

 

“GO PARAPPA!”

 

“GO. I. **SHALL**!” Parappa slams the body of the guitar on the pod as a gong sound plays from the impact. The walls and floor around the mechanical bug shatter, and Parappa lands on a lone circular block, the remnants of the area around the machine “Tch…” Parappa stares at the glass on the main pod that’s completely shattered, exposing it’s pilot “Looks like you’re on the foot of your rope!...Course…” Parappa looks at his inability to escape “So am I…”

 

The spaceman flails his arm at Parappa’s direction “THIS IS IT! GET HIM!”

 

“I-Is this thing supposed to be smoking and blaring red lights?...” the main pilot grows fearful.

 

“It’ll be fine if you win this final strike! Now GO DO IT!” the pilots reluctantly agree as the machine circles around the platform.

 

The two on the sidelines watch Parappa, hoping for the best “B-Be careful!...”

 

“You got this Parappa!...”

 

“It’s all or nothing here…” Parappa grips the guitar as he holds it over his shoulder “BUT I GOTTA BELIEVE!” The dog and the machine fly at each other. Parappa swings forth the guitar and the pilot attempts to use that as an opening, but it proves costly as Parappa uses the swing as a way to bounce off the attack and fly higher over it instead. The pilots all eye the dog in anticipation of what was gonna happen next “NO HARD FEELINGS!....” Parappa swallows roughly, knowing what the outcome of his next action was gonna be. He yanks the cord forcefully as the guitar turns into a large chainsaw blade “SAYONARA!...” The chainsaw slashes through the main pilot and pod as it explodes once slashed through. The blast flings Parappa away, but is quickly caught by Leo.

 

“GOTCHA!...”

 

“Ohh...nice save~...”

 

“Nice moves more like it!” Leo looks at the machine as it vibrates wildly. The remaining pods spin as it’s unable to control its actions. The other pods start exploding along with its pilot as it goes down the line of pods until they’re all gone “Haha! Victory for Parappa!”

 

“Talk about your hollow victories...oh but whatever...I’m alive...and I won…~” Parappa stops the feelings of guilt as the feelings of relief and victory take over.

 

The space man sighs in defeat “My poor Drilapede...I knew I should’ve saved that machine for later...gah...no matter!” he turns to face the three “I’m not done ye-” A leftover piece of the machine slams into his head and shatters the body, sending him back to the future.

 

“Pfffffffft. I think you are done freak!” Leo laughs at the anticlimactic victory before rubbing the arm he had to forcibly fix “Owowow...pain’s catching up to me…”

 

Parappa gets back onto his feet “You gonna be alright?...”

 

“Yeah yeah...a struggling arm is still better than a broken arm…” The boy tries winding his arm again, but the pain stops him.

 

“I really wish you didn’t have the experience to be able to say that…” Parappa sighs as the princess speaks up.

 

“What even are you two…” She shifts he gaze between the two.

 

“Hey there! Don’t be rude! We did just save your life after all!” Leo say as he flicks both arms downwards.

 

“E-Erm...you are most correct...my most sincerest apologies...it’s just...I heard that the Keeper’s were...more methodical in their fight tactics...of course that did not always mean they were victorious...yet you two...you were able to beat that monstrosity while thinking up actions on the heat of the moment! You even tossed away any injuries! And yet you are keepers! You used most confusing weaponry and electricity! Two of the many things they are known for doing!” She happily stares at the two who only utter a reluctant chuckle.

 

"Riiiiiiight...~"

 

"Oh I must reward you both for your heroism! But I don't have anything to bestow to you...and I am unable to use the treasury since father is still the king..." she grows meek "Well...I am of age...and you're both male...would...I suffice?..."

 

Both boys erupt on the spot as smoke leaves their ears to the sound of a train whistle. Their faces beet red "NONONONO!....Y-YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT! YOUR SAFETY IS THANKS ENOUGH!" They shake their arms wildly in denial before her, offending and demoralizing the girl.

 

"O-Oh...my apologies..." she looks to the broken ground, the boys are now filled with guilt as their heads shift to green.

 

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT! WE'RE JUST...JUST...-"

 

"UNWORTHY!" Leo shouts.

 

"COMMON IDIOTS!" Parappa shouts.

 

Both boys slap each other with their tails as she perks back up "Oh! You're merely worried over my standing. Truly you both are most kind!"

 

"Yeeeeah... We're fine without a reward, honest. The only reward we're fine with is seeing you safe. You called for help, and we immediately obliged. We're glad you got out of it alright." The princess smiles after Parappa says that. He then whispers to Leo  _"Why was offering herself like that a means as a reward??"_

 

_"Remember this is the past and she is a princess, aka a damsel in distress. Usually they must reward a savior and they ain't left with much at times...so usually their parents teach em to offer that."_

 

_"THAT'S AWFUL!"_

 

_"That's just how the olden days worked dad. Princesses usually didn't have much worth like they do now a days."_

 

_"I'm glad we convinced her to not do that..."_

 

 _"Same here."_ they both nod as they look at the happy girl.

 

The girl then sighs “Honestly I wish the castle didn’t have to suffer so...but...it was a necessity since the automaton was slain and the enemy invaders forced away! And I come out with it alive! Oh my sisters will be most elated to hear about this once they return with father from their shelter!”

 

“Not to come off as rude or anything...but Trinity...if your siblings and father were hiding...why didn’t you??” Leo asks.

 

“I was! But I didn’t just want to give up my kingdom! So I tried attacking that brute!...I barely did anything, but still It made him angry and he sent that large beast after me...so I grabbed what I knocked off his body and used my family locket and prayed out for help from the gods or the keepers of the world! The machine resonated with my locket and prayers and I was able to reach out to the two of you! It even allowed me to bring you over here! So my...rather rash thinking...saved my kingdom! As you can see I was at this for a while...given my outfit is my bedwear...”

 

“Well...I mean...it worked out in the end!” Parappa sheepishly smiles as Leo rolls his eyes.

 

“Right…” Leo rubs his face “Well, we’re very happy we were able to be of help.”

 

“As am I!...erm...what are your names?...”

 

“Parappa Rappa!”

 

“Leo Steps!”

 

“The Steps and Rappa clans must be most noble!” Parappa and Leo stare at her with great confusion “Did I say something offensive?”

 

“No. Not at all… Now erm...mind sending us back?” Parappa asks politely.

 

“A-Ah...yes!...I’ll go do that!...” She grabs the device and merely stares at it. Sweat building on her forehead immediately as it starts to sprinkle off “Oh gods…”

 

Parappa and Leo look at each other with immense worry. She clearly had no way of sending them back “Erm...Trinity?...”

 

“Y-Yeeeeeeees?~...” She replies cutely. Her voice incredibly shaky.

 

“You...can send us back can you?...”

 

She swallows roughly “If...I were to say no...w-would you smite me on the spot?...”

 

“WE’RE TRAPPED!” both boys yell as they run around in circles.

 

“W-Well atleast I still get to live...e-erm...I’m sorry! I didn’t know that I’d trap you here by accident!...”

 

“It’s alright! I kinda told you to do that...IT’S JUST NOW I’M FREAKING OUT OVER IT!”

 

“PARAPPA WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO?!”

 

“I DON’T KNOW!” both of them continue running and yelling until Parappa hears a voice in his head.

 

_I know how to help…_

 

Parappa skids to a halt “W-Whaaaa? W-Who said that?...”

 

“Who said what?...” Leo glances at his dad.

 

 _I did…_ the voice is much more clear. It was his voice, mixed with Katy’s.

 

“Hey wait, you’re!...Nevermind that now...how can you help??”

 

“Dad you alright?...”

 

“I’m fine! Just getting some...er…” His eyes dart everywhere until the spot Trinity “Divine intervention!” Trinity panics and immediately bows.

 

“...I’m gonna pretend I believe you…” Leo’s mouth curls into a frown.

 

“Thank you! Now how can you help?!’

 

_Simple really...that girl is the conduit to your arrival here. She still has the remnants of the time gate you used to get here, just use her to fly back…_

 

“Ok...now just HOW am I supposed to do THAT!...”

 

_First, stand at an equal distance from the girl just a few steps away._

 

“Like this?...”

 

_Yes. Now get Leo to hold onto your shoulder. So you don’t leave him behind!_

 

“Leo grab onto my shoulder!...”

 

“Um...alright…” He does as instructed.

 

“Good! Now Trinity...mind standing upright?...”

 

“O-Oh! Right away!” She stands up in a prim and proper stance “I-Is this satisfactory?...”

 

“Not so stiff!...R-Relax!” The princess eases up a smidge.

 

_Good! Now hold your arms out to your side...and look her straight in the eyes! And then repeat after me!-_

 

“CONNECT YOUR HEART WITH MINE!...WHAT?!” Before Parappa can question that bizarre phrasing any better, a yellow energy heart appears on his chest as it fires a pink beam that strikes Trinity in her chest over her heart. She recoils back, but is completely unharmed, merely scared.

 

“W-What’s happening?...”

 

“Our way back…” The ground beneath Leo and Parappa turns into a clock face that quickly starts going forward. Parappa then apologizes to ease the princess up “Um...Sorry for the scares and the uncomposed ways of handling things! But we really are glad we could help! And if that guy comes back to bug your kingdom again! You know who to call!”

 

“Hey don’t I get a say in this??”

 

“SHUT UP! Take care Trinity! And maybe next time you can tell us more about your kiiiiiiiingdoooooooooooom!”

 

“T-Thank you! And I will most definitely take you up on your offer!...F-Farewell! And safe travels!” The two vanish as they are sent flying back to their own time.

 

The two of them are hurled along the timegate as the spin wildly “COULDN’T YOU HAVE ORGANIZED A SMOOTHER RETURN?!”

 

“CUT ME SOME SLACK, I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW I COULD MANAGE A WAY BACK! SO TAKE WHAT YOU CAN GET AND GET OFF MY BACK!” They split up as they return to their proper rooms.

 

“FAIR ENOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH!” Leo shouts as he fades away.

 

* * *

 

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH” Parappa warps back above Katy’s bed as he drops onto it spontaneously. Alarming Katy into jumping wide awake.

 

“WHAT, WHO, WHEN, WHERE, WHYYYYY?!” she looks around and spots Parappa faceplanted into the bed “What’s wrong with you?...A-And why are you scuffed up?!?!” Parappa groans for a split second before snoring on the spot. He had fallen asleep from lack of energy “Oh you gotta be…” She sighs “You are so telling me what you did…” She flips him over and begins petting his head. As she does so she notices the energy heart still on his chest. She taps it and it quickly fades away back into his body, but not before giving her finger a little shock “Ow!...the heck did you do?...” She notices his mouth curled into a smile “Well...whatever it was...looks like it had a happy ending at the very least..”

 

_Don’t leave me high and dry! You know you can tell me things! You always could...but you’ve since stopped...now that we can turn into Leonora...will you trust me with secrets again?..._


	46. How's the weather up there?

(“You sure you didn't dream the whole thing up?”)

 

“How else can you explain his appearance Ma-san!”

 

(“Simple, dude looks like he just had the night of his life. You two did share a bed last night so-”) Katy slams her guitar on Ma-san’s head (“EEEEEYOUCH!...MOTHER-...”) she inhales deeply (“Note to self, you're actually gonna start getting physical whenever I make my jokes. Yay. Way to kill my fun.”)

 

“Your fun shouldn't involve my sanity! Get serious!”

 

(“BUT THAT'S THE BEST KIND OF FUN!”)

 

“Girls can we get back on track?...” the cat and mouse reluctantly calm down “Good...and I'm serious! I somehow wound up back in time! I look like this because I kind had to fend off some bad guys...but it's nothing serious, just my clothes got a little singed is all! I came out alright, Leo came out alright...sorta, and Trinity came out alright!”

 

“Trinity?” his four roommates ask.

 

“Oh right...The reason me and Leo got cannonballed back in time was because some princess was in big need of help! Turns out Tycoon sent some goon back in time for some strange mission...and she was lucky enough to be able to call us! Everyone in the past was unable to deal with the guy's future technology, and so me and Leo were literal godsends!” He crosses his arms as he leans back in his chair “She was certainly thankful!...A bit...TOO thankful...but given the time period...it was excusable. She was nice though!”

 

“She was a princess??”

 

“Yep!”

 

“P-Princess of?...”

 

“A Kingdom called Arcadia! She was the youngest of three apparently.”

 

(“The hell was she??”)

 

“A possum! Opossum? One of the two! And a cute one a that! Demeanor, personality, appearance and all else!” The girls all droop their heads in contempt as Rammy rolls her eyes.

 

“Pooooooor choice of words Paraps…”

 

“Wha-huh?...” Before the girls can act on their emotions, a heavy thud is heard repeated over and over from the window at the main room. All five of them rush on over. Parappa flips open the window and in flops a strange winged fish.

 

“Da heck is that?? A bird?...”

 

“It looks more like a fish Rammy…”

 

(“But it’s got wings!”)

 

“It a-also has that usual f-fish face…”

 

“Actually I’m a flying fish...so you’re all kind of correct really.” He flops into the air “Parcel for...Parappa Rappa.” The girls all look at the dog “You must be he.” He flops over to him “This is for you!” He coughs up a giant envelope into his face and then flops back out the window.

 

Parappa shudders in disgust as the parcel slowly slides off his face “Ohohohhhh...i’m gonna need a bath after that…”

 

“Well on the brightside, that took care of the negative karma you earned from us!”

 

“I’m sure it did…” Parappa grumbles “All I did was call a princess from a time long passed cute...like i’m not allowed to compliment anyone else!...Whatever! Now let’s see here…Ahem!”

 

_ To the one who saved my dearest Kayla. _

 

_ Greetings Parappa Rappa. I am informed that you are the one who liberated my darling Kayla from the cruel fate I had subjected her to. Once I had returned from running forced errands from Bohemian, I had come across her monsterous form’s deceased carcass. The shock of losing that precious girl had liberated me of the hold that evil man had over me! I was then informed that she was not killed, but in fact saved. By you! You are a being most kind, and I wish to speak to you personally to give the thanks that I just can’t muster over a letter. Please, and thank you again.  _

 

_ With humble welcomes, Spectora Oceanna. _

 

“S-SPECTORA??” Parappa drops the letter. He scoots away speedily into the nearest wall “Why does she know me...HOW does she know me…”

 

“Ease up...why is that such a big deal?” Katy asks as her tail arcs into a question mark.

 

“She's a MAJOR Bohemian baddy!...”

 

“Bohemian what now.”

 

“Gotta call the enemy opposition SOMETHING! And on that note she's a really bad one!”

 

“She didn't sound like that from her letter. She sounded remorseful of her actions and thankful to you for saving Kayla!”

 

“Yeah...I won't deny that…” he tugs on his ears as he whines. As that happens, the flying fish returns.

 

“New delivery...for Parappa Rappa! Aren't you popular?” he spits out another envelope into his face and flops back out the window.

 

“Waaahahyyyy…” he peels off the parcel and opens the new letter “A-Ahem…”

 

_ PARAPPA! YOU'LL NEVER BELIEVE IT! MOTHER WAS LIBERATED! After she witnessed the hollow corpse of her sea beast, she broke down! We decided to take a chance and see if our suspicions were true and THEY WERE! She despises the things she's done and wants to atone! Starting first with thanking you! Drive over the moment you can! It may equal a new ally against Tycoon! I'll have set warp points just outside of your town so you can get here faster! Just make sure you have this letter with you or else it won’t open up. _

 

_ Your friend and new protector, Aqua DeVille Oceanna! _

 

_ P.S. If you got my mother's letter first and have immediately grown fearful, don't! Mother disabled the communication nullification barrier so you can call me and Sirius for confirmation! I'll leave my number on the back! I hope to hear from you soon! _

 

“Huh…” Parappa flips the letter over to see the phone number.

 

“What are you gonna do Paraps?...”

 

“Call Aqua obviously! The chance of getting a powerful spellcaster like Spectora as an ally is REALLY tempting! It'd also cripple Tycoon severely!”

 

(“Then the fuck are you waiting for?? Hurry up and do that!”) Parappa pulls out his phone.

 

“ON IT!”

 

* * *

 

Parappa drives off along the outskirts of town in search of the warp. He is on his own, a huge smile on his face.

 

“Ooooh baby this is great! Man won't Leo be amazed!” he grips on the steering wheel tightly “I'm glad 16-bits was able to thaw out my car, dunno how long I would've had to wait otherwise.” Parappa recalls the day he got the spare suit from Leo and 16-bits, they had surprised him with his liberated car at the same time. He resumes his happy drive as he steps on the gas, the thoughts of what happened last night floating in his mind “Princess Trinity.. the Kingdom of Arcadia...that weird time traveling scientist guy…what's going on with that?...And then...by the end of it…” he recalls the voice in his head.

 

_ “And then repeat after me! CONNECT YOUR HEART WITH  _ **_MINE!_ ** _ ” _

 

“...I wasn’t imagining that voice...but how was I hearing it...I wonder.” Parappa takes a deep breath and speaks up “Leonora...you still in my noggin?...” he waits as if someone was going to reply. It stays quiet, prompting him to sigh...until.

 

_ I'm always here. I've been here since you were born. _

 

The voice freaks him out, but he keeps his cool the best he can “Uh...Hi!...w-what do you mean by that?...”

 

_ As I said, I've always been here. Inside you and Katy since birth. You two just never unlocked the ability to hear me. Not until you finally turned into me and gave me a name. _

 

“B-But...how are you a sentient conscious?? I thought it was just me and Katy as a combined person!”

 

_ I am, and at the same time. I am my own being. The being created by your combined minds, bodies and hearts. Like I said, I've always been here, even if you couldn't hear me. Helping out whenever I could, because if you perish, I can't exist. I'm one of the two things you refer to as ‘Lady Luck’. _

 

“You're the reason I'm as lucky as I am??...Wait...TWO things?? What's the second thing?”

 

_ I cannot say for sure. I can only sense another presence here that has been assisting you since birth like I have. But I can't see much. You probably haven't unlocked the ability to hear them, like you did with me. _

 

“I see...um...Leonora?...That thing you made me do...what was it?...”

 

_ A signature ability that you and Katy share called the heart link. A power that conjoins your heart with another's. Linking them together and binding them in more ways than one. The ability also allows you to temporarily ‘borrow’ the other person's abilities. In that scenario, she managed to summon a time gate, but did so by accident. She couldn’t do it again for it was a miracle her prayers even worked that way, but still had the ‘ability’, so to speak, to do it again potentially. You borrowed it and returned home with it. _

 

“Amazing…what else does it do?...”

 

_ Well, it frees the person as well should they become possessed. You implant your free will into their tainted one and liberate them, but it won't affect everyone. As the tainted will could affect YOU instead. So don't use it carelessly! As I also stated, it binds your hearts in multiple ways, one of which is remarkably special. It may make you capable of fusing with more people aside from just Katy. Adds them to your body's connections if you will. _

 

“REALLY??” Parappa fumbles on the thought “Does that mean Trinity could have potentially merged with me??”

 

_ Theoretically, it's possible. But don't just toss out your heart willy nilly. You could potentially come up short and burn out your heart if you aren't strong enough for the person you link with. _

 

“I don’t want to do that...alright…”

 

_ I should also mention. If you heart link. It affects Katy’s heart as well. For example, Trinity’s heart is linked to the both of yours thanks to your link. So take note. If either of you link, it's saved in BOTH your beings thanks to me existing. So I guess I’m what governs your heart link. _

 

“How do you know so much about what we can do?”

 

_ Because I am you. Both of you. I know all the things your bodies should be able to do, but I will only tell you about them if you both are actually capable of doing them. I do not wish to let you harm yourselves. It hurts me in the long run if I do. _

 

“I see. So...can you name a few of the instances where you saved me?...”

 

_ When you were about to get squished by that rock sent to you by Joe Chin. I replayed your sensei’s lesson to give you your way out while also winning. I also made you capable of holding the collapsing warehouse and triggered your magnetism so that you wouldn’t be crushed once your strength couldn’t hold out. I was even what allowed you to even cling to life afterwards, but something else helped! You're also naturally durable thanks to your mother! But yes I tapped into it!...I nearly vanished in the process...I gave everything I had after to jumpstart your heart!...But it was kind of tricky… Your heart is...kind of strange. To jumpstart it, I needed help...It needed fixing as some pieces kiiiiinda ended up missing. _

 

“M-Missing??”

 

_ Don’t worry! Your heart’s all better now! It’s thanks to your friends who visited you! When they opened up, they made it easy for me to trigger a weaker version of the heart link! It turns out you gave those pieces out to them when you subconsciously did a heart link to ensure THEY made it out ok by blessing them with  _ **_me_ ** _ for safety! And they did! So I decided it was fair to take the pieces back. Buuuuut...it still didn’t trigger anything...and I couldn’t do anything else...Your heart just needed that one last OOMPH to kickstart it right back up! And Katy was the one to help do that, she saved you! But i’m pretty sure you know that much yourself. _

 

“I know she was the one that helped me wake up...but I don’t know how.”

 

_ Well...I guess you could call it our first ever appearance...technically. _

 

“Eh?...But we didn’t fuse…”

 

_ Your soul's did. Mind, heart, body and pure emotions. All converged in the action she performed when she thought she was gonna lose you. The half of me within her resonated with the me in you! Think of it like a fairytale! _

 

“I don’t follow…like a fairytale...what does that mean?...”

 

_ Well i’m not sure I should be the one telling you this, but you were technically the Sleeping Beauty to her Princess Charming! _

 

“Sleeping beau- OH!...” Parappa nearly loses control of the car “E-Erm...oh my...y-yeah it probably would’ve been a bit nicer to hear from her mouth...heh...darn my curiosity…” He clears his throat “B-But really now?...how’d that help?”

 

_ Well like I said, a pure converging of her emotions. It wasn’t because she couldn’t tell you how she felt, but rather it was because she didn’t want to say goodbye to her best friend. She didn’t want to lose you and you didn’t want to leave your friends behind. That sparked an equal wavelength between both halves of me! Together we restart your heart exponentially on the spot! It’s all thanks to the emotions she had for you! In other words, that simple kiss, the act of selfless emotion, woke ya back up! _

 

“Huh...come to think of it...I never really thanked her…”

 

_ That’s where you’re wrong. You did thank her. The moment you woke up for her. _

 

“Heh...that’s fair~” He holds his chest “So only we can do the heart link?...”

 

_ Yes and no. Yes you currently are the only ones who can do it, but no because the people you link with also inherit the ability. Also no because your lineage could as well, but never knew it. The heart link is a strange ability. Once it’s owner bears an offspring, they lose the ability to do it anymore, rather it becomes dormant, as it’s now in the child. Dormant in them as well until they learn how to do it, if they even know they can! Can the adults reawaken it? Presumably so. _

 

“Huh...so it goes since way far back as well as forward...wait...then that would imply…”

 

_ Yes, Leo is also capable of doing it. In fact, judging from what we learned, he already used it unknowingly. To rescue Ambrosia, to pacify the Queens and to save Claire. _

 

“I see, how astounding...erm...what’s the premise of the Heart Link?”

 

_ That i’m not so sure of...I can only give you a rundown of what I found about it myself. For better details you’d have to ask people who know more. Such as our father, if he ever finds it within his books. _

 

“Drat...ok...so what do  _ you  _ know about it?”

 

_ That’s basically all there is...except for one little thing that I noticed. _

 

“That being?”

 

_ Your powers and Katy’s powers have one special additive quirk thanks to your possession of the heart link ability. It should prove no surprise, but the more people believe in you or her on a certain action, the stronger you and your abilities become. Your bodies become hardier, able to withstand even more, but that’s also thanks to the fact that you both are also part Siren Killers, and those were already unnaturally durable people! _

 

“I get stronger the more people believe in me?...heh...that’s about as obvious as it can get~ I’m actually stupefied that I didn’t piece that together myself! Given my history!”

 

_ Yes well, recall it’ll also affect Katy’s progress as well. _

 

“She ain’t one to cut corners! Makes sense~...But what about Leo?...Thanks to me, does he have the same extra quirk?”

 

_ No. From what I could sense while near him. His is different, immensely different. Where as you get stronger with the more people that stand by you and or believe in you. Leo gets stronger the more allies...he loses. _

 

“...” Parappa tightly grips the steering wheel again.

 

_ Be it leaving them critically injured and still capable of saving them or flat out dead, his abilities skyrocket in progression when he loses friends. As expected, his enhancements are permanent given the requirements. Where as yours are temporary. _

 

“Makes sense...anyone can believe in me at any time...but you only have so many friends to protect before they start dropping against your will…” Parappa recalls watching Leo watch Mocha die in front of him. And then seeing him immediately turn the tides against the possessed Sirius and Aqua “What...crummy luck...I mean...atleast he’s super strong now!...E-Eheh…”

 

_ That’s one way of looking at it. _

 

“R-Riiiiight...now a few more things and I’ll let you be...so...what can I do with my body currently?...”

 

_ Not much...your body wouldn’t really handle the complex intricacies. The things your father showed you are still a little bit away, but your own specialties are still quite a ways off. _

 

“What do you mean by that last part?...”

 

_ Silly Parappa! Like our father said, you’ll gain your own things as you mature! You are your own individual after all! So it should make sense that you’ll gain your OWN special techniques! Things that our mother and father couldn’t do! _

 

“That’s encouraging! Now second to last thing...Leonora...what are you?...”

 

_ I am you. I am Katy. And I am me. I am Leonora. You could call me you yourself, the name you gave me...or technically even your daughter. _

 

“My daughter??...”

 

_ You and Katy technically created me. _

 

“If you’re going by that logic then I guess…”

 

_ Although...by that logic I am also the daughter of Noella and Robert as well as the daughter of Papillon and Europa. Since they created the halves that created me. And by true technicality. I am the daughter of Nue Beat. _

 

“Nue Beat?”

 

_ The fused form of Noella Cheshire and Europa Beat. _

 

“Oh so that’s what they were called?? Neat!...Wait a minute...that actually raises more questions...If my mom and Katy’s mom got pregnant as Nue...w-would you be born flat out??...”

 

_ Erm...Hard to say. If they were fused, they couldn’t exactly procreate with BOTH males they eventually marry is that not correct? Not unless Robert and Papillon had the ability to fuse...then yes I would be born flat out I guess. _

 

“...Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeird…But wait...c-could you end up defusing at that point?!”

 

_ I’d assume so, if we ever got aware of that fact, although the beings I’d defuse into would be much weaker...because I was born flat out as a being, not as two who then became one. _

 

“Wow...that uh...makes sense I suppose...Alright then. Now last thing...erm...So half of you is in Katy right?...”

 

_ Yes. _

 

“And do you share a link with that half?...Like both able to see, hear and understand things with one of us and keep it between both?...”

 

_ I do now. Thanks to you two for finally turning into me. _

 

“A-Ah...I was...afraid of that…”

 

_ Relax, I shall keep things to myself if you both deem it too private~ So no risk of the other knowing what you’re doing~ _

 

“Pheeeeeeeeeeeew...thanks for that Leonora~...”  

 

_ Any time...erm...any specific name you wish for me to call you?... _

 

“...Hm...Just call me whatever you like!”

 

_ Would...father work?... _

 

“You’re lucky I’m already used to that thanks to Leo!”

 

_ Much appreciated~ _

 

“Alright then, I’ll leave ya be. But feel free to talk whenever you want.” He hears a noise of agreement as she quiets down. As she does, he spots the warp “There we go! Now let’s speed up this trip!” As he approaches it, the warp resonates with Aqua’s letter and opens wide. It swallows his car as it spits him right outside Port Barracuda. His eyes bounce all over the place as he looks like he’s about to vomit “Ohohoooo...that was not as fun as it looked like…” He steadies himself before driving off. Spectora’s letter now resonates with something as it flies outside his car and heads off, leaving a blue streak in its path as if to tell Parappa to follow. And follow he does as he goes after the letter’s wayward path. Beforelong he’s by a building next to the one that Sirius made the suits in. He hops out of his car and heads to the door.

 

The door opens up to show Aqua and Sirius tidying about on the left and right sides of the room. Aqua notices him and smiles. In the center is an axolotl woman who is seen working on something with a cauldron. When Parappa closes the door, she is alerted and turns around to face him “Ah! You must be the one that did so much for me!” she bows prodigiously. The sight astounds the dog slightly as he approaches. Once he’s near enough, he notices a scar over her left eye. Said eye is also pitch white, showing that it’s as blind as it can get. Parappa could easily piece together the reasoning behind it and merely smiles awkwardly in slight fear “Hm? Ah, my apologies. I realize that my appearance right now is...most unsuitable...terrifying even. But I assure you, that I mean no harm!...Truly wish those words could undo all that i’ve done prior...but alas...I merely have to make up for all that some other way hopefully.”

 

Parappa immediately loses the fear he had “I know just the way! You could help us stop Tycoon!”

 

“Oh my dear helper...I would love nothing more...trust me...but after this whole ordeal...I really rather not look at that despicable man anymore...I don’t want anything to do with Bohemian...I am frankly...done…”

 

“You know, that’s perfectly understandable given the things you must’ve been forced to do. Sorry for jumping the gun Ma’am.”

 

“Oh don’t stress it my small hero. You have your heart in the right place. Believe me, were it not for the agonizing guilt within me, I’d help you take him on in a heartbeat! But for now I’d prefer to just keep my distance.”

 

“I’ll respect your wishes.”

 

“Thank you. Now back to the matter at hand! I must thank you! Oh but words just aren’t enough...but I can’t figure out what to do for you…”

 

“Oh you don’t need to do much for me! The simple thanks is enough! In fact you being liberated is more than enough!”

 

“Oh that won’t do! You’d be wise to let a sorceress relay her thanks! I simply must for all that you’ve done in spite of my groups history!”

 

“Well...I can’t argue there...ok!” Parappa wags his tail as he watches her rummage about, then recalls her cauldron “Um...Miss Spectora...what were you working on?”

 

“Oh that? Riiiiight. It was just a simple concoction really. I had nearly forgotten all about it the moment you arrived! Oh but it’s nothing really special.” She moves the cauldron away.

 

“Oh I see, I was just curious is all.”

 

“A curious mind is a healthy one! Well, it seems like i’m at wits end with what to give you! So I guess my thanks will have to do unfortunately.” She looks defeated.

 

“Oh don’t feel bad! I’m happy knowing you have your free will back!” The older woman grabs onto his hands.

 

“I do! And that’s thanks to you!” Parappa beams a smile but quickly recoils his hands.

 

“O-Ow!...” he checks his wrists to see little cuts. They look to have been caused by her nails.

 

“Ah, my apologies my dear. I have not payed attention to my own figure in the years I've been prone to letting myself getting unkept. You must forgive my lacking cleanliness.”

 

“It's ok...you have a justifiable reason...but...what's this gooey stuff?...” he notices a blue fluid around the cuts that seep in.

 

“Oh, my mistakes again! It's the potion I've been working on! It got lathered on my fingers!” she levitates paper towels and bandages over to Parappa “I'm just a mess recently my dear.”

 

“Again that's fine, b-but the potion isn’t...h-harmful is it?”

 

“Oh I can't say for sure my boy…” his eyes widen “I'm afraid you're going to end up with quite the height increase!” his fear is replaced with confusion.

 

“Im...gonna get taller?...”

 

She winks “Surprise. That was my gift! I was informed you were rather...short for your age.”

 

“Eheh...that I am…” he quickly becomes self-conscious.

 

“So I found it fair to make you taller! A special person with a big heart needs a big body to accommodate no?~” she smiles, he smiles back.

 

“T-That’s SUPER nice of you! Thank you so much!”

 

“Think nothing of it my dear! It's just something I needed to do for you actions. Now you best be off! Don't let this strange witch take up your time! I'm sure you're a busy individual, especially with Tycoon on the secretive move!”

 

“R-Right! Thanks again! And enjoy your freedom!” he bows and runs off gleefully. She chuckles lightly as he runs off. 

 

Aqua walks up to her mother “That was astronomically kind of you mother!” Once the sounds of his car starting up and leaving are heard her laughter picks up “M-Mother?” when the sound disappears, her laughter devolves into an evil cackle “W-What did you do to him?!” she and Sirius attempt to grab ber, but she telekinetically grabs them both and slams them against the wall and pins them there.

 

“Silence traitors…~” her laughter comes to a stop as she glances at them both “You got rid of my precious monster...so I'm making...a new one~”

 

“What's going to happen to him?!”

 

“I'm just getting a dog suitable for a woman like me~...it helps that we’re having so many full moons incoming~...”

 

“H-HE LIVES IN A BUSTLING AND CALM TOWN MOTHER! A WEREWOLF WOULD RUN RAMPANT THERE WITH NO OPPOSITION!”

 

“Precisely~ My new puppy needs to stretch his legs in his new body...which will become permanent if I get a move on and perform some...grand magic~ It'll take some time for his new body to kick in anyway~” Both Sirius and Aqua look at the mad witch as she resumes laughing. Dreading the worst now that they can't help whatsoever.

 

“L-Leo...we fucked up badly man…”

 

“Parappa...please keep your sanity...oh please let him keep his sanity…”

 

* * *

 

Parappa arrives back in town with joy as he thinks to himself “Alright. Got that handled. Shame I couldn't get her on our side, but I gotta respect her wishes!” He nods to himself “But what to do now since I’m already in my car...hm...I’m still curious about Trinity...Bohemian might go after her kingdom again with that weird space suit guy...I’ll go ask dad to learn more it I guess! Maybe I can find out why he’s sending a guy back in time!” With his new objective in mind, he drives off and in no time at all he’s back at his old house “I hope dad isn’t getting bothered by me popping over here constantly…” he enters his old home and spots his father trying to find a spot to store the massive book “Uh...you alright there dad?...”

 

“Oh hey son!...Yeah!...Just...struggling to store this hefty thing...away!...” He gives up and just leaves it on the floor “Ah forget it...so what brings you back today? Doesn’t seem that urgent if it’s just you.”

 

Parappa thinks it over.  _ Should I bring up Leonora?... _

 

_ I’d advise against it for now, one thing at a time no? Besides you know how he was yesterday over it. _

 

_ Riiiiiight… _ he clears his throat “Well, I wanna test your boundless knowledge for something that sorta happened to me and Leo last night…”

 

“Oh?...”

 

* * *

 

“Oh this is troubling...for BoTy to want to mess with the past...the whole thing makes me uneasy...Especially the fact that he was SPEAKING to me at the expo a while back! And I was blindly unaware!...But I’m getting off topic. Now...there’s a specific reason for him asking that scientist to meddle in the past, but what...did you get the scientist’s name?...”

 

“No...sorry dad…” He whines sadly “Erm...only names I got was the Kingdom as I told you and the Princess that summoned us…”

 

“That’s the thing...you got Trinity’s name...but not her last name…”

 

“D-Does that matter?...I thought Trinity of the Kingdom of Arcadia would’ve been enough…”

 

“No unfortunately, it’s abit more dilute than that...In the history books, Trinity was actually quite a common name for royal children believe it or not.”

 

“What??...Well now it makes sense that you want a last name...erm...but again...doesn’t the name of the kingdom help?...”

 

“Not a bit. Arcadia is void of any information to give. Of all the kingdoms to end up in, you go to one that is feasibly impossible to prove ever existed without more knowledge. I could find out more if I knew either their last name, the name of atleast one of Trinity’s older sisters or the King. That alone should give me enough to work with and help you out.”

 

“I hope...but the problem is contacting Trinity again…”

 

“She called for your help once. It would only be obvious that she’ll call you again next time that man returns to the past.”

 

Parappa rubs his gut “I hope…I’m...actually really worried…”

 

“...About what Tycoon is doing or the safety of the Kingdom?...”

 

“Erm...what do you mean?...Both obviously!...”

 

Papa Rappa stares at his son with a simple blink “My boy...you...do realize that kingdom is history right?...that they’re all LONG since passed away?...This was in the past after all…so no matter the outcome...they all still...erm...perish.”

 

“...I know...but...it doesn’t hurt to want them to live a full fruitful life you know?...There’s just been this pit in my gut once I really started thinking about it…”

 

His father rubs his head “Don’t worry my boy, i’m sure they lived their lives to the fullest!”

 

“...Thanks pops~ If...I do learn more-”

 

“Then you’re free to tell me so I can help out more! Anything to stop BoTy!” Both dogs wag their tails.

 

“Great! I guess I’ll leave you be then.” He rushes off, waving to his father goodbye.

 

The remainder of the day goes by regularly with everyone at their jobs and then hanging out once they're all free and the rest passes in an instant. Parappa once more bunks with Katy, however upon the start of the next morning…

 

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!” Katy flops out of the bed.

 

Everyone bursts into her room to spot what happened, there they all spot...a much large Parappa. One who was on equal height with Katy, Lammy and Rammy as he groggily wakes up in haste “W-What’s wrong?...”

 

(“Yo...talk about your late bloomer…”)

 

“Huh?...”

 

“P-Parappa...y-you grew…!” Lammy states as she looks at the new tall dog.

 

“I…” He looks down, Spectora’s potion had done its job “I AM!” he bounces out of the bed “WHOA, LOOK AT ME!”

 

“We are Paraps…” Rammy scratches her head “I know late bloomers are a thing, but I guess it's just weird seeing it for myself…”

 

“Agreed…”

 

“U-Uh-huh…”

 

(“Tell me about it…”) they all keep eyeing the dog until Lammy manages to say something else.

 

“U-Um...P-Parappa...you might wanna get new clothes now right?...the c-clothes on your back somehow stretched with you...luckily e-enough...but your other clothes aren’t suitable for your b-body now...they're at most all shorts and crop tops now!”

 

The thought quickly strikes him hard “Huh...yeah that’s...gonna be at problem…”

 

“I mean Paraps...at the very least I can share my shirts with you...but pants...you're gonna have to get yourselves some new ones.”

 

“Shirts aren't a problem for now since his top frame is still smaller than all of ours obviously! But Rammy has a point! We can't share our pants with you if your waistline is bigger than all of ours!”

 

“Can you guys...ya know...stop talking about that??” he hides his face under his beanie. They all apologize, except for Ma-san.

 

(“I mean come ooooon Mutt. You had to know that it'd be a problem eventually! Especially now that you can't hide it with your shortness cuz you ain't short anymore!”)

 

“With every blessing comes a curse...guess today calls for a shop-”

 

**“I'M ON IT!~”** Katy bounces on the spot.

 

“Hooooooookaaaaaaay...um...but I'm gonna need another person to help you know...like Second Opinion, style diversity help...who else could help me sho-” his phone rings immediately “Wha?...who could that be…” he answers and a voice immediately yells out as if it were on speaker.

 

**_“I’M ON IT!~”_ ** It was Paula.

 

“P-Paula?! How did you...why are you even calling me?!”

 

_ “I heard shopping was being discussed and so I called to help!” _

 

“PAULA YOU LIVE FAR FROM US IN A DIFFERENT SECTION OF TOWN, HOW DID YOU HEAR ME?!”

 

_ “Don't you question me! When a friend of mine talks about shopping, my hearing range exponentially increases!” _

 

“I-...you know what...aight...I'll just accept that and your help. I hope you and Katy can assist me well!” Both Katy and the voice on the phone reply together.

 

“You can count on us!” the dog just sighs.

 

“I guess...I gotta believe?” he forces out a flat chuckle.

 

* * *

 

Some time after breakfast “P-PARAPPA?!...” Paula shouts as she looks at the dog as big as her.

 

“Yo!”

 

“Huh...this...explains...alot.” she walks around the taller dog “Talk about your growth spurt…how’d that happen??”

 

“Guess I just took a while to catch up~ Now come on! I got new clothes that I need to buy! Can’t make much use of my old clothes now!” He runs off to his car as Paula watches him run off. She quickly turns to the others “Ok so, we all in agreement that this is unnatural?”

 

(“Mutt has always been unnatural, so this is nothing new.”)

 

“Ma-san t-that’s pushing it...Paula has a point that this is just a little bit odd…”

 

“I mean...Mr. Rappa and Mrs. Rappa were BOTH pretty tall...it only made sense that Parappa would EVENTUALLY reach that height…” Katy rubs her chin as her tail turns back into a question mark “So technically speaking...this was bound to happen...it’s just alarming that it happened all in one go!” She whines “Frankly I’m abit jealous…but enough about that! It happened, and we gotta help him adjust! Just like with him moving in with us, and when he ended up with short hair! It’s just another little speed bump on the road to a new life for him!” Katy nods to herself as she goes off to the car as well.

 

Rammy rubs her head with her knuckles “Frankly I don’t got shit to say really. The little details on Paraps still elude me. I don’t know him as much as you guys do. So all I can really do is take this as something to expect! It doesn’t seem out of place to me, but I’m guessing my word in this is moot.”

 

“Not at all. Frankly that’s a fair way of looking at it Rammy. Mmm...this is strange, but it doesn’t seem bad. Let’s just roll with it!” Paula nods and heads off after Katy and Parappa.

 

Lammy, Rammy and Ma-san all watch the car leaving, uttering one unified word “Here we go again…”

 

The shopping spree goes by ridiculously as the two girls also decide to try on new styles along with the dog, as well as turning the dog into their model given his new size. The experience is all drawn out, exhausting the dog instantaneously. It goes on and on and eventually the trio stack of bags and boxes reaches ludicrous heights that rival even some of the small buildings in town.

 

“Katy you think we may have overdone it a little?”

 

“Did we?...” Both she and Paula look at their stack of items “Nah. If anything, I think we cut ourselves short. What about you Parappa?” Both girls look around for the dog.

 

“Parappa?” They don’t spot him “Where’d he run off to?” They soon hear moaning from the ground. They look down and see the third stack is nothing more than a pile all in one spot “Uh oh…” They quickly remove all the stuff that had collapsed on him and find him flattened on the ground.

 

“You alright Parappa?...”

 

“Do I look alright?...”

 

“I mean...you’re as flat as we usually are…”

 

“I walked into that…” he groans as the two peel him off the ground “Thank you...and...really? Was all this really necessary?...” They just look at him “How stupid of me to ask...right then...instead of lugging all this to the car like a lunatic...I’m just gonna bring the car to us.”

 

“Great Idea!” They both beam, only upsetting him further.

 

“Yeah. I’ll be right back…”

 

With the car arriving to them, the trek back was much more smoother than having to tote all of that to the vehicle itself. Instead of dropping Paula off at her place, they all head back to the other home as they decide to show off Parappa by modeling in the new outfits he had gotten “Come on Parappa! The next one!”

 

“W-Why did we get this one again?...” he says behind his room door, refusing to open it “We’re entering the colder months!”

 

“We ain’t gonna be in the colder months for long!~ Now hurry up and open the door!”

 

“Wasn’t the point of today for me to get things that WEREN’T shorts???...”

 

“They’re just swim trunks ya baby! I.E., specific shorts!” Katy’s voice booms louder with each sentence she replies with. Seemingly having an answer ready for whatever it is he asks.

 

“Yes, but…-”

 

“Oh come on Parappa! Your hips are bound to be less noticeable now that you’re taller!” Paula fills in, cutting him off before he can retort with the obvious.

 

“Have you SEEN how I look like?!?! That is the exact OPPOSITE!”

 

“I HAVE seen you, and now it’s the other’s turn to see you! And exact opposite? Maybe to you ya paranoid pup!”

 

“THIS IS CRAZY!”

 

“Open the door! Open the door!” Paula and Katy begin chanting.

 

“N-No!...” the dog whines from behind the door. Rammy decides to join in.

 

“Open the door!”

 

“I-I said no!”

 

(“Open the door!”) Ma-san also joins in with a chuckle.

 

“D-Don’t join in with them! D-Don’t I have anyone on my side??...”

 

“Open the door! Open the door!~” the four girls merely carry on chanting, and they do so until Lammy gets up and opens the door slightly, and slips on in, shutting it immediately after her so they aren’t able to see anything. The noise of a lock is heard afterwards.

 

“H-Hey! Lammy! You can’t just do that!” Paula angrily swings her arms about, cold air leaving her mouth.

 

“I mean...she kinda just did.” Katy crosses her arms, sighing in defeat.

 

(“This is surprising in two ways.”)

 

“Those ways bein Mar?”

 

(“The fact that Lammy was the first to try and help him, and the second is the fact that she actually went through with it.”)

 

“Oh yeeeeeeah. Course...something tells me she’s tryin to be a lil bit more forward...guess this was a start!” Rammy snickers, remembering the day when they swapped minds.

 

Meanwhile, behind the door.

 

“L-Lammy what are you d-doi-”

 

“You asked for someone to help right?” She stares at the dog. He’s in orange styled trunks with frogs tattooed all over them. His shirt is a hawaiian styled blue and white button up. He’s also wearing sandals. 

 

“B-But I could’ve been-”

 

“We're already used to moments like these. Remember what happened after your first night here?”

 

Parappa’s response is only allowing his mouth to hang “Boy oh boy...h-heh...I had...forgotten…”

 

“How could you manage to! Since that day there have been...more accidental run ins with all of us prior to Ura’s inclusion in our lives. And you were right...it did help.” she smirks “I mean yeah there’s still the usual embarrassment, but it's since gone down! Especially after Ura joined us. Thanks to you calming her down, getting her to wear clothes while here is a near impossibility unless we have the others over or if we're heading off somewhere!”

 

“Yeah I'll take the blame for that...especially since I have to bunk with her! I get to see way more than I feel I should be allowed! Especially since she loves to stretch once she wakes up!... Kinda flusters me more that it's also technically your body I'm also looking at…”

 

“I'm not THAT tone…”

 

“You kidding? Look at you! Both you and her have the fittest bodies!”

 

“Your body is more fit than ours!...wait...why am I agree with you?!”

 

“Cuz it's the truth! And you never really noticed mine thanks to my size!...which...isn't an issue anymore...huh...guess I am fit.” he rubs the back of his head with an awkward smile. Scratching his hair as his eyes look away.

 

“Well. Back on my reason for popping in here. You're still able to rock any outfit, just as efficiently as the two who helped you get them.”

 

“I know that...it's just-”

 

“They just wanna help you get out of that shell of yours when it comes to that specific bit about you. Granted they could be a bit more...gentler...when handling it since that part of you is really...touchy. Still, if it's too much now, you don't have to do it. Just wear something else. You don't have to force yourself to go through with it if you can't.”

 

“...” the dog sits on the ground “Yeah...I know that...just...I don’t want to be embarrassed about this...Leo managed! Mostly!”

 

“Yeah, I’m aware. But Leo had a girl who had experience in that field to be able to provide proper motivation and encouragement. And it worked, even now. Sure it's not a full 100 percent...but it's loads better than how he was then. You don't really have someone like that do you?”

 

“...Actually...I do. It's you.”

 

“H-Huh? But I don't-...no...you're right. What kind of best friend would I be if I didn't assist right?”

 

“You'd still be my best friend. And you do have the experience! Not Mocha’s experiences exactly, but your own. And that's something that helps me tremendously. Just like with Leo and Mocha.”

 

She sits on the ground to, and he scoots over to her. She then speaks up “You really think?”

 

He doesn't look at her, he only grins “The coolest one always knows how to help~”

 

“...I keep telling ya I'm not cool~...”

 

“And I say you are~ Now and always Jammer Lammy!”

 

“Whatever Parappa the Rapper~” the lean against each other, staring at the door that the others still want to open “Guess you should try out a different set of clothes.”

 

Parappa thinks it over. His predicament and the people who mean well. Then about Lammy's help specifically. He focuses on each thought as his head nestles into hers, sending her into a malfunctioning fervor internally. He's unaware as he speaks up “Nah...my best friend just gave me the confidence I needed~...” He gets up and takes a quick breath and then looks back to her “Thanks. You’ve become such a big part of my resurgence, and I’m never gonna forget it. I only wish I can be as impactful to you as you’ve been to me. If you wanna do anything, need anything or whatnot. Just ask aight?~” Lammy finds herself at a loss of words. She mumbles what sounds like ‘uh-huh’. With that, Parappa opens the door to model his new waterwear. The moment the door opens and he walks out, there is loud hooting and awes heard from the behind the closed door. The noise is null to Lammy’s ears, as her mind was tightly wrapped around the last thing he said to her. He normally wouldn’t be one to offer that much, unless it were to apologize. But here was different, especially regarding her. Was this because the lie that happened prior actually worked out? Did he truly believe she was bolder? Well, now was a perfect chance to turn that lie into reality. Maybe. But first, a quick nap. Lammy faints on the spot as Parappa resumes modeling his new attires.

 

The tower of new gear that was bought for him was all instantaneously tried out in no time at all. The styles were all hits, but it should prove no surprise given the model and the two who helped him find it all. Despite all that, he decides to finish off this day with the clothes he woke up with before putting on something new. With all that agreed with, they decide to take him out to show the others the new lengthy boy while they work. The MilkCan trio head off to their jobs. Katy and Lammy however quickly return after noticing a ‘closed until further notice’ sign on their place of work, so they tag along with Parappa and Paula to show PJ and Matt.

 

“Yo it’s about time you two made it. You’re both abit over the time we opened, but luckily the real rush has yet to beg-...” Matt stops once he turns around and stares at Parappa on eye level “...D...D-Did I shrink??...” Paula merely busts out laughing as Parappa shakes his head.

 

“You’re still good Matt, I just grew is all~”

 

“Huh...yeah I can see that...some...some good results…” He’s stays flabbergasted as PJ walks in with a pile of plates that are all immediately dropped once he sees the taller dog.

 

“This is unnatural…” Chop Chop runs in upon hearing the sound of breaking plates. Carrying his own stack.

 

“PJ! HOW COULD YOU DROP THE PLA-...Hayatatataaaaa, my pupil!...What lunacy is this??” He drops the plates he himself was carrying as well “Aiiiieeeaaaaa...well...my apologies PJ...I now understand your predicament…”

 

“Ya-huh…”

 

Rammy, Katy and Lammy all sit at table and chat as the other four work, to which it then occurs to Katy and Rammy…

 

“We should invite the others over to see Parappa to!” They say in unison.

 

“O-Oh...you two mean the ex hell shadows?...”

 

“Course we do Lammy!” Katy says as her tail bobs about.

 

“It might be nice to include em on our shit, make em feel more welcome you know? Just like you guys did for me and Kitty. Actually...speaking of Kitty, we should call her over to right?”

 

“At that p-point we might as well bring over Rayn, and if we do that we gotta include Poppy and L-Leo! So why not, I-I guess this is a grand enough occasion!”

 

“Great! I’ll call over Leo, and he’ll pass the word to the others!” Katy pulls out her phone.

 

“I’ll go run off and get the main ex hell dudes then!” Rammy hops out of her seat to get ready to sprint off “Reeeeeeally should’ve asked for their phone numbers…” As she gets ready to run off, she’s grabbed by Lammy.

 

“W-Waaaaaait!...Ura hold on! It just so happens Paula did do that! So let’s just ask her to call Charlotte to tell the o-others!...”

 

“Well that saves a little work, but do they know how to get here??”

 

“...T-That I dunno…”

 

“So I guess I still gotta go regardless.”

 

“S-Sorry I couldn’t offer m-more help Ura!”

 

“Don’t fuckin worry about it Lammy! I could use the leg movement, and getting on more better terms with those guys would be nice as well. No harm in bein better friends.”

 

“T-That’s true!” Lammy perks back up “Glad to see you attempting s-such a thing!”

 

“Got Paraps to thank for that!” With that said, she’s off like a bullet.

 

She returns after abit of time and arrives with AJ, Chris, and Charlotte. Fei-bo is strapped onto her back like a backpack.

 

“Why is-”

 

“She wouldn’t budge otherwise.”

 

“Ah.”

 

They all question why they were brought here and soon Leo and the other girls chime in thereafter.

 

“Yoooo, what was so special that you needed us to tag along?” Leo asks as they all enter. His helmet emitting a question mark.

 

“Paraaaaaappa!~” Katy calls and the dog walks on in.

 

“What is it? Kinda busy. Oh... hello!” Everyone stares at the now taller dog with their own varying reactions.

 

“P-Parappa???” Sunny says as she and Rayn look at the dog wide eyed.

 

“Whooooa...he got tall…” Kitty taps her head.

 

“Hooo...this oughta separate you from Raparra’s similarities~...” Chris admires the dog that matches his height now.

 

(“Whooooa. Look at the cutie!~”) Fei-bo climbs up to Rammy’s head and bounces off to get a better look at Parappa.

 

“Uwaaahahaaa~...” Charlotte merely gawks at the boy with hearts prominent in her eyes. Only muttering out unintelligible gibberish.

 

“This is quite unnatural…” AJ says, which PJ quickly speaks up from behind the counter.

 

“That’s what I said!” 

 

Leo merely stares at his dad with mixed emotion appearing on his helmet through varying strange emoticons. The most prominent being a concerned one. Katy and Lammy quickly take notice and soon feel the worry as they run and pull Leo away outside the cafe “Hey there...w-what’s with that show of worry?...Something going on with Parappa’s new height?...” Katy tugs at the neck of her shirt.

 

“That’s...what I don’t get. I mean...this is normal...I’ve known my dad’s height, and you all saw the photo of mine...so this is supposed to happen...but...dad told me about his height. The problem is I can’t remember…”  _ Auntie Sweety’s to blame for that… _ “...It’ll come back eventually...but I guess it’s just unnerving to see since I’ve been looking at a short Parappa for a while now...so it’s probably just that…so i’m sure it’s nothing bad.”

 

“I hope not...you had us worried there…” She and Lammy release a relieved sigh as they flick the boy on the helmet.

 

“W-With all the things that are bound to happen to us...this really l-left us with a sensation of p-panic. So it’s refreshing to hear that it’s all good.” Lammy holds onto her stomach, hoping it eases up quickly. The day continues on with everyone admiring Parappa’s new stature, but really it leaves the dog all shy from the heavy influx of attention. From something that wasn’t his performing. Eventually it turns to the late evening and we find Parappa and the girls back at their abode. Well, atleast him and the two ewes. Katy and Ma-san had gone off to enjoy the night, getting stuff in preparation for the the week of full moons that will start the night after tomorrow. The three of them sit in front of the couch. Rammy is tuning the guitar she got from Parappa while Lammy is seen finishing up with her guitar as she watches what’s on tv with Parappa. Rammy slowly nods off from the simple rhythm she put herself in as the tuned sound she keeps making sounds similar to white noise, and so she conks out.

 

Lammy finds herself getting to into the show she’s watching as she comfily nestles into the couch. However, Parappa is not only also on the couch, he is now the same height as her, so effectively she nestles into him. Parappa notices, but decides to be cheeky “Comfy?~”

 

“Yeah. Just had to find a spot that was comfortable enough as I watch is all...why ask-” She realizes what she’s resting on. She swallows the remainder of her imminent panic. Recalling the time he said that stuff like this was alright, as well as the lie where she has to act bolder “...Yeah, very comfy~” She snuggles into him.

 

“Heh. I’ll say~ But I should’ve expected as much. You’ve been getting braver by the day. Some of it can be abit TOO brave, but I don’t mind that since you’ve made amazing progress Lammy!”

 

“H-Haha...yeah...I totally am~...”  _ I don’t know what’s gonna break me down first...my cowardice, my anxiety or my guilt…  _ She mumbles to herself, slowly sliding away until Parappa pulls her closer “E-Eep…”

 

“I’m comfy to~ A soft fuzzy lamb makes for a nice comfy compliment while relaxing on a couch~”

 

“M-Muuurr…”  _ I can’t handle this! Quick! Just admit that it’s a lie and bail with some grace!  _ She groans as she opens her mouth “A fuzzy dog is way comfier to snuggle to~”  _ WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY. WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY?! WHAT PROMPTED MY MOUTH TO SAY THAAAAAT?!?!  _ As she has a mental breakdown, her eyes bounce everywhere from her freakout.

 

_ You’re welcome~ _ Lammy stops her panic as she hears that voice in her head. She quickly points her eyes over to Rammy and spots her with one eye slightly open. A large grin on her face. Forgetting that they both could do that now thanks to 16-bits.

 

“Can’t argue there~” Parappa turns his attention back to the tv.

 

“O-Of coooourse noooot~...”  _ Ura how could you… _

 

_ Hey, this was the entire point of keeping the lie right? So woman up and get your heart closer to his! Doesn’t hurt to build up his preference to you~ _

 

_ But i’m not in the position to do this...I feel like I’m gonna pee myself, vomit and pass out...now normally fainting would be alright with me, but not the prior two! Especially while I’m ON TOP of him!...I would never live it down… _

 

_ Simple then, DON’T DO THAT! _

 

_ Oh gee, why didn’t I think of that…….Ura think! If it were that simple for me, would I be having a near full body shut down experience right now?!  _

 

_ Okaaaaay...that’s fair...didn’t have to be an ass about it...well then what are you gonna do now?? He ain’t movin his arm unless you tell him to. And if you do that, you kinda undo everything. _

 

_ That’s the problem! Oh what a mess…  _ A commercial plays on the tv. It has the sounds of a guitar, but it is far from a good sound.  _ I didn’t think a lie like this would put me in such a close spot! _

 

_ You handled the park not a date fine. What makes this different? _

 

_ WE WERE IN PUBLIC!  _ The guitar playing gets louder.  _ I could easily split off because he’d be aware of how I get while in public! This is COMPLETELY different! We’re at home. A HOME WE LIVE IN TOGETHER MIND YOU! On the couch, at close proximity, with only ourselves to speak to!  _ More tuneless guitars join in.  _ We’re in the dark, with the only light being the dim tv that we’re both attentive on that only causes the intimacy to SKYROCKET! There is no excuse for me! And...And...A-And...  _ The noise just becomes a grating mess “CAN THERE BE ANY NOISE MUCH  **_WORSE_ ** THAN THAT?!” Lammy pulls away from Parappa as she stands to her feet angrily. Glaring at the tv and it’s horrid commercial break on guitar advertisement. Her horns ignite in a golden fire as the flames fill out and give them the appearance of spiral ram horns that roll out on the side of her head “IT’S GRATING ON THE EARS!...”

 

Parappa watches her in astonishment “Yeah...they were pretty bad...heh...k-kinda forgot how you get when on the topic of guitars…”

 

“I’m sorry but that didn’t even sound like a guitar...and those players...if you can even call them that...were just a disgrace of the name...but what do you expect from a shoddy advertising commercial that just shows appearance rather than performance…” she closes her eyes as she rubs her face. A migraine building.

 

“I-I’ll say...g-guess someone had to replace Joe Chin in that aspect!...H-Heh…”

 

As Lammy simmers down, Rammy speaks up again in her head while her pseudo fire horns extinguish themselves.  _ Congratulations! You freed yourself! And possibly scared Parappa from making anymore attempts like THAT for a good while! _

 

Lammy’s eyes burst open as she looks at the dog shiver to himself as he keeps his eyes fixed to the tv. She wasn’t nuzzled into him anymore and he was indeed terrified.  _ O-Oh god… _

 

_ I mean...look on the bright side! You ain’t gonna puke or piss yaself!...And all it took was erasing a good chunk of progress you had towards him!...so uh...net loss actually… _

 

Lammy’s fingers wiggle as she tries her best to not yank her face off. She has an interior breakdown much worse than the one prior. Parappa notices and settles himself as he speaks up “Hey Lammy…” she snaps out of it and glances over to him “Do you...wanna help me shop for a guitar for Rammy? So that the three of us can just jam here? Or some place like the pond in the grove? Like when you first taught me? Make some actually good guitar music? Show the world what better guitar players can do?...~ Maybe attract a crowd again~...”

 

Lammy settles down, seeing that the dog was effectively giving her another shot, but also showing that he wasn’t ultimately terrified of her “Y-You sure?...”

 

“Yeah! I’ve also been hankering to continue my lessons! But...things got in between that...what better time than now?~...”

 

“A-Alright...I-I’d be happy to start teaching you again~...”

 

“Great! So wanna go buy a guitar for her now so I can get mine back?”

 

“N-Now?...”

 

“Sure! Katy and Ma-san are out and about. Soooo why not us?”

 

“...Ok then. We should probably wake Rammy-”

 

“I’M GAME FOR A NEW GUITAR TO PRACTICE AS A TRIO!” Rammy jolts awake as Parappa’s guitar hands from her neck and dangles around her waist.

 

“Y-You’re awake??”

 

“NEVERMIND THAT PARAPS! OFF TO BUY A NEW GUITAR!” Her legs rev up and she’s out the door. The two quickly shout out and run after her together.

 

“U-URA WAIT! PUT SOME PANTS ON FIRST!...”

 

“YOUR BUTT’S OUT AND ABOUT! YOU CAN’T GO OUT IN PUBLIC LIKE THAT RAMMY!...” They blast off after her to save her from her ignorance.

 

* * *

 

The trio exit Chuck’s with Rammy clinging onto her new guitar, fully smitten.

 

“Maaaaaan we sure as hell got fuckin lucky in findin a beauty like this~”

 

“I find it more lucky that we caught up to you and dragged you back home before anyone saw you…”

 

“A-Agreed...still...it was cutting it c-close…”

 

“Oh relax you two! Even if you didn’t catch me, I still had Paraps’ guitar covering my modesty!”

 

“Ohohoh it so was not…” Lammy shakes her head “Ura we have vastly different opinions on what we consider our modesty...besides...his guitar only covered your front!”

 

“All it really needed to cover honestly. I still had my shirt, and the guitar covered what mattered. So i’m good.”

 

“So you don’t care if some peeps look at your butt??...”

 

“Paraps, if any creep dare stare at my ass, they’d end up with amnesia~” She snickers as she cracks her knuckles.

 

“Yeesh...I’m glad we prevented that...but did ya have to take MY pants??”

 

“I couldn’t find mine under the ginormous stack of your new clothes! So I just took what I could find. And it works, sorta.” she tightens the belt she has on so that the pants don’t sag off.

 

“C-Can we get off this topic?” Both of them nod “Good...so...heading back home then for now?”

 

“Well...that depends on you Lammy. Any place you guys wanna teach me specifically?”

 

“Imma leave the choice up to her.” Rammy strums her new guitar.

 

Lammy stays there thinking, and quickly has her answer “How bout back at our place for now? Maybe someplace else starting tomorrow?”

 

“Hm...you sure?”

 

“You offered to me that I could ask for anything did you not?”

 

“Hah~ Got me there.” he starts strumming his own guitar “Aight~ Let’s go home then~” they all head back to their place as the ewes walk off together. As Parappa walks, his attention suddenly starts becoming transfixed to the sky. His eyes gaze at the waxing moon. His chest tightens up as he snorts out roughly, snapping himself out of it. He grabs his head, the past few seconds becoming an immediate blur “Ow...headache…” The two ewes stop.

 

“You aight Paraps?”

 

“Yeah...just a sudden migraine is all…”

 

“O-Oh no...gonna be ok?...”

 

“I think so...it’s probably nothing. Actually, maybe it happened from my disbelief over Rammy’s ignorance.”

 

“Hey! You guys don’t complain when you see me!”

 

“I think at this point, we don’t count. If anything, it’s like we’re four parents to a rebellious teen.”

 

“Blah blah, fuckin blah~” she laughs, getting the other two to just shrug and laugh to.

 

* * *

 

Raparra’s eyes burst wide open as he gets up in a sprawl. He sniffs the air profoundly until he turns his head to the empty distance. The direction where PaRappa Town is.

 

“Aw you gotta be fucking…” He turns his head away angrily “Nuh-uh...I ain’t mixing myself up in that...I promised to leave it to him...they don’t need me around no mo.” He huffs as he shoves his hands into his pocket and walks off. He stops and grumbles “Gah...but that smell...something bad’s comin...but what is it...da fuck do I care about it?...I’ll just let him handle it. He’s clearly tough enough to take it on...so I don’t know, therefore I don’t care…” He stares at the moon and becomes uneasy. He looks away and glances at the sky. The stars glimmer and the constellations are faintly visible. They’re all there, but half of Gemini is missing and Sagittarius is gone entirely “Tarien...what the fuck should I do?...” He snorts “Ha...yeah right...like you still find me a decent enough guy to talk to…” He plops onto his back, trying to sleep again, but his eyes catch a glimmer. A sparkle over where Sagittarius used to be “...Tch...I don’t get you...but hey….it’s the first time in twelve years I get to hear from you…guess you forgave me or some shit.” He gets back up “Alright then...so keep a surveillance...is that all you want me to do?...” The light twinkles abit more brightly “...Aight…” He takes a deep breath and begins walking his way to the town that miles upon miles away. The light beams from behind and he growls, forcibly turning around “No I am NOT happy to be going back!” the light flickers “Oh just shut the fuck up! You know! I think I preferred it when you ignored me!” he huffs and turns back around. He starts running to PaRappa Town.

 

_ I ain’t happy to be going back...but I just can’t let whatevers gonna happen, happen...it just don’t feel right...my wolf instincts are going crazy...just what the fuck did that place get itself into now... _


	47. Heartbeat Retreat!

Raparra sits on the ground. PaRappa Town finally visible in the sightline.

 

“Tch...I’m almost there...but for what…” he sits on a bench that’s rather worn and broken down. Sitting on the only part that’s usable. With the sky turning brighter, the stars are gone, and so is his way of listening to the long dead friend “You can’t even tell me anything else now…not until night again...” Raparra sinks into the remaining chunk of backrest of the bench. He sighs, as he decides against moving anymore and just nod off while on the bench in the middle of nowhere.

 

_ Hey Tarien...did I ever get as strong as you? I wonder... _

 

* * *

 

14 years ago within the most cragged depths of hell.

 

“KEEP SEARCHING! IF HE GETS AWAY, IT’LL PROVE MOST PROBLEMATIC FOR BOHEMIAN!”

 

“I don’t see you searching Yismun…”

 

“I don’t have to search. That’s what you’re for.”

 

“Now, I don’t normally see eye to eye to eye with these other guys, but Prince here’s got a point. You’s the robot after all. Ain’t ya got scanners for shit like this??”

 

“Hercules, I will hear no more on the matter. Now both of you, keep searching.”

 

“So basically, you’re a useless fuck.” Hercules crosses all his arms.

 

“MOVE!”

 

“I swear, if only 16-bits weren’t such a massive machination, he’d be a better robot to have around than you…” Prince crosses his own arms.

 

“LESS CHATTER, MORE SPLATTER!” The two shake their heads and carry on, with the whiny robot barking orders continuously.

 

In the near distance, behind a large assortment of rocks hides an angelic centaur. The horse lower body was adorned in white and gold armor, while the elf like upper body was in a hybrid robe armor. He’s seen holding a portion of his torso. A chunk of the armor missing from that spot, and blue blood is pouring out from there “Tch...persistent buggers aren’t they...They’re gonna be on me like a plague...well they aren’t getting me without a fight.” He uses his free hand to grab the divine looking bow on his back, but stops midway “Although...a fight would be most unwise…” He growls as he gets up on all fours “I must move to a different area...my investigation can’t be halted...the lord of Hell was taken and I need more information...his eldest spawn should be here somewhere…” he runs off.

 

The investigation goes by in a failure when he learns that the child is no longer within Hell, and has in fact gotten herself evicted from Hell altogether. He smashes his fist into the wall, causing a small quake as he tries to escape undetected. During that trek, he spots older hell denizens all in what appears to be a large brawl. But they weren’t fighting each other, they were beating down on what appears to be a puppy child “IT HONESTLY PISSES ME OFF HOW WE KEEP HAVING TO TELL YOU FUCKERS NOT TO COME THE FUCK OVER HERE!”

 

“B-But I LIVE h-here!...”

 

“YOU THINK WE’RE GONNA BELIEVE SHIT LIKE THAT?! YOU’RE A HELL SHADOW, YOU FUCK HEADS LIVE FAR FROM HERE!”

 

“N-Not me!...I lived here a-all my life!...m-my home’s here!...”

 

“SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY!” The demon was about to punch him once more in the back of the head, but his fist is grabbed by the centaur and tossed off, throwing him off balance. The angel the smashes his face in and sends him flying off into a wall. The impact caused the rocks over him to fall around him and trap him in a makeshift cage.

 

“To beat on a child...I never knew that Hell was filled with vile beings, but no...this is a different form of cruel altogether, and I won’t be having it.”

 

“The fuck is an angel doing here?!”

 

“Hell if I care! He can’t just come up here and tell us what to do, in OUR place!” They all leave the puppy and close in on the centaur.

 

“Now I’m in no condition to fight earnestly...but thankfully...you lot don’t even qualify as a battle…” He pulls over his bow and it quickly morphs into a crossbow. The limbs are heavily armed, making it seem like a hammer or pickaxe, probably able to be used as such as well “If you wish to bargain with your lives, then so be it.” They all charge him, but he doesn’t falter.

 

The battle, if one can even call it that, is over in no time flat. The ground is littered with corpses of those who tried and failed to strike at him. The centaur quickly runs over to the puppy and helps him up. He’s quickly thankful “U-Um...T-Thanks for the save...M-Mr…”

 

“Sagittarien. Child, what reason were those brutes harming you for?” He looks at the boy, he’s bruised and badly beaten. His natural fur color is overshadowed by the blue and violet coloring his body is forced to be. His right eye is badly swollen and cut. The left is half shut. He’s seen bleeding from almost everywhere. His nose is badly broken, and his left arm has gone limp. His legs can barely sustain his weight.

 

“They just don’t like others being here...they claimed all of this as their turf...but that’s not fair to me…”

 

“Because you live here, is that right?”

 

“Yeah...my house is just a little bit over that way…”

 

“Haven’t your parents warned you about people like them??”

 

“They have...but it’s not like I can stay cooped up in there forever…”

 

“Blasted- Where are they, should they not be supervising you??...”

 

“T-They’re dead...they’ve been dead for three years now…” the angel is angered almost immediately.

 

“...So you’re an orphan...tch...and were these scum aware?...”

 

“V-Very…” The dog falls over.

 

“...Child. What is your name.”

 

“Raparra Parra…”

 

Saggitarien rubs his chin “Raparra, are there anymore of these low lifes around?”

 

“...Why?...” the angel doesn’t reply, only sternly looks at the puppy “...I-If I tell you...w-will you save some for me?...” the angel eyes the puppy, with mixed emotion.

 

“I thought you were better than that Raparra. Petty revenge is never the answer.”

 

“E-Even if they’re the reason my mom and dad are dead?...” The angel is blown back. He quickly composes himself.

 

“Pardon me, I retract my prior statement. I will honor your wish, but you are to tell me who the specific ones are, so that I can leave them be.”

 

“R-Roger!...e-erm...they’re kinda everywhere really...up until where you reach where they dub the ‘Hell Shadow Zone’...and just before the cross to the river styx...Anywhere in the area between is crawling with them all...b-but if you see a big purple rock guy, leave him and his g-group alive!...T-They’re the ones that left me all alone…”

 

The centaur nods and then buckles down closer to him “You are a strong boy Raparra. And know that you are never truly alone.”

 

“Will...I ever be as strong as you Mr. Tarien?...”

 

“My name’s...yes...Tarien is fine. And if you are virtuous in your actions and how you go about things...you may become as strong as I. Perhaps even stronger.”

 

* * *

 

Raparra springs wide awake “...Man...what a dream...way to remind me of the shithead I became and the promises I broke…” he sighs “I don’t deserve to be forgiven. I don’t want to be anyway, but I don’t wanna stay the guy I was...I was manipulated from my anger and sadness and ended up twisting every lesson he taught me...but not anymore more...no one’s telling me to do shit anymore...I’m doing this all on my own volition…” He hops off the bench “Even this...I’m not doing it cuz you told me...I just wanna do this only cuz I feel like it...doesn’t hurt to have a second supernaturally strong mutt to help handle shit…” With that, he runs off towards the town some more.

 

* * *

 

The next morning was here and Parappa was on his own, tuning his guitar before having to head off to work.

 

“Man, I didn't touch this thing in a long while...I was sure I forgot everything I learned prior...but no...I can still use what I learned so far. Remarkable…” he rests his guitar on the ground “Guess Lammy’s just that flawless a teacher!~” he recalls the practice last night “The crowd we pulled in this time was ten times bigger to! Ha! So worth the sore fingers!” he grabs his guitar and heads off to put it away. When he returns to the couch, Lammy and Katy arrive back home. Both visibly upset “Hey you two, what's wrong?”

 

“Niles has gone MIA! We can't work if our boss ain't there to pay us!”

 

“While t-that is a big downer...I h-hope our boss is o-ok…”

 

“I mean yeah...but would it kill him to TELL us about this sorta thing Lammy? We just got new recruits and they're all at a loss over this! And I can't tell them anything cuz I don't KNOW anything! What kinda assistant manager am I!”

 

“Katy you c-can’t be held accountable for that…”

 

“I sure as hell FEEL like I am!” the cat slams her head against the wall “Our boss is driving a stick up my ass with his bizarre way of acting these days…”

 

“Well...I...c-can’t argue there…he  _ has _ been acting strange as of late…”

 

Parappa finally finds a chance to speak up “Why not just work anyway? And leave a report on what happened? You have a key to the place don't you?”

 

Katy peels her face off the wall “I've tried...he changed the locks…he really doesn't want us working while he's gone…”

 

“Ok...can’t help there…” he looks around “I meeeeean...enjoy your days off??~...I'm sure Niles will handle your payments once he gets back! He may be a hard ass, but he still does the essentials fairly!...atleast...the required minimum!...”

 

“Maybe you’re right...but it’s still just...URGH…” she flops onto the couch. Squishing the dog in the process.

 

“Ooof...h-help!...”

 

“K-Katy get off of him!”

 

“Just yank him out from under me...I’m not in the mood to move…” Lammy rolls her eyes before yanking Parappa out. Parappa hits the ground hard while Katy suffers the makeshift rope burn from their clothes rubbing together roughly.

 

“Ow…” They both say.

 

“S-Sorry…” Lammy helps the dog up as they both look at the depressed cat. They look to each other for ways of cheering her up. Lammy comes to a quick decision “Hey Katy!...”

 

“Mhm…?”

 

“I was planning on teaching Parappa some more today...it was gonna be just me since Ura’s helping Ma-san out, buuuuuut...wanna tag along?”

 

Katy pulls her face away from the cushions and looks at her “Ya sure?...Sounds like something ya planned and I don’t wanna get in the way of that…”

 

“I’m inviting you!”

 

“Ok...Parappa, will I be intervening?”

 

“Uhhh…”  _ Leonora...this is gonna be a bit mean of me...but can you tell me how Katy’s currently feeling on the matter truthfully? _

 

_ It’s not mean of you at all. She wants to come with. Terribly so, but doesn’t wanna be a burden. _

 

_ Not like she’d be one! Good thing I planned to invite her anyway!  _ “Not at all! The more the merrier if Lammy’s fine with it!” They both smile, reinvigorating the cat as she dramatically flips off the couch in a triple front flip before landing on her feet.

 

“Then thank you for the invite! I’d be glad to teach!” The cat beams as she starts opening up on the spot “T-Truth be told...I...also wanted to teach Parappa how to play guitar...buuuut...when I saw how you started teaching him...I kinda felt blockaded off...and then it slowly became your guy’s thing...and I didn’t wanna mess with that...so...guess it just sorta left me in the dust…”

 

The guilt wastes no time in striking Lammy internally as Parappa chuckles awkwardly.  _ Hoooo...Leonora you weren’t kidding...she did wanna tag along really badly… _

 

_ I told you. She’s holding back alot of emotions. So very many along with other things...and...she technically hasn’t told my other half NOT to tell you them since she isn’t aware of her existence yet...so if you ask, I do have the ability to tell you everything. _

 

… _ No. Don’t invade on her privacy anymore please. Only if she’s allowing me will I ask to know. Either from you or her herself. _

 

_ Understood. And good answer. _

 

“I’m...really sorry I made you feel that way Katy.”

 

“Oh don’t apologize! I let that be because it made me happy to see you both like that! Despite the jealousy! Seeing you two build a friendship made me super happy, you wouldn’t begin to understand no matter how hard I tried explaining it to you!” The words ‘SUPER JOY!!’ appear over her head in bright lights, showing her honesty.

 

“S-Still! You should’ve told me something Katy! M-Maybe I could’ve found a way to include you!”

 

“Noooo! Like I said, it became your thing! I wasn’t gonna mess with that!”

 

“But you’re my best friend girl! I have to do something!”

 

“And you’re my best friend Lammy! I wasn’t gonna let you ruin something you started on your own!” Both girls bicker passionately in their own well meaning way. Parappa scratches his cheek as he pingpongs between the two.

 

“Weeeell...when you girls finish up, I’ll be waiting in the car for you both!” He scoots off as they keep at it with their chatter. He grabs his guitar and heads off to his car.

 

* * *

 

“So you guys chose here to practice?” Katy says as they walk their way over to the pond.

 

“Nope, I had no say in this. I actually told Lammy to pick anywhere she’d like, but this was her first and only option.”

 

“Sorry for taking your special place Katy...but it's grown on me...and I now have some special sentiments tied to this place to now myself…”

 

“Don't be sorry for stuff like that! That sorta thing is why this place was made in the first place by my grandmother! I'm happy that this place is special to you to now just as much as it is for me and Parappa!”

 

“I doubt it'll ever m-match the level of sentimental value you two hold to this place. You guys MET and became friends over this spot! And then so many more things that I'm j-just not aware of. That level of special is something I won't ever reach, and I don't think I want to. I don't want to rob that value away from you g-guys.” Lammy fidgets around for her guitar as Katy merely recalls every single time she and Parappa have been here, and how they stopped after they hit 15 only to start coming back recently and stop again thanks to Ur. Yet they've started once more with a few days ago when they turned into Leonora. She then looks off to the tree where she carved her initials and Parappa’s within a heart.

 

“Maybe that's true...but it doesn't hurt to try and make bigger and better memories here.”

 

“I'm afraid I'll have to decline. No offense, but this place is yours Katy. And I never want to blemish that, now and forever. I only wanna preserve the timeless history you two made here as you grew up. And it's thanks to this place that I got to meet you, and by extension, Parappa and the rest! So that's further reason for me honoring this place.”

 

“You silly sheep...but thank you though~...” the two hug it out, causing Parappa’s tail to wag and bend into a heart the best it could. Despite being longer, it's still too bushy a mess to work with as opposed to tails like Paula’s and Katy’s “Well then...who's ready to groove?~”

 

“We are!” Parappa and Lammy fistbump the sky.

 

“Then let’s jam party animals!~” She joins them with her own hand.

 

The trio rock out as the two more experience players instruct Parappa on his own instrument, and the proper ways of going about it and how to strum out a better tune.

 

“No no Parappa. Look, let’s change your way of holding your guitar…” Katy plants down her own instrument and begins motioning his hands on how to better hold the instrument “See...with how you’re going about it...hold the neck like this...and then hold your other arm around like this…”  Her hands wrap around his as she properly positions his hands on the guitar. She holds onto him entirely, the movement she makes are those that he mimics until she's satisfied with the position fixing.

 

“U...Uh-huh…” he slowly finds his heart rate picking up.

 

“Alright. Try playing now!”

 

“R-Right…” in his heated state, he struggles to get a good beat. This causes Lammy to approach him.

 

“No Parappa. Here, try placing your fingers like this…” Lammy's hand grabs onto his. She moves her fingers, moving his along in the process “Alright...now. Play. I'll help out if you start straying off until you get the new hang of it.”

 

“G-Got it…” His heartbeat picks up even more. His beat is much more refined now, but only because of Lammy’s assistance.

 

_ Father your heartbeat is getting dangerously fast. Is everything alright? _

 

_ I'm o-ok…totally… _

 

_ Are you embarrassed to be taught by self learnt professionals?  _

 

_ Yeah...that's it…no other reason… _ the music he makes starts becoming better on it's own, so Lammy let's go of him. He eases up slightly, but his heartbeat refuses to calm down, keeping him on edge. 

 

“That’s it! Atta boy!” Katy pats his head.

 

“Much better!” Lammy gives him a gentle shake as to not disrupt his rhythm.

 

The boy’s performance falters abit from the attention, but steadies out and continues on. Increasing in it's fine melody. Both girls nod to each other as they tag in with their own guitars. The rhythm of their playing helps him increase the intensity of his own playing now that he has beats to base off from. The trio rock out as they sorta lose focus on the fact that this is just practice. They play at performance level as a crowd gathers by the outside of the grove, confused by the music that comes from within. The two experienced performers split off and watch the dog play on his own. The drive of his quaking heart influencing his jam as he plays a dynamic solo.

 

_ Wow father...you're rocking- _

 

_ I know~  _ Parappa’s body jitters slightly. Shining in a yellow light. In his right eye are the letters ‘CO’ and in his left are ‘OL’, they replace his pupil as he smiles wildly. The two girls watch their show off of a student bask in his limelight as his solo comes to a close. He spins his guitar in his hand as he then holds it over his shoulders just behind his head. The two happy teachers can no longer hold their joy “Yeah, that's right! A dog can ALWAYS learn some amazing new tricks! Aight aight aight aiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeee!-” Parappa is silenced by his two guitar teachers kissing him on both his cheeks. His heartbeat goes at such a rocket pace that it seems as if it were going to pop from the madness. The lunatic beating sends his body into a mess, but he just barely holds himself together “H-Hey now...w-what’s this f-for?...” is all he manages to huff out rather shaky.

 

“You deserved a lil something for being such an awesome student~”

 

“Fast learner AND self learner! You were a marvel! Eeeeeven if you started showing off a little ya scamp~” Lammy grins at the dog.

 

“I-I see…” his chest tightens “Thank you for the r-reward...a guy like me doesn’t deserve those types of a-accolades…~” he bashfully bows.

 

Katy boops him back up with her guitar “Hey now, that's far from the truth~”

 

“If anything...maybe me and Katy were nowhere near your league to be able to do that…”

 

“Well now I definitely wouldn't say thaaaaat…”

 

“Me outta your leagues? You girls got it backwards! I'm not even close to your leagues! You are way better than me! In more ways than one!”

 

“YOU ARE ON OUR LEVEL!” they both shout.

 

“I was your butler for a few years was I not?~” Both girls fumble in place as they try to explain “Relaaaax! It's something  _ I _ chose to do. So don't panic over it! It's just me teasing you guys a li-”

 

“Truthfully...I'd have added you to MilkCan if it were possible…” Katy says “But...you had your own career...not to mention Sunny at the time...so that little helper position of yours was all I can feasibly manage with you...there were many more reasons for keeping you close, some of which are obvious now I'm guessing, but I never wanted to let you go… obviously that was a radically selfish thought. Despite the realization of that...I couldn't find it in myself to ‘fire’ you. It wasn't until the accident that I no longer wanted you to be doing stuff like that, even after you fully recovered. I even lost the urge to add you to the band. Because...I just wanted you to be ok…”

 

Parappa recalls what Leonora told him. He struggles to phrase his thoughts without being offensive or hurting them “...I mean...I can understand leaving me be to properly recover and all that...but you could've still added me ya know...might’ve lifted my spirits tremendously to hear that invite...especially since...well...you know.”

 

“Yeah…”

 

“I'm...partially to blame for that...Katy told me all this stuff way before and...I guess I also went against it for the same reasons...and maybe a few more. And even after the accident...and the breakup...well...we didn't want to pour salt in the wound I guess?...i-it was a coin flip of a moment…if we went through with it...would you have broken down further and done some things we could never undo and come to regret? Or would it have saved us the year of your self destruction?...”

 

“We...stayed stuck on the former...and we were scared…”

 

Parappa keeps those words to heart “Yeah...I could see why...I'm sorry for keeping you in that state of paranoia. It must've been agonizing…”

 

“That's the past. You're nothing like that anymore! And thankfully it looks like you never will be again!” Katy says in a reassuring manner.

 

“P-Plus we still did sorta!...After all, we're Leavin to Believin now!” Lammy follows up.

 

“You girls make a fair point.” He looks at the opening in the trees, where sunlight peeks in “It all turned out for the better in the end. And I guess I did end up a MilkCan member~ Sorta~” He stretches his arms “Back then...I’d have love an invite to be a member. It’d have been like a dream, but I’d have declined if you told me, because you still felt leagues above me. I mean I know we were friends all...but I couldn’t help but feel like I was just something nowhere close.”

 

“We...felt the same...but for our own reasons as well. Nevertheless, those reasons aside, it would’ve been a joy to have you as a member in and of itself.” Lammy says as she and Katy pet the dog’s head, causing his tail to wag energetically on its own.

 

“The feeling’s mutual~...”

 

“And just know this-”

 

“No matter what, w-we’re always-”

 

“On the same level!” They both say.

 

“I guess I know that now. Especially since we technically live together. Among other things thanks to Leo.” They let go of his head.

 

“Well, what do you say Parappa? Feel like a little more practice for today after THAT lovely spectacle?~ Or would you wanna call it a day. You need to go to work soon anyway.” Katy says as she purrs.

 

“Hm...I still have time...can’t we play a little more?”

 

“W-We can...but we’ll probably get distracted again...and we don’t wanna make you late.”

 

“We do not get THAT distracte-” they hear cheering once more, from outside the grove, gushing the dog up “...Huh...crowd sounds bigger than yesterday...ok...maybe just a teeeeensy bit distracted…”

 

“Let’s just relax here before we head off with you to the cafe. You both cool with that?”

 

“Is cool with me. Lammy how about you?”

 

“Fine by me to!”

 

* * *

 

The trio are by the water’s edge. Their shoes and socks off as they rest their feet in the water. Both girls keep one of Parappa’s hands intertwined with their own. Katy holds his left while Lammy holds his right. The sentiment prevents his heart from calming down, yet he keeps his mind calm “Hey Parappa?” Katy grabs his and Lammy’s attention “If you were still with Sunny...how do you think things would be?”

 

“...That’s odd to ask...what got you needing an answer to that specific question?”

 

“Erm…” Katy recalls her dance with the disguised Sunny, and her chat over why she couldn’t reveal herself “Curious actually…no specific reason...aside from you bringing her up recently.”

 

“Alright…” He wiggles his fingers alongside theirs “I dunno...to be honest...the topic...well it’s gone funky within my brain…I mean...I’d be happy to just have a friend back really...”

 

“Would you...try to hook up with her again?” Katy’s question hits the other two hard for their own reasons.

 

“Well...I can’t give you an honest answer to that. Because...I don’t know…”  _ I mean I do...but I’m not giving it… _ “Not like the answer matters anyway. Thanks to Leo, it’s not like I can CHOOSE to get back with her if it were even possible. She’s not my destined lady, one of you girls are. And that’s completely fine by me~ Thinking about the lives I could potentially have with either of you is so...captivating~...Of course...it’s supposed to be one of you four...yet...thanks to some itty bitty time fuck ups...it’s now EIGHT girls I’m heart tied to...haha...I’m a mess…but atleast I know that it has to be one of the main four atleast! I just hope I pick the right girl...this whole time ordeal just got me all kinds of messed up...and I already had my table stacked!”

 

“Yeah...you did...it kinda makes me feel like a dirtbag...with all this going on...hehe...we’re still at it with trying to see who Leo’s mom ends up...rather...invasively…” the cat looks away.

 

“Well that’s not necessarily a problem...since Leo would love to keep his real mother! I just hope I can keep that for him...doesn’t help that he can’t tell me...but time preserving and all that! Though...the speculation is part of the fun...since thinking about who his mother could be just puts a whole buncha scenarios in my noggin...like...stuff before Leo’s born...such as dates...joint activities...and just other lovely scenes and whatnot~” The girls both turn pink in the face “And then the stuff once he’s actually around...how we adjust to being parents...how we handle raising him...what we plan for his future...as we watch the life we made together grow up before us and lead his own life...his own friends...his own adventure…” He looks to the water, his eyes matching their wavy, misty appearance “Now...well...he’s grown now...and his adventure has started and...it’s way more dangerous than any I’ve been in...He’s looks healthy, but he’s really not...his life is in shambles as he does things he’s since lost the love in long ago...he’s a broken boy...depressed and tired...and it’s all cuz of me. I mean...it’s technically not  _ me _ me...but it’s the future me that messed up in his youth that caused all this...Leo had to come back in time to stop my messes from happening...some dad I turned out to be…” He closes his eyes “And through all that...he still loves me dearly...holds me on this pedestal...risks his own now limited safety for mine...what would future me think if he saw the boy he failed...would he be as disappointed in himself as I am now?...” Parappa imagines the conversation, should Leo ever return safely to the future. He sees the older version of himself, defeated and depressed. In front of him is the equal in stature Leo.

 

_ “...You’re back…” _

 

_ “...I...I guess I am…” _

 

_ “...I’m not...I’m not dreaming this am I?...Are you...are you really REALLY here?...” _

 

_ “It’s really me dad...I’m back here...flesh and blood...no smoke and mirrors…”  _ the Leo holds out a fake smile as he pulls out his cheek.

 

The future Parappa doesn’t even attempt to hug his son, rather he looks to the ground in major disappointment, but Leo thinks it's directed towards him _ “You look tired…” _

 

_ “I am tired…” _

 

_ “And you look...hurt…” _

 

_ “I am hurt…I've been battered and splattered...bruised and abused...the entire duration of my disappearance...I've broken possibly every bone in my body on several occasions...multiple times...I've be been crying so much since minute one...that I can barely force out tears when I really need them anymore…I've bled and I've crumpled...but I kept moving on. I’ve been fighting...since I went back…and I wasn’t always the winner. Sorry to ruin the Rappa name with my failures...” _

 

_ “Don’t be-...you haven’t ruined anything...there was nothing left to ruin after my stupidity...so why… Why would you do all that to yourself…” _

 

_ “So you could have a better life dad…and I did it…~ I fixed everything up...b-but i’m sure you’ve noticed that yourself...” _

 

_ “I have...but...you-” _

 

_ “D-Don’t worry about me...I’m happy...happy that...you finally get to be…~”  _ the exhaustion finally takes his toll on the future boy as future Parappa catches him in his arms.

 

_ “But I can’t be happy...not with you like this...what I have done to you…?” _

 

_ “Nothing dad...I’m alright...just...please be happy again…”  _ the words ‘please be happy again’ repeat over and over within Parappa’s head as it starts overlaying from it’s never ending repeats.

 

“But I can’t be happy...not after what I did to you…” the current Parappa says, confusing the two girls next to him.

 

“Parappa?...”

 

“A-Are you alright?...”

 

Parappa soon realizes what he said aloud “Erm...yeah...just...got caught in another daydream…”

 

Both girls are unable to find a way to handle this, but Lammy still speaks up regardless “You didn't do anything to him. Nor was it your fault. What happened was completely out of your control from the sounds of it and even Leo should know that. You shouldn't be disappointed in yourself and neither should future you. Sure you'll be sad over the appearance that your son has after finally returning after 10+ years...but you'll be happy...happy h-he finally came back to you...alive and well...to be held in your arms once more…” Lammy let's go of his hand and finds her arms wrapping themselves around herself tightly. The image of  _ her _ Leo is inside her head. A future her tearfully hugging her broken, but still in one piece son. She was imagining that she herself was holding her baby in her arms. One who was thought to be dead, coming back to her alive and now an adult. All empty as he lays like a shell of someone that could've been a happy and amazing individual all his own. Now just a tired and clinically depressed man who smiles because it's all he remembers how to do. Just how to keep his crying parents happy. She sees her future self and future Parappa sobbing as they hold onto the immobile Leo. He doesn't know what to do or what to say. There are heavy shadows and bags under his eyes. His gaze is slightly empty and distant. His voice is low and raspy and he speaks as if all he could muster were whispers. His arms are dropped to his sides, numb or just as unsure as the rest of his body. Despite his tired eyes, they were still leaking waterfalls like his parents. It's just that he showed no other emotion aside from the dishonest smile as his eyes stayed half shut. He looks down to spot the twin little sisters he had brought up prior. One a red sheep with pseudo dog ears like him, the other an orange and white puppy with horns and pseudo ears that looked like her own. Their tails wagged sadly as they see their elder brother for the first time in their lives, and he just looks like an empty, defeated and scary man “My baby...please don't cry...and just rest up for once...promise me you won't hurt yourself anymore...” Lammy finds herself crying after saying that. Quickly, the other two try and calm her down.

 

“Man...I hope we aren't transmitting our negativity to Leo…” Katy hugs her best friend from behind.

 

The trio finally all calm down as they look at their reflections along the shaky water.

 

“We...got off topic on your question...sorry Katy.”

 

“Don't apologize. I should be the one to do so after causing that little mess of regret…”

 

“I-It’s fine! It's just...thinkin and talkin about Leo is actually really sad if you look at it from a parental point of view…”

 

“That's where you guys are wrong!…I couldn't find a right time to speak up, but Leo’s fine! Sure he's a little tired and sad, but not to THOSE lengths! He's still spry and happy and is trying to rekindle the passion he had for full time performin! Sure Leo had his rough moments, but he's still a healthy guy! He's energetic and still gunning to do what his heart is set out on! Even if there's the occasional dip in his demeanor, but that's where we come in! We're still his family, and so we gotta fill in for the things he lost as he grew up! For his sake and our own! I've begun doing so on my own when I first found out who he was, but kinda stopped as I got busy...but I gotta continue! And you guys should do so to! It'd make you both feel better along with him! You never really know how even a little action, such as saying a few words, can impact a person!” Both look at her, unsure in the legitimacy in her words “I'm certain! I've seen it myself from when I could! Watch!” she pulls out her phone and it quickly calls someone. She puts it on speaker as the recipient picks up.

 

_ “Yo, what up now?” _

 

“Heeeeeey Leo~”

 

_ “Yoooo? What hap-” _

 

“I love you!~” the sound of a crash is heard from Katy's phone “L-Leo??...”

 

_ “A-Ahem...sorry. J-just got caught off guard is all…”  _ his voice sounds shaky, but in a joyful way, proving Katy right  _ “I love you to.” _

 

“And I ain't the only one!” Katy gleefully holds her hand out to the other two.

 

“Um…” Parappa and Lammy look at the phone, then her. She nods in repeated succession “Hey Leo…”

 

_ “Dad?? Lammy?? What are yo-” _

 

“We love you.” the crash is heard again, much louder and longer.

 

_ “H-Hahaha...what's with the emotional call g-guys?...” _

 

“I just want my son to know that I appreciate him for helping out his dumb pops…”

 

“And I as your p-potential mother...just want you to know...that no m-matter what it is you have to do...please take care of y-yourself… You were raised by all of us, so it's gonna be impossible to tell you to stop helping, but atleast...come out in one piece…”

 

_ “...So this is why I felt sad all of a sudden…” _ a sad laugh is heard from the phone  _ “My heart got really upset out of nowhere...and now I see why… are you really worried over a guy like me??” _

 

“OF COURSE!” they both yell.

 

“I see all the things that happened to you! And all the things you're GONNA have happened to you! All thanks to me! No father would ever want this fate for their child!”

 

“A-And with me...seeing my potential kid get hurt...hurts me more…those who choose to be mothers...their children are their world...no mother wants to see their world all wrecked u-up…”

 

_ “Oh dear...but guys! I'm fine! Honest!” _

 

“Please...tell me the truth Leo...The whole truth of how you are...I won't stop you, but just be honest with your dad…”

 

_ “...I may be hurt...I may be tired...and I may not know...what’ll happen to me next. Things may make me sad to, but I'm happy! I'm really, honestly happy about my crazy hectic life! Now before you go crazy asking ‘WHY?!’ over and over. Let me explain. As a kid...I was a coward. A crybaby...a boy who didn't wanna make friends...if a bully were to come and pick on someone...I wouldn't have stuck my neck out in fear of my own well being. I was fearful of anything and everything and… the other kids would make fun of me over this, remind me of how big an utter failure I was...then I watched this show...it had a style that would make you believe was a cartoon, but it wasn't. It was a show version of a book someone from this time period wrote, heck the show should've started by now a while back! It involves a hero. A hero who would do anything to save any innocent being from harm...he was a large and strong turtle man with jagged glasses that were always on his face alongside his iconic wild smile. He would constantly fight many  _ **_many_ ** _ villains to ensure the peace and safety of people, and he didn't care what happened to him, and would never resort to killing a villain first as he'd always try to make them stop their ways. Sometimes it eventually worked...and other times...they wouldn't stop...and they were dangerous threats to innocent people...so...decisions had to be made for the safety of everyone no matter how much he was against it. He said that being a hero is filled with difficult decisions. Ones that a hero has to be strong enough for. Not just physically! I fell in love with the show and the genre of heroes altogether! I watched other forms of media with them such as jet baby! It filled me with wonderment, wondering if even a coward like me could EVER be like that.” _ the voice then huffs  _ “I never believed I could, but being a hero...was my dream…” _

 

Parappa recalls what Amby told him “Yeah…I can see it…”

 

_ “Cue me going back in time...I went in way over my head...now I was stranded...and I was, per usual, crying… I cried out for my mom and dad, but they didn't exist yet I assumed. My crying got five specific people to show up. Two were adults, and they seemed helpful. The other three were kids...I didn't really know what to do about that...I was terrible when it came to making friends...but Amby helped out...she felt like if I was talking to Lacey. And Milton and Emile...well...they seemed ok to be around. And they didn't tease me or belittle me...and they...became my first ever friends. I kept crying as I grew up because I was still just a weak little fool. I was still scared and still couldn't find it in me to help no matter how badly I wanted to. Then at age nine...the next year...a guy snuck into where me and Nana K were...apparently looking for Nana...he had a broken body...was there history for that?...all I knew was that he seemed pissed. He had a gun, and a knife...and a goal...he wanted Nana dead...I was terrified, but for the first time in my life...I acted. I latched onto his head and scratched the living hell out of his face. I got him to drop the knife before he threw me off. He tried shooting me, but I avoided seven of the eight bullets he had. He saved the last one for Nana as he planned to not waste it on me if he couldn't hit me. I grabbed the knife and got onto his back. I stabbed and I slashed...I cut him by his neck before he grabbed me again and threw me hard at a wall. The same wall he ended up dropping his gun by during my slashing. He pulled the knife out from his body and grabbed Nana by the throat...but before he could do anything...I shot him clean in the head...the sound of the gun shot was loud and it made me cry, but the guy finally stopped...by force...I hated fighting, but it was a decision I had to make… that day forward...the years went by quickly...I went after bad guy after bad guy. Taking out those who would never learn or were affiliated with Bohemian or both. Then I met back up with Amby and joined up with the Queens...and my real journey began. My body ended up badly hurt, but I kept on going. I broke every bone in my body, not all at once mind you, multiple times and yet I still went on. I stopped crying as often because of the people I was around. My hatred for battle was erased and replaced with a joy for it. Stopping evil people from harming others, no matter what happened to me. Making choices I'll hold with me till the end if my days. Then...it hit me...had I...had I become a hero? I lost my friends, but they opened my eyes. I learnt things I wish I could have learned while they were still alive, but I was stubborn. The soft coward who wanted to stay as far away from the world as he could was dead and gone. And in his place stood the new boy, the hero, defender, savior and avenger. Leo Steps was here, and he was completing his mission no matter what. Not just for himself, but for the people who helped him get this far, those who helped him evolve and grow up, those who are no longer here.” _

 

Parappa and Lammy stay silent. Hearing his story was an eye opening marvel. They had no idea that he was actually HAPPY of the position he was in. His cruel fate...and he still kept kicking happily. Parappa speaks up “You've had quite the life…”

 

_ “I really did. I faced my fears. I grew up and became a man. I faced my inner demons and negative emotions and overcame them. I took every challenge head on and never did I cut any corners. And all I had to do-” _

 

“Was believe.” Parappa states, getting Lammy and Katy to look at him.

 

_ “Bingo~” _

 

“...Hey Leo?”

 

_ “Yeah dad?” _

 

“You make me so proud, to have a crazy fun son like you…~”

 

_ “I uh-” _

 

“Me to!~”

 

_ “O-Oh I-” _

 

“A-And me as w-well!~”

 

_ “O-Ok ok! Dad! Moms! You guys are gonna make me cry…~” _ the four of them share a laugh  _ “You guys…feel any better?” _

 

“I do.”

 

“I d-do to.”

 

_ “I'm glad to hear~ If you guys ever doubt me again, just talk to me and I'll throw those worries away!” _

 

They all make an agreement noise as the all close their heads in on the phone “OK! THANKS AND BYE LEO! WE LOVE YOU SO  **_SO_ ** MUCH!~”

 

_ “B-Bwargh!”  _ Another crash is heard as the other phone hangs up. The trio giggle at the sound as they all release a content sigh and drop onto their back.

 

“The life my son lived. It ain't that far from my own. Just a little more crazy!”

 

“Fitting for a Rappa at this point~” Katy says as she sits up. She then takes note of the two of them.  _ Hmm...ohhhh...don’t get jealous now heeeeeaaaaart...blegh...wait...if I’m getting jealous...then that must mean that this is a perfect time for them to bond! Ooooh...but how to get them to actually attempt anything with me here as a third wheel...I need a good excuse to bail...think think thiiiiiiiiink…aha!  _ “Well if you guys will excuse me, my bladder is full so nature’s a callin! So Imma vanish right quick so I can take a leak!” She vanishes almost instantly within the trees, not giving either of the two a proper chance to take all that in let alone respond.  _ Smooooooooth Katy~ Alright~ High five!~  _  She says to herself mentally as she hides in the large foliage.

 

_ High five! _

 

“Haha yeaaaaa-...who said that…”

 

_ I did. W-Was that not directed towards me?... _

 

“Who’s there?!” She scuttles to her feet and looks in every direction “I-I’m warning you!...I’m adept in the art of beating people over the head with my guitar!” She twirls her guitar around in her hands and smacks herself in the face “OW!...Y-You didn’t see that!...”

 

_ P-Please calm down! I’m nowhere in the vicinity! _

 

“Oh yeah?? Then why can I hear ya loud in clear?!?!”

 

_ Because i’m in your head! _

 

“THEN GET OUT OF MY HEAD!...”

 

_ I...don’t think it’s possible for me to do that...not unless you re-fused with father, mother… _

 

“Who the heck is father?! And who you calling mother! I ain’t no mom!...yet...hopefully…” she shakes her head “Wait a second...your voice...hey that’s what me and Parappa sounded like as Leonora!”

 

_ Indeed it is I. Now may you please calm down?... _

 

“Why are you in my head??”

 

_ I’ve always been in here. Since you were born. Inside Parappa to! You just never had the ability to talk to me until you finally turned into and gave me the name Leonora! _

 

“This is weird…” Katy squeezes her ears “Wait wait wait wait...you’re in Parappa to???”

 

_ Yes. And before you ask. Yes I can hear, see and feel all the things he does as well. _

 

“Can you tell me about it?...”

 

_ Not everything. He has his secrets he has to keep. Like i’m certain you have yours. _

 

“YOU MEAN HE CAN TAP INTO MY HEAD?!”

 

_ He can, but has decided against it. Everyone deserves their secrets unless they feel comfortable enough to tell them themselves. _

 

“Alriiiiiiiight. I can agree with that. Ok sooooo...what I really wanna know is...if you can see and hear what he can...what’s he doing now? I wanna-”

 

_ See how he’s doing with Lammy? _

 

“Yeah! You should know what I wanna do if you’re in my head!”

 

_ I do...but...are you sure...you peeking into that will be a wise choice? _

 

“Whatcha mean??”

 

_ I mean...you’re still subconsciously jealous...I worry that might affect your calls… _

 

“Pssssh. Have faith in me Leonora! Now what are they doing now?”

 

_ Um...currently...they seem to be having difficulties talking to each other?...They can’t seem to find a topic they’d both like to talk or something. They keep bringing up something at the same time and quickly they shut themselves down, chuckle awkwardly and then rinse and repeat...it’s abit...tough to watch really… _

 

“Oh boy...some things never change really…I mean atleast they’re TRYING...hm...Parappa said he imagined circumstances about him and his potential spouse thanks to Leo...so...why not get him to bring those up! Those oughta make Lammy’s heart flare up like nothing before!”

 

_ Mother do you seriously believe he will flat out say them? _

 

“Can’t you make him say it??”

 

_ No I cannot. I will not either if I had the ability to. _

 

“...Can you SUGGEST him to say it??”

 

_ It will not end well. You’d probably ruin the moment. _

 

“GYAAAAHAHAHAHAAAA…” Katy slams her head into a tree “Fine...alright...hm...How about Leo? Wouldn’t that be a subject they can share?”

 

_ But didn’t you all just finish talking about him? _

 

“I mean maybe they can find some common ground no? You clearly saw how Parappa and Lammy BOTH got, thinking they were failure of parents.”

 

_ That is a good point, very well let me suggest it. _

 

It stays silent for a while as Katy sits down with her legs crossed, soon speaking up “How’s it going??”

 

_ Lots of progress! They’re joyfully talking about things such as outfits and actions to perform with the eventual baby Leo! There’s laughter and happiness all around! _

 

“Oooooooh!~ That’s perfect!~ What’s their proximity look like?~”

 

_ They are quite a distance away from one another. _

 

“WHAT?! That just WON’T do!...Hmmmmmmmm…” She snaps her fingers “Can you move Parappa?”

 

_ I-I have no control over his body!...Only his actions!... _

 

“Darn iiiiiiiiiiiit’s actually ok!~ His magnet whatsis!~ Use that!”

 

_ H-His magnesis you mean?...and why? What does that solve?? _

 

“Lammy still has her guitar saddled on her! It’s a big ol hunk of metal! She won’t let go of it and so she’ll fling onto him!”

 

_ You sure??? _

 

“Very! Now apply the magnet!~”

 

_ How much?? _

 

Katy tries to say a small amount, but the jealousy within her changes her sentence “ALL OF IT!~ PUMP OUT THAT SUPER STRONG MAGNET!~”

 

_ W-Well...you’re the one setting this situation up!...  _

 

She grows quiet once more, but this time it bears a heavier weight on Katy’s mind “Um...what happened?...”

 

_ They’re ko’d...it was NOT a fun impact...head to head collision at such a fast speed...ooooh… _

 

“UH OH…” Katy runs off to see the two knocked out on top of each other. She blips all over the place to see if any part of them were injured, thankfully not. She huddles down to them to see if there was anything she could do. Quick thinking activates as she holds her arm out “L-Lend me a hand Leonora!...”

 

_ Roger!... _

 

Katy swipes her arm to the side, causing the water from the pond to flood out and drench the two “N-NOT  **THAT** MUCH!...”

 

_ Y-You didn’t specify mother!... _

 

Both dozing animals wake up on the spot, spitting out water and frantically looking about for what happened. They then see each other on top of each other and quickly move away from each other, apologizing profusely “Oh dear…”  _ I may have caused a teeny mess… _

 

_ Teeny is an understatement… _

 

* * *

 

The day went on regularly. Parappa went off to work with the two tagging along. Katy managed to pull him away from all the others and privately apologized for what she did. At that instance they both became aware of the halves of Leonora within them and promised to not try and abuse the things she could do for them, to them, or with them. Not unless it was a necessity. Katy then asked the dog to make it up to the lamb on the following night as an apology on her behalf for the accident that she ended up causing. Parappa agrees.

 

“I mean...sure. I’ll pal around with her...just not a real advancing thing though...not really in the mood for a not-a-date yet...something’s been bugging me as of late…”

 

“That’s all she really wants as of now. Thanks again!”

 

“No problem! It is kinda weird how you’re actively helping Lammy with me rather than helping yourself…”

 

“I’ve always been helping Lammy. Atleast...whenever it was possible...and...whenever I didn’t actively try and detriment that...on accident…”

 

“I didn’t take you to be the jealous type.” he gives her a cocky grin.

 

“Whoa there Ego Mc Gotta Go. You got jealous over ME as well, don’t forget~”

 

“I-I did nothing of the s-sort!”

 

“Back before you knew Leo was your son...boy howdy does that say otherwise~”

 

“S-Shut up!...”

 

“Why don’t you make me~” She leans forward to give him a taste of his medicine by grinning in an even greater cocky manner. She snickers until Parappa simply licks her on the chin up to her nose, shutting her up as she falls onto her back.

 

“Doggy kiss certainly did the trick! How’s that for making you~”

 

“That’s not faaaaaair…” the steaming cat says. She is pure ruby red as her eyes are dizzy black spirals that continuously spin, even after she actively passes out.

 

“Maaaaaybe I overdid it abit...oh well...serves you right~” he props the conked out cat on a chair as he resumes working.

 

The day reaches night as Parappa walks around the dark streets of PaRappa Town. Clutching at his chest, absolutely annoyed.

 

“Why’s my heart still beating so fast?!...it's been hours...and I haven't been thinking about ANY of the girls at all in that time...gah...all day I've been feeling so overheated and flustered and just paranoid...why?!” he looks back to the moon on accident. His chest tightens severely as the waxing moon, nearly full, overloads his body senses. He growls and then scratches at his chest roughly for the pressure. He scratches to roughly once as he cuts his shirt open and slashes at his chest painfully. He yelps as he's snapped out of it “Ow...what the hell did I do this to myself for?!...” he continues his walk as he rubs his chest, but someone grabs him from behind and turns him around.

 

“Hot damn you’re a mess…” it was his ex double.

 

“Raparra?? Why are you back here??”

 

“What, a guy can't pop in every once and awhile?”

 

“Raparra I'm not in the mood...just be straight with me and please get to the point…”

 

“Sheeeeeesh...what a killjoy...although…” he eyes the bleeding scratches on his chest “You ain't wrong about not being in the mood...I'll cut to the chase...some big shit is gonna be happening here…”

 

“Now??...ugh...just my luck...what is it?...”

 

“Can't say for sure…” he sniffs the air “My nose is too caught on with the fact that it's imminent...and…” he sniffs around him “I think...it's after you…” he stops smelling the air and just looks at Parappa.

 

“Are you serious?...actually...is this why I'm feeling so much pressure?...because I can feel it to??...That something big’s gonna happen...and it's heading for me??”

 

“Maybe you awakened your natural dog instincts just like mine and can feel it out to...just abit more...feral than what's needed…” he pokes the cut on his chest.

 

“Ow...maybe...thanks for the heads up Raparra…”

 

“Don't thank me. I just smelled something bad and someone bugged me to go check...and I was curious enough to do so by myself. And now after seeing it's after you? I gotta get involved more now~ After all...I gotta be the one to take you down, not some bargain bin hitman~”

 

Parappa growls, but then smiles “You know...I feel the sentiment all of a sudden...I can't go off dying without taking you on 1v1 fairly on my own!” he bares his teeth and so does Raparra.

 

“Oh?~ Catching on to the fun are you?~ That's perfect~ Then don't let whatever the fucks coming get the better of you. I'm gonna be sticking around in the shadows myself for abit to see what the fuck is up. You keep up your guard aight? I may be looking to break some necks in your defense, but you gotta put in your own work!”

 

“I'm on it. See you around.”

 

“Maybe, maybe not~” Raparra turns around and flicks his hand upwards in a wave as he heads off into the night.

 

“...Someone or...something is coming huh...and that's what got my heart a beatin? My chest achin? My mind breakin? Well...they ain't getting me without a fight…”

 

* * *

 

_ The first full night… _

 

We soon see Parappa and Lammy out on the night covered town, on the shopping district that Parappa got his new beanie from way back when.

 

“T-To think Matt’s cousin works at a p-place like this…”

 

“Don't judge it too unfairly Lammy. The people are actually monumentally sweet. Despite the faces and the locales...it's all just filled with a bunch of softy sweethearts.” Parappa says, his voice low and his appearance mangy and tired.

 

“Oh I know that n-now! It's just still a shocker…” she then turns to him “Again...are you sure you're alright?”

 

“For the 15th time today...yes! I just missed one day of sleep is all… some...strange pressure in me didn't let me sleep is all...I'm feeling better now despite MY appearance~... I feel like I'll get a better night today.”

 

“You better...don’t want you to go back on a bad streak again…”

 

“Chillaaaaax~...” He smiles groggily. She does so begrudgingly as they just patrol the stores along the dimly lit streets. There are people around, but very few so it’s practically empty as their shadows stretch out uninterrupted down behind them from the street lights. Parappa eyes the girl next to him from the lights that beacon off her, showing off the clothes she was wearing. She had on clothes that looked close to her performing outfit. Her shirt is black and purple, with a tint of blue on the back. Skeletal heart shaped bats are all over the shirt, swarming around a main skull with snakes appearing out the sockets while flames peek out from the closed jaw. She had tattered black jeans, but the left pant leg up to the knee was nonexistent. Her shoes were violet with red around the rims of the sole. Her earrings were two halves of a broken heart, one on each ear. Her lipstick was a deep purple, matching her eye shadow “You know...this wasn’t something totally fancy...so was getting all dolled up like this needed?~”

 

“O-Oh erm...I um….Y-You see...uhhhh…”

 

“I’m teasin i’m teasin~ I don’t mind at all~ I even like it! Barely get to see you all dressed up in this manner, that when I do get to...boy is it lovely~”

 

“A-Ahaha…~ Thanks for the kind w-words~...” They walk together hand and hand and just admire the scenery. The place looked beautiful from the low lights given from the street lights as well as the stars and the slowly appearing moon. They soon head to a portion of town that’s elevated just abit higher off the ground than other spots. The recline over a railing and look at the town that stays below them. Glistening in night themed lights as it looks beautiful all throughout.

 

“Marvelous...and I bet it looks even prettier from afar...I couldn’t have asked for a better place to be born into.”

 

“I-I agree~ I mean...there are other places that capitalize on this feature, such as Neon Heights and Burnout junction...but small little places like our little stamping ground...they have a certain charm and appeal that places like those can’t ever replicate...and it’s...such a divine joy to be a part of witness whenever you really wanna…~”

 

“I couldn’t have put the words any better myself. Katy’s love of poetry rub of on you or somethin?~”

 

“Or somethin...~” They look at each other with a smile for a quick sec before turning back to the beautiful scenery. The gentle night breeze blows around them. Their hair dances in the wind along with the hem’s of their shirts. The moon had arrived up in the center of the night sky. It was bulbous and bright to emphasize it’s full appearance. Parappa slowly started heating up again, albeit in a slower progression.

 

“Ooooh…” He rubs his head “Got dizzy...hey Lammy? Let’s go around the stores again aight? I wanna see if any of the late shops finally opened up to see what they got.”

 

“That’s cool with me, let’s go.” They’re back in the strange shopping district, glancing about the new stores for their wares and eventually the heat fully takes its effect on Parappa as he grabs his head again.

 

“Urk…” He plucks off his beanie and holds it out to her “Here…”

 

“W-What? But I already have your other one!...”

 

“I’m not giving it to you to keep this time! Only to hold. My heads achin a little and I’m really heatin up all of a sudden...That thing’s squeezing my head as well as adding more heat so I need it off for a bit to see if that helps…”

 

“Oh, I getcha now.” She grabs it and he starts walking off “H-Hey wait! Where are you going??”

 

“Gonna air myself out abit...see if it goes away now.”

 

“W-Want me to come with??”

 

“Nono! My current condition has left me a teensy bit sour...I don’t want to do or say anything I might regret in my current mood...we’ve had such a good time so far that I don’t wanna ruin it.”

 

“O-Oh...w-well thanks for being thoughtful of me.”

 

“Why wouldn’t I be? And thank me? Thank YOU for giving me such a fun night~...I hope we can carry it on once my head calms down!” he heads off and she waves after him. Within the moment, he’s gone.

 

“Alone again…” she holds on tightly to his hat “Well...not exactly~...and it was a rather nice night~... I also hope it can carry on for a good while l-longer…~” She hugs the hat, extremely smitten.

 

With Parappa however...his alone time was not as cheery.

 

“Urgh…ngaaah...my chest...it’s burning...I can’t even think straight...my minds gone to white…” He starts breathing heavily. His heartbeat at a million per second “L-Leonora...you there?...what’s going on with me?...Did I get sick or something?...” There is no response. Whatever was currently happening to him, seems to have shut the girl off. He resumes panting in the empty area he was dragging himself through. It was an empty alley, void of any eyes. His body can’t move anymore as he slams onto a brick wall, frantically holding himself on it for support. His deep breaths were more exaggerated and quick. His body was going wild, and he had no idea why. His vision started turning red, everything around was now covered in a red hue as his eyes become strained and bloodshot. His breaths become raspy and hard as they were now forced out of his mouth. Trying to talk only made more gasps of air. Saliva was coating his teeth that had suddenly become much sharper while his tongue lags out. His support failed him as he drops to the ground, and his head tilted to look upwards. There his eyes gazed upon the full moon. The beautiful and deceptive full moon. It shone brightly in his eyes, and his pupils were replaced with reflective images of the white beauty. His panting slowed as the colored drained from his eyes. His arms and legs merely drop out to his sides as his heartbeats slows to one by one beats in a rhythmic pattern.

 

*boom*

 

He moans out a whimper from his disabled body.

 

_ *boom* _

 

His body echoed the beat, as if he had gone hollow.

 

_ *Boom* _

 

A very visible twitch was seen from his chest, just above his heart.

 

**_*Boom*_ **

 

His chest pumped out wildly with that heartbeat as he legs pulled back in and his hands clenched shut. His nails digging into his palms.

 

**_*BOOM*_ **

 

Color returned to his eyes, but it wasn’t their regular color. They had become pure red as it swallowed his pupils whole. He closes his mouth and growls, baring his sharp fangs as his anger is made loud.

 

**_*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*_ **

 

His body jerks up to his feet and then immediately huddles down to his knees as his arms wrap around himself.

 

**_*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*_ **

 

He roars as his body shines in the same light as the moon. The light EXPLODES away as where the tall Parappa once stood, now stands a hulking monstrosity that was DOUBLE the new tall dog’s height, standing at about ten feet. His fur had gone from yellowish white, to a pure white and gray mix, only some remnants of the yellow being around the scruff of his neck. His arms were long lean and wild with its fur. His elbows protruded outwards sharply, but not as sharply as the claws on his hands and feet. They were like razors that could cut through anything they so desired. His hands and feet were big and long to support the large weapons. His knees were the same as his elbows, sharp and pointed out. He was long and lean, but thanks to Parappa’s strength and build, his new form was vastly more stronger, and as a result...immensely a bigger threat and all the more terrifying. His head was greatly changed as it looked nothing like his regular body. His ears pointed out and upwards with the end tips all pointy. His muzzle and nose were extended outwards to better hold his new massive and sharp jaw, capable of allowing him to consume anything he felt like putting in his mouth. His eyes were larger and were still pure red with no pupils visible whatsoever. His fur was now all mangy and everywhere. It was impossible to tell that this was ever Parappa to begin with given the radical body change. His shirt was destroyed and his pants were now shorts, but the shirt remains were lost in his fur while his new ‘shorts’ were somewhat visible, but ultimately suffered the same as his shirt, hidden fully from view. His shoes were torn through as they now were basically toeless socks for what little of them remained. He looked to his progenitor, the moon once more and then jerk wildly about, howling to the sky and shaking the entirety of the town. Two specific people look towards the faraway direction it came from.

 

“T-That came from...where Parappa went off to…” Lammy says as her feet automatically move towards the sound. She places the beanie on her head as she shakily picks up the pace.

 

“It’s here………” Raparra says as he jerks up to his feet. He looks to the sky and sees a twinkle from the missing constellation “I’m going i’m going!...” He runs off with no hesitation.  _ Parappa...look out...it’s here and it’s after you...but not if I can help it… _

 

Lammy walks around the path and sees the district she’s in with quite a different appearance to how she passed by here with Parappa prior. There were cuts everywhere that were deep into the ground and walls over everything nearby. A fire hydrant was slashed to bits as water poured out like a geyser “W-What happened here?!?!...” She walks some more and finds people running away past her with fear. Despite the obvious signs that she should join them, she presses on in order to find Parappa and escape with him. She passes by an alleyway as she looks about. She stops in front of it and looks around frantically “P-P-Parap-paaaaaa?...W-Where are you?...” She hears a dog’s growl from behind her “I-Is that y-y-you??...”’ She turns around to see the inky black darkness slowly clear out. Before her...was the beast. Her eyes grow to the largest width they can expand to as she silently screams out. The terror had robbed her of her sound as she looks at the massive monster before her. He holds back his long arms and drives them forward. Her legs move on their own as they buckle down and leap out, forcing her to backflip away “WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAA GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MEEEEHEHEHEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” She runs away from the monster who wastes no time running after her. The sheep ran down the destroyed street, screaming and running for her life.

 

_ PARAPPA! GUYS! ANYONE! HEEEEEEEEEELP MEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! _


	48. Were things seem dire

“SOMEONE...ANYONE?! HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!” Lammy runs as fast as her legs can take her. They were known to get moving when she needed em to, but now they were being put to the test as the monster behind her leaped from building side to building side to chase after her “PLEASE, I DON’T WANT TO DIIIIIIIIIIE!...” The beanie on her head sparkles as the Flambeyond sigil glows.

 

_CALM YOUR MIND, LOOK TO THE SKY, FOCUS ON A SPOT, AND LEAP MIJA!_

 

Lammy hears the voice and looks around to see who gave the advice, but she spots no one “W-WHA-”

 

_NO TIME, DO WHAT I SAID NOW!_

 

She takes a deep breath that she nearly chokes on as she looks around in the air. She sees a radically tall building. The roof of that place would most likely escape this beast’s range. She attempts to jump, and as she does her legs ignite and she leaps at such a spectacular height that she manages to actually land on the spot she was thinking about “I-I made it!...”

 

_That’s great and all, BUT KEEP RUNNING! IT’S STILL GIVING CHASE!_

 

Lammy cuts her victory short as she looks over the edge. The monster was bouncing off wall to wall all the way up to her “WOOOOOAAAAHHAAAAHAHAHAAA!...” Lammy resumes running as she starts leaping from building roof to building roof in an attempt to lose the beast in the distance. The beast lands on the original roof and looks around in order to find her. Lammy in her panic calls out “PARAPPA! WHERE ARE YOU?!?!” The monster upon hearing his name, looks towards the path she started jumping off to and heads off. Within no time at all, it’s right on her tail again “OOOOOH COME OOOOON!...” she keeps leaping from roof to roof until she runs out of building to jump to. Leaving her at such a large distance from the ground “O-Oh no…” The beast tries to close the distance.

 

_MIJA JUMP!_

 

“ARE YOU CRAZY?! JUMPING UP WAS ONE THING, B-BUT JUMPING DOWN WILL **_KILL_ ** ME! W-WHO EVEN ARE YOU TO RECOMMEND SUCH INSANE SUGGESTIONS?!”

 

_YOUR GRANDFATHER! I.E. THE ONE WHO KNOWS MORE ABOUT THE ABILITIES YOU INHERITED THAN YOU DO!_

 

“G-GRANDPA?! H-HOW ARE YOU EVEN TA-”

 

 _JUST_ **_JUMP!!!_ ** Lammy closes her eyes and leaps off the building, falling towards the ground like a mini meteor. _HOLD YOUR ARMS TO YOUR SIDE, KEEP CALM AND KEEP YOUR LEGS SLIGHTLY BENT!_ Lammy does as told, but her fear gets her legs to straighten out. _NONONONO! NOT LIKE TH-_ Lammy forcefully embeds herself into the pavement. She is unharmed, but now a sitting duck as the parts of her below her belly was now underground. _Oh no…_

 

“I-I'M STUCK!...”

 

_I TOLD YOU TO BEND YOUR KNEES TO REGULATE THE STRENGTH IN YOUR LEGS!...atleast you're alright…_

 

The monster Parappa slams down in front of her and roars in her face “NOT ALRIGHT! **VERY** NOT ALRIGHT!”

 

_KEEP MOTIONING YOUR LEGS AS IF YOU WERE JUMPING! DO IT NOW!_

 

“WAAAAAAH!” Lammy does as told, but the progress is much too slow to be able to save her. The beast opens it's massive jaw and rears its head back “PLEASE NO _NO_ **_NOOOOHOHO!..._ ** ” he drives his head forward as Lammy shuts her eyes and screams out her last goodbyes. She then hears the monster roar in pain. Confused, she opens her eyes to spot the monster getting knocked back. From what she saw, it was a small dog driving their knee into the monsters face and sending him sliding away. The dog lands on his feet and begins punching the ground around Lammy, cracking it and making the hole wider. He then pulls Lammy out of the ground “Y-You’re R-Raparra!...”

 

“SHUT UP AND GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE NOW!”

 

“Y-Yes sir!...” Lammy turns around and runs.

 

“DON'T LOOK BACK, JUST BAIL HOME AND WARN THE OTHER IDIOTS!” Raparra shouts at the ewe as he turns to face the beast. He fixes his posture and stares at the small dog, roaring as he charges at him “WANNA TAKE ME ON? TRY IT BITCH!” he dodges to the side as the wolf monster tried to take him head on. He then acts by slamming his fist straight into his face and launching him through a building wall. He relaxes his posture and walks up to where he crashed into “So you're what was sent to fuck this place up...well I got news for you asshole...three specific bits… One...you’re messing with a guy that **_I_ ** wanna beat...and I'm the only one allowed to bring him down… Two...you're a wolf type beast and already that's sending my nose on a high! You can't fuck shit up with the alpha around...and three...just looking at you…” the wall bursts open as the beast stomps out “PISSES ME THE FUCK OFF!” the two run at each other. Monster Parappa drives his arms forward, but the dog leaps over them. They impact on the ground and his claws cause him to get stuck. Raparra runs up his arms and then drop kicks his face in. Getting him unstuck and sending him into a parked car.

 

Monster Parappa gets back up easily **“GRARGH!”**

 

“I don't know who the fuck you are, what you technically are under all that fuzz or what your motives may be...but I gotta fuck you up nonetheless…” the monster lunges at him and he does the same. Raparra dodges what he thought was another swing to slash at him, but the arm flicks towards him “A FEINT??” he drives his body back a different direction, but that's what the monster wanted as Raparra is slammed into a stop sign “ARGH...You tricky little...wait...that wasn't a slash...you didn't cut me up with that at all..” he rubs the side of his face where he was struck, and blood was leaking from his mouth, and there is a distinct stinging pain in his head “You punched me…” he sees the beast in a readied fighting stance, catching the small dog off guard as he laughs hysterically “OUT OF ALL THE MONSTROUS SHIT I'VE FACED! AN ABLE BODIED _FIGHTER_ WOLF MONSTER WAS NOT WHAT I WAS EXPECTING~ What? Ya want a fair fight?~” he readies his own fighting stance “Don't fucking count on it…” Both vanish from the spot they were just on as they clash their fists in the middle of the destroyed street.

 

Meanwhile Lammy is running for her life, still screaming out for Parappa, hoping and praying that he's alright “PLEASE JUST ANSWER ME!”

 

_Mija calm down...Dios mio...tu si, no te puedes quedar quieto…_

 

“I CAN'T CALM DOWN! THERE IS A MONSTER TEARING UP THE TOWN AND I CAN'T FIND PARAPPA ANYWHERE!...oh god...what if that THING got to him first!...I HAVE TO GO BACK!...”

 

_Are you seriously planning on fighting that thing?? Tonta!...you aren't gonna do much if he turns you into a sheep fillet!..._

 

“Abuelito I don't have the time to hear it...I have a guy near and dear to me that I **_have_ ** to save...and I'm **_GOING_ ** to save him!...N-NO MATTER WHAT!...”

 

_...My word...it runs in the family...very well...go assist that other dog in besting that brute first before you look for him! Apprehending that monster is the main thing to do, and it'll be much easier with the two of you hopefully!_

 

“Right!” she turns back and runs to where Raparra saved her.

 

The two canines however, are now in a new area as they try to strike at each other. Blasting down the empty streets.

 

“You looking for an opening eh? Rather, you're trying to make one? Trying to hit me? Good fucking luck!” Raparra crosses his arms to block an incoming strike “DUMBASS!” he splits his guard, toppling monster Parappa over “AIN'T NO FERAL BEAST THINKIN HE CAN THROW DOWN WITH _ME_!” he slams his fist into the beast’s torso and smash it back abit. He tries to follow up, but the fall back was another ploy as when Raparra approaches, the beast flips backwards. He catches on and manages to avoid being shredded by the sharp claws on his feet, but it shreds through his shirt like nothing “God dammit I just got a new one…Feh...so that's how you're gonna play huh?...” the monster roars in his face “Fine by me…” they continued their assault as they repeatedly smash each other away from their strikes. Each new connecting punch launching the one it hit farther and farther away. Raparra manages to perform a feint of his own, allowing him to kick the monster square in the face, sending him far away. When the beast gets up to his feet, he runs to where they both were seconds prior, but it's now empty.

 

“RAGK!...” he roars as he jerks his head upwards, but when he looks up, he spots Raparra flying down to him at an incredible speed.

 

 **_“SURPRISE MOTHERFUCKER!~”_ ** in his hands he's holding a truck that had been abandoned by the driver when monster Parappa first showed up **_“TAKE THIIIIIIIIS!”_ ** he pulls it back and immediately slams it forward on the unsuspecting beast. It slams over him, and his entire body is gone. In its place stands now the truck that Raparra used “K. O. Haha!” the truck bursts and there stands the monster, much angrier “Devil damn are you annoying...alrighty...you gonna be like that? Fine! I get to put the hurt on you some more!” they lunge at each other once more, but the beast vanishes mid dive “HUH??” It reappears at his side, delivering an unblockable, undodgeable strike. The impact sends the hell dog flying through wall after wall. And after eighteen painful structure impacts, he finally stops thanks to there not being anymore buildings in a row to crash into “Ack...fucking...was it just playing with me this whole time!?...Just how fast is this fucking thing!...” he doesn't get a second to think it over as the beast emerges from the hole Raparra made in the walls. The ex hell shadow quickly crosses his arms to block again, but it's not as effective as he's still getting forced back. He slides along the ground as he maintains the block “D-DAMMIT...YOU'RE NOT PLAYING...YOU'RE JUST GETTING PROGRESSIVELY STRONGER...HOW?! IS IT BECAUSE OF HOW PISSED YOU'RE GETTING?!...”

 

The beast turns the hook into a uppercut, breaking Raparra’s guard “ARGAH!” It then drives his jagged knee into the dog's gut.

 

“HURK…” the impact sends him flying far across the sky like a shooting star. Eventually he crashes back down to land painfully. After a good few minutes of catching his breath, he gets back up “You...g-gotta... be shitting me...the longer I let this shit drag out...he's gonna start getting the upper hand...so I gotta take him down no-” Raparra sniffs the air and it brings his attention right above him. He sees an act of EXTREME pettiness as he spots the monster flying down towards him with an oil tanker “Oh fuck off…” the distance he caught on to makes it impossible to run away and dodge “IS THAT AAAALLLLLLLLLLL?!” Raparra didn't plan on it anyway “HIYAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” he machine gun punches the large vehicle that was about to crush him. The impact of his punches not only slowly wither the tanker, but also push it back towards the beast.

 

It was not gonna let Raparra get away with that, and so it starts stomping on the tanker to keep it going down “ERARGH!”

 

“NO YOU...DON’T!...” He doesn't let up “COME ON COME ON COME ON!...” Both sides refused to yield, but unfortunately a different creak is heard as one of Raparra’s strikes causes a greasy greenish brown liquid to fall on his cheek “Is this...oh no…” gas is heard spraying immediately after **_“FU-_ ** ”

 

**_*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*_ **

 

The dog is sent hurtling through the air, stopping as he slams into a street lamp. He slides onto the ground painfully. Determined vigor allows him to get back on his feet “O-Ow...H-Ha-Hahaha...survive that a-asshole...you were closer thanks to me...pushing it b-back…I'm immune to flames and booms if they're not that threatening to me...and I've been through way worse than that~...agh...but I'm not immune to flying at two hundred and fifty miles per second into metal pole…” he holds both his stomach and his back as he reclines on the lamp, watching the fire stay where they both stood “That handles that!...Didn't even need Para-” he feels a quick breeze from behind. He turns around to see how to effectively dodge, but it's too late as the beast grabs and hoists him into the air. Then he quickly drives him back down onto his knee **_“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”_ ** was all the dog could say as he was be slammed down on the jagged knee. He was being bent farther and farther back over it. Was the beast trying to break his spine? Or break him in half? He didn't know, nor could he attempt to as his thoughts on it were erased from the excruciating pain. His yell echoed throughout along with the sounds of the bones in his body being greatly abused. Both noises made a disgusting sound that no one dared try to inspect. Raparra thought to himself as best he could...was this the end? Would he let some jobber kill him before his proper clash with his double? The irony was not lost, but it's not like it was known. No one knew that it was Parappa trying ever so badly to snap his double in two. The hell dog just let's things happen as he has no way of escaping.

 

 **_“LET GO OF HIM!”_ ** the beast Parappa suffers a flaming drop kick to the face, causing him to let go of his double and get sent off back into the fire. Lammy quickly helps the hell shadow up “A-Are you ok???”

 

“Why the fuck are you back…”

 

“Saving you like you did for me!...”

 

“I didn't ask...pah…” he topples over, only to be caught by Lammy again “My spine still works...so that's something...but at this rate it won't stay that way...fire clearly doesn't affect this guy… so he's just hiding in there...keep your guard up...he could strike at any- MOVE BACK!” Both she and him pull back from a large swipe from the beast.

 

“H-Ha!...you missed!...” Lammy's boasting is cut short as her top is slashed right off, and Raparra suffers an unexpected haircut as his hair length now matched Parappa’s “E-Eep...that could've been me…” Lammy struggles to feel embarrassment as she stands in her bra out in the open, as the fear of having to deal with something that could kill her relatively easily has her full attention.

 

“I liked my hair long...fucking bitch…” the monster tries to slash again “MOVE GIRL _MOVE!_ ” Both of them jump back and run off.

 

“Why are we running? W-We can't exactly outrun him or lose him anywhere!”

 

“We need to get him out in the open! If the fucker has no place to hide or jump from, it limits the shit he can do!”

 

“But doesn't that f-force a face to face confrontation then??”

 

“Fuck yeah it does! This guy is getting progressively smarter as time goes on, so we need to take him out head on with NO hesitation immediately! Or else we're as good as dead…”

 

“I-I like living thank you v-very much…”

 

“Then help me out here! You're a strong person to! We'll probably manage something between the two of us…” he looks back to see it give chase, but was not keeping up ass effectively “Hello...seems like the things you suffered are starting to show some effect...may not get blown to bits by an explosion, but you're still getting banged up pretty badly…” he turns to Lammy “We gotta move, our chance is here and we can't squander it!”

 

Lammy gulps loudly “O-Ok…”

 

They reach an open district of town. It's a wide open space where the beast can't do much of it actions. It notices, but it's instincts to take out the two it was chasing neat out its sensibility. He charges at them “GET READY SHEEP!”

 

“I DON'T THINK I HAVE A CHOICE!...” they side step his lunge and both follow up with a strike to its gut. Lammy with a burning kick and Raparra with an uppercut. It's flipped away, but it lands on its feet and tries again. It endlessly slashes at them with the two dodging each wide swing as it comes “THIS IS A LIVING NIGHTMARE AND I’M FORCED TO EXPERIENCE IT AND SURVIVE FOR MY LIHIHIHIHIHIFE!...”

 

“COULD YOU BITCH ANY LOUDER?!”

 

“YOU ARE _REALLY_ UNPLEASANT!”

 

“ _I_ AM KEEPING US ALIVE!”

 

“...FAIR ENOUGH…” the monstrous Parappa slams his hands down and the two evade again. They then slam one of their feet on the hand and use their other foot to barrage kick the monstrosity in the face repeatedly.

 

“GOGOGOOOOO!” They leap off his hands to perform a joint backflip kick the tosses him backwards into a car where it seemingly stops moving.

 

“I-Is it over…”

 

“Sheep, this is fight to the death...with a legit, bonafied mutant...you seriously think THAT’S gonna end it?! He’s catching his breath.”

 

“S-So what now??”

 

“Piss off is what you can do. The longer you stay here, the more you risk turning into mutton.”

 

“And what about you??”

 

“What ABOUT me?? I can handle my own.”

 

“YOU N-NEARLY GOT SNAPPED IN HALF LIKE A CANDY BAR!”

 

“Oh bitch bitch biiitch...fine then...risk your life...sorry for sticking my neck out for it…” he closes the distance between him and the werewolf cautiously “Just what the fuck is this thing...it’s a wolf beast...so...a werewolf?...there is a full moon...just what idiot planned to do this...hey, sheep. Why the hell was this thing after you?”

 

“It kinda tried k-killing me on my search for Parappa…”

 

“WHAT HE’S OUT ON THE STREETS RIGHT NOW?!”

 

“T-That’s right...a-and I can’t find him…”

 

“Tch..” He looks at the monster “There ain’t no blood on its mouth or claws...so it didn’t kill him...but where’d you find it?”

 

“It c-came at me from a hidden alley...jumped out from the dark…”

 

“So it tried killing him off, but you appeared and switched its attention...that means Parappa’s still over there unconscious or something…”

 

“I-I hope...b-but I’ll check later! I-If this things here, it’ll just try and hurt him again!...”

 

“It’s a werewolf right? We just gotta last till the sun rises…What time is it…” He glances around and spots a street clock “It’s already 3?? Hot damn do you lose track of time when you’re beating the shit out of something as well as running away from it…so in about three more hours we’re good…” The wolf’s eyes spring open, resulting in the other two to ready a fighting stance “Let’s just hope we survive that long…”

 

“T-Three hours to keep this thing b-busy so it doesn’t hurt anyone...p-please watch over us lady luck…” The wolf stands upright, using it’s full height to tower over the two of them. Lammy does her best to not cower as it then cracks it’s neck to show that it fully shrugged off any semblance of pain these two did.

 

“Sheep…”

 

“H-Huh?...”

 

“Run…”

 

“W-Wha-”

 

“RUN!” Raparra turns tail and books it, to which she quickly follows his example. The beast grabs the car it was was slammed into and throws it at them. It homes in on them as it catches up to their speed like nothing “GOD DAMMIT, SPLIT UP!”

 

“B-BUT IT’LL SINGLE US OUT THAT WAY!...ISN’T THERE ANY OTHER WAY?!”

 

“WE CAN’T JUMP OVER IT! AND THAT THINGS MOVING FASTER THAN WE ARE THANKS TO HOW HARD HE THREW IT, SO WE CAN’T SMASH IT OUT OF THE SKY THANKS TO ITS MOMENTUM!”

 

“OOOOOH…”

 

 _MIJA! YOU HAVE TO MAKE A DEAD STOP, TURN AROUND, FIRMLY HOLD YOUR POSITION AND_ **_KICK. IT. BACK!_ **

 

“WHAT?!”

 

_DO IT! TRUST YOUR GRANDFATHER!_

 

“THE HELL YOU SCREAMING ABOUT SHEEP?!”

 

“UWAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!” She does as instructed and smash through the center of the car. The impact makes it cartoonishly rubber band around her leg. It then slingshots towards the werewolf who slashes it in half. Lammy resumes running with Raparra. The wolf runs after them only with its hind legs as he drags its arms across the ground. Its claws sliding along the concrete as it sounds as if metal were being dragged. Was it making them even sharper? The thought terrified the ewe who refused to turn around.

 

They all run along the long and empty street as the street lights flicker on and off. Effectively the two were leading the wolf in circles so that they didn’t run off to a more crowded part of the town. Any advantage the monster gets would equal certain doom for them. Eventually it’s speed starts picking up on its own “Fucking...god dammit...I forgot this shit head gets better in all aspects each passing second...we can’t run the timer out sheep...we gotta fight!”

 

“I-I was afraid you’d r-resort to that…”

 

“YOU KNOW WHAT I’M ABOUT!” He makes an immediate stop and ducks down, catching the speeding wolf off guard as he then trips and flips him onto his back “TAKE THAT!” The beast scrambles back up and resumes going after Lammy instead of Raparra “H-HEY! YOU FUCKER! GET BACK HERE!”

 

“EYAAAAAAAAAAAA!” Lammy runs away from the speeding beast behind her.

 

_MIJA STAND YOUR GROUND AND FIGHT IT!_

 

“I REFUSE TO CHANCE IT AND DIHIHIHIHIIIIIE!...” Her fear gets the better of her as she starts running back to a district loaded with buildings.

 

“GOD FUCKING DAMMIT SHEEP…” the hell shadow emits the dark red light around him once more as his body heats up and his hair, or what remain of it, whip about. He dives after the two in a dire sprint as his red wolf eyes lock on the beast “GET BACK HERE!” He catches up to the werewolf and slams into him from the side like two cars going at it. One of the shoves topples the wolf off balance as Raparra gets ahead of him. The wolf then chases after him and the small dog leads him to a building. Raparra runs up it and flips off as the wolf slams into the side of the building “HOW’S THAT?!” The wolf shatters the wall and turns around “Eh, figured.” He bounces off one of his hands and then off the other and then flips back onto the wall where he tries to run far up it and lead the thing away from Lammy and hopefully back to the open area, but the wolf was having none of it as he embeds his claws in the wall, cracking and shattering it as it rises all the way up to him. The solid wall beneath him was nothing more than pebbles now as he falls off to the ground, but more specifically, the monster who opens his mouth in anticipation. It closes it’s jaw as Raparra gets close, with the dog refusing to be swallowed whole holds the jaw open as he uses his feet and hands to hold his teeth at bay. The fangs of the werewolf dig into Raparra’s palms “I...WON’T...END UP...SOME RANDOM BITCH’S SNACK…!” the werewolf continuously tries to close his maw, but the dog refuses to let him. He then decides to use his tongue to either pull him in, or lather him up enough to lose his grip “S-STOP IT...N-NOOOOO…” Raparra’s body constantly heats up, but it does nothing to the wolf “N-NOOOOOOOO!” Raparra opens his mouth and clamps down on the monster’s tongue. It recoils and ejects the hell shadow from his mouth “YEAH THAT’S RIGHT!” The angry small dog gives the wolf the middle finger “HURTS DON’T IT?! **_FUCK YOU!_ ** ” It was clear that fooling the beast to follow them out into the open was moot now, so he runs where Lammy ran off to.

 

 **_“GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!”_ ** the beast heads off after. The hell shadow tries to keep his wits about him because with all the buildings, and nooks and crannies everywhere, the beast could come from literally anywhere. However, things stay silent, and after enough he stops in place and smells around.

 

“I lost it?...No…” He looks down a specific alley “IT FOUND HER FIRST…” He divebombs down the alleyway in hopes of getting to Lammy first.

 

Lammy gasps as she continues her mad sprint, finally collapsing on her knees to catch her breath “Oh...Oh god...p-please tell me I got away from it…” She looks everywhere to see that she was alone “I-I’m free...i’m in the clear...thank everything…”

 

_Yes...you’re in the clear...the problem my dear descendent is that you’re back in the crowded streets...where that rude dog told you specifically NOT to be…_

 

“I-I did?...Oh no…” She swallows roughly “W-Well atleast it’s nowhere around...N-Now grandpapi...how am I even talking to you?!”

 

_You called for help, and you’re wearing the boy’s cap on your head. So I heard and came a running! No literally since I’m dead, but you get the idea my dear._

 

“Oh gosh...Parappa really saved my butt by leaving this with me…” She grips the hat “B-But what about him...he’s probably out of it in some alley...I-I gotta find him now!...” She attempts to get back onto her feet, but turns her head to the side to spot the werewolf, looking at her. The poor ewe mutters out a high pitched sound of fear, paralyzed with utter terror.

 

 _MOVE DEAR MOVE!..._ she could not. Her legs would not budge, and the beast took the opportunity and dove straight at her.

 

Raparra tackles her out of the way as they both fly off from the impact into another alleyway. The only noise heard during that split moment was the sound the wolf slashing through the walls of the building behind Lammy. Lammy opens her eyes, to the sound of pain “H-Hnngg...g-gaaaah…” She hears what she believes to be liquid splattering on the floor. She turns to look at the one who shoved her out of the way.

 

“R-Raparra?...T-Thanks for the sa-” She watches the dog hold onto his right shoulder. Blood was spurting out from a deep wound given to him by the wolf dive tackling him, leaving his right arm temporarily limp “R-RAPARRA!...”

 

“F-Fucker...k-knew I was gonna...d-do that…” He falls onto a knee “D-Dammit...just my...luck…”

 

“T-This is enough!...W-We gotta run now!...Y-You’re in no condition to d-do ANYTHING else now!...” she helps him up “I gotta get you out of here while we’re out of sight…” Raparra shoves her off.

 

“YOU RUN...I’m...still gonna go at it...there’s still...two hours...left...give or take…”

 

“Y-YOU’RE DOWN AN ARM AND BLEEDING OUT!...”

 

“SHUT UP AND GO FIND PARAPPA!...”

 

“IT LOST PARAPPA, BY THE TIME IT FINDS HIM, TIME WILL HAVE RUN OUT FOR IT!...” As they both utter the name of the wolf, he finds them post haste. It appears before them at the entrance of the alleyway.

 

“IT’S BACK, JUST BEAT IT SHEEP!” He stands back up by force and preps his still usable arm “I’LL COVER YOUR ESCAPE!” He runs off to the monster “NO MATTER HOW MUCH STRONGER YOU GET, WE STILL PUT THE HURT ON YOU! YOU’LL FALL OVER TO ANYTHING!”

 

“S-STOP! R-RAPARRA!...” the werewolf runs off to him “ _NO!_ ”

 

 _YOU WANNA STOP IT?! MOVE THEN LAMMY! IF THINGS ARE GETTING OUT OF HAND?_ **_ACT!_ ** _ONE ACTION CAN MAKE A GIANT DIFFERENCE!_ Lammy stares at the two hounds that are closing in, a clash imminent with only one side obviously winning.

 

“G-Gaaggh…” She mutters as she struggles to do anything.

 

**_MOVE!_ **

 

“EGYAAAAAHHHHH!” Her horns ignite as she launches herself into the air.

 

Raparra and the Parappa monster were about to land their clashing punch, but just before they make impact, Lammy smashes into the ground with a massive flaming kick. The ground explodes causing the werewolf to jump back and shield itself with its large hands. It slashes wildly, the wind it shreds cut the fire the oxygen it needs to burn, extinguishing it. The two are gone. The wolf stares at the empty darkness and sniffs around. It cannot find the two of them anymore. The beast Parappa became walks out into the road in the open and howls at the moon.

 

Lammy hops around from rooftop to rooftop with the tired dog in her hands “The...h-hell did you...do that for…”

 

“I’m returning the favor...you saved me countless times, now i’m saving you.”

 

“Fuck off...with that...ideology…” He grumbles “Where are...we going?...”

 

“I’m dropping you off at the hospital. If I leave you like this, you’ll bleed out and die. If I let that happen, I’ll never be able to properly thank you for saving my hide.”

 

“Y-You’re gonna...walk into a hospital lookin like that?...”

 

“The hospital is nearby, so i’m sure they all heard the sounds of destruction happening...they’d probably understand...especially once they see you with me. Either way, it’s only just my bra.”

 

“Sorry to...break it to...you...but your little...escape trick...blew your bra clean off…”

 

“H-Huh?!” Lammy looks down to see he was telling the truth, she takes a deep breath and sighs “Alright...this...might leave them with the wrong impression...oh dear…”

 

“I’ll...vouch for ya...no worries…”

 

“Gosh...you must be getting woozy from the lack of blood to want to help me out…”

 

“Oh...shut up…!”

 

 _Mija, I think it’s his way of saying. ‘Thank you for saving me,’_ Lammy blinks as she realizes that fact.

 

“...Thanks then Raparra...I’d appreciate all the explaining help I can get.”

 

“That’s...what I thought…” He chuckles weakly. They keep on bouncing as the hospital enters the sightline. In the meantime, they make small talk to keep Raparra awake to not increase the risk of his condition while bleeding out. He then decides to start a topic from her exposed top. “So...pierced em ey?...Didn’t think...Rammy’s...soft double would...be the type to…”

 

Lammy nearly stumbles in her jumping “Q-Quiet!...I’m not a COMPLETE mess!...I have my own likes that’d shock you!”

 

“H-Haha...why such a big deal?...~ I never said it was a bad thing...m-makes ya look...less...weak in my opinion…~”

 

“I-I didn’t ask your opinion on t-that!...” She keeps quiet as Raparra laughs.

 

“...Truthfully...I always wanted...to do that myself...but believe...it or not...I was to scared…”

 

“You??? Why?...”

 

“It’d...hurt like a bitch…”

 

“YOU’RE BLEEDING OUT FROM A HOLE THE SIZE OF MY HORNS AND TREATING IT LIKE BARELY NOTHING! H-How are chest piercings gonna hurt more?!?!...”

 

“I’m...fucking...fickle...when it...comes to what I find painful...piercings...needles...slamming your foot on a table leg...shit like that hurts...like a motherfucker...to me…”

 

“R-Really?...” She blinks in disbelief “You’re strange Raparra…”

 

“Feh...maybe so...but the truth’s that...I’m scared...over...something you did so easily…”

 

“It wasn’t really an easy thing for me...whoooo baby did I need my bandmates with me...that was so not brave of me...made me look like a bigger baby to be honest…”

 

“But...ya still...did it…I would never...I’d break the dudes face...from...fear…”

 

“But-”

 

_Lammy. He’s calling you braver than him, accept it. It’s basically him acknowledging you as a respectable equal._

 

“O-Oh...well...I’m glad you think of me as such…”

 

“Cuz you’re...a surprising individual...Lammy…”

 

Lammy smiles at the fact that the dog called her by her name “Yeah, I get that alot~”

 

“I believe it…” Raparra sighs weakly “I hope...nobody else gets hurt by that...thing…”

 

“That thing has about an hour and a half of moonlight left...and everyone’s well protected in their homes...they can outlast his timer...plus...Parappa might’ve woken up by now...and I know him...he’ll put a stop to that monster…”

 

“Yeah...he will…” He groans in pain.

 

“We’re here...now let’s get you help right away!...”

 

“Thanks…”

 

* * *

 

The sun rises over the town that survived that mess. Any signs of the monster were long since gone. The sun glimmers over the main quintets abode as the tv that was left on the entire time switches to a news reports, waking the lamb who fell asleep on the couch.

 

_“Breaking news! To a good majority, you may already know what I’m going to be speaking about, but for the rest let me warn you! Last night we had an occurrence most severe! A monster has let loose its fury among our quaint little town. Sounds of destruction have been heard throughout-”_

 

“Oooohh...I fell asleep…” she sits up and rubs her eyes “I forgot to get dressed...I just dropped on the couch and turned on the tv…I better...get dressed…” she heads off to her room, but as she passes Katy’s room it springs open. A groggy Katy standing behind it. Upon spotting Lammy, her sense jolt fully awake.

 

“LAMMY!...WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU GUYS?! YOU LEFT US WORRIED SICK ALL NIGHT!.......AND WHY ARE YOU TOPLESS?!...DID PARAPPA DO ANYTHING FUNNY?! I SWEAR IF-”

 

“N-NONO! IT’S NOTHING LIKE THAT!...” she waves her arms around “I...had quite a scary night…” before Katy can respond, the tv catches her attention.

 

 _“Recorded footage shows the beast being fended off by one of our town beloved, Lammy Lamb! Alongside the double of our town’s pride and joy Parappa. Both she and he were keeping the beast at bay during the whole time until they both vanished in a quick getaway. The monster also seemingly disappearing. It was later discovered that the double of Parappa was checked into our town hospital by Lammy, explaining their getaway. It seems that both of them, despite the injuries of the one called Raparra, are safe and sound along with everyone else in our town. It’s shown that the double will make a full recovery. The other people of our fair town are also all unscathed thanks to the distraction caused by these two brave souls!_ The tv plays a recorded video of Lammy and Raparra fending off the werewolf Parappa. _We are unsure if this beast shall return, but we ask that everyone take the most care when treading at night. The beast was identified as a werewolf, so for the remaining six days, stay out of the streets at night!”_ Katy looks at Lammy, terrified for her safety as well as the one who wasn’t here.

 

“W-Where’s Parappa?!”

 

* * *

 

The group all scour the town in search of Parappa. They search the highs and lows and every obscure corners.

 

“Hey Lammy...why do you have that bouquet with you?...” Katy eyes the flowers Lammy has.

 

“O-Oh these?...These are get well soon flowers…I’m gonna give em to Raparra once we find Parappa...I wouldn’t be standing here if it weren’t for him…”

 

“Still find it hard to believe that HE saved you…”

 

(“There’s video and photographic evidence showing it, so better believe it girl!”)

 

“I can also testify since I was the one being rescued...and I owe him alot...he almost died trying to buy me time to escape…” They all walk around the street that Lammy first encountered the monster in “It was a terrifying experience...I got off lucky...I dunno about Parappa…” they walk by the alleyway that Lammy saw it emerge from and hear sounds of pain “H-Huh?...”

 

(“It came from over there!”) the three girls run down the alley and hear the noise from a hole in the ground. Near the hole are giant footprints leading to it, but they vanish alongside the sides of the building. In the deeper parts of the crater they find Parappa flat on his face. They run up to him and help him up. He’s severely beaten up and bruised. To them, it looks like he had a run in with the werewolf, but in actuality it’s thanks to Lammy and Raparra that he’s all battered (“Yooo...what the fuck happened to you?!”)

 

“You look like a mess...did you fight the werewolf?!”

 

“Werewolf?...Augh...my head…Did I?...ow...my body…last night’s an utter blur...like someone beat my head in...”

 

“Seems like that werewolf did a number on you…” Katy inspects his body. The tattered remains of his shirt and the slashes across his body. Around his legs where his pants turned into shorts. His feet where his shoes were destroyed. He has several heavy bruises where Lammy and Raparra launched their own attacks.

 

“Everything stings...but...I can atleast stand...and move…it actually doesn’t limit me that much surprisingly...you’d think it’d hurt alot worse...stunt me more...but no. I’m marginally ok…” he jumps in place abit before performing a backflip “Strange...the pain is...disappearing as the rest of my body starts waking up...I don’t feel the stinging anymore...in fact my body feels light and cool...No sore or tense muscles.” He grips his hands and punches the air “It’s all gone. I feel...completely fine…”

 

“T-This is weird…” Lammy tries to poke his cuts to see if there’s a reaction, but to her shock, they seemingly all healed up. It appears as they were never cuts, but rather just light scratches that only gave the appearance of something serious “Huh...my eyes must be playing tricks on me…”

 

“Ours to…”

 

(“No kidding…”)

 

“Still abit stiff though…so werewolf huh? Care to fill me in on what I clearly forgot? I clearly fought something, and got away alot better than I thought...guess I was a drama queen thanks to me sleeping on the ground…”

 

“Well you clearly suffered a-an injury to the head...if you forgot everything. And your clothes are destroyed to... So you didn’t get off one hundred p-percent scot-free…”

 

“That’s true...hurry up and fill me in...my brain woke up and i’m getting progressively worried…”

 

(“That proves you fought it. Your body’s panicking over what you passed out for and missed.”)

 

“I don’t like it...tell me, tell me!”

 

* * *

 

“W-WHERE’S RAPARRA NOW?!” He scuttles about looking for his double.

 

“E-Easy!...H-He’s at the hospital. He should be fine now.” Lammy says, trying to calm down the frantic dog.

 

“W-We gotta go over!...”

 

“Uh-uh! You gotta get dressed! Can’t go walking around that! You’ll make people believe the werewolf is still around!” Katy shoves Parappa the opposite way.

 

(“Not to mention the fact that we gotta tell the others we found you.”)

 

“Alright…”

 

“I’ll wait for you guys there. I got t-to give these to him.” They all agree as they haul Parappa away. Lammy heads on in and off towards the room that Raparra is in. She spots the dog sitting by the windowsill. His arm wrapped up in many bandages, but it was moveable again.

 

The dog notes her intrusion, but doesn’t turn to face her “I don’t hear forced cheery demeanour, so it ain’t the nurses...I can only take it that its...you Lammy?”

 

“You’re c-correct! Hello!” He flips around.

 

“Sup. What brings you here to this soap scented torture zone.”

 

“Well I came to visit you to see how you were doing. And it’s not THAT bad here!...How a-are you?”

 

“I’m fine. Doc’s keep trying to inject me with shit and I keep flipping the hell out…”

 

“Let them! They’re trying to help!...W-Wowie...It’s so weird speaking to you without you swearing every sentence.”

 

“Cuz I’m kinda restrained. I was the same back in hell when I was chained to the wall. Is it that big of a fuckin deal??”

 

“Well...given its all I know about you…”

 

“Got my pinned to a T there! Haha!”

 

“I’ll have to ask Rammy about it...anywho...t-these are for you!” She hands him the boquet.

 

“Flowers?” He grabs it and looks back to her.

 

“Get well soon flowers! It’s...k-kinda thanks to me you’re in here…” He rolls his eyes as he gently places them on the counter next to his bed.

 

He flicks his hand “I’m fine...I was already in a bad position anyway since that flower botched up her healing on me. She patched my body up, but the strain and exhaustion was still there despite my bones and body being…’fixed’ up. So I was gonna be boned anyway. Held out marginally well till he decided to spinebreaker me in two...How’s the town? I hear the thing vanished.”

 

“It did...it probably reverted after escaping…”

 

“Escaping? The thing was a destructive powerhouse...what did it have to escape from…?”

 

“Ah! R-Right! Turns out Parappa picked up where we left off. He beat the m-monster back so badly he had to retreat! Now it’s blending in as a regular person again...so we’re probably gonna be in trouble at night again…B-But Parappa can handle it! Like he did earlier!”

 

“It’d be for the best to not let him handle it...that’s what the thing wants. The scent I picked up was targeting Parappa…”

 

“B-But Parappa did fine!”

 

“Cuz we did all the work Lammy.” He hops off the windowsill. Lammy notices something quickly “If it weren’t for our antics, Parappa probably wouldn’t have been able to corner that beast...why are you looking at me like that?...”

 

“Um...no reason…” _Did he...grow??...he looks a tiny bit taller...it’s probably my imagination…_ “So Raparra...does your arm hurt at all?”

 

“Lil numb, but it ain’t something I HAVEN’T struggled with. When I was a boy, I usually ended up with BOTH my arms disabled for long periods of time.”

 

She shakes her head “That sounds awful…”

 

“Eh...that’s where my buddy Tarien helped out in. Thanks to the shit he could do, he could help me right quick. He was immune to the Hell downsides and could heal me back up each time I did something stupid...though he wasn’t exactly happy about it.”

 

“I can tell...what happened to him?”

 

“He’s dead.”

 

“...Oh…” she twiddles her fingers together “I’m sorry…”

 

“You don’t gotta be sorry for anything. It’s my fault it happened. And I lost all the lessons he taught me, and would still be like that today if it weren’t for Parappa snapping my head back in place after beating me two times in a row...who’d of thought.”

 

“I’m...happy?...for you??” She wobbles in place. Confused on how to feel.

 

“Tch...heheh~...You know...once your blew your bra off, I think that alone would’ve scared the fucker away.”

 

“H-HEY!...WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY?!”

 

“Easy there, I don’t mean anything offensive. Your piercings are silver. Those guys hate silver.”

 

“Huh?...T-They do?...”

 

“Yeah. Supposedly it kills em in one go if they get hit by it and it cuts em up in the slightest way possible?”

 

“Oh...W-Well! Even so! I was not gonna flash my chest to some creep turned monster!...” She heats up on the spot.

 

“Haha! I like talking to you! You’re a funny mess!”

 

“Well...I wish you wouldn’t refer to me as such...but atleast you’re treating me nicely...I think?” she sits down on his hospital bed.

 

“Well...for my standards!” The two begin chatting about anything and everything to pass the time.

 

Meanwhile, Parappa is seen with the others, old and new friends, who hound him with question over what happened last night.

 

“I’m telling you guys...I don’t remember...last night was an utter blur...I just remember hanging out with Lammy...then from that point after...blank...and then I wake up in pain…”

 

“But you clearly FOUGHT the werewolf. I wonder how that must’ve been.” PJ chomps on a donut. They all walk about, heading to someplace other than the hospital first, wanting to get him something to eat first off. As they walk, they’re stopped by a car coming to a screeching halt before them. Out pops a familiar helmet.

 

“GUYS!...ARE ALL OF YOU ALRIGHT?? I HEARD AND SAW THE NEWS, WHERE’S LAMMY?!” Leo leaps out of his car along with Kitty, Sunny and Rayn.

 

“She’s fine! So is Raparra and Parappa!”

 

“Wait...Dad you fought that thing to?!?!”

 

“Apparently so...but it must’ve ended in a draw...I don’t remember anything...but I’m still alive…”

 

“What a ludicrous statement..” Leo looks about “Where you guys heading off to?”

 

“To get something to eat. We woke up earlier than usual to find Paraps after we heard the news ourselves.” PJ says after he eases up the three girls that appeared with him. With that, they all head off to the closed cafe.

 

“Here??”

 

“Yeah here. Me and Parappa always get our snacks from here. Always have since we were younger and worked here. Tamanegi won’t mind.” PJ says as he opens the cafe doors “You all just sit at the outside tables, and I’ll get us all a little something to munch on.”

 

Katy begins organizing everyone to tables “Alright you guys over here, you over here, and you four girls sit with Parappa at this table!”

 

(“Hey why do we gotta sit with Mutt??”) Ma-san states as she, Sunny, Rayn and Fei-bo are all seated with him.

 

“Oh, simple! You four are still quite short, and Parappa was as well. And now look at him! Maybe that’ll rub off on you girls!~” Katy giggles as she scoots away, upsetting the four as Parappa tries to ease them up.

 

They all eat the sweets that are given to them by PJ. At Parappa’s table, the two mice are there eating pancakes while the two flowers eat parfaits. Parappa doesn’t eat the food left out before him as he plays around with it with his plastic spork.

 

“Not hungry Parappa?”

 

“Nah...it’s not that Poppy...my tongue just hurts...it feels like I bit it unbelievably hard...but I didn’t...and now it’s preventing me from eating...so i’m just...waiting for the pain to subside abit before I attempt eating.?

 

“Oh, very well then. Hope your tongue stops hurting soon!”

 

(“Maybe you should’ve gotten some ice cream for that.”)

 

(“My double’s right Mutt, that would’ve helped your mouth out abit.”)

 

Sunny is lightly nudged from behind “Huh?...” it was her ex shadow “What?”

 

She taps her parfait with her spoon and whispers “Won’t this help?”

 

“Oh! Right! Offer some to him!”

 

“I-I told you!...Y-You do it!”

 

“I can’t! You do it!...” They start clinking their silver spoons together. The mice notice and look to themselves.

 

(“Man, the cream on these pancakes oughta help. They’re also soft to~ That oughta help~”) Fei-bo jabs at a piece of her pancakes and attempts to feed to to Parappa, but her fork is caught by Ma-san’s.

 

(“Nuh-uh. I think not!”)

 

(“Whaaaaat?...Like whyyy man?...what do YOU wanna do it instead?”)

 

(“Heck no! I just don’t want you babying the guy!”)

 

(“I ain’t babying no one maaaan~ I just wanna do this outta my own free will~ Now if you don’t mind~”) Both mice and flowers start ‘sword fighting’ with their silver utensils. The clinking noises bother Parappa thanks to his headache as he tries to speak up to stop them, but his eyes catch the silver tools. His eyes focus on them as his vision turns red. His next action is done right there.

 

“O-OW!”

 

“Ouch…”

 

(“Like owwwww maaaaan…”)

 

(“GYAH!...”) all four of them drop their silver trinkets as they hold onto their bleeding hands. Parappa had bitten at the four of them to get the silver away. He was huddled to the ground hyperventilating aggressively as he held his head.

 

“G-Get it away from me…”

 

(“WHAT THE HELL MUTT??...A SIMPLE ‘STOP MESSING AROUND’ WOULD’VE BEEN ALOT BETTER THAN OUTRIGHT BITING US LIKE THAT!...”) Parappa doesn’t pay attention to her as he keeps breathing roughly in his heavy panic as everyone else huddles around them.

 

“What happened?...” Matt asks.

 

(“HE JUST STRAIGHT UP BIT US FOR NOTHING! Gah...didn’t know his teeth could be so sharp…”)

 

“Parappa?...” Sunny holds onto her hand as she approaches the dog gently.

 

“G-Get it away…”

 

“G-Get what away?...” She squeezes her own hand and notes that it was the utensils “T-Those?...why?...”

 

“W-Was our tomfoolery really that annoying?...” Rayn asks as she holds her hand.

 

“What were you four doing that got him to react like this?” Rammy asks as she looks to the four injured girls.

 

(“NOTHING!...”)

 

(“We kinda start swinging at each other with our forks and spoons is aaaall…”)

 

“Why the fuck does that have him panicking like a maniac?...”

 

“Wait…” Katy taps her cheek then pulls out her phone to look at the news video of the werewolf slashing at Raparra and Lammy “...Parappa fought the werewolf right?...And maybe the clinking of the spoons and forks reminded him of the sharp claws of the monster!...Wow...it must be some strong PTSD if it made you lash out like this…”

 

“God Paraps, what the hell did you get yourself into…”

 

(“You know he could’ve told us to stop so we wouldn’t have triggered him like that…”)

 

(“I mean...he has no memory of the fight...so how could he maaan?”)

 

(“Don’t use logic with me!...”)

 

“Alright alright...everyone relax. There’s some bandages inside. The four of you come with me and let’s get your hands all patched up...the rest of you try to ease Parappa up and switch your silver for plastic.” Everyone nods and does as such.

 

* * *

 

After eating and a load of apologizing on the dogs behalf, they all traverse to the hospital, but only Parappa enters the room that Raparra is in. Everyone else waits outside.

 

“Ah...so you are here.”

 

“Well lookie here, I must be popular today.” Raparra smirks.

 

“Hey t-there Parappa.”

 

“Yo...so...I gotta say Raparra...you defending the town like you did...as well as my best friend...thanks. It makes me happy to see you defending the place when I was out of it…”

 

“Let me stop you there. The only reason I defended anything was cuz of it going after you. As long as it lives, it’ll still be after you. Any other thing I defended in the process was an added accidental bonus.”

 

“Whatever you call it. You still saved alot of people.”

 

“Eeeeeh. I suppose that’s the current truth. Can’t help anymore now though. Crazy people here won’t let me leave even though I am walkin and talkin like nobody's business.”

 

“I mean...there’s alot more your condition than that…”

 

“How many times must I say that this is nothing to me??”

 

“You can keep saying it, but medics here clearly know that it’s more than that. Plus I know you, you’re gonna go after that monster again, and you might not end up so lucky. Especially like this.” He strikes at his own chest “But don’t worry. I’ll handle it from here. This thing’s here cuz of me...and I’m gonna put a stop to it…It won’t destroy my town...”

 

“...Yeah well...you better handle yourself well…”

 

“I’ll be perfectly fine...so...you and Lammy workin together huh? I thought Raparra didn’t need any help~”

 

“She insisted against my better judgement. I was busy with the fight that I was in no position to say no. And I was pleasantly surprised. Lammy can hold her own amazingly well. She never did those things when I came with the others so I gotta say, where was all that from?” both dogs look at the ewe.

 

“O-Oh...erm...let’s just say...voices in my head told me what to do~...and wait! That reminds me…” She pulls out Parappa’s beanie from her pocket “This belongs with you~”

 

“...Thanks for keeping it safe for me. Judging by how I ended up, it would’ve been destroyed if it stayed with me...but...can you hold onto it for a little longer?...Just until either the week is through...or I stop the monster...I feel it might get ripped up if I keep it on me…”

 

“Um...if you’re c-certain...than I’ll do my best!” She holds the hat tightly against her chest.

 

“Can you two get a room that isn’t mine? I’d leave, but they’d fire more tranquilizers at me. So if you’re gonna fuck, don’t do it here.” Raparra’s words get Lammy’s horns to ignite and scorch the ceiling of the room as Parappa’s hair floofs up from static electricity. The sight makes the hell dog cackle wildy “HAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! YOU WIMPS ARE TO MUCH AT TIMES!~” Both animals visiting him struggle to calm down and get their powers under wraps. Once they do, they say a few more words, not all of them kind. After that they leave to take on the day.

 

Within a short time after we see Rammy and Parappa on the outside tables of cafe on the evening as they’re just about to close up shop.

 

“So Raparra really said that during that sweet interaction??”

 

“YES! Honestly, you’d think he’d respect the moment-”

 

“Did you go to a different room?”

 

“RAMMY!?...”

 

“Whaaaaat?~ Paraps you can’t blame me for this~”

 

“Mrrr…”

 

“Aw cheer up buddy!~ It’s just a joke~...Course it doesn’t have to be. If the urge pops up, I can help you both find a-”

 

“NOT INTERESTED AT THE MOMENT THANK YOU!” He slams his face on the table as he lets out a muffled scream. Afterwards he yanks his face back up “What kind of best friend offers help with that?!”

 

“What kinda best friend wouldn’t help their buddy get laid?? You’re damn straight I’m gonna be your wingwoman in this scenario!”

 

“I cannot believe we’re talking about this…”

 

“I mean...it’s clearly something that happens thanks to our future friend.”

 

“P-POTENTIALLY NOT WITH HER!...I-I CAN’T JUST JUMP THE GUN WITH THIS!”

 

“So you admit that this is a topic that floats around your thoughts~”

 

“I DID NO SUCH THING.”

 

“You didn’t deny, you just passed the buck~”

 

“THIS CONVERSATION IS OVER!...” He slams his face back down on the table. Rammy rolls her eyes as she scratches his head.

 

* * *

 

_The second full night…_

 

Everyone had returned home, but Parappa and Rammy stayed by the table. Both were relaxed and decided to chat to clean out the bad air, but soon...

 

“Paraps, where ya going??”

 

Parappa stops his walk and turns to Rammy “That guy’s about to appear again and I’m the only one who can keep him at bay fully since Raparra’s stuck in the hospital...And I don’t want to endanger Lammy or the rest of you.”

 

“Oh but endangering yourself is completely fine?”

 

“I came out alright didn’t I?”

 

“You came out with a fear of spoons and forks because they apparently remind of you the monster’s claws. How can I believe you won’t break down??”

 

“I’m gonna be fine! I have to anyway because people’s lives will be in danger!”

 

“You ain’t doing shit. I’m taking you home and I’ll round up the girls to stop it.”

 

“NO! THAT THING’S GONNA RIP YOU TO SHREDS! RAPARRA SAID IT SHRUGS OFF THINGS LIKE HE DOES AND GETS STRONGER AS TIME GOES ON! YOU WON’T SURVIVE THE NIGHT AGAINST SOMETHING THAT’S TEN TIMES WORSE THAN RAPARRA!”

 

“We’ll manage, but you ain’t being a part of it!”

 

“I WON’T LET YOU GUYS CHANCE IT!” Parappa runs off

 

“PARAPS!” she runs after him. She quickly loses sight of him “Where the fuck did he go?!?!”

 

Parappa runs out into an empty portion of the town and floats up to the roof of a building “COME OUT YOU COWARD! IF YOU’RE AFTER ME, THEN FACE **_ME!_ ** LEAVE MY HOME OUT OF IT! DON’T FIGHT RANDOM INNOCENT PEOPLE WHEN **_I’M_ ** THE ONE YOU WANT!” Parappa looks to the town below from the roof and scratches his head in frustration when nobody arrives. He throws his head back in anger and that’s where the mistake begins. His eyes spot the moon once more and again his body becomes paralyzed as he falls onto his back “A-Agagaga…!!!” That noise is the last he utters as the transformation triggers again.

 

Rammy in the meanwhile managed to hear Parappa’s challenge to the monster “He’s over there?? PARAPS!” She runs after where she heard the sound. During her sprint she hears what sounds like an explosion. She keeps on running and soon hears a large howl. She spots the source at the top of a tall building. There stands the werewolf at full length as he looks at the moon. It quickly tilts its head down and glares at Rammy from above “It looks like I found you before him…” The beast disappears in the air and the following second it slams down before Rammy. He looks down at her “Heh...this is actually perfect...I don’t want Paraps to deal with you...and you know what? I know just how-” She stomps the ground, creating an entrance to hell below them “TO MAKE THAT POSSIBLE!” They both fall down to the depths below with Rammy landing on her feet and the werewolf slamming down painfully. It jerks back up and looks about “Lammy told me that giving you a crowded place would’ve been a death sentence...and down here? It’s open as far as the eye can fucking see.” She holds her thumb up to her neck and swipes across “I’m gonna take you down, so that Paraps doesn’t have to deal with you…”

 

“ **RARGH…”**

 

“Cry all you want...It’s how it has to be…” She readies herself in a fighting pose “I beat down one stubborn dog...I can beat down another...only no one’s gonna stop me from killing you…” The beast runs at her, it’s claws sliding along the red ground. Once it’s close enough, he slashes at her, but she slides underneath it between its legs. He uses his tail to swat her away. She rolls up onto her feet from the momentum and then stares at it. Both glare at one another intensely, but Rammy soon smiles “Trying to take you on wouldn’t be smart since every part of you is a weapon to you. And I ain’t as hardy as Paraps or Raparra, but I can still pack a monstrous punch! Yet with you...that won’t matter since you’ll shrug it off as Paraps said...but down here? I don’t gotta bother~ You’re a big lad and so you can’t chase after me everywhere because of it~ So what do I gotta say about that?~” She pulls down her lower left eyelid and sticks her tongue out “BLEEEEEEGGGGHHHHH!~” she turns around and slaps her rear thrice “COME AND CATCH ME JACKASS!~” She books it down the rocky terrain. The beast actually gets enraged over her taunt and follows after her. Rammy disappears along the small nooks that the beast can’t follow in. It tries using the lengths of its claws to poke at her, but is caught off guard when Rammy appears behind her and kicks it square in the back. When it turns around, she’s gone again. Soon she appears from above him and stomps his head in and flips off back into cover. She toys with the wolf and then runs off to another spot to do the same again. This process repeats over and over and the wolf is slowly drained of moral and stamina. Three hours pass from Rammy running along the entirety of Hell and all the hiding spots she knows and soon the wolf has had enough.

 

 **_“EROOOOOORRRN!!!!”_ ** The wolf bites and chomps a pillar after pillar which causes Rammy’s new hiding spots to all crumble and leave her out in the open as she flops onto the ground.

 

“WAGH!...” She quickly scuttles onto all fours “You can’t just EAT my hiding spots!...There’s gotta be a rule against tha-” the werewolf slams his fist into her, launching all across the entirety of Hell “AAAAARGGGHHHH…” is all Rammy screams out as she flies like a missle. As she flies, she wooshes past six familiar spirits.

 

“WHOA...the fuck was that???” Harpers asks, startled by the air current.

 

“It looked like that black sheep that Europa’s pops was tryin to rescue!” Mocha states.

 

“Why is she back here?...Didn’t she say she was strictly against wanting to ever come back??” Natasha asks. They all get their answer when they see the wolf dash past them, after the sheep.

 

“We found our answer! AFTER THEM!” the six of them give chase to the beast. They pass it and quickly fly after the sheep who finally comes to a painful halt against a wall. She slides off it and flops to her knees.

 

“Shiiiiiit...it wasn’t that strong when I ran and started hiding from it the first time...That must be the whole ‘get stronger as time goes on’ bit of him...fuuuuuuuck…” She gets back up “I’m still standing though! It’s gonna take alot more than that to stop ME!...But it doesn’t look like I can use my hiding tactic…” She awaits the arrival of the wolf with a readied stance, but the spirits arrive first “Eh? The hell are you guys here for??”

 

“We could be asking ya the same thing! The fuck are you doing here with a werewolf after your ass??”

 

“It WAS in PaRappa Town...and I brought it here so that wouldn’t be an issue...of course I was way in over my head and am now gonna start suffering for it…” The growls could be heard getting closer.

 

“We can help out with that! You know the spot where the river styx is right?”

 

“Course I do! That used to be the old ass way to get to the surface before we modernized a much more fun way! What about it?"

 

"Well spirits like us become solid in that spot, lead it there and we’ll be able to help you out! Seven against one ought stop that fucker!”

 

“You six sure you wanna do that? If you die as a dead person, you’re erased from existence ain’t ya?”

 

“Like we’re gonna fucking die to that! Right girls? Harper’s bandmates all nod “See? You just lead it there and we’ll help you put the hurt!”

 

“Aight! Ain’t saying no to help!” The spirits fly off and Rammy follows. She runs off to where they instructed her to go and wolf wastes no time chasing her. She keeps going despite the exhaustion kicking in, and soon she reaches an empty area with limited ground, surrounded by a pool of inky black water. The wolf arrives snarling as it looks at the black sheep “Now you look like you’re thoroughly done with my shit. And I’ll be honest...it would’ve been sad and boring if I got you like that! But that doesn’t mean I’m gonna just fight ya one on one!” The spirits become solid as they drop down next to Rammy “I gots me some backup!”

 

“GET HIM GIRLS!” The seven of them rush down the werewolf.

 

 **_“ARGAHHHH!”_ ** He charges at them.

 

Rammy bounces into the air, attempting to strike at his face as time seems to slow.

 

_It’s five hours till the sun rises...but with the help I got now...you won’t live to stall out that long.You hurt Parappa and nearly Lammy in your madness, but that was your first and last mistake… I HOPE YOU ENJOY LOOKING AT HELL CUZ THIS IS GONNA BE YOUR PERMANENT HOME NOW!_


	49. Devilishly Destructive

Time passes by as the sounds of a struggle are heard echoing about. Throughout the pathways of Hell are the sounds of the werewolf roaring in pain. The seven girls are seen striking at the wall standing tall who keeps slashing at nothing as they continuously avoid and pester the werewolf. Rammy is forced to avoid more often whenever it turns it's attention to her, but the other girls don't. They fight bombastically and they dodge as they strike. The monster can't get past their cooperative tactics.

 

“You girls are something else…”

 

“We ain’t novices! This is what we did right till we died!” Silphy says as she scissor kicks the wolf in the gut, sending him up.

 

“Handling freaks like these was our specialty. We mowed through so many of them like nothing!” Gwenoyne says as she pogo’s off the ground from her tail and overhead slams the beast’s head. Forcing him back down.

 

“And plus, this is fighting! This is where we see eye to eye one hundred percent of the time! Our coordination is unmatched when we're together!” Wuki topspin kicks the wolf in a circus juggle before flip kicking him away.

 

“So you said this guy gets stronger as time goes on? Big fucking whoop if he can't hit us once!” Harper smashes him around once he ends up in the air again. The werewolf is unable to retaliate at all as he flops around.

 

“The only logistical way to beat us was if you singled us out, or if you miraculously took out one of us. If not all of us are together...well...things fall apart very fast.” the wolf is sent hurtling to the ground where Natasha catches him midair in a bicycle kick barrage.

 

“It's how we ended up here…Tycoon sent two magic users to deal with us, but our combination tactics would've trounced them! Then they used Amby as a meatshield...and that's where it all turned to shit…” Mocha grabs the monster as he drops once more. She holds onto it by its neck and slaps it repeatedly,  forcing the spike studs on the front and back of her brass knuckles to strike at its face painfully before finishing off with a straight haymaker to the snout as he's send straight into pillar after pillar. There is no movement, allowing the girls to catch their breath.

 

“You...made that look so easy…”

 

“Professional ass kickers tend to be like that.” they all say together.

 

“Yeah...till they unfairly die to a cheap tactic…”

 

“Atleast it stopped the freak-o...even if temporarily…” Harper flexes her wings “Leo's stronger than us anyway. He'd probably kill this guy in remarkable ease. Blink and you'd miss it.”

 

“Maybe I should’ve called for his help rather than drop him down here with me…”

 

“Naw. Leo takes a bit to get going, so you were better off like this, plus you got us to help. Now look alive!” They hear low growling “He's comin back!” the wolf crashes back to where they all are. It's breathing heavily and it appears exhausted “Honestly I'm surprised you’re still standing. Is it stubbornness? Endurance? Whatever it is-” The Queens group back up “IT AIN'T GONNA BE ENOUGH!”

 

The wolf vanishes from their sight and reappears behind them, in front of Rammy “HEEEEY THERE!” it roars in her face “NOT THE TYPE TO CHAT, THAT'S **_FAIR!_ ** ” she somersaults over its rapid attack and lands on its back “Whoop!...did not mean to land on you!...actually…” she yanks at the fur on its neck and it jerks back up “Thought so!” she tugs it forward, and it runs forward “HAHA! MUSH IDIOT!” she forces it to run around.

 

The Queens all stare at the action “Erm...Harpy, what do we do about this?...” Natasha asks.

 

“We can't hit it with her on its back!.. “

 

“YEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAW!” she drives him face first into everything in it's path. The wolf starts whining and whimpering like a regular dog “Hurts? GOOD!” she keeps moving him about.

 

An idea enters Harper's head “AHA!” she shouts to the ewe “YO! RAMMY! LEAD IT TO THE WATER!”

 

“EH? WHY?”

 

“THE WATER LOVES TO DRAG AND HOLD LIVING THINGS ALL THE WAY AT THE BOTTOM! RESENTFUL, JEALOUS SPIRITS AND WHAT NOT!”

 

“GREAT IDEA!” Rammy changes its path to the black water. It follows the path, but stops and changes directions once near it “HEY!...” she keeps trying, but it refuses to fall in “A LITTLE HELP?”

 

“Wuki!”

 

“I'm on it!” the monkey girl yanks out multiple bits of her hair and fur and blows the strands towards the werewolf. The strands become copies of her, and they strike at the wolf, helping Rammy lead it to the water. She gets it to another edge again, but it stops right on it from its feet claw tips “YO RAMMY. JUMP OFF!” Rammy hops off the beast and Wuki drives her staff forward. It stretches out and boops it on the back, tipping it over. It fumbles and falls into the dark abyss.

 

“AW YEAH! WE DID IT!” The seven of them high five one another in an early victory declaration as the werewolf drowns further and further down the dark drink. The spirits within just grabbing him and pulling down faster.

 

 _Oh dear...you’ve gone and gotten yourself outsmarted. Now having you die would be lovely, but you’re my new monster, and so you aren’t allowed to just expire on me like that~ Normally when I create a minion it has to fend for itself, but you’re special...so i’ll make an exception~ Be thankful my lovely puppy~_ The wolf’s eyes burst open and growls heavily as bubbles foam around it’s mouth thanks to being underwater. The entirety of the Styx rumbles, alarming the seven girls.

 

“What the fuck is wrong with the water?!?!” Harper blurts out, only for the answer to make itself known. The werewolf blasts out of the water and slams down before them all.

 

 _The dead bow before my magic~ Necromancy is such a helpful thing! They wanted to use the spirits to drag you down? Well then...how will they like it when they help you eviscerate them instead?~_ The wolf shakes off the excess black water off its body. The remaining liquid stays as a black armor all over its body and its eyes are now purple from the black armor mask that it gains. Its armor sprouts out wings made of sludge as well as sludge made spikes all around it’s arms and back. It roars again, but the sound is amplified by the spirits being forced to make it’s upgraded bodysuit. _Now this is only temporary as it'll all slip off of you when you revert back to your regular body and as such, be a regular werewolf when you transform again, but it’s still nice to see how much more destructive I can make you my sweet~ Even if temporary~_

 

“Was this supposed to happen…”

 

“No...this was probably a 0.00000000000000001 percent chance of actually happening...and it did happen...so...this is...new.” Harper groups back up with the other five “Still don't matter! So you turned the styx into your personal armor! Big whoop! We'll still kick your ass!” The monster disappears and reappears behind them and swats them all away in different directions before they can even react. They're all sent to the far corners of the area away from one another. A problem that's nonexistent to Harper and Silphy who could fly, but the rest were stranded on their own mini island, unable to float anymore due to having their bodies become more solid. It then looks at Rammy as he snorts hot air into her face.

 

“Haha...I'm in trouble aren't I…” it releases a growl that sounds like ‘uh huh’ straight at her “Ohohoho...uh...LATER!” She tries to run but it quickly flies back in front of her again “So those armor wings aren't just for show...good to know…”

 

 **_“EYAAAAAAARGGHHHH!”_ **  he opens his jaw and attempts to bite her head off.

 

“HEY! CAN IT WHY DON’T YA?!” Silphy yanks her halo off and hurls it at the werewolf. It expands around his mouth and shrinks back down, clamping his maw shut “Much!...B-Better…” the angel drops to the ground, her body turning pale and her blond hair black and her eyes gray “Oooooh...hollow victory…”

 

“The heck happened to you??” Rammy runs up to the downed angel.

 

“If she’s separated from her halo, her body kinda shuts down on her. She sorta needs it or else she’s a sickly mess!” Harper says as she lands next to them “Get her away from here. I’ll handle tall dark and pointy…”

 

“Yes sir!...” She picks up the lowly angel and runs off. As this happens, monster Parappa yanks off the halo and tosses it to away to which a sickly yet loud ‘Aw maaaan’ is heard.

 

“You know...we may be unbeatable together...but that doesn’t mean we’re useless on our own...especially on a one versus one…” She and the beast fly up and into each other.

 

“Shit man, this thing is just making everything worse by the passing minute…”

 

“I can...help...if yaaa...get ma...haloooooooo…”

 

“I don’t even know where he kicked it away to!”

 

“Poke...my...nose…”

 

“Why??...”

 

“Just...do it…” The ewe does as told and suddenly she hears what sounds like a car alarm “It’s over there…”

 

“Da fuck?? How-”

 

“Angels...all have that...built in...in case they...lose their...halos somehow…”

 

“Man...and I thought people in hell were weird...but the people up there are even weirder!”

 

“Just...get my...halo back…”

 

“ON IT!” Rammy stops on a dime and turns towards where the car alarm is coming from. Meanwhile Harper fights with the monster only to progressively get batted around in the air like she did to it prior.

 

“THIS. REALLY. SUCKS. RIGHT. NOW. THE. KARMA. ISN’T. LOST. ON. MEEEEEEEEEE.” she spiked into the ground “Ow...urgh...son of aaaaaaaaaAAAAAAHHHH” She’s lifted into the air by the beast “PUT ME DOWN YOU STUPID-” The beast embeds her into the ground head first. Only her legs are sticking out of the ground. They twitch abit before flopping over flimsily. Harper was seemingly out for the count.

 

“HEY?!?! YOU BITCH! YOU CAN’T JUST DO THAT TO HER!” Wuki uses her staff to pole vault herself into the air. She rips out more hair and fur and creates more clones as stepping stones the rest of the way to land “SORRY OTHER ME’S! I NEED TO GET OVER THERE QUICK!”

 

_IT’S TOTES OK!_

 

_FOR THE GREATER GOOD!_

 

_I DIDN’T CONSENT TO THIS!_

 

_KICK HIS ASS ME!_

 

_ATLEAST ONE OF US CAN MAKE IT BACK TO LAND!_

 

_I’LL BE BACK!_

 

_THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST CREATIVE WAY YOU EVER USED US!_

 

_BLBLBLLBBLLLLBBLLLL!_

 

Wuki stomps back onto land as her clones all pop in the liquid “NOW YOU GOTTA DEAL WITH ME BUDDY!” She yanks out even more fur to create stepping stone clones for the other stranded girls. She then dives at the werewolf “TAKE THIS!” She tries to punch him, but he grabs her fist instead and holds her up to his face “YOU WEREN’T SUPPOSED TO ACTUALLY TAKE IT!...” She’s then slammed onto the ground six times before being spun in the air.

 

“LET HER GO!” Natasha launches herself into a flying kick, but the monster tosses Wuki at her and they both crash painfully into the ground, koing the two of them.

 

“YOU’LL PAY FOR THAT!” Gwenoyne jabs with her tail rapidly, but the wolf effortlessly dodges, then flies off once she tires herself out. He then slams into her and carries her along the air. He then nears the ground and drags her along it roughly. After it appears that she’s unconscious, he tosses her towards the water. Mocha quickly catches her before she falls into the water and places her back onto land.

 

“Grr...we’re getting spanked...and not in the good and fun way…well...you’re certainly tougher...but I ain’t one to go down easily!...” As Mocha readies her stance, Rammy finds the halo.

 

“FOUND IT!”

 

“Put it...on my...heeeeaaaad…” Rammy does so instantly and the angel springs back to life “THAT’S BETTER! I’M OFF!” She flies off. She grabs Harper’s legs and yanks her out of the ground where she flips onto her back “WAKE UP BITCH, WE’RE GETTING OUR ASSES COLLECTIVELY KICKED ONE BY ONE!”

 

“Muaaaah…” Harper opens her eyes and rubs her head “Huh?...OH SHIT!” She jumps back into the air and flies off with Silphy. Mocha is seen clashing with punch after punch against the beast, but she is getting knocked back each connecting clash. The two flying Queens catch up to them “HEY WOLFY!” It turns to face them.

 

“STEP OFFFF!” Harper fires off her venom laser from her eyes and Silphy her light beam from her hands. The wolf blocks it and is immediately forced to slide on the ground from the impact. Mocha notices the monster getting pushed to her so she ducks down to trip the beast once it gets to her.

 

 **_“ERGH!...”_ ** it flops onto his back to which Harper lands ontop of him.

 

“SLEEP PARALYSIS!~” she locks her eyes with his. They vibrate in yellow and purple spirals, and they make his eyes match the color as he’s unable to move “GOT HIM!” She flies back in the air where Silphy meets her and Mocha flips into along with them “THIS WOULD BE BETTER AND MORE EFFECTIVE WITH ALL SIX OF US BUT-”

 

 **“ROYAL FINISH!”** All three of the girls boom drop the werewolf and shatter the armor made from the styx, just barely protecting his ribs. It works however as the wolf stops moving.

 

“HAHA! Guess we didn’t need all six of us after all!” They all cheer while atop the wolf, and immediately he stops his facade as he squishes the three of them within his hands. Once he pulls his hands apart, he swats them all away. And just like that, the six of them are all dealt with. Rammy is now the only one left.

 

“H-Hehehe...this is...getting progressively bad…” It flies off and lands before Rammy. She tries punching it, but it proves futile as it doesn't even make him flinch. She sighs in anger and defeat “Dammit...I’m sorry Parappa...guess I fucked up…”

 

The beast rears its arms back, but stops mid swing. _Save the flashiness for another day my pet. You’re out of time. Only five minutes till the sun takes over, but whatever you do, don’t-_ The beast instead swats Rammy straight towards the styx. _Panic...oh well. What a suitable finish~_ The wolf runs off to the hole it fell down. The ewe flies the other direction, waking up the trio that were last to be knocked out. They watch her fall into the black water while also watching the werewolf make a break for it.

 

“RAMMY!” Harper dives into the water after her.

 

“H-HEY HARPER!” Mocha tries to jump into the water after her, but Silphy stops her.

 

“SHE’LL BE FINE! THE SPIRITS CAN’T TOUCH HER! WE HOWEVER, GOT A WOLF TO TAIL!” They both rush after the werewolf, turning into pure spirits once they get to far away from the water. Harper in the meanwhile dives past all the grabby hands as she tries to find the sheep within it all. She eventually spots her nearly out of breath as she’s completely coated in the dark spirits dragging her down.

 

“HOLD...ON!...” Harper grabs her and struggles to pull her out of their grasp. She finally manages to break away and zooms out of the water with her. While all this happens, Mocha and Silphy float after the wolf whose trail they lost.

 

“Where the fuck is it?”

 

“Gee how about you follow the large footprints in the ground!”

 

“WHAT FOOT- oh…” Mocha rolls her eyes at the angel’s lack of perception. They follow the path but are still to far off. The wolf makes it to where he was dropped from and leaps upwards. He uses his false makeshift wings to fly the rest of the way, but the sun peeks through, showing that the moon was now gone. As the sunlights glimmer shines on him, the remaining sludge is melted off along with his form entirely as he explodes back into the unconscious Parappa. He flops about in the air and begins falling back down. The motion gets him to wake up in alarm.

 

“W-WHAT?! W-WHY AM I FALLING TO HEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLL!”

 

“DAMMIT! WE LOST HIM! THE TRAIL JUST STOPS HERE!...”

 

“Hey look Mocha! A hole! Wait...DID IT ESCAPE?!”

 

“Do we go after?? We’re still just spirits now!...hey do you hear that…” both girls look up to spot the falling Parappa as he flails endlessly.

 

“HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!...”

 

“Catch him CATCH HIM _CATCH HIM_ **_CATCH HIM!_ ** ” they both spin around to create a small gust that catches him before he painfully lands into the ground. He still flops onto his face however.

 

“Ow...thanks for the save...as botched as it was…”

 

“You’re welcome! Also why the hell did you divebomb down a hell entrance again?! Didn’t those idiots teach you how to properly jump down these things?!” Mocha yells at the dog.

 

“I WOKE UP FALLING!...ALSO WHY IS MY OUTFIT DESTROYED AGAIN??...Aw don’t tell me... did I run into the wolf again…”

 

“Well he just escaped us...looks like he found you as he made it out and just beat you up and threw you down here to avoid the hassle...guess Rammy never closed the entrance she made.” Silphy looks at the hole “The sun is out though, so it’s safe to say the fucker got away.”  


“UGH AGAIN?!...Dammit...And this time it just treated me like trash...wait...Rammy made this hole?...Rammy’s down here??”

 

“...OH SHIT! RIGHT! SHE IS AND SHE’S KINDA IN A BAD SPOT!” the angel yells.

 

“WHAT?!”

 

“LESS PANIC, MORE ACTION!” Mocha grabs the boy and drags him along with them as they float towards the River Styx. They reach it and both Mocha and Parappa flop on the spot due to Mocha becoming solid again. The stand up and spot Harper bursting out of the water with the ram in her hands.

 

“INCOMING!” Harper lands back to safety with the not so lucky ewe. The black slimy water was wrapped onto her tightly and refused to let go. She kicks about trying to shake it off, but no luck.

 

“RAMMY!” Parappa runs to the ram only for Harper to stop him with her tail.

 

“EY EY EY! With all this stuff on her, you ain't able to touch her. If you do, that stuff latches onto YOU instead!”

 

“BETTER ME THAN HER!”

 

“YOU'RE AN IDIOT! IT'D EAT YOU ALIVE!” she looks to Rammy “I'll get it off. The little shits can't latch onto me.” Harper starts yanking the goop away. It stretches like taffy and refuses to let go of the ram “GET...OFF YOU...STUPID...SOULS!” Harper is suddenly zapped and tossed away “FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-”

 

*CRAAAAAAASH*

 

“Ck...ow…”

 

“Welp...Rammy’s doomed…” the two remaining girls say.

 

“CAN'T YOU TWO DO ANYTHING??”

 

“We don't have the immunity she does! They'd dissolve us in a snap!”

 

“Silphy’s right. Plus the sludge is latched onto her too tightly now. Trying to yank em off would hurt her severely. She'd have to shake em off herself, but I don't think that's an option given how drained she was...hey where'd she go??” Mocha’s words get the trio to look around. They spot Rammy walking up and reclining against a wall. They go to her post haste.

 

“Sup...h-hahaha…”

 

“Hey, they can't eat her!...so what are they doing to her??” Mocha looks at the shivering ewe.

 

“It looks like they're trying to usurp her brain and take control of her body! It they can't eliminate her, the next best jealous thing to do is take the body so they can finally have one again! Oooooooh that ain't good…”

 

“Ya think??”

 

“H-HEY! LET GO OF MY FRIEND!...YOU CAN'T JUST TAKE HER BODY!...”

 

“Don't think yelling at them will make them stop…” both girls say.

 

“H-Haaa...sorry Paraps...I fucked...up so...badly...in more ways than...one tonight…how'd you get here...anyway?...”

 

“The thing escaped Hell and threw me down here apparently… and don't apologize! You clearly kept it at bay throughout the entire duration!...”

 

“We...did?...well that's...nice to hear~... One favor…”

 

“What is it??...”

 

“Throw my body...back in the water...so these fucks...can't use my body...please…”

 

“N-NO!...” Parappa tries to reach out and rip the souls off, but the two girls grab him by the arms and hold him out “I R-REFUSE!”

 

“Dude, we've exhausted our options!”

 

“Yeah! And as an angel, I'd go with granting her last wish so she ain't miserable!”

 

“BUT IT'S NOT HER END!...” Parappa tries to break free, but the two are much stronger than him. He still refuses to do that and remembers what Leonora told him previously.

 

_“It frees the person as well should they become possessed. You implant your free will into their tainted one and liberate them, but it won't affect everyone. As the tainted will could affect YOU instead.”_

 

Parappa stays silent “Finally came to terms with this?...” Parappa ignores them both. He made his decision.

 

 **“CONNECT YOUR HEART...WITH** **_MIIIIIIINE!_ ** **”** Parappa’s energy heart appears and launches another beam that breaks through abit of the slime and strikes her heart.

 

“DA HELL IS THIS??” Mocha freaks out as she sees the beam tethering them together.

 

“Well this is something extraordinary…” the angel looks at what's happening in bewilderment.

 

Inside Rammy’s head, a yellow wispy version of Parappa pierces through the endless darkness formed by the Styx. He blasts through them all until he finds the wispy Rammy he had seen months ago, being pulled away by countless evil spirits. He pushes through to try and reach her. “GET...OFFA HER!...” His electricity runs wild, fending them all off “URAAAAA!...” he grabs her wrist and immediately all the spirits flock to him. They wrap around him and begin polluting his body “NGAH...COME ONE...JUST LET...GO OF HER…AS LONG AS...I FREE HER…” the surge of spirits trying to take control of him hurts immensely, but he perseveres as best he can. His grip starts to slip yet his will keeps him going. Once he sees her wispy body and the area of her mind completely clean, his grip loses the strength and let's go “G-Got you…~...” His body is pull away from hers. The Rammy opens her eyes to spot Parappa being pulled away. She looks to herself to see everything completely ripped away from her. She puts two and two together and immediately, with eyes wide, extends her hand to meet his.

 

“AND I GOT YOU!...” their hands, as if on instinct, lock together tightly. They don't want to let go, they want to hold on and keep the other safe.

 

“...But...Rammy…”

 

“No butts...cept the ones of these dead dudes who we gotta evict...they ain't taking me...and they sure as fuck ain't taking you!”

 

“...A sentiment...I wholeheartedly agree with!...” Parappa's wispy form solidifies as does hers. His energy heart appears on this body as light wraps around their conjoined hand. They both yell with vigor as Parappa’s body starts ejecting endless volts of electricity. The light it creates starts purging the spirits on his body, but the rest aren't so easily dispatched “I CAN'T GET THEM ALL BY MYSELF…!”

 

“GOOD THING YOU AIN'T BY YOURSELF!” Rammy forces her body to eject they souls in her head, but they refuse to budge “GET...LOST!” her mind starts to rumble as the spirits rush about for safety “THAT AIN'T GONNA HELP! YOU MADE THE BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MESSING WITH ME!” a violet energy heart slowly starts appearing “AND THEN YOU DECIDED TO MESS WITH MY BEST BUDDY...WE AIN'T IN THE MOOD FOR YOUR SHIT!” her body grows wings and her teeth turn to fangs. Her tail grows back to full length with a slight demon like appearance “WE HAVE A MONSTER TO DEAL WITH! YOU DEADBEAT FUCKERS AREN'T EVEN GONNA TRY AND BECOME A SIDE PROBLEM!” Parappa stares at his friend in awe. Her metamorphosis astounding him as her horns grow even longer and her hair wilder “I DON'T WANT YOU HERE… **WE** DON’T WANT YOU HERE! AIN'T THAT RIGHT PARAPS??”

 

“...YOU'RE GODDAMNED RIGHT!”

 

“THEN LET'S ERASE THESE FOOLS! ONE LAST PUSH!” Both yell as loud as they can as yellow and purple lightning whip off their body and exterminate every single last spirit as the confines of Rammy’s mind fades to white.

 

Back outside the field of consciousness, the two girls watch their bodies, confused by the fickle slime.

 

“What the fuck is going on…”

 

“Not like I have a better understanding Mocha…”

 

The spirits attached to Rammy and Parappa all yell as they disintegrate on the spot. The entirety of the River Styx rumbles as all the spirits rise out of the water and yell before exploding. Every single one of them erased.

 

“TALK ABOUT YOUR EXORCISMS! HOLY SHIT!...” the angel states, utterly stupefied.

 

Everything that was slime turns into regular water as it all becomes a red color. It doesn’t mean the water stays calm however as it erupts and swarms around Rammy while the tethering beam that connected both their hearts snaps, waking them both back up.

 

“H-Haha...I did it…”

 

“What exactly did you DO man??”

 

“Something way amazing~...” The water surges around Rammy as it goes from red to violet. Soon purple light rays peak out, creating ‘cracks’ that make it look like a cocoon bursting open. When it pops, Rammy is seen in the new form that she was in while in the subconscious zone. She floats gently in front of the trio. Her hair flows around as her wings flutter on their own. She exhales slowly as her fangs poke out. Both the angel and the dog let go of the boy and stand in a straight line as if being told to by a drill instructor. Rammy’s appearance seems to remind them of Harper “Maaaaan was that a nice stretch~...” Parappa stares at his friend while the two girls struggle to get their brains to function.

 

“Well...I think I can see why they couldn’t eat her…” Silphy studies the new Rammy.

 

“I don’t! Why does she look like this!” Mocha flails her entire body around at the angel.

 

“Simple...she absorbed the styx...like the werewolf did!...only thing is Harper’s genetic makeup was with them since she was in the water WITH her…So not only did that stop her body from being eaten...it also...mutated?...Evolved?...Enhanced?...SOMETHING! IT DID _SOMETHING_ to her...and now...we’ll...we have a new and improved Ram!...Demon...girl...ooooooh baby is this something else...”

 

“Think...She noticed the changes?” the dog girl scratches her head.

 

“What the fuck happened to me?!?!...”

 

“I think she caught on…” Both girls whistle as the back away, unable to help out in this specific situations. When Parappa turns to them, the both hold up their hands.

 

“Sorry! Fighting’s our forte, not helping with situations like this!...” They run off to help the four downed girls. He scoffs as he turns back to his transformed friend.

 

“Easy there Rammy. It’s just something you achieved on your own to shake off those spirits!”

 

“...Mmm. That ain’t right.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“It wasn’t just me. YOU helped me. I don’t know what you did...but whatever that was...it saved me from that mess...heh...this...feels weird…” She closes her hands. Her fingers had become claws and they poke her palm unexpectedly “But...my exhaustions gone...that wolf had left me more winded than a deflated bagpipe...and yet...I don’t feel it…I feel light...and at the same time...heavy.” she opens her palms and holds her hands out “It’s confusing me to no en-” from her hands, fly out a purple laser that skates across the new Styx “HOLY SHIT!...” she flutters back abit “...That explains the heavy part...neat~” She holds her hands together “Guess I’ll be ready for that werewolf jackass next time! I gots me quite a boost!...Haha~ Wonder what else I can do!”

 

“I mean...flight seems obvious~”

 

“Flight?” She tilts her head back and sees her wings “WHOA!...WHERE’D THESE COME FROM??” she quickly composes herself “Heh...I owe you alot don’t I?...This is like...the day of that nerd gathering...you just pickin me back up...course...you didn’t whoop my ass in a guitar off this time!” She lands onto the ground, but wobbles almost immediately.

 

“E-Easy!...” Parappa grabs her and holds her steady.

 

“Whew...this is...gonna take alot to get used to~...Soooo lightweight...also...how am I gonna sleep now?...I have wings! I think that’ll get in the way…”

 

“Think you can turn this stuff...off?”

 

“I don’t know…” she flicks her tail about “Is it even a possibility?...”

 

“Doesn’t hurt to try something…”

 

“...Yeah...but uh...wanna do it someplace not so...grim?”

 

“Right!...um...let’s help them help the other girls!...”

 

* * *

 

“This is fuckin strange...she’s like lookin in a sheepy mirror…” Harper floats around Rammy “Wicked~ What can you do?~ Stuff I can?~”

 

“I don’t fucking know!...”

 

“Hmm...Silphy, Natasha. Analysis?”

 

“I ain’t got shit on this. What happened to her is purely unexplainable such as with the werewolf making that same water into armor.” Silphy tugs at her halo.

 

“Same here. It’s all illogical, and yet there she is...I don’t think she’s a complete mirror image. She might have her own unique stuff to do, but she’ll still have somethings based off of you.”

 

“But do any of you girls know how to turn this off??”

 

“Turn it off? I LIVE like this!”

 

“You were BORN like this!...I wasn’t!”

 

“How’s that my fault??”

 

“It’s YOUR genetics that mutated me!”

 

“Yeah but I didn’t cause that! He did!” Harper points to Parappa with her own tail.

 

“I-...erm...I mean...she ain't wrong...” Parappa bites his thumb “Sorry about...transforming ya into this!...”

 

Rammy thinks it over “Well...if this is my life now...it ain’t so bad. Harper here kicked that beast’s ass like nothing before he cheated and started turning shit around. To think I can be like that is a marvel!”

 

“Hell, you might be stronger than me. For starters you’re physically more bulky than I am, and now you got what I got alongside that!” _Granted I’m restraining my full capabilities, but let me not burst your bubble. For all I know you might get even stronger than THAT!_ “Plus you don’t need to rely on five other people who share the same dying brain cell as you.”

 

“That’s true.” Rammy takes that to heart as her tongue pokes out from all the thinking.

 

“HEY!” the five other girls shout.

 

“All in all...I’m still sorry for forcing you to adapt to this new way of livin Rammy…”

 

“Aw it ain’t no biggie! For all we know, maybe I can turn it off. And if I can, I’ll figure it out eventually! For all I know, it could be as simple as a flick of the wrist!” Rammy flicks her wrist and snaps as she laughs and crosses her arms. She eases up completely and suddenly she poofs back into her regular old ex hell shadow self “...huh...that was...anticlimactic…”

 

“Lookie that! Guess you just gotta...uh...how to word it…”

 

“Power down?” The Queens all answer for the boy.

 

“Yeah what they said! Do something akin to that!”

 

“But how do I turn it back on??”

 

“I’m sure that part will be even easier! Just think of powering up and regain the feeling you felt in your upgraded form!”

 

“Alright...let’s see here…” Rammy closes her eyes and starts focusing. The seven of her spectators just watch her calmly try to regain the form. Rammy hops around from thought to thought and suddenly “THERE!” a purple flash erupts from her as she’s back in her demon form “HAHA! HERE WE GO!” she flexes her fingers “Off!” She reverts back “On!” She transforms again “Off! On! Off! On! Off! O-...Dizzzzzzzzzyyyyyyyyyyyyy…….” the ram stays in her new form as she spins about.

 

“E-Easy! Don’t just do that!...You’re probably putting strain on your body for just blipping your powers on and off like that!...” Parappa catches the stumbling ram.

 

“My b~...ooooohhhhh baby my head feels funky~...”

 

“Yeah I bet it does...Alright...let’s get you back to the surface.” He holds Rammy up against his arm “Thanks for helping my friend out...and sorry for the whole werewolf ordeal…”

 

“Cool it Rappa. This was the most fun we’ve had in five years...even if we did get slapped silly! Made us feel like part of the action again! Ain’t that right girls?” They all say ‘RIGHT!’ “See? We lost the pain the second we left the area anyway now that we're not as solid anymore. If a problem like this happens again, or this very same problem bugs ya. Pop back into Hell again! We’ll give ya varying results!”

 

“I have no way to respond to that!~” Parappa says aloofly with a smile on his face.

 

“No one ever does!~” They also reply aloofly back. They all travel to the entrance Rammy made and spiral around the two.

 

“Since you're currently holding onto a stoned mess. Let’s help you out here!” A gust carries the two and carries them all the way back to the surface. The entrance closes once they’re out. Parappa begins walking home with her moving as best she can.

 

“Hey Rammy?”

 

“What iiiiiiiiiiiis it myyyyyyyyy g?~...”

 

“Thanks for protecting our town…”

 

“...Thaaaaank you for saaaaviiiiing me...after I fuuuuucked up by getting iiiiin waaaay over my head…~” she hugs the boy from behind “Lemme flyyyyy us hooooome~...” she lifts him off the ground.

 

“U-Uh...R-Rammy...you JUST got wings!...”

 

“Relaaaaaaax g~... I goooooot thiiiiiiis~...” they soar up high into the air and she darts off towards their place at ludicrous speeds “WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE~...” is all she says as Parappa screams from within her grasp.

 

* * *

 

“We really should prevent you from going out at night if all you're gonna wanna do is fight that stupid thing…”

 

“But Katy!...I can handle it!”

 

“It literally shredded you up again and threw you down the Hell entrance in the span of five seconds apparently! Handling it is something I can't trust you with… Rammy had more progress than you and she almost DIED from it! Same with Raparra!”

 

“Yeah but Rammy didn’t die, she prevented more destruction by trapping it in Hell AND came out of it STRONGER!...” they both turn to devil girl Rammy who just flutters in front of Lammy and Ma-san, chatting about her night. Ma-san seemingly looks abit bigger, confusing the dog, but he ignores it.

 

(“Won't those wings get in the way of stuff?”)

 

“Well yeah, ya’d think! But naw, I barely know they're here! I can turn it off either way.”

 

(“Barely know they're here?? I call bullshit, they take up a good chunk of your back!”) Ma-san yanks on one of the wings.

 

“EEEEP!...M-MAR!...LET GO OF IT!...”

 

(“See? They're sensitive as hell!”) she keeps tugging on it, prompting Rammy to power down.

 

“Don't...d-do that...again…”

 

(“No promises. It was surprisingly nice to hold onto. Soft to the touch.”)

 

“Guess I shouldn't transform while around you…”

 

“I-Is it really that soft?...” Lammy asks.

 

“Oooooh no! You ain't tugging on my bits either!”

 

(“Very! It's like holding super soft silk that just makes your hand feel real nice~”)

 

“DON'T ENCOURAGE HER!”

 

“Gosh...s-sounds great!”

 

“THAT’S IT! I'M OUT!” Rammy zooms into her room and slams the door shut.

 

“A-Aww…”

 

(“Eh, don't fret Lambs. You're probably the first person she'd let! You'd be way more gentle than I was and she knows it! Haha!”)

 

“You think?”

 

(“Course I do! Plus I was purposely doing it as hard as I could to bug her!”)

 

“M-Ma-san!...”

 

(“Hey I gotta find SOMEONE to tease now that Katy won’t let me!”) the lamb groans as the mouse laughs.

 

Parappa and Katy look back to each other.

 

“Sure is some strength she has, running away like a wimp…”

 

“Eheh...results may vary…”

 

* * *

 

_The third full night…_

 

Parappa is seen quietly sneaking out of his house as to not wake his roommates “Stealth mode...woosh!” he runs off down the street. Not long after, the other room doors open and the four girls all pop out.

 

“Alright ladies! Operation: Stop and give Parappa some help before something stupid happens again is a go!”

 

(“It also needs a shorter name.”) the two ewes agree with Ma-san.

 

“Fine! Operation: Stop the doofus is a go!” they all nod “THEN LET'S GO!” the four of them all rush down the street after him, but Katy soon speaks up again “Split up girls! If you find Parappa or the werewolf, quickly call for the others!”

 

“RIGHT!” they all head off in their own direction. Out from behind the spot they were just at pop out Hayden’s younger siblings.

 

“Alright guys! Let's grab as much footage as we can! If we spot the jerk who's the werewolf at night, then the town can lock him up!” All the kids shout gleefully as the run off in a group.

 

Everyone has no luck in finding who they're searching for, until Rammy catches up to the sleuthing Parappa. The kids also end up finding them, but they stay out if sight. Rammy taps the dog on the shoulder, freaking him out.

 

“RAMMY?! WHY ARE YOU-”

 

“Shhh…” she covers his mouth with her finger “I was told to call the others if and when I found you...but I don't wanna do that. Let me help you find this jerk.” she let's go of his face.

 

“But-”

 

“I wanna chat with you privately to.”

 

“...Aight...let's walk and talk.” the duo walk around the cloudy night streets, in the false peacefulness “So...what’s-”

 

“I'm...sorry about the wingwoman thing…”

 

“That all? It's cool Ura. I was just sensitive is all. I'm happy you're trying to help me in your own…’special’ way. It's just that-”

 

“No...it's erm…” she circles her neck, causing small pops to be heard “This is...ridiculously selfish and stupid of me…”

 

“What is-”

 

“I love you.” Both adults stop in their walk. All the children secretly following them, tumble on the spot. _Sorry Lammy...I know what I promised and the things I said...but...I just can't anymore._

 

“I uh...I'm flattered...but-”

 

“I know I knoooow...the future is different...but honestly...no offense to Leo…” she looks to the cloudy sky _“Fuck the future, man…”_ Parappa turns to look at her. Disbelief on his face “Don't...don't look at me like that. I didn't exactly want this either…” she looks to the side, her reflection from the store glass just reflects her own spite on herself “At first...with the future Leo told me about...I was content with a life like that…” her tiny tail wags “But...then things went different...the day Raparra first met you...the day Kitty came to warn us...the day of the fight and rescue...and all of the in between...all day earlier today…” she grips her chest “My heart’s been with yours…” she looks to him “So why ask to connect what was already together?...”

 

“...” Parappa recalls the words he spoke when trying to save her. As well as the fact that she also saved him back, and together they purged everything away “Guess I was a lil ignorant. Thought I was losing you.”

 

“...Can't...can't get rid of me that easily…”

 

“I'd never try to.” he turns around “All of what I did...I hope I didn't lead you on with it…”

 

“You didn't...the future would prefer it to be that way anyway…”

 

“Yeah...but what about you?”

 

“Leo should be your priority-” he turns back to her.

 

"You're _all_ my priority. And you always will be.”

 

“...That right there...that's why this is happening to me…”

 

“...I'm sorry...for being a terrible friend…”

 

“Stupid...I should be the one saying that…” They look at each other as the star illuminate over them “I'm sorry for dropping this on you Paraps…”

 

“it's all fine. I don't hate you or anything. I just hope you don't-”

 

“I don't...and...I won't stop...with my heart that is...Each chance...each moment...whatever it is that I get...it's a chance I'm gonna take…”

 

“...” Parappa gives her a smile “I ain't gonna stop ya. Just know-”

 

“Yeah...I'm already prepared. I'll be rooting for the one you end up with when it inevitable ends up not me. I'm...just happy you're letting me try…”

 

“Why would I stop you? When you first arrived...my mission was to always keep you happy. And as your best friend...I'm always gonna do my best to keep that no matter what it is that I gotta do.”

 

“Thanks man…~”

 

“Anytime~” the stand aside from each other just centimeters away. During this, the bunnies try to stand back up, but knock over a trash can that launches it's lid away. The noise it makes freaks the two adults our “The werewolf!”

 

“Which way was that noise??”

 

“I don't know...let's split up and look for it!”

 

“Yeah let's- hoooooooooooooooold uuuuuuuuuuuup! Uh-uh. No way. Nope. Gonna be a no from me buddy. I ain't letting you go at this alone. I'm stronger now Parappa! I can help!”

 

“I get that Rammy, but if we both go together, we can't cover as much ground!”

 

“Grr...alright...but if you see that thing. You better call for me!”

 

“I will! But the same apply you alright?”

 

“Don't worry! I will to!” Both look at each other happily, but behind their backs they hold their fingers crossed. They nod and run off in opposite directions. The bunnies finally manage to get back upright.

 

“H-Hey! Where'd boss and his girlfriend go!...” they all look about, but find nothing.

 

“Ummm...let's try thataway!...” they all run after the path that Rammy took.

 

As this all goes on, Lammy secretly goes off to the hospital rather than loom for the werewolf or Parappa herself. She goes up to Raparra’s room to check his condition. She is immediately alarmed by what she sees. He is now as tall as Parappa.

 

“W-Whoa…”

 

“Oh hey. Yeah...shocked me to.”

 

“I mean...if Parappa grew...I guess it'd make sense for you to grow also…”

 

“I ain't happy about it! My random growth spurt opened up my wound! Now I gotta stay here abit longer!...It also made these medical fucks worry over what the hell is happening to me...but I feel fine...only annoyed that I gotta stay longer…”

 

“But atleast it's to help y-you out better!...”

 

“I ain't with it...to bothersome...ignoring that...why you back here? Little late to be visiting ain't ya?”

 

“Well I wanted to see how your recovery was doing since I forgot to come by earlier. That and...what else do you know about wereeolves?...”

 

“Oh is that it eh?” He reclines on his bed “Not that much...just what I remember an old friend telling me about em...alright so...they die to silver apparently...they can infect people and turn them into more were-...whatevers if they...bite you I think it was? And despite the popular belief. The moon can't just transform them outright. It's the shine, and they gotta look at it with their eyes. But say they have a visor or sunglasses. If the shine is cut off, they can look at the moon all they like and not transform. So a wereperson can trick people to believe they aren't infected. Or if a person hates transforming, they can do that to avoid rampaging...if they’re even aware they’re a wereperson!”

 

“Very informative!...B-But I was hoping for more…’alternatives’ to beating it aside from silver...the thing destroyed every bit of silver in town…”

 

“Did it now? Well tough luck...your only other option is to beat it down by force...and seeing as our friend is a guy who gets consistently stronger...that ain't gonna be easy...well actually...there's another method.” He rubs his head “What was it…I think it was some plant...but good lucky finding it here...not unless you know someone who can conjure up plants. The thing is said to be a very uncommon plant, almost extinct even!” A light bulb appears over him “That’s right! Wolfsbane! Despite the name, it’s used to severely harm any sort of a carnivorous creature...so I wouldn’t recommend it cuz you might burn yourselves in the process!”

 

“I’m a sheep!”

 

“I have yet to see you eat grass. In fact, last visit you ate the burger they brought me.”

 

“Y-You offered it to me!...”

 

“I did. That ain’t the point. Do you catch my drift?”

 

“Yeah...so basically it’d hurt all of us...darnit...I was gonna ask Poppy for help…” She sighs as she slumps to the floor. As she does, Parappa’s eyes catch a glimpse of the moon and they stay locked on “I really hope that thing doesn’t appear again.

 

Raparra sits back up right “Who knows.” Parappa falls limp onto the ground again “The things reasons for being her are so obscure…” Parappa fades away and out reappears the werewolf like he did the first night of his arrival “I know it has something to do with my double...but the reason is missing…” He pulls out his visor from his pocket “I don’t like wearing this thing, but I also hate short hair, and this sorta makes me forget I have short hair now!” As he puts it on, they both hear the werewolf howl “...It’s far away this time...but where could it be…”

 

“I-I gotta go!”

 

“Good luck Lammy.”

 

“I’m gonna need alot more than luck…” She runs off, leaving the hell dog to stare out the window.

 

“Just what is it that you want with Parappa you wolf freak…”

 

Rammy is the closest to hearing the wolf reappear and heads off to the sound. She quickly finds him as he slashes the cars in the nearby area to pieces “HEY!” The beast stops and turns to face Rammy “Remember me?” It exhales aggressively “Yeeeeeah ya do~” It roars “Aw shut up...We had you on the ropes till you got that upgrade of yours...but it looks like it was only temporary...now you’re back to your regular old ugly ass self. This is perfect! And ya know why?” Rammy yells as she returns back into her new form. The children all coo with amazement as they stare at the enhanced ram “My new shape ain’t temporary like yours...and I got you to thank for pushing me into that water...it hurt...alot...but words won’t do it justice...LET ME SHOW YOU HOW THANKFUL I AM FROM A DEMONSTRATION!” The wolf dives at her, but she slams into its torso and carries it off.

 

The two are lost in the sky as the ram pulverises the monster with ease. _Blasted...this one’s gotten much stronger...and there’s no way for me to aid you this time...Don’t just take it! Do your best to fight back! You’ve come up victorious twice in a row! Don’t let some miserable wench take you out!_

 

They crash to the ground and Rammy immediately flies off towards it “ONCE!” She knees it in the stomach “TWICE!” she rising kicks it up the jaw “OVER!” she front flips in the air to slam the heel of her foot on the top of its head, driving him face first into the ground. She floats out of its reach so it can’t retaliate and immediately fires to purple energy bolts from her hands that collide with its face “HOW’S ABOUT SOME MORE!” She fires off an endless amount of them that push the beast further and further back “I call that my black pepper volley~ Gotta come up with names for the new shit I can do! Can’t let Paraps have all the fun! LIIIIIKE THIS! FACE OFF!” She launches out a purple fireball from her hands that turns into a phantasmal goat skull. It bleats in a warped fashion as it bites the monster nine times in quick succession all over its body. The tenth bite is a painful chomp on its snout that soon follows up with the skull exploding, sending the werewolf into the air. It spins around and dives down to her as stiff and straight as a sarcophagus “BIG MISTAKE!” she locks eyes with it “SAW HARPER DO THIS, SLEEP PARALYSIS!” It stays stunned in the air as it drops like a brick before her, unable to move. She steps on its head and just chuckles “We’re gonna have a fun night you and I...I’ll make you regret coming to here…” She gets off it and slams her foot square in her face, sending it off into the distance. She immediately blasts off after it.

 

 _Tch...to think that my plan would shrivel up at the hands of ANOTHER annoying youth...run away! Run so that another day may pass! Your strength is still rising the more time you’re out and about my pet! After tonight and atleast one more night, your physique will greatly surpass hers! Don’t let them catch on to who you are!_ The beast steadies his flight and tries to land so it can flee, but Rammy smashes him back higher into the air.

 

“OH NO YOU DON’T!” She watches it fumble in the air and slams into its torso with her horns, stabbing straight through its tough hide “BRUTAL SHOCK!” Her horns zap the monster from within. After a bit, she shakes her head and launches the monster Parappa towards the ground and she floats slowly after it “You know...I gotta be honest with you. I’m making my moves up as I keep fighting with you! It’s just random chance that they’re actually turning out to be legit things I can do! Let alone moves that actually fit the names I give em! Marginally! Ain’t it fun?~ Well...for me atleast~ Sucks for you, but I could care less~”

 

 _BLASTED...COCKY LITTLE…_ The witch foams at the mouth as she watches the struggling monster from her cauldron.

 

Rammy passes the hours by smashing the werewolf about town from section to section. The children record the entire beatdown as she somehow ends up avoiding her three roommates all the while “How hard is it to find a werewolf! Or Parappa!...I’m also struggling to find Ma-san and Lammy...but if I call them they might get blindsided with that thing out and about...Gaaaaah...it’s almost morning to...The suns starting to rise...what a crummy night…”

 

The badly beaten wolf gets off the ground slowly as Rammy approaches it “Man you’re stubborn...just drop dead already…”

 

_At this point I care not if you get found out...I can’t have you dying...the ability of handing you over to my dear Bohemian is much to great a thing to lose...how can I shake off this bratty nuisance...hello...what’s this inside you...electricity?!...So that’s how you bested my monster...and it’s also why you reeked of that damn boy’s essence...let’s see if you can use now!_

 

As Rammy closes the distance, the monster holds itself on its hands. Soon after his eye’s break the red coloring as they turn back into the golden wolf eyes he had while fighting Raparrap, only now they were bloodshot. He opens his maw and fires out an electrical burst “HO-” She’s struck by the laser and sent flying “SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!” She vanishes off in the distance. The move takes what little stamina the wolf had and it drops back onto the ground.

 

 _Tch...are you kidding me?...worthless-...whatever...we can work on that another time. Atleast she’s been swiftly dealt-_ Rammy slams back down in front of the wolf. Her eyes glimmer in a purple light as she stares angrily at the downed beast _You have got to be kidding me...perhaps I picked the wrong person to make a monster…_

 

“That...Hurt…” She grabs it by the neck and lifts it up “You know...I was all cool with messing with ya cuz it didn’t seem like you could ever fight back…”

 

“Oh ooooh! She’s about to deliver the final blow!”

 

“But won’t that make our video evidence useless now?”

 

“Nonsense! Now we get to have an awesome hero vs monster battle on standby always!” The kids all silently cheer as they keep on recording everything.

 

“But no...you actually carry the ability to hurt me...severely even...with that one laser I almost went down for the count… I was gonna run out time just to see who you were so I could let the police handle ya...but the more I think about it...you’d just escape and see the moon again...and we’d be here again...only you’d be much stronger...and I wouldn’t be able to do what I did to you...granted it did take me the entire night to finally put you in this position...and you STILL did that to me... “ She tightens her grip on its neck “Leaving you alive...would be the worst fucking mistake I’d ever let myself do. You'd bug Parappa some more and were back at square fucking one...so now…”

 

“Here it comes!” as the kids say that, the sun peeks over all the buildings and shines down on the two.

 

“IT’S TIME TO END-” The light covers the werewolf’s body and the monstrous body fades away, leaving in her grasp a familiar face. She gasps on the spot, so do the hidden kids, as her demon form melts away and she starts panicking on the spot “No...nononononononono...no no...w-what have I...I-I didn’t...do you even?...No...you don’t…” she lets go of his neck and just holds onto the boy tightly “This...this isn’t happening...this isn’t real...that last attack hit me way more harder than I thought...h-haha...w-what am I gonna do...I-I gotta tell everyon-”

 

_VIDEO DELETED_

 

The automated voice scares the ram as she holds onto the unconscious boy much more tightly. She looks to where the sound came from and sees the small kids poke out from their hiding spot “W-We’re not gonna rat out our boss...p-please don’t do it either…”

 

Rammy just looks back to the dog she brutally injured, and is unable to come to an answer. The kids quickly hide as they hear three different sets of footsteps approaching “RAMMY!”

 

“U-URA!”

 

(“YO WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO THE TWO OF YOU??”)

 

Rammy doesn’t have the mental focus to juggle what they said. All that swarms her mind is what she did to Parappa this night and the night prior. All while he had no knowing of it whatsoever. Then what the kids said takes over “...I...I...found Parappa like this...I fought the werewolf for a bit then it ran off...I go after it and finally find Parappa...He’s...gonna be ok...and I think he ran the werewolf out…”

 

“Why didn’t you call us over when you found it?!”

 

She thinks up an excuse “You think I can call for help in the middle of trying to survive?!”

 

“Eep...fair point…” She looks at the dog “Hoo wee...it went all out on him…” Katy’s words hurt Rammy “But!...Atleast that monster won’t come back!...S-So he no longer needs to fight it!...”

 

“Right...c-come let’s get him home...can either of you guys call PJ, Matt or Paula and tell them that Parappa won’t be able to go to work today?...”

 

“O-Of course! I’ll do it Ura!”

 

(“Don’t think he’ll like the sound of that…”)

 

“H-He should’ve t-thought of that when he decided to take it on again!...Well...atleast he won…” They all head back home as the children sadly scuttle away to their own home, downtrodden after finding out who the monster’s identity was.

 

* * *

 

The day just blinks by as Rammy helps the slowly recovering Parappa “Ow...man...I keep getting out of it just barely ok...and I end up feeling alright the following day…as if it WANTS me to keep at it...”

 

 _Yeah...you’re shrugging it off thanks to being a werewolf…also healing faster than a regular person cuz of it_  “Yeah Paraps...it’s...a mystery alright…”

 

“But all it really just shows is that I gotta be extra diligent toni-” She backhands the boy across his face “O-OW!...I’M ALREADY IN PAIN!...”

 

“You’re...y-you’re not going back out there tonight…”

 

“BUT URA THE-”

 

“THE MONSTER’S GONE!...WE CHASED IT AWAY!...IT’S NOT GONNA BUG THE TOWN ANYMORE!...”

 

“HOW CAN YOU BE SU-”

 

 **“I JUST** **_AM!_ ** **”** She breathes heavily on the spot “I-I stayed conscious throughout...I saw the outcome...p-please Paraps…just...d-don’t go out at night anymore...please…”

 

“...” Parappa struggles to find a reply “You’re...really shaken up about this...what...happened?...”

 

“I can’t...I-I can’t tell you...p-please don’t make me…”

 

“...I won’t...let’s drop it then…” He hugs the crumbling ewe “And don’t worry...I won’t go out at night anymore… atleast not as long as there’s a full moon...as long as it means that you don’t stay like this...I don’t like seeing you all distraught over this…”

 

“You’re not l-lying are you?...”

 

“Don’t worry...I’m not. Although...I gotta come clean...I kinda had my fingers crossed when I told you I was gonna alert you over if I found the werewolf…”

 

“...that’s ok...I did the same thing…” they share a weak laugh as they just keep the hug. Katy returns home and watches the duo, but something immediately catches her eye. Parappa was alot fluffier and fuzzier than usual and it got her thinking. However, without much to go on, she plucks one of his hairs instead.

 

“O-OW! Katy what was that for?!...”

 

“S-Sorry sorry!...it was just…”

 

“Just what?? Punishment for me leaving to find that werewolf again??...”

 

“Eeeeeyes! That! What you just said! You are forgiven!” The dog rolls his eyes as he resumes calming down the black sheep. Katy quickly leaves the apartment as she runs outside and pulls out her phone. Hastily she calls Leo “Come on...pick up pick up!...”

 

_“Yoooo…”_

 

“LEO!...Wait...are you alright?...You sound sick…”

 

_“Yeah...had a bad night...I suffered another shock to my body…”_

 

“I think...I think I have a reason for that...look...can you come over? As fast as you can...I have something you gotta give to 16-bits to scan…”

 

_“Whyyyyyyyy…?”_

 

“Just do it...a-and give me his number while you’re at it so he can keep me up to date…”

 

_“This is very suspicious...what’s wrong?...”_

 

“Nothing!...Atleast...I hope nothing...please...just do this so that my worries can go away!...”

 

 _“Right...on my way…”_ The phone hangs up and she just paces back and forth on the spot.

 

Leo quickly puts on the jetpack jacket and runs out his room. On his way he bumps into Sunny “Sorry Poppyyyyyyyyyyyyyou got big!...” He stares at the flower girl who was now about as tall as him.

 

“Y-Yeah...me and Rayn both had quite the growth spurt...and we kinda wanted to ask you about that...if you could maybe ask 16 about it…because it's starting to freak us out…”

 

“...Yeah...I was just on my way to get something from Katy who also wanted me to visit him...I’ll tell him your request as well…”

 

“Thanks!...” she shakes his hands, greatly relieved. Leo the. carries on his way.

 

 _Alright...something’s wrong...something’s really REALLY wrong…_ Leo leaves the building and flies off. After picking up the strand of hair from Katy, he blasts off to 16-bits’ study to fulfill both requests. As this happens, nightfall approaches quickly, and Parappa is back in his original bed alongside Rammy. Their window shut and sealed.

 

“Well...without the werewolf bugging the town...I can finally catch some shut eye…”

 

“Yeah...how about that…” Rammy latches onto the dog. As if it not let him get out of the bed.

 

“...You’re a little more affectionate than usual...I thought you said you were against this sorta thing while trying to sleep?”

 

“Did you forget already…”

 

“Oh...um...I didn’t think it also affected this…”

 

“...Can it for a few nights?...”

 

“Ah...hmmm...weeeeeeeell...alright.” She grabs him much more tightly “What?? Don’t believe me?...I’m serious!...”

 

“Sorry...but given the past three nights...I’m in the right to not believe you…”

 

“Aw that’s not fai-” he turns around and spots her in her demon form “Uh...why ya transformed ag-”

 

“Sleep Paralysis…” His entire body, minus his face, goes limp.

 

“E-Eep...U-Um…wow you really don’t want me to leave do you…”

 

“Good night…”

 

She turns around and leaves him like his is. All he can do is groan in defeat “Alright...fair enough...Good night…” He closes his eyes and lets his mind wander.

 

_Just...what did I miss?...what could've possibly happened that left her so...like this?? And how can I undo it..._


	50. Kiss of Death

_ Waaaaake uuuuuuup.  _ Parappa struggles within his sleep, but ultimately ignore the voice in his head.  _ Feh...I've been at this all night...very well...I shall try again tomorrow. But don't think that just because you sleep through the full moon, you can avoid your fate...come the lovely day of Halloween...well...you shall see~.... _ Spectora’s laughter haunts the dreams of the sleeping dog.

 

* * *

 

The morning arrives to the happy news of the werewolf nowhere in sight. But the happy news are put on standby upon looking at Ma-san. Who was just a bit shorter than Katy now.

 

(“What.”)

 

“You grew! That's what!”

 

(“I did?”) the tall mouse girl pulls out a hand mirror (“Huh. Would you look at that. Cool.”) she puts the mirror away.

 

“Just...cool??”

 

(“Yeah Katy. Just, cool. Mutt grew and nothing was wrong with him.”)

 

“Yeah but!...”  _ There might be a bad reason for that!... _ “It's just-”

 

(“Plus isn't this what you wanted? When you put me with Mutt the other day?”)

 

“I-...” Katy panics once she brings that up “You’re right.”

 

(“Course I'm right! Now if you can excuse me, I gotta get to work.”)

 

“This early?”

 

(“Papa-Ma’s helping me make my costume for tomorrow. I need all the free time I got to work on it.”)

 

“Right! Tomorrow is Halloween! Don't let me hold you up!” Ma-san waves and heads out. Katy then runs to her room and locks the door. She quickly calls the number of the robot scientist.

 

_ “Ah yes. Miss Katy, I was just about to call you.” _

 

“Why?? Did you find something?!”

 

_ “Erm...no. what exactly did you want me to look for? I can end up studying this strand for eternity if I don't know what my reason for it is.” _

 

“I thought I told Leo to tell you! Ugh...look...you heard about a werewolf in our town right?”

 

_ “I've heard news of it, yes.” _

 

“I've think...Parappa might’ve gotten infected by it...along with Raparra. When they first fought the thing...as a result...I think Parappa might’ve infected Sunny, Rayn, Ma-san and Fei-bo…”

 

_ “Ah so you are also aware of Miss Sunny’s identity. That little tidbit aside. Yes, ‘Poppy’ and Rayn also requested me to look into their sudden bizarre height increase.” _

 

“They grew to???”

 

_ “Oh yes. Radically so.” _

 

“LOOK INTO IT THEN! HURRY!”

 

_ “Miss Katy, relax. I have not found anything suggesting that Young Parappa has been infected by the werewolf. I will keep studying it, but if you are truly fearful...make your friends wear sunglasses if you are to travel at night.” _

 

“Why?...”

 

_ “The apparent transformation into a werebeing requires the infected to look at the moon’s shine. If they can't see its glimmer, then they will not transform.” _

 

“Really?? That's great to know!”

 

_ “Still, I don’t think it's necessary. Yet you’re adamant about it so be careful. I will continue scanning this just to find out anything myself.” _

 

“Thank you Sixteen!” she hangs up and then calls Sunny’s number “Su- Poppy! I got a lot I need to tell you!...”

 

* * *

 

The day goes on as the people resume their daily activities now that the beast is apparently gone. Parappa walks with Rammy along the store district, guided by the bright sun.

 

“Why are we here…”

 

“Don't you want a costume?”

 

“Costume for what?...”

 

“Halloween! It's tomorrow!”

 

“...what's a...Hallow...Ween??...” her response gets the dog to stare at her blankly.

 

“Do you...do you guys not celebrate that?...”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Alright...so...it's about...well it started from… Look, the gist of it is you wear costumes all night tomorrow. You can even ask for candy through the action of trick or treating! I honestly thought you'd know about it! Especially the tricking part!”

 

“First I'm hearing about this. It wasn't a concept in Hell.”

 

“I think I can make out why.”

 

“Also...they do this...at night?...”

 

“Yep. Night is traditionally when it all goes on.”

 

“Are you...gonna participate?...”

 

“Duh! I've been planning my costume in advance for tomo-”

 

“Can...can you not?...”

 

“What?? But I gotta! I always take part!”

 

“Can you skip it this year…”

 

“N-No! I can't just skip something I've done yearly with my friends! I already missed last year and that realization hurt me greatly!”

 

“...alright…” as she turns away from him, Katy calls out to the two of them, running from down the street.

 

“Hey Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey!” She stops before them gasping for air “W-Whew...Hey guys! Whatcha doin!”

 

“I was just seeing if Rammy wanted a costume for tomorrow!”

 

“You’re going out tomorrow night?!...E-Erm...o-of course you are!...right...well if this isn’t a big thing to ask of you...can you wear these while you’re out?” She hands him some big thick sunglasses. Rammy stares at the pair curiously as Parappa speaks up and grabs them.

 

“...sunglasses...a-at night?...”

 

“Y-Yeah! Tonight and the two nights after are gonna have some...u-uh...Lunar Flare! Real nasty ones!...”

 

“...Lunar Flare?”

 

“Y-You know! The moon equivalent of a Solar Flare!”

 

“I see...but uh...is it really gonna be that bad?”

 

“W-Well you never know! It’s best to be on the safeguard! You wouldn’t wanna damage your eyes from that moon shine! Nobody will like it! Not unless you were a werewolf! Which it might even stop! H-Hahahaha!...” Rammy’s eyes widen. Did Katy know? And would the glasses really help??

 

“Well I mean...if you’re being technical about it...but it’d still hurt THEIR eyes to since they aren’t transformed yet…”

 

“Needless logic! J-Just...Please wear them!...”

 

“W-”

 

“I-I agree with her Paraps!...”

 

“You to Rammy??”

 

“Y-Yeah!...C-Can you promise me you’ll wear em?...I-I’ll let you go back out at night if you want…”

 

“...And all I gotta do is wear this?...”

 

“YES!” They both shout.

 

“Am I gonna be the only wearing this?...”

 

“No. Ma-san and Poppy will have to wear them to. As will Rayn and Fei-bo. And I’m sure Lammy will give a pair to Raparra as well.” both Rammy and Parappa take note of the specific people she brings up.

 

“That was a specific set of people to list off…”

 

“A-Aha...W-Well I mean…”

 

“So you ALL aren’t gonna be wearing shades?...”

 

“N-NO!...W-WE WILL TO!...”  _ If it means you’ll keep them plastered on your face then what’s the harm in being a lil blind at night due to wearing dark glasses… _ “I was gonna list everyone off but you interrupted me!...”

 

“Oh my bad!...well in that case...alright I ‘spose.” He plops the shades on his face “Say if you’re here, are you looking to find a costume to??”

 

“Oh no no. I have mine already, as does Lammy. I was just...grocery shopping!”

 

“...This district doesn’t have any grocery stores…”

 

_ Oops… _ “A-Ahah...a-as you can see I got a weeeeee biiiiiiit sidetracked with what I was getting…”  _ The actual reason was that I was trying to find you to give those to you… _

 

“Well...you wanna join us anyway?”

 

“No no. I really should get going now before I get more distracted.”  _ Gotta give Ma-san her shades...as well as everyone else now in order to play along...and I gotta do it without scaring them that you may or may not be a werewolf yourself…  _

 

“Guess we’ll be off.”

 

“You go on ahead Paraps. I wanna chat with Katy, so I’ll catch up with you in abit.”

 

“Cool. Just don’t keep her for to long!”

 

“I won’t…” Parappa walks off, and once he’s a good enough distance away she turns to Katy “What was that for…with the glasses…”

 

“...C-Can I tell you something that’s been worrying me?...”

 

“...Go ahead…”

 

“I-I think Parappa might be a werewolf himself…” Her composure almost falters on the spot.

 

“W-What??”

 

“N-Now hold on...I’m not...I’m not one hundred percent certain… It’s just that I think...he might’ve gotten infected by the werewolf that’s been bugging him…” Rammy struggles to not sigh in relief. She hadn’t caught on, but she still suspected him of being a monster. Even if she didn’t suspect him of being THE original monster “And the reason I listed off those people...I think they all got infected to…” Rammy stares at the cat with fear “Lammy told me Raparra suddenly started getting taller...and just all of a sudden Ma-san, Poppy, Rayn and Fei-bo ALSO got spontaneously taller…so it leads me to believe that when Parappa bit the other girls...he might’ve infected them...and when Raparra was defending Lammy...he might’ve gotten bit...”

 

“I-I see…”

 

“It’s just me jumping to conclusion!... B-But I just wanna be certain...you know?...”

 

“I do.”

 

“Thank you!...I...haven’t told anyone else yet, and I don’t think I will, so it’s been a big struggle on me…”

 

“I bet…”  _ Oh the fucking irony… _ “I won’t tell anyone either. And I’ll make sure he wears those things.”

 

“Thanks...now I gotta get everyone else to wear them just so he keeps em on…this is gonna be hard to do without telling them the real reason why…”

 

“Good luck girl...”

 

“I’m gonna need every ounce I can get…”

 

* * *

 

“So you really want this costume?...” Parappa says as he holds the bag hiding her outfit.

 

“Yep!...cuz I have a new body to make it work even better remember!...” She powers up in the middle of the bustling street, freaking out every single person as they run away “...Probably should’ve thought that through a little better…”

 

“Yeah…” She transforms back and they resume walking, there she latches onto the boy’s arm “Hey there.”

 

“Don't act surprised…”

 

“Can't I tease a little? It helps me keep my nerves in check when being hit on or flirted with! Or both!”

 

“Why is it such a big deal?...”

 

“Cuz otherwise I fumble at the hands of the person flirting with me...I'm a gooey mess...if I was the one starting off I'd be fine...but I'm not and hooooo...I'm starting to lose feeling in the right side of my bodyyyyy…” he blows out air that sounds like a tea kettle “Adorable people are my weakness…”

 

“...I'm...adorable to you?...me?...meeeee????”

 

“Why's that such a shock to hear?”

 

“Cuz fuckin look at me Paraps! Adorable just ain't a word to describe me! Pinny’s adorable! Katy, Mar and Paula are adorable! Their doubles as well! Lammy’s adorable! Me? Nuh-uh.”

 

“Well I say ya-huh! You are adorable to me just like they are!”

 

“I ain't anywhere close to resembling anythin of the sort! What gives you the right to tell me otherwise??...”

 

“...witnessing it first hand…ever since you arrived and became a part of our lives...every moment I've been by your side...I had plenty of time to see...and I did see…all of it...even now…”

 

“...” she mutters sadly “I'm done with this…”

 

“...Oh… does this mean you're gonna let go of my arm?...”

 

“...No...I'm not…”

 

“Phew...thought I upset greatly there...sorry for that!”

 

“You didn't-”  _ Well you did...but you can't control being a werewolf...can you??...  _ “So don't worry about it…”

 

“If you say so...come on...let's head home...my legs are killing me...doesn't help that my right side feels like it's melting!...”

 

“Not sorry…” he chuckles at her remark and they stay silent on the returning walk. She then asks “Hey...what's your costume gonna be?...”

 

“Mine? Oh that's simple! A vampire!”

 

* * *

 

Parappa and Rammy lay on their bed, staring at the poster filled ceiling, contemplating what to say to the other.

 

“Sooo…”

 

“Yeeeeah?...”

 

“Why a vampire?...”

 

“I already told you!”

 

“Can’t I hear it again?...just hearing you choose such an...odd thing is radical to me…and as such, it slipped my mind.”

 

“Very well. I planned for it ever since my friends finally slapped some sense into me and got me to leave my room. It’s a double ironic thing really. Vampire are beings that are practically risen from the grave right, which is something my body did constantly despite my condition, despite all the stuff it’s been through. I came back alright...and also...well they’re usually involved with other dead people or they themselves are like that...people on the road to a better place. I was recovering to hopefully get back on a better road with my friends backing me up. And then came the other meaning for it...with the symbols on my hat. I will remember these people. Honor them for who they were, not for who they ended up being thanks to Bohemian...their...protector. After all, Vampires are the same for the spirits of the place they’re put in with them, so i’m the same. Just preserving those people as I learn to not be the same.”

 

“That’s...such a goober of a reason…”

 

“I know! And it’s perfect for a goober like me!”

 

She smiles weakly “Yeah...it fuckin is ain’t it?~...”

 

“Now and forever~” He bares his teeth, they’re much sharper. The sight merely saddens the ewe.

 

“You...headin out now?...”

 

“Nope.”

 

“But you-”

 

“I know I know, wolf’s gone. Got glasses for the supposed lunar flare, but no. You really don’t want me to go out until the fool moons are done with. Otherwise you look like you’ll break down on the spot. So I won’t go, just so I can prevent that.”

 

“...You sure you’re really ok with that?...”

 

“Rammy I promised you that I would make sure you’d never end up in the position that I found you in ever again. And now you look like you’re borderline on the BRINK of going back to that state. I won’t let it if i’m able to.”

 

“...” She turns away “Sometimes I wonder if i’m just a burden...needing you to just keep me under wraps in a safety blanket...” she shivers as she huddles up “It’s...saddening...I’m...well I was...someone people wouldn’t wanna mess with...to some I still am...but what would they say if they saw the girl they revered through good or bad reasons all...choked up like this...a mess...a wimp…” She feels a pair of arms wrap themselves around her stomach.

 

“That ain’t the truth. You’re still one hell of a mighty gal. Strong and amazing...you didn’t get weak, you just got a broader view of the world. Got me to rub off on you as constantly stated.” He pulls her close “And as such, you got to be as caring of things just like me.”

 

“I don’t see myself as such, but thanks or...whatever…”

 

“But you are! You’re still you! Only just with little quirks that just amplify the great person I got to know! That WE all got to know!”

 

“What makes you even wanna say all that about me?!”

 

“...You care for me as much as I do you...you keep me safe just like I try to do for you…you don't have to do that...nobody told you or forced you...you just chose to do it on your own...and that's something I will always appreciate…”

 

“...” She closes her eyes.

 

“You'd never let anything bad happen to me...even if it was from own stupidity that puts me at risk...I know you'd tell me that something was wrong with me on the spot…” Rammy struggles to keep her eyes shut. They so very much want to open up and reveal the misty eyes of betrayal. She was letting him down by not telling him of what's really been going on.

 

“I...I want to sleep Parappa…”

 

“Ok…” he let's go of her and just lets her be on her own. There is silence, but it's broken by the sounds of Parappa in a struggle.

 

“Paraps??...” She jolts up to see the boy grab his head tightly as he bumps around the entire room trying to get the pain to stop.

 

“My...M-My head…”

 

_ You cannot resist me you fool!...Everyone's will has has a limit! I will find yours! _

 

“Who even...are you?!” he slams his head against a wall and holds it there.

 

_ Can't be telling you that my dear. Now be quiet and head outside like and good puppy. _

 

“Go outside?...I refuse!...” the words he says merely terrify the ram. Just what was happening to him?

 

_ Refuse? I'm afraid you don't have the OPTION! _ Parappa’s body jerks off the wall and heads toward the window.

 

“PARAPPA STOP!...”

 

“IT'S...NOT...ME…” Rammy runs up and tries to hold him back, but his body is moving at a force she is unable to handle. He shakes her off and uncovers the window.

 

“ **NO!!!...** ”

 

_ GYAHAHAHAHAAAA! THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!...Why is nothing happening?... _ the voice altered witch angrily stares at her cauldron to see what was going on. On Parappa’s face were the sunglasses, blocking the moonlight effortlessly.  _ YOU SLY...REMOVE THEM AT ONCE! _

 

“N-...EVER…”

 

_ LISTEN TO ME. _

 

“YOU...CAN'T...MAKE...ME…”

 

_ YOU CANNOT RESIST MY POWER! _

 

“YOU HAVE NONE OVER... **ME** !” Parappa radiates a strange multi colored electrical shine that causes the voice in his head to scream in agony. 

 

_ YOU WRETCHED LITTLE...YOU GOT OFF LUCKY NOW...BUT YOU WILL FALTER ONCE MORE, AND THAT WILL SEAL IT! _ The voice vanishes and Parappa’s left with full unresisted control over his body again. He stumbles back before passing out on the floor. Rammy quickly seals the window once and goes to him.

 

“Parappa? Parappa!...” He utters a slight groan which relieves the ram. She gets him back on the bed and just awaits to see if he’ll wake up naturally, or if he’ll stay out of it all night. The former happens as he wakes up about a half an hour later.

 

“A-Agh...my brain hurts…”

 

“You think you’ll be fine?... Need help with anything at all?”

 

“No...no i’m good...I think…” He covers his left eye as he holds his head steady “What...what happened?...I can’t remember anything...I just remember you telling me you wanted to sleep...next thing I know is i’m waking up with the worst headache i’ve ever suffered...What happened to me?...”

 

_ I...I have to tell him the truth...this has something to do with him turning into a werewolf…  _ “You…”  _ Come on!...Just tell him! He has to know!... _ The girl’s mouth quivers in anxiety, unable to say the truth.  _ Please...why can’t I say it… _ She grits her teeth.  _ I really am a coward…  _ “You...just started grabbing your head...then just fainted on the spot…you gave me quite a scare...thought something happened to you...but you seem fine now thankfully...I was here by your side till you woke up...”

 

“...Oh...ya see? You do keep me safe!” his words are like a dagger of her own lies that just stabs her in the back.

 

“Y-Yeah...yeah yeah!...I-I do…”

 

“What’s wrong?...” He quickly facepalms “Doh! I kept ya from sleeping at all thanks to my spontaneous knockout!...”

 

“That’s not…” She swallows roughly “That’s fine. I’m just happy you’re alright.”

 

“Well, now that I am, get in here! Don’t let me keep ya up any longer!”

 

“Alright…” She hops back in and they’re back to their silence. Atleast for a short bit of time “Hey Parappa…”

 

“Mhm?”

 

“Anything that you’re like... really super afraid of?...”

 

“What’s this all of a sudden?”

 

“Just...enlighten me…it’s thanks to seeing you collapse like that...that it got me thinking is all.”

 

“...Sure thing then.” he looks to the ceiling once more “Just a little bit ago...it was losing my friends.”

 

“Shouldn’t that still be a fear??”

 

“Of course not. Cuz I won’t let anything happen to you guys! And if the other reason were you lot leaving of your own free will...then well...I’d support you guys in your endeavours! I just hope you all will keep in touch with me in anyway that you can. Losing Sunny taught me that, things like these are unavoidable...having people leave your life is just something that will happen with certain people sooner or later, but it should’ve been possible to sort atleast some form of communication...but we were both just...unable to think at that point in time. I won’t let it happen again!...If you guys are wanting to keep in touch that is…”

 

“You’re stupid...why wouldn’t we?...”

 

“It’s just been a thought that’s been within the corner of my mind…I never really know if the reason they choose to leave is cuz of me. Sure it’s scary, but I don’t necessarily consider it a fear cuz...again...I’d respect it.”

 

“You’d never be a reason for us leaving...and I know we’d never wanna leave your side…” she huddles closer “I know I wouldn’t.”

 

“Oh believe me, I can see that! It’s just...paranoia ya know? Just never leaves ya be!”

 

“I suppose so...and of your new actual fear now?...”

 

“...” He inhales slowly and deeply. Closing his eyes as he stays still for a moment. He opens them with a blank expression on his face as to appear as calm and level-headed over the response he was about to give “I guess...it’s falling in love all over again.”

 

“..........Huh?”

 

“Let me clarify...yes...I know about my whole...not-a-date thing...but truthfully...I started thinking it over...once I pick a girl...and everything ends up cool and as it should be with the future...what...what then? Is it gonna STAY as it should be once time passes by?...Are we gonna really be happy together...will I make a mistake...will I...lose her to?... Breaking hearts is one thing...but falling in love...when I really don’t know if I can anymore...worries me...what will I do when I don’t really know anything of the sort anymore!!...the day before the first night of the werewolf’s arrival made me realize...I can’t even handle hand holding...a simple thing...I mean...everyone’s grabbed my hand before and it hasn’t really...been an issue. But that day...with the full knowledge of ‘Hey...one of these two girls is gonna end up my wife!’ well in my mind...there was just...static...blank...white noise...I didn’t know what to do because my body felt like shutting down...my heart felt like it was gonna pop...if I can’t even handle that...what am I gonna do once I am with one of them and it comes to things like dates...or just being together...or kissing!...I’d be terrible...and...I’d mess everything up…what do I do...when it comes time for me to say I love you to...” he sighs “There’s...no way to prepare for this since all the girls that my heart’s snagged on are very different...and...it terrifies me…”

 

Rammy looks at the boy whose facial expression of calmness had melted into a fearful mess. She shrugs off her own fears to stop his “You’ll be fine. No matter the girl, and no matter the life you two push on in. You’ll. Be. Fine.”

 

“I don’t know…”

 

“You will be. You’re not one for purposely hurting people, even if subconsciously. If someone were to ever say you did, then it wasn’t you. Someone else made you because the Parappa I know is incapable of hurting the people he knows and cares about.”

 

“...you think so?”

 

“I know so~ After all? What’s that little thing you gotta do?~ Oh I just don’t know what it is~”

 

He grumbles, but a slight laugh escapes his mouth “Sorry...couldn’t tell ya~...”

 

“Oh I’m sure you know what it is buddy~”

 

“Keh…~” He mumbles “I goda beeleve…~”

 

“Ya gotta whaaaaat?~”

 

“I got to believe~...”

 

“Ya gotta do what?~”

 

“Oh I know! Yeah!~ I GOTTA BELIEVE!~” He hugs the ewe like a happy puppy as he nuzzles into her cheek.

 

“Easy! Down boy down~” She eventually manages to peel him off “Feel a bit better?~”

 

“Loads better~ Thanks Ura.”

 

“It’s what friends are for~” They’re left staring at each other. For a reason they aren’t fully aware of, they can’t seem to look away from one another. Their chests tighten and burn, but they feel at ease all the same. The longer they look at the other, the tighter the pressure on their chests becomes. They don’t blush, there is no color change at all from their faces which leads them to assume it isn’t that surge of emotion despite it clearly being so. They rest their foreheads together, their eyes still refusing to leave the gaze of the other. There is a flicker of electricity from Parappa’s eyes and purple haze from Rammy’s. They finally close their eyes, unknown to the other that just before they had done so, their pupils had shifted into hearts of their respective energy heart color. There isn’t much done as there isn’t a need for it. They enter dreamland peacefully within the close embrace of the other, and the fifth full moon night goes along without another problem in sight.

 

* * *

 

Parappa wakes up to a stinging sensation on his neck. His headache was gone, but this new pain was equally annoying. He rubs his neck to see if that’ll ease up the pain, but he instead finds something disturbing. Upon rubbing his neck, he feels two little holes in a curious distance from one another. When he pulls his hand back, there is a stain of dried blood. He turns around to look at his bunk buddy and spots her in her new form with said similar dried blood stain by her mouth. Immediately his mind scatters at connecting the dots.  _ Don’t scream don’t scream don’t scream don’t scream don’t scream don’t scream don’t-  _ Parappa keeps his mouth clamped shut, but the scream escapes as a muffled mess from behind his closed jaw “MMMMMMMMMMMMRRRRRRRRMMMMMMMM!...” The weird wheezy sound wakes up his friend.

 

“Meeeeh...da fuck was that sound?...” As her eyes open he quickly slaps his hand back onto his neck. The fast impact stings as he just keeps on squealing “Paraps?...Why are you making that noise?...”

 

“NO REASON REALLY, I JUST HAD THE SUDDEN URGE TO MAKE A REALLY WEIRD NOISE! TOTALLY NOT TRYING TO HIDE ANYTHING AND UPON DOING SO HURT MYSELF IN THE PROCESS. NO REALLY!...~”

 

“...Wha?...”

 

“Ignore that.”

 

“I don’t think I want to.”

 

“Just please ignore that.”

 

“Why are you holding your neck.”

 

“I’m itchy.”

 

“Then why aren’t you scratching.”

 

“Because I already did!”

 

“So then let go of your neck.”

 

“My arm fell asleep and it bugs me to move it!”

 

“Oh then let me help you.”

 

“No no! I can do it!”

 

“But I thought you said your arm was asleep.”

 

“Its waking up!”

 

“Then move it.”

 

“Maybe in a little.”

 

“Move it.”

 

“It’s still slowly waking up!”

 

“Move. It.”

 

“Maybe I don’t wanna move it.”

 

“MOVE IT!”

 

“YOU CAN’T MAKE ME!”

 

“OH YEAH?!” She tries to grab his hand with her hand, but he grabs her with his free hand.

 

“HA!”

 

“I STILL GOT A FREE HAND!”

 

“SO DO I!” he grabs her other hand with the hand that was holding his neck “HA! GOTCH- wait…”

 

“HA! IdioooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOHHHHH GOD?! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR NECK?!”

 

“Ahah...um...you did...apparently…” He taps his lower lips as if to tell her to rub her finger around her own lower lip. She does and soon notices her altered form and freaks out.

 

“I GAVE YOU A HICKEY?!”

 

“I was thinking more along the lines of you accidentally trying to vampire bite me with your new demon fangs, but that actually makes more sense.”

 

“I GAVE YOU A  _ HICKEY _ ?!?!?’

 

“S-STOP SHOUTING THAT OUT! THE OTHERS WILL HEAR!...”

 

“BUT WHAT HAVE I DONE TO YOU WHILE I WAS ASLE-” Parappa covers her mouth.

 

“Q-QUIET!...” They hear the door to their room slowly open and they quickly shimmy about to appear innocent. They raise the sheets to cover Parappa’s neck and Rammy’s mouth. Thereafter, Lammy walks in.

 

“E-Everything alright in here? I heard alot of yelling...”

 

“We’re fine~”

 

“Then what was that n-noise...”

 

“Oh it was just us talkin to loud, forgettin that it was still a tad early~”

 

“Alright...are you sure you guys d-don’t need anything?...”

 

“No we're good~ Thanks for asking though~”

 

“Ok t-then...I'm gonna sleep for a little bit more…” the groggy lamb yawns before shutting the door to their room. They wait until they hear her feet get far away. Once they hear the door close they both sigh in relief. Parappa then speaks up as he holds a faulty smile, his eyes closed with his right eye twitching.

 

“Good thing m-my costume will be able to play this off…~” Rammy merely turns red on the spot as her other form melts away back into her pure ram form.

 

* * *

 

It is the approaching evening and the group get set in their costumes. Parappa and Rammy are the first to exit their room and wait in the main room.

 

“You sure you wanna go like that? You look rather...pompous!”

 

“It’s not my fault vampires dressed all classy!~” he releases a laugh at his own bad pun as Rammy rolls her eyes and flexes her wings. She looks at his outfit, he was painted to look a pale grayish white and his hair was temporarily dyed black. He wore false contacts that made his pupils seem red. She then stares at the area around his neck. It was made to look like part of the costume.

 

“You're lucky your costume makes for a convenient way to hide my little...oopsie…on your neck.”

 

“Gotta love convenience!” with that said, Lammy is seen entering the main room. She is dressed as a witch, with an outfit somewhat similar to their friend Mana, the masked witch.

 

“O-Ooooh...starting to have second thoughts over this...I don't think I look good in this at all…”

 

“Nonsense! You look great! Right Paraps?”

 

The dog stares at the cute sheep in glee “Absolutely bewitching~...”

 

“Y-You really t-think?...”

 

“I know~ You certainly casted a spell on me~”

 

“G-Guess...I do look nice~...” she walks over to speak with Rammy and they soon get lost in their own chatter. Ma-san is the second to finish. She heads on out and is outfitted in a Medusa costume. He her is all braided up and spread wildly out. It gives the appearance of snake hair. Her outfit is merely a green top and a green skirt as she has snake themed accessories all around her. Her nails are also a bright yellow to compliment her great outfit. She catches Parappa gawking at her and gets a bit annoyed.

 

(“Yeah...I know I don't work this...so take a picture, it'll last longer why don't you.”)

 

“Sorry...I'm just left...petrified~ You do work that nicely~”

 

(“Leave it to me to forget who I was speaking to. Can't say no now or you'll never let me hear the end of it! Fine, I _ can _ work this.”)

 

“That's better. You really can! Certainly kept my eyes in place!”

 

(“Whatever~”) she heads to join the two ewes. Out pops Katy thereafter, wearing her own costume which catches the boy off guard. She ends up the same way upon staring at him.

 

“...Oh...uh…”

 

“...Great minds think alike~” Parappa says to break the awkwardness. They were both dressed as vampires only Katy’s hair was temporarily dyed white “You should’ve told me what you were going as! We could coordinated better costumes together~”

 

“I mean...I already had this kinda planned for a little while now…”

 

“Same here. My own reasons and everything on account of my recovery!”

 

“...Same with me.”

 

“Really?? Man now we really SHOULD’VE coordinated this!” He whines abit as he flicks his ear.

 

“I dunno...I guess?...” She bashfully hides herself behind her cloak “Yours came out way better than mine...I mean look at that bite mark! That’s a very nice touch!...”

 

“Y-Yeah yeah!...Good...good thinking on my part…” he clears his throat “But you're nothing short yourself!”

 

“Oh I don't know...wearing a male vampire outfit seems to not work with me...I feel like maybe I should've settled for a female one...or a different costume altogether maybe…”

 

“No way. You’re killing it. Suits were always your cherry on top finesse!”

 

“You’re just saying that…”

 

“Katy. You look good. What got you like this all of a sudden?”

 

“I dunno...I’m starting to lose my flow when it comes to what I wear...I just feel like...I can’t rock out in anything I wear anymore! Ever since Charlotte brought it up...I noticed that I’ve been slacking in my getups!...”

 

“That’s a ridiculous lie. And even if you have been not as diverse in what ya wear. There’s no problem with that. At any given time you can wear anything and be the girl of gala!”

 

“I…” She closes her hand tightly “I CAN! You’re right! I don’t know what came over me! I am the greatest when it comes to this sorta thing~ Can’t let a little doubt get in my head! Thanks for givin me a quick reminder of the gal that I am~” she gives a quick slap to her cheeks “Recent things have been messing with the way I think over things, but...I gotta know that things will be alright and stay the same you know? I can’t be worrying 24/7! It ain’t healthy!”

 

“...” Parappa tilts his head “I know what you mean. Recently I’ve been starting to think the same, but hearing you say that tells me that I gotta be the same! Glad I could help you realize that!”

 

“And I’m glad I could return the favor!” Katy walks off to the other girls and quickly questions the Ram “Hey where’s your costume?”

 

“I was gonna get ready, but I had to help Parappa with his. Afterwards it was waiting for him to finish so I could change in the room alone but...I kinda need help with some makeup...and that ain’t my strong suit...sooooo-”

 

“You were waiting for me to finish to ask for help.”

 

“Mhm.”

 

“‘Well sure thing Rammy!~ Let’s head on over to my room!”

 

“Aight.” The two disappear into the cats room, and after twenty minutes the door opens back up with Katy walking out first.

 

“Phew, that was pretty tricky to figure out what would work with her better as well as how to stylize it! I’m sorry I took so SO long…”

 

“Katy it’s only been twenty minutes…” Parappa states.

 

“And that’s an ETERNITY for me! Stuff like this I have figured out in a SNAP!” Parappa lifts his finger to retort, but then slowly lowers it. He then holds his chin, then scratches his head.

 

“You know what, that’s true.”

 

“Ooooh I have got to get back into the swing of things! My own negligence and self pity have really affected my prowess! But enough about me! Let’s show off my work!~ Oh Raaaaaammy~”

 

“Why are you presenting me off like a model? It’s only makeup for a costume…I don’t really see how this is on the level of someone wearing makeup to genuinely look good...” Rammy says, still behind the doorway, out of everyone else’s sight.

 

“Oh just shut up and get out here!”

 

“I aaaaaaam…” They see one of her legs poke out and step outside the doorway, but the rest of her struggles to want to come out “I’m having second thoughts about this...you announcing me like that really makes me wish I looked into the mirror first…” Katy gets annoyed as she reaches out and grabs Rammy’s arm and starts yanking her out.

 

“COME OUT HERE!”

 

“H-HEY!...I DON’T WANNA!...” Despite Rammy’s strength, Katy still wins the tug of war and Rammy is sent flying out of the room “WAAAAAAAAHHH!” She bowls over the other three waiting for the two. They all get up and spot Rammy flipped over on the knocked over couch. They all walk over and help her up “Gahhh...thanks…”

 

“Nooooo prob-” They all stop midway as they look at her properly.

 

“Wah- NO! D-DON’T LOOK AT ME!...” She turns around and wedges her head in between the couch cushions. Her legs shiver as she tries to not get them to look at her anymore.

 

Katy walks up and in between the trio “Weeeeeell?~ How was my work?~”

 

“You made her look amazing!”

 

“A-Agreed! It m-may just be costume paint, but it’s r-really something else Katy!”

 

(“For someone who never wore flashy type makeup ever, you’d never believe it! She looks like a natural! A stunning one at that!”)

 

The ewe stops shivering and flops over. Her head pokes over the couch “Huh?...C-Come again???”

 

“YOU LOOK AMAZING!” The other three say again together.

 

“...I...do?...”

 

“Course you do Rammy! Would I ever falter in this specialty?~”

 

“No...b-but there was also the problem that I’ve never done this sorta thing before...I figured I’d look hideous…”

 

“Did you not hear these three? That clearly isn’t the case~”

 

“Yeah...well...I’m not sure I should count a friends perspective...what would-” A flash beams in her face. She looks to see that Katy took a photo of her with her phone “What did you-”

 

“Aaaaand send~”

 

“YOU WHAT?!” the other three restrain Rammy as she tries to swipe at the cat who backs away. Not long after the cat smiles.

 

“How’s this for results?~ Can’t use the friend excuse here~” She holds up the phone to her face. The comments on her photo were all encouraging as they belonged to people who genuinely thought she looked amazing. The likes and comments were piling on per second. As the number increasingly rises, so do her eyes as she stays amazed that people enjoy her look, but mortified that thousands upon thousands and soon millions of people were looking at her “Soooo?~ How’s that! What do you say now?~”

 

“I wanna die…”

 

“That wasn’t the response I was expecting…” Rammy curls up into a ball on the couch and merely stares blankly at the turned off TV as she repeats the same thing over and over “Maybe I should’ve asked for your permission to do that…” They all then try to ease her up on the matter.

 

* * *

 

The five of them all head off towards Club to meet up with the rest of their group as well as start off their planned day.

 

“Man that took a while to get you used to…”

 

“Sorry...but having millions of people compliment me is not something I enjoy...I rather keep to myself...unless I was breaking bones. Then I guess that counts.”

 

“That’s fair.” Parappa then turns his attention to Katy “And anywho...Katy what’s with the makeup yourself? I thought you were settled on dressing like a male vampire with no other added flair?” He stares at the now gray cat with pure white, pupil-less eyes and a red streak under her left eye.

 

“I am! But the famous, actual first, lady loving female vampire Carmilla was to good a thing to pass! Gray face that looks like an ominous mask with her left eye always a bleedin! It’s just awesoooooome~ Now I'm a better conjoined vampire, combining traits from boys and gals in the best way possible~ Groovin it like I'm BORN to do!~”

 

“Yeah but where’d you manage to get the contacts that make your eyes seem pure white and empty??”

 

“Oh I have an assortment of contacts whenever I just wanna be fancy~ You should already expect that much of me Parappa!”

 

“You got me there...it looks great regardless! Just like with Rammy!”

 

“Please stop talkin about me in that regard…”

 

“S-Sorry!...” Parappa apologizes then resumes talking to the cat “So why exactly are we meeting up at club fun?”

 

“Because I got a call from Paula! That’s why Parappa! She told me to meet them all here to start our daily activities! No clue why...she just said PJ and Sweety told her to tell everyone else…and so here we are!”

 

“Weird...Well no point in questioning it now since we’re gonna find out once we get there! Come on let’s put the pedal to the metal!” they all rush to the large new club and only spot Gloria there setting everything up.

 

“Huh? Oh hey there kids. You lot came here quickly. I thought I only recently told them to call for your assistance.” after she says this, PJ walks in carrying somethings for the wrench lady.

 

“Oh hey there guys. We didn’t expect you to be here immediately.”

 

(“With Katy and Parappa on the handles, of course we were gonna be.”)

 

“Ain’t that the truth.” He places down the things he’s holding, revealing himself to be dressed as frankenstein’s monster. He took advantage of his fabric body and made it seem like he was pieced together by painting his body different sets of colors and then placing fake stitches at where the colors started changing to make it give the facade of having different parts sewn together. He wears a large green overcoat and blue baggy pants that are all rugged and torn. He has headphones on where the left speaker looks like the tip of a screw and the right speaker looks like the head of it, making it seem like he had a large screw piercing his head “Well you’re free to help out now then. Gloria needs to get stuff ready for the Halloween party.”

 

“Halloween party??” They all ask.

 

“Yep. Apparently the town decided that with this club back up and running...and greatly modified, that it’d be a smart idea to do so. So help us out in movin stuff. It’s all back there with Sweety and Leo.”

 

“Leo’s here??”

 

“Course the kid’s here!” Gloria says “He kinda has to be every once and awhile. Especially for moments such as this! After all it’s kinda his job now, ‘member?”

 

“O-Oh yeah...Is he...a-alright with that?” Lammy asks, hoping they weren’t bugging him.

 

“Kid’s perfectly fine! But if you don’t believe my words, why not go look for yourselves!” They nod and follow PJ. They soon spot the pink bear and the ram boy. Sweety was outfitted to look like a creepy marionette, with a lovely dress that was tattered and worn down. She wore a large bow on top of her head and on the back of the dress. She had dainty, but dirty doll like shoes on. She had paint all around her arms and legs to make seem like a toy’s joints and on her wrists and ankles were large pieces of thread tied around them. Leo was also a vampire judging by his outfit. Like both Parappa and Katy, his face was painted a grayish white. His hair was fully let down and temporarily dyed white, matching Katy’s, with the tips staying black, matching Parappa’s. His eyes were still the same like Parappa’s, but his pupils were pure silver to match the full blank whiteness of Katy’s contacts. His horns are hidden by hair due to how it’s styled. He looks at the two mimics and laughs almost immediately.

 

“Hehehey now! What’s the big idea?~”

 

“It’s not like we knew we were gonna be going as the same thing!” Katy says as her tail coils around her waist.

 

“Beeeeesiiiiiides! I just look at this as a ‘great minds thinking alike’ type dealio~” Parappa starts laughing as well.

 

“Oh hush dad! Truthfully, I wasn’t gonna dress up. But Cookie kept asking me about it and well...here I am! Alucard and all~”

 

“That’s such a funny thing! It’s so ironic that you say that cuz the vampire i’m going as is classic Dracula! Which going by the folklore, is Alucard’s father!“

 

“And I'm a cross between ya regular run of the mill male vamps and the awesome and jamming Carmilla! Making a more modernized lovely mix! Course I'm pan rather than a full on lesbian like Carmilla was, obviously.”

 

“You both look amazin. Compared to me who just looks like a typical pretty boy!”

 

“Eeeeh...maybe a little!” They both say.

 

“Gee thanks!...” the black sheep rolls his eyes “So you’re here to help out then?”

 

“You better believe it!”

 

“Great, so see all that stuff over here? We need it in the main room to set up for the party at midnight.” He points to all the boxes and other objects needing to be set up.

 

“ALL THAT??” The five of them shout.

 

“Yeaaah? Look if we work together and by the time the others come to help, we’ll be done in no ti-” Rammy, Ma-san and Parappa shove past him and Sweety, sending them all in a topspin.

 

(“Fuck that! I wanna be done with this!”) Ma-san says as she carries a massive stack of stuff with both hands.

 

“Same here! And I ain’t slouching!” Rammy says as she carries a near similar stack in her two hands.

 

(“Trying to one up me??”)

 

“Pffft, of course not! I ain’t one uppin, i’m winnin~”

 

(“I’m carrying more! You’re clearly blind!”)

 

“Do you not see my stack?? It’s totes bigger!”)

 

“Girls girls!” Parappa intervenes “Stop fightin!...The obvious winner is clearly me~” They look to the dog to see the pile held in both his hands to be bigger than theirs.

 

“Martial artist raised showoff…” both the ram and mouse say as they stare angrily at the dog.

 

“Can you guys stop?? It’s not a contest!” Sweety says, disappointed in the trio “Besides, i’m clearly the winner~” They look to her. Her tower dwarfs Parappa’s. They all sigh as she giggles, but then stops laughing when she feels someone tap her shoulder “Huh?...” She turns around with them also joining, and Leo speaks up now.

 

“You are all but children compared to me.” He’s holding the entirety of the needed items in one hand, with only two fingers compared to them needing both hands. The stack rises to nearly the entirety of the club’s height. Everyone stares at the sheep boy in awe and fear while Parappa’s fear struck mouth curls into a proud smile.

 

“T-That’s...m-my boy~...”

 

* * *

 

“So he just...carried ALL of it??” Paula says as she and Matt ask Sweety for the details.

 

“Yep...shut us all up. But he put it all down because he said that doing that would cause accidents if we weren’t all careful. So we went back to the one by one. We’re almost done.

 

“We’ll take up the rest! Won’t we Matt?”

 

“It’s only fair. You guys practically had to do everything by yourselves. So let’s amend that!”

 

“Then you’re gonna wanna tell them that! They’re in the room over there.” She points to the room with her thumb and they all head over in no time. The two new helpers speed up the remaining process and they finish soon after. Once they finish, they relax at one of the tables and everyone question what they were going as.

 

“Well the trio over here all picked vampires. Dracula, Carmilla and Alucard respectively.” PJ holds his arm over Parappa, Katy and Leo “I went as the classic ‘creature’. Also known as Frankenstein’s monster.” Lifts off his headphones like a hat.

 

(“Gorgon over here. Specifically medusa.”) Ma-san flicks her braids that look like snake heads.

 

“I’m a sweet yet long forgotten Marionette~” Sweety curtsy’s while giggling creepily.

 

“I-I’m not going as anyone s-specific...just a plain ol w-witch is all…and I’m c-content with that!” Lammy says as she hides her face under her big hat.

 

“Those are all such great ones! Matt here’s going as something simple as a Mummy!” Paula scoffs and the bandaged up dog.

 

“Hey. I’m like Lammy. I’m content with going as something plain and simple. Besides my first choice was a werewolf, but seeing as the town juuuuust got attacked by one...it would’ve been distasteful…”

 

“That’s true. You’d get all the wrong looks!”

 

“What about you Paula?... Kinda…’flaunty’ costume you got there…” Parappa says as he tries to look away, as if he were to stare, he’d find it difficult to maintain eye contact.

 

“Well duh! Of course it’s gonna be an eye catcher! I’m going as the demon succubus Lilith, Lady of the Night~ And the first ever lady to exist period~” She laughs at his struggle “What’s the matter?~ Bewitched by my ‘beauty’?~ Don’t be shy to stare~ I think of it as a compliment! Means my costume is legit~”

 

“Oh it’s very legit, but I don’t want to be rude or creepy by staring so I’ll just keep my gaze to the floor! A-As no means of o-offense mind you!...” Paula’s voice softens up sadly.

 

“Oh...alright…” Parappa immediately grips his head.

 

“A-Alright...I think I get the point of your costume choice…” He yanks on his hair to pull his head upwards. His blush overwhelms the gray paint as he forces out a faulty smile “B-Better?~...” She cheers up instantly.

 

“Much better~ Thank you~” She winks and blows a kiss, creating a small cold gust that forms in the shape of a heart and smacks him in the face. His meek embarrassment is gone as he finds himself calm. A small blue mist appears around his eyes for a split second before fading.

 

“M-My head...D-Did you-”

 

“Took a little practice, but now I can do it to~ But it doesn’t last long compared to my cousin’s version. At most it’s around five minutes as a minimum, or fifteen at a maximum. But it’s something~” She smiles at him “Did you think I wouldn’t know you’d be like this? I wouldn’t let you suffer! Think of it as a ‘having your cake and eating it to’ sorta deal!”

 

“...Thanks! It’s abit unorthodox, but I appreciate the sentiment!” His tail wags wildly, sending his cape a flutter all about. His four roommates all scoff as they look to their own direction. They all mutter the same word together.

 

“Cheater…”

 

Matt, PJ and Sweety notice the four and quickly try to change the topic.

 

“Hey Rammy!” Matt acts wildly to derail attention “What are you supposed to be? Phenomenal costume by the way! The makeup is amazing!”

 

“Eeeeeeeeeend meeeeeeeeeee…” she slams her head onto the table.

 

“Uh...w-was it something I said?...”

 

“She...doesn't want anyone pointing out how good she's lookin in her costume…” Parappa says as tugs at her horns to try and pull her back up.

 

“Ah...right...my bad! I was unaware… still though! I'd like to know what you're going as!” the ram doesn't reply. He stares at her face, it was painted with white and black makeup. The style makes her face look like a skull. She wore fingerless gloves with her claws painted white. Thanks to her demon form, it gave her hand a bony appearance. She wore a open black hoodie with the black shirt underneath having weird white lines that gave it the appearance of rib bones. Her red eyes from her demon form appeared like flames thanks to the hood over her head casting a very complimenting shadow on her face. Her black jeans had white stripes that gave the look of leg bones. Wrapped by her tail was a small prop scythe that was held against her back in between her wings. There are also silver jewelry accessories all over her body. He pieces it together “YOU’RE-”

 

“I'm the Angel of Death…”

 

“Yeah yeah! You're dressed as the Grim Reaper! The second hand man to the lord of Hell and the first ever Archdemon! He was with Satan when he was banished!”

 

“The very same. Course he's nothing but a myth now. All Archdemons died and vanished once he kicked the bucket sooo...yeah...what irony…”

 

“Cool costume choice nevertheless!”

 

“Thank Parappa for that. I never would've participated in this since I didn't even know about Halloween at all!”

 

“What??...actually...that does explain the others...our doubles were really confused when they saw everyone dress up. I take it wasn't celebrated in Hell?”

 

“Why would we celebrate an event that started from people dressing up to scare the things in Hell so that they'd stay in Hell?”

 

“E-Eheheh...got me!...”

 

“Relax. I ain't got no gripes with that. I clearly wasn't born in THOSE times was I? Now it's not even like that, cuz nowadays it's done for fun stuff rather than that right?”

 

“Of course!”

 

“This chat is lovely and all, but we really should start before we run out of time to do everything we planned for guys!” Katy says try to jumpstart the activities. They all quickly agree.

 

“Almost forgot...sorry about that Katy! Hey are the doubles comin along?”

 

“Only for the party I'm afraid Parappa. They didn't wanna participate in the other stuff without a costume on…” Paula answers.

 

“Aw...wait...Leo! What about Poppy, Kitty and Rayn?” 

 

“I actually got go and pick them up now. They are gonna be joining you guys. They bugged me to bring em over and so here I am going to go do that!”

 

“See they dressed up?”

 

“Yeah dad! Poppy convinced the other two! She's going as an Alraune, Rayn as a pixie and Kitty as a Jiang-Shi!”

 

“So plant monster, forest fairy and Chinese hopping vampire. Heck that makes four vampires!”

 

“Aren't Jiang-Shi’s zombies?...” Katy corrects Parappa.

 

“I mean...so are vampires technically.” Parappa corrects back.

 

“Sure suuuuure!” she rolls her eyes.

 

“Just keep it at Jiang-Shi and leave it at that…” Leo says as he heads to the door “I gotta go! You guys enjoy your day! The three of them will join you once I return!” he runs off. Not long after the group leave the building to starts their own day.

 

“So we gotta be back here by midnight then?” Parappa asks PJ.

 

“Right! Little bit before or after as the alternatives if you're caught up on something, but don't miss out on to much!” PJ replies.

 

“Right!” they all say as they head off. Rammy then grabs Parappa by the shoulder and separates him from the group. She waits until their footsteps disappear in the distance before speaking to him.

 

“Hey...Paraps…”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“So then...all night you're gonna be out and about?...”

 

“Yes I am!...Look… I know that for some reason...you don't want me to...but I'll be fine. Because you'll make sure I'll be, right?...”

 

“I...I only hope I can…” she swallows her guilt and fear “Youuuu...got your sunglasses?...”

 

“Right here! In my pocket! And you?”

 

“I have mine to, don't worry.”

 

“See? We're gonna be fine!” he starts walking again with her following right behind “I heard they're gonna be letting Raparra out today! Hope he decides to take part in the festivities instead of leaving town again!”

 

“With that guy? Who can say…”

 

“Yeah...he's more unpredictable than I am…” Parappa stares at the sunlit sky and then sighs. He quickly turns around to face the ram “I love you to.”

 

Rammy’s motor control goes haywire as her legs cease to properly walk “HAHG-EEK-URGH-WAGH…” Parappa quickly catches her before she falls and hurts herself.

 

“Whoa there!...”

 

“WHOA YOUR FUCKING SELF!...W-WHERE’D THAT COME FROM ALL OF A SUDDEN?!...I mean...I a-appreciate hearing that...but…”

 

“Like we discussed...with how things are gonna work out. You might...never hear those words from me...compared to the other girls. And well, that didn't seem fair to me… So I'm saying it now before it becomes too late to say at all. I also feel easy saying it cuz you’d never let me down or lie to me. Some qualities of a nice person to love~ And...well...you know I kinda do...since Leo can still look like you.”

 

“Logic applied to love...blegh…” she walks past him and turns her head to the side “Come on lover boy~... We gots a fun day to enjoy!” the black sheep heads off in a sprint with Parappa struggling to keep up.

 

“Heyyyy!... W-Wait uuuuup!...”

 

* * *

 

_ The sixth full moon night… _

 

The day goes by as the group enjoy the jovial events that happen throughout the day, be it organized by themselves or the town as a whole. Night time is there at an instant and soon it reaches midnight were they all pile into Club Fun. The excitement only rises during the events of the costume party as the time passes on even more.

 

“Man the day went by in a flash didn’t it?”

 

“That’s typical for us Parappa. After all, time flies when ya havin fun.” PJ munches on a chocolate bar.

 

“And this party is the definition of fun!” Matt says as he dances about. The wrench headed lady soon walks up to the trio.

 

“Y’know, i’m kinda shocked you three ain’t taking the chance to go up on stage and perform with the instruments set up. Or better yet Karaoke! Or just singing songs you lot make yourselves!”

 

“We can do that??”

 

“Well duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh. What kinda party wouldn’t allow you younguns to be able to do that?? Especially in this music lovin day and age! The gals wasted no time in takin advantage of it right now! Where else did you think the music was comin from??”

 

“We thought it was a recording of a song they sang!” Parappa says as he arms swing about.

 

“Nawwwwww boy! This is all a first premier and it’s happening now! See?~” She nods her head to the stage, and there the trio see Paula currently on the stage singing her heart out with the other four supplying music. At the front of the stage they the ex shadows enjoying it all the most along with Poppy and Leo.

 

“Would’ve been nice if they told us…” Matt tugs at his bandages.

 

“Maybe they assumed we already knew?”

 

“Clearly we didn’t PJ! But whatever! It’s all on us! Now let’s go have our turn afterwards!” They all run towards the stages to enjoy themselves with the others.

 

“Who'd've thought you’d’ve had so much fun that you miss out on more fun you could be havin!” Gloria laughs as she watches the trio run off.

 

The party goes by and soon it’s been three hours in, leaving only about an hour and a half before sunlight left, with everyone there having taken part. Unbeknownst to them all that it had begun growing cloudy outside, as if a it were gonna start raining heavily soon. They’re all alerted to this fact by the heavy sound of thunder.

 

“WOOOOOoooooooOOOOWZaaaaaaaaaaAAAAA!~” Leo says as he stands like a wobbly mess “Did ya heeeeeeaaaaar that?~ Sounds like it’s gonna start pooooooouuuuuriiiiiin~...”

 

(“What’s wrong with you? You sound like a drunk mess! Which is feasibly impossible cuz there was none here! Also i’m pretty sure you’re still a year to young to drink like us...”)

 

“Ohhhhh that drinkin age rule don’t booootheeeer me none~...And as to where I gots it from...Kiiiittyyyyy was niiiice enough to bring some in! I insisted not to but after one cup I was like...whyyyyyy nooooooot maaaaaan~”

 

Everyone looks to Kitty “...What?... Not my fault he gets buzzed easily! He probably inherited it from one of you guys!”

 

“Why did you smuggle booze here to begin with Kit??”

 

“Why the fuck not?? It’s a party ain’t it?”

 

“You know I walked into that...ugh…”

 

“Guys relaaax. He sobers up ridiculously quickly! He’ll be right as rain in a few minutes.”

 

“......how do you know that?...” they all ask the cat girl except for the two flower girls.

 

“What you think I’m gonna dorm with this lil shit and NOT treat him to booze like that to ease up every now an again? You guys crazy!”

 

“You’ve been intoxicating our son…” Paula says in rising passive aggression.

 

“He’s fiiiiine! He’s taken his fair sips at an age younger than this!” They all sigh as they recall his role models.

 

“Be that as it may, don’t do that…” Katy adds on.

 

“He’s fine with it! Plus he’s an adult to! Let the kid enjoy his OWN decisions.”

 

“A-Auntie Kitty’s riiiiiight gals~...I’m…-hic-...i’m right as rain!~”

 

“Yeah see- Auntie?...” They all look at the tipsy ram boy, but none of them are as perplexed as Kitty.

 

“...Well yeeeaaaah?...You’s a part of my family’s life now riiiiight?~...It’s obvious that the eventual meeeee of this timeline will grow uuuup with yooooou in his life now tooooooo~...”

 

“...Huh…” Kitty had never processed that thought before “E-Erm...kay…”

 

“L-Let’s not get off topic here!”

 

“Katy drop it. We were the same you know. Can’t really blame Kitty or L-Leo for any of this…”

 

“Oh Lammy!...fine…” Katy holds her face “So how long till he sobers up then?”

 

“...Huh?...Oh about...five to ten minutes…”

 

“Well then that shouldn’t take to long...let’s just keep an eye on-...where’d he go...” All they see is a blank space where he was standing “Quick! Look for him!”

 

“Why?...What’s the worst he can do while like that?...”

 

“I rather not have us find out given who he is…”

 

“...Good point, spread out and search!” They all run off, but Parappa stops when he sees Rammy standing by a window. She had apparently walked off from the group halfway through that conversation.

 

“Yo Rammy?...What’s wrong?”

 

“Hm? Oh nothing just checking something…” She looks at the cloudy sky that blocks the moonlight completely. She then closes her eyes and speaks up “Want to go home now?...”

 

“Whaaaa?...I mean I know it’s late...but we’re still at a party!...We’re young adults! We gotta enjoy moments like this!”

 

“Yeah I know...but...I feel...uneasy…”

 

“Why is that?...”

 

“...Can we talk outside?...Away from every ear?...”

 

“...This ain’t gonna be fun to hear…” The duo quickly head outside at a distance far from any hearing distance. Be it realistic or exaggerated “So...what’s up?...”

 

“I just...I wanna head home...something’s...just making me feel off...like something is gonna happen soon...really soon…”

 

“Is it there werewolf?!...”

 

“No...that thing won’t bug us again...i-if we head home.”

 

“What does that have-...no...actually tell me...what happened. Because you said that you didn’t defeat the thing, only ran it out of town...why would you do that when he could pose a threat to anyone and everyone??...”

 

“Because maybe he was just rampaging thanks to the transformation itself…”

 

“That’s not an excuse! The guy was purposely staying outside at night to trigger his transformation!”

 

“Maybe he was misled by good intention…”

 

“The intention to hurt innocent people?!...Why didn’t you do anything?!”

 

“...I dunno…”

 

“Rammy! That’s not an answer!...”

 

“It is to me…”

 

“URA!...”

 

“Just drop it!...”

 

“I’M NOT GOING TO!...SOMETHING’S CLEARLY WRONG AND YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS!”

 

“It’s nothing!...”

 

“RAMMY!”

 

“....!”

 

“RAMMY! WHY DIDN’T YOU DO ANYTHING?!”

 

**“BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO HURT YOU ANYMORE!!”**

 

“...what??...How would you hurt me trying to stop the werewolf?!”

 

“...” She clutches her face “I...I gotta get this out there…”  _ Can’t hide it anymore... so out with it… _ “Paraps...tch…” She turns around to face him “Parappa...YOU’RE the werewolf!...”

 

Everything becomes quiet. Quiet and cold.

 

As that happens the group find Leo as he tries to get up on stage.

 

“Oh...hiiii yaaaaall~...”

 

“Leo what are you doing?...”

 

“What do you mean?...I’m gonna sing!...It aiiiiin’t fair that you all got to and not me!...So I’m gonna do that right now~...”

 

“But you can’t!...” Kitty stops herself. Then she turns to the others “Would...this be alright to let him do?...He’ll most likely sober up completely midway through the song...he already sounds better now! What do you all think?...” Everyone takes a minute to make a group decision. They ultimately decide to let him sing “Alright then! Just don’t do to anything out there.”

 

“Auntie it’s just singin...the only ‘out there’ thing I can do is blow my voice out by bein a show off~”

 

“Oh yeah...he’s started soberin up alright...just start you!” They leave him be and head over to enjoy the song he was about to start singing. The lights dim as music starts playing in a gentle mellow beat “I think he’s good now…” Kitty merely forces out a sigh as she can’t be bothered.

 

Leo appears on stage in full pride as his costume hides his appearance well enough. He looks to the crowd as he holds his microphone up to his face. His belt spawns in backups that begin chanting.

 

**_“MmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmM”_ **

 

**_“MmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmM”_ **

 

He opens his eyes and begins.

 

_ “How long have you known about it?”  _ Both he and Parappa say from their respective locations.

 

_ “Did you know it from the start?”  _ Parappa asks, but Rammy stays silent.

 

_ “Did you know when I told you that I loved you, (baby?)”  _ Parappa asks while Leo keeps singing. But Rammy closes her eyes.

 

**_(“Oooooh~”)_ **

 

_ “And what did you tell him?”  _ Is all Rammy’s inner thoughts tell her over and over.

 

_ “I know it ain't the truth!”  _ Parappa shouts, hoping he was right.

 

_ “So I said... _

 

_ Every nooooote _

 

_ Of every choooooord _

 

_ Of every soooooong... _

 

_ Reminds meeeeeeee _

 

_ Every noooooote _

 

_ Of every chooooooord _

 

_ Of every sooooooong _

 

_ Reminds me that you gave up! _

 

_ You sold me out…”  _ Leo sings as he starts standing in a much more stable manner. Parappa in the meanwhile starts walking away from Rammy.

 

**_(“Uh!”)_ **

 

Parappa struggles to comprehend the reality behind what Rammy told him as he tries to play it off as her messing with him, but the more he thinks about it, the more it starts to make sense. Still he holds on to his delusions.

 

_ “So long since I've wrote about it…”  _ Leo picks the song back up as he flaunts upon the stage.

 

_ “I should have known it from the start…”  _ Parappa says as he Rammy catches up to him.

 

_ “I should have known it when you told me that you loved me, baby.”  _ Rammy tries to clear her name since she hadn’t known until AFTER that.

 

_ “But what did you tell me?...”  _ Rammy tries to say the truth, but the next line he says stops her.

 

_ “I'mma hope it ain't the truth…”  _ Parappa turns his head to the sky and quickly grabs his sunglasses so that he can take a look at the weak moonlight peeking through the clouds. The second he yanks them off, Rammy’s hands cup themselves over his eyes. They both struggle and fumble. They both fall over an alley that is void of the weak moonlight. Once they get up, Parappa stares at Rammy with mixed negative emotions. He was angry at her, but the fact that she went out of her way to stop his eyesight proved that he was in fact the werewolf. He growls as the feeling of betrayal overwhelms him completely. Thunder booms once more and rain starts pouring like crazy. It wipes away their facepaint and Parappa’s temporary hair dye. The multiple raindrops on their faces mix with the tears they were both shedding. Parappa grabs his sunglasses and places them back on his face. He then runs off with Rammy chasing after him.

 

_ “So I said... _

 

_ Every nooooote... _

 

_ Of every chooooord _

 

_ Of every soooooong _

 

_ Remiiiiiinds meeeeee…. _

 

_ Every nooooooote _

 

_ Of every choooooord _

 

_ Of every soooooong _

 

_ Reminds me that you gave up! _

 

_ You sold me out!”  _ Everyone starts dancing happily to the song that the boy sings, while at the same time the two running animals were anything BUT happy.

 

**_(“Uh!”)_ **

 

The group start cheering for the boy's song, inflating his ego as he recovers completely. His backups hum again.

 

**_“MmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmM!”_ **

 

Parappa stops running and just begins punching the wall of a building that he realizes he destroyed while as the werewolf.

 

**_“MmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmM!”_ **

 

He repeatedly punches the wall before just laying his head against it in defeat.

 

_ “So I said!” _ Rammy catches up, but again he tries to run off. However Rammy expected this and cuts him off. They crash and tumble once more. While they’re on top of each other Rammy just pours out ever fear and emotion she had throughout the entire ordeal, especially once she herself learnt the truth. She tells everything and then some, hoping to ebb away his anger, even if just by a little. In the end she comes to terms with the fact that he has his rights to hate her, but the dog just forgives her in a low defeated tone. Apologizing himself, as he only suffers from his own rampant emotions on account of the rapidly arriving guilt from what he may have done as the beast.

 

_ “Every nooooote…”  _ they stay in each other's embrace, both upset.

 

_ “Of every choooooord…”  _ the rain just drenches them both, hiding their slowly ending tears.

 

_ “Of every sooooooong…”  _ Their chests tighten once more as they both hear the beating of their hearts in the quiet ambience of the rain.

 

_ “Remiiiiiinds meeeeeee…”  _ Leo's body lightly flickers in the exact same static as when his body started fading, but no one notices as it was only a split instance.

 

_ “Every noooooote…”  _ Sweety gets a slight headache bugging her thereafter, but she shrugs it off.

 

_ “Of every choooooord…”  _ the two beating hearts follow their own rhythm as they both beat together as the pressure in their chests tighten even further.

 

_ “Of every soooooong…”  _ They look to each other and get stuck on the other’s gaze.

 

_ “Reminds me that you gave up! _

_ You sold me out!”  _ Leo snaps and the lights blast back to full brightness as multicolored spotlights cover him in a rainbow.

 

Rammy and Parappa get back up and as they try to back and way from each other, their hands keep them tethered together. Their fingers lock over the other’s hands as they walk back closer to each other. They recline against a wall and place their foreheads together again. The heat of their faces is now more noticeable despite the lack of a blush. The keep their gaze on each other as they near the other's lips. Meanwhile Leo shouts gleefully as he holds the mike out.

 

“FINAL VERSE! SING ALONG NOW, YOU GUYS SHOULD KNOW WHAT TO SAY!~” he looks to the group below him.

 

**_“Every nooooooote!”_ ** Katy, Kitty, Ma-san, Fei-bo and Lammy sing along the line.

 

**_“Of every chooooord!”_ ** PJ, Sweety, Matt, Paula and their ex shadows sing right after.

 

**_“Of every soooooong!”_ ** Sunny and Rayn follow up.

 

**_“Remiiiiiinds meeeee”_ ** they all sing together with Leo.

 

_ “Every nooooote…”  _ Parappa sings out as his lips approach Rammy’s.

 

_ “Of every chord…”  _ Rammy sings her verse as she approaches Parappa’s lips.

 

_ “Of every sooooong…”  _ they sing together as they connect lips. 

 

**_“Reminds me that you gave up!”_ ** the entire club sings out.

 

_ “You sold me out!” _ Leo closes off the song as the lights dim once more. Everyone cheers as the boy becomes woozy once more. His body starts sparking as he falls off the back of the stage with the appearance of an electrical mess. The entire club gasps, and as they do, a vision enters Sweety’s head. There she sees the duo kissing in the rain and immediately panics. As the rest of her friends run off to see if the boy is alright, she merely yells before running out of the club, leaving a dust cloud in the shape of her body. She storms down the street in search of the duo.

 

Said duo finally break their kiss and look at each other happily, but the realization of what they just did hits the ram hard “W-WHAT DID I JUST DO?!...”

 

“Isn't...it obvious? We kissed!...W-We kissed...WE KISSED?!?!” they both look at the other in mass confusion “W-Why did- OOF…” Parappa is slammed away by Sweety.

 

“H-HEY GUYS WHATCHA DOIN…~”

 

“S-Sweety?...wait...PARAPPA!...” the black sheep bails on the pink bear and runs to where the dog landed.

 

“Owww...huh?...M-MY SUNGLASSES!” he looks to the ground to see that his shades had been broken from his fall.

 

“It’s ok it's ok!...here...use mine…” Rammy hands him her pair.

 

“T-Thanks...I think I do wanna go home now…”

 

“On it buddy…” she helps him up and they walk off hand in hand before being blocked off by Sweety.

 

“H-Hey!...where are you two going??”

 

“Home...for personal reasons...it'd be bad if Parappa stays out any longer…w-why you bugging?...”

 

“N-No reason!...Actually scratch that! Big reason! Y-You two were kissing right about now weren't you!...”

 

“YOU SAW US?!...”

 

“Technically speaking...kinda. Which is why I'm here!...”

 

“Why??”

 

“Oh I don't know...MAYBE CUZ JUST DOING THAT ALONE NEARLY WIPED OUT LEO!”

 

“W-WE DID?!?!”

 

“I-I GOTTA GO CHECK UP ON HIM!...”

 

“Paraps no!...I know you're worried, but we gotta go  _ now _ …!” Sweety yanks Rammy away from Parappa.

 

“Why? He owes it to Leo for nearly erasing him again! SO DO YOU!...”

 

“Sweety you don't understand! It's dangerous if Parappa stays out now that the clouds are clearing up!...”

 

“You're right. I _ don't _ understand! What does that have to do with anything?!...”

 

“JUST LISTEN TO M-” she stops talking when they both hear Parappa in pain. They look to see him grabbing his head “No no no no no!...not now!...We gotta go  **_now_ ** Paraps!...” she gets away from Sweety and starts tugging Parappa along.

 

“What's happening?? Tell me!...”

 

“Don't worry about it!...”

 

_ What luck I have to see that you're still awake my darling pet~ _

 

“You're the reason...I turn into that thing...aren't you!...”

 

_ Oh you caught? How dull...but it matters not! Not like you can do anything about it! _

 

“Paraps ignore it!...”

 

“T-Trying…”

 

“What's going on?!...”

 

_ I'm much better equipped now to handle any spontaneous outbursts you may have! So let's start with removing any interlopers~  _ Parappa lifts Rammy up and tosses her into Sweety. He quickly freaks over what he did.

 

“G-GIRLS!...”

 

_ Now...for the sunglasses!~ _

 

“N-Noooooo!...”

 

The rest of the group arrives after Sweety, worried about her sudden disappearance. However, before they can do anything, Rammy shouts out “STOP PARAPPA!...” they’re immediately confused, but Katy understands and tries to do as told. Unfortunately, she's to late. The clink of the sunglasses onto the concrete ground echoes painfully. Parappa was seen staring at the moon as it’s fully released from the clouds concealment. And there they all hear his heartbeat.

 

_ And with that, I have won~ _

 

Parappa struggles with what little control he has on his body “G-Guys...get awaaaaay from meeeeeeeeee…” his heartbeat booms louder than the thunder “Please...run...and stay...saaaaafe…”

 

They all are at a loss for what's happening, but Rammy and Katy quickly panic and instruct everyone to run. Run fast and far away while also making sure Ma-san, Fei-bo, Sunny and Rayn keep their shades on. They all only manage to run a short distance before they see a large white light and a following explosion. Their friend was gone, and before them all stood the werewolf who howled at the sky. Katy's phone rang and she quickly answers to stop the noise from angering the beast. Out shouts the flustered robot man  _ “MISS KATY! YOU WERE CORRECT!” _

 

“Yeah...he's a werewolf…”

 

_ “NOT ONLY THAT, HE'S THE  _ **_MAIN_ ** _ WEREWOLF THAT'S BEEN PLAGUING YOUR TOWN! BUT THERE’S SOMETHING MUCH WORSE! SOMETHINGS WRONG WITH THE LUNAR CYCLE! THE MOON THAT SHOULD BE VANISHING WITHIN THE HOUR NO LONGER WILL! IT WILL REMAIN UNTIL WHO KNOWS WHEN! SO WHATEVER YOU DO, DO  _ **_NOT_ ** _ LET YOUNG PARAPPA OR THE ONES HE BIT LOOK AT THE MOONLIGHT! _ ” Katy laughs in her delirium as her eyes turn to waterways that go over her crazy smile. Everyone stares fearfully at the giant beast before them, but Rammy merely stares at the friend she let down. The phone nearly slips out of Katy's hand as Parappa looks at all of them. His red eyes break away to reveal his regular eyes that look bloodshot. The eyes angrily catch everyone of their movements as Spectora’s cackling echoes in his head.

 

Katy's laughter keeps up as she speaks to the voice in the phone “Hahahaaaaa...too little…”

 

_ To late… _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter with another end note! The song, Every Note, belongs to Mystery Skulls again!


	51. Over the Moon

“FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUUUUUUCK!” Everyone was running from the chasing beast as it bounced from building to building after them. The attacks that both Lammy and Rammy did that were once effective now just bounce off the beast. He has grown too strong for them to be able to apprehend him this time. Yet it wasn’t like they were actively trying to hurt him anyway now that they know it’s Parappa.

 

“WHAT THE FUCK DO WE DO?!”

 

“I D-DON’T KNOW…WE’RE BARELY EVEN T-TRYING!...”

 

“I DON’T WANNA FUCKING HURT HIM!...”

 

“YOU T-THINK I DO?!...”

 

“BUT WE GOTTA DO SOMETHING OR HE’S GONNA KILL US ALL!...”

 

“I K-KNOHOHOHOOOOW...BUT I GOT N-NOTHING!...”

 

“ME TOOOOOO!” They both brace for impact as he tanks through everything and tries to slash at them.

 

**“RAPARRA ASSIST MOTHER FUCKEEEEEEEEEEEEER!”** From out of nowhere, the tall hell dog cannonballs into the lunging beast mid air. The assault stops his momentum and forces him to drop onto the ground “BOOM BAYBEEEE!” 

 

“R-Raparra!...”

 

“YOU FUCKING IDIOT! THAT’S PARAPPA!...”

 

“Oh I know. The screaming voice from the cat’s phone gave that away. Unlike you two wimps, I ain’t got no guilt in hitting him as hard as I can. Now go. I’ll try to see what I can do to him.”

 

“YOU’RE GONNA DO JACK SHIT! PARAPPA’S GOTTEN TOO STRONG IN THIS FORM!”

 

“Yeah I could care less. It just makes the victory that much greater when I take him down!...Still...for you to be the werewolf...I guess that explains why the sent came from you...tch...well. You got yourself into this, now we gotta stop you just so we can help you!” The beast gets back up, shrugging off the heavy impact “If it’s even possible at this point…”

 

_ Crush them flat my dear~ _

 

The beast Parappa raises his arms to smash the dog, but Lammy yanks him away and runs off “L-LAMMY?! LET ME DOWN!”

 

“THAT'S G-GONNA BE A NOPE FROM ME!”

 

“AW COME THE FUCK ON! I GOT THE ON TO LEAVE THE HOSPITAL!”

 

“AND THAT'S NOT AN EXCUSE TO GET YOUR ASS SENT  **BACK** TO THE HOSPITAL YOU ACCIDENT PRONE LITTLE SHIT!...”

 

“...Alright.” he stifles a laugh “Way to blow your cool away~...”

 

“I-I’M  **NOT** IN THE MOOD FOR IT!...”

 

“Fine fine.”

 

“Lammy I'd be feeling a sense of pride over you but if I do, he'll mutilate me so I gotta hold it in.”

 

“I could care less…”

 

“Stop talking, you're making me too proud…”

 

“SHUT UP!...”

 

“Ayiyi...you girls are certainly doubles…” the trio catch up with the group they split off from.

 

“A-ANY IDEAS?...” Katy shouts at them.

 

“NOTHING!...AND IT DOESN'T HELP THAT THE MOON AIN'T GOING AWAY ANY TIME SOON!” Rammy looks back to the beast that started getting closer by the second “Dammit...we're running out of distance and places to run…”

 

“So then let's fight! With all of us here we can manage SOMETHING!” Raparra suggests.

 

“I've learned that a numbers advantage means fuck all to him. Together or separate...this is all just something he can now handle with ease…” Rammy groans as she fires off more purple bolts from her hands. The werewolf counters by swatting the blasts away, then firing another electrical burst from his mouth “AW FUCK I FORGOT ABOUT THAT! DUCK AND COVER!...OR ATLEAST DON'T RUN IN A STRAIGHT LINE!...” Everyone just barely avoids the blast that zooms past them all. Parappa roars as his claws become coated in electricity. He slashes at the air and launches thunder waves from them.

 

“INCOMING  _ INCOMING _ !” Matt shouts as the blade beams fly all over the place.

 

“...Uuuurmmm...Hhrrrrnnnggg…” Katy scrunches her mouth radically before firing a vocal blast volley. It connects, and each constant impact pushes Parappa further and further back. However, he's clearly not happy with that, and so swats the remaining blasts away and fires off another howling laser at the cat “U-Uh oh nooooo…” She panics as she opens her mouth. She manages with all her might to focus just enough to- “HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” She fires a pure white laser from her mouth that clashes head on with Parappa’s. Her hypersonic shout was stuck in an even deadlock with the werewolf’s attack as they tried pushing the other back.

 

“H-HEY! KATY’S DOING IT!!~” Paula shouts with faltering hope.

 

“I-It makes sense! They’re both on equal footing with each other! I-If anyone could match him like this, it’d be her!...”

 

“There’s empty meaning behind those words Matt...recall that despite the current equal footing...Parappa is still affiliated with electricity and Katy with water...Katy can hit him all she likes and he wouldn’t really pat it much mind...but if he hits her once...she wouldn’t be able to do the same…”

 

“D-Damn it PJ...why’d you have to bring that up…” They stare at the clashing duo and soon see the poor cat sweating heavily as her face shows a pained expression. The laser gets all warbly as she starts getting pushed back “And there it is...K-KATY MOVE!...”

 

“I-I...caaaaan...dooooo iiiiiit!...” Her blast is being quickly erased and just before she’s struck, Kitty tackles her out of the way.

 

“No...you clearly don’t…” Katy coughs weakly.

 

“S-Still...c-can’t blame me for trying…augh...my t-throat...” She grabs her withered throat as Parappa approaches the helpless cat duo. Raparra, Ma-san, Paula and the ewe duo slide in between them.

 

“Uh-uh. You still got us to deal with shit head!”

 

“L-Like hell we’re gonna let you t-take em while they’re down!...”

 

(“Mutt would never do that!”)

 

“And you’re still him! So you shouldn’t either!”

 

“Come on Paraps...you’re still in there!...I know you are…”

 

The werewolf rears back abit snarling. This makes them believe he’s actually trying to break through, but those wishes are crushed when he readies his fist. He sends it forward and Raparra stops it with his own fist. He struggles to keep it held back “F-FUCKING...YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING...IT’S BEEN...FIVE DAYS...AND YOU’RE...PUSHING ME BACK COMPLETELY THIS TIME…” Kitty yanks Katy away as Raparra holds the beast back.

 

“I-I mean you did just get released from the hospital from a heavy arm injury-”

 

“SHUT IT LAMMY!...”

 

“R-Right…” Lammy watches the hell boy loses the struggle. The ground beneath him breaks as he's pushed down. The weight of the fist attempting to crush him. Lammy grits her teeth and slams her foot against the fist to help him out.

 

“WHAT ARE YOU-”

 

“HELPING YOU OUT YOU S-STUBBORN ASS!...”

 

“I DON'T-...JUST RUN DAMMIT!...”

 

“GONNA HAVE TO P-POLITELY DECLINE!...” the duo are helped by three extra pair of fists.

 

(“ATLEAST LET US LEND A HAND TO!...”) The five of them together manage to make the clash end in a draw as both sides are pushed back. Parappa feels literally nothing from it as he resumes walking forward, but the other five all find themselves on their knees in exhaustion (“It took us everything just to come out even...and Mutt fucking shakes it off like nothing…”)

 

“He’s ridiculous…”

 

“Dammit Paraps...gahh...this my fault…”

 

As he approaches again, he finds himself wrapped in vines. He snaps them easily but more and more keep wrapping him up. Vine walls also appear around him to box him up “COME ON! THEY WON'T HOLD HIM FOREVER SO LET'S JUST RUN WHILE WE CAN!” Sunny shouts at the downed five who quickly get back up and run off with her. Parappa destroys all the vines and roars as he runs after them. 

 

“W-WAIT!...IF WE KEEP RUNNING THIS W-WAY WE'LL ENDANGER THE PEOPLE AT THE PARTY! AND THAT'S THE ENTIRE TOWN!...” Lammy says as she realizes where they're running to.

 

“WELL IT’S NOT LIKE WE CAN TURN AROUND!” Raparra shouts.

 

“WHAT DO WE DO?!” Sunny asks.

 

“WHATEVER IT IS, SAY IT QUICK BECAUSE THE CLUBS COMIN UP REAL FAST!...” Kitty panics as they see the fastly appearing club.

 

They all stop “W-We can’t just endanger everyone to get away!...” Matt states as they all turn to Parappa.

 

“So we’re forced to try Raparra’s crazy idea?!...” Chris says as Parappa stops before them all.

 

“If it guarantees the safety of the others…then we don’t got a choice...” PJ gets ready as do the others, but they all falter knowing that they can’t feasibly stop him, even if they do fight together. The beast approaches the nearest thing to crush, which in this case is Lammy and Raparra. Yet before he can do anything, something zooms by and slams into the wolf. The beast is sent soaring by the object which turns out to be Leo, wearing his helmet again.

 

“WE’RE GOING FOR A RIIIIIIDE!” Leo blasts off with the werewolf in tow, dragging him through the town away from the club and his friends.

 

“Leo woke up!” Sunny says as she sighs in relief that the boy was alright despite nearly fading once more.

 

”Great news!” Charlotte shouts.

 

“And he’s not aware that the werewolf is Parappa and might severely hurt him…or even kill him…” PJ brings up.

 

“B-BAD NEWS!...” they all run after Leo after Lammy mentions that “L-LEO WAIT UP!”

 

Leo slams Parappa straight into the ground with him landing right after. Spectora is immediately enraged.  _ OF ALL THE MISERABLE, INTERFERING WASTES OF SPACE TO DARE INTERVENE...IT HAD TO BE THIS STUPID BRAT...THE ACCURSED EUROPA… _

 

“Finally I get to see you for myself…” The beast gets up instantly “You’ve been causing people near and dear to me alot of trouble...but it’s time for Leo Steps to kick your ass!”

 

_ Leo Steps?...feh...going by a new name to forget the past? Such a pitiful boy...be that as it may...my dear pet...you are no match for him… You could be a werewolf for all eternity and your strength would never reach his level without many MANY more augmentations...retreat to me at once!  _ Parappa refuses as he charges at Leo.  _ YOU IGNORAMUS! I SAID RETURN TO ME AT ONCE! _ She is still ignored as Parappa swings at Leo. The boy effortlessly dodges without much hassle, and eventually he spots an opening. Leo performs one punch on the beasts torso and immediately he’s winded and driven to his knees.  _ I WARNED YOU IDIOT! _

 

“What’s with that surprised face?...Shocked to see that there are people stronger than you?... Don’t be...I got this strong to protect the people near and dear to me...I’m in a league you’ll never reach...and you dare to harm said people...you’re nothing but an ANT compared to the things I’ve fought...allow me to humble you…” Leo grabs Parappa’s head and drives it down on to his knee. Once his head recoils back, Leo then kicks him with the same leg, launching him onto his back a good distance away “Not happy to see results like this are ya? Then let me give you some mercy monster!” Leo leaps into the air and spins a bit before dropping down to Parappa  **“ROYAL FINISH!”** he boom drops onto Parappa’s torso, nearly shattering all his ribs in the process. They all manage to stay in one piece and not end up broken, but it did not feel that way to the monster Parappa. He gasps in pain as he tries to bat the boy away, but has no strength in his arms or legs to do that “Still awake? Stubborn thing...mmm...guess I’ll let you keep some pride…” He hops off and turns around “Get up...I know you can...I ain’t done with you…” Parappa catches his breath and stands back up, slowly regenerating the injuries given to him by the future boy. He stares at him with intense hatred.

 

_ So I can't stop you...how irritating...it doesn't help that the brat appears stronger. I wonder if you can even hear me. If so, you can't win. Run over to me or die trying to fight him. The choice is yours…  _ Parappa readies a fighting stance.  _ Cocky fool... _

 

“I don’t like going all out really if I can avoid it...I tend to have too much empathy for the things I end up beating down...and you really don’t feel like something that deserves my full strength...you’re to pitiful...just a mess...there are things that i’ve went against that did...because they were brutal things that deserved no mercy...I learned that the hard way...you don’t seem like that...so I’m giving you an opportunity to leave and never show your face again…” Parappa roars as he rushes at him “Your funeral…” Parappa strikes at Leo from every single angel and Leo merely stops every attack “Block...block...block...block...block...block...block...block…” Parappa gets progressively tired as he finds no way of landing a hit on Leo “You done?” Parappa throws one last punch, but there’s no strength behind it. It lightly taps his helmet “Yeah...you’re done... **_PUNCH!_ ** ” Leo smashes his fist into Parappa’s face, busting his nose as he’s sent flying, leaving a blood trail from his bleeding nose. Parappa lays on the ground, regenerating once more to attempt to strike at Leo again, but Leo slowly approaches him “Having a werewolf as an enemy is really annoying...once you got em pinned...that stupid regeneration of there’s just makes it like you’re trying to go through a cutting board…”

 

“LEO STOP!...” Everyone shouts as they finally catch up to him.

 

“Hm?...Why did you guys follow? It’s dangerous to be by this thing!”

 

“A-About that...h-hey...why do you have your helmet on again?...” Sunny says as she and the others catch their breath.

 

“Gloria put it on me so that the others couldn’t see my face while I was having body difficulties. Now tell me. Why are you back here.”

 

“W-We’re gonna need you to not...kill...him…”

 

“What?!...why the hell not?! He could destroy the town!...”

 

“You’re not wrong...but the thing is…THAT’S PARAPPA!” The last two words echo in Leo’s head, he turns around to the beast who progressively recovers his strength. He looks at his eyes and sees that they are in fact Parappa’s eyes. Leo’s body quickly starts becoming heavier.

 

“...P-Parappa?...”

 

_ Hang on...his will power is quickly dropping at a ludicrous rate...did he not know who you were?...Why is that...hohohold ooooon~...I take it you’re one of the people he ‘swore to protect’?~ Ohohohohohohoooooo...this is delicious…~ _

 

“...Y-You...can’t be…” Leo pays close attention to the body. There he sees remnants of Parappa’s costume “Y-You are…” Leo yanks his helmet “P-Parappa...i-it’s me...w-what happened to you?...” Leo tosses his helmet to the side as he tries to approach the werewolf again. His helmet lands on top of a fire hydrant. It hits a button that causes the helmet to cycle through music.

 

“L-LEO DON’T!” Sunny tries to stop him, but Katy yanks her back “K-KATY!...”

 

“HE CAN HANDLE HIMSELF...WE CAN’T…”

 

“Parappa…” Leo cries out.

 

_ His desire to fight has completely vanished from him! My pet, if you were ever to listen to me again...now would be the time! ANNIHILATE HIM! _

 

Monster Parappa roars as the music cycling stops. A smooth beat plays as he towers over his future son.

 

“Dad…please don’t...You can fight this… Dad...it’ll be ok...” Leo’s last lines confuse Spectora, but she ignores it as she waits for her monster to mutilate the boy. The music escalates as someone starts singing. The voice is familiar to everyone. It belonged to Rammy, but she had never sung this particular song before.

 

_ One night…  _ the sad sheep boy locks his eyes with his monster father.

 

_ One more chance to say I’m sorry…  _ Parappa looks at his crying son. His eyes flicker abit. As if the sight almost reached him internally.

 

_ And I can’t believe a lie…  _ The others look at the dead silence between the two, hoping that Parappa might actually stop.

 

_ Say you need me…  _ Spectora laughs as she stares at her cauldron.

 

_ One night…  _ Parappa looks to the sky.

 

_ One more chance to say I’m sorry…  _ Leo gasps as he believes that he may have broken through to Parappa.

 

_ And I can’t believe a lie…  _ He howls as his then turns back to his son angrily.

 

_ Say you need me…  _ He rears his claw back, shattering any hope the boy and the others had.

 

_ WAVE A WHITE FLAAAAAG…  _ Leo blocks the the endless slash assault that Parappa unleashes on him. Suffering cut after cut on his arms as he ends up being pushed back.

 

_ I SURRENDER, I SURRENDER, I SURRENDER…  _ Everyone moves out of the way as the two slide past them from Parappa’s ceaseless attack.

 

_ WAVE A WHITE FLAAAAAAG…  _ The bombarding slashes then turn into full force punches that wither Leo’s guard. Eventually they break through and he starts pummeling the boy.

 

_ I SURRENDER, I SURRENDER, I SURRENDER…  _ He uppercuts Leo away. He flips around in the air and lands on his face on the cold, soaked ground. But the pain isn’t over there…

 

**_I SURRENDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRR!_ ** Parappa grabs Leo by a leg and brutally begins slamming him into the ground and everything around him. Walls, glass, fire hydrants, street lamps, mail boxes, and anything else that was nearby. Everything that Leo’s smashed into breaks like nothing, and the ground starts getting indents in the shape of how exactly he was slammed. Leo screams loudly in pain, in conjunction with the screams of the song. Parappa crashing the boy in tune with the song. With no things left to break, Parappa runs up a building, dragging Leo painfully behind as he crashes through the walls and windows on the way. Once Parappa reaches the roof, he flicks Leo into the air. Parappa leaps up and catches the ram. He lands on top of the roof heavily, and as he does, he drives Leo’s back over his own. Leo’s screaming intensifies as the sounds of his spine enduring the cruel punishment as heard alongside. It was the same thing he had attempted to do to Raparra a few nights prior. Parappa stops after a few purple blasts hit him in the face. He turns to see Rammy fly at them.

 

**“LET GO OF HIM!”** Despite not wanting to hurt Parappa, the sight of him trying to paralyze what was effectively  _ her  _ son was not something she was gonna let him do. He stops trying to snap Leo in half and uses him to bat Rammy away. She flies towards the ground just as fast as she’s hit, leaving a mini crater in her crash. Parappa then holds Leo in front of him. He coughs weakly, and as he does he slams him onto the roof and stops on him thrice before punting him off the large building.

 

_ One night…  _ Leo bounces off every building that’s in his way on his descent.

 

_ One more chance to say I’m sorry, _

_ And I can’t believe a lie…  _ Everyone watches in horror as they run towards where he’s landing.

 

_ Say you need me! _ Rammy gets out of her mini crater to see Leo fly to the ground like a meteor himself. She wastes no time flying after him.

 

_ One night! _

_ One more chance to say i’m sorry! _

_ And I can’t believe a lie!  _ Leo crashes with a heavy crunch being the only thing heard alongside the music. Everyone quickly checks to see if he was still alright, but he’s completely out cold. Small orbs of light were flickering off his body. The sight was all to familiar to Sweety as the very same thing happened each time he almost vanished. She immediately knew that this meant, he was literally beaten within an inch of his life. Had Rammy not intervened, he’d be dead. They all struggle to wake him up to try and get the orbs to go away, to hopefully see if he’ll be alright. Sunny fruitlessly struggles to see if her healing will finally work again, but it doesn’t. Her healing refuses to trigger as she still hasn’t relearned how to do so.

 

_ Say you need me…  _ Parappa howls aggressively at the moon before leaping into the air. Within seconds he lands before them. His target is clearly Leo, but all the girls quickly get up and block him off from the downed boy, holding their arms out fruitlessly. They know they can’t hold him back, but they were determined to try. The boys all watch the event go down, taking their sight off of Leo. A weak yellow energy heart appears over the unconscious boy’s chest.

 

_ WAVE A WHITE FLAAAAAAAAAG!  _ The energy heart slowly starts beating as Parappa nears the girls.

 

_ I SURRENDER, I SURRENDER, I SURRENDER…  _ He merely looks at them all and snorts in their faces, wondering if that would be enough to get them to move.

 

_ WAVE A WHITE FLAAAAAAAAAAG!  _ They refuse to budge, angering the monster who stands back at his full height.

 

_ I SURRENDER! I SURRENDER! I SURRENDER!  _ Leo’s energy heart beating increases along with the song as it starts booming. Electricity coats Leo’s body as his eyes jerk open. They were in the spiral madness that showed he was geared for a fight. And at the same time, they were empty, as if he wasn’t there anymore.

 

**_I SURRENDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRR!_ ** Parappa attempts to kill them on the spot, and they brace for the end. Before that however, they feel a large burst of air from behind themselves as they see a quick blur fly past them and into the beast’s jaw. Leo had hooked Parappa straight in his mug, and with that motion, Parappa is launched. The force of the impact knocks everyone, except from Raparra, onto their rears. Raparra watches in awe as Parappa skips along the ground like a stone one water. Leo flash steps after him and begins manhandling the monster as he warps all around him with constant heavy impacts that send the wolf everywhere. After the final strike, Parappa is driven into the ground. Leo roaring all the while, his yelling in tune with the song's yelling. Lightning and thunder crash about heavily as the dark clouds converge around him. The entire planet feels as if it's shaking from his emotions as the blue electricity signifies that Leo had gone into autopilot. The shaking startles everyone in PaRappa Town as they look to see all the clouds rushing towards something in a different part of town. In the distance, 16-bits watches the converging clouds in anguish as he tries to keep his balance. Athena and Spinni watch the clouds as the shaking earth barely topples them. Hercules smiles and laughs as he remembers the force all to well. Spectora growls as she looks to the distance, a large array of blue lightning before her. Aqua and Sirius stare sadly at the lightning for what they ended up causing rather than preventing. From their jail cell window, Soren and Rize look at the converging clouds and pray for the safety of their friend from the future, fully aware of what this all meant. Bohemian and Yismun look to the sky and are all to familiar with the feeling they were picking up. Yismun stares at the sky with endless fear, but Tycoon shatters the glass of wine in his hand as he angrily turns away from the light show and heads back inside with the cowardly robot right behind him. Within Hell, the entire place shakes and falls apart at the seams. The Queens all know what's happening, and wish that everything turns out fine. Amby feels the familiar force and panics instantly. She hopes that anyone summons her from the hat ASAP. Everyone in the vicinity merely watches the boy unleash his anger. Like Parappa, he is lost and his body is running on pure instincts alone. The weather cyclones around his feet to the fear of the others. Only Sweety has the full context as to why. Europa was the child of the two people capable of making it, but something was off. That’s when it hit her. Europa wasn’t channeling the power of the reset storm. No, Europa WAS the reset storm!

 

_ ONE NIGHT!  _ Parappa launches himself out from the hole he’s been put in.

 

_ ONE MORE CHANCE TO SAY I’M SORRY!  _ Leo eyes him. His dizzy and enraged eyes melt away to show blue lightning energy encasing his eyes instead. He warps over to Parappa and the two lock eyes.

 

_ One night...  _ There aggressive staring contest ends when Parappa tries to strike at the boy, but he uppercuts the werewolf straight into the atmosphere. Leo warps up there and stomps him straight back onto the ground.

 

_ One more chance to say I’m sorry...  _ Once they land, Leo flickers off and grabs him by the leg. He then proceeds to enact karma on the werewolf, only a thousand times more painful. He stops and kicks him away into a nearby building.

 

_ And I can’t believe a lie…  _ Raparra stares at the demonstration of strength before him. Leo was an ever bigger monster than Parappa, who was the LITERAL monster. His strength was leagues above his. What he thought of himself to be the strongest, tied with his double, was now nothing more than mere imagination. There were people stronger, leagues beyond in a realm he has been struggling all his life to reach. Leo was one of said beings, and there were people who he fought who were on that level. There were people STRONGER than Leo out there. People of such calibre made the hell dog’s blood run cold. Just...what was out there in the world? What sort of powerful maniacs could there exist? How many were there? And just how badly did they dwarf his strength? These questions rot within his mind as he watches the two continue in their battle.

 

_ Say you need me… _ The song comes to a close as Parappa gets back up again, howling and roaring in agony and spite. He was determined to kill the powerful being before him despite it being an impossibility for him.

 

**_“ERRRAAAAAGRAAAAAAAGH!!”_ **

 

“...you are…” Leo holds up an arm. He points out with one finger in a singular direction “...an utter waste of time…” Monster Parappa clearly understood that he was being insulted. And through his petty rage, he lunges at the boy. He soon lines himself up with where the boy was pointing to  **_“THERE!”_ ** Leo vanishes from the spot and over to where Parappa was in the air. His fist just spawns in his face, halting all momentum as he crumples in the air  **_“FLASH IMPACT!”_ ** Parappa flies off like a paper bag in the wind as he crashes into a building wall. He peels himself off and just yells. He charges up another howling electric blast. Compared to his prior ones, it’s huge, and it’s aimed directly at the boy. He fires it without warning or hesitation at the ram who doesn’t flinch “If you…” Leo holds his arms at his side “SO BE IT!” they are fluctuating with electricity  **_“SOOOOOULLL...SHOCKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!”_ ** Leo launches a gargantuan sized burst of energy that swallows Parappa’s attack as if it were a mere morsel. The giant blast quickly approaches the terrified monster who stops his attack and instead uses his claws to glide of Leo’s attack and head straight towards him. He leaps straight at him to slash him to pieces while he’s stuck doing the attack, but Leo is unfazed  **_“MAGNET BURST!”_ ** a heavy shockwave explodes around the boy. The entirety of Parappa’s claws were shatter. The mighty and terrifying weapons were broken as if they were a cheap toy. The heavy impact also stuns Parappa as he lays petrified in the air. Leo capitalizes on the opportunity as he stops his prior attack and smashes into Parappa with his knee  **_“BOMBASTIC RUSH!”_ ** After sixteen knee strikes, Leo roundhouse kicks Parappa away. He warps to where he’s going to land and spawns out multiple electric double  **_“FLASH ILLUSION IMPACT!”_ ** The original Leo stops him with his elbow and drives him to copy who proceeds to combo him into the other Leo clones. They finish off by smashing into the air where the final clone overheads him back down. He lands back first onto the original Leo’s fist! The impact hurts him just as much as he hurt Leo. Leo had finished ‘returning the favor’ and flicks Parappa onto the ground. His eyes loose the light, revealing his empty eyes, as he turns around to leave the defeated wolf there and begins walking away.

 

Monster Parappa refused to lose in such a demeaning manner. He snarls while on the ground, watching the autopilot boy walk away. He stomps back up, rips a large pole out from the ground and attempts to smash it into the off guard boy. Sweety quickly shouts out “LEO LOOK-”

 

Leo doesn’t need the warning as the moment the bar gets close, he flicks his head to the side and snaps the pole in half with one chomp. His eyes reignite in their energy as he starts chomping at the rest of the pole. He then rears back and spitfires all the metal bits straight at him like a machine gun. Parappa is pushed away again and soon feels a hand placed on him. He looks down to see Leo angrily eying him  **_“ASTRAL BUUUUUURST!”_ ** A quick one handed flash blast the wolf back, leaving him stunned as he tries to keep his balance. Leo does not let this happen as he slams his electrified fist into his gut  **_“RHAPSODY…”_ ** Leo roars as he drives his fist upwards. Shattering each of Parappa’s ribs as his fist connects with his jaw  **_“WRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTHHHHHHHHHH!”_ ** Parappa flops into the air only to explode in an overflowing splendor of electric energy that sends him back down. Before he reaches the ground, Leo warps all around him, striking him with his guitar. On the final hit, Parappa is left spinning before him. He finally stops, only to look at the boy before him, transforming the guitar into a large cannon that was being infused with his power  _ “Be…”  _ His blue eyes turn gold as the emptiness is replaced with Parappa’s golden feral eyes  **_“GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!”_ ** The boy’s yellow bellows greatly as it shakes everything around him. The walls and ground crumble beneath the sound of his voice and his friends all cover their ears from the volume. Parappa is forced to take the entire brunt of the attack as he flies off from the electrical blast into the near distance. The attack finally stops and the cannon morphs back into the guitar. Parappa was at his limit. The regeneration was all spent ensuring he could live the blast. He had nothing left as he was too exhausted to regenerate any further. He was bleeding copiously as he falls to his knees. His arms droop to his side and his tongue lags out. He was beaten, and there was nothing he could do.

 

_ Eternal pain in my ass...of course you had to appear here and RUIN everything...and now you’ve even grown STRONGER...now you pose even a threat to me...I won’t have it!...GET  UP YOU USELESS PET!...  _ Parappa cannot get up. He embraces the end.  _ DAMN EVERYTHING TO THE DARKEST ABYSS! _

 

“L-Leo did it…” As Chris brings this up, they all watch as Parappa no longer wishes to move. Then, Leo begins walking towards them. Then yanks a broken light post out of the ground. It was silver. And it was clear what the autopilot boy was gonna do next as he walks towards the werewolf.

 

“H-HE’S GONNA OVERDO IT!...” AJ shouts as they all see him attempt to kill the beast.

 

“S-STOP HIM!” They all rush towards the boy. Those without powers are blown away by the boy’s mere presence, while those that do take the impact and press on.

 

“BLACK PEPPER VOLLEY!” All of Rammy’s attacks fizzle against his lightning energy.

 

“HYPER SONIC SHOUT!” Katy yells another laser out at the boy, but a metal wall appears and deflects it back at them. They barely dodge it.

 

“F-FLEET FEET BARRAGE!...” Lammy kicks up flame waves that fly towards Leo.

 

(“BOOM BLAST BURST!”) Ma-san fires giant explosive fireballs at Leo. The flames unite into a volley that home in on him, but Leo unholsters his guitar with his free hand and simply bats them away without stopping or turning around. He then places his guitar back around his back.

 

“ICE CAGE!” Paula summons ice wall after ice wall to halt him, but he vibrates his body like his grandfather had shown and walks through each and every single wall.

 

“V-VINE SNARE!...” Sunny tries to wrap him up in an endless swarm of vines, but they all disintegrate from the volatile thunder energy around him.

 

“W-WE CAN’T STOP THIS!...HE’S UNBELIEVABLE!...” PJ says as the boy almost reaches his intended target.

 

“PARAPPA!...” Everyone shouts.

 

“HAAAAAAAAAAA!” Raparra flies at the ram and unleashes a punch and kick barrage on him, but Leo effortlessly blocks every single strike with his free hand. Once Raparra had finished, Leo flicks him away like a booger into a nearby car “GACK…”

 

This was it...they had failed their friend. Leo raises his arm as he aims directly for his chest. There was nothing left that they could do “It’s...over…” Or so they thought  **_“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!”_ ** Leo’s body violently expelled electricity at an instance just like Rammy saw Parappa do during his fight with Raparra. They had done something. They burned out the remaining time to his autopilot. The lightning energy was leaving his body as it left him all withered and weak. The pole drops from his hands onto the ground and he’s left twitching and shaking. The whole ordeal wakes him up, much like it did to Parappa “W-Where...am I…?...A-Argggh...m-my body...w-what’s happened to-”

 

_ NOW! _ Leo is silenced by a punch into his torso.

 

“H-Hagghh…” Leo does not fly, no he merely skids along the ground in the same standing position he was. After a good distance away, he finally drops to his knees. His head tilts to the side, and his jaw drops open. Blood immediately drips out from his open mouth as the light orbs begin hovering around him again.

 

_ COME TO ME AT ONCE YOU USELESS ANIMAL. I CAN REPAIR YOUR INJURIES AND YOU’LL BE ABLE TO DO AS NEEDED AGAIN, BUT ONLY IF YOU LISTEN AND  _ **_COME TO ME!_ ** Monster Parappa snarls in defeat, He gets up and holds his torst as he hops away and runs towards Port Barracuda.

 

“P-PARAPPA! WAIT!” Matt shouts as he and a few others try to run after him.

 

“WAIT! WE CAN’T JUST LEAVE LEO! HE’S GOING TO DIE IF WE JUST LEAVE HIM LIKE THIS!” Sweety shouts.

 

“B-BUT WHAT ABOUT PARAPPA?!”

 

“THERE’S T-TO MANY THINGS TO DEAL WITH RIGHT NOW!” Everyone begins bickering over what they should do. They panic and argue, everyone doing their own thing. Lammy starts a combo of worrying, crying and praying. And as she does, the beanie in her pocket starts to glow. Specifically the Aqua Opera sigil, and soon, Amby is ejected from her pocket.

 

_ “WHOA WHOAAAAA...Ow...Wait...Y-YES FINALLY!...” _ Amby floats back up  _ “PLEASE LET ME...help...i-is everything already over?...”  _ She looks around to see that everything is quiet.

 

“WAIT THIS IS PERFECT!” Sunny shouts “A-Amby you were Leo’s healer prior right??”

 

_ “U-Uh...T-Technically?...Why?...” _

 

“He’s kind of needing one really badly right about now…” She points to the near dead boy.

 

_ “HERO!...”  _ She flies off towards  _ “Oh gosh...ooooh man this was I sight I hoped to never see again...W-What happened?!...” _

 

“He was winning!...Then we kinda got in the way and he started losing...then he won!...But not really...Now he’s like this...But enough about that! Can you help him?!” Matt announces.

 

_ “I can I can!...Oooohhhhh…” _ She begins her slow process with the boy.

 

“Perfect! We now have Leo in check! AFTER PARAP-” Kitty is cut off as she and the others try to run off.

 

“WAIT!” The majority of them flop onto their face after Katy calls out now.

 

“NOW WHAT?!...”

 

“We can’t just LEAVE Leo like this! Even with Amby healing him, who’s to say someone isn’t gonna capitalize on his current state?!”

 

“Well then we leave someone to guard him! Alright who vol-” PJ is quickly cut off.

 

“I’ll stay.” Everyone looks to Raparra as he walks towards the the axolotl who’s healing the ram.

 

“Really?...I thought you’d be the first to want to pummel whatever caused Parappa to turn into...THAT!” Rammy mocks.

 

“Normally, yes. To fight a stronger asshole would be a joy to do...but...right now...I ain’t feelin it. So you guys go on and rescue him. I’ll keep watch over string bean here and we’ll tag along once he’s ready to move again!”

 

“...Alright...thanks Raparra.”

 

“Less talkin more savin! Go after him!” They all nod and run off to where the werewolf ran off. Raparra then stares at the boy being healed and laugh. Amby quickly stops as she turns to face Raparra defensively.

 

_ “O-Only a-adversaries laugh like that!...”  _ Her hands prep up a magical swarm of energy as she gets ready to fend off the dog should he try anything.

 

“Cool it branch head~...I ain’t gonna do anythin to him...Rather...I wanna thank him~” He approaches and Amby merely charges up further “You...string b-...no...Leo~...All my life...I wanted to get stronger...to make sure no one could walk over me...because all my life...that’s just how I’ve been...an old friend of mine thought it’d be nice to help...as long as I did the right thing...after his death...I sorta forgot that~...Power was my only fantasy and I was willing to do all I could to achieve it...and I thought I did...then I met my faker...I learned that we truly were equals in more ways than one...so I was like...cool whatever...I can easily reclaim the gap that’s needed here!...But then you...you you you yooooooou...you beautiful son of a bitch!” The limp boy only stares at him lightly, not much vitality behind his eyes “You didn’t open my eyes...you yanked them out from their fucking sockets! I learned that I’m not strong...I’m only ‘able to contend’! You...YOU’RE strong...and there are people who kicked YOUR ass...that means THEY’RE stronger...and if people like that exist...hoohee…~ What’s that make me? I’ll tell you fucking what...It makes me someone who has to intensify all he’s been through...you taught me that my prior endeavors...they were nothing...I was nothing...and I thank you for making me realize that so that I can STOP being nothing...I will get stronger...because now my fake isn’t the only one I wanna compete against...you’re now included in it also~...I now refuse to let ANYONE be stronger than me~ If someone dares to be...then I’ll train till I can slam them under my heels! THANK YOU FOR THIS ENLIGHTENMENT LEO! HAHAHAHA!” He ruffles his hair before walking away from him. Amby just watches him carefully until he stays recline against a broken chunk of wall. There she slowly resumes healing the boy, while keeping her eyes firmly locked on the hell dog.

 

* * *

 

_ The final full moon day. _

 

Everyone was driving along in their own cars, toting along those that did not as they follow the broken path to Parappa.

 

“Sixteen, are you SURE there’s nothing that you can do to help cure him?!”

 

_ “I’m certain! Miss Katy, the level of magic used to transform him is out of scientific reach! To cure him and those infected, you need assistance from a magic user of the same calibre!” _

 

“All this means that the damn witch is the reason Parappa’s like this...he leaves to greet her...comes back...following night he’s taller and then not long after, the werewolf starts comin up…”

 

_ “If that’s the case, Aqua and Sirius should be able to help!...If you can find them...they’ve since been quiet and I haven’t been able to contact them…I hope they’re alright…” _

 

“They gotta be...they’re our only hope we got left…” Katy hangs up as she keeps driving, but suddenly stops on the spot, forcing the car behind her to do so as well.

 

“KATY WHAT THE HELL!”

 

“THE PATH STOPS HERE!...” Paula then sticks her head out.

 

“WAIT WAIT WAIT! I KNOW THIS PLACE! I KNOW WHERE HE WENT! DRIVE OFF ROAD OVER HERE!”

 

“WHAT?!” Both drivers shout.

 

“JUST  **DO** IT!...” Without much to really go on, they do. They soon find themselves in Port Barracuda.

 

“What the fuck…”

 

“Trippy ain’t it?”

 

(“Enough of that! Where to now??”)

 

“Erm...where...OH! THAT WAY! THE PATH RESUMES OVER THERE!” The cars drive off and soon they reach the large building, with a large hole in the wall, shaped like were Parappa.

 

“Oh yeah...he’s here alright…” PJ says as they all leave the cars “Just to let you know...Leo was the only one capable of stopping Parappa...now he’s currently not here and we also have a crazy witch to deal with...our odds...well they’re pretty slim…”

 

“I think we’re already too far in to quit now…” Rammy mentions they look at the building.

 

(“Wasn’t that already obvious maaan?...”) Fei-bo mentions what everyone is thinking.

 

“Enough!...Let’s go…” Katy states as they all head to the door. They kick it open, but the place is empty. It isn’t devoid of sound however as they hear something coming from further in “Ooooh...I do not like the path this is going down…” She and the others trudge on. Soon they spot a large axolotl woman by a large cauldron. A large pillar of magic was being ejected from it as she cackles. On a nearby wall they spot two shackled people who Paula instantly recognizes.

 

“SIRIUS, AQUA!...O-Oops…” The witch turns arounds to spot them all.

 

“Oh...you actually followed...how dull...my dear isn’t fully ready yet to deal with this…,but I can’t be bothered... Very well...my useless pet, we have guests that want to play!” she snaps and a pod that was being held by the large magic pillar on the cauldron bursts open, and down crashes werewolf Parappa “Have fun with them while I finish this off~ The permanent full moons won’t stick unless I do~” She warps away with the cauldron.

 

“Oh we’re so dead…” Lammy says as the beast roars again.

 

“On the brightside...we also now know the reason why the moon ain’t going away!...” Charlotte says trying to find a bright side.

 

Parappa was seen to have somewhat recovered. He was no longer bleeding and his injuries seemed to have been removed. His torso seemed fine, meaning his ribs were most likely repaired. His claws however were all still destroyed. He eyes them, and they notice that his eyes are no longer bloodshot. He seems abit more passive, but that’s probably because of the beating he suffered by Leo. He was wary of them as he wasn’t fully back at tip top shape, and any unexpected attack would not be nice to take. He walks around them all, waiting for a slip up for him to make a move with little consequence “What do we do…” Paula asks as they all follow his movements.

 

“I mean...his healing wasn't finished as she said...and he's clearly well aware that even now we can…’probably’ take him on...but...I really rather it not come to that…” Rammy says as Parappa stops for a split second, freaking them all out until he resumes.

 

“TRY TALKING TO HIM!” the chained axolotl shouts from above.

 

“WHAT SHE SAID. HE SHOULD BE IN A LOW ENOUGH STATE TO BREACH THOUGH  _ SOME _ OF HIS THOUGHTS! YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO ‘HOPEFULLY’ SNAP HIM OUT!” the chained beast adds on.

 

(“Well?...”) Ma-san waits for a group opinion.

 

“It beats trying to fight and fail, giving him the edge in this tense game of duck duck goose…” Rammy sighs “Parappa...you gotta stop man...surely you're in a position to better understand your situation now right?...” he does not respond, he just keeps walking.

 

(“Come on Mutt!...You telling me you're just gonna let that bitch treat you like an easy to manipulate pet?! Can't do stuff on your own??”) he growls as he approaches Ma-san’s face, but he backs away with a huff.

 

“Parappa...you just gotta get a grip on this! A rampaging beast...that isn't what you are!...Are you gonna let it be?...” he growls again as shakes his head, a migraine clearly affecting him. Katy struggles to find what else to say.

 

“C-Come on! Parappa you're stronger than this! You have more than enough strength to take full control over this monster half of yourself!” Parappa stops circling after Paula says that and backs away, not in the mood to hear anymore.

 

“P-Parappa please!...listen to us!...w-we’re not gonna stop!...our jobs as friends...as BEST friends is to slap s-some sense into you when you're doing the wrong thing!...Is this really what you are?!” he walks back forth and towers over the ewe. Finally having enough “A-ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO FORGET THAT?!...F-FORGET US??...” he bares his fangs, causing Lammy to try and think of something. There she remembers the object in her pocket “F...FORGET THEM?! AND EVERYTHING ELSE ABOUT YOU WERE AS OUR FRIEND?!...” Parappa stops. He stares at the hat within the ewes hands and mutters out a low confused growl “T-That’s right...even y-you can't forget this…” Before the werewolf boy can give it more thought, two bursts of water blast him and Lammy. The one that hit the red sheep sends her straight into a wall “AUGH…”

 

“Now now...there'll be no rehabilitation of my monster…” she let's the attack go as the sheep drops to the floor “And you…” she increases the pressure on Parappa “You are way more trouble than you're worth...you were supposed to be a monster that was going to replace the one you eliminated...but you can't even do that right...so for once in your miserable, destructive life...listen to me...AND KILL... _ THESE... _ **_PESTS!_ ** ” the boy roars, prompting Spectora to stop blasting him “Finally going to listen? Good...NOW GET TO IT!” Parappa howls as he begins assaulting the group.

 

“SCATTER!” Chris says as they all run in different directions.

 

“SORRY PARAPPA!...” Paula launches icicle after icicle, but he crashes through them.

 

(“COME ON IDIOT! THINK! IS IT WORTH LISTENING TO A BITCH WHO'LL JUST DO  _ THAT _ TO YOU?!”) Ma-san fires explosive blasts one after the other, but he blocks them all.

 

“If...if you can't see that on your own...then...I-I’m forced...t-to make you  **_OBEY!..._ ** ” a white ring nails Parappa in the face, causing him to struggle. Spectora eyes the cat with what she's done before coming to the he realization the heat she should intervene against her.

 

“Tut Tut Tut!” she grabs Katy with her telekinesis “We can't be having that~” She cackles “You’re special! You’re like my mother and Aunts~ You are a siren~ Oh but you’re doing the stupid decision of going against me...oh I can’t be letting you do that...so why not include you to my small entourage~”

 

“H-HELP!...”

 

“PUT HER DOWN YOU FUCKED UP BITCH!” Rammy blasts Spectora from her blind side.

 

“Ow...that stung...remarkable...you can actually hurt me...therefore...YOU DIE FIRST!” the witch tosses Katy into the black sheep as they crash down “Destroy them!” Parappa breaks the voice control that Katy tried to do, but rather than listen to Spectora, he tries to attack Katy so that he doesn’t have that happen to him again “Oh you worthless mutt…”

 

Rammy flips onto her feet and blocks the boy from reaching Katy “NO YOU DON’T!...” He stops before her and intends to swat her away “I-I WON’T LET YOU!” She huffs in place, shimmying all the accessories on her. The silver glimmers and quickly stops the guy who whimpers at the sight “Huh?...”

 

“U-URA! WEREWOLVES FEAR SILVER! YOUR COSTUME H-HAS LOADS OF IT!...”

 

“Is that so?...” She spots him run off to strike at someone else “HEY!...” She gets in between them and repeats this over and over “Parappa just STOP it!...come on...stop this...you don’t wanna do any of this for real don’t you?...” The others try to help Rammy, but she makes them run off instead to avoid his wrath “Look...you can break free..I know you can…” She flutters into the air towards him, but he backs away in fear.

 

“IMBECILE JUST ATTACK HER! SHE ISN’T ACTIVELY USING HER SILVER TO HARM YOU!” Spectora zaps the werewolf, instantly repairing his claws “THERE! USE THAT!”

 

“Y-You wouldn’t!...Right Parappa?...Look...I won’t move closer...I won’t make you afraid...I’m not gonna hurt you...you should know me...I’d never...I only want to protect you...Just like you’ve done for me…” Parappa stares at the ram, the voice echoing in his head. However he’s not given much time to think as Spectora blasts Rammy in the back, sending her forward. The sight forces the werewolf to act on panic as he slashes at the girl. His claws shred her costume and clothes to bit’s as she’s left in her tattered pants and shirt on the floor. She had just barely avoided being cut, but the impact still hurt, and slamming onto the ground was not helping that. Parappa manages to look at the knocked down ram. Something in his mind was stirring “G-Gah...Guess I deserve this…”

 

“W-We gotta help her!” Everyone is slammed against the wall and held by Spectora’s magic.

 

“You won’t be doing anything! Now you useless mutt, end her.”

 

Parappa’s head and heart start racing. He sees the girl curse herself for causing all this to happen. He spots the others pinned against the wall. He looks at the witch who caused all this. He snarls as he holds his head. Multiple instances of words they exchanged boom in his brain.

 

_ “We’re friends now...aren’t we?” _

 

_ “Just note that I do have your back for whatever, whenever. I really am your friend, now until the end of time! So you’re not alone when it comes to this.” _

 

_ “We won’t let anything happen to you. We got your back from now till forever.” _

 

_ “You better save me...I don’t want to be down there…” _

 

_ “Don’t worry...it’s fated to happen...I’ll be down there to get you out before you know it…” _

 

_ “My heart’s been with yours…So why ask to connect what was already together?...” _

 

_ “I love you.” _

 

_ “I love you to.” _

 

_ "You're all my priority. And you always will be.” _

 

_ “...That right there...that's why this is happening to me…” _

 

_ “...I'm sorry...for being a terrible friend…” _

 

_ “Stupid...I should be the one saying that…” _

 

_ “...You’re a little more affectionate than usual...I thought you said you were against this sorta thing while trying to sleep?” _

 

_ “Did you forget already…” _

 

_ “Oh...um...I didn’t think it also affected this…” _

 

_ “...Can it for a few nights?...” _

 

_ “Rammy I promised you that I would make sure you’d never end up in the position that I found you in ever again. And now you look like you’re borderline on the BRINK of going back to that state. I won’t let it if i’m able to.” _

 

_ “...You sure you’re really ok with that?...” _

 

_ “Sometimes I wonder if i’m just a burden...needing you to just keep me under wraps in a safety blanket...” _

 

_ “That ain’t the truth. You’re still one hell of a mighty gal. Strong and amazing...you didn’t get weak, you just got a broader view of the world. Got me to rub off on you as constantly stated.” _

 

_ “What makes you even wanna say all that about me?!” _

 

_ “...You care for me as much as I do you...you keep me safe just like I try to do for you…you don't have to do that...nobody told you or forced you...you just chose to do it on your own...and that's something I will always appreciate…” _

 

_ “W-WHAT DID I JUST DO?!...” _

 

_ “Isn't...it obvious? We kissed!...W-We kissed...WE KISSED?!?!” _

 

All those lines and more play on and on in his head. He let his friends down, he let himself down. But most painful to him was that he had let HER down “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! SHE’S RIGHT THERE! FINISH.  **IT!** ” Spectora’s voice echoes in his head as he raises both his clawed arms over Rammy. She doesn’t flinch, she merely embraces the karma she’s earned as she looks to the ground and sighs.

 

“PARAPPA!” PJ yells at his friend.

 

“DON’T DO IT!” Matt shouts out after.

 

(“MUTT DON’T BE AN IDIOT!”) Ma-san tries to break free from the magic control.

 

“DON’T FUCK UP!” Kitty shouts at the wolf.

 

Parappa ignores it all as his arms go forward “Finally...wait…” Spectora looks at the position the monster had taken. It was not one that he would’ve taken had he impaled her on his claws. It instead was a position that looked like he was attempting to hug her.

 

Rammy feels droplets fall on the back of her head, she tilts up to see the large beast cry. Next it starts to make a noise. Was it growling? It didn’t sound like it “E-Eeerm...S-Saw...r-reee...ermeee...sawwwwreeee… M-Me...Sawry....Me..I-I’m...S-Sor...ry…” Rammy’s eyes widen, the growling had turned into speech. Despite the heavily low and gruff voice. The voice was still one she could never forget “I’m...sorry...f-for everything...for the things i’ve done as this monster...for the mess i’ve made and got you all stuck in...for everything I put you through when you found out...to me just nearly getting permanently stuck like this...I nearly killed Raparra...Leo...I nearly killed yo-”

 

“Shhhh…” She shushes the large beast who keeps on crying “It’s alright...it really is...you’re in there...you’re right here...you’re really... _ really _ here…~” Rammy wipes away her own tears “Y-You came out and took control~...I’m...I’m so happy...t-that you didn’t let...let that terrible bitch do this to you~...”

 

“B-But I did!...I did let her...the town’s be brutalized! Raparra had to go to the hospital! I nearly obliterated the Queens!...And Leo...I nearly killed him...and my body just kept at it…”

 

“No...that wasn’t you...it never was...and it never will be...don’t cry anymore...because you’re not the monster...you’re my friend...and you’re here again…~” She smiles sincerely “You’re not a monster...you’re just...just a big ol spooky puppy!” She begins scratching his large belly. On instinct, the giant dog flops onto his back.

 

“H-Hey!...S-Seriously?!...~”

 

“I’m proving my point~...” His large tail wags as his giant clawed feet kick about “Who’s a good boy~”

 

“S-Stoooooop…~” They both laugh. They laugh away the tears. The sight gets everyone else to be happy as well because Parappa had broken through. However, Spectora was not so happy.

 

“M-My monster...what have you done…”

 

Hear her say that sparked anger in Rammy’s mind, but rather than lash out at the witch, she keeps talking to her friend “Heeey big guy...that mean ol which must’ve put your head through such a trial didn’t she?... You didn’t like what she made your body right?...So how’s about we play rough with this bad pet owner~...” Parappa immediately nods. He gets onto all fours and uses his tail to flip Rammy onto his back “WHOA DOGGY!...Heh...HEY...SPEC-WHORE-A! It’s karma time bitch…”

 

The witch growls as she summons chains to lock the held group up “Just because you managed to apprehend that useless excuse for a monster does not mean you can take me on…” She summons as staff within her hands “I’ve had enough failures...and you...you are the only whore around here you blighted whore of babylon...you show to be a nuisance if I were to let you live...just like that damn ‘Leo Steps’...and so the two of you must die...BY MY HANDS!” Parappa charges at the witch who warps away behind them. Rammy fires her skull blasts which she deflects with ease.

 

“This ain’t gonna be easy Paraps…”

 

“Is anything ever?...”

 

“No...but I’m sure as hell not gonna stop! You?”

 

“FUCK no! Plus she just called one of my friends a whore...I’m DEFINITELY getting her for that!”

 

“Atta boy! It’s an extreme uphill battle...but I ain’t giving up!”

 

“YOU AND ME BOTH URA!” The rush at her again. She fires a large torrent of water that Parappa just shreds through with his claws wrapped in lightning, but he stops and changes course within the stream. He reappears behind her and locks her in his jaws. His fangs were coated in electricity as he shakes her around. Increasing the pain from the bite through two ways.

 

“L-L-L-LET GOOOOOO OF ME!”

 

“YOU HEARD HER PARAPS! LET HER FLY!” Parappa lets her go in the air, were she finds herself looking at Rammy in the face “SLEEP PARALYSIS!”

 

“ARGH...YOU...ACCURSED-”

 

“YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO BIG GUY!”

 

“DAMN RIGHT I DO!” Parappa unleashes an electric punch barrage on the immobile witch and finishes off with a jolt haymaker that sends her straight into the sky. She returns immediately coated in a large heavy stream of magic as she smashes straight towards them. Parappa stops her momentarily in a cross arm block, but she forces him back as she tries to crash through “THIS...IS...NOTHING!...”

 

“YOUR PUNY MEAT HEADED STRENGTH IS NOTHING COMPARED TO MY MAGIC!”

 

“KISS MY ASS BITCH, MAGIC AIN’T GOT SHIT ON A STRAIGHT FIERY BLAST TO THE  **_FACE!_ ** ” Rammy shouts as unleashes another skull fireball at her face point blank. It chomps oner head before finishing off with one final bite and exploding, sending her to the ground. She stays down as she just simmers on the floor “How’s that bitch?~” the close in on her to finish the job.

 

“S-STOP! YOU HAVEN’T REALLY HURT HER! ONLY MADE HER ANGR-” Aqua’s warning is to late as Spectora grabs the two in a psychic hold.

 

“Your teamwork is impeccable...but as my traitorous daughter said…” She flings them both into a wall and them slams them on the floor  **_“I AM BEYOND IRATE RIGHT NOW!”_ ** She zaps them with spell after spell as they both get launched around the entirety of the abode. She finishes off with an endless finger beam barrage. Similar to the one Sirius used to kill Mocha. But Parappa used his enhanced body to take the hit for Rammy. He lived the attack with no injuries, but was now incapable of helping out further as he was pushed beyond exhaustion.

 

“Y-Yoooou...YOU!” Rammy tries to fly at her, but she’s grabbed her neck by the witch who warps to her.

 

“Don’t bother...you little wench...you are nothing to me...you hear me?” Her grip tightens as her eyes flare up in magic energy “N O T H I N G !”

 

“A-AAAAHCK…”

 

“I could kill you right now...without the need of any magic...that’s how weak you are to me...I’m sure you saw that boy Leo...you saw how he utterly decimated your dear friend prior...Imagine that with me...but a hundred times worse...and there are more people like me under my darling Bohemian’s command...you will never best me, but if through some happenstance you were...there’d be more of ‘me’ coming right after...you lost the moment you messed with my original monster...you were never a threat to me...and you never will be...you’re just an ugly blemish on the world...and I’ll happily remove it…” She tosses the ram onto the ground next to Parappa. She walks back over to her cauldron “I was hoping to finish my spell first before getting involved, but I just don’t enjoy those who believe they can play hero...they sicken me...and now I will rectify this…” She drops her staff into the cauldron as she turns around to them. The staff melts away as a large magical blast charges up at her hands “When you go to hell...your bodies will make for better zombie slaves than monsters...so you can rest knowing you contributed SOMETHING useful to me...farewell…” She grins with delight “NECRO FADE!” She launches a green liquid blast that blasts to the down duo. 

 

Rammy tries to get out of the way, but the witch seems to have sapped her vitality dry as she was being held by the throat. Just then Parappa goes over her “What are you doing?!...”

 

“If...i’m gonna die...i’m gonna die making sure that YOU don’t!...” Rammy watches the determined wolf as the sight reignites movement in her own legs. Just enough so that she can get back up and stands in front of the wolf.

 

“N-NOT...NOT IF I SAVE YOU  _ FIRST!... _ ” Parappa’s now reinvigorated slightly as well as he stands back up also with what energy he could muster.

 

“Get...get behind me…”

 

“Like hell I am!...I am not letting anything hurt you!”

 

“And i’m not...letting anything hurt YOU!...”

 

“...Then I guess we’re at a stalemate then huh Paraps?...”

 

“...Looks like it…” They both stare at the large approaching swirl that they have no way of avoiding.

 

“GUYS MOVE!” The chained group all shout.

 

“...I guess I’m going back to Hell after all…”

 

“Hey...atleast you’ll have me with ya every step of the way…~”

 

“Yeah...that doesn’t sound TO bad...when you put it like that~...” Rammy smiles as she stares the oncoming doom. Its light makes everything appear green to everyone, but this only hid the fact that Rammy started turning purple, as if she was pure energy “I’m sorry about this…”

 

“Don’t apologize...I promised to be by your side always...that includes...that includes kicking the bucket! You think you can just up and die on me?...Nu uh...you ain’t...you ain’t getting rid of me that easily!” Parappa’s voice cracks and breaks all over as he also starts smiling. The green light hides the fact that he had turned into pure electric energy once more “I’ll be there...dying with you! You ain’t gonna spend eternity alone! That’s a promise! A promised I’ve made a while back and I’m still keeping it!”

 

“...It goes double for me~...” the duo are swallowed completely by the blast.

 

“PARAPPA!...” Katy and PJ shout.

 

“RAMMY!...” Kitty and Lammy shout.

 

That was it. The blast had done its job as it vanishes, leaving only smoke “Hahahaaaa! Oh I do love it when fools accept death and die like a meager bunch~” Spectora keeps on laughing, until she sees something appear from within the smoke.

 

“Oh no...by all means...keep on laughing~...” A new voice says. The voice completely shocked the ones on the wall. It was a smooth mix of Parappa’s AND Rammy’s voices “KEEP ON LAUGHING! CUZ IT’S THE LAST TIME YOU’LL EVER GET TO!”

 

“It...cannot be…” The smoke is blasted away and cleared instantaneously as in the center of the room, there was now a ram dog hybrid. However, unlike Leonora. This new girl did not look like Leo when he was Rammy’s child. No, but the face was still familiar. Only to Sweety however thanks to the memory that Leo had made her find. Their face looked like Euphoria’s. Unlike Leonora who was more Katy than Parappa, this new being seemed to be a near equal balance. Rammy was still mostly predominant, but Parappa’s half was more prominent. She was a large gray sheep dog. Her hair was black and blonde all throughout. She had Parappa’s mouth, but the nose of Rammy. Her eyes were Rammy’s, but the eye color was Parappa’s family hazel, yet they gave off a demon look thanks to Rammy. Her tail was super long and bushy. Her horns were even longer as they had a red and black tint on them. Parappa’s ears flopped about instead of it being a facade made by their hair like with Leonora or all of Leo’s appearances. Her wings went from demon wings to black angel wings and her clawed hands were just regular hands again with long sharp nails. Their outfit, like Leonora, was a fusion of the two. Which wasn’t much since they were both in very little clothing, so there wasn’t much covering the girl, but it was enough. Atleast the needed amount. On her back was a pentagram and around her arms were demon markings in the shape of thunderbolts. She smiles, revealing her extra sharp canines. The girl was only slightly taller than Parappa’s new height while not a werewolf.

 

“You look amazed! I’ll take it as a compliment coming from such a pompous bitch! But you can be amazed by my grandeur in Hell! It’s time to nix your madness!...Hey...nix...Nix...Nyx...I like the sound of that~...GET READY TO GO TO HELL! COURTESY OF NYX RAM RAPPA!~”

 

“JUST BECAUSE YOU MERGED TWO FOOLS INTO ONE DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN BEST ME!” She warps to them, attempting to blindside them.

 

“Mmmm...Yes it does~” She holds her fist backwards, causing the teleporting witch to warp straight into it “Especially when this ‘fool’ is dragging you to her level!” Spectora rebounds of the self inflicted punch “OH IT AIN'T OVER LIKE THAT!~ BLACK STAR VOLLEY!” she fires a cross between Rammy’s Black Pepper Volley and the shooting stars that Leonora fired, meaning Parappa was the reason she could do that. The black stars heavily pierce the witch. 

 

“GAHHH…FATAL FLASH!” she launches a quick red burst at them.

 

“DOUBLE FACE OFF!” the girl launches a dog skull and a ram skull that spiral together and chomp through Spectora’s attack. She flies away to avoid them only to be blindsided by Nyx who impales her horns into her back “MAGNA SHOCK!” thunder pulses through her horns and into her back. She screams painfully as it hurts even more for her since she's both an aquatic animal and holds an affinity with water. Once she's done she chucks the old woman straight down “Had enough?~”

 

“Don't mock me…”

 

“You make it so easy to~”

 

“DO NOT THINK FOR A SECOND THAT YOU'RE STRONGER THAN I! ECTO BOMBER!” she launches a large orange glob.

 

“I DON'T THINK, I KNOW IT!” she flies towards the gooey blob “HEY, I DON'T LIKE THIS GIFT! I'MMA RETURN TO  **SENDER** !” she rears her fist back “HELL’S RHAPSODY!” she smashes her fist forward. The blob does not burst. It instead flies back to the witch who's burned by her own acid attack “Awww...volatile poisons don't work on me it seems~ But I'm sure they work on YOU! VENOM RAY!” she mimics Harper’s poison eye blast and fires it straight at the witch who couldn't dodge it.

 

“ERAGH...IT BURNS!...”

 

“DON'T EVEN TALK TO ME ABOUT ‘OOOOH IT BUUUUURNS’ UNLESS YOUR BODY HORRIFICALLY TRANSFORMS INTO A MONSTER LIKE HALF OF ME DID!”

 

“Actually she ca-”

 

“SHUT UP SIRIUS!”

 

“Yes ma’am…”

 

The witch shakes off everything and just glares at the demon hybrid girl “Endured it off already? What a pain…”

 

“YOU ARE THE ONLY PAIN HERE!” She flies up high into the air and holds her arm out to her “SO YOU STRIKE AT ME A FEW TIMES! IT MATTERS NOT WHAT ONE STRIKE CAN DO!”

 

“Didn’t Leo make you half blind with only one strike?~ You know...aside from the rest of you he managed to hurt~”

 

**“THAT’S IT! NECRO FADE!”**

 

“Oooooooh~ I hit a nerve~” She pumps her arms to the side “LET’S SEE IF I CAN HIT SOME MORE!” Her hands channel purple electricity.

 

**“I’D LOVE TO SEE YOU TRY!”**

 

“THEN YA GONNA LOVE THIS!” She pumps her arms forward “BLIGHT SOUL SHOCKER!”

 

Their beams collide and keep on a seemingly equal deadlock, but Nyx’s attack starts pushing the other back “THIS...IS INCOMPREHENSIBLE!...HOW IS IT THAT SOMEONE AS WRETCHED AS YOU CAN KEEP UP WITH THE LIKES OF ME?!...JUST WHO ARE YOU?!... **WHAT ARE YOU?!** ”

 

“I AM THE UNIFICATIONS OF PARAPPA RAPPA AND RAMMY RAM! THEIR SINCERE EMOTIONS OF WANTING TO KEEP THE OTHER SAFE AS WELL AS THE SHARED EMOTION OF WANTING TO SHOVE A BOOT WAY UP YOUR ASS!” Nyx’s Blight soul shocker becomes bigger as a third eye manifests on her forehead “THEIR CONJOINED EMOTIONS GAVE BIRTH TO ME! THE ONE WHO WILL TAKE YOU  **DOWN!** ” Her horns and eyes ignite in a purple fire “ _ GOOD  _ **_BYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!~_ ** ” Her attack consumes the rest of Spectora’s and reaches her in an instant. It slams into her immediately, preventing her from warping away, and sends her straight up! She blasts through the roofs of the building until she finally gets launched out into the sky, up to the stars even as it looked like she was almost ejected from the planet! Nyx stops her attack once she’s out of sight and in the following second, the chains wrapping everyone to the wall all shatter, signifying Spectora was beaten “BOOYAH! KISS MY BEAUTIFUL DEMONIC ASS BITCH, YOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUU DEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAD!”

 

As the girl gloats in her victory, the realization starts to affect the others “He...He fused with...Rammy…” PJ says as he looks at the new girl.

 

“I thought he could only fuse with Katy!...” Matt says, confused by how Parappa could merge with someone else.

 

“...Same here…” Katy says, slightly dejected.

 

“B-But they did! A-And they saved us!~” Lammy says overjoyed.

 

“That’s for sure! Made that witch pay dearly!” Paula says as she looks at the hole in the ceiling.

 

“For suuuuuure! Goes to show how much strength a girl from hell can provide!” Kitty says with moxie.

 

“AW YEAH! HELL PRIDE!” Chris adds on as the ex shadows all fistbump the air.

 

“...” Sweety keeps to herself.  _ Maybe...the kiss was a beneficial thing?...Or was there more to it than that?...Oh dear...and why did they have to...look like her...and that song that played from Europa’s helmet...those words...AUGH...just...just what’s with these two in the future?... _ She struggles from the thoughts as the two spellcasters look at the hole.

 

“Mother…”

 

“I guess there was no other way...in the end she did...kinda do what we swore to stop for Leo’s sake…”

 

“Yeah...yeah I know…”

 

Just then, something crashes down and slams into the ground like a meteorite. It was Spectora. Nyx looks at the downed witch and scoffs “Man...you sure are a nuisance...but then again you are quite powerful...although no one would ever believe that if they saw you like thi-”

 

“You...would be in my position...if...I was not injured...if I was...at full strength...if I still had my eye and an undamaged mind...you...would be the loser...in this scenario...were I not already weak…”

 

“Blah blah blah...you know you say that...but I don’t believe it... I feel I could still take you on...I WILL take you on. And hey? Just to ‘help you sleep at night’...Parappa can not only fuse with Rammy, but also with Katy. And I dare say THAT fusion is quite possibly stronger than me. You would lose a thousand times over.”

 

“I-I’LL BE BA-”

 

“GOOD! COME BACK! I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE NOW SO I CAN COME BACK AT ANY TIME AND BEAT YOU DOWN AGAIN! I FAILED TO KILL YOU NOW, BUT I WON’T NEXT TIME. FACE IT. YOU’RE BEAT  **AND** YOU CAN’T EVEN COME BACK HERE. Because I’ll find you...and I will hurt you...like you’ve tried to hurt all of us...over and over again…face it. You may be all powerful, but you still lost...to an idiot like me…~”

 

Spectora growls as the ground shakes “HOW DARE YOU EVICT ME FROM MY OWN HOME!”

 

“THIS BEAUTIFUL PLACE AIN’T FOR YOU ANYMORE! NOT SINCE YOU LET BOHEMIAN INTO YOUR LIFE! AND HEY, AS YOU RUN AWAY LIKE THE BIGGEST BITCH IN THE WORLD, GO TO HIM AND TELL HIM.  **TELL HIM THAT** **_HE’S NEXT_ ** **!** ” She picks the witch up by the neck “AND I BETTER NOT SEE YOU BACK HERE... **EVER** !” The witch roars as she warps out of her grasp.

 

“ONE DAY I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!”

 

“And I’ll be here always, making sure THAT never happens.” The witch calms down and huffs.

 

“Take this stupid place. It could never produce results for my precious Tycoon...and now it annoys me further with this accursed defeat...until next time you brats…” She vanishes, causing Nyx to smile.

 

“Good riddance…” With that said, the fusion ends as she splits back into the exhausted ram and werewolf. Everyone runs to their side.

 

“You know I was so caught up in the joy that we were winning I kinda forgot we got a werewolf situation…” Matt brings up.

 

“H-Hey!...Can you help!?” Sweety asks the two other mages.

 

“W-We can!...C-Can’t we Aqua?”

 

“Of course! Get mother’s cauldron over here!...”

 

“Right away!” Sirius runs off to get the object as Aqua helps Parappa up.

 

“Alright...we’re gonna need a few things...quickly! All of you look for these exact items need for the cure!” She creates magical holograms of the items need “FIND THESE THINGS AND HURRY! IF PARAPPA STAYS A WEREWOLF FOR THIRTY MINUTES MORE, IT’LL BE PERMANENT!”

 

“WHAT?!”

 

“YES! YOU ALL JUST BARELY MADE IT ON TIME! NOW HURRY!” Everyone runs off to find the show objects while Aqua finally balances the boy.

 

“Ouch...thanks Aqua…”

 

“Don’t thank me, I ended up causing this from my overexcitement…”

 

“Yeah well...I was excited to...is that all you’ll really need?...”

 

“No...there’s something that you can help with.”

 

“Really? Tell me! I’ll do anyth- YEEEEEOOOOOOUCH!...” Aqua rips a large portion of fur from him “A LITTLE WARNING WOULD BE NICE! WHY’D YOU DO THAT?!”

 

“Your fur is needed for the cure.”

 

“Would’ve been nice to KNOW that...” Sirius arrives with the pot as Aqua dumps the fur into and immediately it starts changing color.

 

“Get miffed later! Right now help Rammy up and all of you go help the others find the missing stuff!”

 

“Right...WAIT! What about the ones I bit!?”

 

“It will help them as well, just make sure that THEY don’t stare at the moonlight!”

 

“Roger!”

 

* * *

 

Everyone arrives with the items and begin dumping them into the cauldron.

 

“Oh come on!...Why isn’t it turning pink!...”

 

“Is that a necessity?...” Chris asks.

 

“Yes! For cases like Parappa, it needs to be a specific color to show that we made the right thing, otherwise if we give it to you like this, who knows WHAT will happen!...”

 

“Yeah...don’t give me that unless it’s pink then…”

 

“Oh...it’s missing something...but what…”

 

Sirius starts biting on his dagger until it hits him “WAIT! WAIT WAIT WE MISSED THE MOST IMPORTANT THING!...” he looks to the group “We need blood!”

 

“M-My blood?!”

 

“No...yours is tainted currently. You’d just end up not changing at all. We need someone who shares blood similar to yours, who ISN’T infected!”

 

“MR. RAPPA OR PINTO!” Katy beams, but then remembers that Parappa town is a ways away, even by car. They would never make it in time “BUT THEY’RE TO FAR OFF!...”

 

“Well we can’t just warp to them and bring them along! That’s kidnapping! And it’d take way too long to explain for them to be calm enough to come along…” Aqua bites her nails ‘Oh no noooo...what are we going to-”

 

“Use my blood.” Everyone turns to see Raparra helping Leo up as they land from Leo’s jetpack. Amby floating behind them.

 

“Leo!...wait...could his blood work?...I mean...only half of it is Parappa…” Sirius looks to Aqua.

 

“That’s more than enough of what we need!...I hope...Alright Leo you just-” Leo walks by and yanks Sirius’s dagger from his hand.

 

“I know how your mom’s creepy cult shit works.” He walks over to the cauldron and holds his arm out. He slits his wrist greatly and tilts his arm to drop the blood in “Accept my offering to create this grand desire. Make it so this wretched form can finally expire!” The cauldron rumbles as the liquid turns pink “There’s my lucky color~ Ow...man this hurt likes a motherfucker…”

 

“You dolt! You didn’t need to make THAT big a cut or give up THAT much blood!...” Aqua checks on his arm.

 

“Can’t be to sure~...ooohhhh…” He grabs his arm as the ghost axolotl floats over.

 

“Now I have to heal you again!...You know it’s bad for me to do this multiple times in a short time frame!...”

 

“Eheh...it’s not my fault atleast~...”

 

Aqua leaves the two be as she and Sirius shove the cauldron over to Parappa “Now...who were the ones bit by him?” Ma-san, Fei-bo, Sunny, Rayn and Raparra walk over “Good! Huddle around him.

 

“Uh...why do they need to do that Aqua?...” Parappa asks.

 

“You need to lift up the cauldron and splash ALL of that over the six of you! Every last drop!”

 

“Ooooh kinda like what the winning team does in football!”

 

“..W-What?...”

 

“Oh right...forgot you aren’t aware of a few things that don’t have to do with magic.” He clears his throat and lifts the pot “Everyone bring it in!” Everyone minus Raparra does as told.

 

“I am NOT hugging you.”

 

“JUST DO IT RAPARRA! THERE’S ONLY TWO MINUTES LEFT BEFORE WE’RE ALL STUCK LIKE THIS!”

 

“Fine...but bring this up, and you’re all dead…” He latches onto the werewolf’s leg.

 

“Finally...good boy~” He pours the entirety of the elixir over them all until there are no more drops to drain. The pink waterfall ends with Parappa holding the cauldron over all of them. Back to his new size rather than his old one. The others do not shrink as well “H-Hoooo...baby...this is heavy…” Aqua hovers the pot away, but stares at them all.

 

“I don’t...understand...you’re back to normal...but you’re all still tall...d-did it not work?...”

 

“Um…” Parappa looks to the moon, but nothing happens “I’m...not changing anymore…” The others take off their sunglasses and look to the moon as well. They also do no change “Well...we’re all cured!...”

 

“But it looks like you’re all stuck taller now!”

 

“I mean...none of us have an actual problem with that!...”

 

“I suppose…”

 

“Leave it Aqua.” Leo says as he walks up to them, his arm properly bandaged up “This is technically supposed to happen.”

 

“R-Really?...”

 

“After my rude awakening where I found myself almost killing my dad...no clue what happened there...my memory sorta jogged it self back abit. The dad of my time had told me that he was not gonna grow as big as he did. Until of course this very problem happened. But it was supposed to happen later and not as dramatic as it was. The end result was still the same. Spectora vamoosed and they were all cured! Well...Minus Fei-bo, Poppy, Rayn and Raparra for obvious reasons. He lost the monster half, but kept the height! Guess it happened again!”

 

“Well...that’s a plus I supposed…” she looks to the others who all rejoice. She sighs as she looks to the spot where her mother teleported away from. Sirius walks up and merely reassures her that everything will turn out alright.

 

Back with everyone, they all speak to Parappa who only apologizes, but they reassure him that it wasn’t his fault. Eventually Parappa remembers Rammy and her current clothing predicament. He quickly runs off and yanks some red tapestry from the wall and wraps it around her “Eh?...What about you?...”

 

“I still technically have...erm...shorts on~...I mean yeah going shirtless is something I prefer not doing, but I’m still...sorta clothed~ You on the other hand…”

 

“Hey, you did it~”

 

“And I apologize for that!...heh...you look like little red riding hood~...”

 

“Huh...guess I do~” She smirks at him “Does that make you my big bad wolf?~”

 

“I-I’d appreciate it if you worded that a lil better~...”

 

“I’d appreciate it if you let me find some brighter sides to this~...”

 

“D-D’oh...fair enough~...” They both laugh as the others look the them.

 

“Our saviors everybody…” Charlotte rolls her eyes as she laughs at the sight before her. They all laugh until PJ speaks up.

 

“We really should be going back home.”

 

“But wait! What about the moon?!” AJ shouts.

 

“We can fix that! No problem, but let’s make your trip back home faster first!”

 

Everyone piles into the two cars as they all await the orders from the two magic users “With my mother gone...I guess it’s safe to disable the barrier...the communication block is removed so why not go all out right?”

 

“That way we can visit better! Especially now with Spectora gone! There’s alot more you two can do!...erm...right?...”

 

“Our positions as spies has been compromised...all we can really do now is provide back up whenever they act up…”

 

“Ah...right...well it’s still helpful~”

 

“Yeah...well. Off you go!” She and Sirius spawn the portal “We gotta get to fixing the moon!”

 

“Right! Onwards guys! The rain’s gonna start again and none of us are well equipped to get super soaked!” Everyone agrees with Parappa as they drive through the swirling vortex.

 

Aqua sighs as they disappear “Oh...i’m glad they’re all fine...but...I really wish mother had broken free…”

 

“It looks like she’s a lost cause...the hold she has was different to ours...I mean she was beaten down much more painfully compared to us and she’s still under his wrap…”

 

“Maybe one day…”

 

“Well...here’s hoping. Come on, we got a moon to put back on track.”

 

“Yes yes…” as they both walk away, she looks to the portal that closes up and looks down.

 

_ I’m sorry for the mess I caused...but I can already tell...it’s not the worst you all will be put through...atleast we’re free to help now...and you can bet your heart will do our all! _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another song! This time it's White Flag from Delta Heavy!


	52. Things are getting Hairy!

“I...have so many people to apologize to...for destroying stuff and what not…”

 

“I meeeeaaaaaaaan...nobody besides us know it’s you…~ Soooo...as far as anyone else knows...the werewolf is dead~” Katy says in a very tongue in cheek tone.

 

“B-But-”

 

“It’ll be alright Parappa. We can always turn into Leonora to help with repairs if the guilt is hitting you to hard. Just know that they don’t know that it was you. And in the end, it really wasn’t. Rammy helped you prove that.”

 

“...Then I guess I’ll just sweep it to the side.” He groans as he reclines against the side of the van as he sits next to the Hell shadow girls due to a lack of seats “Gah...my body starting to ache…”

 

“Make sense...You don’t have your regeneration anymore since...you know...you’re not a werewolf anymore.” Rammy brings up as she waves over for Leo to send Amby over. She obliges and floats over to help the recovering dog.

 

“You know this is only gonna hurt me more given my first experience with your healing…”

 

_“I mean atleast you will see results and get better in the end!...”_

 

“Eh, sure enough...and hey Amby...why do you sound so warbly?...”

 

_“Maybe cuz it wasn’t you or Leo who summoned me? My call over was slightly screwed up.”_

 

“Who called you over?...”

 

“T-That’d be me I think...I started panicking and praying on that spot t-that she sorta...shot out from your hat in my pocket...s-speaking of which...now that the werewolf problem is finally gone for good now...here y-you are!” Lammy hands the boy his hat.

 

“Thanks! And thanks for keeping it safe for me Lammy!”

 

“T-Thank you for trusting me w-with it!”

 

“Thank you for being there for me...even when I almost...you know...tore you to shreds on the first night...and ruined our fun…”

 

“I don't hold that against you! It wasn't you! It was that witch!”

 

I know, but I was the idiot who let himself get turned…”

 

“You wanted to take the opportunity o-of getting a strong ally and potential friend! You're not to blame for that…”

 

“I just can't see that myself...just...the realization…” He sighs “It’s a bit of a sticky thought in my head...I wonder how I’ll get rid of it…”

 

“Well that’s a silly thing to ask. She did it as a way to get a new monster. Her old monster was for that Tycoon guy right? Meaning the same fate was gonna happen to you were it not for us! So by default that means it’s all Tycoon’s fault at the end of the day! And we’re clearly gonna be gunning to kick his butt! So by fighting the quote unquote ‘Bohemian Baddies’ as you named them, you’re already fixing that little mistake! Knowing that, which you should, has got to kick those bad thoughts away!” Katy brings up.

 

“Hmm...well. Now that I think about it, that’s exactly right! I will- HAAAAGAGAGAGGAGGAHHHH!” He is immediately in pain from Amby healing him up. Everyone looks at the heavily twitching boy as he flops all over in place. Once the healing is over, the woozy dog bids adieu to the ghost as she flutters back into his hat. They return home and drop off everyone to their respective homes. They spend the remainder of the day at home to rest off the remaining tension they have. Parappa leans against the bathroom wall as the showerhead drenches him in water “This is always such a relaxing thing to do after a long and taxing day…~”

 

_You think you had a taxing time!_

 

“L-Leonora! I can hear you again!”

 

_No thanks to you!_

 

“Excuse me??”

 

_I got sealed away by that witch! Locked out of both your minds! So I couldn't say a word once I found out YOU were the monster!..._

 

“...Oops…m-my baaaad?...”

 

_I’m just happy that you’re fine… How are you feeling?_

 

“Sore…Leo apparently did a number on me...then so did Spectora..” He moves his neck about “Amby managed to help, but her healing is in a weird spot… It removes any injuries and what not...but it hurts all the while as the remainder of the healing will kick in as I sleep...but I mean it’s something. Even if it does seem slightly ineffective.”

 

_Well...think of the pain as weakness leaving the body!_

 

“Um...sure...why not...anyway. So you could see what I was doing as the werewolf right?”

 

_Most of it yes?_

 

“What did Leo do to me? That’s one of the few things I don’t recall...”

 

_Manhandled you basically. He stopped once he learned it was you, then you tried to destroy his spine and had to be stopped by Rammy. You decided to just leave him for dead after that. Of which then he woke up in a near similar unconscious state that you and Katy took and proceeded to beat the everliving lycanthropy out of you as he once again did not know it was you. He humbled you in the most unflattering way. Acted like a master of the powers he inherited from you, using moves that are technically yours! As well as a few that were his own seeing that you don’t have the ability to do them. But you could surprise me. He tried to kill you thereafter. but your friends managed to save you by stalling his powers out until he was left like a sitting duck._

 

“Let me guess...I took advantage of that…”

 

 _Yeeeeeeaaaaaahhh… Luckily you didn’t have the strength to fully do so, but still as we were  informed...he’s usually left in a pitiful state after using said abilities. So he was basically a frail walking blood filled water balloon that you nearly popped in your frantic escape. Thankfully Miss Ambrosia came out when she did thanks to Lammy!_ _And from what we learned on the ride home, he has no recollection of any of it. So you’re still in the clear of keeping him from hurting himself purposely in trying to better defend you._

 

“Well it’s nice to hear that there’s SOME good news to come out from that fight…also hey...I have another questi-”

 

_You’re referring to your new fusion correct? I already explained it prior. You performed the heart link with Rammy right? Like I said, it gives you temporary access to her abilities, which she did not have at the time. It also ‘maaaay’ give you the chance to merge with the person as their heart’s ‘code’ is now engraved in yours! And as you saw, the chance was very high to say the least. Congratulations on the new being you can turn into!_

 

“Can they speak to me to?”

 

_Unfortunately no. Technically speaking, Nyx is a portion of me, and I can already speak to you! However i’m not within Rammy like I am you and Katy so she cannot hear me._

 

“Wait so then...knowledge of anything I can do in a different fusion that isn’t you...you still have full awareness of??”

 

_Very much so! Although that’s really thanks to you and Katy! Your entire beings are just so special! So I’m just working with what I got...er...rather what you both have!_

 

“Sounds abit...weird when you word it like that…” he shuts off the water “Then again, it's not like there's any other way to word it.

 

_I mean...it's only weird if you make it weird._

 

“You are definitely me and Katy fused together.” he chuckles and midway through it turns into a whine “I am such an odd box...”

 

_Oh but that's what makes you fun father! Each new day, you open up and get a brand new surprise that no matter how it goes, ends up wonderful!_

 

“Mmm...why not. I'll bow to that logic! And sheesh! What a way with words!”

 

 _Mother_ ** _is_** _a poet after all~_ _I got it from her~_

 

“Whaddya get from me then??~”

 

_The inability to have a proper one on one chat without it turning awkward in such a short time span._

 

“You wound me far greater than Leo and Spectora did.”

 

_I'm sorry! I'm painfully honest! But really that's your own fault and Katy's!_

 

“I think I'm gonna finish my shower and hit the hay now. This chat is making me feel old and existential! And I'm only twenty!”

 

_Alright then. ...Um...I'm sorry…I guess._

 

“Apology accepted. I _guess_ ~”

 

_You know what. I think I'm done for today as well. Ciao._

 

Parappa is met with what sounds like a phone hanging up ringing inside is head “...How did...nevermind…”

 

* * *

 

Parappa lands face first onto his bed and immediately starts sinking within the mattress “Oh baby is it finally nice to have a moment's rest with no sign of troubles anymore...and I won't transform into the wolf anymore so now I'm free to roam at night! Although the full moons are over with so that's another reassuring thing. Still...I'm happy! Granted, knowing me, it won't stay quiet for long! But I ain't mad! I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the lunacy that follows me around. I actually prefer the hectic day by day craziness! It'd be boring if it were quiet! A quiet life just ain't for me!...huh...is that why I fell for these girls?...Man I have such a bizarre type preference…”

 

Rammy lands on the bed ontop of him, squishing him under her back “Can you call it bizarre if it makes ya happy? So you love some adventurous girls, that ain't a bad thing! Can't be blamed for wanting that spice of excitement in your life! I mean you were born with it, but it never hurts to expand it! Which is what you're clearly doin. But the choice comes in pickin a girl, ain't that right Paraps?”

 

“Mph…” (Yes…)

 

“Ah but you'll do fine. You did it once already apparently! And you'll do it again in this timeline! Course...along the ride towards that finale, expect me to gun for that finish line to y’know!”

 

“MRH?!” (WHY?!)

 

“What do you mean why?” She gets off him and rolls him onto his back before getting back onto of him “I love you. That's why.”

 

“H-Hahaa...um...Y-You sure said that with alot more courage…”

 

“Did I? Maybe. I guess after bringing your mind back out while you were the monster, hearing a song that has my voice singing it and turning into Nyx...I got a little braver.”

 

“O-Ohoho...a little is an understatement...m-mind getting off me?~...”

 

“Hmm…” Her eyes look to the ceiling as she thinks it over. She exaggerates her humming the more she does it and eventually “Nah~”

 

“B-But-”

 

“You've handled worse from me!”

 

“I beg to differ…”

 

“Aw what's got your panties in a knot all of a sudden?”

 

“You just gonna look me straight in the eyes and ask me that despite it being obvious?”

 

“Pffft. Alrightyyyy. I'll get off."

 

"Hallelujah! I'm fr-”

 

“If you kiss me again… ~”

 

“You know I could get used to this position actual-”  he arches back as he groans “I can't even finish that sentence or I'll feel like garbage…” He looks to the wall “I can’t lie and say that I wouldn’t want to do that...because I should be easy to read by now...It’s just...we almost erased Leo by doing that…”

 

“Yeah, but...we didn’t. He’s still here, and nothing happened when I helped you regain your sanity AND when we fused.”

 

“I mean...yeah there’s no lies in those facts…”

 

“Nervous?”

 

“Erm...I guess?”

 

“Not like it’s the first time you’ve kissed someone though is it?”

 

“Of course not! I’ve...kissed a few people actually...be it intentional or accidental!”

 

“Well duh, given the history with your ex that you told me about. So why so off about this?...”

 

“Well I mean...I find it...unfair?...”

 

“To you or me?”

 

“The other girls...Cuz again...you won’t become Leo’s mother and here I am causing quite a time funk as is...” He takes a deep breath of shame “It...erm...It makes me seem selfish and sucky?”

 

“Why not kiss em to? There’s no finite choice yet for you right?”

 

“I CAN’T DO THAT!”

 

“Ain’t that the objective of your not-a-date shebang?”

 

“That ain’t-...It wasn’t-...What I’m getting at-...Look, while that may have been the case, it was something I would hopefully get to eventually...AS IN NOT RIGHT AWAY!”

 

She presses her forehead against his “Are you sure?”

 

“Don’t call my bluff like this…”

 

“It’s easy to. I know you so well.” She laughs as she pulls her head away and climbs off of him “Alright. No kiss for now, but you really should work on that. Regardless of it bein with me or any of them.”

 

“Do I have to rush it?...”

 

“I wouldn’t say it like that. It’s more like its time rushing you. Who knows how things are gonna go now. You may...not get all the time you need to prepare now…”

 

“That’s...upsettingly a good point...geez...what am I going to do…”

 

“Fall in love. You don’t gotta be scared cuz we’ll be there with ya. Every step of the way.”

 

“I know...alright. I’ll see what I can muster! Need some confidence for this sorta thing!”

 

“Didn’t need much confidence when we locked lips.”

 

“Yeah well that just sorta happened! It was a full on emoti-...oooooooh.”

 

“Yeeeeeeah. Bout time it hit you.”

 

“...thanks.” She snickers as he rolls his eyes “You have such a bizarre way of helping.”

 

“But I still helped~”

 

“That you did.” He eyes her with an eyebrow raised and then surprises her with a peck on the cheek “There’s your kiss~”

 

“Cheeky little...thank you~”

 

“No, thank you! You got me to relax a ton on this subject! Something I struggle with managing on my own or with help in general! And asking for it isn’t exactly an easy thing to do. Meeting you really has helped me just as much as it helped you! And I’m glad it’s proven more and more each time!”

 

“You and me both Paraps.” They look at the ceiling once more “Hey...wanna fuse again?...”

 

“...Whyyyyy?”

 

“Just to see how it’s like some more. You got to stay as Leonora for so long! It’s only fair its the same for our fusion right?”

 

“I guess so if that’s how you feel about.”

 

“That and you can’t kick me off the bed from your dream spasms if we’re one person instead of two!”

 

“Of course…~” He laughs at her real reasoning for wanting to fuse “Not unless we somehow kick ourself off!”

 

“Pffft. That won’t happen! We ain’t that dumb! Right?”

 

“...Ehhhhh?”

 

“Now see, i’m disappointed in the two of us.”

 

“If anything, it just makes our fusion that more hilarious. We’re just one big loose cannon! And a fun one at that!”

 

“Facts. Now we fusin or what?”

 

“Sure sure...we uh...need to be on the same wavelength is all.”

 

“...And how do we achieve that?”

 

“I dunno...this was alot easier to do with Katy…”

 

“‘I bet...hm...this’ll be tricky…” Both animals lean against each other as they struggle their hardest to think of what they could both think on. They think so much that their brains sorta shut down to prevent a mental strain. They sight and lean on each other as they hold their heads.

 

“Man this ain’t easy...especially if we’re clueless…” They share the same sentiments on their lacking thought process, and on that moment they both turn into pure energy and fuse into Nyx once more.

 

“What a mess...how am I gonna do...it...now…” She hears her voice then looks to her hands “Oh...that was easy!” She flutters out of bed and poses as she stares at her entire body “Haha! Man I am lookin good!...wait...small problem...these wings are big and could really screw over how we sleep...Maaaan...” She gently lands and her wings vanish into a wing design insignia within the pentagram design that’s on the back of her shirt. “Oooooooh!~ Now that’s neat~ Wait...new problem...horns are now bigger and pointier…” Her horns bend and curl at the side of her head like proper ram horns “...That’s...convenient...perfect! Uh...anything else wrong? Nope, both parts of me were used to sleeping with a tail! Same could be said about pointy nails! I’m SET!” She plops onto bed and immediately notices a final problem “Something...feels...off...is it the position i’m in?...oh dear…” She tries every position possible, as well as some that aren’t, as she tries to find a spot that feels alright. Eventually she somehow ends up on the floor, where she finally feels at ease “Aaaahhhh~...much bet-...am I on the floor?...meh~” She then falls asleep on the spot.

 

* * *

 

A few hours later at the town edge of Neon Heights.

 

“Europa! Are you certain you’re fine??” Spinni says as he, Athena and 16-bits hound the boy repeatedly with thoughts of worry.

 

“Yessss...sheesh...what’s with you guys?...Don’t you see me at tip top shape??”

 

“Well yes, but given what happened yesterday and the night before...we have our right to worry buddy!” Athena shakes the boy heavily.

 

“I don’t worry since I don’t remember any of it. And Amby healed me soooo.”

 

“Young Ambrosia healed you? The girl who’s long since been dead for five years??” 16-bits just looks at the boy as if he had suffered some head trauma.

 

“Yep.”

 

“...Did you perhaps suffer a violent impact to your head?...”

 

“Ok first off, maybe. Second off, I’m serious!” They just look at him with little faith “Alright wise guys if that’s how it’s gonna be!” He stays still, as if he were thinking about something.

 

“Uh...how’s this gonna prove-” A twinkle of light flies from the distance and lands between them all.

 

“WHOA!...What a dizzying ride...Oh! Hero! Hello!”

 

“Sup Amby~ Sorry for the sudden call, but these guys wanted to say hello!”

 

“Huh?” she turns around to see the tiny horse bot and the two bugs “Oh hello there.”

 

“Illogical…” is the only thing 16-bits says, and he's the only one able to speak.

 

“You mean me? I mean yeah but I still exist in hell!...Not exactly a better lifestyle...but here I still am!”

 

“Quite...erm...it's great to see you again Miss Ambrosia.”

 

“It’s nice to see you guys to! And hello! You're Athena correct?”

 

“Yeah that's me…”

 

“It's nice to see you on our side! I think this is the first time we're speaking to each other.”

 

“Yeeeeah...I was in a hospital during your last days…”

 

“That’s right. Well. Thank you for helping Europa out during this time.” she bows before the jewel bee.

 

“Aw shucks...of course I'm gonna help my great friend out! I have to since I'm the strongest out of all of buds helpers! So I'm the most reliable! Dependable!-”

 

“Destructive and insufferable…” Spinni and Sixteen say together. She turns around to face them. She’s coated in black fire and her demure voice is replaced with her real voice.

 

**“I will not hesitate in turning you both into soil for the very ground you walk on~”**

 

“Point proven…”

 

Athena calms down “I am not! Buddy tell them!...buddy?” all four of them look at Europa who's distracted by small animals who are scattering about. He stops to pick up a puppy and a kitten.

 

“Awwwww you two are just the cutest little things I ever did see!~ Yes you areeeee~” he coos as he hugs the two baby animals.

 

“Geez buddy. Never pictured you as the type to fawn or little animals!” Athena says from behind him, spooking him into hugging the two closer to his face.

 

“O-Oh...don't sneak up on me like that!...And I do love animals, but dogs and cats the most! Puppies and Kittens take my full attention!”

 

“...Europa...does that not strike you as odd?...” 16-bits says as he rolls up with Spinni and Amby.

 

“Noooooo? Why would it?”

 

“You're a cat dog hybrid yourself! You're basically holding distant relatives who aren't that far down the evolutionary chain! Does that not seem bad??”

 

“Not at all. Especially since my mom owned a dog when she was younger and my dad owned a cat when he was younger.”

 

“THAT'S EVEN MORE BELITTLING! DOES THAT NOT MAKE IT SEEM LIKE THEY THINK LESS OF EACH OTHER?”

 

“I don’t think so… It’s kinky if anything…”

 

“I am ending this conversation. I've had enough.”

 

“Look. They took care of their pets with utmost love until their time came. And even still. Just cuz they're a dog and cat themselves by no means makes them the same as a pet dog or cat! They're people, more specifically they're my parents. Not pets like these cute little guys right here~”

 

“How blasphemous…actually wait...why are these critters running about in the first place? They seem to be fleeing for their lives…”

 

“Good point...they're running into Neon Heights so the ‘scary’ thing must be at the outskirts…” he places the two animals down and they scurry off “Let's go check it out…” the five of them head to the town exit and see more animals running away “Geez look at them all...hey! Aqua and Sirius fixed the Moon and Sun's rotation!” he notices the corrected peeking Sun. Once at the intended location, they spot the culprits “Oh...that doesn’t look...good…”

 

“Its looking worse Europa! They're heading towards PaRappa Town!” Spinni points out.

 

“THAT AIN’T GOOD! COME ON!” the five of them fly off to the town that's being invaded.

 

* * *

 

The four currently sleeping in the joint apartment all sleep peacefully. The MilkCan trio happily on their beds and Nyx lazily on the floor. Suddenly the ground starts rumbling and stops. A few seconds later it happens again, but the rumbling is more noticeable. The next rumble shakes the four of them. The one after that bounces them off their beds. The following one launches them all into the ceiling. Nyx defuses as the five of them all slap painfully onto the ground. The next rumble bounces them all to their feet and they quickly leave their rooms together.

 

“WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!” they all say as Katy heads to the main room window. She flings it open.

 

“ALRIGHT, WHO'S-” she spots a large furry beast staring at her from the window. It was the size of the building. It snorts in her face, prompting her to close the window and shut the blinds, walk away and curl up into a ball on the couch.

 

“K-Katy?? What did you s-” Parappa’s phone rings. Leo was sending a group call to him, PJ, Matt, Paula and Sweety. He answers.

 

 _“Yoooooo...uh...I'm sure by now you guys have noticed the quaking… Little warning. Don’t go outside! Me and the others got this, so just sit back and relaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAH! WE SO DON'T GOT THIS! WAHAHAHA!... I'M NOT A CHEW TOY! LEMME GOOOOO! WHOAWHOAWHOAWHOA NOOOOO!_ **_*CRAAAAAAASH*_ ** _Ow...ugh...ewwww I smell like bad animal breath...A-Ahem. Alright. New plan. Can you guys help the townspeople out by guiding them to this military training facility? It seems like the hardiest building in town so it should be safe enough to protect everyone till we come up with a solution! Ok byeeee!”_ he hangs up leaving them all with many questions. Parappa hangs up and Lammy speaks up.

 

“Military training facility?...W-Where’s that in town??”

 

“Training facility...training facility...OH! Potter's old workplace! The place where my old Instructor, Sista Moosesha is!”

 

“We better hurry then! Who knows what these big things will do to the townspeople!...man one large canine beast gone only to be replaced by BIGGER ones…” Katy says as she gets back up. They all nod and rush back into their rooms to get dressed and head off to help.

 

In no time, they’re all helping the townsfolk run to the sheltered facility as they sneak around the enormous hairy beasts. Eventually they're alone again looking for more people to help.

 

“What even are these things?” Matt asks as he watched the beasts walk about.

 

“They look like dooooogs maaaaybeeeeee?...” Paula tries to answer.

 

“Maybe they're beeeeaaaars?...” PJ attempts to add on.

 

(“We sure they aren't wooly mammoths?”) Ma-san suggests.

 

“Wooly Mammoths weren’t THAT big!” Sweety states as she hides from their sight.

 

“O-Or wooly...besides...w-where are their tusks!” Lammy points out as one of them gets close to their hiding place.

 

“I don't care what they are! I just want em out of our face!” Katy says as saliva starts dripping over her, Parappa and PJ from the beast above them.

 

“Why are they even here?!” Rammy shouts, nearly giving their position away.

 

“It's cuz of Parappa.” Raparra says, spontaneously appearing between them all and freaking them out in the process.

 

“Raparra! I thought you said you were leaving again!” Parappa looks at his randomly appearing double.

 

“I did leave. Fell asleep on a big mound. Next thing I know, I'm back here cuz the mound I fell asleep on turned out to be a living thing! One of many as you can clearly see.”

 

“And what do you m-mean it's cuz of P-Parappa?...”

 

“Simple Lammy. I, as a feral lunatic, can understand some animals. Like these chunky boys! They keep muttering something about finding the new leader that they heard howlin. So they followed the noise and it led em here. So they’re looking for Parappa, but they don’t know that.”

 

“Why are they looking for me?!”

 

“I unno~ I can’t understand that part since they’re all mumbly under all that hair~ They just wanna find their leader who no longer exists~” Raparra laughs at this fact as the others grumble. Just then they hear screaming. They poke their heads out from their hiding spots to see schoolgirls trying to outrun three of the large beasts.

 

“THOSE ARE PINTO’S FRIENDS!...” Parappa runs off in order to help with PJ right behind him.

 

“PARAPPA WAIT! DON’T JUST RUSH IN GUNG HO!” The others try to follow, but soon hear a large group of people in the other direction also in need of assistance from the beasts.

 

“Gah...Parappa and PJ might have some trouble rescuing those kids, but if we go after them, who’s gonna help out the remaining people out on the streets?! Come on guys!” Katy instructs as the others run off towards the larger group of people being chased by eight beasts.

 

“Yeah good luck with-” Raparra is yanked by his neck by Lammy.

 

“Y-You’re coming to Raparra!”

 

“THE SECOND YOU LET GO OF ME, YOU’RE GONNA REGRET IT…”

 

“And l-lose the only person willing to talk to you that i-isn’t your other?”

 

“...”

 

“T-Thought so.”

 

“Piss off…”

 

Back with Parappa and PJ, they manage to catch up to the kids, but now nine more beasts joined along making for a total of twelve chasing after the girls.

 

“Darn it...this is getting out of hand fast…”

 

“No kidding...I mean, we might’ve been able to handle three, but twelve is certainly a one sided number…” PJ says as looks at the approaching beasts.

 

“We have to get their attention away from the kids!...”

 

“Doesn’t seem possible Parappa.”

 

“Where there’s a will there’s a way!...” Parappa looks about the path he’s running down and soon sees a pair of skates “...PJ. Do me a favor.”

 

“I don’t like the tone of your voice…”

 

“Lead the girls to the safe house cuz-”

 

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence like I know you are…”

 

“I’M GONNA GIVE THESE THINGS ONE HELL OF A WORKOUT!” He flips over and lands on the skates, immediately getting them on in the process. He starts skating the immediate second he lands and manages to agitate the large animals into following him “DON’T LET ME DOWN PJ!~”

 

“PARAPPA YOU-...ARGH…” He angrily stares at his friend skating away with the trail of beasts behind him. However instead of getting angrier, he does as instructed and goes off to escort the girls to safety now that they’re in the clear “Come on...let’s get you kids to the safe house…”

 

Parappa skates around in an attempt to try and lose the horde behind him, but no luck. He then proceeds to try and zap them, but their hair prevents them from getting hurt “Gah...I can’t punch em then...that stupid thick pelt of theirs will stop all my strikes...and trying to kick them will just get hair lodged in the skate wheels...What am I gonna do…I'm as good as lunch meat...”

 

“You telling me you callin it quits already?? I thought I trained you well enough, but apparently not! Ah well, I knew you’d screw up eventually! I’m gonna hafta train you all over again!” A random voice says to him from nowhere.

 

“H-Huh??” Parappa looks about, but he doesn’t see anyone. The voice then speaks up again.

 

“ATTENTION ATTENTION!” The voice sounds closer. From the stampeding twelve, out pops Sista Moosesha “COME ON EVERYBODY LET’S GO!” From the sky following right behind are Spinni, Amby, Athena, 16-bits and Leo “Hop to it!” She catches up to Parappa and skates alongside him. She turns her head to him to show a smile, one that makes him regain his confidence in this situation. She nods and he nods back “One, Two. Let’s go! COME ON!” They skate off faster with the beasts picking up their own pace. Sista Moosesha starts singing.

 

_“Fancy cars, gold chains don't mean a thang._

_Word to your brain, fame is my game._

_Fly the terrain's, smooth with no crane._

_I come from the streets no such thing as pain!”_

 

_Do the jump!_

 

“Do the jump!” They leap over and onto a small pathway.

 

_Do the flip!_

 

“Do the flip!” They somersault onto a stairway rails and grind downwards.

 

_Double Dutch!_

 

“Double Dutch!” The roach and the bee hold out at large jumprope before them. The duo jump over it, but the large animals don’t all the same spot reaction. They all trip, but nine get back up and keep chasing the duo.

 

_Don't, lose the grip!_

 

“Don’t, lose the grip!” they use a wall to rebound onto the front leading two.

 

_To the right!_

 

“To the right!” they force the fur to the right, and the beasts instinctually follow the movement. The seven behind follow in the leading two's footsteps.

 

_To the left!_

 

“To the left!” they then jerk the beasts to the right.

 

_Side to side!_

 

“Side to side!” they slam the creatures into each other.

 

_I'm the ref!_

 

“I’m the ref!” the beasts all run about dizzily.

 

_Jump the ropes now!_

 

“Jump the ropes now!” the force the two beasts they're riding to leap into an open net Leo placed out. The get off their mount and watch them get trapped by the net. Leo then swings it around and launches them away from the remaining seven.

 

_Get up high now!_

 

“Get up high now!” they jump onto Sixteen who flies in a different direction. Confusing the beasts as they make a sloppy 180.

 

_To the limit now!_

 

“To the limit now!” 16-bits blasts away, making the animals work harder just to keep up.

 

_Right now!_

 

“Right now!” Spinni and Athena fly up to them and pass them the jump rope they used.

 

_“Like my sista, my sista said, it's not as easy as you say._

_Remember that phrase again?”_

 

“When I say boom boom boom, you say bam bam bam!

No pause in between come on let's jam!” they both say this verse together as they perform Mooselini’s arm motions.

 

_Kick, kick, kick, kick!_

 

“Kick, kick, kick, kick!” They latch the rope around Sixteen and then swing from him, kicking the animals with the toe and heel of the skates to prevent the fur from locking their wheels.

 

_Slide, slide, slide!_

 

“Slide, slide, slide!” they drop off as Moosesha takes the rope. They land on a downhill path and slide away.

 

_Do it slick, do it, do it slick!_

 

“Do it slick, do it, do it slick!” they easily avoid everything that's been knocked over by sliding around, under or through them.

 

_And ride, ride!_

 

“And ride, ride!” they stand back upright to skate more efficiently.

 

_Lean it to the left!_

 

“Lean it to the left!” they take the left side of a fork in the road.

 

_Lean it to the right!_

 

“Lean it to the right!” they make a sharp right turn down a new path.

 

_Crouch down for speed!_

 

“Crouch down for speed!” they duck under an approaching Amby.

 

_Just obey your needs!_

 

“Just obey your needs!” Moosesha snaps her fingers and Amby launches a large magical gust. It pushes them back and four completely topple over. Now only three remain again.

 

_“Double Dutch, Inline skate or rock climbing._

_Don't forget the rhythm groove and keep rhyming._

_Gain is accomplished, only through pain._

_Always keep it going, and get, wild like Jane!”_ They fist bump in an early victory declaration.

 

_Up the ramps we go! All the way!_

 

“Up the ramps we go! All the way!” They turn to skate uphill, losing alot of momentum in the process. Moosesha clicks her heels together and her skates sprout rockets that blast her ahead. She holds back the jump rope to Parappa.

 

_Come on now, we ain't got all day!_

 

“Come on now, we ain’t got all day!” he grabs it and is immediately yanked along.

 

_On the rails, or just on the trails!_

 

“On the rails, or just on the trails!” He grinds on nearby rails then hops off as he’s taken from alternate path with the large animals close after.

 

_Crave for speed, and let your body go!_

 

“Crave for speed, and let your body go!” Sista Moosesha pulls on the rope, signaling to Parappa that he’d better get ready.

 

_The need for speed will keep your body tight!_

 

“The need for speed will keep your body tight!” She waves the rope from side to side as Parappa skates along with the movement, being lagged back to the beasts.

 

_Remember, never go down without a fight!_

 

“Remember, neva go down without a fight!” She spins and whips Parappa around the legs of one of the chasing beasts. He runs about to properly snare it’s legs. He then hops up to force it into flip right on top of the other two. However the main one avoids it ends up the last one left chasing them. They resume rolling out as they snatch the jump rope back. However Moosesha lets go of it thinking Parappa was gonna hang onto it, but Parappa does the same thinking she was gonna hold it.

 

_“1, 2, 1, 2 it's just me and you._

_We're gonna give it the best, and the rest is on you._

_Enjoy the music and keep up the flow._

_The end is near come on let's put up a show!”_ They look at the last remaining chaser as they enact one last plan to stop it in its tracks.

 

_Climb the rocks, step by step!_

 

“Climb the rocks, step by step!” They rush down a small alley to parkour up to the roofs. The beast fails to chase after them as its head is the only thing able to fit in the small pathway.

 

_Right, left, right, right, left!_

 

“Right, left, right, right, left!” They jump up the right wall, leap to the left, back onto the right followed by jumping up to climb the fire escape on the right wall then ending up with a jump to the left, finally reaching the roof.

 

_Phew! I'm tried, let's take a break!_

 

“Phew! you're tried, please take a break!” They both sit at the edge of the roof to allow Moosesha to catch her breath as the beast struggles to get its head unstuck. They take off their skates and place them at their sides.

 

_Come on please, for old times sake?_

 

“Come on please, for old times sake?” They both cross their legs, and fall to their backs. They cross their arms behind their heads as they look to the sky. The only sound they hear is the animal grunting as it tries and fails to get out.

 

_I used to do this, every single day!_

 

“You can still do this, every single day!” Moosesha contemplates getting to old for this, but Parappa still reassures her that she’s still spry enough to fight on.

 

_Tell you the truth, my hair's still turning gray!_

 

“Tell you the truth, your hair ain’t turning gray!” The five flyers hover over them with upset expressions, snapping them out of their distracted chat as they remember the beast that’s still stuck. They both jolt up, and as they do, Sista Moosesha’s skates roll off the edge.

 

_“You may be old, bold and with teeth of gold._

_It really really don't matter to me._

_If you've come this far, I know you got it down._

_Come on, let's do a simple recap, yes, from the ground!”_

 

_Where's the ropes? Where did I put it?_

 

“Where's the ropes? Where did you put it?” They look around for the jump rope they used to have with them.

 

_I thought you had it, I gave it to you!_

 

“I thought you had it, I gave it back to you!” The others sigh at their lack of awareness.

 

_Oh well then, why don't you get your skates?_

 

“Oh well then, guess I’ll go get my skates!” Parappa grabs his skates and puts them back on.

 

_Where's mine? Can you please wait?_

 

“Where's yours? Yes I can please wait!” They look around and notice that her skates feel off the edge. They seem to have landed on the fire escape and unhinged the ladder. It landed heavily on the animals head, knocking it out. They blink as they are left baffled by their accidental success.

 

_You wanna just forget it? And just take a picture?_

 

“Sure we can forget it, and just take a picture!” Moosesha passes Parappa her camera.

 

_I still carry a camera, for all my adventures!_

 

“You still carry a camera, for all your adventures!” They line up by the roof’s edge to take a selfie of their victory. They stop singing as the five in the air just sigh and facepalm.

 

“Well I say you still got it! Only needed a quick refresher course is all!” The lady laughs at the boy who only sighs in relief.

 

“I’d say! Now come on! Let’s get to the training place ourselves!”

 

“Not yet, I still gotta scour the town to see if there’s anyone else left out he-” A walkie talkie at her waist jingles “Moosesha here. Oh Fussenpepper. What’s the news now?”

 

_“EVERYONE IN TOWN IS ACCOUNTED FOR! EVEN THE NEW RECRUITS! YOU ARE SET TO RETURN HERE TO SAFETY AT ONCE! OVER AND OUT!”_

 

“Could’ve said all that WITHOUT blowing out my eardrums, but hey. Looks like we’re in the clear to go back then.”

 

* * *

 

The seven of them manage to sneak their way back to the training grounds. Leo and his small group head on inside, but Sista Moosesha stops Parappa and pulls him away.

 

“Yo. I need ya to debrief me on something.”

 

“Sure thing Sir! That would beeeeee?”

 

“That kid with the strange helmet on his head. What was his name...ah yeah. Leo Steps as it said on the news. He asked me to help set all this up to keep the town safe from whatever THOSE things are. And he also knew that you’d be the guy to help ensure that safety. He had so much faith in ya that it got me thinking. I know you’re super endearing. Enough to win over anyone, but this kid seems to be running on a different kind of emotion towards you. I get this weird sense of idolization towards you emanating intensely offa him. Now I know for a fact you haven’t known him for THAT long. So I wanna know the real deal as to why that kid’s been gettin involved in our town’s business recently and his connection to you.”

 

“...Can you promise you won’t tell anyone?...”

 

“Is my sista exempt from that clause?”

 

“Only if you both promise to keep it to yourselves…”

 

“You have my word. Hers to.”

 

* * *

 

“What in the world did I just listen to…”

 

“I know it sounds so unbelievable...but it’s the truth!”

 

“Hmm...It would explain what happened to him when you brought those Hell folk up here. Durin his song his face just went between all your friends faces. So a boy from the future came back to help his old man. Sounds like a fairytale, but your life is no stranger to the abstract!”

 

“A quality of mine that gets passed down to him...he can be quite capricious as a result…”

 

“Doesn’t seem like a constant thing atleast. Well, that satiated my curiosity. Let’s get in here before more of those wooly things show up.”

 

“Let’s. And remember! Please don’t tell anyone!”

 

“I won’t I won’t. Say, who else knows his secret?”

 

“My friends, his friends, my family and Guru Ant.”

 

“That many? Alright.”

 

They head inside to spot everyone walking about the interior. Parappa quickly regroups with his friends.

 

“Glad to see you all made it here safely!”

 

“The feelings mutual, but please don’t run off without a plan again…”

 

“Sorry Peej, but it worked out. Temporarily stopped those big things! And distracted them from trying to harm Pinto’s friends! Speakin of which where are they?”

 

“Over there. They’re with your sis currently. I’d suggest poppin over there as they wanted to give you their thanks for helping them get away.”

 

“Will do! But first, where did the rest of you go??”

 

“Unlike you and PJ, we still had other people to help!” Katy says with the others nodding behind her.

 

“I was forced along against my will…” Raparra says as he gives off an air of defeat judging by his expression.

 

“What happened to you?”

 

“I was the chew toy…”

 

“You made a valuable chew toy distraction! Without you we wouldn’t have been able get the last remaining citizens back here safely!” Katy adds on, annoyed that her methods were being questioned.

 

“Do I have permission to throw her out there and make her see how it feels like?”

 

“Raparra…”

 

“Fine…” he grumbles “Anywho...while I was so uncomfortably close to those big boys...I could hear a little more of what they were chatting about. They want help apparently.”

 

“Help?? Help with what?”

 

“Beats fucking me. Apparently they were looking for a leader so that they could find a solution to whatever problem it is they’re currently having…”

 

“Maybe we can figure it out if we knew just WHAT these things even are! Gotta clue?”

 

“Bitch, didn’t it occur to you that if I did I would’ve said so by now?”

 

“I mean...yeah…” Parappa looks away “I’m...gonna go check up on Pinto’s friends...bye!” He zooms off.

 

“You do that…”

 

Parappa scurries quickly over to the group of schoolgirls to better avoid his double. Upon spotting him, they leave Pinto’s side and run up to him. They bow slightly before him.

 

“Thank you for saving us Pinto’s dumb older bro!” they say together.

 

“Heh...yep… just… doin what I normally do! No need for thanks. I'm just glad you all made it here safely!” they nod and rush back to Pinto. He then rubs his neck “Pinto’s dumb older bro huh?...I mean they're not wrong…but is that really all I am to them??” he slumps over “Haaaaarsh…” just then he hears a familiar voice having a fit.

 

“I've just about had it with these walking hair disasters! All morning they've been pacing about and making a mess of things! Quién se creen ellos que son?!?!” It was Takoyama-san. He was stomping in place as he looks out the window. Watching the big beasts fumble about.

 

“TKO! Not to try and downplay your well deserved anger, but there ain't much you can do!” Guru Ant tries to pacify hid raging boyfriend.

 

“Órale tonto! Babe you should be supporting me in my fury! In fact why not try and help me cut these follicle failures down to size!”

 

“Take on those BIG things?! And do what! Nothing really works on them! And even if things did, it would at most just annoy them!”

 

“Crece un par por favor! Babe I don't even have any bones and yet I have more spine then you! And I'm pretty sure you have an exoskeleton! So your spine should be twice as effective!”

 

“I don't think my anatomy works that way man…”

 

“Well it should! Now if you're not going to help! Then I'll just do things myself!”

 

“What?! What do plan to do! You're nothing but a flea to them!”

 

“Then I'll bite them until they go away if that's what it takes to get them out!”

 

“I better stop him…” Parappa runs off after the two. Takoyama storms to the door as Guru Ant is being dragged along. He's holding onto his outfit to try and halt him, but his conviction is to strong and he merely tugs the ant along “Takoyama! Stop it isn't safe!...”

 

“Of course it isn't safe! FOR THEM!” he kicks the door open and at the entrance is the one that had the ladder dropped on their head. It does what is assumed to be a bark and the color immediately drains from the octopus as the force of the bark nearly topples him over “I have made a terrible mistake…”

 

“YA THINK?!” Guru shouts as the beast drives its head towards them. They both hold onto each other and yell in fear as Parappa tries to shove them out of the way.

 

“WATCH OUT!” Parappa is unable to reach them in time.

 

A slicing sound is heard as the large animal is pushed away. Leo had slammed down between them with his guitar. It slashed the fur completely off his face “BACK OFF!...guh...now my guitar is full of hair…” the beast eyes Leo as it repeats it's attack with him as the target “BRING IT THEN!” just as it gets an inch away from him it stops and lucks his entire body “...wah?...this is different…” they all look at the shaved beast. With his head free of the excess fur, it's shown that it is in fact a large dog. It's demeanor is completely different as it stays there panting happily “I'm very confused here…”

 

“Hold the phone! I know what these things are!" 16-bits says as he rolls up to them “They're a species of animal called the bigaboo!” he then zips to the big dog “These large rascals travel in packs with a leader in tow! And despite their massive size, they are but fun playpals! They are a cuddly bunch that children and adults love!” the bigaboo before them barks, but without the fur, it's no longer destructive “But whatever could have brought then here…”

 

“I think they're looking for a leader.” Parappa brings up as everyone starts walking towards the shaved bigaboo.

 

“Odd. They should already have one…” the large dog starts to whine “Oh dear...a pack with a dead leader...no wonder they're bumbling about. They have no idea what to do!”

 

“They were looking for help. The howlin of the werewolf made them believe that it was a new leader capable of helping them.” Raparra says as he walks up to them all.

 

“Help them with what?!” Sista Moosesha blurts out as she joins in.

 

“I think I can answer that!” Papa Rappa now says “Bigaboo’s are a strange bunch. They’re as playful as can be! But they can’t stand the heat. A cruel body design is that the grow large quantities of fur constantly. The leader usually helps coordinate a mass shaving, but with theirs dead...yikes.”

 

“Are you telling me that the reason these things are making such a mess of things is cuz they need a haircut?!?!” as Moosesha shouts that out, Takoyama-san’s eyes widen. His red color returns to him as he turns around to the bigaboo with a massive grin.

 

“My time...has come!”

 

“Borf!” the bigaboo barks as it licks the octopus as he starts cutting the rest of the excess fur off.

 

“Hold on TKO!...is it really such a good idea to go solo?? These aren’t comparable to a rowdy customer! And there are a ton of them!”

 

“Hm...tienes un punto mi querido...So then you’re gonna help me!”

 

“Of course I- NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” He stops and clears his throat “Now look. Yes, you have taught me how to cut hair. To a point where I could even open a hair parlor myself! A fact to which I am thankful for babe, but even with me you ain’t gonna get very far!”

 

“Then I’ll lend a hand!” Parappa says as he raises his arm to the sky.

 

“WHAT?!”

 

“That’s wonderful Parappa!” Takoyama-san hops in place as soon as he finishes trimming the Bigaboo.

 

“We’ll help to!” PJ and Katy add on.

 

“DON’T ENCOURAGE HIM!”

 

“The more the merrier!”

 

“Count us in as well!” The rest of the group says as Lammy once again forces Raparra to tag along again, much to his dismay.

 

“NOT YOU GUYS TO!...”

 

“Aha! With that, we should have MORE than enough hands! Come on babe!” He yanks away his ant boyfriend as everyone runs after.

 

“WHY MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.”

 

* * *

 

Everybody lines up along the roofs.

 

“So why exactly are we up here?...” Guru says to Parappa as it looks like he completely gave up on trying to get out of this situation.

 

“Right now Moosesha, Leo and the others are rallying them all down this path. Once they arrive, we latch onto them all! There’s twenty total! Well nineteen now since we already helped one out. So that just leaves enough for each of us!”

 

“H-Here they come!” Lammy shouts out causing them all to get ready.” They all skate by, leading the large pack after them. They lead them down the street they’re set on and once they approach, they leap.

 

“GOGOGO!” Parappa shouts as they all jump. Takoyama, Guru and he are the first to leap onto the backs of the first three. Katy, PJ, Rammy and Raparra lands on the last four to box them in. Lammy, Ma-san, Paula, Matt, Sweety, Pinto and Papa Rappa land on the ones that try to get away. Leo, Moosesha, Sixteen, Spinni and Athena land on the last ones. Amby flies around them all as she spooks the bigaboo’s into lining up.

 

They’re all organized and soon begin walking in a line as Takoyama suddenly shouts out “Wooooooooooo!” He spins the scissors in his hands as he smiles widely. He looks back to every behind him who all raise their own cutting equipment.

 

_“Introducing, the new flava!_

_Cutting hair can be fabulous._

_So don't just stand there!_

_Come inside, have a seat and relax,_

_I promise you, everything will be alright._

_OK babies, let's go. We're gonna do like this.”_ He gets ready to start as Parappa gets ready to instruct the others.

 

_Snip snip!_

 

“Snip snip!”

 

_Trim trim!_

 

“Trim trim!”

 

_Cut cut!_

 

“Cut cut!”

 

_Shave shave!_

 

“Shave shave!”

 

_Snip trim cut!_

 

“Snip trim cut!”

 

_Shave cut snip!_

 

“Shave cut snip!”

 

_Trim shave dye!_

 

“Trim shave dye!”

 

_Cut snip trim!_

 

“Cut snip trim!”

 

_“Simple simple just like that,_

_I do braids and afros, crew cuts and more._

_Always energetic, smooth with a kick._

_Listen to the music and keep up the mix!”_ all their heads have been freed of the fur, calming them down slightly.

 

_Snip snip snip, snip snip!_

 

“Snip snip snip, snip snip!”

 

_Cut cut cut, cut cut!_

 

“Cut cut cut, cut cut!”

 

_Trim trim trim, trim trim!_

 

“Trim trim trim, trim trim!”

 

_Shave shave shave!_

 

“Shave shave shave!”

 

_Cut the cut, snip the snip!_

 

“Cut the cut, snip the snip!”

 

_Trim the trim, shave the shave!_

 

“Trim the trim, shave the shave!”

 

_Trim the cut, shave the snip!_

 

“Trim the cut, shave the snip!”

 

_Cut the snip, shave the trim!_

 

“Cut the snip, shave the trim!”

 

_“You see now, I don't have time to lose._

_My customers keep coming in and out._

_Many demands for people alike._

_I know what cutting hair's all about!”_ the frontal half of all the bigaboos are now free of fur as their demeanor starts shifting to a more joyous one.

 

_Trim trim cut, cut trim trim!_

 

“Trim trim cut, cut trim trim!”

 

_perm perm cut, cut perm perm!_

 

“Perm perm cut, cut perm perm!”

 

_cut cut perm, perm cut cut!_

 

“Cut cut perm, perm cut cut!”

 

_snip snip dye, dye snip snip!_

 

“Snip snip dye, dye snip snip!”

 

_dye dye snip, snip cut cut!_

 

“Dye dye snip, snip cut cut!”

 

_trim trim dye, dye snip snip!_

 

“Trim trim dye, dye snip snip!”

 

_“Give it my best shot, to keep myself red hot!_

_Cuz I'm the one to bring out the original!_

_Flava flava, for my people people!_

_Come on guys, last shot for the final!!”_ they were now completely free of excess fur. The bigaboo’s happily continue walking along of their own choice now. Takoyama and the others ready themselves to finish their work and clean them off.

 

_With the shampoo, I'll give it to you all!_

 

“With the shampoo, I'll give it to you all!”

 

_Rinse ya good, I made you look tall!_

 

“Rinse you good, I made you look tall!”

 

_Dry your hair, blow up and down!_

 

“Dry your hair, blow up and down!”

 

_Come on son, it's time to get down!_

 

“C’mon son, it's time to get down!” they all hop off the bigaboo’s as all twenty group up before them.

 

_Keep the line, keep the line moving!_

 

“Keep the line, keep the line moving!” they organize them back into a line that heads straight out of town.

 

_I'm nonstop, my body's just groovin~_

 

“I'm nonstop, my body's just groovin!” once they reach the town exit, Leo and 16-bits grab Parappa and Takoyama-san and lift them towards where their heads were gonna pass by. They're held up to the left and right spots and ready themselves for the final touch as they walk by them.

 

_Cut your hair, flat back and up front!_

 

“Cut your hair, flat back and up front!”

 

_Give you a perm now, and we're done!_

 

“Give you a perm now, and we're done!” they wave goodbye to the greatly styled bigaboo’s as the head out of town. With the song over, everyone cheers as Parappa just says his goodbyes “Glad we could've helped you guys! Hope you can find a new leader soon!”

 

“Haha! I should broaden my clientele horizon! It's clearly safe to assume that I can take on ANY hair challenge!”

 

“I'll say! You're really great at this teach.”

 

“So are you mijo! You sure you don't want me to hire you?”

 

“I got my hands tied with the cafe. Sorry Takoyama-san.”

 

“Oh keep your apologies! It's all well! But if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me!” they both laugh as the town cheers for the duo.

 

* * *

 

Leonora is seen flying all over town, repairing all the damage done by the werewolf and the bigaboo’s. She finishes in no time at all and curtsy’s at all the thanks she gets from the town for doing so. Blushing from the massive praise and attention she's getting.

 

“Ahahaww~...It's nothing really~...” they float down to their friends and defuse.

 

“Leo, how come you did not tell me that your father could that??”

 

“Cuz knowing you? You'd try to study em creepily!”

 

“I would not!”

 

“Why are there like thirty scanners coming from your head then?”

 

“Erm...h-humble curiosity?...~” Leo sighs as the bugs speak up.

 

“What about us!”

 

“Or me!...” the ghost girl adds on.

 

“Alright ya caught me. I actually just forgot to. But given what happened that day. I'd say it was for the best since I was respecting their privacy.” The four of them groan as they accept the answer.

 

“Well, my conscious is clean now. Atleast it feels like it is!” Parappa says as the others laugh.

 

“Right. Then I'm out of here for reals now. Peace.” Raparra once again starts leaving, but stops “Oh yeah. Your old man and the moose wanted to talk to you. They're by that big ass club you guys now have.” with that said, he continues going on his way.

 

“See you next time Raparra!” Parappa shouts, but his double merely replies with a double middle finger without even stopping or turning around. Parappa rolls his eyes “Yeah you take care to!” Once he’s out of sight, Parappa and the rest head on to Club Fun. They arrive and Parappa quickly asks what’s up.

 

“Sorry to bother you my boy, but something was up and Moosesha thought it best to discuss it with you. She can explain it to you now.”

 

“Right. So that kid had the awareness of getting us to set up safety right? And that inevitably helped us figure out the main problem with those things. Then once the explanation happened...it dawned on me. Those big ol things lost their leader right? How? They seem so docile without their fur and yet someone would rather let them rampage about.”

 

“That is...concerning…”

 

“So basically, something...or someone, had the audacity to nix the leadin bigaboo. Was it for that reason or was it for a different more selfish one? I dunno, but now those guys will probably sort this out themselves, but what if it happens again? Ya hear me?”

 

“I mean...we’re prepared for it aren’t we teacher?”

 

“We are, but that ain’t the point. “

 

“I know...stopping the person that caused this to begin with.”

 

“Well yes, but we don’t necessarily know if they’re even gonna do it again.”

 

“That’s where the problem comes in my boy!” Papa Rappa pulls out an oblong device “I managed to attach a tracker to the bigaboo I was shaving! I want you to go to this location and see if you can find ANYTHING that shows what happened and see if you can deduce if it’ll happen again!”

 

Parappa grabs the device from his dad “You can count on me!...On us!” The others walk up to Parappa.

 

“I wouldn’t have it any other way! Now get going!”

 

“Roger pops! C’mon guys! We got a mystery to solve!”

 

* * *

 

The group rummage about the home of the bigaboos for any sort of sign that something went wrong.

 

“Spot anything?” Parappa asks around.

 

“No just alot of fluff and leaves” Rammy answers.

 

“There’s too much crud here...makes it hard to find anything…” Leo groans as he digs through everything.

 

“Why not call for Amby again to see if she can magic it all away?”

 

“Cuz I already took up enough of her time as is dad. I don’t to be a nuisance…”

 

“I don’t think she’d ever see you as such!”

 

“Eh...Still!”

 

“HEYHEYHEY! I FOUND SOMETHING!” Katy shouts as she tries to pluck something up. It’s deeply embedded into the ground that she struggles in getting it out “LITTLE HELP!...” they try to dig the object out, but the ground refuses to be moved “JUST HELP ME PULL IT OUT!...” They all grab onto Katy and heave. They all keep pulling back with all they have and soon-

 

*pop*

 

They all fall over onto their backs as the object flies in the air and clangs onto the ground. They all get up and huddle around it.

 

(“The heck is this?...A clock??”) Despite Ma-san and the other’s confusion, Leo and Parappa recall seeing this device before.

 

“D-Dad…”

 

“I know...you don’t…you don’t think that he-”

 

“B-But why?! What would a bigaboo have to do with his plans?!”

 

“Not to be a nuisance, but would you kindly fill us in boys.” Sixteen asks.

 

“This is the same clock thing that Trinity had when she used it to call us back in time to help her kingdom out! It belonged to the scientist that Bohemian sent for some reason!” Leo responds.

 

“Oh right...that time travel kerfuffle you both experienced that one night...So this is the what belonged to that villain...How odd...I don’t recall the insignia...and I’ve known all the scientists that Tycoon recruited...tell me, what did he look like??”

 

“We don’t know...he had this weird spacesuit on…”

 

“Not to mention he was incomplete like we were” Parappa adds on “So that adds an extra layer of difficulty in identifying him…”

 

“Then what could he be planning…”

 

Leo then decides to ask the little robot “Sixteen! I want you to figure out every single tidbit on Bigaboo’s!”

 

“Hm...very well.” His eyes turn green as he stands completely still. His eyes warble about as if they were the entrance to a datascape, and after a good chunk of time, he becomes mobile again and starts spouting multiple tidbits of knowledge.

 

_Bigaboo’s are one of the oldest things imaginable. Appearing in the times of old when kingdoms were a much common sight._

 

_Infant bigaboo’s are about the size of a minivan while a fully aged elder can reach about as large as Multi floored apartment building!_

 

_Despite their canine appearance and mannerisms, bigaboo’s are not dogs. However this does not stop people from referring to them as such. They do not mind as it makes them sound more friendly._

 

_Bigaboo’s were once hunted down cruelly once it was discovered that literally every portion of their body could result in some form of profit or necessity. The most wanted part of them being their bones, which could be used in many things such as tools and buildings or even outfits with proper knowledge on how to make the bones as smooth as silk-_

 

“STOP!...bastard...we found our reason…” Leo rubs his helmet screen.

 

“So he killed a calm and friendly animal...people killed this docile animals...FOR EVERYDAY EQUIPMENT?!...” Parappa’s electricity sparks up on it’s own from his anger.

 

“D-Dad cool it!...What’s done is done!...”

 

“Oooh...when I get my hands on him…”

 

“W-Would it be bad to also include the fact that they at times were merely hunted for sport?...”

 

 **_“WHAT?!”_ ** Parappa’s electricity burns the grass around his feet.

 

“Sixteen shut uuuuup…”

 

“R-Right away…”

 

“Dad look...we can’t undo all of that...and we can’t avenge all the dead bigaboo’s...but we can atleast get back at the killer of THIS bigaboo!” He then stops and thinks “So I think he’s using the bones to make a more refined time machine thing...but if that’s the case...what’s with this?...” He holds up the clock object “I don’t think he’s gonna mess with anymore bigaboo’s...but this thing looks odd…”

 

“It doesn’t look completely like the one that Trinity had...and it’s rusted quite badly...So does that mean all this happened...befoooooore Trinity called us?...maybe it was used to make his suit?...”

 

“I don’t know...we’ll ask him next time we see him...by force…” Just then the clock hands start spinning wildly.

 

“E-Erm...Young Leo...I don’t think you should be hanging on to that any longer…” Leo follows Sixteen’s call and quickly tosses it to the ground.

 

“W-What’s happening?!” Lammy and the rest freak out as EVERY clock on them, even the ones in their phones, all wildly change their numbers. Something then grabs all their attentions as they look at the sky. Large ethereal clock hands were ticking slowly in the sky. The blue hands that slowly shift vanish as quickly as they arrived. Right after that scene happens, Parappa and Leo’s energy hearts reappear over their chests. Their yellow hearts beat weakly as they quickly grab their chests.

 

“Yo...you two alright?” PJ asks as he looks at the two.

 

“I-I dunno Peej...s-somethings just started eating away at me all of a sudden…”

 

“S-Same here Uncle...m-my hearts just hurting all of a sudden...w-what’s going on?...”

 

“Is he...going back in time again??”

 

“But this didn’t happen last time dad…”

 

“...I know...but then…” Parappa’s eyes widen “D-DID HE GO _FORWARD_ IN TIME?!”

 

Leo yanks his helmet off, revealing his eyes to be as wide as his dad’s “H-HE CAN’T...WHAT’S HE PLANNING ON DOING!?...” The boy begins hyperventilating on the spot. Katy and Lammy quickly recall that if he were to continue doing this, it’d be bad without his inhaler.

 

“C-Calm down! I’m sure it’s n-not that!”

 

“Yeah! It’s probably got nothing to do with you!”

 

“R-Right!...And e-even still! You said he was incomplete right? Maybe it’ll happen again and he won’t be able to do much!”

 

“..M-Maybe y-you’re...you’re right…” He calms down and picks the clock back up. It had stopped spinning “E-Either or...It doesn’t look like anyone other than him can u-use these things...S-Sixteen...study up on this thing ASAP…” He shakes it about to see if it is even remotely functioning.

 

“I-I would advise against doing that Leo...You don’t know what could happen...”

 

“Please...I’m a time traveler myself. I know well enough when it’s safe to touch an object that can cross the boundaries of tiiiIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAA!” A large bolt of lightning strikes Leo from seemingly out of nowhere as the clock’s hands start spinning wildly once more. From the center spawns out a smaller version of the ethereal clock hands. A small time gate appears and starts sucking up air. It eventually yanks the suit from Leo’s body and poofs away once it leaves him in his boxers. The clock stops spinning after that occurs. Leo flops onto his face as the clock clinks out of his hands and over to 16-bits “O-Ow…” Leo flops onto all fours “M-MY SUIT!...” Spinni, Matt, Sweety, Lammy and Paula all quickly cover their faces. Ma-san merely takes her phone and Rammy laughs off his poor perception of the object he had no understanding for. Pinto merely studies his body to see if there were any other portions of him that matched her brother’s. Katy, Parappa, PJ and 16-bits only facepalm at the boys ineptness.

 

“Aw cheer up buddy. You have plenty more where those came from!” Athena is the only one attempting to help him out.

 

“ATHENA I’M STILL NEARLY NAKED AND INCREDIBLY FAR AWAY FROM MY HOME TO GET ANY SPARES!...”

 

“Oh yeah. That is an issue! Bummer!” It takes a few seconds for the realization to hit her “HOOOO NOOOOO! THAT MEANS YOU’RE STUCK LIKE THIS OUT IN THE OPEN!” She squats down as her wings spread out “‘Scuse me, i’m gonna fix this!” She leaps and blasts off to Neon Heights.

 

“W-WAIT WHY NOT JUST TAKE ME...with...you…” He slumps over “Idiot…”

 

“She ain’t the only brainless one.” Katy, PJ and Parappa say in unison.

 

“I am aware…”

 

“To be fair I did warn you to let go of it.”

 

“Sixteen please...I’m already suffering the end results enough as is, no need to rub salt into the wound…”

 

“Oh this is a perfect time to rub salt! Don’t you realize the severity of that happening!”

 

“You mean me losing my suit?? What could go wrong from that aside from leaving me in my undies!”

 

“You don’t know where it’ll end up! Think of the time period you’ll be messing up by dropping such a sophisticated set of fabric! An outfit like that could really be hectic depending on the hands it falls in…”

 

“Oh relax, it’s 99 percent ineffective if you ain’t playing music for it…”

 

“Be that as it may...oh forget it…” the robot sighs as Parappa speaks up.

 

“You might wanna hide behind a tree or something. I don’t think these guys can stand being in your presence like this.”

 

“Alright fine…” He storms off in defeat, but just before he reaches his hiding spot.

 

“By the way. Nice choice in boxers!” Parappa laughs at the coincidental pair. They were like his. Filled with little bone pictures everywhere, only Leo’s were blue as opposed to his red ones.

 

“Please stooooop…” He quickly hides behind the tree and immediately starts screaming. Parappa takes the time to speak to 16-bits.

 

“You...really think that losing that suit across time is gonna be that big a deal?...at most it proves is armor right?...”

 

“Ah yes the jetpack jacket, magnet shoes, clone spawning belt, agility increasing pants and force increasing gloves are merely just armor. How foolish of me.”

 

“Oh crap...I had completely forgotten the secondary things they’re able to do…”

 

“I’m well aware.”

 

“But like my son says! It’s not like they can do ANY of that without music. And while, yes, this planet has always loved its music...I doubt anyone will ever come to the realization.”

 

“I hope you’re right…” the horse bot looks to the sky along with the dog.

 

“Relax. I know that it won’t go anywhere to concerning!”

 

* * *

 

“How unfortunate...I can’t do anything in the future…” the spaceman says as he sits in the air above a large complex house “I figure out who they are and I can’t even interfere in their past OR their future...something is preventing me from meddling…” He growls “So this entire safety net is nothing but crushed hopes gone with the wind...bah…” He floats over to one of the windows “What a waste of my time...oh well...I have an infinite amount so no harm in checking…” his clock spins and he warps back to the present. At the window he was at, a pink teddy bear walks by.

 

“Oh hum...another quiet day…” She reclines by the window and looks at the clear sky “It’s a nice day, but it just seems...empty…” She murmurs and suddenly the time gate that sucked up Leo’s outfit spawns over her head. Out drops the helmet as it hits her head like a brick “OW!...” She looks up “What the hec-” the remainder of the outfit drops on her face. Once it all covers her head, the portal vanishes and she quickly shakes off all the bits of clothing that fell on her “WHERE DID...all this...come-” She looks carefully at the out that was on the floor. She then looks at the helmet that conked her on the head and her heart merely races as she picks it up “...I-It...no...it can’t be…” She shakes from swelling emotion, causing the helmet to shake with her. From the movement, the helmet sputters as it plays a small video. Her eyes merely grow misty as she looks at the video that plays. Without anymore hesitation, she runs off with the helmet.

 

In a room out in another separate wing of the house, there sits a group of girls all chatting with one another. There we see a lamb, a mouse, a fox, a bunny and a ram dog hybrid.

 

“So they’re still bugging you?? Man Paparazzi never let up do they Reyna!” the mouse girl says.

 

“I knooooow. Like, yeaaaah. I know my mom’s a famous multi talent actor, but c’moooon...if I want the paparazzi to hound my butt twenty four seven, I want it to be over the stuff _I_ do. But they don’t care at aaaaaaaall… What can you do, am I right Myra?” The fox girl looks to the mouse who responds with a nod.

 

“You really should emphasize that fact by just...doing something that’ll etch your name into history as your own person that’s different from your mom!” the bunny says “You ALL should!”

 

“E-Easier said than done Olivia...They’re world i-idols!...and what a-about you??...”

 

“What ABOUT me Ewena?? My dad’s are sport savvy! And I’m a musical gal and tech savvy!”

 

“They’re also music savvy and great with tech stuff!” the ram hybrid says.

 

“N-Not to mention y-you’re also a sporty gal!...”

 

“Euphoria! Ewena! Shut i-” the bunny is interrupted by the door flinging open, revealing the shaking and crying teddy bear girl “L-Lace? What’s the rush?...”

 

“Damn girl what the heck happened to you! You think about how snakes don’t have arms aga-” Myra is cut off.

 

“H-...H-He’s...He’s _alive_!” She holds out the helmet.

 

“Whoa who’s alive?...” Euphoria asks.

 

“And wait...ain’t that your pop’s helmet?...or rather an older model...wait…” Myra rubs her chin as they all slowly come to the realization of what she’s talking about “YO WAIT THAT’S-”

 

“T-THAT’S-” Ewena tries to say.

 

“THE ONE THAT-” Olivia does the same.

 

“THAT THE IDIOT-” Reyna tries to add on.

 

“THAT TOOK THE PROTOTYPE CAR!” Euphoria finishes off.

 

“CRYBABY-E!...” they all say as the teddy bear girl cries harder. They all stare at the helmet and quickly the bunny speaks up.

 

“Gaaaah...Where’d you get this?!”

 

“I-It...It fell on my head...with the rest of the suit…”

 

“I don’t think it means anything! Look. That idiot took an unstable time traveling car. He probably blew up mid drive and his stuff got lost in the time stream! It just NOW probably found its way back over here!” she lifts her arms and shakes her head “That idiot is dead Lace, no use in holdin out hope for him~” She scoffs “I ain’t gonna sit around and look at leftovers from guy who decided to play hero twelve years ago! And I think it’d be sane of ALL of us to do the same!” She decides to storm out. Ewena, Myra and Reyna decide to follow Olvia.

 

“B-But-” They slam the door behind them, shaking the room and them with it “H-He is alive...I just know it…” The photo falls out of the helmet, and she quickly picks it up. She sighs as she closes her eyes.

 

“I believe you.” The teddy opens her eyes as she looks at the ram girl.

 

“You do?...”

 

“Yeah...I don’t exactly...like the idiot for what he did...but I still want to believe he’s alive...I miss him…”

 

“But he really IS alive!...L-Look!” She shakes the helmet about.

 

“Lacey...I’m not sure how that’s gonna show me any-” a video plays before them. The helmet shows the catboy and a horse robot.

 

_“Europa! Just what in blazes are you doing?!”_

 

_“Cool it Sixteen! I’m just tinkerin about here to see what I can make is all!”_

 

_“But could you do it elsewhere?! It might explode in your face and you could ruin my study!”_

 

_“Oh relax! Have faith in me!”_

 

_“Knowing your track record...that’s impossible for me…what are you even making?”_

 

 _“A little something for my dad is all...in fact I’m almost done! Just need to add this here...aaaand...VIOLA!~”_ he holds out his invention.

 

_“A-A microphone?...”_

 

_“It’s not JUUUUST a microphone! But it’s uses are to be hidden until later~”_

 

_“Why?...Otherwise what’s the point of giving it to your father now??”_

 

_“Leo Steps don’t need a reason baybeeeeee!~ I just do things how I want spontaneously! I just needed your lab to make it!”_

 

_“You should be resting! You had the everloving DAYLIGHTS beaten out of you!”_

 

_“Sixteen I was left on death’s doorstep for a number that’s now reaching triple digits! I was fiiiiiine. I am the son of Parappa Rappa after all~ I am BUILT to be an undying little shit! I lived to be twenty and I ain’t stopping now! Now excuse me, I got a present for my dad to deliver now that he’s been freed from Spectora’s spell~”_

 

_“Give it to him LATER...you need to rest!”_

 

_“And I say no! Today feels lucky! So I’m gonna give it to him NOW! Buh-byeeee~”_

 

 _“WAIT! EUROPA!...Oh...I gotta call Spinni and Athena for help…”_ The video ends. It was shown to have been recorded last night, but many years prior.

 

“H-He is alive...he’s alive...he’s an adult like us...a-and...he’s…”

 

“I know right?!...H-His plan...it actually worked...he’s in the past…” She falls to her knees as she hugs the helmet “Europa is out there…~ Which means there’s a chance he can come back~...”

 

“He’s...ok…~”...Euphoria falls onto her rear as she also starts crying "W-Wait! We gotta tell the others!"

 

"N-NO!...everyone went in a fit for years over his disappearance!...This will just put them back into that state!...L-Let's just keep this between us for now..." The ram wipes her tears away as she ultimately agrees with the teddy bear. Unknown to them, the girls who had stormed out had watched the video from the door. They had opened it slightly and peered in through the small crack. They close it and immediately, the sheep, mouse and fox all speak up.

 

“E-Europa...h-he’s alive…” Ewena starts shaking on the spot.

 

“That...That idiot is actually...in the past?...” Myra gets spaced out from the reality of the situation.

 

“Crybaby-E...Is out there?...” Reyna hugs herself as she realizes that the boy she thought she hated was still out there in a different time period. The trio were completely dazed. Nothing could reach their ears.

 

Olivia separates herself from the trio and slumps against a wall. She holds her forehead as she looks to the ground. The entirety of everything was running in her head painfully “Europa...is completely alright...how’s it...possible?...why did he get lucky?...why did he succeed in his stupid long shot plan??...A-And why am I not angry about this?!...Why am I…”

 

_Why am I so happy?...Happy that he’s alive..._


	53. The time to grow

“Aaaaaalright! Told Dad and Sista Moosesha the deets and Leo is also no longer in his underwear so we are in the cleaaaar!”

 

“I'm just glad I didn't have the guitar on me…” Leo pats his replacement suit “Actually speaking about having things on me...I had something I wanted to give you. Oh dear...was it in the pocket of the suit that I lost??”

 

“I assume you mean this microphone?” Sista Moosesha pulls out a microphone as she skates in between the two “I saw that you left it back at the training facility, but I didn't give it back cuz you were busy checking out what happened. Guess now that you're no longer busy...here you go!”

 

“Actually, I made this for you Parappa!” he takes the mike and hands it over to the dog, she then skates away “Here you go! I was actually gonna give you it alot sooner...but...things went downhill fast…”

 

“Yeah they kinda did…” He tilts his head slightly, but still he grabs the gift “Either way you still got to give it to me. And to that I say thank you! It makes me happy to see that you made this for me! But why make a microphone when you can just buy me one? N-Not to downplay your gift or anything!...”

 

“Cuz it ain’t just an ordinary mike! Buuuut~...the special part will stay as a secret for now~...”

 

“Aw...ok!” He wags his tail, earning a giggle from the freshly helmeted boy “Why a gift though?”

 

“Do I need a reason? Since i’m here in the past, why not right?”

 

“I suppose...then nothing’s stopping me from returning the favor!”

 

“Oh you don’t gotta!”

 

“I insist!”

 

“Look. Dad. It’s fine! Honest!” He grabs onto the dogs shoulders “You don’t owe me anything for this! This is just me as a son who just wants to show his dad how much he cares for him. Got that?”

 

“...Ok.” He holds onto the microphone tightly “Thanks alot for this gift Leo~”

 

“Glad you like it. And I’m also glad we could stop the bigaboo’s and find out what even caused all that to begin with!”

 

“As am I. I don’t know what’ll happen next...but it looks like that for now...things are gonna be alright!”

 

“And with that, it’s my cue to call it a day! I performed an all nighter makin that for you! So now I got a date with my bed!”

 

“W-Wait...you mean you spent the entire night...on the day of you getting badly hurt...building this instead of resting?????”

 

“THAT’S WHAT WE SAID!” Spinni, Athena and 16-bits shout out.

 

“Oh relax you all! I’m fine! Now buh-bye!~” Leo’s jacket morphs into his jetpack and he’s off without anymore chatter allowed.

 

“Oh what a revelation…”

 

“Well on the bright side Parappa, atleast he’s telling the truth...slightly.” Sixteen sighs as he rockets away. But before Spinni and Athena can do the same. Parappa stops them both.

 

“W-Wait wait!...”

 

“Yes?” both bugs reply.

 

“You guys are…”

 

“I AM SPARTACUS ROACH METALGRAD!” He flexes in a pompous and over exaggerated pose.

 

“He’s Spinni, I’m Athena Jewel Metalgrad.” The bee says, getting the roach to deflate.

 

“Aw c’mon sis...atleast let me be cool in front of Leo’s pops…”

 

“You? Cool? I don’t think so. Besides, Spinni’s your name.”

 

“Oh believe me I know…”

 

“Oh stop being such a primadonna! You told the cat and the lamb your real name!” they bicker until Parappa speaks up again.

 

“Oh I knew both your names already! Long story, but it just took awhile for me to remember! What I wanted to say was...I’ve...never actually formally talked to you two as opposed to Aqua, Sirius and 16-bits. Everyone else hasn’t either...well...except for Katy and Lammy apparently.”

 

“Oh we’re no one special.”

 

“Speak for yourself Spinni! I’m bud’s saving grace!”

 

“Are you really?...” Parappa looks at the bee.

 

“No she isn’t Parappa. While she can be a good helping hand, she’s nothing more than an impulsive nuisance from time to time whenever she gets anxious and wants to do something that could very well be illegal.”

 

“I get buddy locked up once and now it’s all i’m labeled as!”

 

“Athena you got him sent to prison 38 times…all because he took the fall for YOU!...”

 

“Psssh...you don’t have any evidence…”

 

“I have the restraining orders that people got for you on me at all times from all those occasions…the cops literally just have coffee with Leo now whenever you do something cuz they know he's gonna take the fall for you and they just don't have the heart to keep him in a cell when he's obviously innocent!”

 

“OK! SO I’M A LITTLE BIT OF A MESS! EXCUUUUUUSE ME!”

 

“Right...sorry Parappa, but like I said, we’re no one special. If anything we’re heavy nuisances…”

 

“E-Eheheh...y-you’re not! You’re both just...v-very colorful is all!...”

 

“See that Spinni? Bud’s dad know we’re well meaning!”

 

“Athena-...whatever…” The roach turns to the dog “You don’t need to spare our feelings sir.”

 

“I mean...you’re not bad people!” _Not anymore atleast…_ “So I physically can’t say anything bad about you guys!...”

 

“Hey just like buddy! He can’t either!”

 

“To a fault...right...well. Hopefully we can get acquainted much more...pleasantly...another time sir.”

 

“Oh cut the sir business! Just call me Parappa!...Plus you both are older than me so it feels a little weird…”

 

“Roger sir-...erm...Parappa.”

 

“Sheesh, I wonder if you’ll ever outgrow your cowardice little brother.”

 

“HUSH!...well then tata for now Parappa!” Both bugs spread their wings and blast off into the sky.

 

“Bye you two! Hopefully we can have a more pleasant meet up another time!” he waves at the rocketing bugs as he turns away and looks at the microphone in his hands again “He made this for me...and he doesn’t want anything in return...but...I can’t just...let this lovely gesture go by without returning the favor…” he grunts “Nono! Respect his decision! Your son said it was fine and so fine it is! Just enjoy the gift and move on!” Parappa smiles as he runs off to regroup with his friends and enjoy the rest of the day.

 

_Three days later._

 

* * *

 

_In the future._

 

Lacey is seen on her bed, hugging the helmet closely to her, refusing to let it out of her hands. The ram hybrid girl enters her room and shuts the door behind her as she heads over to the teddy bear girl.

 

“Man, you're really glued to that thing aren’t you?”

 

“I-I mean...yeah…~ But can you blame me??”

 

“I missed him to and am happy to see he’s alive, but even _I_ wouldn’t be that attached to the thing~...maybe…” she scratches her head.

 

“I don’t need a reason for my actions!...”

 

“Lace it’s been twelve yeeeeaaaars. You seriously have feelings for that doofus?”

 

“I-I don’t…”

 

“...” The ram smiles deviously. “Oh my bad...say...mind handing over the helmet then?~”

 

“U-Um…” the teddy shakily holds the helmet out “N-Not at all...h-here!...”

 

“Why thank you~” The second the ram touches the helmet, the teddy flips and yanks it away from her as she scoots into the corner of her bed “Bluff, called~”

 

“I-I CAN’T HELP IT! HE WAS THE ONLY SWEETEST GUY EVER! THE GUYS HERE NOW ARE ALL SUCH...BLEEEEEGH…” she whines greatly “And in that video...h-he did look nice…”

 

“I don’t mean to be a downer, but in the amount of time he’s been gone he probably changed...or you know...hooked up with someone! Or both!”

 

“I-I doubt it…”

 

“Lacey, like I said, it’s been twelve years! Count em, TWELVE! That amount of time spent alone in the past...he’s gonna wanna move on. And all that crazy mental toll probably changed him! After all! You saw him in that video! He was energetic! Pompous! Overconfident!...” Euphoria suddenly feels pressure in her chest “He was...really...cool…the old Europa wasn’t like that… he rarely ever wanted to talk about stuff on his mind or the stuff he wanted to do...”

 

“Yeah...that is...true...b-but…” she looks at the helmet “I-I need to see more videos to be sure! Now how did they work this older model?...there was a button inside...AHA!...oh there are so many archives...um….any oughta do…this one!” a new video plays before them. It involves a Europa much younger than the one in the previous video. The time stamp shows its five years prior.

 

 _“YOU MISERABLE FELINE PEST...WHY CAN'T YOU JUST DIE?!?!...THIS IS BOSS MAN’S WORLD!...YOU CAN'T CHANGE THAT FATE!”_ a robot man that was badly damaged was shouting at the guitar wielding cat hybrid.

 

_“Sure I can! I've done a lot of things that ‘shouldn't’ have happened! Now be a good yes man and hand me that USB!”_

 

_“NEVER! THE PLANS FOR THE MUSICAL POWER SOURCE DEVICE IS ON THIS! BOSS MAN'S RESEARCH IS FINALLY COMPLETE AND I WON'T LET YOU RESET IT!”_

 

_“Who's gonna stop me? You??”_

 

 _“I AM THE EPITOME OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING! THE FRUITS OF TYCOON’S GENIUS! I AM MORE THAN CAPABLE OF ELIMINATING A COCKY BRAT LIKE_ **_YOU!_ ** _”_

 

_“You say that, but I've destroyed your ‘impeccable’ body so many times now that I think he's starting to get annoyed with rebuilding you~”_

 

 _“I'LL SHOW YOU!”_ The robot morphs into a giant mechanical beast **_“I'LL CRUSH YOU LIKE THE GNAT YOU ARE!”_ ** he lunges towards the boy. Both girls gasp at the video cat who didn't budge.

 

 _“A crybaby till the end...what a shame~”_ Europa's guitar morphs into an energy chainsaw, and in the blink of an eye he's behind the robot.

 

 _“NOT...A...GAIN…”_ slash marks start appearing all over the robot’s body. He then violently explodes as Europa holds his hand to the air. The USB lands in his open palm as the robot’s head rolls to his feet _“B-B-Boss man’s going to k-kill you...I might fail n-now, but he won't!”_ Europa places his foot over the robot's head _“E-EVEN NOW HE'S ABOUT TO LAY THE FINISHING B-BL-BLOW ON THE TRAITORS WHO DECIDED TO ALLY THEMSELVES WITH YO-YO-YOU!”_ The catboy growls as he shoves the USB in his pocket and grabs the robot’s head _“UN-UNHAND ME!...”_

 

 _“Can't believe I'm actually gonna try and save them…”_ He holsters the head to his side and runs off to pick up the helmet on the ground, and that's when the video ends. Both girls are left speechless with their jaws dropped.

 

“That was…” Euphoria manages to say.

 

“T-That was…” Lacey starts to say.

 

“AMAZING!!” Euphoria finishes.

 

“H-Horrible…” Lacey ends up saying as her head droops over to her shoulder, mortified by what she saw.

 

“Horrible?! Lace are you crazy! Did you not SEE him?!”

 

“I DID…” She holds her head up “E-Europa...he would never…” she shakes her head “I-It’s a fluke! Another video!...T-This one!...” the video that plays now was of later that same day.

 

 _“HOW COULD YOU HAVE POSSIBLY LIVED THAT?!...I STRUCK YOU STRAIGHT THROUGH MANY OF YOUR VITAL ORGANS! AND YET YOU’RE HERE, WITH THE WOUND GONE AND LIFE STILL SPRINGING WITHIN YOU! HOW?!”_ A giant monstrosity of a man stares at the boy covered in bubbles and swirling water.

 

_“Because there are people who placed so much in me... their belief in me...their hopes and dreams...you’ve been destroying lives now and in the past, and will keep doing so. Everything you’ll do will leave a lingering tragedy that will continue to affect people from here on out. It’s been my self given mission to stop you. And there’ve been people who have given their all to assist me in doing just that. They’re gone now, but the end result will be what they want! I carry their will to achieve victory! TODAY IS YOUR LAST DAY TYCOON!”_

 

_“BOLD WORDS FROM A CHILD I SO EASILY DISPATCHED MOMENTS AGO! I WILL MAKE SURE YOU’RE DEAD THIS TIME!”_

 

 _“Alot can happen in a short span of time. I can change the fate's design thanks to the belief that the others are pumping into me! I’m the hero here, and as you should know! The hero NEVER loses!”_ The bubbles swirl around him violently. With that they both rush in head on. Europa’s guitar was holding back the many appendages of the monster.

 

 _“HOW?! HOW ARE YOU MAKING ME STRUGGLE?! TEN MINUTES AGO,_ **_YOU_ ** _COULD DO NOTHING TO ME! NOW WE’RE EVEN?!...THIS IS UTTERLY TERRIFYING…IT LEAVES ME ENRAGED!”_

 

 _“You?? You don’t got the RIGHT to be angry! ALL YOU DID WAS DESTROY THE LIVES OF COUNTLESS PEOPLE FOR YOUR OWN SELFISH GAINS! MOST OF WHICH WERE PEOPLE I CARED ABOUT! YOUR ACTIONS AND HELPERS KILLED MY MENTORS, MY BEST FRIENDS AND MY GIRLFRIEND! AND FOR THAT YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO LOSE! SO WE’RE DONE HERE!”_ Europa flicks his guitar upwards and knocks his arms back. He then rushes forward and begins cleaving off the extra appendages on his body. He then shreds off the armor on his giant main hands _“HOW’S IT FEEL NOW HUH?! TO FINALLY HAVE YOUR ACTIONS COME BACK TO BITE YOU IN THE ASS!”_

 

_“I...WON’T...DIE!...”_

 

 _“SAY IT ALL YOU WANT! BUT KNOW THAT I AIN’T THE ONLY ONE THAT WANTS REVENGE ON YOU!”_ A roach man begins hooking the giant in his face repeatedly as a robot starts lasering off more appendages.

 

_“DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL…”_

 

 _“YOU TWO! LET’S FINISH HIM HERE AND NOW!”_ the robot flies to Europa and becomes a set of armor for him while he hops onto the roach’s back _“IT’S OVER!”_

 

_“I WILL NOT FALL TO YOU!”_

 

 _“YOU DON’T GOT A CHOICE!”_ the boy fires marbles at the giant _“WITH LOVE FROM MILTON AND EMILE!”_ they explode on impact and force the monster to dance, leaving him wide open. Realizing he was left helpless and on the verge of defeat, he yells.

 

_“I HATE YOU...YOU ARE THE MOST ACCURSED THING IN MY LIFE! YOU RUINED EVERYTHING! AND NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES I BRING YOU DOWN YOU COME BACK TO SPIT IN MY FACE! HOW?! WHY?!”_

 

 _“Hey. The feelings mutual buddy.”_ the boy vaults his guitar in the air and leaps off of the roach once he’s closer to the monster. He then proceeds to beat on him with his enhanced arms _“ THIS IS FOR MY GREAT FRIENDS EMILE AND MILTON! THIS FOR MY BEST FRIENDS AND MENTORS, THE QUEENS! THIS IS FOR AMBY! MY FIRST AND MOST HELPFUL FRIEND SINCE I GOT HERE! THIS IS FOR MY DAD! WHOSE LIFE YOU CONTINUOUSLY RUIN IN MANY WAYS! THIS IS FOR MY FAMILY, WHO ALL HAD TO SUFFER IT THANKS TO YOU!_ **_AND THIS IS FOR TRYING TO KILL ME!_ ** _”_ the guitar falls into his hands and he cleaves at the body now that he smashed the armor off. He ends it with chopping the head clean off his body.

 

_“How… I had everything planned out...it was all perfect…how could a brainless idiot like you ruin it all…my plan was ready to build...and come five years I would be ready to bend everything to my whim...Where did your accursed second wind come from??...”_

 

 _“Simple! They all left it to me! And all I had to do to make sure their hope wasn't in the wrong hands was simply believe!”_ He laughs as he holds back his left arm once the head falls directly in front of him _“NO CUTTING CORNERS NOW!~”_ He launches his arm forward **_“PUNCH!~”_ ** the head flies off into space where it explodes into a white light. The boy laughs triumphantly as the armor pops off and becomes the small robot again. The bug, robot and he were all exhausted as they fly straight to the ground _“That was for you dad…~ For all of you!...”_ his laughter subsides _“Mom...Dad...if only you could see me now~...Europa K. Rappa...ain’t a crybaby anymore~...”_ he faints as the trio fall to the ground. They land on the helmet, jogging it and ending the video by accident.

 

The duo take a while to process everything they just saw.

 

“E-Europa…”

 

“H-Holy crud...h-how did...how did that crybaby...grow up to be THAT?!?!” The ram’s eyes sparkle in wonderment as she recollects the actions the energetic cat boy did.

 

“...I don’t understand…” Lacey stares at the helmet “He’s...he’s radically different...but...down to the roots...he’s still the same guy even now slightly...but...he sure is different…”

 

“I’LL SAY!~ HE’S ALOT MORE AWESOME NOW THAN HE WAS BACK THEN!”

 

“U-Ummm...t-that’s debatable…” She recalls how he got flustered over any personal interaction to the point of shutting down, but here he clashed head on with a hellish creature that could easily kill him with no fear present on his face “W-Where’d the quiet passiveness go?...it’s all gone in favor of a brash and arrogant lunatic...” She recalls how he couldn’t handle insults, even little ones such as dummy and cry on the spot, but here he was blatantly insulted in both videos and yet he stayed cocky and butted heads fiercely with no faltering emotions “His sweetness replaced by a rough exterior…” normally he wouldn’t want to fight and would rather try to talk things out whether it was to defend someone or himself, but here the first thing he did was charge in and try to physically harm his opposition “His urge to settle a situation with words is now replaced by a desire to settle things with his fists just like any other meathead…”

 

“AND ISN’T IT GREAT?!”

 

“No...it’s not…” She lets go of the helmet and hugs herself “Where’d that sweet boy go…”

 

“Oh i’m sure he still is that guy, only with alot more of a spine that can actually let him do more stuff!”

 

“I didn’t realize having a spine meant losing your brain…”

 

“Oh so he became a little reckless! Makes him alot more fun!” She grabs the bears hands within her own “Laaaaace. You heard all that sappy stuff he said in the second video. Just cuz he’s abit more eccentric doesn’t mean he’s any less of the boy he was when he left us!. Besiiiiiiiiides it was BOUND to happen! After all, Mr and Mrs Rappa were apparently like that when they were younger! It just took a different environment for it to kick in within him! But hey, knowing all that, Mr and Mrs Rappa are still nice and sweet- albeit sad for a plethora of reasons- people! Riiiiight?~”

 

“...you’re right...it’s just alarming...to see him like that…”

 

“I find it wondrous~”

 

“Right...w-well I guess I’m gonna go see another video…”

 

“Then I gotta step out! If I see him do anymore things that I’d never expect to see him to, my brain might implode!”

 

“What else is there to be unexpected?...”

 

“Hearing him swear up a storm! Old Euro would never even think of doing something like that! He could barely even call someone stupid without fainting!”

 

“I-I doubt he’s one to overuse profanity…”

 

* * *

 

_Two days ago in the past._

 

“Leo?” Sunny peeks into his bedroom “You in here?...”

 

“WAH-WHOA-WUH!” he quickly shoves an outfit he was inspecting into his closet and slams the door shut “HIIIIIII POPPY~ Yeah i’m in here!...”

 

“...You ok?...”

 

“Peachy! What brings you here?~”

 

“I just wanted to see if you were doing good today.”

 

“I aaaaaam~”

 

“Then something up with your wardrobe?...”

 

“NO! Nothing at all!~ I’m good! In fact I think I’m gonna go outside and get some fresh-” He slams his foot into a table leg “FFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKKK...FUCK FUCK FUCK AH FUCKING SHIT THAT BUUUUUUUUUUUUUURNS! WHAT THE EVERLOVING FUHUHUHUHUHUHUCK- DAMMIT AUNT KITTY WHY DID YOU HAVE TO PUT THE TABLE THERE!...”

 

Kitty pokes her head in from the other room “Cuz I kept slamming MY foot into it every time I turned away from MY closet.” She turns away.

 

“THEN WHY DIDN’T YOU MOVE THE THING INTO ANOTHER ROOM RATHER THAN PUSH IT SO THAT _I_ GET HIT BY IT!...”

 

“I didn’t intend for that, just got tired of hurting my foot.

 

“Ugh…”

 

“W-Well you seem fine...sooooo i’m just gonna goooooo…” Sunny quickly rushes out of the room.

 

* * *

 

_Back to the future._

 

“You never know Lace! But there’s also the chance he’s quite the vigilante!~”

 

“I doubt he uses his fists for everything…”

 

“You’re right...maybe he just gets straight to the point and shoots em~”

 

“H-He wouldn’t…”

 

* * *

 

_Two days ago in the past, later in the day._

 

“S-Stop following me!...” A computer head  girl says as she runs away from a pursuer. She stops once she reaches a dead end.

 

“Finally…” A racoon man says as he continues walking towards the girl. The girl whimpers as she huddles against the wall. The moment the man nears her, he’s hooked in the face and sent straight into the wall.

 

“Creeps like you sicken me to my stomach….” Leo says as he flicks the hand he used to punch the guy. He gets back up and tries to hit Leo, but he avoids every hit.

 

“STOP DODGING!”

 

“K.” Leo stops avoiding the punches and begins blocking them instead.

 

“QUIT BLOCKING ME!”

 

“Fine.” Leo stops and the man delivers a straight hook on his cheek. Leo turns his face back to the creep, unfazed by the punch “There. Happy?”

 

“What the fu-”

 

“My turn.” He jabs him square in the center of the face and sends him into the wall. He gets back up and pulls out a switchblade. He drives it forward and Leo catches it in his hand. It bleeds, but he ultimately yanks the blade out from his hand and then whips him in the face with the butt of the blade. Leo grabs the creep by the arms and stacks his hands against the wall. He then rams the knife through his hands and into the wall, keeping him stuck.

 

“Y-YOU CAN’T DO THIS TO ME! I HAVE MY RIGHTS!...”

 

Leo scoffs and walks over to the girl “Sweetie, what’s your name.”

 

“M-Mona…”

 

“Thank you. Now Mona, what did this man do.”

 

“H-He stalked me all over town...he’s been doing it to me and my friends for so long and no one would believe us…”

 

“I see...and how old are you and your friends?”

 

“W-We’re all thirteen…” Leo smiles as he turns to the stuck Racoon Man.

 

“All I needed to hear.” He pulls out a gun from his jacket pocket “Mona, look away please. This ain’t gonna be pretty to look at.” The girl quickly turns to look at the wall “I’d call the police, but honestly that’s to nice…”

 

“Y-YOU CAN’T DO THIS!...”

 

“Sure I can!” He points the gun to the mans face “People like you deserve to die in a fire!~”  

 

**_*BANG*_ **

 

“Hohohoh boy...Hell’s gonna toss you in the worst pit imaginable~” He places the gun back into his pocket and turns to the girl “There you are Mona. And if you ever feel like another creepy adult is bothering you or your friends and the good adults don’t believe you, you contact me right away and I’ll handle it. Alright?”

 

“Y-Yes sir! T-Thank you so much for saving me!”

 

“Just doing what any good person would do! Kill the scum of the planet! Now go run along now, I got some things to discuss with the officers about the way they handle safety here in Heights…” the girl bows and gives the boy a hug before running away to the open area. Leo then sighs as he looks at the body “Maaan...I was trying to find some cute headphones and all I end up finding is a creeper chasing a defenseless girl...well. At the very least I could help!”

 

* * *

 

_Back to the future._

 

“Have you SEEN him?! He totally looks like the type to use one now! Admit it! He’s SUPER fun now! He probably just does alot of stuff to act fun and kooki!”

 

“He wasn’t very open with people...then again there wasn’t much to be open to since you all tormented him to no end...maybe i can see him being happy…though I don’t really see him being open with others...I hope I’m wrong...”

 

“Doubt it Lacey. Dudes gonna be an introvert for LIIIIIIIFE!”

 

* * *

 

_Yesterday in the past._

 

“This purse would look nice…and I like the color of this eyeshadow...Ooooh...and these butterfly glasses look so beautiful~...b-but would I be able to do them justice?...” Leo glances around a shop in a different attire as to not attract attention, but it does the opposite effect.

 

“HI TEACH!” a catgirl spooks the boy from behind.

 

“A-AAAAAH!...C-Cookie?!...d-don’t sneak up on me like that!...”

 

“Sneak up? All I did was walk up to you! If anyone’s sneaking, it looks like you’re tryin to! What’s with this weird cloak!”

 

“I-I’m just...lookin for stuff to buy…”

 

“...Here? Getting a gift?”

 

“N-No…”

 

“...” The gears turn in her head as she gasps happily “IS IT FOR Y-” He covers her mouth.

 

“S-SHHHH!...” She raises an eyebrow “C-Can you keep it a secret?” She nods and salutes “T-Thanks…” he lets go of her mouth.

 

“Need help?~”

 

“N-...actually...maybe I do…”

 

“Need a judge for what y-...your friend wants?”

 

“That and some...proper insight.”

 

“THEN I’M YOUR GIRL!~”

 

“I’m in your care then~...”

 

“GOOD! Now what do we have to work with here...YES!” She warps away from how fast she’s running. She returns with a huge stack of clothing “HERE!” She shoves the pile into his hands then runs off some more and returns just as quickly to just repeat the process over and over “THIS’LL LOOK CUTE!” “OOOOH YOU’RE GONNA LOVE THIS!” “I THINK YOU’D LOOK BEAUTIFUL IN THIS!” “EEEEE YOU JUST GOTTA WEAR THIS!”

 

“C-Cookie...N-Not so loud…”

 

“SORRY!~ NOW LET’S GOOOOOOOOOO!” she yanks the boy over to the changing rooms. Time passes by, but the boy does not leave the rooms, rather the girl enters the rooms to see the progress each time he tries a new outfit. On the final time she enters, they both leave. Leo is back in his obscure outfit however “Your ‘friend’ is gonna be quite the lucky gal~”

 

“Y-Ya think?~...” Leo looks to his feet.

 

“I know~ But teach...why not be more open about this sorta thing?”

 

“I-I dunno...I just...I feel like I’d be upsetting people if I admitted to feeling like this?...so it’s pointless...what with others and their judgemental gazes...”

 

“Ooooh that’s just to far of a stretch!...” she hugs her mentor “People would never judge you! And besides! Like you told me! You should never withhold yourself on doing something by thinking it’s pointless. You could’ve been missing on so much had you just given it a chance!” She lets go and spreads her arms wide “Don’t think about others, don’t let the fear and disappointment that you’ve let cloud your head get in the way of this. Just...be you~”

 

Leo smirks as a light quick laugh escapes his mouth “Who’s the mentor here?~...”

 

“Can’t a student teach her teacher something’s they’ve clearly forgotten over time?~”

 

“She can~...But recall...you’re not my student anymore. You’re my best friend and more.” He ruffles her hair and pulls her in for another hug “And for good reason~...”

 

“Hehe~...Alright Teach~...let’s go check these out for you!”

 

“O-Ok~...”

 

* * *

 

_Back in the future._

 

“Don’t be rude Euphoria! Mister Parappa is anything but an introvert! Neither is Missus Katy! So Europa would also have quite a streak of making friends if he was around a better environment! After all you saw him talking to that robot guy!”

 

“Ehhhh...alright. I can admit to that.” She leans against the door “Say...he’s clearly speaking to them in the past...how do you think that’s going about?”

 

“Well he sounded happy about it...he made it sound like they were aware of who he was…”

 

“True true. Alright then...think his passion for music blossomed?”

 

“The son of the two most musically adept people in existence? I’d be surprised if it hasn’t!”

 

“Alright yeah that was dumb of me to question...especially considering who his mother is.”

 

* * *

 

_Yesterday in the past, later that day._

 

“This would be a lovely place to just come and pass the time...a small cafe/bookstore combo? With a stage in case I ever wanna sing on my own volition? Count me in! Maybe I could be here tomorrow in my new-”

 

“HI LEO!” Katy says from behind the boy, spooking him on the spot.

 

“EEEEEYAAAAAA!” Leo leaps and latches onto a street light with his nails like a cat “W-What is it with you all and sneaking up on me??” He looks down to see five of his potential mothers. Katy speaks up again as she places her hands on her hips.

 

“You’re kinda standing in the middle of the street. I think it’s not sneaking up when you’re standing out like a sore thumb in the oddest way possible! Why not just go in?”

 

“I was gonna…” he slides down the pole and lands in between Paula and Lammy “Till the five of you scared me senseless!...Hey...how’d you know where to find me?”

 

“She helped us!” As Katy says this, Rammy and Ma-san move to the side to reveal Sunny.

 

“Hello~ They asked nicely and I told them you were downtown by the quiet district! And here we find you by this place!...hey this is the place that just opened a week ago no?”

 

“That it is Poppy. I decided to give it a check and it seems like something that’d catch my fancy. It’s a lovely cafe with all types of food and drinks that range from young to adult. It’s also part bookstore so I can read up on things as I pass the time. There’s also a stage in case anyone wants to sing and-” the girls all close in around him.

 

“That sounds like someone who’s trying to rekindle their own drive for music~” they all say as the latch onto him.

 

“H-Hey!...I said IN CASE!...As in it’s not a guaranteeeeeeeeeeee!” He’s yanked into the cafe by the girls. They’re all signed up to sing and Paula, Lammy, Ma-san, Rammy, Sunny and finally Katy all sing a song, leaving Leo as the last one left to do so.

 

“You gotta go up next Leo!”

 

“Yeah...I-I know…” Leo hugs himself “I dunno...I don’t really have any songs I know to sing...all my songs that are my own or ones of yours from the future that you never decided to actually use are the ones I sing, but those are for my profession...when it comes to my own passion?...I’m left at a blank…”

 

“Oh...wait you sing songs that we never sung to the public?” Paula brings up that tidbit.

 

“Well...since you kept them underwraps...and you sung em to me always...I always thought it was a pity that people would never get to hear em...so since I was here...I thought I could...s-sorry…”

 

“It’s fine! I have no quarrels with that!”

 

“Same with me!” Katy adds on

 

“O-Or me!” Lammy follows up.

 

“Meh~” Rammy and Ma-san finish off.

 

“I mean we’re clearly not doing anything with em! And you have our permission to do so! Be thankful!~” Katy winks and sticks her tongue out.

 

“I-I’m glad for that fact...but I’m still at a loss at what to sing now…if anything...” the MilkCan trio all grab on to him reassuringly as Katy speaks up.

 

“Leo, my boy, this is just a fun little thing isn’t it? So treat it like Karaoke! Not like a new premier or something!”

 

“That seems like a better way to handle it...what song do you recommend I sing?” The trio close in on his face.

 

“How about one of ours!” They say together.

 

“Uhhh.” The boy looks away as his cycles through his thoughts. He then looks back at them with a smile “I think I know just the one~ It matches what I’m currently feelin just abit~...” They let go of him and he holds his guitar up as he walks up to the stage. He quickly starts playing and the beat is easily recognized by the trio. He quickly starts singing his hidden mother’s song.

 

_It was the thirty sixth time, that he'd broke my heart!_

 

_It was the eightieth time that I'd fallen apart,_

 

_I knew from the start it was gonna be rough, but not as painful as thiiiiiiiis~_

 

_Once I didn't have money,_

 

_Twice I forgot his name,_

 

_Then I put on my makeup wrong,_

 

_My hair was a big mess and so was my dress!_

 

_I remember those nights I was feeling real down, but then a chance would soon come aro-oo-ooound!_

 

_It was the thirty sixth time, that he’d broke my heart,_

 

_It was the eightieth time that I’d fallen apart,_

 

_I knew from the start it was gonna be rough, but not as painful as thiiiiiiiiiis~_

 

_Once he asked for my number,_

 

_Twice he asked for my name,_

 

_But I was nervous and lost my mind,_

 

_I gave him my number, but it was my mom's..._

 

_I remember those nights I was feeling real down, but then a chance would soon come aroooooooound..._

 

_Got to move on..._

 

_I don't know._

 

_I don't know, I don't know, I don't know!_

 

_Gotta move on but I don't think I can carry on no!_

 

_Couldn't go on, no I couldn't go on..._

 

_Seemed like my life was falling apart..._

 

_It was the thirty sixth time, that he'd broke my heart, or was it thirty seven or thirty eiiiiiiiiiigh-YEOW!!_

 

_I remember waaaay baaaaaaaaaack!_

 

_When my life was laaaaid baaaaaaaaaaaack!_

 

_No obligations, or responsibilitiiiiiieee-es!.._

 

_Didn't have to work or, didn't have no cho-ores,_

 

_Only thing I had in mind was looking good each daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!_

 

_But then my life was rolling, had to work each morning!..._

 

_Pay the bills and walk the dog became my daily liiiiiiiiii-iiiiiiiIIIIIIIIiiiiiIIIIIIIIIIIIIiiiiiiiIIIIIIIIIIIIIiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiife!_

 

_But the more you suffer, you’ll feel better when it's over, that's for suuuuuuuuuuuuuure!..._

 

_And so when your pain comes along!_

 

_Just go with the flow! Don't turn your back to your problems, Just give it a go!_

 

_Your troubles in life, will eventually serve you as a drop of spice in your liiiiiii-iiiiii-iiiiiii-iiiife!_

 

_It was the thirty sixth time, that he'd broke my heart,_

 

_It was the eightieth time that I'd fallen apart,_

 

_I knew from the start it was gonna be rough, but not as painful as thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-iiiiiiiiii-iiiiiii-iiiiiiiis!_

 

_When pain comes along!_

 

_Just go with the flow! Don't turn your back to your problems, just give it a go!_

 

_Your troubles in life, will eventually serve you as a drop of spice in your LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIFE!!!_

 

**_KEEP YOUR HEAD UP!!!!!_ **

 

The small audience clapped and cheered along as did his friends, but none cheered louder than the three band girls, ESPECIALLY Katy.

 

“That was AMAZING! I’d say you probably did a better job than me!” She winks as she gives him a hard playful slap on the back.

 

“N-No...I could never!...Your voice is the only voice that could do that song justice!”

 

“Sheesh talk about modesty! But thanks for the compliment~” Katy laughs, misinterpreting the reasoning of his bashfulness along with the others. Only Sunny understood that his real reason was ultimate respect for his real mother. Katy then stays stunned for a second as if she realized something “Hey...One thing just came to mind. How come you didn’t replace the he’s in the song with her’s?”

 

The cat boy blushes as he hides his arms behind his back as he quietly kicks dust around “...B-Boys can be just as nice as girls at times…~ W-When you’re lucky enough to find nice enough ones~...” The girls only all smile as quick flickers of light shine in their eyes. They all squeeze the shy boy at his emotions that he’s slowly starting to finally share with them.

 

“Oooooh don’t feel nervous about admitting stuff like that! You should know better than anyone that we’d NEVER judge you over for who you’d end up preferring!~”

 

“I-I know! None of you are fully straight so it's obvious that you guys would support me. It's just something I don't genuinely enjoy bringing up as it correlates to another thing of mine that I prefer not thinking to much on for now…”

 

“Well...alright.” Katy frowns at the boys personal fears.

 

“J-Just know that we'd all support anything o-of yours!”

 

(“We'd have no reason not to.”)

 

“We are your family after all!” Paula reminds the boy.

 

“So remember that.” Rammy ends it as she playfully punches the boys shoulder.

 

“...Alright...I'll keep it in mind.”

 

“It’s all we ask! That on the bench for now, how did you feel while you were singing?” Katy switches topics to put the boy at ease.

 

“I felt great! It made something within me really happy to just sing freely of my own choice! Slowly but surely I'll have my full affection for it back and greater than ever! No matter the singing that I do!” he and the girls all cheer as they raise their thumbs to the sky.

 

* * *

 

_Back to the future._

 

“I wonder how his singing is like…” the ram tugs on her horn nubs “His voice must sound nice~...”

 

“His voice ALWAYS sounded nice!...he could always carry a lovely melody!” she recalls him singing a song that caught her fancy when they were seven.

 

_Thirteen years ago._

 

“I’d say the party went great, all the kids liked the theme of the ol western~ Thanks for the amazing call Katy!” An older PJ says to an older Katy.

 

“You admittin that my idea was an ingenious one was thanks enough~” She smirks “Nothin beats a good cowboy~”

 

“For once your odd love of bein one is certainly beneficial!~ Although the birthday girl still preferred to be the dame of the evening instead!” PJ waves at his daughter who sits at an ornate table once he sees that she had finished saying goodbye to her friends.

 

“It’s her party, and a lovely Debutante she is! She was certainly the girl of the gala!” Katy then sighs “I just wish my little cowboy had the moxie to join all these kids…”

 

“Jr still having trouble with making friends?”

 

“Soooo much...you’d think having so many kids his age around him would help!”

 

“Maybe it’s cuz they’re all...y’know. Not boys?? Maybe he can’t relate?”

 

“Wasabi does perfectly fine each time Noodles and him visit! So that ain’t an excuse that I wanna hear!”

 

“Aight aight...well you gotta help him make friends somehow! If he grows up as a morose recluse, just who knows what’ll happen to him!”

 

“I...rather not think about that...but I’m trying! Nothing I suggest works…”

 

“Can’t Parappa help?! He’s the king at this field!...Which is ironic since his son is the opposite…”

 

“Currently? Parappa might make the situation worse…”

 

“He’s back in another depression spin???”

 

“Yep...so currently I’m the only one keeping my family in check...And as you can see it’s going poorly…” she smacks her face into her hands “My husband can easily bounce back, but I just want my son to be able to do the saaaaaaame…” She utters a muffled yell within her hands. PJ sighs as he pats her on the back, trying his best to reassure her. They both sit at a table in the large empty playhall. Everyone had gone home, leaving just what appeared to be Katy, PJ and Sweety who sat with Lacey. Just then they hear the sounds of a guitar playing. They turn to the stage and spot the discussed catboy in a cowboy get up. On top of his head is a large cowboy hat that covers most of his head.

 

“H-Here’s one f-for the birthday girl!...~” They all widen their eyes at the declaration. He starts strumming as he steps about the stage and leaps off onto a nearby table.

 

 _Where's that place that comes in pairs whenever I'm aware?_ He reveals a belt latched around his waist, and spawns out a few clones of himself. Katy then looks at her waist to notice her belt missing.

 

_Casino here, casino there, casino in my hair._

 

_I wish my bear was in the air with no more time to spare._

 

_Casino here, casino there, casino in my chair._

 

_Surely purty honey I love you so,_

 

_And If I had the money it would be yours._

 

_I think about the barrels spinning inside of my heeeeeeeeeeaaaad._

 

_Where's that place that comes in pairs whenever I'm aware?_

 

_Casino here, casino there, casino in my hair._

 

_I wish my bear was in the air with no more time to spare._

 

 _Casino here, casino there, casino in my chair!_ The main Europa’s guitar is grabbed by one of the backups as he starts playing for him. None of them sing however as they just play music as they please. During this little inactivity, the young Lacey yanks the real boy to her and plucks the hat straight of his head. She then uses it to cover both their faces from the grown ups. A mere second after that, an endless amount of steam pour out from behind the hat. It ends with the girl placing the hat back atop the now completely red cat, a light blush on her own cheeks as she holds her face happily and looks away. The backup Europa’s take the opportunity to sing themselves as the real Europa wobbles around like a flustered mess.

 

_(YEEEEEHAAAAAAW! HI HO SILVER!)_

_(AWAAAAAAAAAAY!~)_

 

 _(AHAHAHAHAHA! YEEHAW! AAAAWWW~)_ They all stop once the main kid finally catches himself. And so he resumes singing as he struggles to look away from the teddy bear girl. Hold his own face as he dances from tabletop to tabletop.

 

_Surely purty honey I love you so,_

 

_If I had the money it would be yours!_

 

_I think about the barrels spinning inside of my heeeeeeeeeeeeaaad~_

 

_Where's that place that comes in pairs whenever I'm aware?_

 

_Casino here, casino there, casino in my hair._

 

 _I wish my bear was in the air with no more time to spare._ He bounces back to Lacey and grabs her and lightly lifts her up and gives her a quick hug before gently setting her back down.

 

_Casino here, casino there, casino in my chair._

 

_Casino in my hair,_

 

_Casino in my chair._

 

The song ends with the tomato boy bowing before the birthday girl, his knees a wobbling mess. He grabs her hand and gives it a quick kiss before placing his hat on her head and attempting to scurry away, but the teddy girl quickly grabs onto him and refuses to let go. Both mothers have been squealing throughout since the kiss on the cheek that Lacey had given the boy. The bad mood Katy had been in had completely been terminated as both mother’s rush in and scoop up the kids. Sweety, in the midst or her joy, questions why her husband had not appeared to bask in the joy. She then turns to the table Katy was at with him and sees him on the ground. His color had drained from him entirely, leaving him a pale white brick on the ground. His eyes were empty and his mouth was wide open from shock. The pink bear then rolls her eyes as she ignores his overdramatic meltdown as she nuzzles the two kids. Lacey snuggles against the boy as she pecks him on the cheek again. Parappa appears, revealing he was the reason for Europa’s massive confidence and motivational boost in deciding to sing as he rubs his pink son's head with a smile.

 

The flash back ends as the bear just looks away, hugging her face from the vivid memory “His voice probably sounds so much more enthralling~...”

 

“What goes on in your head girl??”

 

“Nothing~...” Her happiness drops “It doesn’t matter anyway...you were right...he has a girlfriend…”

 

“Ooooooohhhhh…” the ram tugs at her collar “Well...if it uh...makes you feel better, it sounds like she’s dead!... So by morbid default he’s single!...E-Eheh…”

 

“Strangely enough, I don’t feel better…” She grimaces “It makes me feel worse because I feel terrible for him!...”

 

“Yeah...well...you go watch more vids then! Cuz I’m out of here!...” She rushes out of the room as the teddy bear sighs.

 

“Just who are you anymore?...” she plays a random video, not caring about the result. Out plays plays a peculiar video that appears to take place a few months after the conclusion of the last video they saw. He's wearing a mask to obscure his face as his helmet records the event from the table he's at.

 

_“LEO! THE PUBLIC WANTS TO KNOW! DO THE SUDDEN DEATHS OF THE PERFORMING PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE AFFECT YOU TO THE POINT OF DROPPING OUT OF THE INDUSTRY ENTIRELY?”_

 

_“What? No...what makes you say that?”_

 

_“YOU'VE BEEN ON THE DOWN LOW EVER SINCE. PEOPLE HAVE BEGUN SPECULATION!”_

 

 _“I admit. The loss of my close friends has affected me dearly, but I'm not down and out juuust yet! I know they wouldn't want it to stop me. In fact! I wrote a song about the events that happened to me. It's all the private ordeals none of you know about, so the meaning will fly over your heads, but it'd still boy d to sound enjoyable! I was hoping to wait off on premiering this...but guess now is as good as any other time! Especially if it gets you guys off my back from my mood!”_ he tunes his guitar and spawns backups with different instruments. He starts playing for the paparazzi and news media crowd before him.

 

_I've done my best, to look inside!_

_But I found nothing..._

_No shame no pride._

_I need something to hang on to._

_I miss when you were here by my side…_

 

_They dress you up, to fit the part._

_Believe that you don't have the heart..._

_Now I've grown so sick of running!_

_To find I'm only at the start._

_I'm at the start._

 

_They can call us heartless!_

_Hollow vessels of what we used to be..._

_Don't you forget about me..._

_Now commit this to your memories!_

 

_They say that we're nobodies..._

_Only shadows we're meant to fade!_

_But I can't believe that it's true..._

_You're a memory I can't lose!_

_I'll hold on to you_

 

_REMEMBER!_

_PLEASE REMEMBER!_

_REMEMBER WHO I USED TO BE!_

_WHO AM I?_

_WHO AM I?_

_I CAN'T FIND MY WAY TO REALITY!_

 

 _(_ **_OOH...OOH)_ **

 

_Got it memorized?_

 

_And my heart's a battlefield._

_And there's a war waging._

_A storm is raging on!_

_But I won't forgive myself…._

_If I fade away... gone and forgotten..._

_If you disappear._

_Then would you fear, that no one would miss you?_

_Well you're wrong because I'm not, letting go of the days we shaaaaaaaaared!_

 

_They can call us heartless!_

_Hollow vessels of what we used to be..._

_Don't you forget about me..._

_Now commit this to your memories!_

 

_They say that we're nobodies..._

_Only shadows we're meant to fade!_

_But I can't believe that it's true..._

_You're a memory I can't lose!_

_I'll hold on to you…_

 

_(hold on to you…)_

 

_(hold on to you…)_

 

_I'LL HOLD ONTO YOOOOOOOU!_

 

_(Yeeeeeaaaaaah~)_

 

_Remember..._

 

_Remember..._

 

_Please remember who I used to be..._

 

_Who am I?_

 

_Who am I?_

 

_I'm a puppet in their gaaaaame..._

 

_REMEMBER..._

 

_REMEMBER..._

 

_PLEASE REMEMBER WHO I USED TO BE..._

 

_WHO AM I?_

 

_WHO AM I?_

 

_I'M A PUPPET IN THEIR GA-AAAAME..._

 

_They can call us heartless!_

_Hollow vessels of what we used to be..._

_Don't you forget about me..._

_Now commit this to your memories!_

 

_They say that we're nobodies..._

_Only shadows we're meant to fade!_

_But I can't believe that it's true..._

_You're a memory I can't lose!_

_I'll hold on to you!_

 

The boy is seen crying once he finishes singing. He's not given a moment's rest as they resume asking him questions. He only laughs _“Mahahaaan...you guys are bloodthirsty…~ Alright, one at a time. You in the corner.”_

 

_“Do you have a message for the people in light of your personal experiences? You seem to be the only one aware of the way they met their ends and it's obvious that it left a lasting nasty impression. Do you have advice for those who end up in the same spot as you?”_

 

 _“...Good question. Hmmm…”_ he leans his chair back on its rear legs _“Don't forget the times you did share. Always keep the memories alive and you'll feel like they're always with you, but don't overdo it. Moving on is a crucial part of the process so you don't end up a mess. Slowly reduce the presence as to not cling on to delusions that could slowly drive you crazy. Remembering is great, but don't forget to let go of the pain. They still reside in you and you have to embrace this as you move on to grow from all the experiences. Both wonderful and painful. Always believe there's going to be a silver lining. Even if it's obvious that there won't be, fool yourself into thinking it'll happen. It makes the whole thing manageable. And everyday look at yourself in the mirror and do this as a progress report to see how you're faring. Say your name, who you are. Try your best not to falter as you see the person who's been ‘left’ behind. If you can't look yourself in the eye, you're not done healing yet. If you can AND smile...then you're doing great. If you can laugh like you could before and say such joyous things...congratulations. You made it champ.”_ he grabs his helmet and puts it on. Ending the video to the sound of overlapping chatter.

 

Lacey looks at the space where the video was. She's left with light bewilderment.

 

“...He is still the same…” she clutches her hands tightly “I-I do remember you and who you were! Because you're still him!...” she looks to her bedroom floor and then to her mirror. She decides to try the last thing he suggested. She walks up carefully and stands in the center. She locks eyes with herself and she feels slight tension and pain. But then she says her name “H-Hello...I a-am...I'm L-Lace Berri…” the moment her name leaves her mouth, the pain ebbs away and the tension starts fading. Amazed, she does it again “Hello...I-I’m Lace Berri.” she feels better “Hello. I'm Lace Berri.” she smiles “Hi! I'm Lacey Berri!” she laughs happily, filled with a joy she thought had left her long ago “I'm Lacey Berri! Lacey Berri! Lacey Berri!! Lacey Berri!!!” she looks at her teary reflection as she utters her name one last time. Her smile unceasing and her cheeks a darker pink “Hello, I am Lacey Rappa…~ I'm pleased to meet you…~”

 

From behind her bedroom door, a disgruntled bunny girl just scoffs.

 

“Just why did that stupid suit have to appear…” She grits her teeth and closes her eyes as she leans against the wall with her arms crossed.

 

“Jealous that she’s hogging that helmet all to herself?~” Euphoria spooks the rabbit.

 

“G-Gah!...Don’t be ridiculous!...Also why are you here?! Didn’t you say you wanted to avoid hearing any more things about that idiot?!”

 

“I’m here to eavesdrop a little like how you’re doin right now.”

 

“I’M NOT!...”

 

“Kay.” she leans against the wall with her “What I miss.”

 

“I TOLD YOU I WASN’T...feh...forget it…” She looks to the ceiling “She found a video of that idiot giving ‘inspirational advice’...now she filled herself with hope that he’ll be back one day…then started spouting nonsense…”

 

“Nonsense? Like?”

 

“She made herself believe that the second he’s back, that things will just resume where they left off and he’ll scoop her up and take her straight down the aisle…”

 

“Oh...well...she still likes the guy, can’t blame her for that.”

 

“Meh…”

 

“Jealous that what she’s hoping for might actually happen?...” She only flicks her face away from the ram dog hybrid “I’ll take that as a yes.” She then looks to the ceiling herself “I wonder how he is now...I hope he’s more open with himself…”

 

* * *

 

_Current day._

 

Katy, Parappa, PJ, Sweety and Europa’s heart all skip a beat together, despite not being together, at that very moment. They're all unaware why however. They all just feel really happy all of a sudden. Katy then notices Parappa ready to head out somewhere.

 

“Where you goin?”

 

“Visiting Leo is all.”

 

“Oh! Something up?”

 

“Nnnnnooooooooo...Just wanna pop in is all...”

 

“Parappa…”

 

“I wanna return the favor for the gift he gave me! I just can't sit idly by without doing so!”

 

“You lasted three days. That's a new record! Alright, tell him I'm said hi! All if us in fact!”

 

“Roger that!” the dog vanishes instantly. Having a free day today, he decides to head off and return the favor. However he soon sees PJ and Matt’s cars parked by Beard Burgers. He decides to drop in himself. He notes the closed sign and enters to just see them chatting with Noodles. They all notice him and wave hello “Sup guys, whats up?”

 

“We decided to drop in and give noodles a visit is all.”

 

“Yeah, what Peej said. No harm in just dropping in to see what other friends are up to.”

 

“Yo Parappa. They were just filling me in on the crazy things that have been happening that you guys have had a part in!” He chuckles as he fiddles with his afro “And here I thought that _I_ put you guys in quite the predicament! Honestly I’m kinda jealous with what you guys experience!”

 

“We’d include you if you want...you know whenever you aren’t busy with workin here.”

 

“I’d appreciate that, but surprisingly this place has gotten pretty busy...so many people started pouring in..what with the people from that town over that your buddy Leo is from and those new guys from Hell! Along with even newer faces from neither!...”

 

“Yeah gaining that much traction is overwhelm- what was that last part.”

 

“You heard me! Even more new people have begun moving into town! News has grown about the wild things that happen her! What with you unmasking the masked performer Leo Steps, the sight of the werewolf, the boy who quelled the feud between the Hell Shadows and that weird sky partying! ...this place has just become the most popular place and has begun attracting the attention to match!” The trio stare at their burger making friend. Unaware of this fact “I thought you guys would be the first to notice! But then again, you guys seem to have had your hands full!”

 

“That’s an understatement!...We’ll tell you the specifics another time. Right guys?” Matt and PJ nod with Parappa.

 

“Thanks for keeping me invested!” They both fistbump and soon Parappa gets an idea.

 

“Hey...I was gonna go meet up with Leo. You wanna meet him?”

 

“Well I have the time now. I'll take you up on that!” he turns around “Just let me get my jacket.” he walks off. Once he's away, the other two boys bring something up.

 

“You wanna involve Noodles in on all this??”

 

“What Matt said. You sure it's alright?”

 

“Leo clearly knows Noodles in the future since he also has the name Uncle! So why not involve him? He does have the ability to handle himself, marginally, if it comes down to it!”

 

“Well that's kinda the problem. He can handle himself so the enemy might see him as an opposition… Noodles can't exactly go toe to toe with them like you and Leo and the girls can…”

 

“Like we'd let it get that far PJ!”

 

“I'm just saying Parappa. But you seem to be set on this. So then I instead ask, gonna tell him Leo's identity?”

 

“I'm not sure. For now I'm just gonna introduce him.”

 

“Alright. In that case me and Matt are gonna tag along to.”

 

“You guys are??”

 

“We are??”

 

“Yes Matt. We are!”

 

“Aight. Guess we are Parappa.”

 

The main dog scratches his head “Well that's a little bit unconventional...but alright!” Noodles reappears and with that they're off. Noodles tagging with PJ as the three cars head off to Neon Heights. They all arrive at the hotel and head up to his room post haste.

 

“W-Whoaaaa...what’s with that elevator…”

 

“You get used to it.” The trio tell the new recruit as they walk to the only room. Yet upon knocking, the only recipient is Kitty.

 

“Yo. What up.”

 

“Hey Kitty! Where’s Leo? He here?”

 

“Ahhhh...heh.” She reclines on the doorframe “You just missed ‘him’~”

 

“What was with- nevermind, do you know where he is?” as soon as he asks that, her tail arcs out and points to the floor.

 

“Poppy does. Go ask her!”

 

“Right. Thanks Kitty! Come on guys we gotta go down again!”

 

“Hey once you speak to her, tell them I’m waiting! I’ve been ready for a while and am just waiting on her! She’s my ride!”

 

“Got it!” They zoom back to the elevator and head to the floor with Sunny. They knock on her door and both flowers are quick to respond.

 

“Oh Parappa, PJ, Matt! Hello!” Sunny stands in the doorway as Rayn pokes her head from behind her.

 

“H-Hello all…”

 

“Hey girls! We’re just here to ask if you know where Leo is! We wanna introduce him to our friend Noodles!...Noodles?” Parappa turns to see the guy drag himself across the floor.

 

“I’ll...be there…once my...organs stop bouncing everywhere…” PJ and Matt rush over to help him out as Parappa awkwardly looks back to the flowers.

 

“Uh...y-yeah...so do you happened to know where he is?”

 

“Well ‘he’ currently is downtown! There’s a new cafe that’s opened up that’s the talk of the town! Leo should be there!” She pulls out a card from her pocket “This is the place!”

 

“Again with that tone…” he ignores it and looks at the card “Arcana nec plura?” Parappa reads the card then gets lost in quick thought “No more...seeeeecrets?”

 

“That’s the place!”

 

“A-And such a fitting name to~...” Rayn adds on as both flowers giggle.

 

“Huh?...”

 

“You’ll see!”

 

“Y-You in particular h-have to!...” they both poke his nose.

 

“Uh-huh…” he looks over to see the other boys finish up with helping Noodles “Well then I guess _I_ better get a move on!” He heads over to the three, but stops and turns back to the flowers “By the way! Kitty says she’s ready. She’s been ready and is just waiting for you two!”

 

“OH!...Thanks for the heads up!...w-we kinda got sidetracked over something!...C-Come on Rayn!”

 

“R-Right away!...” They head back inside to quickly finish off what they needed to as the four head back to the elevator again.

 

“You gonna be alright Noodles?”

 

“Y-Yeah...I think third time’s gonna be the charm!...” That sentiment is quickly proven false once they head down.

 

* * *

 

“I gotta say...this place is really weird what with the always dark out motif!” Noodles says as he looks at all the neon lights.

 

“Just be glad we aren’t in a part of town that could hurt your retinas without proper eyewear!” PJ brings up.

 

“T-That can happen??”

 

“Yep! And even my shades can’t block it! It’s that eye irritating.”

 

“G-Gosh…”

 

“Oh but it’s fine! The people living here are clearly used to it! Meaning we can manage it to!” Parappa says reassuringly as Matt and PJ laugh behind his back.

 

“I sure hope so!...”

 

“Relax! It’ll be fine! For now we got a cafe to find!...hm...it should be around here…”

 

“Uh...Parappa...I think it might be THAT one…” The four guys turn their attention to a building that currently has a plethora of guys ogling from the windows of said establishment.

 

“What the heck man…” PJ says as he scoffs at what he’s forced to look at.

 

Parappa and Matt manage to see what they’re looking at. It appears to be a girl sitting at the bartender table. Her back is turned towards the window they’re all staring at, showing her to be the reason for the gathered crowd. Upon noticing that, both dogs scoff in disgust “Sheesh...didn’t think they’d be so lenient with how they let the peeps act like here…” Matt says angrily.

 

“You’re telling me…” Parappa growls.

 

Noodles notices his uneasy friends and then rummages around his afro and pulls out his noodle lasers “This ain’t like PaRappa Town...care to fix that guys?~” They look to noodles and then to each other. Ultimately they all smile in agreement. The next few seconds are quite. The only sounds are the sounds of a struggle as bodies fly every which way. They all land and immediately they get up and run away to avoid anymore pain.

 

“That’s for bein creepy!” Parappa dusts off his hands “Well come on guys, now that they’re dealt with let’s go look for Le-...really…” Parappa turns around to spot his buddies all frozen in place by the door. They were now doing what the other guys were doing. Their heads were beat red as they were unable to look away.

 

“Ooooh...Parappa help!...I can't stop staring!...knock me out or something!...”

 

“What Noodles said...I'm happy with my girlfriend and would like it if my body didn't go autopilot gaga over some random chick I don't even know…”

 

“You guys think YOU got it bad? I'M being affected by this! AND I DON'T EVEN SEE GIRLS IN THAT LIGHT!...” both Noodles and PJ give a quick and uneasy look to Matt before resuming what they were doing. Parappa immediately growls at his three friends as he walks up to hit them hard upside the heads. But before he does so, he decides to get a better look at the girl that's causing all this. She was the only one in the cafe. Yet something about ‘her’ felt odd. Parappa then notices some key details of her appearance, then takes into account the playful wording that Kitty, Poppy and Rayn used with him. He also takes into account Matt’s sudden confliction. He reaches a conclusion, but is unsure if it's a hundred percent. With a raised eyebrow, he decides against hitting his friends. He instead quietly enters the cafe and walks over to the ‘girl’.

 

“What's he doing?!” the trio say from their spot.

 

Once Parappa is near enough, he stops and gives a quick look to his friends before smiling deviously. He then turns back to the ‘girl’ and gives ‘her’ a tap on the back since ‘she’ has headphones on “Hey Leo, whatcha doing here on your own?~” Leo quickly lifts one of the headphones as he turns to ‘his’ future father. The trio at the door turn from red to green as the rest of their bodies drain to white.

 

“Well...atleast it now makes sense as to why Matt was affected…”

 

“I wish it didn't…”

 

“I'm with Matt on this one PJ…”

 

Leo recoils back, nearly falling off ‘his’ seat “D-” he notices Noodles “Parappa?...why are you here??...” ‘His’ voice was softer. Nothing like his regular voice. The tone was radically different. Had he not turned around, it would have proved even further that he looked like a girl.

 

“Poppy told me where you were! I wanted to do something nice for you in return for you giving me that gift microphone!”

 

“B-But I said-”

 

“I know what you said! And I just couldn't oblige with that any longer!” he smiles as he looks at his child’s entire getup. Leo wore a pink and purple sweater. Abit around the neck exposed a blue undershirt. He had dark blue jeans and brown faux fur boots. He had fuchsia eyeshadow on that was visible behind his butterfly glasses. His pseudo dog ears were temporarily styled along with the rest of his hair. It was all tied into a big, but short, ponytail. A different style than his usual ponytail. Said ponytail was tied with the aid of a large ribbon. As noticed prior, he had headphones on. Fancy ones with a futuristic black, see through design. On the housing was a frog icon, matching the one on Parappa’s previous beanie. Topping it off was a moderately sized purse that was on his lap “You look nice! But I thought you disliked dressing like this?” he recalls his prior experiences, as well as the time he was forced to dress as a girl when he was attempting to help him and Lammy patch up a tiny misunderstanding. Only difference was he seemed at ease now, atleast before he showed up before him. And he was alot more convincing. In fact, it was difficult to say if he wasn't a girl at all! Even with proper realization of who he was!

 

“...Kinda…” he turns around so his back is facing the windows again as his hands recline on the table. His nails were painted yellow “I disliked it when I was kinda forced to be it...because…” his hands close up “Because…”

 

“You can tell me anything you know. I would never judge anyone over the choices they make in life. Only support them. Y’know, if the choices didn't involve anything bad like taking over the world obviously.

 

“...Because...I've always felt something deep inside...just...pain...I thought it was because I disliked wearing specific sets of clothes...then I had to wear that temporary disguise...I felt nice...but I disliked it because it wasn't something I was doing for myself...it wasn't something I decided for or picked myself...but it was something I wanted to do…” Leo looks to Parappa “You sure I can tell you anything?..”

 

“Cross my heart. Arcana nec plura!”

 

“...I’m…” he holds his hands together on his lap. The trio by the door all watch as the child in the seat struggles to say what they want. They don't enter the building as to not interfere. Parappa rests his arm on the table and holds his head up. Giving his child a warm smile. Despite their inability to speak, he knew what they wanted to say. He was unsure if he should say something for them to talk off of, or if he should wait more. He then sees them on the verge of crying.

 

“...What pronouns would you prefer me using for you from here on out?~” the scared child looks up at their future father. But they then look back down “You can take your time with that then until you're ready to tell us. Instead I ask...do you wanna lose the name Leo?” the boy shakes his head “But do you wanna use it when you're not a ‘boy’? It's not a full on neutral name, but it can work!” the boy doesn't look up, but he resumes speaking.

 

“I...I'm not fully sure...but for now...it's all I managed to settle for myself…”

 

“You'll figure it all out~ And when you do, we'll make sure to respect every choice!”

 

“You guys will?...” the three boys that we're keeping their distance appear behind him.

 

“Of course we will!” they say as Leo spins to them from fear. They all smile at the flustered kid. Noodles speaks up.

 

“I should probably introduce myself first! Hello! Names Noodles! It's a pleasure to meet ya!”

 

“...likewise~...” Leo looks back to their lap.

 

“What's wrong??” Parappa asks.

 

“...H-He, She, They…”

 

“...Got it!” he looks to the other boys “Don’t we?~”

 

“Right!” they all say with a nod.

 

“Is it She or They for now though?” PJ asks the scared timid child.

 

“Any of the t-three...my appearance is just how I choose to have myself based on how my heart and mind want myself...so you can still use ‘he’ when I look like this, or ‘her’ when I look like how I ‘usually’ do...I don't mind any of the three pronouns whenever…unless I specify...b-but I don’t think I will...”

 

“Thanks for the clarification. Didn't want to make a mistake that'd upset you in the long run!” Matt says as he rubs his neck with an awkward smile.

 

Parappa then whispers into his child's ear, as to not alert Noodles _“So...would you like me to refer to you as my kid instead?”_

 

_“Son, Daughter, Child...any work. Don't worry.”_

 

_“Of course I worry! I want my child to be happy! Here they are finally, opening up to something that's been subconsciously eating away at them! I want the process to stay happy!”_

 

_“D-Don’t worry...it’s just something that I’m just adjusting with...I was planning on showing you another day...but you came in faster than I’d hoped...So I have to speed up what I was trying to build up slowly…”_

 

_“Ah...y-yeah that would be problematic wouldn’t?...M-My bad…”_

 

_“It’s ok. I’m somewhat glad you came...I-I don’t think I’d actually manage to gain the courage on my own anyway…”_

 

_“Uh...hollow victory?...”_

 

 _“I guess…”_ they stop whispering as the trio look at the duo in confusion.

 

“Don’t worry! Just discussing some stuff!” He looks to his son “Well...gonna let me find a gift to give you?~”

 

“...I don’t...really have anything that I want…”

 

“Hm...Why not come along with me so we can find something!”

 

“Erm…”

 

“He’s not gonna let you say no.” PJ says, causing the her to sigh.

 

“Alright. I doubt there’s gonna be much...where we gonna go?”

 

“Well, I figure we could drive around this town and PaRappa Town till you spot something that catches your fancy. ANYTHING! And I’ll try and get it for ya!”

 

“Very well…” She gets off the chair, pays for what she’s ordered and holds the purse over her arm “Shall we be off?...”

 

“Let’s! Gonna be quite the walk though...I left my car at the hotel~...”

 

“That’s fine. A little walking didn’t kill anyone.”

 

“Exactly!” As the duo head off, Parappa turns to the trio “You guys wanna come with?”

 

“Sure, we’ll tag along, but only till we get to our cars. After that we’ll be splitting off since it looks like this’ll be a personal thing.” Matt and PJ say together.

 

“They’re my ride so I guess I agree to!” Noodles adds on.

 

“Alrighty! Then let’s go!” They all leave the building and walk their way back. Meanwhile…

 

At a club down the path the guys are walking down, Kitty and the two flowers are enjoying their time.

 

“Poppy you sure you didn’t want to tag along with Leo? The place they were gonna be hanging out does have it’s own stage.”

 

“Oh I wanted to give her space! She’s still adjusting and would do so better without us!”

 

“They wouldn’t mind! They did tell us first, so they clearly wouldn’t mind our presence! Rayn what do you think??”

 

“I...don’t know...He seemed to be ok...so I think you have a point Kitty...He would’ve been alright with us tagging along...but Poppy has a point...l-let him get adjusted to his self discovery!...”

 

“You did send Parappa to them though…”

 

“Well...he is her father! So who else to help out!”

 

“P-Pretty much...plus Parappa is just...a-a reassuring p-person altogether. That alone w-would benefit sending him to him…”

 

“You girls are weird...are all flowers like this?” She scoffs “Well...Poppy you’re up!”

 

“Oh! Thanks Kitty!~” Sunny skips along towards the microphone stand as she grabs the mike and begins singing the song she had sung for Parappa. She saw no harm in singing it in the town city hybrid that had never heard it.

 

_You and meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee together~_

 

_Even though, we have fights, we still are one! (ha)_

 

_Love that's reeeeeeeeeal, a lasting one,_

 

_Re-e-eal love..._

 

_We've come a, come a long way!_

 

Once she had gotten to that part, Parappa and the group had walked by the club. That verse echos out causing the dog to stop and turn to the club.

 

“D-Did I… That wasn’t… Could it be??...”

 

“Parappa! Come on man! Don’t keep Leo waiting! She’s already way ahead of us as is!” PJ blurts out as they keep moving

 

“Yeah man what Peej Said. They seem to be in a hurry so something tells us they don’t wanna be out in the open for very long.” Matt also blurts out.

 

“R-Right!...on my way!...” Parappa attempts to resume running, but gives one last look at the club.

 

_Did my ears...hear that right?...Sunny...are you closer than I thought?..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So many songs. The only one needing credit is Hold onto You by Nathan Smith/NateWantsToBattle!


	54. Girls night out

The whole drive around ends up a silent adventure as Leo stays quiet the entire ride. It didn’t help that the stares followed the girl wherever they went. Said gazes were for many reasons. Some from creeps, others judgemental, and some that believed it was a phase. These were just some of many, but they could just be gawked at by one individual and the end result would be the same. He was constantly underwatch and it left him with a black hole of a pit within him. This caused them to opt to stay within the car on their stops. They were in the backseat just laying down, trying to rest and attempt to shrug off. He fails to as he just pulls out a small game system from his purse and begins playing it in an attempt to trying and drown their attention away with something else. Parappa’s is left with all the tension as he drives along. He looks at the rearview mirror to gaze at Leo without actually turning to him. He spots him chewing bubblegum now as he start blowing a large bubble.

 

“Soooo...bit of a bummer with finding a gift in return eh?~...”

 

*pop*

  
“...And uh...sure doesn’t help that people just can’t keep their eyes to themselves am I right?...H-Ha...ha…”

 

*pop*

 

“...you uh...holding...up...okaaay?...”

 

*pop*

 

“...” Parappa sighs “Alright...yeah, this is not a fine thing to be embraced by…where do you wanna go now then?”

 

“I wanna go home…”

 

“...gotcha.” Parappa makes a quick U-Turn and heads back off to Neon Heights. Once they arrive, the girl stays huddled in the backseat.

 

“Can you go to my room and get my jacket?...I don't want anyone else to see me right now…”

 

“Can do…”

 

“Thanks...here's my key…”

 

“Great...I'll be right back…” Parappa zooms off and up the elevator and enters the empty room. He looks around for the boys jacket with little success. He then slows down as he notices all the piles of clothes lying around “You’ve really wanted to find the best outfit to start this off huh?...” He then looks around and notices smaller tidbits. Such as trinkets, books and other stuff that talk about the matter “...No...you’ve been with this on your mind for awhile...since when though…” He checks one of the books and its purchase tag. The date goes back to when he helped him and Lammy reconcile “Heh...makes sense that, that day would be your tipping point… You did bring it up so it should’ve been more obvious to me, but I guess I needed just a lil more confirmation.” He sets the book back down and just looks around “All this attention...you don’t want it...doesn’t help how you end up looking to those who don’t know you...as well as your innate fame already…” he finds the jacket and snatches it up “I'm starting to see why you were so close to Mocha even more now.” he sighs as he leaves the room and heads for the elevator “I wish I could call her over for you...but none of them want to be discovered by you just yet…well...guess I gotta make do in her place!” he grips onto the jacket tightly as he heads down.

 

He hands him the jacket once he returns and he immediately blasts off to his balcony. Parappa quickly goes back to the top floor once more and enters the room again with the key he still had on him “I knew I should have taken that from you before flying off…”

 

“Well you didn't! And it's a good thing to!”

 

“Why…”

 

“Because I'm here to help!”

 

“Help me with what…”

 

“This!”

 

“What's there to help with…”

 

“Leo, you're clearly easily affected by the stares of everyone. I can see you're trying your hardest to ignore it all, but you're still struggling in that area. So as your eventual parent, it's in my heavy interest to help remedy this!”

 

“You can't help with this…” he reclines on his bed and curls up on the corner.

 

“...watch me.” Parappa sits at the beds edge. He stays near enough to help, but far enough to give them the space they need. The two stay silent within the dark. Parappa then feels the bed shake. He notices that Leo had gradually inched his way closer to him. He was now leaning on him. Parappa gives a light quick laugh “A while back, me and PJ had a shared dream. A couple of them really. In the first, we saw ourselves struggling with the concept of fatherhood. I was an absolute mess...future me didn’t know what to do in preparation. It got so bad that PJ had to hit me in order to stop my insanity! Obviously, as time went on, I got better. Then it got to a point that I couldn't wait any longer to hold you in my arms. I could feel future me’s endless joy and anticipation...and I wasn't scared anymore. Even me now...I feel like I'll be way better off once I find out that you'll be on your way. I mean yeah I'll still be nervous...cuz there always creeps in those negative thoughts such as. ‘Will I be a good parent?’ ‘Will I be an effective role model?’ ‘Can I make sure that they won't make the same mistake as me?’ And so many more. But overall? I'm ready for you now.” Parappa quickly wraps an arm around the child and pulls them closer “Holding you like this. I want you to feel that things will always be ok. I can't protect you from the world, no parent can really do that. But I can hold your hand along the way, and make it a much more better journey than it would’ve been while on your own. You could do many things, and I'd support everything. I'd be there for you for everything.” he looks to them “I'm not your dad yet...and _your_ dad can't hold you right now...so I have to step up and do my job earlier.”

 

“Why…?” the child, scared of the world, looks to their eventual father “Why do you feel that way for me…?”

 

Parappa looks at them. His electric energy heart appears. At that split second, Leo sees Parappa. HIS Parappa from his time. Both voices overlap as they say the next verse together, but only Leo notices the false future Parappa “Because I love you. And I always will.” their voices slightly split as their next lines differ.

 

“As your father Leo… Know that I'll never give up on you. Me and your eventual mom...we'll always be by your side. So you don't gotta be scared of anything! Because we'll always be here!”

_“As your father Europa… Know that I'll never give up on you. Your mother and I...we'll always be by your side. So never be afraid of anything! Because we're always here!”_

 

They both place their hand over the child's heart. A flicker of static rumbles off them. From Sixteen’s study in Burnout Junction, the older time travel device rumbles, but it seemingly does nothing.

 

* * *

 

_The future_

 

Reyna is seen keeping watch over two smaller girls, both of which seem to be twelve years old. One looks to be a spitting image of Parappa. However her nose is pink and the top of her hair makes pseudo cat ears. While the other girl is like Leo, a spitting image of Katy. Like Leo, her nose is black and she also has pseudo dog ears. The entirety of their hair is blonde like their parents, but their fake ears are orange. A recessive hair color trait that was inherited from their Grandfather Papillon. There are more individual traits and quirks, but all aren't readily seen. They both seem to be upset as the dog speaks up.

 

“Oooooh WHY do WE still need a babysitter! We're turning 13 soon! We're technically adults as is!”

 

“You kids ain’t adults till you hit 18. And even THAT’S debatable. Now just calm down Rokken.”

 

“But she has a point! Why can't mom and dad ever let us be on our own! We can easily take care of ourselves!” shouts the cat.

 

“Rolla, enough. Your folks have their reason for the high surveillance they put on you guys. Just trust their choices and let it be!” the twins heat up in anger.

 

“BUT IT'S NOT FAIR! ALL THE ADULTS LET YOU GUYS DO WHATEVER!” they both shout, causing the fox to hold her ears in an attempt to ignore them “THEY EVEN LET OUR COUSIN BEAT DO WHATEVER **SHE** WANTS TO DO! AND SHE'S NOT _THAT_ OLDER THAN US!”

 

“Shows what you know! Your Aunt has her own surveillance on that girl! So that reason is moot!”

 

“BUT SHE STILL HAS MORE FREEDOM THAN US!”

 

“Cuz she rarely DOES anything!”

 

“WHICH IS PROBABLY BECAUSE OF THE LIMITS SHE HAS ON HER FREEDOM! LIKE US! WHY ARE WE FORCED TO BE KEPT UNDER LOCK AND-”

 

 **_“BECAUSE YOUR FAMILY DOESN’T WANT TO LOSE THE ONLY KIDS THEY HAVE LEFT!!”_ ** The fox snaps and shouts out. She then realizes that she blurted out what was supposed to be kept secret to them. She tries to cover her mouth despite the truth already being out there now.

 

“W-What?...” Rolla says, caught off guard by the sudden revelation.

 

“W-what’s that supposed to mean!...” Rokken shouts at the fox who quickly tries to backup out of this situation.

 

“Y-You girls forget you heard that!...”

 

“ _You're_ telling us!...O-Or I'll tell mom or dad so THEY'LL tell us!..” the stubborn puppy keeps at it.

 

“NO!...UGGGHHHHHH…” the fox paces back and forth. She ultimately groans again as she turns to them again “I'm going to tell you...but you girls are to keep quiet about this. You cannot let your parents know that you know.”

 

“Why should we agree to th-”

 

“They will enter another depression reel that will leave them in such a terrible condition, you both can’t even begin to fathom. You've seen them at their worse. They can get much lower if reminded again after finally coming to terms with it after so long… you girls really want that?”

 

“N-No…” the twins huddle together.

 

“Then?”

 

“...we promise to keep quiet…”

 

“Atta girls...Oh boy...I can't believe I let this slip out…” she throws her head back as she buries her face within her hands “Its thanks to Lacey finding that stupid suit!...blegh...why…” she straightens her posture “Alright...you girls...had an older brother…” she sighs “I guess you still technically _have_ him...since he's still alive…”

 

“W-We do?...” Rokken stays bewildered by the new knowledge.

 

“H-How come we were never told about this…” Rolla asks the older girl.

 

“Because...before you two were even born...your brother took a heavily unpredictable time machine and...well...he made a dangerous one way trip to the past… for years we all thought he died in the process...so your parents never told you about him. And they kept you both and Beat under heavy lock and key because they didn't want to chance losing you to…” the fox turns to the bedroom door “But recently...we got evidence that...he actually survived. He's somewhere in the past...actually going through with his ‘mission’...”

 

“W-Why can't he just come back!...”

 

“Oh...kids...time travel is much more complicated than that...hmmm…” the fox rubs her chin “Come with me…” she exits the room with the twins behind her. They traverse to Lacey’s room and snatch the helmet “The rest of the girls are gone for a few hours just like the adults...so that gives us some time for you to see your big brother…” they all head back to the other bedroom. Reyna then fumbles around with the helmet. She hears a click as a video starts to play, but soon remembers things that Euphoria told her earlier in the day causing her to panic. _Please don't play a violent video. Please don't play a violent video. Please don't play a violent video…_

 

The video emits before them. They see the monitor looking at a bear, an otter and an axolotl. The axolotl is seen propped up against the wall. Her eyes are empty and she's gurgling bubbles at the mouth. She's seen better days.

 

 _“HAHAAAA! MY BOY LOOKIN CLEEEEEAN!~”_ the otter shouts happily as his face is taking up all of the video screen. A large hand grabs his face and pulls him away, revealing the bear again.

 

_“I'm still shocked you fell for her. And even MORE shocked that she fell for you right back! But I gotta be happy for you Euro! You did somethin that me and Emile are still struggling with!”_

 

 _“Maybe if you were both more decent, you'd have found a sweetheart by now!”_ this voice came from the monitor.

 

_“Maybe! But I've burned to many bridges to stop being the jerk I am today!”_

 

 _“And I thought my way of thinking was stupid! Sheesh Mill! Couldn't have found a way to word that nicer?”_ the otter laughs.

 

 _“Nope.”_ they both bellow in laughter.

 

 _“You guys are real pieces of work!...But you're my pieces of work…~”_ the two other guys stop laughing.

 

 _“Make tonight the most memorable Europa, m’kay?”_ the bear grabs the monitor's left shoulder.

 

 _“Show that girl that you're a real keeper!”_ the otter grabs its right.

 

 _“Heh...I'll do my best!”_ the camera feed quickly changes as the helmet is plucked off his head. The feed then shows an older woman.

 

_“You can't go out there with this stuffy thing on!”_

 

 _“Nana!...”_ the camera pans and shows the catboy. The sight stuns the two girls as Rokken looks at Rolla. The boy looked like her! _“Maybe I just don't wanna be called out for looking like a tomato the entire time!”_

 

_“Precious you're going to be fiiine!”_

 

 _“What she said buddy!~”_ a flea dressed in grandeur says. The flea was quickly recognized by the twins. _“‘Sides! Don't ya want anyone to record tonight with it!_

 

 _“You got a point…”_ the camera is grabbed again and Europa is seen toting it over to the dazed axolotl girl _“Hey Amby...think you can record tonight?~...”_ she quickly comes to.

 

_“Eh?? Me??...Why me?...”_

 

_“Because Nana, Uncle Mushi and Momo are gonna be crying tears of excessive happiness to record properly. Gloria’s gonna be recording on Harper’s behalf, I don’t trust Milton and Emile, and the rest of the Queens are gonna be doin somethin else! So you’re the only one I can reliably depend on!”_

 

_“...You serious?...”_

 

_“Of course! That’s how it’s always been Amby!~ Can I count on you now to?~...”_

 

 _“...You bet you can!...”_ The vigor returns to the axolotl as she plucks the helmet and turns it around to face them _“Alright then Hero! Go meet your Heroine!”_ The vision zooms out to show the catboy in a demon themed suit. The sight confuses all three girls watching. They then see the catboy rush out. The video cuts out and cuts back in showing him standing in front of demon girl in a black lace dress.

 

_“I can’t believe this...what started out as me just wantin a little plaything, blossomed into something serious…~”_

 

_“Having last second regrets?...”_

 

_“You crazy?! I’ll never regret that choice. Ever. I want to kick my past self’s butt for ever thinking you’d just be a fun little tagalong. I got to see such a fun guy...who somehow saw the same in me…~”_

 

_“There was so much to see when you actually opened yourself up y’know!~ It’s no mystery on how you won my heart!”_

 

 _“Shut uuuuup…”_ They rest their heads on each other.

 

 _“I wish this night could last forever~...”_ They both say as they dance within the center of the apparent club they’re in. As called by Leo, there were three adults blubbering with tears of joy in the corner. A wrench headed woman was recording her own video. And the bear and the otter were with six other girls. All eight of them were singing the song that the two were dancing to.

 

**_You can daaaaance!_ **

 

**_You can ji-hiiiiiiiive!_ **

 

**_Having the time of your liiiiiiife~_ **

 

**_Ooooooh, see that girl…~_ **

 

**_Watch that scene…~_ **

 

**_Dig in the dancing Queeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeens…~_ **

 

**_Dig in the dancing Queeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeens!!~_ **

 

The video ends there abruptly as the helmet shuts off. The twins look at the fox with a boatload of questions in bound.

 

“THAT WAS OUR OLDER BROTHER?”

 

“WHERE IS HE?”

 

“WHO WERE THOSE PEOPLE?”

 

“THAT LADY SOUNDED LIKE GRANDMA NOELLA!”

 

“WHAT WAS HE WEARING?!”

 

They keep at it with the question barrage, but the fox stays quiet. Mostly entranced by the video. _He looked nice...but it seemed he found someone...wait...I think Euphoria said she was dead?...this Europa seemed younger than the one in the first video I saw...so that's an old memor-_

 

“REYNA!” they both shout, snapping out the fox from thoughts.

 

“What?!...”

 

“Was that him??...”

 

“I figured that would be obvious thanks to using Rolla as comparison!...” the fox rubs her forehead “Yes...that was your big brother. Europa II Kat Rappa.”

 

Both girls recollect the bits of him that they could see. Then Rokken blurts out angrily “B-Bring him over!”

 

“What?!...I can't do that!...it's feasibly impossible!...what part of ‘lost in the past’ don't you get?!”

 

“EVERYTHING!...WHY DID HE LEAVE!... B-Bring him back!...”

 

“What do you want me to do??...I can't just pluck him from wherever he is! Time is some tricky stu- HEY!” the emotionally distraught puppy yanks the helmet out of the fox’s hands.

 

“U-USE THIS THING THEN!...” she messes with the helmet.

 

“HEY!...DON'T DO THAT!...YOU'RE GONNA BREAK IT! AND IF YOU DO THAT, LACEY WILL BREAK _ME_!...” she tries to get the helmet back, but the tug of war results in it bouncing out of their grasp and onto the floor. It crackles with electricity. The very same spark that flickered off Parappa, Europa and the old broken time machine. Inside that bedroom opened up a miniature time rift. It had the appearance of broken glass, as if reality was shattered before them. The twins quickly huddle to the ground in fear as the fox slightly recoils back “What's going on!...” the rift starts to show current Parappa and Leo in the middle of their ‘bonding’ session “Wha?...”

 

_“You believe me. Don't you Leo?”_

 

_“...I do...I-I could never doubt you on this dad…”_

 

 _“That's good. Never forget that then, alright?”_ the past Parappa hugs the child much more tightly as their heads rest on the other’s shoulder _“Though we're not the correct family member to the other yet...you're still my baby~...a sentiment future me would want me to embrace~...”_

 

_“D-Dad...I-I’m twenty...I'm as old as you currently…”_

 

_“So? You could be in a time frame where you end up older than me and you'd still be my baby. I know the girls would say the same if they were here to. You're my kid, and from here on out. It's my job to keep you safe, just like you've been doing for me!”_

 

_“...”_

 

_“What's wrong?...Erm...I-I’m making you miss your real dad aren't I…?”_

 

 _“...No~...”_ he nuzzles into his father's chest. Right over his heart _“My real dad's still here with me…~ He always has been~...”_

 

 _“Aw come on Leo...don't make me cry~...”_ the dog releases a light chortle _“Well...you inherited my sappy way with words it seems~...”_

 

_“And I'm glad I did~...”_

 

_“As am I! Now you gotta tell me. Who helped you out with this outfit?”_

 

_“Lil sis Cookie did...she popped in at the best time imaginable! I wish big sis Mocha could've been here to help me to...but I'd say you filed that role perfectly~...”_

 

 _“Did I now? Glad to hear it~”_ Parappa starts giggling softly. Leo watches and she can't help but join in. As they laugh, the future trio speak up.

 

“He...He replaced u-us?...” Rokken drops to her knees, immediately heartbroken by her older sibling.

 

“No! Of course he didn't! He could never replace you! You two were on his mind even as he left for the past! He always wanted to see you! I'm sure he just met new people he refers to as such! He always had a bad habit of calling close people family names…Actually so do you two! So more evidence!” the fox hugs the dog girl as she tries to stop her pain. The catgirl joins in on the hug, hiding her own heartbreak. The duo resume speaking.

 

_“Hey...dad…”_

 

_“Talk to me.”_

 

_“How do you think...those in the future would...react to me?...”_

 

_“That's silly to ask since I gave you the answer alr-”_

 

_“I mean...the other future children...but more importantly, my cousin Beat and my twin baby sisters…”_

 

_“You must really miss em.”_

 

_“I never stopped…”_

 

_“I bet...well… they'd approve of you to! Pinto and I wouldn't judge you! So it's obvious that Beat and your sisters wouldn't neither! And as for the other kids. Their parents would obviously respect and love you all the same, so I would assume the other girls would approve and be nice with you.”_

 

_“Y-You really think so?...I feel like I'm a mess...somebody who's just...bad.”_

 

 _“Hey hey hey hey hey! You're not bad. You're my son, my daughter. My lovely child of both, neither and all of the above.”_ the child holds his face. Trying to avoid crying. She stays silent as Reyna resumes.

 

“See! He didn't replace you! He misses you both so incredibly much!”

 

“Y-You’re right...but...what is the stuff they're talking about?...”

 

“Yeah what Rokken said!... Dad said something about him being a girl and boy or neither and what not? What's it about?”

 

“Ah...It turns out that…” Reyna’s head flops to the side “I have no clue...this is also news to me…I dunno what they're talking about exactly…but it seems like this is happening right now with him...her?...t-them?...” the fox’s confusion just grows as they resume speaking.

 

_“I wonder why it is that I feel like this…”_

 

_“It's just how people are born sometimes. You don't immediately notice it, but as you get older...you wanna do something about it. How longs it been ticking within you?”_

 

 _“Well I became fully aware and wanted to do something about since...well it should be obvious since when...but the strange feeling...it's been bugging me since before I left for the past.”_ Leo lays down on the bed _“Now that I put so much thought and realization into it...I now see why I connected with Mocha even more now...heh…”_

 

_“Understandably so! If you came to the realization there, hooooo baby would she support you and try to help you out from minute one!”_

 

_“I can believe that~...”_

 

 _“Obviously so!”_ Parappa stays silent for abit before looking at the ceiling and flopping onto the bed next to him _“I...think I should be honest with myself to…”_

 

_“Huh?...”_

 

_“Truthfully...I've been thinking over things I've learnt about you and her recently...after having a light discussion on it with Aqua a while back...it reminded me of something…”_

 

_“That is?...”_

 

_“A few years back...I felt how you feel like right now...heck I still feel it a lil…”_

 

_“Y-You did?...do?...”_

 

_“Mhm. Back then...it felt like...I wasn't just a boy...I felt...kinda...torn over myself...my body and whatnot…”_

 

_“Why didn't you act on it?...”_

 

_“I was embarrassed...afraid...unsure…”_

 

_“...So then...is this just a mistake…?”_

 

 _“Yeah…”_ Leo looks completely distraught _“Up up up. Not you. You're not a mistake. I meant myself. What was I afraid of? I had supportive people around me since day one. What was I unsure of? I always had people who would hold my hand along the way till I fully got my feet steady. And embarrassment??”_ he sighs _“I need to grow up. There are a couple of things that made me feel embarrassed. A few you should know about!...They're kinda genetic…~”_

 

_“I know what you're referring to…~”_

 

_“I let a little upsetting emotions over how I looked like overwhelm me to a point that I...let the feeling...die out…almost...it's still there, just alone in its own corner of my heart...and now I feel bad.”_

 

_“I'm...sorry for causing bad nostalgia…”_

 

 _“Nono. I'm happy that this all made me remember it...because now it won't die out.”_ he flips off the bed _“Now I'm...I'm not scared or embarrassed either…”_ he smiles as he looks to his child _“I just...I think I found the perfect gift for you~...”_ he runs to the door _“Just wait for me here ok! I'll be back before you know it!”_

 

He runs off, out of the rifts sight as the future child just stays on the bed. They're left silent and confused as they just wait patiently. The trio in the future watch the sad kid with mixed response “Oh man...they seem to be in a bind...and we can see and hear them...but they can't see or hear us...but all this is still so we- GET AWAY FROM THAT!” Reyna quickly yanks the twins who try to touch the rift and holds them tightly.

 

“LET US GO!...” Rokken shouts.

 

“PLEASE…” Rolla whines.

 

“HECK NO! WHY ON EARTH WOULD I DO THAT?!”

 

“SO WE CAN PULL HIM BACK!...” they both say.

 

“IT LOOKS LIKE A ONE WAY RIFT! IF YOU TOUCH IT, YOU'LL PROBABLY BE SUCKED IN AND THROWN INTO THE PAST WITH NO WAY BACK!”

 

“SO?!...”

 

“YOUR PARENTS WILL BE **MISERABLE**...YOU REALLY JUST WANT TO LEAVE THEM LIKE THAT?! WHO KNOWS WHAT THEY'LL DO!...”

 

“BUT BIG BROTHER LOOKS MORE MISERABLE!...” they both start to cry “WE WANNA HELP!...”

 

“LOOK! HE CARES ABOUT YOUR PARENTS AND YOU MORE, HE WOULDN'T WANT ANYONE FEELING WORSE!...” they stop struggling “Everyone wants him back… but we can't do anything now…he's just stuck there...I know you want to help but there is nothing to do…”

 

The twins just stare at each other and sigh. They then both gain a light bulb above their heads and run out of their room. The return with an old camera in their hands “Please take a picture of us Reyna!”

 

“Uh...with this old thing? What do you need a Polaroid for?”

 

“Just please do it!” The fox shrugs and just goes with it. The twins hug each other as they smile for the camera.

 

*click*

 

The camera ejects the photo and fox grabs and shakes it. It clears and the photo is shown to be the two of them as they posed. They quickly yank the photo out of her hands without warning “And the point of all this is?” They both quickly pull out pens and scribble on the back of the photo. They then rush over and pull out a worn stuffed animal in the shape of Lacey. It’s pink is faded and its lace pattern undone. It’s blue skirt is all dusty and faded and it’s green shirt is slightly smudged and torn by the sleeves. The plush headphones barely stay on the head, but it still does it’s best. It smiles brightly despite this as the condition is a sign of it’s lovely use “Hey isn’t that the toy you both can’t do much without?”

 

“Well yeah!” Rokken starts

 

“But someone else needs its help more!” Rolla adds on.

 

“So we can part with it easily!”

 

“If we know it’ll be of help to someone else!” They grab a ribbon and use it to tie to the photo to the tummy of the worn plush toy. They both then kiss one of the cheeks before nodding at each other. They rush up to the rift and chuck the toy through it. The rift sucks it up and quickly they see it appear in the past as it flops on Europa’s head.

 

 _“O-Oof!...H-Huh?...A toy?...”_ the sudden action causes the rift to shrink. And in no time, it’s completely gone.

 

“Take care big brother~...”

“Take care big sister~...” They both stare at the spot where the rift used to be.

 

“Oh you two…” Reyna rolls her eyes, but smiles all the same “That was real sweet of you~...” she hugs the two of them tightly as they resume crying in her embrace.

 

* * *

 

_Present day_

 

“Where did this come from?...” Leo inspects the toy. She looks at it as if to examine every inch of it “Why does this...look like someone I know?...Hello...What’s this…” He gently unties the ribbon and pulls out the thing that was tied with it. He reads what’s scribbled on it.

 

_“We miss you to!”_

 

_“So please take care!”_

 

_“And we hope we get to see you soon~...”_

 

_“But for now, be happy big brother/big sister!”_

 

_“Because want you to smile!”_

 

_“And to make you smile, here’s US smiling!”_

 

_“Love, Rokken (Ode) Kat Rappa and Rolla (Joy) Kat Rappa!~”_

 

_“PS! Take care of our big sis Lacey plush toy!”_

 

_“PPS! You look so pretty! <3” _

 

Leo’s eyes widen as she looks around the room to see if anyone was spying on her. She then stares at the tiny version of the teddy bear girl “It’s...a plush toy version of Lacey?...wait…” She looks back at the paper in her hand and slowly turns it around. The sight makes her cry on the spot. In the picture was a dog cat hybrid girl and a cat dog hybrid girl. They were twins, and if the names were anything to go by. They were his sisters who he never got to see. The dog girl had Katy’s classic outfit on while the cat girl had Parappa’s classic outfit on. The girls were hugging, and above their heads were their first names to differentiate who was who. Tears dripped onto picture as the smiling cat dog hybrid child laughed happily.

 

* * *

 

With Parappa, he’s seen running into his room as the four girls all sit at the table in their kitchen room. They all see the door slam as the sounds of heavy rummaging are heard. He then leaves and rushes over to the girls. He yanks Katy away and then he rushes into her room. “W-WAAAAAH!” The door to her room slams shut. There is the sounds of light chatter which ends with Katy squealing over immense happiness, confusing the three remaining girls. The door to her room flies open and she rushes over to their sides. She quickly whispers the entire story to their ears and their eyes brighten.

 

“Well I’ll be damned Paraps!~ What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t help ya out here?~”

 

“I-I’d love to help! ESPECIALLY with t-this!~”

 

(“Heh...took him long enough~”) the four girls all zoom back into the room. And the sounds of extreme rummaging is heard from it.

 

After everything is dealt with, the door opens and the four of them huddle around Parappa. They escort him to his car and wave goodbye as he drives off. PJ, Matt and Noodles are seen walking around town together as they stay chatting about with their own conversation. They soon see Parappa’s car again drive by. They all catch a glimpse at the driver and only stay there silently. Matt and PJ soon make noise again.

 

“Well… Can’t say this is unexpected in the slightest ey Peej?~” Matt just looks to the teddy bear as he shoves his hands in his pockets.

 

“You don’t know the half of it!” He only watches the car as it heads down the road “Glad you finally got over this hurdle as well buddy…~” Noodles just looks at the two and merely mutters out an upset whine.

 

“Sometimes I wish I could’ve been your friend for longer than I actually have been! Cuz now I’m just missing context on so much stuff!”

 

“We’ll fill you in. Won’t we PJ?”

 

“Yeah...let’s walk talk.” He stays transfixed on the empty road for a few seconds more before resuming his walk with the other two.

 

* * *

 

Parappa leaves the car and zooms past the lobby and heads straight to the elevator. He wastes no time in sending it to the top floor as he heads to the door. He flings it open and spots his daughter storing something away.

 

“Well...you didn’t take lo-” Upon turning around, the girl sees their father right before her “...O-Oh my g-”

 

“...How's about some mother daughter bonding?~...” Parappa cuts her off. Leo inspects her ‘mother’ from head to toe. Parappa had dark blue jeans that took advantage of their family body type. Parappa’s shirt was pink and blue, much like Leo's current outfit. His short hair was styled into a pixie cut that was reminiscent of Harper's old style. Parappa did not have eye makeup on, but he did have lipstick on. His was golden, and it mixed well with the rest of his outfit, especially his glasses. His glasses weren’t like Leo’s. They were aviator glasses and they seem to be well worn

 

“N-Nice glasses~...”

 

“Thanks. I had them since a while back. Needed em, but I stopped because my eyesight wasn’t _that_ bad...that and...back then I felt they made me a tad to girly...now? I could care less anymore~...Thanks for making me realize that.”

 

“...I’m really really glad~...” the girl bashfully holds her hands together by her belly.

 

“Now I repeat...ready for some mother daughter bonding?~” Parappa holds out her hand.

 

“...Very much so~...” Leo grabs her mother’s hand. Parappa quickly yanks her forward for a hug.

 

“Then let’s look alive! This is the start of a twelve year absence I gotta make up for!~”

 

“A-At once??...”

 

“Course not! There’ll be more days like today! But I still gotta make each time packed full of stuff to make the most outta everything! Now let’s goooooooooooo!” They rush down and out the hotel. They make their leisure drive towards nearly every area they deem fun to visit. The stares that hounded Leo now are just brushed to the side as the two enjoy their times. Those who judged were met with noses pointed upwards as they turned the other cheek. They decided to put a pause on their traveling as they just stay seated at the tables of the closed cafe. They decided to chat for a little bit between each other “Hey Leo…think you can tell me more about the future?”

 

“D-...Mom I really can't-”

 

“Nothing about me. More along the lines of...where did we live?”

 

“Ah...well...I don't remember the full details...but...you all kinda live together...in an ENORMOUS house! It's kinda like...20 large estates fused together!”

 

“That explains the dream abit more...and the photo you showed us!”

 

“Right...the photo shows a tiny bit of it...well. I think you get the house some time next year?...It's all I can remember for now on the subject.”

 

“I see. What a thing to learn though!” Parappa taps the table “Mmm...compared to you...how old is my neice?”

 

“Oh Beatrice? Uh...right now she shoooould be 16...yeah sixteen years old.”

 

“So you left when she was four then right?”

 

“Yeah...I...I don't know if she has full memory of me due to her age...but I know for a fact that she has no clue WHY I left…”

 

“Makes sense. So what she look like?”

 

“Uhh...Kinda abit like grandma actually. Atleast from the photos I saw of her.”

 

“In what regards?”

 

“Beat’s eyes. They look like late Grandmother Europa's eyes. Only difference is they're green. Not hazel. The rest somewhat matches Auntie Pinto, but the hairstyle and length matches her dad.”

 

“How come you didn't say Uncle?”

 

“Erm...cuz I...don't respect that man...I don't really respect ANY of the ‘husbands’ to the girls you didn't pick either…”

 

“Uh oh...why? How bad were they?”

 

“I can't say for sure. They all did the same thing. Once it was found that my Aunties were going to be mothers, they vanished off the face of the earth…” Leo lays their head on the table “They were pretty good at it to...with your guy's standing and what not...it wouldn't be hard to track the brutes down...but they managed to get away...probably to rinse and repeat the same thing over and over...under different aliases...it was a mess...but it's also another reason why I guess the girls disliked me…”

 

“Cuz you had two parents as opposed to the one they had...oof…” Parappa grumbles “Jerks who take advantage of girls just rile up my fur something fierce...but in the end...Only Lacey, Olivia and you are the only ones with a two parent family?”

 

“Yep...but it wasn’t all bad. Given your jovial personality, you acted like the father figure they needed in their lives. So maybe it was also jealousy? I mean it adds another level of spite towards me whenever they believed I was upsetting you…”

 

“Oh dear...well uh...I honestly don’t know how to feel about that...I guess I’m glad?...but I inadvertently made your life harder…”

 

“I don’t mind. You were happy during those times. And that made me happy, despite the others sorta kicking me down. I can’t blame them for that, even now.”

 

“Atleast you don’t have to suffer like that now...course...you still didn’t have it easy either way.”

 

“I mean...I kinda ok these days somewhat. Especially now~...” the girl looks at her mother “Um...you still got that lipstick on you?...”

 

“I do. Three colors. Why askin?~” Parappa states, already know her daughter’s answer.

 

“...Got purple?~...”

 

“Here you go~” Leo grabs the lipstick out of her mother’s hand and begins applying it on “Why the sudden urge for i-” Before Parappa can finish the question, they’re pulled over and smooched on the cheek. Once the peck is over, Parappa has a purple kiss mark attached onto her cheek “Well...that answers that~”

 

“Sorry, but it was something I always did when I was younger~...”

 

“This I gotta hear!”

 

“In the future, when I was little...Mom and my Aunties _and_ my Grandmas would ALWAYS kiss me to a point that their lipstick would always leave the kiss marks on me. And I just loved that…~ Eventually I would take their lipstick and put it on myself. And whenever I got super happy...well...the people in the immediate area would be coated in kiss marks~... I thought I’d lose this urge as I got older...but no...it just stuck with me. Especially more so once I got integrated with the Queens, who were notorious for doing the very same thing constantly! So with me there, surrounded by people who made me happy...well. Nana...the Queens...Milton, Emile and Amby...Gloria and Momo. You'd at times find their faces covered in a specific color of lipstick, and it'd give you an obvious feeling that I was nearby and overjoyed~...Much to their dismay!~”

 

“That's outrageously cute.”

 

“It's not that cute mom…~”

 

“It so is and you should embrace it! In fact, you're free to cover our faces in lipstick should you ever reach that level of happiness around us!”

 

“I need permission to kiss my family?~...”

 

“You know what I meeeeean!”

 

“I know~...” she grabs Parappa again as the sounds of light kisses are heard. Before long, Parappa’s face is costed in purple.

 

“You must've been real happy~”

 

“You have no idea…~”

 

“Have you attempted this with your new friend group or Cookie?”

 

“Not at all...I feel like they wouldn't be a fan, so I rather not invade on their personal space… And for Cookie, I fear she'd explode from me doing so…”

 

“Atleast it’d be from happiness.”

 

“Oh no denying that.”

 

“And I’m sure the others wouldn’t mind either! At the very least Aqua, Sirius and Athena don’t. Spinni I can’t say for sure...and 16-bits is currently a robot, so I dunno if he’d care if you did or didn’t?”

 

“I can’t say for sure...maybe I’ll give a go another time...for now...here.” Leo pulls out a napkin and hands it over to Parappa “Can’t go around with those marks on your face!”

 

“Why not?~”

 

“I-It’s embarrassing~...”

 

“For me or for you?~” Leo laughs at the remark “Exactly~ But just this once, I’ll oblige!” Parappa wipes her face clean of the lipstick markings, but once she pulls the paper away, she spots Leo in an stunning situation. A rather pompous looking young man was stuck within her personal space. He was clearly trying to hit on Leo, but she wanted nothing to do with it. The guy didn't get the picture however. Whether it was from actual ignorance or feigned ignorance, Leo did not know, or cared for.

 

“Cooooome ooooooon~ You can atleast say hi back.”

 

“Hi…can you go now?...”

 

“I can't now that you finally spoke to me!” he was clearly wording things in a way that no matter what, Leo couldn't get him to bug off. Parappa sees her hand ball up, but ultimately droop. Hitting him would probably lead to a complicated situation. Parappa feels her blood starting to boil, but ultimately cools off and smiles as she places a hand on his shoulder “Huh? Hey do you min-”

 

“She's not interested~ So kindly step-” with a flick of the wrist, the guy is slammed into a wall across the street “Off~” they peel off the wall and lay on the ground KO’d. The wall having a perfect imprint of their body. Parappa scoffs before turning to Leo “You ok?”

 

“I am now...thanks for the save~”

 

“No problem! And the best part is, he can't complain that I hit him! I only moved him aside! It's not my fault he's so easy to move~” Parappa laughs. Then, without turning away from Leo, she speaks up “The same thing applies to anyone ELSE who decides to bug us~” every male in the vicinity who wanted to test their luck shivers and power walks away. Parappa crosses her arms at the sound of all the fleeting footsteps “Thought so!” before Parappa can laugh, she's caught in a crushing hug by her daughter and is once again assaulted by a machine gun kiss spree over her cheeks and forehead “I _just_ cleaned my fahahace! Come on nahahow!~” Despite what she says, Parappa does absolutely nothing to stop the overly happy child.

 

* * *

 

Parappa and Leo find themselves at the pond in the park again as they stare at the water.

 

“Parappa…”

 

“Yeeeees?~”

 

“Thanks...for giving me the best gift ever~...for giving me the best DAY ever~...You’ll always be the greatest parent ever to me~...”

 

“Hey now! Save that love for your eventual mom! She needs it to!” they both share a giggle “Glad I could do such a thing for you! Now, for the record. I'm also cool with whatever you or the others wanna call me. Same pronouns as you and mom or dad work to! Course so does the simple, Parappa, to y’know.”

 

“I do know! But thanks for the clarification anyway.” Leo states at the blocked off sky “This was such a beautiful day.”

 

“I can only imagine. Hope it can happen again whenever I wanna resume making up for the lost time!”

 

“Same here...um...dad?...”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I think I know where my suit might’ve ended up in.”

 

“Oh? How??”

 

“This…” she pulls out the plush toy “Fell on my head once you left to get dressed.”

 

“...A teddy bear? What does that-”

 

“It's a teddy bear based of a living one. It's based after Uncle PJ and Aunt Sweety’s future kid.”

 

“Its modeled after Lacey?? Why's it look so beat up?”

 

“I wouldn’t say it's beat up. Rather, it just received non stop love. This plush belonged to my little sisters~...”

 

“Really?! How do you know that?!”

 

“A photo came along with it. On the back was writing explaining it.”

 

“Can I see it??...”

 

“Sure thing but…” he pulls out the photo, but the back has been covered by her fingers to not spoil the name of his eventual bride “Can you quickly think about a different girl for a bit?...”

 

“Ok…” in the time frame, Leo swaps between a red sheep, a mouse and a fox before reverting back to the cat he was.

 

“Phew...good, the name and their appearance changes too like it does with me. So no spoilers for you!” he hands the picture over, but Parappa looks at the back first.

 

“Kat Rappa.” Leo starts changing faces again “Lamb Rappa. Ram Rappa, Fox Rappa...darn… You're right~ well...it saves the wonder of picking the right girl for when the time is right!” he then flips the photo as he thinks about Katy again. He's amazed by the twins in the picture “Rokken and Rolla huh...they look so precious…~ And you must be elated to be able to finally know what they look like!”

 

“You can't even begin to comprehend my happiness~...”

 

“But that doesn't explain where the suit ended up in and how you-” Leo taps at the bottom left of the picture. In that corner of the shot was the helmet he had lost “Well that explains it. And why they know about you!” Parappa then thinks about another girl again. In the photo, Rokken’s pseudo cat ears become pseudo sheep ears and tiny horns poke from her head and her nose goes from pink to brown and her fingertips also turn brown. Her outfit also turns into Lammy’s classic outfit. Rolla’s entire body changes from a cat to a lamb, but she keep the pseudo dog ears. Parappa smirks as they all revert back to cats and he hands the photo back to Leo “I love em, but that should pose no surprise. I can't wait till I can hold em in my arms in the distant future!”

 

“You and me both.” Leo stores the photo and the teddy away. She then shares one last hug with her parent “Again, thank you so _so_ much~”

 

“Anytime, everytime!” they leave the grove as they split off for the night.

 

* * *

 

“Why do you think buddy asked for all of us to meet up in Sixteen’s lab?” Athena asks as she looks at her brother, the two spellcasters, the robot, the wrench and train whistle ladies and Cookie.

 

“Beats us. He just wanted us all to arrive.” Sirius responds.

 

Cookie merely growls as she looks away from everyone except Momo and Gloria. 16-bits then speaks up “It might not be urgent given his tone when he called.”

 

“All we can really do is wait for ‘im” Gloria closes off.

 

From behind the door that leads  to the room they're all in stands the child in question. They only smile brightly as they open the door. After a small while, the door that lead into the building where the lab is flings open and Leo happily runs away, waving goodbye to the empty doorway as he runs off and flies away “I'm happy to know you'll all support meeeeee~!” is all he says as he disappears. Everyone else merely leaves the building slowly after. Their faces are all coated in purple.

 

“I knew buddy appreciated my hard work~” Athena says as she flies off.

 

“T-This was an experience…~ They always prove to be braver than me~...” Spinni says as he also flies away.

 

“Not what I expected to happen...but atleast it cements that they don’t hate me~...” Sirius says as he hovers away.

 

“They are such a dear child~...” Aqua floats after her husband.

 

“Heh. Glad ta see they ain't lose their happiness~” Gloria chuckles as she heads to her car.

 

“And happy they certainly were~...” Momo heads off to her vehicle with Cookie behind her. She cannot speak, only mutter out noises of delight as she enters the car.

 

16-bits stands at the doorway “Always a wonder aren't you Europa? Haha.” he closes the door after everyone else is out of sight.

 

* * *

 

_A week later_

 

Parappa and the others are all seen heading towards the Heights Hotel to talk with Leo in order to see the photo he had shown Parappa. Parappa had let that tidbit slip and now they all want to know.

 

“You couldn't have told him to give you it for a little while??”

 

“Paula I couldn't! He went his whole time here without knowing what they looked like! I can't just take it from him!”

 

“Fair enough…” as she says this, they hear a voice come from nowhere.

 

“Heads up!” Everyone looks up and spots Leo floating down. He lands before them all “Hey all, what brings you here?” He's back is his suit again, but when his jacket was his jetpack, it was seen he had a different outfit on underneath. It appeared more ambiguous and androgynous. He plucks his helmet off to reveal a new hairstyle. His hair was let down and styled in a way that covered his right eye. He had no eye makeup, but still had lipstick on. It was now orange. His face currently matched Charlotte’s.

 

“Looking nice today as always! And uh...I kinda told them all you got a photo from the future and they really wanted to see it…”

 

“Oh dad…” they roll their eyes before putting the helmet back on “Alright everyone, let's go up-” the entire ground starts rumbling suddenly as the sky is filled with a bright light that illuminates the immediate area “Light?...here??” Everyone looks up and sees an Ethereal clock face again. They then hear a pleading voice.

 

_“Keepers of the world!...C-Can you hear me??...”_

 

“T-Trinity??”

 

“No...the voice is different!...” As Leo says that, both he and his father start losing their footing as they slowly float upwards.

 

“H-HEY! What's happening?!” Rammy shouts out.

 

“Whoever it is needs our help again…” Parappa looks to the sky “WE HEAR YA LOUD AND CLEAR!”

 

_“Oh finally...p-please! Are you the ones who aided my sister??”_

 

“WOULD SHE HAPPEN TO BE NAMED TRINITY?” Leo shouts.

 

_“Y-Yes! Oh thank the Gods…we require your assistance once more! We are in immediate danger!...”_

 

“WE AGREE, JUST HOLD ON!” They both ready up as they start floating off faster. The others watch helplessly as they are unable to do anything.

 

“What do we do??” Katy looks to everyone.

 

“W-What CAN we do??...” Lammy adds on as they all panic. Suddenly Katy and Paula are sucked into the air after them.

 

“WAAAAH!” they both yell as they hold onto each other.

 

“Them to??” Parappa says as he looks down “Right...CB and AO were also part of that Keepers of the world group...well...this got interesting…”

 

Before they fully vanish, everyone on the ground runs around in circles, completely lost on what to do. Rammy then growls as she hits herself on the head. She then grabs Lammy and lifts her up “U-Uh...U-Ura what are you-”

 

“INCOMING THREE POINTER!” she launches Lammy upwards where she collides into Parappa. After that, the five of them vanish along with the ethereal mess, launched into the past “You better thank me when you get back...I really wanted to go up there with them myself…”

 

The five of them all fly through another time gate as they all flop around.

 

“W-WHERE ARE WE?!...” Paula screams as she spins around in suspended animation.

 

“Calm down! And keep steady! We’re gonna be fine!...” Parappa orders as the end of the gate arrives. A large flash swallows the five. Parappa and Leo make a perfect three point landing on the grass, but the girls yell as they drop towards them “Catch them!...” Both of them scuttle along the ground as Paula lands in Parappa’s right arm and Katy in his left. Lammy lands on top of him as the four of them flop over onto the ground “Owowow...how come none of you dropped towards Leo’s general direction…”

 

“Dad I think you know darn well why they didn’t fall towards me.”

 

“I do and the truth hurts...like literally…” As Parappa says this, the three girls laugh awkwardly before apologizing as they get off. Once all of them are on their feet they look around, but see nothingness. They soon hear a voice above them. There lies a castle tower behind them.

 

“H-Hello there!” It was another Possum girl princess. She was blonde as opposed to her little sister and her dress was pink “Y-You actually came!...and there are more of you!...” She vanishes from the opening at the top. While they wait for her to meet them, Parappa and Leo analyze their bodies.

 

“Dad… We’re complete...nothing see through or tangible…”

 

“Which means...so is he…” They both steady their posture as their hands tighten up “The threat level is bigger now...we’re gonna have to do alot more to kick him back to the future this time it would seem…”

 

“We can worry about it later...right now we gotta help this kingdom!” They turn to the trio “This...is obviously gonna get dangerous…”

 

“Dangerous or not. Me and Paula got sucked along with you, so we gotta help out to!”

 

“Right!”

 

“W-What about me??...I got thrown like a football into this mess!...” Lammy says as she shivers in place “A-And I don’t have my guitar w-with me…”

 

“But you got us Lammy! We got your back!” Parappa says as he hunches over “I hope you got ours to!”

 

“I-I mean...I-I’m gonna try…” She still shivers, but not as much now as she tries bolstering her confidence. At that moment the princess runs up to them.

 

“I-I’m beyond joyful to see you all here...t-the threat that attacked us last time is back!...”

 

“Well we’re glad we were able to return to provide assistance!...uh…” Leo asks.

 

“Dew Etz Regiis!...S-Second Princess of Arcadia!...”

 

“With all do respect Due Etz. Where’s Trinity? Shouldn’t she be here with you out of danger?”

 

“T-That’s another big issue!...M-My little sister has been taken by the enemy!...”

 

“WHAT?!” Both Parappa and Leo shout.

 

“They took her to prevent her from summoning the two of you again!...And after that they started invading yet again with machinations that we can’t overcome!...P-Please, save our kingdom AND my little sister!...”

 

The five of them look towards each other and Leo and Parappa look to themselves. Everyone nods as Parappa looks back at Dew “You can count on us!”

 

_We’re gonna kick out these invaders!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another credit due despite only a tidbit being used! Song is Dancing Queen by Abba!


	55. In Other Words!

“Alright Dew! Point us in the right direction!”

 

“That won’t be necessary…”

 

“Why’s that?” As soon as that’s asked, a large robotic pair of legs lands behind them all.

 

“Because everywhere is currently the right direction…” she hugs the side of the tower in an attempt to hide away.

 

“Oi! Wot rotten luck… Q was right on da money when he said dat we should've taken all of youse! But you girlies are alot more slippery than an oiled up eel in heavy rapids!” the mecha legs are piloted by a leopard man who starts walking forward. Parappa stands in his way “Wot da bleedin ‘ell do you think your doin?”

 

“What I was summoned to do...defeat you invaders!”

 

“Ah bother...so the girlie actually did what Q was tryin ta avoid… that was a right naughty thing ya did princess. Q’s gonna be very upset. Might take away our shiny toys! And that will make the crazy kings real angry! So angry that they'll send Archer to gut you!”

 

“P-Please no…”

 

“I'm afraid this ‘Archer’ guy's gonna end up leaving in pieces! I'll make sure of that!” Parappa shouts as he kicks one of the machine legs.

 

“Oi blimey! You're a right stupid one ain't ya! You thinking you can touch Archer?? You really must not be from ‘ere then!” he cackles wildly “While da thought of Archer separatin ya limb from bloody limb sound hilarious, he ain't gonna get the chance! I got a job to do, and it's to take da princess back to the crazy kings! The other dumb lass managed to git. And so were searching high and low to get her back while gettin the other two as well! And if I gotta squish some snails to get ‘er, then by golly you can bet your beppy I'll oblige!” the leopard bounces back and the five get ready in a fighting stance.

 

“Girls, escort Dew out of here and towards any safe spot you guys can find. Me and Leo will handle this guy here…”

 

“Will you be alright?” Paula asks in worry.

 

“Me and Leo destroyed a larger machine piloted by like...thirty guys and we took it down real easy! This will be nothing! If anything,  _ you _ guys gotta be careful. They're searching for the princesses after all!!”

 

“The three of us can handle anyone who tries to touch her! Right girls?!” Paula and Lammy nod with Katy as the four girls run off. Paula grabs Katy and flies off while Lammy scoops up the princess and leaps away.

 

The leopard man does not give chase, instead he speaks up “Dat thing ya said. You were da cause of us failing dat raid a while back then?”

 

“Yes we were!” Leo says as the Leopard grimaces.

 

“Me mate was piloting dat thing. It was alot more destructive than da thing I'm in now...and you two took it out with all of them? Him included?”

 

“We did! And you're gonna be next unless you give up now and run away!” Parappa says, but the leopard shouts out.

 

“IF DAT’S THE CASE, THEN I JUST GOTTA MAKE SURE YOU TWO CAN'T TOUCH ME!” he leaps over the two and makes a mad dash after the girls “I AIN'T GOT TIME TA DIE!”

 

“LEO, AFTER HIM!” Leo reactivates his jetpack and scoops up Parappa who fails to trigger his magnetic floating. They make a beeline after the running mech. The girls reappear in the sightline as they're crossing a wooden bridge over a large gap of water. They make it to the other side of the long bridge as the mech makes it to the middle. His path is stopped as Leo and Parappa catch up to him and hold the machine back with Leo’s guitar “KEEP RUNNING!” The girls resume their rush as the duo push back the mech with Leo floating in the air to prevent it from leaping away again.

 

“Blasted bastards da lot of ya...well...if this is truly me caught between a rock and hard place…” Missile launchers sprout from the legs of the machine while large spiked maces pop out from where the man is sitting, making makeshift arms “THEN REST ASSURED I WON’T MAKE MY FALL AN EASY FEAT!”

 

“Can’t believe I gotta kill another person…”

 

“Oh you get used to it. The guilt slowly loses effectiveness after like...the fourth spilt blood. Which you technically surpassed after killing the last machine we fought…”

 

“I technically count that as one thing all together. So aside from the evil Kayla mermaid and that mecha, I’ve only done this twice…”

 

“Well look alive cuz here’s head number three! Now let’s make it roll!”

 

“Right…” They both ready up. The Leopard swings at Leo each time he tries approaching thanks to the bludgeon weapons.

 

“Dammit...So I can’t get near that thing as long as I stay in the air...but I have to stay up here or else he’ll run off again...PARAPPA CHANGE OF PLANS! CATCH!” Leo hurls his guitar at the dog.

 

“So it’s on me again huh?...Just great…” Parappa triggers the the blade version of the guitar “I’m just glad that thanks to Mana and Ma-san i’m versed in dodging missiles and maces…” Parappa runs forward and leaps over every missile launched at him. Once near enough, the two have a face off as the guitar clashes against the two pseudo arms. They bat each other way as they try to push the other back while on the bridge “Pretty limber legs…”

 

“These toys dat Q gave us are quite da helpful things ta use!”

 

“This Q person in question wouldn’t happen to be a weird man with a clock on his chest and a bubble like helmet on his head?”

 

“Da very same!”

 

“So now we know who we’re dealing with...sorta…” Parappa bats the maces away as he flips away over more missiles. The whole motion causes the bridge to grow more rickety “Gah…”

 

“Don’t lose ya footing!~” The Leopard drives his weapons forward, but Parappa manages to block just in the knick of time. The impact however pushes him further back, only to be hounded by more missiles. Parappa barely dodges these ones as he flops onto his back “NOW PISS OFF YA WANKER!” the Leopard moves forward and slams down with the maces.

 

“DAD!..” Leo divebombs downwards to try and intercept the attack. However…

 

“HNNNGGRAAA!” Parappa, low on options, holds out his hand as if to try and catch the weapon with his hand. He doesn’t understand what prompted him to do that, but it proved necessary as a magnetic pulse leaves his palm that bends the maces back far enough to snap them off and launch them away.

 

“WOT THE ‘ELL?!...”

 

“YIPE!...” Leo swerves to the side to avoid the detached weapons “W-WATCH IT!...”

 

“W-Whoa...I mean...I MEANT to do that!...” Parappa flips onto his feet. The Leopard man struggles within his seat as the machine starts to fizzle slightly.

 

“You’re a Keeper?!...No wonder da other idiots perished...and no wonder why Q wanted ta prevent your arrival…” The leopard slowly loses his moxie “This ain’t fair...but I’m still not done yet!...” 

 

“I WOULDN’T BE SO SURE!” Leo swoops in now that the maces are gone and begins sky dropping into his face with repeated kicks.

 

“BUGGER OFF!”

 

“MAKE ME THEN!” the leopard grabs Leo out of the air by catching his leg.

 

“GOT YA!”

 

“BUT I GOT  **YOU** !” Parappa rushes in and with the guitar, he cleaves off the armed machine legs. They fly off the bridge and the pilot seat drops abruptly onto the bridge, forcing the leopard to drop the airborne Leo while leaving him a sitting duck “Done and done!”

 

“Way to go Parappa!” Leo fistbumps the air.

 

“Well this is a right bit of worry innit?” the adversary slams the control system “Atleast it would be! But Q forewarned us of contingency plans!” The stranded seat transforms into a small tank “I’m gonna go down kickin and screamin if I got to! Keeper or not! I won’t let my demise be a quiet one!” The control seat is closed off by a large glass dome as he starts driving forward.

 

“This is out of my league of handling…” Parappa backs away from the oncoming machine. His child swoops in and picks him off the ground “W-Wait! Don’t give him a clear shot to escape!...”

 

“And leave you to get squished?!”

 

“Gah...What do we do?!...”

 

“Keep breaking it!”

 

“Easier said than done Leo…” Parappa flips onto Leo’s back. He readies up the guitar again as they fly around the tank “Alright...round two!”

 

“DIE!” the tank fires blast after blast in an attempt to shoot the two out of the sky. Parappa retaliates with blasts from the cannon mode of the guitar.

 

“Ten cannons, fast firing speed, no reload time...Parappa we're not going to last up here unless we lower the number of things shooting at us…”

 

“I'm all ears!... Cuz getting close ain't an option…”

 

“...Or maybe it is…”

 

“I don’t like the sound of that…”

 

“Look look!...Hear me out!... please focus your hardest to trigger your magnetism!”

 

“Why?!”

 

“I need you to focus on my jetpack! So that when I throw you-”

 

“ _ THROW  _ ME?!?!”

 

“LISTEN FIRST DAMMIT… I'm going to launch you at him so you can destroy his cannons!... With your magnetism focused on my jetpack, you'll slingshot right back to me!...”

 

“I don't picture this working.”

 

“THAT MAKES TWO OF US!” Leo makes a sharp turn back towards the tank.

 

Parappa then starts to trigger his magnetic ability once more to do as instructed “Come on come on…” Parappa sees small strands of electricity attaching his feet to the jetpack “Uh…”

 

“Did you do it??”

 

“I made a bungee cord…”

 

“BUNGEE- CLOSE ENOUGH!” Leo launches Parappa at the tank. Due to now being tethered together, his ability to dodge is near nonexistent. It's all reliant on Parappa’s quick evasive maneuvers. Parappa threads the needle on the incoming fire as he slams the guitar on the tank, snapping off three cannons. After which he’s flung back onto Leo’s back “Success!...”

 

“I’d...hate to see...what a failure would...look like...” Parappa says dizzily.

 

“GIT OUTTA DA AIR AND FIGHT ME LEGITIMATELY YA CHEEKY FUCKS!”

 

“SAYS THE GUY IN A TANK!”

 

“OUR FORCES STILL HAVE TO ACHIEVE VICTORY! AND WE SHALL TAKE IT!”

 

“TAKE THIS INSTEAD!” Leo launches Parappa again and he destroys four more cannons. The action causes the tank to jitter as it combusts, breaking the bridge it was on. And with that, it falls down into the water current “HAHA! That went faster than I thought it would!”

 

“Uh Leo…”

 

“What?”

 

“Incoming…”

 

“Incom- GAUGH…” Leo is blasted out of the sky by the blast radius of stray shots. Both of the airborne fighters fall into the crashing water along with the tank. As they skid down the massive waterfall, the leopard’s tank shifts again. Since the tank treads were blown off from the short circuiting of losing seven cannons, it now turned into a more water suited vehicle.

 

“YA AIN’T DONE WITH ME YET!~” He recenters the cannons back towards the duo. Leo was mostly unscathed. Since his jacket was his jetpack at the time, he still took a heavy hit, but was left with no injury due to the jetpack absorbing most of the blast. The jetpack was no longer usable however and Leo was now unconscious. Parappa was still wide awake, and also suffered little injury thanks to Leo shielding him, but he still felt pain due to not having anything to reduce the attacks like Leo did.

 

“Oh this got flipped over real quick...Leo...come on wake up…”

 

“LET DA LAD REST! YOU’LL BE JOININ HIM RIGHT AWAY! PERMANENTLY!”

 

“D-Damn!...I can blast us away with the cannon of the guitar...but it won’t be strong enough without any music playing!...wait! You’re helmet! S-Sorry for this!” Parappa starts violently smacking the helmet, trying to jog it into playing music. He’s successful as it starts blaring a techno beat “GOOD ENOUGH!...” The guitar turns into a large cannon and blasts off, sending Parappa around in the waterfall like a motor.

 

“Oi ya just full of surprises now ain’t ya?” the water tank fires as Parappa zips about uncontrollably.

 

“FRANKLY I’M SURPRISING MYSELF MORE!...” Parappa gets on to of the makeshift jet surfboard as he holds Leo over his shoulder. He skates wildly all over the water as the water tank struggles to keep up. They ride down the waterfall while the tank fires and misses all its shots. Eventually the hellish ‘surfboard’ finally becomes a bit more manageable “HERE I GO!” Parappa rams into the tank, breaking off another cannon and drives off. The dome starts cracking heavily as the inside starts fritzing up as if it were on its last legs.

 

“Keepers were known for their abstract methods, but blimey this is beyond that…” he growls as he fires from the last two cannons. Parappa manages to dodge the attacks as his control over the guitar becomes better. He dashes through the fire and slams into it again, breaking off the second to last cannon.

 

“It’s game over for you!”

 

“So be it...I’ve exhausted every option, only to be foiled by men more madder than us…”

 

“We’ll have you know that we’re technically not even fully men!” the leopard raises an eyebrow “Riiiiight...time period where that’s a heavily nonexistent subject…aw forget it…” he avoids the final bits of cannon fire as he swerves around and slams into it and breaks the final cannon off, leaving him a sitting duck. He tries to drive away, but the control system is to heavily damaged that it refuses to do anything. He lays there in the center of the descending stream as Parappa lines up above him with the guitar “Any last words?”

 

“A-Arcadia WILL fall!...Youse can’t even begin ta understand the events you’re intervening with! But you’ll see dat for yourself soon enough ey?~” Parappa dives through the machine, causing it to spin around the water wildly before it slows down as it rides upwards instead of down.

 

“We’ll show you…” Parappa says as the music stops playing, reverting the cannon back to a smaller one. Parappa falls and sticks the landing onto a piece of rock sticking out of the water. He grabs the guitar out of the air and holsters it on his back. He then catches Leo in his arms the second he arrives close enough. After that, an explosion is heard in the distance upwards. It rains glass and metal that lands in the water, missing the platform Parappa was standing on. In front of him lands a piece of cloth that belonged to the shirt the leopard was wearing, showing that he had finally met his end. Parappa smiles but falls over onto his back “B-Blagh...that took alot more out of me than I thought...adrenaline’s run dry…” He struggles to get back up “C-Come on body...still got alot more to do...don’t give out on me now…” Despite his resistance, Parappa ultimately fades into darkness as he falls unconscious there on the spot.

 

* * *

 

Katy’s energy heart appears as she forcibly stops running to grab her chest “H-Hagh…”

 

“Katy??...” Lammy says as the three other girls stop to look at the cat.

 

“W-What’s...wrong…” She struggles in place. Leonora speaks up from her head.

 

_ M-Mother!...Father and Leo are currently unconscious in the middle of the open land!...They’re sitting ducks!... _

 

Leonora shows the spot within Katy’s head. It’s the area where the bridge used to be. She quickly turns around and runs off “K-KATY!...W-WHERE ARE YOU GOING??”

 

“KEEP DEW SAFE! I’LL BE BACK SOON!...” Katy rushes off at the max speed she can reach. The two other future girls are left to agree begrudgingly. Katy manages to make her way to the bridge, only to see it’s been completely destroyed “O-Oh no...they’re down there?!...How did they even get down safely?!...”

 

_ Father did some quick thinking with Leo’s guitar...but you don’t have said guitar with you to be able to do the same. However, you do have manipulation over water! _

 

“Yeah but I can’t control that whatsoever!”

 

_ You can also fly! _

 

“How does THAT seem any more manageable than the water control?!...”

 

_ I’m throwing options out here!... Look, I can help you use your water manipulation to skate across the water to descend safely, but it’ll leave you abit drained once you land… _

 

“I can handle myself! Just tell me what do I gotta do on my behalf??”

 

_ Just keep calm and stay as focused as can be. Make your thoughts be nothing except sliding down the water as easily as can be! _

 

“Roger…” Katy takes a deep breath and stands still on the edge of the cliff. She stays there in a near meditative state until Leonora speaks up again.

 

_ NOW JUMP ONTO THE WATER!... _

 

“HERE GOES EVERYTHING!...” she leaps onto the forceful waterfall, and her feet land on the water’s surface. She begins sliding down the water with ease. Eventually she gains control as she starts skating effortlessly along the descending water “W-Whoa!...Now that’s what I’m talking about!...~”

 

_ FOCUS!... _

 

“R-Right!...My bad!” Katy glides along the water as quickly as can be and she soon spots the rock where the two are KO’d at “G-GUYS!...W-WAAAAH!...” The sight of the two break her focus lightly as she starts running down the water due to losing the ability to stay attached to the water “Focus Focus FOCUS!...” She regains her footing and slides the rest of the way down. She lands on the rock and immediately her body feels heavy “Ooooh I see what you mean by feeling drained…” She shakes off the sluggish sensation and just rests on the spot to quickly catch her breath. At the same time she inspects the two. They’re both fine with minimal injuries, but it seemed to be more along the lines of internal exhaustion much like what she was currently experiencing now. She plucks off Leo’s helmet to see how he’s faring and he’s still alright “Ok...They’re both fine. That’s good!...But how do I get them out here...I don’t think I’d have enough in me to carry them back up right?...”

 

_ You are correct...worry not! Just follow the stream of water over there! It’s still following the path that the other three are taking! I’m certain you’ll all regroup if you go down it! _

 

“That’s somewhat reassuring. But how do I take these sleeping beauties with me! They ain’t exactly lightweights!”

 

_ Simple! First I suggest you rest up fully in order to handle that. _

 

“Got it.” Katy puts the helmet back onto Leo, but takes the guitar away from Parappa “Doesn’t hurt to check this thing out in the meanwhile~” she starts fiddling around with the multifunctional weapon as it switches between its many shapes “I’d LOVE to have this for myself, or heck one of my own at the very least! Lammy would probably love one to!” She switches it back to a guitar and tries strumming it, but suddenly…

 

“Alright. The beeping thing said that the place we had to rush over to was over here!”

 

“What’s the importance of this again??”

 

“Q said it was um...I can’t remember the full name, but he said it sends a distress signal. So one of our boys are in trouble! Now where is it!”

 

“That’s the thing...the beeping stopped. But we’re over the spot we should’ve been.”

 

Multiple men, about sixteen, were piloting a multi pod sea serpent like robot. Katy looks at them and immediately freaks out “O-Oh no...now?!...”

 

“Hey look...there’s debris everywhere! Did that idiot get himself ganked?!”

 

“You’re right! It looks like he might’ve perished! But from what?!”

 

“OVER THERE! THREE STRAGGLERS!”

 

“This just got bad...L-Leonora we gotta skip the resting process…!”

 

_ R-RIGHT!...CUP YOUR HANDS AROUND YOUR MOUTH! _

 

“H-”

 

_ JUST DO IT!  _ Katy does as instructed.  _ NOW BLOW AS IF YOU WERE TRYING TO INFLATE A BALLOON!  _ Katy does that as well and suddenly, she starts blowing out a large bubble around the two unconscious individuals.

 

“Wow…”

 

_ BE AMAZED LATER MOTHER! GIVE IT A GOOD PUSH! IT CAN FLOAT ALONG THE PATH ON ITS OWN! _

 

“HA!...” Katy shoves the bubble and it quickly flies down the path they were planning on taking “N-NOW WHAT ABOUT ME?!”

 

_ YOU HAVE TO TRIGGER YOUR FLIGHT!...I-I HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THAT PART OF YOU! _

 

“HOW?!...CAN’T YOU JUST ACTIVATE MY WATER SKATING THING AGAIN?!...”

 

_ AGAINST A MACHINE  _ **_BUILT_ ** _ FOR WATER TRAVEL?? _

 

“BETTER THAN NOTHING!...” Leonora does just that as Katy runs along the water’s surface.

 

“THEY'RE GETTIN AWAY!”

 

“AFTER THEM!” the machine blasts after the cat.

 

Katy turns around and starts running backwards as she fires blast after blast from the guitar neck nozzle “BACK OFF!” she misses every shot as the machine swerves about over the water and under. It gets closer and closer and starts attacking her from under. She hops from place to place to avoid the rampant attacks “REALLY WISH I KNEW HOW TO FLY…” Katy flips away as the machine rises again from under her.

 

_ Y-Your body is already  _ **_ready_ ** _ to be able for you to fly...but you still haven't jogged the ability from within you… _

 

“I'm open to suggestions on how I  _ can  _ jog it!...”

 

_ I don't know! _ ...

 

“Well great…” the machine towers over her “Doesn't matter anymore since it looks like I'm out of options anyhow…” the machine strikes down, but is blasted away by a fireball “Wha?...”

 

“G-GET AWAY FROM H-HER!...” Lammy is seen with Paula and Dew Etz as they run on the land beside them.

 

“I SAID-”

 

“WE KNOW! WE IGNORED YOU!” as Paula shouts that, the machine rises and turns to the trio.

 

“IT'S ONE OF THE PRINCESSES! GET HER!”

 

“OVER MY DEAD BODY!” Paula fires icicle after icicle at point blank range. The machine slowly freezes. It quickly backs off.

 

“WE CAN'T GET NEAR WITH THAT WENCH IN THE WAY...THIS MACHINE WILL FREEZE MUCH TO QUICKLY. ESPECIALLY SINCE WE'RE IN THE WATER!”

 

“KEEP AWAY THEN! SHE CAN'T FREEZE US AS LONG AS THE OTHER LASS IS ON THE WATER TO!” they leave the trio alone and dive back under. Paula and Lammy stop attacking since it was directly under Katy. They might hit her trying to destroy it.

 

“A-Aw come o-on!...”

 

“Cowards!...”

 

Katy tries to move away, but they refuse to be separated as they stubbornly keep up “Dammit…” the only upside was that they couldn't attack either. They'd get hit after popping back above “LOOK! JUST LEAVE ME! GET THAT BUBBLE OVER THERE! PARAPPA AND LEO ARE IN IT! THEY NEED MORE HELP THAN ME!” The girls see the bubble and agree. Keeping an eye on the machine below her.

 

“They're trying to increase their numbers…what do we do?”

 

“Stop them obviously!”

 

“But they'll attack us!”

 

“ARCHER AND THE OTHERS CAN HANDLE EM AS LONG AS WE CAN CUT THEIR NUMBERS!” the lead machine pilot a charges the mech forward after the bubble. It surfaces again and tries to destroy it.

 

“HEY!” Katy launches vocal blasts at the thing, but they all bounce off its plating “R-REALLY!?...” the mech opens its mouth and attempts to crush the riders within its maw “N-NO! ..” Katy's legs book it. They move so fast that they no longer feel the surface of anything beneath them! And in actuality, there WAS nothing underneath them because Katy had begun flying in the air “YOU STARTED MESSING WITH ME AND SO YOU FINISH IT WITH ME!” Katy slams into the side of the head with the guitar. It's launched away and Katy flies up to the bubble. She elbows it over to land as she flies after the machine monster.

 

“BLASTED- NOW WE'RE GOING TO DIE IN VAIN!...”

 

“DIVE BACK UNDER!” they return underwater.

 

“OH  _ NO _ YOU  **_DON'T!_ ** ” Katy holds her hands out to where they are and the water forcibly ejects the hiding mech.

 

“SHE'S A KEEPER!...”

 

“WERE WE SET TO FAIL FROM THE START?!” Katy swoops in and changes the guitar into the chainsaw blade. It's surging in her water energy as the bladed edges are coated in highly pressurized water.

 

“GOOD BYE!” she slashes through the joints that connect the pods to each other. With the extreme sharpness, she does so easily as its cut through like butter. The pods all fall into the water as a vibrating mess. Once all sixteen pods are submerged, multiple explosions are heard as water erupts upwards, spitting out the leftover pod fragments. Katy shifts the guitar back to its original shape as she places it on her back “That's what you get!...for messing...with...meeeee…” she crashes onto land from exhaustion over using her water glide ability when she wasn't readily meant to along with the water manipulation that enhanced the chainsaw and what kicked out the machine from hiding “Owwwww…” Katy smiles as her vision fades out. The last thing she sees is Lammy running towards her “Haha...I...wooon…~” her world turns dark.

 

* * *

 

“I CAN KEEP GOING!...Huh?...” Katy looks around to find herself in a bed “Where...am I? Ow…” she holds her lower back as she gets off the bed “Right...crashed onto land…” she looks around what seen to be castle walls. She then spots a large door opening.

 

“Y-You’re awake!” Lammy says with a gasp as she runs up to her friend “Man...you gave us all a scare...w-what were you t-thinking?!”

 

“Parappa and Leo needed help!...and I DID save them!”

 

“Yeah a-at the cost of almost dying for i-it!...”

 

“But I didn't!”

 

“Ugh...you're stubborn…”

 

“Ain't you glad that I have the energy to be!~”

 

“I guess…”

 

“You know! Now speaking of knowing… where are we?”

 

“A secret castle shelter that Dew Etz led us to! She brought us here to get the three of you to rest!”

 

“Oh! How are-”

 

“Still out of it…”

 

“Darn…” Katy hold her cheeks “Some help we were…”

 

“I m-mean...you guys allowed her to escape! And took c-care of two machines! Dew said that there were five in total s-so we're about h-halfway done!”

 

“I guess that's a plus side...exactly what IS the enemy opposition?”

 

“The three crazy kings…” Dew Etz says as she walks in the room with Paula behind her “Three corrupt rulers from different regions who have unified together in an attempt to bring everything under their reign…” she sighs “There's Maxwell of Pandora, Bruno of Neque Patentibus and Archibald of Secretis Mendaciis...a pig, a lion and an armadillo respectively… they have unified their armies together. At the top that defends them are four extremely terrifying knights...and they're also Keepers of the world themselves… two are from the tribe half that specialized in water and the other two are from that half that controlled electricity. And even higher is a newer knight...Archer...he is even more terrifying than the other four knights…Oh gods could he be a nuisance to deal with...”

 

“That knight that the guy piloting the legs brought up?” she nods “Hm...well I’m certain we can handle him!”

 

“Not i-if he has the future tech like the rest of these guys do K-Katy…”

 

“I mean...I still think we’ll do well!” Katy jogs in place.

 

“While I wanna feel your sentiments Katy, it’s not looking good for us when our most able helpers are currently asleep!”

 

“Hey now Paula! The three of us are just as physically strong as Parappa!...Maybe not Leo...b-but definitely Parappa!” Katy ushers out a half smile of faulty confidence.

 

“That does not sound as reassuring as it’s trying to be…” Paula sighs “Whatever the case, I still gotta have faith. We've made it through worse! Plus it ain't our first intrusion in a clashing battle between two factions!” she flicks her hair “But I'm getting off track. You feeling good?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Then help us tend to the other two!”

 

“Now?? I just woke up!...”

 

“If you have the energy to move and boast then you have the energy to help mend the unconscious!”

 

“Aw drat…”

 

* * *

 

“I-Is it really such a hassle over who tends to Sir Parappa?” Dew says as they all turn their heads towards the princess. Their eyes shining intensely “E-Erm...My apologies...I'll stay quiet and help Sir Steps instead then…” she enters the room housing Leo as the other girls resume bickering. They realize that they needed two people to stand guard or be ready to warn the others should something start happening.  So only one can help out with Parappa’s recovery. They're just struggling with deciding how to organize it all.

 

“Look! You BOTH have better control at the stuff you can do than I do! I  _ just  _ learned how to fly! So you can easily handle things that arrive! Plus, I just woke up!”

 

“M-My most effective f-form of combat is being I-IN direct physical r-range! And did y-you both not SEE the stuff they have?! You both can fly a-and fight from afar! I-I’d be a liability at best!...”

 

“I fight with snow and ice! Yeah it can be great on defense or offense, but against machinery it's not gonna bode well! My forms of attack will either break or be shrugged off! You both fight with attacks that can leave the enemy running! Plus machines are prone to easily overheating and melting. And you can easily blow them away or hypnotize them!” The trio continue bickering until they reach a conclusion.

 

“Alright...we take shifts.”

 

“Who goes first?”

 

“Me! I can use the time to fully settle myself to help better when it's my turn to help keep watch! And before either of you try to shoot me down. I am still groggy and stiff, and you girls obviously know that I won't be of much help like that right? Plus you know I'm not a liar!” Paula and Lammy whine as they just nod in acceptance “Great! Now who goes after me?” The two look at each other and begin bickering once more. Katy decides to intervene “HEY! Alright so if it's gonna be like that...then I suggest Paula go next.”

 

“W-WHAT?...”

 

“Haha!”

 

“Look. When tending to someone in conditions like these, cold or moist pieces of cloth help out big time! And that's something the two of us can manage on the fly! Speeding up his healing process! And you can't say it's ineffective Lammy cuz that's what we did for you and Sweety when we were trapped in the pond pocket dimension! So you know it works!”

 

“...” Lammy slumps over, defeated at having to take the final shift.

 

“Aw hey now! Don't be like that! After our shifts our over, you can spend the remainder of the time and then some! Seems fair since we kinda forced you to be last without any way of choosing against it! Right Paula?”

 

“Oh why not…”

 

“Great! Now let's go speak with Dew!” both girls look at her “To see what time length our shifts should be!...and to apologize for scaring her off…” they all release a guilty giggle as they head off to the room holding Leo. They enter it and spot the nineteen year old tending to the fox child.

 

“You took heavy fire judging by the bruises...but by Gods you should be in a more dire condition and yet, no wounds. You really are something else! I know some Keepers are hardy individuals but this is even greater than what they say! Oh I'm so glad you were one of the people sent to save us!” the princess giggles as she finishes trying to bandage up any other injuries she deems bad.

 

“Hey Princess Dew!” they all call out.

 

“Oh! I did not see you there! You all seem calmer now. Have you figured things out?”

 

“Almost. We just need one last thing to schedule.”

 

“Oh lovely! Wait...schedule?”

 

“Y-Yeah! We agreed to t-taking shifts.”

 

“I see...well...if I may add on something...while you're keeping guard...may you keep an eye out for my younger sister Trinity? A-And bring her back?...it's already nightfall and I'm worried and scared that she's all alone...constantly escaping near encounters with those brutes…”

 

“NIGHT?! HOW LONG WAS I OUT?!...” Katy takes into account just how long she's been out.

 

“Did we forget to mention thaaaat~...” Paula fiddles with her hair.

 

“I-I thought it'd be for the best t-to not tell you as to not worry…” Lammy kicks the ground.

 

“Erm...right...then I think I just found a schedule on my own. It'll be an hour me, an hour for Paula and the remaining time for Lammy.” they all nod as the princess just stares at them with no understanding of what just happened.

 

* * *

 

Katy just sits by Parappa’s bed as he just stays near motionless “What am I gonna do with you? No matter how much I rather you not end up like this, it still happens!” she coats her left hand in bubbles and gently rubs it along his forehead “Didn’t you say you were gonna work on this?~” she let's out a giggle, but it's slightly void of emotion “...you always...terrify me whenever you end up like this… This time I know you're gonna be alright, but I've just grown so defeated when you're like this. I know you're gonna wake up soon, but it still doesn't put my heart at ease until I SEE you awake.” she plays around with his short hair “Heh...Would you wake up faster...if I kissed you again?~...” she laughs quietly to herself until she hears a voice. 

 

“I mean...personally I'd wait...but if it worked once...why not try it again…~” Katy looks around the room to see who spoke, then she looks back to see Parappa’s eyes opened weakly.

 

“H-Haaa...Y-You weren't supposed to...h-how long have you been awake…”

 

“Your arguing outside my room woke me up, but once you stopped...I just fell asleep again due to a heavy headache...you woke me up again once you out your hand on my head, but I didn't speak up cuz you were busy talking. So I waited till I got the chance to speak up…”

 

“I-I see...h-haaaaa…” she swallows what feels to be a large clump of emotions “Sooooo...you heard-”

 

“All of it...I'm sorry for making you upset again…”

 

“Hey! You're awake now! So those worries are gone! But uh…”

 

“Yeah I heard the other thing to. Care to explain?~...” Parappa knew the answer already thanks to Leonora, but now seemed like a good chance to get it out of the girl who  _ should’ve _ been the original one to tell him.

 

“Ahem...right...how...groovy…” Katy struggled to fulfill the request.

 

“You don’t gotta if you don't wanna.”

 

“N-No I can!...N-Now’s as good a time as any!” she shakily clears her throat “B-Back...back when you had your a-accident...and we were told to not expect much on regards of you waking up...well...you know…my shift was the last of the rotation and...well...I didn’t wanna lose you...none of us did, but...me especially...cuz without you…” She pulls away and looks at herself. Her outfit, her standing as a band leader and her enormous friend group “None of this would be possible for me alone...I owe my current standing to you...and I never want to lose you…”

 

“Not true! You’d have done as amazing as you did without me! In fact I’d go as far as say you’d even done better without m-” A quick slap across Parappa’s face shuts him up. The action surprised the two of them as they lock eyes. Katy only sighs as she slumps back into the chair she’s sitting in “Egh...poor choice of words I’ll admit…” Parappa forces his body to sit up “Ow ow ow ow ow!...” He hisses as he manages to stay upright. After a bit he groans before speaking up “Look. I can’t deny i’m a mess. No matter how much I try, something’s gonna go wrong and it’s just way out of my control…” He turns his head to her “I don’t  _ want _ to scare you every single time. I don’t want this to be a recurring event that just traumatizes you over and over and over again. But I have no control over the events that lead to it…”

 

“I know...and it sucks…” she doesn't turn towards him. Her only action is sad purring.

 

“Believe me. I completely agree!...” he barks, clearly upset even more now “And I'm not just saying it cuz I'm the pain recipient! Erm...but before that. You were saying?...”

 

She inhales deeply as she grips the sides of the chair tightly. So tightly that it partially cracks the frame “I love you. That should be a no brainer now, but still. I love you and I always have. I was the first  _ to _ love you in that manner as well since the emotions hit me since a little after our first encounter. From that point on it blossomed in a horrible way. I never took a chance and instead merely supported the girl you fell for. Because she made you happy in that regards, something I was sure I could never.”

 

“What gave you-” her tail wraps around his head and shuts his mouth.

 

“Ever since...ever since we became friends...our lovely trio...well...you clung to me and I clung back to you, but in that fashion...all I appeared to you was as a sister… The sentiment...both stung and made me happy. It's weird… I always wanted to be more...obviously, but it wasn't possible. Course I was fine with it because you showed you still needed me by your side. And deep down...it always thought that it meant...you'd at one point see me as something more and give me a shot...you never did…” Parappa lightly whines, upset at himself, but Katy contusions “Then you got together with Sunny...I was...happy. I was happy yet jealous and upset...then my new friend Lammy fell for you...joy...my friend instinct was to help her out on her love adventure!...But she did two things… She fell in love with as guy who was already in a relationship...and said guy was the same one I was trying to get to notice me… Years went on and then Paula and Ma-san joined the fray...I didn't mind it as much at the time because of our history...we did things together that most couples don't even try to do immediately. Our excuse was our bond, and the fact that we were crazy and excited kids...and that was enough for me I said...over and over. Cut to the accident...now you're there...in a coma you weren't gonna wake from...atleast not realistically soon...we were told to be patient...and that...expecting the worse was the better option…” she sniffles slightly as her voice struggles to not break “But I wasn't gonna do that! I knew you better than that! You've been through worse!...Y-You weren't g-gonna just up and l-leave...leave u-us thanks to...s-something like...t-t...that…” she wipes her eyes “I...I didn't care...I didn't care about anything...I just wanted you to open your eyes...it wanted you to w-wake up...I w-wanted to see you smile a-again...laugh again...b-be ok again…” she can't keep her eyes open anymore, nor can she keep drying the endless amount of tears “But I guess I gave i-in...I guess...I just wanted to say goodbye...but at the same t-time...I refused to l-let you...g-go...so I just...p-poured my heart out… Maybe i-it felt ok...s-since...since you couldn’t hear m-me…” every word forced out could barely be distinguished apart from a whimper “I said m-my p-peace...and with t-that...with that...I kissed you...many reasons for i-it...but the one that mattered m-most to m-me was...that I loved you...and would keep doing s-so...even at...g-goodbye’s… but it wasn't goodbye...I just wanted my friend forever b-back...and I would never stop believing…” she manages half a smile “And I guess...I got lucky...~ You open your eyes for me...then and there~...” she tries once more to stop the endless flood pouring from her eyes as she feels an extra set of hands help her out. She can finally open her eyes enough to see what was going on. Parappa was there helping her clean her face up.

 

“Thank you for saving me. I wouldn't be here now if it weren't for you… in more ways than one…” she gets to see his face much more clearly. He was crying as badly as she was.

 

“I b-barely did anything...frankly I should be thanking you for waking up for me...for all of us...it was a miracle dream come true~”

 

“I wish I could have found something to pay you back with for the save.”

 

“Don't worry! You did more than enough~...I've grateful already that I get to have you by my si- m-mmphh…~...” she's shut up by getting caught in a kiss thanks to the dog. They're locked in the heat of the moment as their arms just wrap around the other person and just hold on tightly. They stay like this for a good while as Katy pushes slightly forward to him when she thinks he was gonna pull away. She flops onto the bed right ontop of him. The kiss carries on abit more until they finally separate their lips. Not even the necessity of air stopped them. Katy just stares into Parappa’s eyes and he stares back. Their foreheads rest on each others as they just refuse to look at anything else. They gasp slightly, trying to recover air as Katy finally speaks up “...What was that?...My thanks?~...”

 

“No...the thanks I give will be more than that!”

 

“That was already more than enough!~...”

 

“True, but consider that my payback for kissing me~” they both laugh. Their heartbeats echoed again in sync. They were on the verge of turning into Leonora, but they didn’t. She was preventing their fusion as to not ruin the moment between them.

 

“What...what does that mean for us though...i’m curious.”

 

“Consider it my apology. For making you feel like...you were in a race you couldn’t win in any way, shape or form. I’ll admit...our bonds did make me see you as a sister rather than...well an actual love option, but I’d be a liar if I didn’t admit to feeling...something towards you. Course I never really thought it was this. My mind was obviously preoccupied with Sunny at the time. And it wasn’t until after she left that I started giving it some thought. And then Leo arrives to blow that thought into full motion. I had to accept that fact that, I did have feelings for you since then. And now that I hear all this, I have to apologize. I also want you to see that kiss as your means of going for it. Hell...you have a monumental head start on the other girls due to knowing me for so long and just in general...having such a wonderful history with me~...”

 

“...It’s weird...just...hearing all that. Maybe i’ve grown tpo accustomed to having no chance? To hear now that I have the best chance of them all...I’ve got to get used to that!” They both giggle as they give each other a quick kiss on the lips “Was our history really that nice?~...”

 

“Course it was! Prior to meeting everyone else that we know now, we’ve had some fun times between ourselves!” Katy flips off Parappa and they’re both in the bed, looking at the archaic tapestry on the ceiling “Boy...those old patterns...they remind me of the set we had during the play we performed at school years ago~...”

 

“Oh god, I remember that...hah...looking back...it’s abit embarrassing~...”

 

“You kidding? It was a success! It’s thanks to you!”

 

“Hey! My poem series wasn’t supposed to end up as a play!”

 

“But it did! And it was a good thing to! Seeing as the school needed something to draw in revenue in order to afford the necessities for the following semesters!”

 

“I’m amazed that despite the fact that it was all thanks to me, I still had to audition for the part of the female lead!”

 

“I mean come on. They wanted to give the other girls a fighting chance! Despite the fact that you had the spot guaranteed from the start~”

 

“Flattery gets you nowhere~”

 

“We already kissed, what could I possibly want or get from well deserved flattery?~”

 

“Well I mean we are in a bed together currently.”

 

“Katy I swear to God, stooooooooooop~” Parappa lets out a snorty laughter from the unexpected reply.

 

“Hey I can’t help it! Ma-san and Rammy are my roommates and they rubbed off on me~”

 

“They’re my roommates to and you don’t see ME actin any different!~”

 

“Who kissed me out of the blue?~”

 

“Ok, guilty. But it was for a good reasoooooon~”

 

“Yeeeeah yeeeeah~” Katy grins widely as she speaks up again “You ended up getting the deuteragonist male lead role as well. A perfect compliment to my protagonist role~”

 

“Hey, it alarmed me to know end to know that! And the funny thing is, I didn’t even audition. And I still WON the audition for that part.”

 

“Nobody had the drive that could fit the role effectively. I’m glad they respected my wishes on trying to fit the parts as best as they could manage.”

 

“I mean they had to do there best. Funding was on the line.”

 

“Yeah and so it led them to picking the most energetic and captivating boy. You!~ Just like me, you were a shoe in from the start!”

 

“Meeeeeeeh, maybe so~” Parappa holds a cheeky grin “Then came another problem. The poem that the most important scene between us was incomplete. It needed a song to close off that act.”

 

“Nobody’s perfect. You know how many poems I pumped out at the same time at once? You expect me to keep a tab on em all to see if they’re all completely done?~”

 

“Ain’t that the point of the hobby?~”

 

“Well yeah, but my inspiration is scatterbrained! I have to work the moment it strikes! Even if that means in the middle of another one already in the works itself!”

 

“I’m sorry madame artist~”

 

“Shut uuuuuup~ Anywho, it’s thanks to you that we managed to make the song! And the thing is! It was literally two hours before the show had to start! So we had no time to rehearse the song! Once we wrote it, that was it! We had to sing it for the first time as the show began! And once it reached that scene...well…”

 

“Saying we killed it is an understatement!~”

 

“I know, that’s why I was trying to find a word that wouldn’t~ But there kinda is none~”

 

“I know what you mean. And this was before I wanted to start singing or before you starting playing and singing yourself!” Parappa huffs sadly “It was also the first and last thing my mom got to hear from us when it comes to music...atleast it was a high note~...”

 

“That song though...how’d it go?...I remember the beat, but not the lyrics…”

 

“Vice versa for me...I remember what to say, but not the proper flow since I don’t remember the beat.”

 

A light bulb appears above Katy’s head as she reaches for something at the bedside. She comes back up with Leo’s guitar in hand “How’s about we go down memory lane?~”

 

Parappa plucks from his pocket the microphone that Leo gifted him “I’m ready to go~” They sit in a strange position. Parappa is holding up the guitar as Katy sits behind him with her arms wrapped around him. Both their arms are holding the guitar, except for Parappa’s left hand which holds up the mike to the both of them “Ready?~”

 

“I’ve always been ready~” Katy starts strumming as it starts coming back to Parappa.

 

“Flyyyyy me to the mooooon, and let me plaaaaay among the staaaaaars~” As Parappa sings that, the words come to Katy as she says the next verse on cue and beat.

 

_ “Let me see what spring is like, on Jupiter and Mars~”  _ the way she sings gets Parappa to remember the beat as well as he strums the guitar with her.

 

“In other wooooords, hoooold my haaaaand~” Katy lets go of the guitar neck and reclines it on Parappa’s shoulder as she holds onto the hand holding the microphone.

 

_ “In other wooooords, darling, kiss meeeeeee~”  _ Parappa plants a small peck on her cheek.

 

“Fiiiill my heart with sooooong! _ And let me siiiiiiiing forever mooooooooore~ _ ”  they start singing together.

 

“ _ You are all I long for! _ All I worship and adoooore!~” the recall the audience that fell in love with their voices.

 

“In other wooooooords, please be truuuuuuuuue!” They say this verse together as they huddle tightly together.

 

_ “In other wooooooords, I love yoooooooooooou!!”  _ Leonora is the one to say the verse as both Parappa and Katy are replaced by the fused girl. The girl flies around the room in circles before darting out the open window into the sky. Stars sprinkle off her as they scatter along the area. Her voice hits everyone on the enemy opposition, getting them all to walk away from the hiding spot in a daze. She blasts off higher into the night sky as she breaches even space. A liquid bubble forms around her head as she goes on. She smiles as she begins the remaining half of the song. A liquid and an electric Leonora spawn besides her to help her finish the song.

 

“Flyyyy me to the moooon and let me plaaaaay among the staaaaaars!~” She does a full lap around the moon and dances around the stars in the sky.

 

“Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars!~” She flies around the mentioned planets with glee as she fires off her own stars along with the already existing ones.

 

“In other wooooooords, hoooooold my haaaaaaand!” She grabs onto the two clone’s hands.

 

**(“Hooooold myyyyy haaaaaand~”)**

 

“In other woooooooords, daaaaarling, kiss meeeeeee!” The two clones kiss her on each cheek as they fly off away from her.

 

“Fiiiiiiill my heart with soooong and let me siiiiiiing forever mo-oooooooore!” The trio sing together as they descend back within the planet.

 

“You are all I long for, all I woooor-ship and adooooooore!” They grab onto each others hands and spin around the air in a sky ballet.

 

“In oooother wooooooooords, please be truuuu-uuuuuuuue!~” The two clones fade away and turn into her dual colored energy heart.

 

“In oooother wooooooooooords, I love yoooooooo-ooooooou!~” Leonora hovers in the center of the moon as she holds onto her heart. Two liquid form wings sprouting from her back in arcs that form a majority of a heart. The way her legs and feet are laid out, forming the bottom tip of the heart.

 

“In other woooooooooooords... _ I love yoooooooooooooooooou!!~ _ ” Leonora splits back into her two components as they hold onto each other. They hang onto each other in the same heart arc that Leonora made as they both stay aloft in the air, appearing in the center of the moon’s frame. Water and electricity cycling around the two of them gently.

 

Lammy and Paula watch from their hidden place of recon as Paula just mutters out in defeat, but it’s overwhelmed as she hears light whimpers from next to her. She turns to see an utterly defeated Lammy whimpering from frail emotions and lack of motivation. She groans, knowing the only way to help her. With a sigh, she smiles “Hey Lammy, you can have my shift to. Doesn’t look like I’ll be needing it anymore since he’s awake.”

 

“...A-Are you sure a-about that Paula?...”

 

“I am. Besides, I think that week at Port Barracuda along with my little Halloween surprise shows that I can’t be taking  _ all _ his time.” She gives the lamb a wink “I could also help you out in breaking the ice if you want.”

 

“Y-You’d really do that?...”

 

“Of course! You’re gonna need alot of help…” they both look at the slowly descending duo “If you want to keep on par with that…” They watch the duo float back into the room as they resume their watch.

 

Dew watches from Leo’s room window the entirety of the event “What a most beautiful performance!...And they can even merge into one being?? That’s a very rare ability! Even for Keepers! Truly it’s easy to feel safe when our saviours are this wondrous!”

 

“I agree with you there your highness~”

 

“A-AIEEE!...” Dew flips around and cowers away from the random voice. She spots Leo awake, and looking exactly like Katy “Y-You’re awake??...A-And your face!...”

 

“Don’t worry about it your highness. It’s just something special about me. And yes I am awake, thank you for taking the time to help me out.” he performs an overdramatic regal bow “I’m sorry a commoner like me needed you to do such a thing for them.”

 

“Oh no no! Do not think of it like that! Honestly you have a higher standing than I! After all, you’re a Keeper of the world! You are basically just a step below the Gods to I! Therefore you easily dwarf my status!”

 

“Some Keeper I am! I got myself put in that sorry state to begin with.” He quickly holds his chest as he drops to one knee “Augh...and it looks like I still need abit of work…”

 

“Get back in the bed! You shouldn’t be standing!” Dew helps prop Leo up as she carry them back over to the bed.

 

“Yes yes…” He melts into the bed “Thank you...my apologies princess…”

 

“Again, don’t fret over such a trivial worry!”

 

“Very well…” Leo stares at the princess to see the similarities between Trinity. Her nose is black like her younger sister, but her eyes are blue and her hair is blonde along with it being a different stye. The look of her face matches Trinity’s despite these differences, showing that they are in fact related. They notices that she to has a heart shaped locket like the one the younger sibling had. This causes them to notice the other bits of jewelry she might have seeing as Trinity barely wore any due to being in the equivalent of pajamas. She had a necklace alongside the locket that was a multi jewel chain with a rather large spherical jewel in the center. And as expected, on her head was a crown. Well more along the lines of a tiara, presumably since she was also not the eldest sister. Her entire color scheme seemed to be mainly pink based comparing to Trinity’s green. And unlike Trinity, her tail was not coiled at her waist. In fact, it wasn’t even visible from her outfit at all! But there was a small hole on the lower back of her dress for it to poke out. Was it coiled from underneath it? Or was it just left hanging as one would normally do with their tail? Leo shrugs it off.

 

“...Erm...do I offend?...”

 

“Nono! I was just...noticing something…”

 

“O-Oh!” She breaks eye contact and glances about “E-Erm...I...I’m unsure of how to reply t-to that…”

 

“N-Not like that Dew!... I was just checking to see if there were any similar features between you and Trinity. And it’s safe to say, there is! Even down to personality! You can certainly turn a moment embarrassing like she can!”

 

“Oh gods!...M-My humblest apologies!...” She bows in an exaggerated manner.

 

* * *

 

“Everyone loved our performance~...”

 

“Immensely so!...but no one...no one cheered as loudly and enthusiastically as your mother.”

 

“Hahahow could I fohohorget! Once we were dismissed, mom DEMANDED you sleep over that day! She had so much love she wanted to give the two of us for such a stellar performance! Dad could only laugh at her well deserved enthusiasm.” he whistles “I think mom knew from the start...the distances we'd go...deep down...she could feel it...all the ups and downs...the accomplishments. Everything, she had probably know about it.”

 

“I wish she could see us now. Like what we just did!”

 

“...can we call her over if we're in the past?...”

 

“I don't think so...she didn't die in this era...”

 

“Oh well...when we're home I guess.”

 

“Yeah...oh! My shifts over! I gotta go tag Paula in! Might as well place Leo's guitar back while I'm at it!”

 

“Alright! Take care and thanks again! This was a lovely wakeup call!”

 

“I'm certain it was! Now rest up! You're still a bit wobbly! Rest it all off!”

 

“Will do!”

 

“Hey Leonora.”

 

_ Yes? _

 

“Keep a close eye on him!”

 

“Wow lack of faith much!”

 

_ Count on me mother!~ _

 

“You to?~” The three of them laugh as Katy exits the room.

 

* * *

 

Parappa reclines on the window with Lammy right beside him. The events of the turn order being explained to him seeing as Lammy was going to be with him for the remainder of the time needed. He was alright now, but decided to just go with it due to understanding the main context behind all this “Thanks for the save by the way. Don’t think I ever said any of that.”

 

“Oh. It wasn’t really me that did much. Me and the other two just carried the three of you over here. Katy technically saved you entirely. We were just the pick up crew.”

 

“I mean, you got us out of that mess before even more stuff could go down!”

 

“There’s no denying I guess.” Lammy was entirely calm. No essence of stutters around to make the conversation difficult. This was because of something that was agreed upon moments prior  _ “S-So how do you plan on helping me P-Paula?...” _

 

_ “Simple! I just do this to ya!~”  _ the fox blows an icy kiss that hits Lammy straight in the face. She finds herself at ease as her eyes turn indigo.

 

_ “What?...M-My...my head… Everything...nothing feels...overwhelming anymore...what did you do?? Wait...This is what you did to Parappa!” _

 

_ “Yes indeedy! My cuz helped me out with this as you should recall me saying! Now this should help you keep it cool when you’re with him! Nothing to slow down your chatter or slowly make you stray from topic to topic!” _

 

_ “Wow...thanks for this Paula…” _

 

_ “Don’t mention it!~ Now the only downside is that it doesn’t last very long. So this is what I want you to do! You’re gonna wanna stand by the window of his room!” _

 

_ “W-Why?...” _

 

_ “Cuz i’m gonna be hidden under it! When my lil spell runs out, you just lean over the window and mwah!~ I’ll cast it again! I’ll keep doing it a few times and then i’ll stop!~” _

 

_ “W-When will you stop??...” _

 

_ “I dunnooooo~ Good luck in there!~” _

 

_ “W-Wait! Paula!” _ She recalls her getting shoved into the room. And now about an hour later, here they are against the window. Lammy has gotten hit with the magic spell nine times so far and the conversation had stemmed through many different topics from start to finish “Katy left here pretty content with herself. What inspired you guys to sing and fuse again?”

 

“Oh just rememberin some fun moments. A ten year old memory that was just...probably something that started our inevitable careers!”

 

“I see.”

 

“It just makes me see how it all took off for the two of us...but I guess that’s what happens when you spend nearly your entire life together huh?”

 

“I suppose so. I wouldn’t know really. You guys were my first actual friends. Kinda...sad now that I pointed that out…A loser who was pretty much alone till her fifteenth year…”

 

“Now that ain’t true. I’m sure a bunch of people would’ve loved to be your friends.”

 

“Such a thought just doesn’t seem plausible for me...but then again...I was always too scared of the outcomes to make an attempt. I always considered having stuff like pepper spray or a taser on hand...but I was always against it really.”

 

“I mean not like you would ever need it. With a guitar in your hand, no one would dare mess with you! You’re that strong!”

 

“Yeah, but...what about the moments when I didn’t have it on me? It was a possibility...now a days I rarely have my guitar on me...so i always find myself in these positions…why’d I stop lugging it with me wherever I went?”

 

“...Cuz you met us.”

 

“...That’s right...cuz I met you all...and we started hanging out from then on...did I feel braver at the time?...or was it relief?....Relief that someone would finally have my back? I obviously know the answer now, but back then...I was to scared to ever ask. And as I said...you make me feel like I don’t need it as much.”

 

“That’s a given. Look how easy you’re talking to me now! Usually it takes a little reassuring or a distracting setting to get you to ease up whenever it’s just you and me. Otherwise you talk pretty well whenever it’s all of us, with being nearby. However, now it’s just us and you’re doing phenomenally well!~”

 

“Yeah…” She sighs as she rests her head on the windowsill “How about that…”

 

“‘I think it has to do with that spontaneous bravery you got that one day! Certainly surprised me that’s for sure!”

 

Recalling what Rammy did while in her body was not the thing she wanted to remember as now she has two things reminding her of her false confidence right now “Eheh...maybe so…”

 

“But the reason could be anything, and I’d still be happy overall. Happy...that you can talk to me without feeling nervous. It’s nice because it makes me feel like i’m not an obstacle whenever you’re trying to have a good time…”

 

“You’re never an obstacle!...What gave you that thought??”

 

“I mean...it’s just things I’ve taken into account whenever we speak one on one...we do fine...and then you just slowly break down into stutters again...and I feel like i’m stopping what could be such good progress.”

 

“I’m sorry I’ve made you feel that way. But it’s not that! It’s never that! You should know that I always have difficulties!”

 

“I know. But I never want to blame you for them. It’s not your fault either! These things are just hard to get over.”

 

“Only because people sometimes make them harder themselves. I’m no different, but that’s just because of fifteen years of self conditioning. And it’s not like it’s baaaad or anything because in just five years...hell just this ONE year...i’ve made remarkable progress towards overcoming it. It may not be gone by this year, by the next five years...the next decade even. Heck I might even keep this baggage with me my entire life, but I know I’ll always be ok. My guitar was my coping tool from me trying to achieve a life where I can just be normal. Because it’s when I learned...that being normal sucks. What’s there to gain from being a run of the mill one of a million girl? Just another drone of a person going by there two by four life. Scheduled daily routine week each day 24/7 till the end of my days?...Naw. That’s when I got my love for playing. For performing. The guitar was my escape...but in reality...my escape was always there...I just never reached for it...then you guys came and after all that time...I realized...I was always free from that monotony...I am a one in a million girl! Because whether it’s my guitar...or you guys. Whenever the fear of being boxed into my own subconscious again returns...I just remember. That my reality. It’s always with me, cuz it’s here.” She taps the side of her head “It’s all in the mind!~”

 

“Is it?~”

 

“Well yeah. My mind-” she holds her chest with one hand as she smiles. Orange flames lighting up on her horn nubs “And my heart!~”

 

Parappa smiles “Whenever you smile, it brings such beautiful emphasis to your violet eyes~”

 

“Oh you~ Stop with the-violet?”

 

“Yeeeeah? You know, the color your eyes have always been?”

 

“Y-Yeah! My bad! Sometimes I forget little things about myself like that! H-Hahah!” Lammy realizes the spell had worn off, and Paula had not cast it again anymore. She soon realizes why. She had managed to get into the swing of the conversation, without its help anymore “Erm...thank you for the compliment~...” Her orange flames turn pink.

 

“Hehehe~ No problem~ Anything you’d like to talk about now?”

 

“If it’s...cool with you. Can we just relax by the bed? All this standing in a bent angle really did a number on my back…”

 

“Same here, I just didn’t want to be rude in case you enjoyed standing by here.”

 

“Oh you should’ve said something!”

 

“You know me! I rather not mess with a good flow!~” She rolls her eyes playfully as the strut back towards the bed.

 

“So how you feeling by the way?”

 

“Almost back to one hundred percent! I figured by the next hour i’ll be good as new!~”

 

“That’s great to hear~ And relieving to. Hopefully we can beat the final three mechs here so that we can return to our own time.”

 

“I know what you mean...but I might stick around here a little longer. I gotta stop the people that are doing this...Trinity and Dew are in constant danger...and I can probably help end it!”

 

“...Then I’m sticking around to!”

 

“Lammy?...”

 

“I may not be a Keeper like the rest of you guys, but I’m gonna try my heart out to save this place to! If it’s important to you, then it’s important to me!”

 

“...Cool as ever Lammy.~”

 

“Stooooooooop!~...” They both laugh. Their laughter echoes throughout the castle. From the distance flies a futuristic armored knight who glances along the land. He overlooks the hidden mini castle as he’s clearly looking for the princess that escaped their grasp. He stops as he flies to the ground, muttering something out.

 

_ Soon...soon it will all be under their reign... _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song this time is Fly me to the Moon! This particular song has been sung multiple times and under different names by different people! But this specific version is by Helena Noguerra!


	56. The urge to fight on

Trinity is seen in a ragged and tattered dress as she runs away from a soaring helmed knight who slashes at her constantly. Beams of light fire from his blade as they fly towards the princess, missing just barely.

 

“Just how long do you plan on running Trinity? This is growing rather dull don’t you think?~”

 

“L-LEAVE ME BE!...”

 

“Unfortunately I cannot. The kings weren’t too happy with you escaping our clutches! So I have to take you back~ Don’t worry, they want you in one piece!...Of course...I can’t say that you will arrive without a few cut wounds~”

 

“GO AWAY ARCHER!...” She flicks her arm back and fires a large green psychic wave at her. The knight flinches back, but slashes the wave apart.

 

“Tsk tsk! Didn’t your father prohibit the three of you from doing that?~” the possum girl gasps before resuming her sprint.

 

“S-SILENCE!...”

 

“Oh you stubborn fool~” He resumes flying after her, continuing his assult on her “Oh would you just be a good dear and just STOP!” He releases a massive blade beam on the path she’s going, causing the ground to crumble. She falls down the newly open chunk of earth along with the collapsing land “Gah...my temper got the better of me...blasted...I hope I didn’t kill her...they can’t die yet...not while the plan is incomplete…” He pulls out a small radar “...It’s faint...but she’s still alive...just where did she end up…the tracker on her tail should lead me there, but I need to find a different way down there since the land caved in on itself...I better get to it.” he flies off to find another way down.

 

As he leaves the area, the trapped girl rolls down the trembling walls until she finally comes to a halt. The moment she finds her bearings she quickly scampers away to avoid being squashed by the tailing rocks. Once everything is calm and settled, she crawls away and reclines against a boulder. She buries her face in her arms and knees and begins crying on the spot. Weeping out the following words “P-Plehease...someone please hehelp meeee…”

 

* * *

 

Parappa’s heart skips a beat as his eye jolt open in terror. His breathing had halted at that very moment, forcing him to wake up. He holds his chest as he tries to understand what was happening to him. Then, the words echo in his head.

 

_“P-Plehease...someone please hehelp meeee…”_

 

His electric heart ignites to life as his eyes start vibrating in an anxious eruption. He says nothing. He only notices Lammy asleep at the side of his bed and gently gets out as to not wake her. Rather than leave through the door, he leaps out the window. He gently descends from his magnetism and lands with a sprint, only to be stopped by Katy who flies in front of his path “Where are you going??”

 

“Danger...big danger…I have to save Trinity NOW!”

 

“So that’s why my heart just suddenly started freaking out...let me help!”

 

“I’m sorry but I can’t let you do that...Trinity is currently terrified out of her mind!...She didn’t see you so you might give her a heart attack and make her not want to come along...Let me get her and calm her down first…”

 

“So you’re going alone?!...”

 

“I’ll be fine! Now enough of this! I have to go NOW....”

 

“I’m sorry but I can’t let you go alone!”

 

“KATY!...UGH...Alright look...let me go on my own, but Leonora will keep you filled in on what happens. If it starts getting too hectic, you can come along. That sound fair??”

 

“You’re still going alone to a potentially dangerous situation...but...you’re not lying about that girl...my hearts telling me if I go, I’ll probably make things worse...why though?...I’ve never met her…”

 

_It’s because father performed a heart link with her! Her heart is bound to his as is Rammy’s. And thanks to me, you both share this ability and the links that one makes with another. And with that link come the emotion linking and sense of urgency whenever something’s wrong. And by definition, that sentiment is also shared. So because of that, you feel what father feels. And it would go vice versa should you link with someone and feel the need to help them out!_

 

“How...weird...what’s a heart link?...”

 

“Leonora can fill you in! I gotta go!” Parappa runs off with Katy just watching him go.

 

“You better be ok…”

 

As this happens, Leo also jolts awake, but for a different reason altogether. His fight or flight response was going haywire, and his paranoia was sending him into an anxious meltdown. He stares around to see why, but nothing gives off the air. He then stares at Dew who had fallen asleep in the chair. His anxiety rises massively upon doing so “Dew?...What about he-” He then turns his attention to the window. He runs to it and looks around. Everything is empty and clear, but a swift breeze brushes along his nose. He then flinches greatly “Oh you got to be...after her? Now????... what do I do…” he balls up his right hand into a fist and slaps it into his hand “I GOT IT! Man...thank you Gwenoyne for this insane danger sense…even now it’s coming in handy.” He runs over to Dew “YOUR MAJESTY!”

 

“HWA?!...” She wakes up abruptly from the shout “W-WHAT’S WRONG?!...”

 

“TAKE OFF YOUR CLOTHES!”

 

“WHAAAAAAT?!?!”

 

* * *

 

“How the hell am I gonna get down?!...” Parappa runs about the land, carefully avoiding being seen by anyone.

 

_FATHER! OVER THERE!_

 

“Huh?? OH! A mineshaft! Oh but will it lead to her?!”

 

_You’re out of other options unfortunately...so it’s either this or bust…_

 

“Right...Hold on Trinity…” Parappa runs down the mine and runs about the open tunnels. After enough running he throws caution to the wind “TRINITY! TRINITY WHERE ARE YOU?!”

 

_D-DON’T SHOUT! THEY MIGHT HEAR YOU!_

 

“LET THEM! I’LL TAKE ON ANYONE WHO ENDANGERS INNOCENT PEOPLE! **TRINITY!** ”

 

_Oh dear…_

 

The crying girl stops and raises her head upon hearing a faint echo of her name “M-My name?...Who is-”

 

“TRINITY!”

 

“...” She gasps in relief “S-Sir Rappa?...S-SIR R-RAPPA!” She gets up to her feet. She wobbles and fumbles due to the fall she took, but she still manages to run off towards the source of the yell “O-OVER HERE SIR RAPPA!...” she keeps on running and eventually they both find each other.

 

“TRINI-” the upset girl tackles the boy mid sentence as she sobs all over him “Hey hey hey hey! Come on now your highness! It’s alright now!...” Parappa takes a good look at her current appearance “...What did they do to you?...”

 

“IHIHIT WAS AHAHAWFUL!...THEY TOOK ME ONCE I SAW THAT PERSON RETURN WITH MORE THINGS! THE FIVE KNIGHTS AND THE CRAZY KINGS JUST TOSSED ME IN A CELL GUARDED BY THE REST OF THE ARMY AND JUST LET THEM KEEP WATCH OVER ME! AND THEY KEPT ME IN SUCH A CRUEL CONDITION AS THE RIFF RAFF ABUSED ME AT ANY CHANCE THEY GOT!” She grips onto him much more tighty. The motion hurts, but he mostly ignores it as he’s to preoccupied with her current situation “I-I SWEAR TO THE GODS THEY WOULD’VE EVEN VIOLATED ME HAD THEY GOTTEN THE CHANCE!...”

 

“Oh they would’ve regret that had they did…”

 

“I-I managed to escape since they weren’t t-that bright...but even so I was cutting it close…”

 

“So that’s what happened.” Parappa and Trinity turn to see the origin of that voice. It was the knight that hounded the girl “Ugh...barbarians raise my blood pressure to no end...I’ll have to sever some heads once we get back…”

 

“WHOEVER YOU ARE, DON’T ACT INNOCENT! LIKE YOU’RE ANY DIFFERENT!”

 

“Calm yourself mutt. Me and the other four head knights are nothing like those lower ranking grunts. The five of us respect our women to much to do such things to them.”

 

“OH LIKE KEEPING THEM CAGED?!”

 

“Hey, they’d be out of anymore danger.”

 

“WHY YOU-...who the hell are you…”

 

The knight bows “Though I really shouldn't care enough to answer you...I figured I should atleast do you the honor before I slash you asunder! My name is Archer. I am nothing like those bottom of the barrel mercenaries. Nor are my four fellow knights or the righteous crazy kings. Now please be ever so kind and hand the princess over. I shall repay you by making your demise quick and painless.”

 

“I'll give you her over my dead body…”

 

“My dear friend...that's the idea~” Parappa can sense the smug emotions behind the helmet.

 

“Trinity get behind some cover…”

 

“S-Sir Rappa you cannot be seriously thinking about taking Archer on are you?!”

 

“I am very serious…Now GO!” the princess scrambles out of his grasp and over to cover.

 

“YOU? Gonna fight ME? Unarmed as well?? Do you have a death wish friend?~”

 

“You're the only one with a death wish here…”

 

“Very well. Come at me~ I won't even use my sword~” Parappa dashes towards the knight and tries to hook him straight at his helmet, but Archer grabs his hand and yanks him forward. The motion drives Parappa’s gut into Archer’s free hand. Parappa can only gasp from unexpected shock as saliva is forced out of him. Archer then let's go of his hand and lifts his leg into a scissor kick, sending the dog into the tunnel wall “Is that all you got?~”

 

* * *

 

Katy gasps after witnessing that. That was it, it was time to move. Just before she can dash off however, Lammy and Paula run up to her saying that Parappa had gone missing. Katy really did not want to explain what was going on. However, due to being outside, their position had been compromised. A large mechanism slams down, and it appears to be the top half of the robotic legs. The large upper body hovers over the trio menacingly.

 

“What luck! The idiots are standing right out in the open! Which means this place must be the spot where a princess is!”

 

“N-No!...w-we’re just...admiring the scenery!” As Katy says this, from behind them flies out a person decked out in futuristic space gear. In his arms appears to be Dew. Leo pathetically flies right after them with their barely functional jetpack “...E-Eheh...that’s uh…” She turns to Paula and Lammy “GO AFTER HER! HURR- AUGH!” Katy’s batted away by the large arms of the mech. The two girls worry, but she shouts as she’s launched off “HUUUUUUURRYYYYYYYY!...” Paula grabs Lammy and flies off. The mecha wants to fly after them, but Katy flies back and tackles them away “UH-UH! YOU GOT ME TO DEAL WITH!”

 

“Ya really are an idiot! Don’t you see what i’m piloting??”

 

“I’ve already destroyed a bigger thing controlled by atleast sixteen people! What’s this thing got to scare me with??” The arms extend out into whip like appendages as they are now covered in spikes “...S-Still nothing I can’t handle!” Katy kicks it away as she dives to the ground with it after. She lands in a small opening to a shallow creek hidden within large trees and massive rocks. She flies along the water’s surface to try and sneak away, but nearby trees snap away and from behind some of the large rocks appear the mech again.

 

“DID YA MISS ME GIRLIE?~”

 

“YOURS IS A FACE ONLY YOUR MOTHER COULD LOVE!...” Katy spins in the air to do a quick one eighty away only for a large stack of trees and boulders to cut off every flight direction. The only undisturbed route is the one the machine is blocking “Oh boy...here we go...Parappa you’re on your own for now...I hope Lammy and Paula are ok…” She readies up as she shakily swallows her fears “Please get the princess back!...H-How did she even get taken?? Leo was in the same room!...”

 

* * *

 

_Many moments prior…_

 

“TAKE OF YOUR CLOTHES!”

 

“WHAAAAAAT?!?!” She hugs herself and backs away to one of the walls “I-ISN’T THAT A BIT TO FORWARD?!...”

 

“NO! Look! I need you to swap clothes with me!”

 

“PERHAPS SAY IT LIKE THAT FIRST!...B-By the gods...you nearly gave me a heart attack…”

 

“Just hurry up! We’re on short time as is!”

 

“S-Short time for what?...”

 

“Someone knows we’re here, and he’s coming to take you! I want to swap clothes with you so that we can fool him into taking me!”

 

“W-Will it work?...” At that moment, Leo’s sheep face turned back into a cat due to Parappa talking with Katy over rescuing Trinity.

 

“Now it will! Oh this is perfect! Now I have full blonde hair like you! So as long as I keep my blue face hidden, we can pull it off!”

 

“W-What about me?...”

 

“You’ll need to put my helmet on to hide YOUR face! And you need to act with little regality as you can to play off the act!”

 

“V-Very well…”

 

“Now hurry hurry!...” Leo begins taking off everything minus their underwear as the princess does the same. In mere seconds, they are dressed in the others outfit “Perfect perfect! With about…” Leo sniffs the air “...Four minutes...alright so-” He adjusts his hair and readjusts the tuft of hair over his face to match Dew’s hair length as well as cover all sides of his face “How do I look?”

 

“Scarily accurate to me…”

 

“Why is it scary?...”

 

“Because they might torture YOU in my place! I can’t have that!...”

 

“Like I’d let them! Look it’s going to be fine your majesty. I can hold my own.”

 

She angrily stands her ground as the helmet emits an angry emoticon “I-I’m going to follow you!...”

 

“No can do! That’d defeat the entire purpose of this!”

 

“I am going!”

 

“And I said-”

 

“I AM THE PRINCESS HERE, AND WHAT I SAY WILL BE ALLOWED!”

 

“Sheesh, where’d that moxie go when you were saying that my title outranked yours…~” He rolls his eyes “Fine, I’ll let you, but how do you plan on following us?~”

 

“...E-Er...t-teach me how to use your strange outfit!...”

 

“My lips are sealed your majesty!” Before she can complain anymore more, the sound of a rocket approaching is heard as the spaceman bursts through the castle window. Dew panics and flops onto her rear from the sudden action.

 

“FOUND YOU!~” He dives down and scoops up Leo as predicted and blasts off.

 

Dew quickly gets back up to her feet and runs up to the window “N-No!...H-How am I supposed to follow?!...” She angrily hits the helmet on her head, activating the music player. Because of that, the jacket shifts into the busted jetpack “O-Oh dear…” she blasts off after the them “EYAAAAAAA!”

 

* * *

 

_Current time_

 

Paula and Lammy are seen tailing after the spaceman and the following disguised Dew.

 

“Stalkers ey?~ I think not!~” he holds out the disguised Leo “Come any closer and I drop her!~” Paula stops tagging along, but the disguised Dew flies past them, screaming “Where in blazes is he going?...Whatever! If either of you get near me. I’ll drop her!”

 

“Sheesh...you’re from the future ain’t ya? This ain’t how ya treat a lady~...” Leo speaks up, getting the guy’s eyes to bulge out from his head from behind the helmet. He quickly turns his head to spot Leo’s face, a smug smile on his face “YOU AGAIN?! BUT HOW- WHEN- WHY?!” Leo swings on his arm, lifting his legs straight into the dome of a helmet “EYARGH!...” Q is sent spinning out of control as Leo falls from his grasp.

 

“I did not think this through…” Leo drops like a brick. Paula resumes flying to try and catch him, but a large robot in the shape of a Ouroboros slams into her, sending Paula and Lammy flying in different directions “L-LAMMY! PAULA!...” Leo continuously flops around in the air until his caught by the poorly flying Dew “Y-YOUR HIGHNESS?!”

 

“H-HOW DO I CONTROL THIS THING!...”

 

“A LITTLE LATE FOR THAT!...LAND OVER THERE!...” Leo points to a large tree and she does her best to follow the path. She manages to land into the large greenery of the vegetation.

 

“O-OOF!...”

 

“OW!”

 

“EEK!”

 

“AUGH…”

 

“YEOW!..”

 

“GACK!...”

 

Leo and Dew both yelp in pain as they crash downwards. They’re both ejected by the tree and are seen back into their proper outfits as they fall down another waterfall surrounded by vines and branches. Before hitting the water below, Dew’s tail pokes out from the dress hole and coils around a branch, stopping her descent and leaving her upside down. She holds down her dress to prevent it from rising up “O-Oh please look away…!”

 

“AAAAAAAAAHHHH!” Leo belly flops on the water at the bottom “Oh-hoh...pain…” Leo floats upright as Q descends before them. The ouroboros machine descends and stays around him, cycling him like a protective ring. He seems to not see where Dew landed as he only stares at Leo.

 

“Oh you really are in trouble now~ My form isn’t fragile this time! But I rather not subject myself to trivial means...so I’ll let my precious pet mech ‘Eternity’ handle you instead~” He flies off as the ring machine unhinges itself into a long dragon like robot. It roars at an intensity that shatters Leo’s helmet. It rushes him down and Leo jumps and lands on his back. With his guitar he slashes off two bits of the tail. They float on the water and Leo is immediately shaken off the robot as he lands on one of the new floating and moving platforms.

 

“Alright...this is gonna be one hell of a battle…”

 

* * *

 

Paula is fumbling in the air to try and regain focus so that she can fly again, but no success. She lands into a large body of water. She tries to swim back to the surface, but a large current is sucking her down deeper. When she looks down, she spots a large jellyfish robot being piloted by five guys. _YOU’VE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!...I CAN’T DEAL WITH YOU NOW!...gaugh...breathing’s gonna become a problem if I don’t get you to leave me alone quick…_ Paula readies herself to fight the robot. As this happens, Lammy finds herself entering a separate mine shaft and landing hard on the rocky ground.

 

“OW...oof...P-PAULA! LEO! I GOTTA-” The way she fell in crumbles shut “...W-Well...I’m not getting out that way...oh great…” She turns the other way into the dark tunnels “Only one way to g-go…” with a deep breath, she heads down into the unknown. After enough walking, the ground beneath her gives way again as she lands on a platform in the midst of molten lava “WAHAHAHA…” From the lava rises a lizard like robot piloted by two guys in each eye “O-Ohhh...v-very bad...very VERY bad!...” Lammy readies a shaky stance.

 

* * *

 

“RAHHHH!” Parappa punches the armored knight who avoids everything and counterattacks with his own punches.

 

“WEAK FOOL!” Archer smashes Parappa back into the wall.

 

“EYACK…”

 

“SIR RAPPA!...”

 

Archer flies into Parappa and holds him up by his neck “You know something mutt? This kingdom had a hero before you! A wonderful and adept hero he was! This kingdom’s saving grace even! I’d even go as far to say that he could have single handedly defeated the crazy kings in their entirety!” Parappa opens his eyes to stare at the helmet “I bet you’re wondering ‘Where is he then?!?!’ right?~ Let me give you the answer!” He laughs before looking back at dog held by the throat _“I killed him~”_ Parappa’s eyes widened “He was off to see King Zero of this land who had called him over, and died keeping him alive when I decided to prove my worth to the crazy kings~ And you know something?~ _You’re next~_ ” Parappa grabs his arm with both of his in an attempt to get him to let go, but he did not have the strength currently due to lack of air _“Funny. He tried in vain one last time to...and it ended poorly~”_ Parappa feels his hand tighten and move. He wasn’t try to kill him from asphyxiation. He was clamping his hand down to break his neck with just the one hand. Parappa tried to trigger his electricity, but he couldn’t focus enough. Was this the end?

 

 _“UNHAND MY HERO YOU_ **_CUR!!_ ** _”_ A large green psychic wave knocks Archer back a few steps as he drops Parappa. Parappa immediately coughs heavily as he struggles in catching his breath. Archer shakes his head as he laughs again.

 

“Naughty naughty~” Thanks to his jetpack, he flashes straight in front of Trinity and grabs her by the neck instead “Oooooh...I really wish they didn’t want you alive...but that power of yours is specifically what they want~ Hell even Q needs it for something~ But i’ve just about had enough of you…”

 

Parappa was still struggling to get his breathing steady as his pupils started bouncing everywhere within his eyes. His fight or flight senses were going mad. _F-FATHER!...PLEASE KEEP YOUR SENSES!... IT’D BE TERRIBLE IF YOU LOST IT NOW!..._

 

Parappa clamps his mouth tightly as the pressure feels like his teeth were going to crack. Electricity started to build around his body “I-I’m...t-trying…”

 

_DON’T LET YOUR FLETCHLING EMOTIONS CONTROL YOU! YOU MUST CONTROL THEM!..._

 

“H-HOW?!...” Lightning was pulsing around his arms and hands.

 

_Could it be?...Q-QUICK! FOCUS ALL YOUR RAMPANT EMOTIONS INTO YOUR ARM! ALL OF THEM! PUMP YOUR EMOTIONS AND YOUR POWER ALL WITHIN EITHER OF YOUR ARMS! AND FORCE IT ALL THERE AND KEEP IT THERE!..._

 

“G-GRAAAAAAAHHHHH…” He does as told as his right arm is overflowing in thundering power. He knew what was happening. He had finally started his steps towards mastering an inherited ability. His next action was charging at the evil knight “AAAAAAAAAAAAARCHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!”

 

The knight sighs as he throws Trinity to the side “Oh give it a rest alre-” Parappa connects his fist with the knights stomach. His entire chest plate is destroyed “HRRRKKK…WHAT...I-IS...THIS?!...”

 

_FATHER! SHOUT THE NAME!_

 

 _“RHAPSODY!”_ the energy explodes everywhere as his fist starts to move **_“WRAAAAAAAAAAAAAATH!!!”_ ** Parappa launches his uppercut that smashes straight into the helmet of the knight. The impact slams the knight straight into the ceiling, where he crashes into layer after layer of rocks. Though he is no longer in sight, the hole erupts with electricity as per the second half of the attack. He’s then seen crashing straight back down to where they all were as he remains motionless. Parappa is gasping in anger as he stares at the downed body. After that he turns his Trinity and runs to her side “YOUR MAJESTY!...” He helps her up and tries to assist in getting her breathing to steady.

 

“I-I’m...erck...i’m ok...B-But by the gods! Are you?!...”

 

“I’m alright...we both are now. Looks like I took him out in-”

 

_“T-Traaaaaaaaiiiiiiitooooooor…”_

 

“You cannot be serious…” He lets go of Trinity and stands in front of her as Archer gets back up.

 

“Traitor…” He takes an aggressive stance “TRAITOOOOOR…” What remains of the suit starts crackling “TRAITORTRAITORTRAITORTRAITORTRAITOR!...” His helmet was still intact amazingly, but his angry glowing eyes could be seen through them “NO WONDER YOUR NAME IS SIR RAPPA. AND THE ELECTRICITY...BUT THE MOVE NAME... **YOU TRAITOR! YOU WOULD DARE TURN YOUR BACK ON THE KINGS?!** ”

 

“What?!...What are you talking about?! I NEVER WORKED FOR YOU GUYS!”

 

“YOU LIE TRANCE! OR IS IT YOU PHAZE?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING STANDING IN MY WAAAAAY!”

 

“Trance? Phaze??...The name’s Parappa jerk!” Parappa holds his fist out “I don’t know these guys, but they seems like another pair who deserves a fist to their jawline! Now I’m gonna make this clear. My name’s Parappa Rappa! I’m from the future! I was summoned by the princesses to END your army!”

 

_Father the princess still didn’t know you were from the future…_

 

“I could care less about that right now…”

 

“What?!...You’re like Q???...”

 

“I guess you can say that…”

 

Archer growls “I take back my statement of going hand to hand with you...I MUST END YOU HERE AND NOW!” He pulls out his sword and rushes at Parappa. Parappa holds out his hands and triggers his magnetism. He pushes the walking metal man away as he tries to think up something.

 

“T-Trinity run! I’ll try to keep him held back!...”

 

“B-But!”

 

“TRUST ME!...”

 

“I do trust you...b-but i’m not running!...” She stands her ground as Archer dives in again. Parappa’s forced to think on the spot. He checks his pockets for ANYTHING he can use, and immediately grabs the microphone. He has no clue what prompted him to pull it out, but it was a great thing that he did. Parappa’s power started flowing into the microphone as the diaphragm morphs into an open socket that blasts out pure thunder energy in the shaped of a blade. His new beam sword effortlessly blocks Archer’s blade.

 

“WHAT?!...WHERE DID YOU-”

 

“T-THANK YOU LEO!...~” Parappa slams the sword away, and him included by default “TRINITY! **NOW!** ” Trinity fires a psychic wave bursts that launches the knight down the tunnel he came to “HAHA!...We did it…” Both him and Trinity hug it out as they bounce around. Their joy is cut short when they heart rumbling. From the tunnel arrives a massive drill machine.

 

“I DIDN’T WANT TO SUBJECT MYSELF TO USING Q’S WEIRD DEVICES, BUT YOU REALLY IRRITATE ME…” The drill rushes at them at speed that’s almost too difficult to act on. Parappa scoops up the princess in a princess carry and flies off down the other mine tunnel “RUN ALL YOU WANT! YOU HAVE NOWHERE TO GO!”

 

“S-SIR RAPPA WHAT DO WE DO!?”

 

“I DON’T THINK THERE’S ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO THAT! OUR BEST BET IS TO OUTRUN IT!...” Parappa continues flying away from the drill. A frame above the drill opens to reveal Archer. Along with the drill, he fires blade beam after blade beam “OF COURSE I’M OPEN TO ANY SUGGESTIONS!...” A blade beam swats Parappa out of the sky. They fall down what appears to be a bottomless pit, but they both slam into a minecart. It’s already on a track set forward “Lady luck did I ever mention how much I love you?” Parappa focuses his hands on the cart and then drives his hands forwards “Please please please PLEASE!...” The cart starts rushing down the set tracks at lightning speed.

 

“YOUR DEATH AWAITS YOU NO MATTER WHAT SOLUTION YOU FIND!” The drill chases on.

 

* * *

 

Katy is seen fly about to avoid the mace swings “Is that all ya got?!?!”

 

“NO! Q ALSO TOLD ME ABOUT THIS!!” The chest piece opens and a laser cannon pokes out.

 

“Oh.” It fires a beam that she manages to avoid and she keeps flying about to make it difficult to fire, forcing it to rely on the arms again. She struggles to find a way to stop its methods of attacks. Eventually she gets to angry that she starts kicking the arms away once she finds an opening in their swings. It actually manages to bat them away decently, but they still swing at her nonetheless.

 

_MOTHER!_

 

“What?!?!”

 

 _FORCE HIM TO LINE UP BOTH HIS ARMS NEXT TO THE CANNON! AND MAKE SURE HE ATTACKS WITH_ **_BOTH_ ** _ARMS AT THE SAME TIME!_

 

“THIS’LL GET ME KILLED IF I DO IT WRONG WON’T IT…”

 

_CAN YOU LET ME EXPLAIN IT PRIOR TO PANICKING?! LOOK! JUST DO IT! I CAN FEEL THAT YOU’RE READY FOR SOMETHING THAT CAN REALLY HELP YOU OUT HERE!..._

 

*gulp*

 

Katy flies in a straight line backwards, getting the machine to do all three attacks at once. Katy avoids the laser and has a clean shot towards the notches in its arms and the cannon itself. _YOUR HEART IS RACING RIGHT?! THAT FLIGHTY TEMPO OF FEAR! DANCE TO IT!_

 

“UWH-”

 

_DANCE TO IT! FLICK ALL YOUR EMOTIONS INTO YOUR HECTIC DANCE, DRIVE ALL YOUR EMOTIONS INTO YOUR LEGS! FORCE THAT DRIVE INTO KICKS OF PRECISE STRIKES ON HIM!_

 

Katy’s eyes widen, she knows what Leonora was referring to, and does just that. She dances in the air, releasing an unrelenting barrage of kicks that shatter the arms into pieces and the destroy the chest cannon **_“SORROW WALTZ!!”_ ** She ends it off with a heavy kick that knocks it far away.

 

“WHERE’D THIS COME FROM!?”

 

“IT WAS ALWAYS IN ME! AND YOU’RE THE REASON IT FINALLY CAME OUT!”

 

“IT’S GONNA TAKE ALOT MORE THAN THAT TO DO ME IN!” Rocket launchers appear where the arms used to be.

 

“And I have alot more to give…” Katy readies herself for the next round. The machine fire missiles that she effortlessly dodges, but the explode into a net that traps her “HUH?!” the torso then fires more rockets and sends her through a rock.

 

* * *

 

Leo is fending off the dragon bot with his guitar easily as he repeatedly bats the head away and slashes off more of the tail, making more platforms “Darn robot ain't gonna be the end of me!” Q warps before him and grabs his guitar.

 

“This stupid thing will prove troublesome again…” he yanks it out of Leo's hands and tosses it away. It lands on the branch that Dew is dangling from. She falls to the ground and the guitar falls next to her.

 

“EEP!...”

 

Q quickly punts Leo away “You...I've learned more about you. From the robot yes man, I've found out your real name. And so I decided to learn more about you! To my surprise...you're from even FARTHER into the future yes?~”

 

“Oh great...a stalker…” he gets up to one knee and feels around for a means of defending himself “So what if I am…”

 

“Alas, the robot told me that such knowledge is useless to Tycoon, but for me...oh boy was it enlightening~” he walks closer to the stationery Leo.

 

“I'm afraid to ask how…” Leo manages to find something in her jacket pocket. She grips it tightly as she eyes Q.

 

“The people there are rather out there! It would be a shame if anything were to happ-”

 

*BANG*

 

Q grabs his right shoulder as he stumbles backwards from the sudden action. His legs grow wobbly as Leo stands back up again “IF YOU EVER...AND I MEAN **EVER**...LAY EVEN A SINGLE FINGER ON ANYONE...I'LL TEAR YOU TO PIECES!” Leo holds the gun up to his head.

 

“WAIT WAIT WAIT!...” He raises his good arm “IF YOU SHOOT ME NOW...YOU'LL NEVER KNOW WHAT'S CURRENTLY HAPPENING TO YOUR SISTER!”

 

“...!!...” Leo shakes her head “What are you talking about?! My baby twin sisters are safe and sound! My future family would GUARANTEE _that_! And I even have reference for my-”

 

“Not _those_ sisters …~” The gun grows wobbly from Leo's grasp “Oh yes...I know about your half sibling~”

 

“YOU KNOW **NOTHING**!...”

 

“Oh but I know everything about the lovely Euphoria~...How a slight booboo on your Father's and ‘Auntie’s’ behalf gave you your half sister~ An event that, even now despite what you tell yourself, still riddles you with confusion...Europa~” Leo can no longer keep the gun steady.

 

“SILENCE!” Leo pistol whips Q to the ground and recenters on his face “YOU!...WHAT DID YOU DO...WHAT'S WRONG WITH HER?!”

 

“Nothing!...yet~ And I'm sure you want to keep it that way yes?~” Leo starts fuming “I can harm her in many ways in a split second should I get the urge thanks to some ludicrous action...like this~” he laughs “I could give you a ‘present’ to prove that I can~...would one of her hands suffice? A rib? Her intestines? Her fresh beating heart ripped from her corpse out of the blue, all because dear big brother refused to play nice?~”

 

Leo's eyes are forced shut from her tears as the gun is left flimsy in her hands “Y-You didn't…”

 

“GULLIBLE FOOL!” Q roundhouse kicks Leo square on her jaw. The gun flies out of her hands and lands next to Dew, but Leo herself crashes into the land portion of the area “YOU ARE STILL FAR TO EMOTIONAL FOR YOUR OWN GOOD!” he moves his arm despite the bullet injury “You think I would’ve given you the opportunity to save them through bartering?! If I had the opportunity, I’d have ripped her pretty little head off, AND BEAT YOU TO DEATH WITH IT! BUT YOUR DAMN EXISTENCE PREVENTS ME FROM DOING NEARLY ANYTHING THERE! THE PAST, OR THE FUTURE, I CAN’T INTERVENE AT ALL AS LONG AS YOU LIVE!” Leo gets back up while rubbing her mouth “Still struggling? Then try and hurt me! All that’s left is your bare fists!”

 

“THAT’S ALL I NEED!...” Leo runs up and tries to hook Q in the head, but a clock symbol appears around their hand as their attack doesn’t even connect with Q. Another clock appears in front of their face and their fist pops back out as they effectively punch themself “ACK…”

 

“Learning about you was the biggest advantage I could get! You’re one hellish insect that is capable of fighting on many fronts. Your strength is undeniably terrifying and no matter my hardest, I would not be able to escape a punch out with you! So I decided to upgrade my time manipulation just a smidge! What I’ve done was completely difficult to muster, but i’ve got all the time to learn! Unfortunately for me it only works on those whose willpower is trumped by my own! So unfortunately for you, your conviction isn’t surpassing mine!”

 

“I’LL SHOW YOU!” Leo unleashes a flurry of punch and kicks, but they all get time reversed back to him.

 

“Did I not make it clear to you?~ You. Can’t. Hit. Me.~” He slams his own fist into Leo’s face as he’s pushed back a few inches. Leo straightens back up laughing “Oh? Did you finally realize how hopeless your position really i-”

 

“MORE!” Leo charges in and and drives his fist forward.

 

“Oh your igno-” Leo catches his deflected fist and then shoves his hand back through, shattering the clock and smashing it into Q’s chest “WHAT?!?!”

 

“KEEP IT UP!~” Leo launches a body blow that slams into his stomach, winding him in one hit.

 

“HOW DID YOU-...ARGH…” Q drops to his knees, clutching his stomach “What the hell even-” He looks up to see Leo’s eyes winding in a blue and yellow cyclone. Their pupils were red and they were smiling like a lunatic.

 

“COME ON! KEEP FIGHTING! KEEP TRYING TO HURT ME! MAKE ME TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY! I’VE GOTTEN RUSTY AND WOULD LOVE A REFRESHER!~ HAHA!”

 

“Heh...you being a crazy mess had not crossed my mind…!”

 

“Crazy?” he cracks his neck with help of his right arm “No...I'M BAT SHIT INSANE!~” he delivers a forceful haymaker on Q’s head, sending him off like a skipping stone. When he gets up, half his mask cracks. Blonde hair pokes out in a tone matching Dew’s. Leo can see one of his eyes, and they're hazel like Trinity’s. He wasn't human, he was an animal,  but he couldn't make out what “Hold on...you look...familiar. I can't make it out for sure thanks to being on an adrenaline fueled high!...” Leo's smile vanishes “Actually no...this is gonna bug me...who are you?? You feel...important...you weren't hired recently for a job...no...Tycoon had you with him for a while…”

 

“I guess the cat is out of the bag! Yes. I was with Tycoon for a long while. I was a secret pupil of his you could say. I was raised to hone my capabilities with my craft, and I performed this mission because it benefitted us both…”

 

“Why?...”

 

“We all have something to gain here~...” his voice was no longer altered by the helmet. He sounds young. Was he a teenager?

 

“WHO ARE YOU?!”

 

“Break my helmet completely and find out!” he snaps his fingers “ETERNITY!” the dragon robot reappears. Both Q and the mech were ready to fight. Leo growls as he smashes the robot away and attempts to hit Q. The machine kept coming back over and over much to his dismay.

 

“ERAGH!” Leo was getting double teamed to a point his driven underwater. He explodes out roaring. He then slams the dragon bot away, his pupils disintegrating after that action.

 

“Oh what have we here? Your lunacy took over completely has it?” Q warps behind him to blindside him, but he touches pure air “What on Earth?!” from behind Q, he's roundhoused by the cat into the ground.

 

“Back the...hell off...Get...GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!” electricity builds off Leo.

 

“I'm getting sick of your surprises…ETERNITY!”

 

The robot gets back up to assist it's master again, but Dew grabs Leo's guitar and swings it forward “ENOUGH OF YOU!” she launches a pink psychic wave from it that cleaves through it. Ending it once it for all. Dew quickly drops the guitar as she holds herself “N-No!...I w-wasn’t supposed to d-do that!...”

 

“ETERNITY!...DAMMIT... DID YOU REALLY DESTROY IT IN JUST ONE HIT?!...”Q floats back up “THEN I'LL END YOU MYSELF!”

 

“DON'T MESS WITH ME…” is all the autopilot shouts.

 

They clash and despite the strength boost, Leo is on the losing side as Q’s time warping gets around all of the autopilot made attacks “TIME OUT FOR YOU! WARPDRIVE PUNCH!” a clock appears around Leo as Q starts releasing a punch barrage. When the time stop ends, he was still punching, but Leo was also getting hurt by the time stopped strikes “TERMINAL CLIMAX!” Q turns around and multiple clocks appear, from them even more fists appear to harm Leo. The fists were Q’s as well as Leo's time reversed punches. It ends with a giant clock appearing with about a million fists launching out and sending Leo back underwater.

 

* * *

 

Paula flies about underwater and avoids the explosive mines that are fired from the jelly bot.

 

 _I CAN'T GET NEAR IT!...And I can’t...hold my breath for much...longer…unless..._ With caution to the wind, she fires a magic blast at a nearby mine. The blast launches her out of the water where she recovers her oxygen, but a robot tentacle drags her back under. She blasts it off of her and begins blast it some more. _That bought me some extra minutes, but I got destroy this stupid thing NOW…_ she destroys what's launching the mines and focuses on the tentacles next. They grab and launches stones at her at a nearly unavoidable speed. She's eventually clipped by a rock as she fumbles in the water. Immediately all the tendrils grab her and begin squeezing down, FORCING the air out of her lungs. _AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH…_

 

The men in the machine laugh as her struggling starts slowing down. Soon she's left completely motionless.

 

* * *

 

Lammy was hopping from stone platform to stone platform, avoiding the massive chimps of the machine that was destroying her standing places. All the while it was launching energy balls at her, forcing her to follow only one path so that she'd get cornered eventually.

 

“All in the mind...all in the mind…” she grits her teeth “ALL IN THE MIND!” she back flips over it and dive kicks on the energy cannons, destroying them and lessening the pressure. She lands and resumes running off. The machine goes back under and reappears in the center of the area, and it begins inhaling the remaining platforms “STOP T-THAT!...” she kicks up fireball after fireball, but they do nothing to the fire resistant robot “H-HELP!...A-ANYONE!...” in mere moments, Lammy is out of aces to stand on. She tries leaping away but it's futile as she plummets straight to the lava “K-KATY!... PARAPPA!...A-ANYBODY?!...” _Anyone?...I'm...alone...and I'm going to die alone...no one will save me…_  With that thought in mind, Lammy falls into the lava.

 

* * *

 

 **“PARAPPA!!”** The drill was hot on their trail. Trinity was using her power to ensure the minecart was going at top speed.

 

Parappa turns around and activates his beam blade again “You're starting to bug me…ENOUGH ALREADY!” he slashes the air, launching his own beams at the drill. They damage it, but it still gets closer. Parappa funnels all his power into the microphone blade, and the second the drill is at point blank range, he slashes it. The drill is completely destroyed and the machine stops in its tracks as a result “EXACTLY!...oh man…” sounds of something following the reappear as the machine appears above them.

 

“DID YOU REALLY THINK IT'D BE _THAT_ EASY?!” Claw arms sprout out and start trying to hit the minecart.

 

“STOP IT! JUST **STOP!** ” Parappa swings his sword around to deflect the arms. Trinity stops speeding up the cart since Archer was now above then on the roof of the tunnel. She helps Parappa bat the arms away, but they then try something else “Trinity, stop hitting them away…”

 

“Wh-”

 

“Trust. Me…” she nods. One of the two claws lunges at them again “RHAPSODY...WRATH!” Parappa uppercuts the arm into the other one, where the electric overflow gets them to blow up.

 

“GAHHHH!” a large explosion happens above the as the machine lands in front of them “SURELY YOU CAN TAKE ON MORE!” a back cannon sprouts out as Archer himself exits the machine that's left on autopilot “BECAUSE I'M NOT FINISHED WITH YOU YET!” grenades and blades beams started plaguing the little minecart.

 

“I'M OUT OF IDEAS!...”

 

“I would not like to be you two then!~” a blade beam destroys the wheels that force it to skid nonstop and a grenade destroys the the track it's about to run over, forcing them to drive off. The cart drops into the abyss as Trinity and Parappa watch themselves drop. Even if Parappa we're to fly out, what could he do?? The machine and Archer himself were to much! His last course of action was to break Trinity’s fall.

 

“S-Sir Rappa??...” she knows what's happening and just cries in defeat as the both fall into the endless depths below.

 

“GAME OVER!”

 

* * *

 

As the upper body machine hovers about I'm victory, the Katy shaped hole in the rock starts to have water fly into it “Eh? Still not done are you?”

 

* * *

 

In the area that Q, Leo and Dew are in, large dark storm clouds hover in “What the deuce?...”

 

* * *

 

Through the jelly bot pilots laughter, they hear crackling as the waters temperature starts dropping rapidly “Woah...what's going on?...”

 

* * *

 

As the lizard bot pilots laugh, the spot in the lava where Lammy fell in starts swirling up “Hey...is that supposed to happen?...”

 

* * *

 

A yellow and green flare is seen from the pit that Parappa and Trinity fell down “Eh? Still haven't given-” A green blur slams into the grenade launcher, destroying it easily as the machine finally explodes. Archer flies off in the nick of time “WHAT WAS THAT?!” the green blur stops before him as it settles down into the appearance of a dog possum hybrid girl. Her banana strawberry hair flows about as she flies before him. Her pseudo dog ears wildly flap about. She grips her hands tightly into fists as a yellow energy heart appears on her chest. At this moment, Katy breaks out of the rocks, Paula destroys the tentacles, Lammy leaps from out of the lava and a supercell storm appears around Q. The storm bats Q to the ground before being absorbed by the rising Leo. The four of them get their respective energy hearts to appear as they stare at their adversary. The thundering storm energy causes Leo to flash like an x-ray as his skeleton appears from the flashing along with his yellow and blue heart. Lammy is costed in magma as the flames don't hurt her, but shield her. The lava wraps astound her horns and hardens into solid orange horns. Her body coated in new red and black clothing. Her red heart matches the color of her eyes. Paula indigo heart matched the color of her eyes as her hair did not solidify, but instead it flowed about with sprinkles of ice particles around it. A bubble formed around her head, allowing her to breathe. Katy had swirling water rings around her as her blue eyes caused the robot pilot to feel immense fear from her resurgence. The possum dog hybrid angrily stares down Archer, and on that moment she along with the other four all roar as their hearts beat in unison.

 

“What is that...WHAT IS THAT?! **_WHAT ARE YOU?!_ ** ”

 

“I AM TREI REGIIS RAPPA. THE GIRL WHO'S GONNA END YOUR TYRANNY!” she pulls out the beam sword that's covered in electric AND green psychic energy.

 

“DON'T MOCK ME!” he charges forward as Trei holds out her free hand.

 

“PSYCHO SHOCKER!” a green web of thunder wraps around him and traps him in place. She then readies the blade “PSYCH RUSH!” she slashes at the guy near endlessly as she closes off with a psychic burst from her free hand, launching him onto the mine tracks.

 

“NO!...I CAN'T DIE HERE…” his jetpack sputters back to life “CURSE YOU!...YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE LAST OF ME!...” with his tail between his legs, he runs away. Trei smiles as she laughs in victory.

 

Katy swerves around the robot as it tries to ensnare her again, but she blasts the nets away easily. She then flies before it. _Mother?..._

 

“I'm still here.” she holds out her hand “But he won't be for long…” she says a different command “DELUGE SYMPHONY!” a new attack forms as a whirlpool forms from her hand and wraps around the entirety of the robot. It's spun as if it were in around washing machine before being dropped free. As the pilot tries to get the machine to rise again, Katy appears before the dome control seat “SORROW WALTZ!” with quick kick after kick, she destroys the dome, ending off with a heavy kick to the pilots neck. A disgusting crack is heard as he's left like putty in the seat.

 

Paula continuously chills the water, freezing only selected portions of it that's around the machine. The pilots panic as the ice witch looks at them “You like drowning people?...” she holds up her hand “Lemme help you with that…” he hands glow blue as she fires off a large surge of ice “AURORA FLASH!” a large multicolored ray spawns from her hand and goes through the machine. It doesn't pierce it, rather it fazes through it. Once the attack ends, the machine is seemingly alright, but not a second after it violently explodes. The pilots are flung out and she quickly freezes their bodies in blocks of ice. Their heads are still exposed however as they drop to the underwater ground. They are left to drown as Paula flies out of the water. The bubble pops and she's left coughing out as she vomits out water once she's on land “U-Ugh...that wasn't fun...but I made it out of it alive~...” she stays there catching her breath before flying off.

 

Lammy stands on the lava’s surface, hardening it beneath her feet she runs up to the robot and kicks it away. The lava around the robot solidifies leaving them stuck in place. Lammy lands and creates a new platform. She leaps back before the robot and slams her head into it. She flicks her head upwards and her horns break the domes that are the eyes. Exposing the two pilots. Her eyes pierce theirs as they cower in fear. She leaps into the air and lines herself up with the machine “Scared?...” They nod their heads rapidly “It’s a great bit of karma now isn’t it? I was to...you pushed me into a cowardly place that I accepted as I thought I was gonna die...but I remembered that...I can make it out of anything. Turns out my immunity to fire includes lava...how about that…” The two guys whimper “Hey there...I realized everything would be ok once I remembered that it was all in the mind...maybe it’ll help you to…” She buckles her legs in and dives down to the machine “DIVE ROCKER!” in a blink of an eye she dives through the robot. The the entirety of the machine fizzles and explodes as the hardened ground beneath it. The lava swallows the remnants of the machine along with its pilots, followed by one last mass explosion, hardening the entire lava pool. The lava fades off of Lammy as her enhanced horns break off back into the nubs. She falls onto her bottom as she sits on the cooled off lava “O-Ohh...I never w-wanna go through that E-EVER again…” She then gets back up “Well...time for me to get out...I’ve spent to much time here and I need to help the others…!” from all the rumbling, a new path had opened up, and there was a source of light in the distance “T-This’ll do!” she runs along the path in an attempt to escape.

 

Autopilot Leo pulverizes Q to no end. Tossing him to and fro with little to no chance of fighting back. He kicks him high up in the air and then holds out his arms. In his left charges up a blue heart while a yellow charges up in his right. They unite into a green storm ball as he pulls it back and charges it up immensely. The empty eyes burst to life as his left eye turned to a closed up cat eye and his right into a feral wolf eye. The ball expands even greater as the unconscious child yells out **“RESET BURST!”** Leo fires the green blast forward. A small afterimage of Katy and Parappa appear just as he fires. The blast hits Q and swallows him up entirely as the blast flies off into the sky. Wind blasts off in every direction as the sky clears once. Q falls from grace with a thud on the ground. The battle is ultimately a draw as after the attack is over, water and lightning eject out of Leo's body as he drops to the ground to, waking up from the pain “Eeeeeck...I can't move…what happened to me this time…”

 

Q manged to get back up and he begins walking to the struggling Leo “N-Not...bad...not bad...no...wonder...it's no wonder why...Bohemian struggled with...you…” he straightens his posture once he's right before them “But you gotta go...you're a dire thorn in the grand scheme of things...you could actually stop him...AGAIN…” Q picks him up with his left arm as his right had become disabled “You're this close from ejecting me from this time again...and I can't have that…”

 

“L-Let...me...go!...”

 

“I'm afraid I can't d-”

 

*BANG*

 

Q drops Leo as he himself drops down from his legs giving way. He falls to his side and looks up to see Dew holding Leo’s gun. The bullet went through the right side of his head and out the left, but missed his brain remarkably. It was still disabling him immensely “N-Now j-just wait!...you're going to regret it if you do that to me!...S-So just put the gun d-” Dew was seething as her eyes flare up in a pink light. The same light covers the gun as she fires.

 

**_*BANG*_ **

 

The enhanced bullet blew Q’s head up to smithereens “GET OUT OF MY KINGDOM YOU **CUR** …” Pink flames are left on the grass where Q’s head was as well as his open neck socket with his body jittering a few times before staying still. The remainder of the body lights up in a pink fire.

 

Leo wipes off the blood from his face as he gets up an eyes the burning corpse sadly “What did you know…”

 

Dew calms down and takes notice of the sad future child “O-Oops!... Y-You wanted to get information out of him first d-didn’t you?...I'm sorry!...I just couldn't sit idly by anymore! It's thanks to him that all my people are dying...and I wasn't going to lose another!...I just-”

 

“It's alright…~ He's gone now so it doesn't matter. You saved me your highness!” he bows, but he can't get back up. In fact he vomits out blood as his eyes turn to comedic X’s “Blaaaaaaaargh…”

 

“OH GODS!...” Dew drops the gun as she tries to find a way to help Leo out. At this moment, Lammy bursts out of the ground from a hole that was opened up by Leo's rampage and Paula flies down like a damaged airplane. They both spot the blood water fountain of a child and immediately go to help “YOU BOTH ARE ALIVE!~...B-But by the gods what happened to you two?” both girls turn their heads to Dew and open their mouths. Water flows out of Paula and soot puffs out from Lammy’s mouth “Oh dear…”

 

* * *

 

Trei flies out of the mine through the entrance that Parappa had gone in through in a giddy flight before noticing a green burst of wind dissipating in the sky “Huh?” she flies off into the sky and off to find what caused it. Instead she spots Katy snapping the torso pilot’s neck with a heavy kick. She lands and turns away from the mech, but unbeknownst to her, the pilot was still very much alive. He causes the mech to hover up as another laser gets armed up “KATY WATCH OUT!”

 

Katy hears the warning shout from out of the blue “Huh?...watch for what?...” she turns around “We seriously doing this??...” the water rings return around her as she gets ready to fight again, but a large slash noise is heard. The pilot's body splits in half down the middle along with the mech “Uh...did I do that?...” the mech explodes and before her lands another possum girl. In her hand was a sword, the one she used to finish off the machine “Whoa...hel-”

 

“One would be wise to assure the enemy is defeated…”

 

“His neck was left like a soggy loaf of bread! How was I supposed to know he was still kicking! Most people generally die when that happens!”

 

“The enemy army is filled with a stubborn cloddy lot. If you want them dead, you need to make sure nothing is left!”

 

“Alright!...who are you anyway?”

 

“I'd watch the tone. My name is Sing Yula Regiis! The first crown princess of Arcadia! And obviously enough, the first daughter of King Zero.”

 

“Oh...you're Dew Etz’s older sister!”

 

“You know my sister? Where is she?”

 

“Eheh...I have no clue...b-but my friends are saving her as we speak!...”

 

“Imbecile…”

 

“Hey we saved her twice already!...” Katy stares at the princess. And suddenly, Trei descends to them. The half of her that's Trinity causes her to run up to her older sister.

 

“SIIIIIIING~” the girl hugs the eldest princess with glee.

 

“Alright...I'll bite, who are you?...” Trei pulls away. Completely ignorant that they're currently a merged being. It seems that they never took notice.

 

“It's m-me sister...wait...WHAT HAPPENED TO ME?!...” Trei panics on the spot and suddenly she defuses.

 

“BY THE GODS??...” Sing stares at the freshly defused duo.

 

“PARAPPA! YOU MANAGED TO SAVE TRINITY!~ B-By fusing with her??...”

 

“I...did?...last thing I remember was falling to my doom…”

 

“Last thing I remember was Sir Rappa attempting to break my fall…”

 

“Trinity about that, calling me Parappa’s just fine! No need for this Sir stuff!”

 

“Oh but you're a knight! A hero even! I won't call you anything less! I refuse!”

 

Sing scoffs after she hears her little sister call Parappa a hero. She walks up to the duo and stops before Parappa. The dog looks at the new princess. Her hair color matched Trinity’s, but her eye color matched Dew Etz’s. She seemed much more mature, but judging by the nonexistent age gap between Dew and Trinity, he can guess that Sing is actually only twenty. Her dress style, the red lipstick and violet eye shadow along with the crown and ornate necklace, all of it made her give off an even older air. Like the two other girls, her signature color seemed to be blue and she to had a matching locket “Um...hello your highn-”

 

“Who are you.”

 

“Uh...as stated, I’m Parappa Rappa! I’m who Trinity called over the first time! And now Dew Etz called me over this time!”

 

“I see...so you’re the boy she brought up...well...once my sister Dew is returned to us safely, you can return back to whence you came. You have no place here.”

 

“But sister! He’s saving us! He’s a Keeper of the world with unbelievable strength! He even managed to hold his own against Archer and force him to panic!”

 

“Him?...Against Archer?...” She crosses her arms “I don’t believe it...not even for a minute…”

 

“I mean...you’re kinda right...If it weren’t cuz Trinity doing her amazing psychic stuff I’d probably-”

 

“TRINITY YOU DID WHAT?!”

 

“E-Erm…” the youngest princess cowers before her elder sister “I-I couldn’t just sit baaaack…”

 

“YOU KNOW WHAT FATHER SPECIFICALLY TOLD US! NONE OF US ARE TO EVER USE OUR POWERS!”

 

“Not to interrupt on this family issue...b-but your highness...why aren’t you allowed to? Your powers are amazing from what I’ve seen so far with Trinity! You three could easily save the kingdom yoursel-” Parappa shuts up when the sword tip is pointed directly at his face. It’s held directly in front of his nose.

 

“You would do well to cease speaking at once…” Katy instinctually tries to attack Sing, but Parappa holds his arm out keeping her in place.

 

“W-With all do respect your highness...I don’t mean to cause you any trouble...b-but i’m sure your father would allow this if it meant your people be freed from this needless destruction caused by the kings!...And it’d probably be something your old hero would’ve-” Sing’s eyes grow cold as she raises the sword up in an attempt to cleave him in half. She stops before the attack can connect as Trinity stands between the two.

 

“Move aside…”

 

“I-I won’t!...”

 

“Move. Aside...or i’ll cut you down with him…”

 

“D-DO IT THEN!...” Sing lifts the sword again, but it wobbles in her grasp. Angrily, she sheaths it away.

 

“...You know I could never...fine…” She walks away “You there...cat…”

 

“What…”

 

“Where were you and my other sister hiding…”

 

“...A-A castle hideaway to the north…”

 

“...So that one’s compromised then?...Trinity, we will be going to the one to the west now then.”

 

“...M-May I bring my new guardians?...”

 

“...Do whatever you want...I don’t care…” She walks off as the trio follow after “I hope your ‘hero’ doesn’t turn tail and run…”

 

“H-He won’t!...”

 

“Y-Yeah I won’t!...” Parappa whispers to Trinity _“Wait...does this have something to do with what Archer said?...”_

 

_“I...please hold onto that question for a little while longer…”_

 

_“Roger…”_

 

Trinity then remembers something “E-Erm...S-Sing…”

 

“What is it now…”

 

“I-I can’t go to the castle yet...t-they stuck a device on me that I’m sure is the reason they found me…”

 

“What?!” Parappa, Katy and Sing all shout.

 

“Where is it? I’ll get it off!” Parappa says.

 

“E-Erm...it’s at the base of my tail…” She says shyly.

 

“What’s wrong all of a-” Parappa takes into account that it literally means it’s slightly above her lower back “Actually! This is a job for Katy and your sister!...I’ll go behind that tree over there until you’re finished!...” Parappa runs off as Sing scoffs and Katy rolls her eyes.

 

* * *

 

The quartet continue their trek towards the new hiding spot as they’re spot by Paula and Lammy Paula flies down with Dew in her arms and Lammy lands with Leo on her back.

 

“KATY! PARAPPA! YOU’RE BOTH ALRIGHT!~” Paula shouts.

 

“I-I’d be happy about this...b-but I’m to worried over Leo’s w-well being…” Lammy says as the weak child merely laughs.

 

“L-LEO!...” Parappa runs up to Lammy.

 

“H-Hey Parappa~...”

 

“WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!...”

 

“I fought Q...got my ass handed to me...but Dew told me it was a draw...I dunno what happened...but Dew killed off Q, so I can only assume she’s the reason I ‘won’ and am still here to tell the tale~...I owe that pink power of hers a big favor~...”

 

“DEW YOU AS WELL?!...”

 

“E-Ehehe...I just couldn’t sit idly by anymore...my apologies sister…”

 

“What am I going to do with the two of you...what would father say?!...” she sighs and resumes her trek “Come on...the castle hideout should have more than enough beds for all of you…” After a good while, they all arrive in to the new safe place. Dew and Trinity are now in fresh dresses while Leo is once again set to rest as the other four all stay around him.

 

“So...what happened to you all…” Leo says to them.

 

“Me and Lammy fought robots that turned out to be two more of the five that Dew found out about…Katy fought the final one so that’s THAT problem out of the way for now...”

 

“I fought Archer who brought his own Q loaned machine…”

 

“And I fought Q himself...and it was an equal battle of emotional and physical pain…”

 

“What’s that?...”

 

“Don’t worry about it dad...anywho...he also brought a machine...I apparently destroyed it to, so i’m gonna chalk it up to me just holding my own and Dew doing the actual heavy lifting...it ended with Q’s death so that’s...something.”

 

“I mean...the Crazy Kings can’t get supplied anymore!...But Archer ran off so he might come back... “ Parappa whines “But...I still beat him! Had to fuse with Trinity...but a victory a victory!~”

 

“You...fused with the princess?!...” As Leo says this, he along with Lammy and Paula look at him.

 

“Yeah! The reason for it is...rather contrived...i’ll explain it another time... Regardless! Thanks to fighting Archer, I finally mastered the ability to use Rhapsody Wrath whenever!”

 

“I managed to learn how to use Sorrow Waltz permanently now! Along with another move! Deluge Symphony!~” Katy chimes.

 

“I got a better grip on my ice! I can manage water now to slightly! And it even affected my appearance when powering up! Now my hair doesn’t freeze up anymore! And I also learned a move myself in the name of Aurora Flash!~”

 

“I-I can apparently also work with lava!...” Everyone turns their attention to Lammy “I k-know! I’m just as amazed as you guys are!”

 

“How’d you figure that out??” Katy asks.

 

“O-Oh I fell into it.”

 

“YOU FELL INTO LAVA?!”

 

“Yeah...p-point is! I can control it along with fire!~ M-Made some rather...over the top and flashy horns...but they helped m-me not die! And I destroyed the robot I was fighting with a swift dive kick! Something in my heart told me that the name was...Dive Rocker??”

 

“Funny...my heart told me my new ice move name to...same for my other move really…”

 

“Same with me and Deluge Symphony!”

 

“Weird…” Parappa says “But you guys are stronger now!” he smiles “It’ll be easier now to defend this kingdom! But for now it’s safe! And that’s thanks to us!”

 

“S-So do we go back to our time now?...”

 

“Once Leo’s feeling all better yes.”

 

“I’ll be good by tomorrow!...”

 

“You’re gonna need more than just a day Leo!”

 

“Dad trust me! A day is all I need!”

 

“Ugh...fine...arguing with you will get me no-...do you guys here singing?...” they all turn their attention to the window and then look back to each other. Parappa helps Leo off the bed and carries him as they all walk to the window. They spot Sing humming, on the verge of singing. Her voice is beautiful and enthralling, living up to her name. They see a blue light flash off of her similar to the green and pink lights that came off of Trinity and Dew Etz respectively “Sing?...” They all feel light and relaxed the moment she starts singing “...Is this...no she’s not healing us...rather she’s just masking the pain we suffered...it’s still there but just...buried away...and I don’t think she’s doing this intentionally…”

 

_Sing?...What’s your story?..._


	57. Never go down without a fight!

“Quiet! She’ll hear us!...She’s about to start fully singing now!...” Katy says as they continue listening in.

 

“H-Hide!... She's turning this w-way!” Lammy says words get everyone to hid on the window frame to avoid being seen.

 

_“Where have all the good men goooooone…_

 

_And where are all the Gods?_

 

_Wheeeere’s the streetwiiiise Heeeerculeeees, to fight the rising oooodds…_

 

_Isn't there a whiiiite kniiiiight...upon a fiery steed…_

 

_Late at night, I toss and I turn and I dreeeeeeam of what I neeeeeeeed…”_

 

Sing stops singing, she merely stays still in a position that shows she had better days. The blue light fades off of her.

 

“She sounds miserable…” Paula states.

 

“No kiddin...a complete contrast to the bitchy, albeit stoic, girl she was about a half hour ago…” Katy follows up.

 

“W-Will she be alright?... s-she sounds super lonely to…” Lammy ends off, becoming sad herself.

 

Parappa feels his resolve steady up “I wanna know why...I think it has something to do with their old hero…”

 

“You are correct…” Dew and Trinity say together from behind the five, scaring them, but they manage to not yell.

 

“Oh hey!...T-Think you can tell me now you two?” both girls sigh with a nod as they look to Parappa.

 

“Our old hero that Archer referred to was Sir Alister Crowley…”

 

“Alister was beloved by our entire kingdom. The villagers, the other knights and guards, and even by us!...but no one loved him more than Sing.” Dew states as she looks off to the window sadly.

 

“Sing and Alister were actually a pair believe it or not!”

 

“I’m now slowly piecing together the sadness...but why the disdain??...he clearly went his all against Archer…It’s not his fault he died...he saved your dad in the process…”

 

Both princesses look to each other and Dew speaks up “That’s the thing...Father was the one to tell us the news...and Sing knows when father is lying...she thinks Alister turned tail and ran off...abandoning us…”

 

“But even Archer!-”

 

“He was lying to. But obviously not to spare our feelings, but to get a bonus with the crazy kings...it was shown that there was no struggle in the room where supposedly everything took place…but father won’t say.”

 

“So Sing came to the conclusion that he cut a deal with Archer for whatever reason and fled off. Forsaking us all the while.” Trinity says as her head droops over.

 

“Yikes...I can see why she no longer enjoys heroes...when your main savor AND boyfriend just sorta give up on you out of the blue and leave your kingdom to perish…” Parappa wriggles in place to shake off the mixed emotions “But I ain’t gonna abandon you guys! None of us are! We cleared your problem and we’ll return should they come back to cause another mess! Won’t we guys?” They all nod while Leo merely gives a thumbs up do to lack of energy. Parappa then becomes curious “What did he look like by the way?...”

 

“Alister? Follow us to see!” Trinity says as Lammy helps Parappa carry Leo while they all follow the two princesses. They stop by some curtains which the two pull apart. There’s a painting of the three of them along with a man wearing a large crown, no doubt King Zero. And a fifth painting showing another possum. The girls then launch a green and pink wave that brush off the dust, getting the group to cough up in an over exaggerated manner. Under each painting was a carved nameplate for each of them. The final possum was in fact, Alister.

 

“He...certainly fits the part of a heroic guy...just staring at this painting alone makes him seem like a such a great guy to be around...so why’d he just up and leave you guys…” They all sadly stare at the Alister painting “What more is there to hear about him?...”

 

“Not much. He was just the sweetest and most helpful guy around. Pretty much the greatest heroic idol to all! And quite abit of a goof...very thick headed and ignorant to the obvious, and as a result...quite gullible…” once Dew says that, the three future girls all lean in next to Parappa and whisper to him.

 

_“Hey, could he be an ancestor of yours?~”_

 

 _“No ancestor of mine would leave people to die!”_ they all roll their eyes at him missing the point.

 

“He was also dubbed the ‘Knight of the Wind’!” Trinity says happily.

 

“Knight of the wind?”

 

“Yes! This was because that he had adept wind control! To a point that he could create gusts to fly with! You would almost believe he could fly naturally, but without any wind he falls like a brick!”

 

“What a weird trick...say...could he do what Archer could...you know with the blade beams?...”

 

“Yes actually! It was one of his most common battle techniques!”

 

“I see...well this is all so enlighten-”

 

**_“GIRLS!”_ **

 

The sudden loud and booming voice startles everyone, but not as badly as Dew and Trinity who both hug each other “Oooooh we’re in trouble…”

 

“I-IS IT THE CRAZY KINGS?!...” Parappa and the others take a ready stance as they turn around.

 

“Ohhhh it’s a King alright…” Dew says as she tugs at her dress collar.

 

“And he currently sounds like he’s crazy…” Trinity sweats bullets.

 

Before the open path they hear big footsteps approaching and in no time at all, there arrives a regal looking old possum man in red and black armor. His hair was faded and white, but traces could easily be seen that it used to be blonde. His eyes were brown and half shut, the guy seemed exhausted. A large beard was basically half his face from the nose down as it flowed freely about. He was tall, but hunched over from his age. He gave the air of being rather frail, but showed signs that he was once quite a spry warrior himself. His crown was large and magnificently ornate. He looks down at the future group, and his gaze was stern and terrifying. Before them stood King Zero. The groups knees all wobble as they all forcibly bow, while Leo merely flops onto his face due to having no strength “Who are these strange people…”

 

“G-Greetings your Majesty!...” Parappa looks up “W-We’re the group your daughters called over to help save your kingdom!” He gets back up and tries to offer a handshake “I-I’m Parappa Rappa-”

 

Parappa Rappa

 

_Parappa Rappa_

 

**_Parappa RAPPA_ **

 

The name echoes in Zero’s head, specifically the last name as from out of nowhere he pulls out a massive sword and holds it before Parappa “Aaaaaaaaaa…”

 

“You are with the enemy forces…”

 

“G-Guys he’s holding a sword that’s the size of three werewolf Parappa’s stacked together with only three fingers of one hand…” Paula says as they all cower in fear.

 

“Y-Your Majesty I’m not!...”

 

“Then why do you share the surname with the main enemy knight of the Crazy Kings…”

 

“I do?!...Come to think of it...Archer said the same thing…” Parappa panics on the spot “B-But I assure you that I’m not! L-Look sir, it may sound crazy, but I’m from the future an-” The kings eyes widen as he impales his massive sword into the ground.

 

**“ENOUGH…”**

 

“Y-Yes your majesty…”

 

Zero sighs in contempt “Sir Parappa...walk with me...if you would be so kind as to humor me.”

 

“R-Right away sir!...” They all follow.

 

“Alone, if you all would.” The girls all stop tagging along and watch the duo leave.

 

“U-Um...a-are we in trouble?...”

 

“Hard to say...King Zero seemed to have a complete mood swing once he learned we were from the future…” Katy answer Lammy.

 

“Well...guess we won’t know until their chat is over…” Paula sighs.

 

“Um...guys...c-can you help me up?...” Leo says, alerting the girls into picking him up. They all help him back to his room and onto the bed. Once the two that, the two younger princesses speak up.

 

“You all...you're from the future??” Dew asks.

 

“We uh…” Katy looks to Leo. She gives a shrug back “Yeah. We are.”

 

“Tell us! What's it like!” Trinity asks.

 

“Before you all discuss this, could you take it out of my room? All this talk about discussing the future just makes me spacey…” Leo asks to which they all agree and head out. They all box in another room.

 

“Well I think for starters...we should properly introduce ourselves! We could introduce ourselves to Dew since we had complications the entire time we got here...and we never saw Trinity last time! So now’s a chance to do that! Right girls?~” Paula and Lammy both agree on instant “Good! Well, I should go first. I’m Katy Kat!~” Both princesses look at each other uneasily “What??”

 

“It is...a good thing you didn’t say your name while father was present…”

 

“Oh dear...b-but for the record i’m a good guy!”

 

“We believe you no worries!” Both happily smile.

 

“Phew...thanks~...Alright girls you’re up!”

 

“My name is Paula Fox!~”

 

“A-And i’m Lammy Lamb!...~”

 

“Your clans sound as noble as that of Sir Parappa and Leo!” Trinity says with sparkles in her eyes.

 

“Now what is the future like! We once had a soothsayer in town who told of us things she saw! Now that we have people actually from the future! C-Can you confirm it?~”

 

“Uh...Soothsayer?...” Katy pokes her mouth.

 

“I think it’s those people who say they can foresee the future. They’re around even now makin a livin as fortune tellers! Course it’s hard to find a real one since the profession is filled with con artists…” Paula says, recalling poor service.

 

“Oh. Well tell us what you know and we’ll confirm or deny!”

 

“She said that there will be weird metal carriages that don’t need horses to pull them! They run on their own!”

 

“You mean...cars?” Katy scratches her head “Yeah we have cars! They help us get to place to place much more easily. Varying types and sizes to. Such as my van~” The princesses stare at her with eyes wide of wonderment. They all listen very intently “W-Wow...never thought cars of all things would be so enthralling to talk about~...”

 

“It’s just amazing to hear that it’s true!~ S-She also said there would be large flying metal birds, piloted by people!”

 

“Y-You mean...airplanes?~” Lammy brings up as the girls swap their attention to her now. The trio from the future just look at each other and giggle.

 

Sing just listens from behind the door, clearly unamused by everything. She scoffs as she just storms into the other bedroom to properly vent out with herself “Who do they think they are with filling my sisters heads with such trifleries?!”

 

“You know your highness, isn’t it uncouth to talk behind someones back?~” Sing turns her head to the bed to spot Leo splayed out on the bed like a dejected ragdoll. She angrily grits her teeth, angry at herself for forgetting he had to be resting somewhere.

 

“What do you know about being uncouth?!”

 

“More than you’d think. All my caretakers growing up did their best to make sure I’d be raised as a proper gentlemen. Now i’m an insane bastard of an adult, but by golly if I’m not the most jovial and most helpful idiotic lunatic of them all!”

 

Sing holds her sword out to the bedridden child “Do you mock me with such a tale?...”

 

“Of course not your highness~”

 

“I don’t appreciate your tone...clearly you did not learn fully on how to be a proper lad…”

 

“Lad, Lass, or thereof! I’m a proper...something!~ I’m telling you I am! I’m just keeping my tone jolly because...I wanna be friends!~”

 

“I do not…you are much too rude for your place…” she holds her sword to the air, as if she was attempting to cut the child in half “I shall fix that…”

 

“You’re free to kill if you wish. Who’s gonna stop you? I certainly can’t! Of course, even if my body wasn’t currently as limp as old racehorse’s legs, I’d still not stop you. If that’s what it mean to satiate your anger.”

 

Sing growls and sheaths her sword away “You’re...I don’t even know what to call you…” She slumps into the chair next to the bed. She melts into it, defeated.

 

“Woooooould friend be ok?~”

 

“No…”

 

“Ah well, baby steps.” Leo laughs “Say there...you clearly got your own secrets to keep! Would you feel better if I told you some of mine?”

 

“No I would not…”

 

“I don’t think you’re telling me the truth. Well...for starters, I’m from even FURTHER in the future!”

 

“...”

 

“Believe it or not, I’m Parappa’s future child!~ I came back to HIS time to save him! And now we’re both going back to YOUR time to save you! Ain’t that funny?~”

 

“Why even bother helping us…”

 

“...It’s just who we are your highness. The entire family tree of mine was NEVER one to let anyone suffer. They'd always lend a helping hand!”

 

“Pah...you ‘heroes’ are all cut from the same cloth…”

 

“...I'm sorry you have...poor experiences with heroes your highness, but my family...we never run away! We'd go down fighting if it meant saving what we're trying to protect!”

 

“Your ‘family’ is linked with the Keepers of the world are they not?...”

 

“We're descendants, yes.”

 

“Then why haven't your ancestors helped us at all...no matter how much we begged…”

 

“I do not know...things worked differently in this time period...and...it upsets me to know that. So we want to help in their place! And four outta five of us are Keepers anyway!” Sing merely looks to the ceiling.

 

“You claim to be Sir Rappa’s son. Yet you don't have his surname.”

 

“It is my surname. I'm just masking my reap name as to not mess with my history. I don't want to lose my real mother. I want to save my father, but I also want to hold onto the mother I love for always…” the last sentence saddens the princess “...oh...I'm guessing-”

 

“Yes...she passed…”

 

“I'm...I didn't know...my apologies your highness…”

 

“Worry not…” She holds her face up sadly.

 

“...would you like to know my real name?...” she turns her head back to him “Just...promise to keep it a secret?...” she nods “My name is Europa II Kat Rappa.”

 

“So the cat in the other room ends up your mother?”

 

“Mhm.”

 

“No wonder you speak as you do…” she shakes her head “And...Europa the second?...”

 

“Europa the first was my grandmother that I never got to know. She was my father's mother, and she also passed when he was younger.”

 

“Oh…”

 

“Grandmother Europa is the reason the belief of helping people runs strong, even in my later generation! And will continue so forth! She planted the ideal into my mother and father, and said belief is also in me! They also spread the belief around to the others! So you can rest assured-”

 

 _“You'll never have to worry with a friend like me!”_ the princess is startled as she hears him say that line. A line that her ex hero once told her. Leo’s and Alister’s voices overlap and she cries without hesitation.

 

“Y-Your highness??...”

 

“It's nothing...nothing at all…”

 

“...You're a bad liar your highness…” Leo looks to the ground “Sorry for bringing up ill memories…”

 

* * *

 

“Your majesty...anything I can assist you wi-”

 

“Why are you here…”

 

“Your daughters called for help...and we obliged…we went through time to help you, so you know we're serious about this your majesty.”

 

“...Cut the your majesty crap. King is a title that just doesn't fit me.”

 

“Y-Your accent…”

 

“I am from the future as well...technically…”

 

“WHAT?!?!?!”

 

“Listen and listen well, for I'll only be telling you my story once…” a red psychic energy cover his eyes as he zaps Parappa in the head. Parappa stays spaced out as he's launched within his own head.

 

 _I was born in this time period yes, but things happened in ways that I would never understand, even now…_ Parappa sees a red silhouette in the shape of a rather young Zero, around the age of ten. _I was born as Zeronia Regiis. A boy who was anticipated to do great things from the start. At the age of thirteen I had liberated a kingdom from the tyranny of a demon._ The silhouette cleaves a black shadow to pieces. _I had destroyed a century old clan of thieves that plagued the world by age fifteen._ Young Zero destroys an endless number of shadows charging at him. _I even slayed many dragons in my days._ Large beasts are cut down with ease by the silhouette. _Eventually I would marry a childhood friend of mine...the princess of a land that had been ravaged and erased from the world, and the reason for my entire acts of heroism. Together we started a new Kingdom we dubbed Arcadia, but we were real quiet on the name as to not attract attention from ill willed evil._

 

 _“That's why Arcadia has no records!...”_ Parappa thinks to himself.

 

 _Life was beautiful...but...happiness always has a price...my wife was ill...and medicine just isn't as advanced enough to help in this time period. No priests or healers had the discovery of fixing this either… still she persisted that she'd be ok...she was stronger than that…and for a time, I believed her...we had four beautiful children together...three daughters and a son...but after her fourth child...she succumbed to her illness and….she left us...she left me… my world had lost all meaning and existence...and my daughters faces hurt me so...eternal reminders of the woman I lost to something I did not have the strength to defeat...my strength and my power...worthless._ the older Zero silhouette mourns at a grave. _The news of sadness somehow spread and invaders went rampant on my land...I cleaved them all, but the numbers would not stop...it's as if the entire world despised the calm happiness we had and wanted to rub salt it's the wound, even though they were obviously going to die…_ Zero slaughtered enemy after enemy, but people kept coming. _And so I prayed...and my prayers were heard...at a cost._ Electricity and water united to form the reset storm. The world was wiped clean in an instant. _I laid on the dirty ground, free of corpses, but also free of everything else. I wandered about and found three of my four children dead...my youngest, my son, was the only survivor aside from myself in a the immediate area...I held onto him as he wept, and a large flash of light swallowed us whole. The world had frozen over… I would eventually thaw out centuries later. I was in a time that was not my own...the world was alright again...but we were still alone…_ the silhouette walked along the earth with the baby in hand. _In my time I would learn. Learn of the tragedies of my time, from the assault on my land, to the disease that robbed me of the women I loved. I had ways of stopping it all, but alas I was stuck years away from that time. I pleaded and prayed once more, and was given an ultimatum…_

 

_“You can redo your history anew, and suffer no more! But all good things require a price! If we do this for you, you are unable to ask for help again. You are to keep quiet and calm as to not draw invaders. And should anyone stumble upon your home, you and your family are to not do anything! Lest you want a repeat of time to replay! And should we catch word of your ignorance, we will wipe your home off the face of the earth, and only your home. So listen and listen well. No matter the screaming, no matter the begging, and no matter the slaughter. You cannot do a single thing!”_

 

_‘Why?!’ I screamed, but my only reply was._

 

_“A weak useless fool needs to learn his place. This all happened because you thought yourself above everyone. No one could best you, and that you could never be weak or worthless...now, you will live a pathetic cowardly life to emphasize your worthlessness, as it is the only way to keep your love alive and ‘happy’! Just don't try to be the hero!”_

 

_They were right...and so I agreed… before me appeared a stone that hummed a lovely melody. It shined with a light that I was not worthy enough to bask in. They said I could return to whence it all began...and so I left my son behind and did just that…_

 

“YOU LEFT YOUR CHILD?!”

 

 _I wanted to start anew...and I thought that he would exist again anyway...I was sent back to my youth and things played out a bit differently, but ultimately the same...Only this time I tried using methods I learned from the future to cure her! She got healthier and I thought it would finally be ok!...But it wasn't...after my third child...she died again...she died much earlier this time...why...then I remembered that I was told to do nothing when it came to being a hero. I instinctively tried to save her, but that action was why she died sooner...I was a fool...and so I was now trapped in a time where I was alone again...now without a son in a time period I've grown to detest...Only now I'm a forced coward...otherwise we all die again… eighteen years later...here we are…_ the vision ends.

 

“I am here now, fulfilling my word to this day…”

 

“So that's why you guys can't use you powers...what about that stone that helped you??”

 

“It became a dud the moment my Queen died again…”

 

“Gah…”

 

“I appreciate your help in saving my family and my land, but your help is done for now, so please return home...don't involve yourself with my folly any longer. It isn't worth it.”

 

“It's worth it to me sir! I'll return if they come back to cause trouble again! Especially after hearing that! I won't let your land suffer!”

 

“My boy...please. Enough.”

 

“...I will help, I have to.”

 

“...Very well...but for now...you're done. You can return now. I can assure you that we'll be fine a little while longer.”

 

“...Ok sir...but we can't leave just yet...we have to wait for one of our friends to rest up! Once that happens, then we'll be out of your hair!”

 

“Ok. Keep my children safe till then I suppose.” he turns and walks away.

 

“Wait aren't you-”

 

“If I stay, they'll find them faster. I'll be off to ensure they stay hidden. I can hold my own. And another thing, keep this a secret.”

 

“...Yes sir.” Parappa bows as he disappears.

 

* * *

 

“Hey...Sing is alot less hostile towards us...Why's that?” the girls point to Leo, who had recovered enough to stand.

 

“You’re welcome!”

 

“How??”

 

“Secret. As per her wishes.”

 

“...Good job Leo~” the future _future_ child bows gently. The rest of the night goes by without a hitch as its morning once more. Leo had made a full recovery and they all meet in the main hall. Dew holds in her hand the clock device.

 

“So how do I help you with this?...”

 

“I'll show-...actually. Katy's gonna show you!”

 

“I am??”

 

“Yep!” he moves the two to stand face to face from each other. They look at each other awkwardly as Leonora speaks up.

 

_Mother! Just do as I say!_

 

Katy holds out her arms “CONNECT YOUR HEART WITH MINE!...HUH?!?!” before she can question it. Her heart launches a beam that connects to Dew’s heart. An ethereal clock appears below Katy.

 

“Alright! Lammy, Paula and Leo! Hold on to Katy!” they all listen to Parappa and grab onto her shoulders “Like we said, if they come back, don't be afraid to call!” a large flash happens...but unfortunately…

 

 _“TIME BREAKER~”_ Paula and Lammy are sent back to the future, but Katy, Parappa and Leo are launched away from the time gate as the mysterious attack that hit them blasts them out through the castle wall. The attack also breaks the clock piece the princesses had.

 

“G-GUYS!...” the princesses follow after.

 

The trio crash into than open field “Was that supposed to happen…”

 

“No….N-NO!...WHAT HAPPENED?!” Parappa shouts in fear.

 

The space man descends before them “I happened~”

 

“ **Q?!** HOW?!?! YOU DIED!” Leo yells.

 

“No I didn't~”

 

“YES. YES YOU DID!”

 

“Did I really?~”

 

“YOUR FRONTAL LOBE BOUNCED OFF MY FACE WHEN YOUR HEAD EXPLODED, SO I'D SAY **YEAH YA DID** …”

 

“Hahahaaaaa! I told you you'd regret killing me!~ Had you left me like that, I would've been struggling to do just about anything, but I'd still help out~ Killing me just resets me so I can help better! Either way you were fucked~”

 

“HOW ARE YOU EVEN ALIVE AGAIN?!”

 

“Time listens to ME~ I can just reset back to a point in time from before I died and used what I learned to get better in my new life~ So not only am I alive, but now…” he points to Leo “I can be a bit better prepared for your shenanigans~ In fact! I brought some friends with me who wanted to know where you were!” he snaps his fingers and Archer flies down. Behind him fly down four bigger knights.

 

“Archer…I hoped you'd be away longer…”

 

“Oh believe me Parappa, my wounds are still fresh, but my lust for ripping your head off was just to overwhelming…”

 

“Zo zis is za vorthless fool who made ze monkey out of you?~” one if the knights says. His armor is all blue. He turns his attention to Katy “Vat have ve here?...You look..vamiliar…”

 

“I don’t know you creep!...”

 

“Zo you zay...but...ztill...you look and smell vaguely vamiliar...I vonder vy~...”

 

“So that dog is the one that did you in ey?” a knight in yellow says “You got my surname ey?”

 

“THE SIMILARITIES END THERE!”

 

“What about me ey?? You did my move! I don't like knockoffs…” a knight in orange says.

 

“The only knockoff here is you…”

 

“I like this kid, he's got this arrogant air. I wanna put him in his place!”

 

“HIS HEAD IS MINE PHAZE!”

 

“Naw I won't kill him. Just gonna make him nice and tender for you to finish off~”

 

“Oi lemme help ya Phaze!”

 

“Sure Trance. I'd love to see what you'd do to this lil shit!”

 

“YOU GUYS AIN'T TOUCHING HIM!” Katy launches a water burst at the two only to get stopped by the fourth knight in purple.

 

“OH MY MYYYYY~ Aren't you special and fiesty! Hey Archer, do you mind if I behead this girl? She's got a familiar moxie about her!~ I just got snuff it out~”

 

“I don't care about the other two…”

 

“YAAAAY~ Come on Bass!~ I know you want to as well~”

 

“Very vell. I'd be ze liar if I zaid I did not vant to~ Let us have ze fun Cascade~” the knights slowly walk, but Leo stands in between them all.

 

“I WON'T LET YOU!” Q slams into him, smashing him away.

 

“Archer be a dear and help me keep him at bay~”

 

“WHY?”

 

“He'll get in the way of your revenge!”

 

“Fine…” Archer and Q fly after Leo. Cascade and Bass surround Katy and Trance and Phaze surround Parappa.

 

“Parappa…”

 

“Yes Katy?...”

 

“Ideas?...”

 

“Only one...survive…”

 

“I was afraid you'd say that…” they both in a ready stance. All four knights line in front of them, as stationary as a statue. They do not move, they do not make a sound. Katy gets aggravated and decides to make the first move “DELUGE-”

 

“VANISHING VONDERMENT~” Bass warps before her and deliver a quick knee into her stomach.

 

“GOOOHO…” He follows up with a kick to her lowered head that sends her over to Cascade.

 

“STREAM SIDE SLASH~” he spawns highly pressurized water in the form of whips and repeatedly lashes at her. It slashes her like blades as her clothes are quickly receiving tears. It ends with a final lash that drags her into the ground.

 

“KATY! **LEAVE HER AL-** ” A heavy fist connects into Parappa’s stomach.

 

“Hey lil shit, lemme show you how the ORIGINAL does it! RHAPSODY WRATH!~” Phaze uppercuts the dog into the air where the lightning just spikes him back towards the ground where Trance catches him. He grabs him out of the air with one hand.

 

“ASTRAL BURST!” a large yellow blast ejects out of his hand and into the dogs head as he's launched towards the ground.

 

Meanwhile Leo struggles to keep the two off of him as he uses his guitar to endlessly deflect their attacks “CAN'T BLOCK FOREVER~”

 

“MY BLADE WILL DESTROY THIS PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR ONE!”

 

“JUST TRY IT!...” Q vanishes and reappears behind him in a flying kick that connects with his back “GRAGH…” he's forced to stop blocking as Archer delivers a triple slash that shreds jacket and flings the future kid away.

 

Back with Parappa and Katy, they struggle to get back up as they stare at the four knights who laugh at them “K-Katy…”

 

“Y-Yeah?...”

 

“I don't...I don't think we're gonna find a silver lining here…”

 

“I unfortunately...agree with you…”

 

* * *

 

Lammy and Paula slam into the ground just outside the Heights Hotel.

 

“We're back!...”

 

“B-BUT PARAPPA, KATY AND LEO ARE STILL IN THE PAST…”

 

“I KNOW BUT I DON'T GOT A CLUE OF WHAT TO DO!”

 

They pace back and forth until Lammy speaks up “Y-You call the others! I'll get 16-bits to see if HE c-can help!...”

 

“R-ROGER!”

 

* * *

 

Parappa, Katy and Leo struggle for their lives as they fail to find any opportunity in harming any of the six of them.

 

“DIE DIE EY?! YOU WERE RIGHT! THE SIMILARITIES ENDED THERE~”

 

“COCKY LITTLE SHITS LIKE YOU GONNA LEARN TODAY!~”

 

“YES YES! DANCE YA PRETTY LITTLE THING DANCE!~”

 

“VONDERFUL! VERY VONDERFUL! FIGHT LIKE IT'S ZE LAST CHANCE YOU GOT!~”

 

“DO AS MUCH AS YOU CAN, YOUR TIME IS RUNNING OUT FASTER THAN YOU CAN REACT!~”

 

“I WILL CLEAVE YOUR HEAD OFF AND THE. THAT DAMN PARAPPA’S HEAD. AND NO ONE WILL GET IN MY WAY AGAIN!” They all smash the trio into each other as they decide to finish them off.

 

“ALL TOGETHER NOW BOYS!~” Q shouts as they all ready to kill the three.

 

 **_“THAT'S ENOUGH!”_ ** A green and pink psychic wave shoves them all away. Dew and Trinity run up to the exhausted trio as they stand with both anger and fear.

 

“Oh goody! You turned yourselves in! But can you wait a moment? We're busy dealing with these three~” Q states.

 

“WE'RE NOT TURNING OURSELVES IN…” Trinity screams.

 

“WE'RE HERE TO KICK YOU OUT!...” Dew shouts right after.

 

“Aw that's adorable! Be that is it may, your powers or not you still don't hold adorable candle to us!” Cascade squeals out. They all rush in avoiding the duos attacks and approach them to bat them away.

 

 **_“BACK OFF!”_ ** A blue burst sends them all away farther as Sing stands before her younger sisters.

 

“Oh goody. The last one is here to~” Q dives in “HEADS UP!” he attempts to hit her and she puts up a guard around her and her sisters “PSYCHE~” he stops and launches the attack at Parappa and Katy.

 

“WATCH OUT!...”

 

The two shield themselves from the oncoming attack, but it never arrives. Before them stands Leo, once more in his unconscious state “L-Leo?...” the child drops to their knees.

 

“G-Grrr…”

 

“Leo stop!...” he gets a good look at their face “...You're not you again are you?...” the autopilot body smiles “...whoever you are...c-can you stop?...Using his abilities...hurts him…”

 

“Can't...stop…”

 

“Why not?!”

 

“Their order...keep...safe...forever…” they get back up “Protect...family…” they hold their arms out “From...any...thing dangerous…” Lightning covers them “NO MATTER WHAT! I WILL FOLLOW THAT SUBCONSCIOUS WISH!”

 

Both Katy and Parappa are left stunned as they get back up to “Then we're-”

 

“Gonna help you out!” they all trigger their hearts as they get ready to try again.

 

“Stubborn lot…” Q says as the others get ready to fight them some more. He lowers his guard thinking they can’t do much more.

 

“What's the plan?”

 

“Only...fifteen minutes...like this...body...did not rest enough…unless go all out...then time...go to...Four minutes…”

 

“Then don't go all out!...” Katy shouts.

 

“Have to…”

 

“Why?!”

 

“To make opening!...me make them open!...You two...and Princesses...fight then!...”

 

“Be careful…” Parappa says to the mysterious subconscious control. They smile and flash in blue and yellow electricity as they run off.

 

“What's this one kid gonna-” Trance is immediately silenced.

 

“FLASH. IMPACT!” Leo spawns five electric clones as they all warp before them, delivering a heavy fist to their helmets. They're launched away.

 

“VAT?! VERE DID ZIS COME FROM?!”

 

“ASTRAL BURST!” he fires a yellow beam, but whips it sideways in order to hit all six of them.

 

“WHOA _WHOA!_ HE'S PRETTY FUN TO!...BUT I DON'T LIKE THIS!...” Leo flash steps above them all with his five clones. They all pump their arms to the side.

 

“SOUL _SHOCKEEEEEEEER!”_ they all fire straight down, engulfing the six of them. They break all way from the blast but that's where the five of them appear.

 

“NOW! ALL TOGETHER!” The three princesses and the future duo all blast the open six.

 

“EYAAAAAAAAAGHHHH!” smoke fills the area that they stood at, and when it clears, all of them are trying to catch their breaths.

 

“HAD ENOUGH?!”

 

“CUZ WE HAVEN'T! IT'S TIME TO FINISH YOU GOONS OFF FOR GOOD!”

 

“LET'S MAKE IT FAST AND GROOVY PARAPPA!”

 

“OVER MY DEAD BODY!” Archer rips the clock off from Q’s back.

 

“YOU DOLT, GIVE ME THAT BACK!...” Archer merely kicks Q away.

 

“I'M GONNA USE THIS THING TO UTTERLY ATOMIZE YOU FOOLS!” He stabs it with his blade and charges forward. It spins wildly as he dives forward. They all shoot at him, but the clock sucks it all up.

 

“Aw don't tell that's actually gonna work out for him…” the duo back away as Leo tries blasting him, but Archer absorbs it and launches a blade beam that smacks her away. She gets back up, but flimsily as she's losing the strength to keep at it “Leo!...” Parappa wants so badly to move, but doing do will probably get him absorbed faster by Archer. He then spots Leo holding her hand out. She looks as if she was trying to do Astral Burst again, but nothing would come out of her palm “Come Leo!” nothing and Archer was mere feet away. Parappa then realizes that she's telling HIM to do it! She wants him to grab onto and destroy the thing from point blank. Without any other option, he extends his left hand and grabs onto the clock and stops Archer mud flight.

 

“IT'S TO LATE!~”

 

_FATHER! JUST BELIEVE IN YOURSELF! LEO KNOWS YOU CAN DO IT! WE ALL DO!_

 

“GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” energy flows into Parappa’s hand “ **ASTRAAAAAAAL BUUUUUUURST!”**  the blast slowly starts pushing the knight back.

 

“NOT...ENOUGH...NOT ENOUGH TO MAKE ME LOSE!” The clock was pulling on Parappa to a point it felt like his arm was gonna get ripped off.

 

“COME...ON...I KNOW I CAN BEAT YOU!” the girls tried helping out, but their attacks just kept getting sucked in “I...CAN...WIN…” The clock device starts cracking.

 

“WHAT?!”

 

“ONE...LAST...PUSH!...”

 

“LIKE I’LL LET YOU GET THE CHANCE!...” The jetpack on Archer’s back nearly blows itself out from overloading in order to force himself to push Parappa back.

 

“NGRAAAAAH…” Parappa almost gets overwhelmed if it weren’t for a hand cupping itself around his. He looks to his his child.

 

 **_“NOW FATHER!”_ ** the autopilot body says.

 

 **_“HERE WE GOOOOOOO!”_ ** Together they both push their hands forward. The double Astral Burst annihilates the clock and sends Archer flying away like a paper bag in a storm.

 

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” He slams into the ground back beside the struggling five.

 

“YOU BLUNDERING OAF! I NEED THOSE! WITHOUT IT, MY POWER IS GREATLY LIMITED!!”

 

“YOU STILL HAVE ONE! SO CAN IT!”

 

The six knights begin arguing as the autopilot body collapses onto all fours, waking them up again. Parappa isn’t given the time to help as Leonora calls out to the two of them. The princesses take his place for looking over Leo as he and Katy run up “L-Leonora what is it?!...”

 

“Y-Yeah we’re kinda busy!...”

 

_YOUR BODIES! YOU’RE BOTH READY!_

 

“R-Ready for what?!” They both say.

 

 _THIS! FATHER, HOLD YOUR ARMS TO YOUR SIDE AND PUMP THEM BACK. MOTHER! HOLD YOUR ARMS TOGETHER ABOVE YOUR HEAD!_ That was all they needed to hear to know what they were ready for as they do as told. _SAY THE NAMES!_

 

**“SOUL!”**

 

**“CRUISIN!”**

 

 **“SHOOOOOCKEEEEEEEER!”** Parappa pumps his arms forward.

 

 **“ARIAAAAAAAAAAAA!”** Katy drops her arms before her.

 

A funnel of lightning and water flood out as they head straight for the group of six as the princesses and Leo watch the massive attack head towards them. The two beams unite into a unified mix that just seemingly vaporize the evil group. After what feels like forever, the beam finally stops and the six just stay there. They’re all still alive, but driven to their knees.

 

*Shing*

 

The six of their helmets all break open. The sight paralyzes them all. There were two dogs, two cats, and two possums. Cascade was a calico with a face that seemingly reminded Katy of her father. While Bass seemed to be a blue cat with a face that matched her mother’s if she was male. Phaze was also familiar, long blond hair that flowed over his left eye, and said eyes matched the type that Parappa’s mother used to have. Trance had orange hair in a mullet like style, but his face had traits that Parappa’s father had as did other members of his side of the family like his grandma. Q and Archer were the most shocking of the bunch. Q had the facial structure of the princesses and Zero. With blonde hair like Dew and Hazel eyes like Trinity. And Archer...Archer's face matched Alister’s from the portrait. Every exact detail. Parappa and the group are all left with the inability to talk, until Leo speaks up. Yelling at Q “WHO...JUST WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!...”

 

“...Heh…” Q gets up “Well...I did promise to tell you if you broke my helmet…” He smiles “THEN MY DEAR OLDER SISTER WENT AND BLEW MY HEAD OFF~”

 

“I-I AM NO SISTER TO YOU!...”

 

 **“OH BUT YOU ARE! YOU STAND BEFORE PRINCE QUART ETZ REGIIS! THE FOURTH CHILD TO KING ZERO!~”** Quart’s eyes flare up in a yellow psychic light, much like how the other three’s eyes do when they trigger their powers.

 

“I-It cannot be…” Dew and Trinity are stuck on Quart’s appearance, but Sing is stuck on Archer.

 

“A-Alister?...” she looks heartbroken.

 

“DON’T CALL ME THAT NAME...I AM ARCHER! ARCHER KRANTZ!” He gets up to his feet. It’s then noticed that he has an oblong neck gear. On it is a symbol that Parappa recalled seeing in his dreams of Leo. The symbol belonged to those who followed Bohemian “I AM NOT THAT PATHETIC WEAKLING ALISTER. I KILLED HIM WITH MY BARE HANDS, AND FROM THE FALL ROSE ARCHER!”

 

“N-NO!...NO YOU’RE NOT ARCHER!...YOU ARE ALISTER CROWLEY!...Y-YOU WERE OUR HERO!...Y-You were _my_ hero…”

 

“NOT ANYMORE DEAR SISTER~ THANKS TO HELP FROM MY GRACIOUS CARETAKER TYCOON, THE OLD AND BLAND ALISTER CROWLEY IS NOW THE NEW AND IMPROVED ARCHER KRANTZ! A SUBSTANTIAL BOON IF I DO SAY SO MYSELF!~ THE OBEDIENCE NODES EMBEDDED IN HIS CORPSE REALLY ARE MY BEST WORK!~ HE IS OUR LOYAL KNIGHT WITHOUT FAIL AND URGE OF TREASON!~”

 

“YOU ROBBED A HERO OF HIS WILL!” Leo shouts.

 

“A SOLDIER DOESN’T NEED FREE WILL! HE IS BUT ANOTHER DRONE THAT FOLLOWS THE HIGHER UPS! ONLY NOW HE’S MUCH MORE EFFICIENT!~”

 

“You really have been in Tycoons care...that was always his damn view on life...WELL GUESS WHAT ASSHOLE, PEOPLE AREN’T JUST YOUR LOYAL BATTERIES!”

 

“SHOWS WHAT YOU KNOW! SOON ALL OF THE FUTURE WORLD WILL ALSO END UP IN A SAME FATE AS THIS LOVELY FELLOW~” Quart quickly deflects a blue wave.

 

“R-RETURN ALISTER AT ONCE!”

 

“MAKE ME!~”

 

While this goes down Katy and Parappa are just internally destroyed.

 

“K-Katy…”

 

“I-I know...i-it’s our ancestors…”

 

“W-Why...why are they helping the bad guys?!...”

 

“Ancestor? Yeah I can believe it.”

 

“Me...related to this lil shit?...how upsetting.”

 

“Vell zis is a zurprise...zo you’re my eventual descendant?~ Vat a funny vay life decides to vork~”

 

“I’m related to a fun pack a punch like you? JOY!~ Oh but you’re on the enemy team, so I HAVE to kill you!~”

 

“You know Cascade, vis means ve are related eventually.”

 

“I’m ok with that! Bass you’re ALWAYS fun to be around!~”

 

“Ey, this means we’re related eventually to Phaze.”

 

“And what of it?? I could care less!...But I guess your powers compliment mines. Think of all the cultivating through the years! By the time our lineages hook up...we get…”

 

“Him. And you know? Despite being a nuisance, I couldn’t have asked for a better descendant!”

 

“Feh...I can’t believe I agree with you...but little shit here would be the only thing I approve of in a eventual successor!”

 

“OOOOH OOOOOOOH! SAME HERE WITH US, NO BASS?~ THINK OF THE AMAZING PRODIGY THAT MUST’VE EVENTUALLY COME FROM IT!”

 

“Vell zat is a very pretty thought~...And zere zhe is right before us...I’m very content with the little firecracker zhe ended up being~ Tell me, you pretty little thing...Vats your name?~”

 

“My name is Katy Kat!...”

 

“OOOOOOOH! MY NAME IS THE NAME THAT BECOMES THE SURNAME?~”

 

“Vell there’s always a drawback...oh vell! Zhe’s still got my blood in her!~ And I’m satisfied enough~”

 

“Feeeh...it annoys me that my name is trounced out eventually...but having this spry sport more than makes up for it!~” All four knights walk forward “It’s a shame...we gotta snuff you out!”

 

“Yeah, youse got quite some fighting spirit...but that just means we gotta get serious…” The dogs charge up in a yellow light while Cascade is covered in a blue light, but Bass is covered in a white light. They all dive in towards the duo and begin hammering them around brutally with no end. As this happens Leo struggles to fend off Quart with Dew and Trinity as Sing tries, and fails, at parrying Alister with her sword against his.

 

“YOU KNOW ‘LEO’, YOU’RE IN A LOSING POSITION HERE! AND NOW YOU HAVE THE ADDED FAILURE OF BEING TRAPPED HERE SINCE I DESTROYED YOUR WAY BACK!~”

 

“I CAN JUST KILL YOU AGAIN!”

 

“IDIOT! DID YOU NOT LEARN THAT DOING SO IS EFFECTIVELY JUST MAKING YOUR LIFE WORSE?~”

 

“THEN I’LL KEEP KICKING YOUR ASS TILL YOU’RE DONE FOR GOOD!”

 

“GOOD LUCK ACHIEVING THAT! YOU’RE GONNA HAVE TO KILL ME NOW TO PROVE IT!~”

 

“I GOT THE PERFECT WAY TO DO THAT!” Leo vomits out blood into Quart’s face, blinding him.

 

“WHAT?!?! WHO THE HELL DOES THAT!?!?!?”

 

“Augh...for once...i’m happy my body does this whenever I get really beat up~...” He woozily holds himself in place.

 

“GAH...IT’S ALL OVER MY EYES…” Quart pathetically tries to wipe his face clean, but in the process, Leo manages to gain enough vigor to perform one last assault on Quart before his body shuts down.

 

“T-TAKE THIIIIIS!” Leo smashes his knee into Quart’s stomach, followed by a rising scissor kick that launches him to the sky. He then leaps up after him with his guitar. He violently yanks the chord and transforms the thing into a large sledgehammer. He drives it onto the evil prince's back and snaps his spine in two as he’s driven to the ground again. Leo flops onto the floor as well, his body giving out completely as he once again lays like a limp ragdoll. The clock that was on Quart’s torso rolls away from him. The impact with the ground wipes his eyes clean as he sees his final time manipulating device roll away from him.

 

“N-NO! NONONONONONONONONONONONONONO!...” He can’t get up anymore due to his legs no longer working so he crawls after the thing instead. It finally stops rolling and he quickly approaches it “Y-YES!...” it’s kicked away by a green shoe “NO!........O-Oh hello elder sisters~...” Quart stares at Dew and Trinity with a gulp, both are holding onto Leo’s gun as their power flows into it “Y-You wouldn’t kill your little brother again now would you...e-especially now that he’s paralyzed from the waist down!...R-Right?~...”

 

“YOU ARE NO BROTHER OF OURS! NOW GET OUT OF KINGDOM!... **_AGAIN!_ ** ” they both fire the bullet together as it just ends up a large pink and green stream that utterly vaporizes Quart’s body.

 

Leo plucks his head up “T-That’s one!...F-Five more to go…” Leo turns his attention to Sing and Alister “A-ALISTER! FIGHT IT! IT ISN’T YOU!” Leo struggles to get up “YOU’RE A HERO DAMMIT! YOU’RE GONNA LET SOME RANDOM JERK FROM THE FUTURE TELL YOU WHAT TO DO?!...”

 

“SHUT THE HELL UP!” He kicks Sing away “STOP CALLING ME ALISTER! I’M ARCHER! ARCHER _ARCHER_ **_ARCHER!_ ** ” The node on his neck goes haywire as his red eyes turn violet. His body is zapped in a red light as if it were being overloaded. Was he fighting the control? “I AM...I-I AM…” His body explodes in a puff as smoke as he slumps over.

 

“A-Alister?...” Sing gets off the ground and stares at the seemingly unconscious knight “Alister??...” She walks up to him, but Leo’s nose goes crazy.

 

“YOUR MAJESTY STOP!...” Sing immediately halts. Just then the body jerks back to life.

 

“I **AM** ARCHER KRANTZ!~”

 

“NO!...”

 

Wind funnels around Alister as he laughs like a lunatic. His entire body was crackling. He didn’t beat the mind control, he somehow made it worse on himself “I AM THE PERFECT KNIGHT ARCHER! LEADER OF THE CRAZY KINGS’ ROYAL GUARD! THE MOST FLAWLESS INDIVIDUAL THERE IS! AND YOUR ETERNAL NIGHTMARE!” His wind expands and blasts Katy, Parappa and even his fellow knights away. A rose flies around from his wild wind and he catches it within his hand. He sniffs it before laughing crazily once more “DIE DIE! DANCE AND DIE!~” Sharp wind blades slash at the six people fighting “SWEAT, BEAUTIFUL SWEAT! FEEL THAT COLD SENSATION OF FEAR!” Large pressurized air impacts them all like cannonballs “BLOOD, WONDERFUL BLOOD! BLEED FOR ME! CRY FOR ME! **_DIE_ ** FOR MEEEEEEE!~” A cyclone scoops them up and tosses them straight down. The four knights break out safely, but Parappa and Katy collide with the ground hard “MINE **MINE!** THIS ENTIRE PLANET IS MIIIIIINE!~” Alister had completely lost it.

 

“Gah...the damn mind control thing’s gone haywire…”

 

“Only Q can fix it, but he went and DIED on us again...oi what a fool…”

 

“Not fun...but he can’t really hurt us… So let’s join the fun!~”

 

“Ve can fix him later ya? Just let him tucker himself out and ve can handle ze rest.” Bass continues his fighting stance “But I don’t vant him to zteal my fun~...”

 

“ALL OF YOU ARE BUT PEONS TO ME! YOU CANNOT BREAK ME! YOU CANNOT COMMAND ME! AHAHAHAHAAAAA!”

 

“ALISTER STOP IT!...” Sing shouts at the knight. He turns his head to look at the princess.

 

“Did you not learn?”

 

“Learn what?!”

 

“Learn what! Learn what? BEEP BEEP! Alister is not here, please leave a message after the beep. BEEP! YOU HAVE REACHED THE BODY RESIDENCE OF ARCHER! NOW PISS **OFF!** ” He holds his arm up and back. He then pushes forward, firing a large barrage of sharp wind blades headed directly for her, and there was no way of avoiding them.

 

“A-ALISTER PLEASE!...” Sing pleads.

 

“ALISTER DON’T DO IT!” Dew and Trinity beg the knight.

 

“WAKE UP DAMMIT!” Leo shouts at the unshifting knight.

 

The wind near Sing as she holds her arms and sword up in defense as she’s covered by the storm, but in no time at all...it’s completely over. And she is free of harm. She opens her eyes to see Parappa standing before her. The sound of thunder appearing their after. He had flash stepped over to her and took the entirety of the attack. His shirt was completely destroyed and as a result, there were cut marks everywhere around his body, but thankfully none to severe for him “P-Parappa?..Why did-”

 

“I am...not one to...sit back...if someone’s in danger...I jump...then and there!”

 

“B-But I...I was terrible to you...I don’t deserve to be saved by you…”

 

“That’s...a matter of perspective~... You had your fair reasons for acting so hostile…” He turns his gaze to Alister “Now more so than ever…” he drops his block “And I ain’t going down...TILL THE FIVE OF THEM ARE OUT!”

 

“YOU ALSO WANT TO MESS WITH ARCHER?! WELL STEP O-” A large torrent of smashes into him, throwing off his balance “EEEYEEEGHHH…”

 

Katy was seen in the air, flying with minimal injuries. The Katy on the ground turned out to be a backup dancer “Lucky me...managed to learn how to teleport...came in handy when getting out of the messy wind storm caused by this idiot...and my belt was still functional enough to play it off…” She floats back down to Parappa “I’ve had about enough of them to...but we aren’t exactly fit to take them all on…”

 

“So you’re telling me you’re giving up?”

 

“Hell no! I’m just saying, don’t expect anything but an uphill battle! Do you believe we can win?”

 

“Do you believe in me?”

 

“Never stopped. What about you?”

 

“I always believed in you Katy!” They give each other weak smiles. Just then the clock that Leo knock off of Quart starts shaking. It spawns a time rift that shows the others in the future.

 

_“EUREKA! I MANAGED TO MAKE A CONNECTION!...sort of…”_

 

 _“C-Close enough M-Mister Sixteen!...”_ In the rift, Sunny, Lammy, Rammy, Paula, Ma-san, Matt, PJ and Sweety were all seen.

 

 _“They’re still alright!”_ Paula shouts.

 

_(“Barely…sheesh, did you guys get hit by a freight train or something?!”)_

 

“Pretty sure what hit us is much...much worse...right Parappa?...”

 

“H-Hoo yeah...not fun…”

 

“Oooooh! They’re talking to the future! AND IGNORING US!...”

 

“Ve should fix that ya?~” the four knights all nod as they head off towards the duo. Alister gets back up finally as he angrily snarls.

 

“HOW DARE YOU MESS WITH A FLAWLESS BEING!”

 

 _“BEHIND YOU!...”_ PJ shouts. However the duo merely sigh as they turn back around.

 

“Katy...what you got left in you…?”

 

“The only liquid left that I can control is my pee, my sweat, my tears and my blood...and i’m currently leaking three out of those four things so it’s not effective control.”

 

“Gross.”

 

“You’re telling me. The real mystery is figuring out which three it is, cuz I got no clue!”

 

“Body numb?”

 

“Hoo yeah baby. Ever since that blue german asshole kneed me in the gut.’

 

“Yeah same here...I guess the better question would be which you ain’t leaking!”

 

“For obvious reason.” She slams her foot down as she enters her fighting pose one last time ‘I’m gonna hope it’s not my pee.”

 

“Same here!” He readies up his martial fighting pose.

 

“Heh...funny, didn’t know you could control water to!”

 

“Ooooh no. I have less ‘control’ than you do currently!”

 

“Gross.”

 

“Exactly! So on that note, I’m gonna hope it’s not pee either!” They both laugh in delirium as the knights get closer. The princesses merely stay back. Quart was weaker than the knights so he was easy to dispatch. The rest of them...not so much.

 

_“W-We have faith in you guys!...”_

 

 _“Yeah! What Lammy said! We know that if anyone can handle any threat head on, it’s you two!”_ Sweety shouts out. The notions gets their energy hearts to beat louder and more brightly.

 

“Heh...do you now?~...”

 

“Then believe in us till the bitter end! Cuz we’re gonna win this!...” As Katy says that, she and Parappa charge forward.

 

“Ready boys?~” the knights all ready up “HERE’S MY VERSION OF MY MOVE YOU STOLE~ CRUISIN ARIA!~” Cascade fires off the water blast.

 

“VOCAL DEVASTATION!” Bass yells at such a high intensity as the vocal laser blasts out.

 

“You used a punier version of my move and as a result gave it a lesser name? Let me show you the ORIGINAL!” Trance pumps arms back “MAGNA GROOVE ECLIPSE!” A ginormous electric wave flies out towards the duo. The original form of the soul shocker was a terrifying sight.

 

“Everyone’s certainly getting into it...oh why not~...BEAT STAR RAZE!~” sharp shooting stars fly out in a machine gun manner.

 

Archer holds his arm up as a endless surge of wind rushes about “CYCLONE AVALANCHE!” the five attacks converge into one as it heads straight for the two.

 

Said two say one more thing before the attack hits them “Hey Katy.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I think I found the answer to what I still had control over.”

 

“Was it pee?”

 

“It was not.”

 

“Ah. No worries. Same here. So what was it?”

 

“Tears. Turns out I ain’t goin out crying. That’s a first!”

 

“Heh. Same here again~” they run directly into the blast.

 

“Awww...they just gave up! Who does that! It ruins the fun…”

 

“SIR RAPPA! MISS KATY! NOOOO!” Trinity shouts as she had to held back by Dew.

 

“Vat an amazing vay of thinking...vunderful, absolutely vunderbar!”

 

“So is the fate of those who mess with the flawless Archer~” the blast clears and the land is empty.

 

“PARAPPA! KATY!” Leo tries to force her body up, using pure anger and devastation to get onto her feet. No luck though as the body just can't muster anything.

 

“Well, all that's left is the downed lad ey?”

 

“Yep. Then we get the princesses.”

 

They all walk towards the cowering girls, but are stop by water and static that cycles around into a ball. It creates heavy storm clouds that also get absorbed by the ball. Eventually the ball turns into the shape of a person that dispels all that excess energy “Whew. What a rush!” Leonora had returned once more.

 

“Vat in all Hell iz zat…”

 

“It's both of em ey?...”

 

“Both?...OH IT IS BOTH!~ They're alive!”

 

“But they merged into one being??...but...how?! Even for us, that's a damn near impossibility!!”

 

“You dare think you're more perfect than I?!”

 

“Hello one and all. I am Leonora Kat Rappa! We merged in the peak of that attack once their emotions hit max bonding. And while they haven't mastered the ability to turn into their pure element to melt away and avoid pain on the fly, I can~ And so POOF! I'm unscathed and angry! My pants are soaked in two times the urine and my mouth tastes bad thanks to two times the blood! I could care less about the sweat though. It's proof of my...of OUR continued resistance!” Leonora drops before them “And now… it's time to make you go away!”

 

“You may have merged into one, but now you're even more outnumbered you cocky brats!”

 

“Yeah, you have me outnumbered…” Leonora flares up in water and electricity as her dual heart appears. Her eyes matched Leo's when she lost it “But I have you outclassed~” she spawns a plethora of clones “And outgunned~” she pulls out the gift microphone. It explodes with power as it turns into a beam great sword that she holds with one hand much like Zero did “You're lucky I can't kill any of you. Despite being an asshole, he's being control to BE an asshole, so I gotta spare Alister.”

 

“ARCHER!” the possessed knight screams

 

“And if I kill any of the rest of ya...I'll cease to exist! Unless you lot are already dads! But I highly doubt it!” she holds the sword over her shoulder “So for now…” she smiles as her power surges and the clones melt away into her to power her up further **_“BEATING YOU WITH IN AN INCH OF YOUR LIFE SHOULD GET YOU ALL TO SEE THE POOR DECISIONS YOU MADE IN LIFE!”_** She reverts the sword back into a microphone and tucks it into her pockets.

 

“BRING IT!” Phaze shouts. Leonora warps towards him, her fist appearing straight into his face.

 

“FLASH IMPACT!” He's sent stumbling as blood ejects from his nose. The others try to hit her, but she teleports away again and reappears before Bass. She drives her knee in his stomach “VANISHING WONDERMENT!” the knight is down immediately. She then quickly whips around and holds out both her hands “ASTRAL DELUGE!” she blasts away the three other knights as she flies off into the sky “CHECK THIS OUT! A LEONORA ORIGINAL!” she holds her left hand to the sky as multiple lights start to gather in her palm. The power flows down her arm and pump into her heart. She drops her hand and aims at the knights while an ethereal heart spawns in front of her hand. It expands and splits off and reforms into a large cannon gauntlet around her arm. It charges up as she laughs “HEART BREAKER IMPACT!~” it fires out to the sound of a guitar riff as all knights are swept away. The rest of their armor is destroyed, but they still fling themselves after her “IDIOTS! The cannon melts away and she dives over to meet them “RHAPSODY OF SORROWS!” she performs a punch and kick combo that heavily brutalized them all. It ends with a swift kick that smashes them all down onto top of each other, followed by a diving fist overflowing with lightning that explodes upon impact with them. She lands before Leo, the princesses and the time rift as the lightning escalates into a bigger explosion before clearing up “Tada!~” the princesses stay silent with amazement.

 

“Leonora...you're outstandingly wonderful~...” Leo says.

 

“Aw you~” she waves her hand. The friends seen from the time rift all cheer, but stop once they tell her to turn around “I haaaate you guys...can't you just stay down and learn your lesson…?” they all charge up to fire their joint blast again “Uuuuuugh...fine...I'll take you on one last time! And if I win, you guys give up!” they fire their attack, only it's much much larger and stronger from their final act of desperation “Huh… Never underestimate the last stand… This might actually be a problem…”

 

 _“YOU GUYS CAN DO IT! YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH HARDER THINGS!”_ Matt shouts

 

 _“YOU'RE WAY STRONGER THAN THEY ARE LEONORA!”_ PJ shouts right after.

 

“THEY'RE RIGHT!...I-IF ANYONE CAN SAVE THE DAY…” Sing speaks through overwhelming emotions _“THEN IT'S OUR NEW HERO!_ **_YOU!!_ ** _”_

 

Leonora feels her chest tighten up “Guys…” she turns around “YOU'RE GOD DAMN RIGHT!~ TIME FOR THE FINALE! HERE'S THE POWER OF THE RESET STORM YOU IDIOTS!” She holds her hands above her head “Cruising…”

 

 _“LEONORA!”_ PJ, Matt, Sweet and Sunny shout.

 

 _“NOIR!”_ Ma-san and Rammy shout.

 

 _“YOU GOT THIS LEONORA!”_ Paula and Lammy shout.

 

A green, red, orange, indigo, violet, brown, white and pink heart flow through the time rift and over to Leonora as she pumps her arms to her side.

 

“YOU GUYS CAN DO THIS! YOU'RE-” Leo shouts as the princesses pick up for them.

 

“MY KNIGHT!” A pink heart with the Roman numeral three flies over to Leonora once Trinity shouts.

 

“MY GUARDIAN!” a pink heart with the Roman numeral two floats over to the fused girl after Dew Etz shouts.

 

“MY HEROOOOOO!” a yellow heart and a pink heart with a Roman numeral one both fly over to the catgirl as Leo and Sing shout this out together.

 

Her eyes flare up with the two elements she can control. All the hearts fuse into hers **“SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUL!!!”** she drives her hands forward. A green super cell powered burst flies out of her hands. Once it leaves, it turns into a rainbow blast that collides the other one **“IT'S THE CLIMAX BOYS, BOW NOW CUZ IT'S CURTAINS FOR YOU!”**

 

“GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” everyone behind the girl shouts, causing the blast to break through the knights combined beam.

 

“Vould you look at zat…”

 

“Ooooh...n-not...funny…”

 

“I'm the one getting put in their place?!...”

 

“Ey waddaya know…”

 

“ARCHER...CAN'T...LOSE!...” the beam blasts them all, vaporizing everything but them. They were spared thanks to half of the attack being the soul shocker, which cannot kill if the owner does not want to. They all lay on the ground and soon weakly get back up.

 

“R-Retreat!...” Cascade says as he holds out his hand.

 

“OH NO YOU DON'T!” Leonora tries to telekinetically grab them, but she's to late as Cascade snaps his fingers, warping the five away “Dammit...they got away with Alister…” she kicks the dirt as she turns around, only to be hugged by the three princesses “Whoa hey! Don't hug me! Aw gross...I'm a mess right now! You're ruining your dresses!...” the princesses merely repeat ‘thank you’ over and over, ignoring her “Aw geez...yeah yeah...you're welcome…~"

 

* * *

 

It is later at night, at a new castle hideaway. Leo can walk once more and the others have since defused. A quick wash and change of clothes for everyone and we're again watching goodbyes from Katy, Parappa and Leo.

 

“Thanks again for everything!” Dew bows before them.

 

“I only wish we could've done more. They still have Alister and they're all still working for the Crazy Kings…” Parappa says dejectedly.

 

“Not to mention that Quart will be back...so they'll be back to cause more trouble once the five of them heal up…” Katy adds on.

 

“But if they do...we'll be back again!” Leo hands them the new clock gotten from Quart “Just give us a call~”

 

“Will do!” Trinity takes the clock happily. Sing however, walks up to Parappa.

 

“P-Please...Please do not go…”

 

“Sorry your maj-”

 

“Sing. Just Sing…”

 

“...I'm sorry Sing, but we have our own time to help out in! And besides! We'll be back whenever you call us! We won't turn our backs on you! We'll help out until the Crazy Kings are no more!” he holds her hands along with Leo and Katy. She smiles as she plants a kiss on each of their foreheads.

 

“I trust you~...”

 

Parappa this time performs the heart link on Dew as they activate the time gate once more. They're sent back to the future, and three of them land right where their friends are all grouped up “T-THEY MADE IT BACK~” the group was no time piling on the late trio.

 

“Gahaha!... Sorry we're late guys~...”

 

“Oh atleast you guys are alive!...what are you wearing?” Paula asks as she looks at them.

 

“Eheh...knight gear was all they had~...”

 

“Then why is Leo in a princess outfit?” Matt asks.

 

“Cuz I asked for this~ No way was I gonna wear stuff armor on the trip back! Plus I look good in this dress~”

 

“I asked to wear the armor! It fits me nicely~” Katy swoons over the getup she's wearing.

 

“Man you guys have seen better days…” PJ says as he catches some scuff marks on their faces.

 

“But we're still standing! Proudly to!” Parappa and Katy embrace the victory while Leo just shakes his head.

 

“All this just gave me my next objective.”

 

“Which is?”

 

“Get Soren and Rize to hurry their vacation! We're gonna start getting to a point where we're gonna be eating mud in our upcoming fights. A healer is gonna be a necessity…Poppy still hasn't reunlocked the ability so I gotta call my other pals back so they can get back to it!”

 

“Makes sense...especially since these two doofuses are gonna be the most prone to getting hurt. Having a medic would be nice.” PJ snickers as the two merely puff up in annoyance.

 

“I-I’m sorry! I'm trying but it's hard when I don't even know how to! I'm already happy and joyful but that ain't triggering anything…”

 

“Take your time Poppy. We still got Leo's friends to help out!” Parappa says then turns to his child “So when we going?”

 

“Eh? It's just gonna be me and the others.”

 

“Aw but let us come with! We wanna meet them to!”

 

“It's not a road trip...oh fine...meet with me tomorrow at 16-bits’ lab and we'll head off.”

 

“Why his lab?...”

 

“You'll see.” they all shrug in agreement “Good! Now if you don't mind!” he deflates “I'm gonna sleep the day away…”

 

“Heh…” Katy and Parappa follow their example “Us to…” PJ scoops up the two tired friends of his “Alright. Let's get you two to bed. They all head off, waving goodbye to the boy who waves back. Leo then looks up to the sky.

 

_Your secrets are safe with me Sing. I hope mine are safe with you to._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credit goes to Bonnie Tyler, for a song almost everyone should know! If not, it's I need a hero! And hey, I actually managed to upload this on my birthday. What luck!


	58. Time creates all wounds

“So that’s everything that happened this time dad.”

 

“Remarkable...So I asked for either of her sister’s names, her father’s name, or their last name. And you gave me all of them!” He leans back in his chair and holds his fingertips together, humming as he does so “Zeronia, Sing Yula, Dew Etz and Trinity Regiis...and the child who was left behind from the time loop that Zeronia created from his desires...Quart Etz Regiis...who works for BoTy now and can mess with time…” He groans “The names make it all the more easier to figure stuff out, but as you told me...the kingdom is hard to find because it’s trying to not be found out all. So I’m gonna do my best to help you out with this. With Quart there and his objective still in mystery...that time period must be helped completely as fast as possible...so finding more about it should help…”

 

“And 16-bits still has the older model of the time travel device!...Just...needs to figure out how to actually MAKE it time travel...all he can do with it so far is make it LOOK through time…”

 

“Time travel is going to be a tricky thing to get working...Quart managed to make it work, but I doubt HE’S gonna tell us...so we’re on our own for now...It’s just a matter of YOU waiting for the princesses to call you over.”

 

“Right…” He grips onto his seat tightly “All this stuff going on…”

 

“Something bugging you my boy?...”

 

He recalls being a great inventor in the future, yet he had done nothing to further his craft now. Being surrounded by those who already are started making him feel like he didn’t need to be, but that couldn’t have been farther away from the truth. Especially since his father, his sister AND his eventual child are still out here pushing their craft. He should’ve been inspired by now, but instead he had gotten to lazily attached to the idea of relying on others “I’ve been ignoring something that I really had to start getting a move on with…” He looks up “Time to give my brain a workout!”

 

“What do you have in mind Parappa?...”

 

“For now...small steps since I’m kinda gonna be busy these upcoming days. That and...time travel is waaaay out of my league...for now. My first objective...well. It’s time to involve an old friend in my adventures! Especially since my kid gave me this-” He plucks out his microphone “Incredible gift! He got inspired to use his brain! Time for me to do the same! There’s people to help and time periods to liberate! But for now, I got new friends to meet! See ya dad!”

 

“See ya son!” He soon hears the house door open and close. He spins his chair around and stares at the wall with mixed negative emotions “...Kingdom of Arcadia...rule by the royal lineage of the Regiis...I feel like I know what the end result was...and it’s not a good one...Parappa my boy...I know you’re special enough to change bad outcomes for the better...but can you alter history?...” He laughs at himself “Oh...you probably can! With that moxie of yours! Who knows what you can do once you put your mind to it! After all...Junior altered his! It wouldn’t surprise me to see you alter theres for the better.” He smiles as he plucks his hat off and scratches his head “I truly wanna see what you’ll do.” He hops out of his chair “For now, time to do some research! My son gave me quite the brain teaser to work with! Let’s learn about the hidden kingdom!” He happily walks off, giddy at the fact of trying to crack this secret.

 

* * *

 

_The future_

 

Lacey is seen fiddling with the helmet some more.

 

“Geez girl! Why not glue the thing to your hands!” Euphoria says with a laugh, watching the girl refuse to let go of the helmet.

 

“Oh leave me be! Everyday I just see more and more and I just...just-...”

 

“Just?~”

 

“Fall in love all over again~...”

 

“So you fully admit to never losing your feelings for the guy and the fact that he indeed, has not changed!”

 

“M-Maybe so~...”

 

“You’re a hopeless romantic Lace.” the ram rolls her eyes as her arms wrap behind her own head. She then just watches the teddy bear resume her action until she finds a video in its own separate save space.

 

“Hello...what do we have here…’Do Not Open! (If you're wondering if this includes you, since you're thinking about it, the answer is yes.)’”

 

“With a domain name like that, you're just begging to have it opened!” the teddy back spaces away “Unless of course, you're a pansy who blindly follows the empty threat of words...Lacey seriously? What's he gonna do about it! Jack squat since he ain't here!”

 

“It's clearly personal and or private! I gotta respect his wishes! Give respect to receive resp-”

 

“Could be nudes of his since he's an adult now.”

 

“THEN THAT MAKES ME WANNA OPEN IT LESS!...” she looks away, flustered. Her pink body slowly turns red as steam pours from her head while her eyes turn into dizzying swirls. She presses some buttons and heads back to that file and opens it.

 

“Haha. Course _that'd_ win ya over~”

 

“SHUT UP!...” a video begins playing, but it was actually a tame video. It's time stamp was months before the day the suit came to them.

 

_“So how's your progress going buddy?”_

 

_“No luck Athena…”_

 

_“Ah...is this song really such a big deal? You said that you’re not even making it for the public.”_

 

_“I know...but it’s important to me... it’s just emotions that I wanna vent out in song form...ya feel me? I already got most of the lyrics all done…”_

 

_“Ah...so then what’s the issue?”_

 

_“The beat it’s supposed to be sung to...Lot of good finishing the lyrics will do me if I have no clue how to sing em…”_

 

_“Oooooh. Yeah that is a problem. Want me to help?”_

 

_“Maybe another time...I gave myself a headache over this... and I wanna rest up for abit…”_

 

_“Why not hang out with me? I can guarantee you’ll get this off your mind!~”_

 

_“Weren’t you gonna hang out with your girlfriend today?...”_

 

_“Nah...I was gonna, but she’s sick and so she doesn’t want me near her as to not infect me.”_

 

_“But...you don’t get sick…”_

 

_“That’s what I said to her! But she was adamantly worried all the same…”_

 

_“I mean it shows she cares for you!”_

 

_“I know, but it bums me out all the same that she didn’t want me to help take care of her!...”_

 

 _“Eh, maybe she doesn’t want to be a bother.”_ He gets up _“Why not I go help you try again?~ So she doesn’t feel like that and so you can help her out!”_

 

_“I’d love that man!”_

 

_“Then let’s go! Anything to get my mind off this!”_

 

_“Aight!”_

 

_“Just let me save the lyrics in my helmet as a safety measure…”_

 

_“What happens if it breaks?”_

 

_“Oh, what’s saved in one helmet is saved in all my helmets so no worries over that!”_

 

_“Handy!”_

 

_“Indeed! Now…’Do not open! (If you’re wondering if this includes you, since you’re thinking about it, the answer is yes.)’ And done!”_

 

_“Buddy wouldn’t a name like that make it so people WANT to open it?”_

 

_“Well yes, but it’s just to remind myself more easily as to what I’m storing here!”_

 

_“Eh...only you would.”_

 

 _“Shuuuush. Let’s go!”_ the video ends.

 

“Aw lame...a vent song???”

 

“Euphoria it’s not lame!...” The helmet automatically shows the lyrics on its screen “Oh...hm…” She reads the lyrics “Oooh...vent lyrics indeed...but yeah they’re unfinished.”

 

“Lemme see!”

 

“Didn’t you just call this lame??”

 

“Hey not my fault! You’re making it sound super interesting!”

 

“Well to bad! You were rude!”

 

“Laaaaaaaace!...”

 

“Nope~” The teddy bear puts the helmet on “If you wanna hear it, then help me sneak into the old recording booth your mom and the others used to use~”

 

“What? Why???”

 

“I’m gonna sing this song~”

 

“You are??????”

 

“Yep~ It has to be finished! And finish it I will!” The bear runs off.

 

“Oh joy...But Lace they’re gonna hear you!”

 

“They wooon’t! And besides they don’t even go there anymore!”

 

The black sheep groans “Come ooooon, it’s not gonna end well...they’re gonna find you out! How the heck am I even gonna sneak you-”

 

“GIRLS CAN YOU PLEASE COME DOWN HERE!” Both girls are alerted to the voice that calls for them.

 

“...Dad?...What could he want??”

 

“And why’d he call for all of us??”

 

“It must be something big and important!...Come on Euphoria!”

 

“I’m movin i’m movin!” Lacey plucks the helmet off and tosses it to her bed and runs off with the ram downstairs. The door to the room is shut as the girls rush onwards. While that happens, a time gate opens up in her room as Quart pops in.

 

“Hehehe…~ Mymy...I did not expect my little opportunity making to take effect so quickly!~ Showbiz works fast... But this is good!~ With the ‘grownups’ out of the way...soon Europa’s little friends can play in the past to~...” he laughs deviously “I may not be able to do anything...but that doesn’t mean you idiots can’t fuck yourselves up and get launched into the past as well...after all! I can’t touch you, but you lot can touch me~...” he snaps his fingers and vanishes as abruptly as he arrived.

 

* * *

 

All the young adult girls along with the twin preteen girls all just try to get a word in edgewise to the adults that are all fleeting back inside the house and back out to stuff in more equipment within their cars. Eventually they all grab one of them and hold them in place enough to speak a little more on the matter. The person they grabbed was Sweety.

 

“G-Girls we’re busy! We already told you everything and so you’re set to g-”

 

“Mom I know, but you guys just brought this up so suddenly! It’s nearly impossible to take in!...”

 

“Ok yes, I will admit that this news is incredibly last minute.”

 

“OF COURSE IT IS! Out of the blue you guys finally get an opportunity to go on tour again from a massive project setup?!”

 

“Yes, but it’s all been verified and checked to show that it’s all legit. Everything down to the coordinators, the locations and whatnot! The producers also had to dig deep to make sure everything was proper and it all was!”

 

“M-Mrs. Berri this is still to much!...A-Are you sure you all wanna do this??...”

 

“Listen Ewena. You and the rest of you all know about how life’s been difficult ever since...well...you know. And so opportunities like these were always shut down and it’s caused a great deal of issues...now we finally get another shot that Parappa finally AGREED on! This is BIG for many reasons! It shows that Parappa finally adjusted...after TWELVE YEARS!... It shows that he’s finally ready, both mentally and physically, to go back out again and perform! And not just perform, but to show the world and everyone in it that he’s back to his old self again!...S-Somewhat...b-baby steps you know!...” she sighs “It wasn’t Leavin’ to Believin’ completely without him…and this is also good in the terms of finance!...Managing this big old place was easy back when we were all still working amazingly...and ever since Parappa’s dropoff and seclusion...boy did we struggle… now with this, we can finally get back into making things more stable!” the girls all look to each other and nod.

 

“Be that as it may Miss Berri…” Olivia then struggles to say anything else “Erm...how long are you all gonna be gone?...”

 

“Months is all I can say. No set amount. Heck, we could be gone a YEAR…maybe longer.”

 

“WHAT?!” All the girls minus Olivia shout.

 

“I-I was afraid of that Miss…”

 

“We have alot of ground to make up for…”

 

“You’re right...it’s just…”

 

“To much to handle?”

 

“Yeah…”

 

Sweety then walks over to Lacey “You and the other girls are in charge of the house! You don’t really have to worry about taxes and all that sort of deal since we’ll be managing that from where we’ll be! All you lot have to manage is taking care of yourselves...and especially these two!” She eyes the twins.

 

“Roger that mom. We’ll be fine, won’t we girls?” They all give a deflated sign of agreement “Eheh...we’ll get by.” Parappa is then seen walking up to them.

 

“Don’t worry much on this front girls, my sister will be dropping by to help you all keep steady.”

 

“Oh!...Is Ms. Pinto bringing over Beat?”

 

“Course she is. Beat would love to come back here! But that aside...SWEETY COME ON! WE’RE GONNA BE LATE!”

 

“R-RIGHT!...” they both grab the last of the needed equipment and pile into the many cars.

 

“We got a bus to load up!...My sister will be here in around an hour!” Parappa scoops up Rokken and Rolla “Please please pleeeeease behave for Auntie and the older girls ok?”

 

“We promise dad!...”

 

“Thank you...I’m gonna miss you girls…”

 

“A-Aren’t you gonna keep in touch?...” Rolla asks.

 

“Yeah dad...aren’t you gonna call?...” Rokken adds on.

 

“Of course I am! It’s just...that doesn’t feel as nice as being around my family you know?...”

 

They nuzzle their heads into his “We know…” He kisses them both on the forehead.

 

“I’ll keep in touch! I might end up a bit to annoying and overbearing for the first few days...but you should expect that of me!...”

 

“We do, don’t worry dad~”

 

“Great!...” He struggles to separate his hands from his daughters “B-B...Buh…”

 

“...” Both girls kiss their dad on the cheek as they help pluck his hands off “It’s alright dad~...We know~ Take care alright?” They both say as the dog sighs and heads on over to his car.

 

“Thank you…”

 

“Bye dad! We love you!” Parappa stops in place for abit to release a shaky sigh. There he resumes his walk to his car and heads on in. The girls then say goodbye to their mother as well while the other girls just watch their own parents drive off after Parappa “Bye mom! We love you to!” the final car drives off and disappears in the distance.

 

“So...this...entire place...is all ours until the foreseeable future...huh…” Reyna states as she looks to the building they all live in.

 

“Looks that way...what a steaming mess!” Myra sighs as her dynamite stick flickers.

 

“Well...let's settle ourselves into the new in charge lifestyle! Come on girls!” They all run to head back inside, but Euphoria is grabbed by her shirt and pulled away “Whoa whoa what the heck! Lacey??”

 

“You can easily help me now~”

 

“Seriously? Ugh...fine let's go…” the teddy bear smiles as she carries the black sheep hybrid away.

 

* * *

 

_The past_

 

Parappa is seen with the main others, walking along the machine fused streets of Burnout Junction as they head off towards 16-bits’ lab.

 

“Oh boy! Can't wait to meet the last members of Leo's new entourage!”

 

“From the shared dream we had, they're both bird people.” Matt recalls.

 

“Well yeah, but there’s always something else about meeting people in person than it is just hearing about em or talking to em over a phone!”

 

“For y-you it’s always like that!” Lammy brings up.

 

“Hey, I just like being around people I like and care about!”

 

“A-And there’s nothing wrong with t-that!” Lammy says with a giggle.

 

“Honestly, why do we need to go to Sixteen’s lab in order to visit them…”

 

“Beats me PJ, but Leo knows the most! So it’s best to listen to them!”

 

“What a terrifying thing to say.” PJ snorts out a chuckle as Parappa lightly elbows the teddy bear. They eventually arrive and head on up. There they hear the robot lecture the future kid.

 

“I'm just saying, I find it odd is all. She's a princess from a time forgotten, not a penpal!”

 

“Why is this important Sixteen…”

 

“It's because you need to remember that her time period is OVER. She's long since been buried ages ago and has since become forgotten.”

 

“Don't dampen my mood…”

 

“Grow up! You have to accept reality that the person you’re helping will eventually die due to it being how TIME works!” Before they can bicker anymore, they hear the door open to reveal the arriving group “Ah. Hello there.”

 

“Heeeeey…” Parappa’s voice goes flat.

 

“Oh dear. You heard the chat me and Young Leo here were having didn’t you?”

 

“Only just all of it…”

 

“My apologies. It’s just that’s how the nature of time works after all.”

 

“I know. It’s just...not fun to think about…” Parappa blows out puffs of air from sadness.

 

“Ignore him dad. Let’s just get back to the matter at hand!”

 

“Which is??” Matt asks.

 

“To get to the place where Soren and Rize are at...well we need to go by air. And you either need to be adept at flying or have an aircraft because the air currents over there need some precision to get by, otherwise just have a ship to force through. And not all of you can fly so a ship is now mandatory! Which 16 has since I wasn’t an effective flyer a few years back. I didn’t plan on using it, but again you all wanna tag along soooo...no choice.”

 

“A ship huh…?” PJ crosses his arms “What kind is it?...”

 

“A stealth jet. Super fast. Built in camo to avoid being seen which is a necessity when tailing enemies, or in this case the people we’re going to visit. They tend to freak out when they see approaching visitors...cuz nobody is supposed to know where they’re at to begin with. They’re place is hidden for a reason. Unless of course it’s the cops dragging inmates over to their prison.”

 

“Cops??”

 

“Yeah dad. That place houses the most notorious maximum security prison in existence. Things that go in don’t come back out! It stores really bad people or the excess convicts other prisons can’t hold onto. And even if someone escapes, where are they gonna go? They have no clue how they got there or how to leave. Thus the only option is to get caught or leap of faith off the cliff edges and hope you survive the cataclysmic fall.”

 

“Fall?!?!”

 

“Yeah fall. It’s a society of avians! They live literally hidden in the clouds! Atop mountains and elongated treetops! Which is why you gotta know how to fly, otherwise it’s a scary trek down. Unless of course you say fuck it and go ‘GERONIMO!’ off into the unknown.”

 

Parappa’s mouth turns into a curvy frown “Yikes...the only ones who can have an easy time going through a place like that are Katy and Paula...the rest of us are kinda screwed.

 

“Relax. The ‘ground’ they have is completely solid. The only way you’ll fall is if you see an edge and purposely leap off it.”

 

“Well that’s reassuring! Isn’t it guys?” They all reply to Parappa with a heavy ‘eeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhh’ “Fair enough…” he flicks his ears “So what caused the argument you two had prior to us getting here?...”

 

“Oh Sixteen just asked about the escapades we had in the past.”

 

“I see...actually...about that...how’d you manage to contact us?...”

 

“Simple Young Parappa! I just followed the other time machine signature since it was freshly used!”

 

“Freshly…” Parappa recalls Alister trying to turn him and Katy to dust with the time device that he took from Quart “Ah...I getcha…”

 

“Since the signature was similar to this one I just linked it up and boom! We can at the very least see into the past...or wherever Quart himself is…”

 

“Wait...but doesn’t that mean that...Quart himself could see us?...”

 

“Oh I doubt that! He isn’t exactly aware of us having this! And even so! This model is much to old and worn to be of use in ANYTHING of his means!”

 

“Alright...then instead I say this… With that being the case...aren’t you worried this thing might cause trouble on its own??”

 

“Oh relax Young Parappa! This is completely free of random probability!”

 

* * *

 

Back in the future we see Lacey sneak into a rather secluded portion of the house tucked away out of sight. Appearing as if no one has been there in ages.

 

“Alright...and this should turn the power ooooon...PRESTO!~”

 

“Can you hurry this up…”

 

“You can't rush great things! Now keep watch in case the others pop by!”

 

“Why?...”

 

“So they don't hear! They were ruder than you to Europa! And the twins still don't know that they have an older brother so that's another thing!”

 

“Fine fiiiiine...just get this over with!”

 

“Can doooo~” Euphoria leaves the main room that Lacey was in and heads out. Lacey turns to the equipment before her and begins fiddling with the stuff left about. From behind her pops in Quart whom she can't hear thanks to her headphones.

 

“Let's cause some emotional damage!~” Quart laughs before snapping his fingers and warping away. Seemingly doing nothing...until…

 

* * *

 

“Free of random probability huh?”

 

“Correct!”

 

“Then why does it look like reality is cracking right behind you…”

 

“I can assure- please repeat that.”

 

“You heard me…” after Parappa states that, 16-bits and Leo turn around while the rest of the group look at what he's looking at. The mentioned space was in fact just the empty air breaking like glass.

 

“What's going on?...”

 

“Sixteen if you don't know, what makes you think any of us do??” Leo says as the crack becomes bigger “Everyone get back!” they all rush off towards the door, but do not leave. The cracking stops abruptly, but then the place full on shatters as the crack now ends up as a way to view something very peculiar. The sight becomes the temporary new wall of the building, replacing the one it ‘broke’. The sight wasn’t technically there, as it was all just a looking glass. NOT a portal through. Everyone stares at the inattentive teddy bear, amazed by her appearance.

 

“Yo...Yo Peej…”

 

“I know Matt…”

 

“D-Dear...that's…”

 

“Yeah Sweety...it's our future kid we're looking at…” he tears up as he looks at his inevitable daughter “Lacey…” they stare at the pink teddy bear. There were lace patterns all over her arms and bits of her legs that were exposed. There were even some on her face in a floral pattern. She has a dark blue skirt with flower patterns and green t-shirt with a large vinyl disk symbol on the center of it that could be seen reflecting off the glass she was in front of. Above said shirt was a velvet overshirt. She had headphones on her head that seemed to match PJ’s. There’s also a little ribbon tied at the top of said headphones that looked reminiscent of Sweety’s bow. Currently she was also not wearing shoes.

 

“S-Sixteen...what’s happening…??”

 

The robot scuttles around the room “Erm...hm... I can’t tell! The massive rift here is causing all my devices to go haywire! Even my own body is out of my control! Something...or someone caused this and I can’t fathom why!...It’s not a tear, but rather a viewing gate much like the one I spawned! But what’s there to gain from this??...”

 

“Maybe...it happened on it’s own?...”

 

“Young Sweety, for what reason would that be a case?...”

 

The girl in the rift soon starts speaking up.

 

_“Haha! All this should be enough to get things started! Now All I gotta do is just plug this into the helmet and...where do I plug it into...this older model had weird design choices...uhhhhh...here! And with that, the lyrics should...YES! Now all that’s left is to trigger the beat! I’m gonna finish that song of yours!”_

 

“Song?...” Everyone except for Leo says. Leo merely stays transfixed on the bear.

 

“Does she mean...my...vent song?...” They watch her hum about as she plugs the helmet into her dj table as well. She then starts humming to formulate a beat and before long she has come to a conclusion.

 

 _“EUREKA!~ This oughta do nicely!”_ she pulls out a microphone headset attachment to her headphones and links it up to her table. She then presses a button and begins remixing about. She then starts singing on the spot as the beat begins with her, getting her voice ready first before the beat took a rise with vocal tests.

 

_Mi mi ooh mi ooh mimi ooh miiiii_

 

_Mi mi ooh mi ooh mimi oih miiii_

 

_Mi mi ooh mi ooh mimi ooh miiii_

 

_Mimi ooh mi ooh mi mi miiiiiii_

 

She deems herself ready as she begins the song proper.

 

_An idea, hiding with-in familiar sce-ne-ry._

_  
_ _You are...always under max sur-veil-lance!_

 

_Wild...Wildflowers and Rosettes twirling ev-er-ywhere!_

 

 _Spinning, blue lights like a mysterious Kal-ei-do-scope!_  
  
_An un-con-scious biiiiiiii-as_

_No one knows ooooour reeeeeea-son for exiiiiiiist-iiiiing!_

_Endless repetitiooooooooon!_

_  
_ _As shown within the spinning Spi-ro-gr-aphs!_

 _  
_ _Geometric patterns of, creation and destruction!_

  
_We will meet agaaaaaaain! Right before the damn bitter eeeeeeend!_

_Parallel world travelin is how we’ll meet, I swear._

  
_So take note, of all the, wishes ever MADE!_

_AND REMAKE THE WORLD!_

Leo sings the next verse with Lacey as he subconsciously walks towards the gate. However, as he gets closer, reality itself seems to struggle as things start glitching out.

 _  
_ _Greenhouse, full of greenery yet not a sin-gle crack…_ Leo takes another step and the ground fades away and is replaced with a plethora of plants that grow everywhere within 16’s lab and the recording station that Lacey was in.

 _  
_ _Break out, break into tiny pieces and then swap-it-out~_  Leo takes another step and the greenhouse walls shatter and the fragments fly out. The fragments then stop mid air and rearrange around him as he keeps walking.

 _  
_ _If time came from nothing, then go back to nothing! All of it mean-ing-less!!_  Random time is shown on the fragments that fly about.

 

 _Reset, this dystopia no matter hooooow many times it takes!_ They rearrange into mini mirrors that show Leo’s struggles through time and how things would go should he have failed. He would’ve kept at it over, and over, and over again.  
_  
Un-til we meeeeeeet aaaaaa-gain!_ Heavy stomps echo with each of their steps.

 

 _The next world is waiting for uuuuus, afteeeeeer aaaaaall~_ He holds his hand out to Lacey but then lets it drop with a sad smile.  
_  
There’s no going baaaaaaaaaaaaack!…_ Leo stops advancing towards the rift. His decision was made years ago. He would never return to the future, even if the opportunity ever presented itself. Even once his mission was over.

 

 _It’s a neverending ma-andala!_ The glass fragments rearrange into a gold stain glass picture of flowers behind Leo.

 _Breakthrough even if our memories begin to-fade…_ The gold glass shows instances of Leo’s memory as they crack and turn to dust.

 _  
_ _There’s just no meaning anymoooooore…_ Leo shakes his head with the smile still on his face.

 _  
_ _Soon I’ll forget about you all too…_ There are a few pieces of glass left. On them appear everyone from the future before they vanish and the glass itself turns into dust like the rest.

 _  
_ _Like so many times before, I wave goodbye-_ Leo waves at the ignorant bear.

 _  
_ _With-out lear-ning my lesson and exposing myself to light!-_ Leo’s body flares up intensely as both areas are coated in a bright luminescent light that sparkles off of him.

 

A metronome begins to play as the entire area turns dark. Lacey finally takes notice of the extra voice as she moves one of the headphone muffs aside and turns around. She spots the merging point in time as she catches sight the catboy from the videos that she's been watching. There he was, right before her. There he was...just a mere distance away. She was left to gawk at the boy who slowly walked closer. She didn't speak for many reasons. One was because she was amazed by what was happening, and another being the fact that this is were Europa ran out of lyrics in the song. However, Europa kept singing...as if the lyrics were coming to them on the spot. Taking step after step closer to her. Everyone was looking at Europa, but differently. Lacey saw the tiny child that had gotten himself lost on the day he went to the past. The girls all see their respective Leo, but Parappa, Matt, PJ, 16-bits and Sweety all see cat Leo. The prior three all assume that nothing is different as he was a cat when they walked into the lab, but 16-bits and Sweety knew that this was exposing his true body. Leo’s suit turns white as he resumes walking forward now that the girl clearly knows he’s there. She falls onto her rear, afraid of what was happening. Was it real? The small boy then transforms into the adult Leo currently is as he finally sings the next lyrics.  
_  
Bye bye, lullaby._  They flicker between and adult and child Europa.

 

 _Bye bye bo-ring future times…_ He flickers in and out of existence to her.

 _Every time, focus fine...bye bye lame paradise!_ His appearance settles back down as his eyes becoming a flurry of colors, spiraling about.

 _Bye bye, lullaby._  Ethereal music notes float about Europa’s head.

 

 _Bye bye bo-ring future times!_ Clocks appear along the empty black area that had turned into a depiction of space.

 _Want-to-change, the-de-sign? If unbroken, happiness you’ll never find!_ The clocks spin backwards before ultimately exploding as Europa smiles much more greatly. Maddingly even.  
  
_Shatter this ornamental...flower arrangement of mistakes!..._  The leftover flowers all die out as the petals all scatter about in a cyclone around the future child.

 _Mirror system, that has trapped you in a miniature garden of lies…_ Leo extends his arms out, blowing the petal storm away as they form a ball like object around Leo.

 _Swaying...swaying cha-amber!_  They form into a cage that sways along side to side, with him swinging with them.

 _Para-digm shi-ft!_ Leo glitches out, switches through all his faces as he hugs himself and looks to the ground.

 

 _Break this repetitious mirror, filled with our old life!_ The cage breaks as Leo drops to his knees right before a certain point where the two time periods connect.

 _AND ENTER THE NEW WORLD!!_ The stars within the space zone they’re in all shine brightly as Leo holds his arms out to the open air.  
_  
Crawl your way up!!_  Lacey quickly crawls off to meet up with the child that had left the future to go to the past.

  
_Again within the spinning spi-ro-gr-aphs!_  The memories of the past cycle in her head.

 _A geometric pattern, of creation and destruction!_ They all melt away as she sees the child again before her. Finally within arms reach.

 _We will meet agaaaaaaaain! Right before the damn bitter eeeeeeeend!_ She gets up to her feet and runs towards the kneeling Europa.

 _Parallel world travelin is how we’ll meet, I swear!_ The spaceview shows the planets rotating about as Lacey is finally within arms reach-

 

*Thud*

 

She smacks into an invisible wall. The wall was preventing the two of them from getting any closer. It was the wall of their respective rooms. Neither time period had connected at all, it was merely a literal window for both sides to see.

 _So take note, of all the, wishes ever MADE!_ Lacey begins to bawl of the spot. Extremely upset that she can’t even get to Europa.

 _AND REMAKE THE WORLD!!!_ Europa holds his hands to where the teddy bear’s hands are pressed against the ‘glass’. Europa looks to the ground as he joins in on her tear fest. The metronome keeps playing as the past is no longer able to see the future. The song ends to the fading echo of the metronome as the others approach the sad future child.

 

Meanwhile…

 

* * *

 

_The future_

 

Lacey could still see the past. The view from her perspective was still connected as opposed to there’s, and so she stayed there crying her eyes out. Euphoria runs on in after hearing all the noise of sadness.

 

“H-Hey hey! Lace what’s...up…” the ram looks at the sight before the before and immediately runs forward. She slaps hard into the wall, but rather than learn from that impact, she frantically feels about to see if there were a way to get by. The answer is obvious and unfortunate “W-What...what is this…” She falls to her knees as well. She’s left without the motivation to move as she stares at the boy who gets back up with help from those in the past. The noise Lacey makes is overheard as eventually the other girls all rush in to see what the ruckus was about. This in turn gets them all to see the past as well. They repeat the process that Lacey and Euphoria went through as they all try to pull the cat boy back, but no luck. Well, all except for the twins who merely stare at their elder sibling and their younger parents. A sight that the others were tasked with NOT letting them see. At the time, it wasn’t on their mind. They just wanted the boy back. Quart was outside the building they were all inside. He reclines against the building wall and laughs. He then snaps and vanishes, letting their tears flow out as their view of the past ends.

 

* * *

 

_Back to the past_

 

“Leo?...You...gonna be alright?...”

 

“...” The child puts on their helmet quietly “If you all don’t mind...I think it’s best we go to visit Soren and Rize tomorrow…” The others all waste no time in agreeing.

 

“Yeah...we think that’d be for the best.” They all head for the lab exit as 16-bits waves them goodbye. Parappa turns back to the obviously sad child “Take care alright?...We’re...we’re always here if you need something to shake off the homesickness…”

 

“...”

 

“Bye Leo…” the mentioned person gives a weak wave goodbye.

 

_Later at night_

 

Matt, PJ and Parappa are reclining along the public basketball court fence under the moonlight.

 

“Sooooo…” Matt tries to start a conversation with both silent fathers to be “I mean...hey!...we now know what Lacey looks like!...” PJ looks away “Eheh...yeah couldn’t really do much except watch her get upset...but uh...Parappa! Leo got to see abit more of his future and got to technically sing with her!...” Parappa looks away “I mean...yeah it was a rather...not happy song...and shows that Leo has no intention of going back but…” Matt holds his soggy head. He had begun sweating profusely, and each poorly worded sentence made him sprinkle more sweat out inhumanely “I’m just...gonna shut up...I dunno how to handle this...I don’t know how to feel!...It’s not like I saw MY kid there! So I can’t...I just can’t relate to the emotion guys…” Matt sighs “I’m...sorry...I was never completely good at this...whenever Parappa got upset it was always PJ who helped me cheer ya back up...and the same goes vice versa...but when BOTH of you are upset...I just...I got nothing guys…I’m sorry for being a failure of a friend...” the other two boys tilt their head backs in his direction.

 

“You’re not, Matt...it’s just...right now…”

 

“It’s difficult. In many ways of the word.” PJ scratches his shoulders “To see your kid just...look so hopeless...and unable to do anything...it’s heartbreaking...especially when you, as the parent, can’t do anything to help em…” He scoffs lightly as he holds his head “You oughta count yourself lucky that you didn’t get to experience that yourself~...”

 

“I mean...I’m pretty sure they informed her once the time rifts disconnected...so at the very least I can’t see it…”

 

“That’s still something you got to momentarily avoid.”

 

“I guess Peej...kinda wish I didn’t so that I could assist you guys better…”

 

“You’d...wish to see your child so distraught??...”

 

“No Parappa I don’t mean like that...I mean I wish she was there...I wish she was around to assist and see what she would do….I wanna see if she’d help...and if she’d do a better job then i’m currently doing…” Both boys elbow Matt to stop his sad spiel.

 

“You’re doing fine Matt.” they both reassure. Parappa the speaks up.

 

“You know...its funny to think about…”

 

“What is?...” PJ says as he and Matt look to the leading dog.

 

“The fact that our kids could end up next the triad circle of friends...it’s a funny thought that the torch was passed down~...”

 

“Wouldn’t the trio have to be your child, PJ’s daughter and whatever kid Katy has?...”

 

“Well yeah Matt buuuuut...there’s a chance that Leo IS also Katy’s child. So that trio was probably condensed into a duo! And I also say that as the main guys in the group.”

 

“Fair enough! Except me and Peej have daughters-”

 

“We all technically have daughters Matt.” Parappa corrects his friend.

 

“Ah right! My bad! Sorry, I've just gotten used to Leo as a dude, that I forget they're a non binary gender fluid kid now.”

 

“It's fine. Atleast they don't mind it if you call them a boy or girl.”

 

“I know, but I really should adjust! It's cruel of me if I don't!”

 

“Don't be so hard on yourself Matt. Leo wouldn't mind it and so you shouldn't let it get to you.” PJ assures.

 

“I guess...”

 

“Golly Matt! You act as if Leo was YOUR kid!” he laughs in a well meaning fashion.

 

“Little respect goes a long way! Especially for them! Since they're so demeaning of themself!”

 

“You’re not wrong.” once Parappa says that, they all look at the moon together “If Leo never came back in time to help me...what do you think he'd be doing now?”

 

“Well...Leo would probably still struggle with making friends…” PJ says.

 

“And he wouldn't have learned that part about himself even now. So he'd feel upset with himself there without knowing why.” Matt adds on.

 

“Yeah…” Parappa recalls what Leo told him, Katy and Lammy over the phone many days before.

 

 _As a kid...I was a coward. A crybaby...a boy who didn't wanna make friends...if a bully were to come and pick on someone...I wouldn't have stuck my neck out in fear of my own well being. I was fearful of anything and everything and… the other kids would make fun of me over this, remind me of how big an utter failure I was_.

 

_I learnt things I wish I could have learned while they were still alive, but I was stubborn. The soft coward who wanted to stay as far away from the world as he could was dead and gone. And in his place stood the new boy, the hero, defender, savior and avenger. Leo Steps was here, and he was completing his mission no matter what. Not just for himself, but for the people who helped him get this far, those who helped him evolve and grow up, those who are no longer here._

 

_I faced my inner demons and negative emotions and overcame them. I took every challenge head on and never did I cut any corners._

 

“Coming to the past...was a necessity for them...even it hurt them and those in the future...but I always hoped that Leo would go back...now it seems like they never will.” Parappa grips his hands together “But...if they ever did...if wonder what would happen…”

 

“With the new person she is now? She'd probably do way better. She'd try to become friends with the others who tormented her, possibly forgiving them for it by being the bigger person.”

 

“What Peej said. He'd probably do things much more independently and with more courage. He'd apologize to his family for all he's done and just make his new life there.” Matt rubs his chin “Maybe him Lacey and my kid would be a lovely trio. Atleast I'd hope they would!...I just wish I knew what my girl would be...what since she's adopted and all…”

 

Parappa quickly replies “She's a bunny.”

 

“She is?? Why's that I wonder.”

 

“You just...wanted a bunny is all.” Parappa tries to be vague as possible. It thankfully works.

 

“Fair enough. So a dog hybrid of an undetermined species, a teddy bear and a bunny! Seems like a fun dynamic!”

 

They all smile at the thought, but Parappa’s smile turns abit devious as he tries to lighten the mood in playful way “Hmmm...Lacey Rappa or Olivia Rappa...which one sounds nicer guys?~” the other two boys keep their smiles as their hands rise up above Parappa’s head and curl up into fists that slam down hard on his head. The impact forces his tongue to eject out like a party horn, sound included. Once they pull away their hands and Parappa’s tongue returns back into his mouth, Parappa woozily speaks up “You didn’t deny that it sounded niiiiiiice~...” Both boys scoff as they turn their gaze away from Parappa “Fair enough, but you can't really DO anything if they fall in love with Leo themselves!”

 

“That won't happen!”

 

“PJ you daughter already had a crush on Leo prior to everything!”

 

“T-THINGS CHANGE!”

 

“Some heavy uncertainty in you voice PJ.”

 

“I'm done talking about this…” PJ crosses his arms and legs with a heavy grunt. Unfortunately Parappa made to big a point. The teddy did cry immensely when she couldn't get closer to Leo. And given from the emotion he could feel from it, it was more than just being upset after seeing them after so long. Parappa was correct and PJ wanted so badly to deny it, but ultimately groans in defeat as he speaks up “It upsets me...that even though your right...Leo ain't going back to the future...so...lot of good knowing that does…”

 

“I'm...right?”

 

“Guess you didn't focus much on Lacey...can't blame you… egh. The emotions you could see off of her...she wanted so badly to hold onto him...not cuz she missed him and hasn't seen him in twelve years...well not entirely, but because...she just wanted him back in her life...for more reasons than I'd like to admit...and your idiot kid probably will never see that…”

 

“Erm...I'm...I didn't mean it all like that PJ…”

 

“I know…” the trio stays silent, until PJ talks again “The name’s growing on me...ever since Katy brought it up the day Raparra first came topside I've sorta thought that name over when Sweety ‘gave her blessing’ to Leo... But by no m-means do I fully approve!...” Parappa laughs

 

“Suhuhure buddy~” Matt just stares at the two,  amazed at how quickly PJ gave in to Parappa “Well. I'd say you're in the clear. Leo’s permanently smitten with Harper after all.”

 

The two speak up together “Yeah...guess that's better…”

 

* * *

 

The group head on over to the ruins of where Club Rainbow used to be, instructed by Leo to do so. The main group and Sunny are the only ones to go on this trip.

 

“So…” everyone says.

 

“So?” Parappa answers.

 

“How'd Leo sound like?...”

 

“They sounded much better. So I'd say they shrugged off the homesickness.”

 

“Good!”

 

“Very.” they're still a distance away, but spot Leo meeting them on their way over. The currently red sheep boy bows apologetically.

 

“Hello all. Sorry for yesterday…”

 

“Don’t apologize for all that. We’re honestly happy you didn’t let that mess with you anymore than it already has!” Parappa says, lifting Leo’s spirits.

 

“Thanks!” He places his helmet back on.

 

“So aren’t the others coming?...”

 

“Nope. Since you guys are comin, they’re sitting out. Which is good cuz to many people would spook the locals!”

 

“Ah…”

 

“Well off to the ship! Come on guys follow-” Let steps onto the street and quickly his fight or flight triggers as he turns to his side and stops a fast as sound car with his foot “NOT THIS TIME ASSHOLE!...” Leo prevents another hit and run with the car that had sent him flying into the streetlight many many days ago.

 

“H-Hey! Watch where you’re going!...” the familiar driver voice shouts.

 

“WATCH WHERE YOU’RE DRIVING! YOU GOTTA STOP WHEN PEOPLE ARE CROSSING!”

 

“HOW CAN ONE STOP WHEN PEOPLE JUST BLINDLY RUN ON THE ROAD!”

 

“MAYBE IF YOU DIDN’T DRIVE LIKE A MANIAC YOU’D _SEE_ PEOPLE TRYING TO CROSS!...” the two bicker until Parappa calls out to the driver.

 

“JOE?!...”

 

“Oh hello there. Didn’t think I’d run into you lot here!”

 

“Parappa you know this bad driver?...”

 

“Bad driver?! I was within perfect vehicular control! You were the one who ran across without a glance to either side of the road!” Parappa is quickly ignored as they start up again.

 

“Will you two **_SHUT UP?!_ ** ” A vocal blast hits the two and they both hold their mouths shut as a white aura covers their ears and eyes “Much better…”

 

“Katy you included Leo in that!...”

 

“Well he was also being annoying Parappa!”

 

“Ah...ok I can’t deny that…”

 

**“Now both of you are gonna be nice. And Joe, you’re gonna tell us why you’re here…last I checked you were evicted and couldn't be nearby PaRappa Town at all anymore!”**

 

“This isn't PaRappa Town…” Joe says, in a trance.

 

**“IT'S CLOSE ENOUGH!”**

 

“Got me there…” his car stops, allowing the hypnotized Leo to stop holding it back “I've been driving about on an errand from my new employer…”

 

**“Someone actually hired you??”**

 

“Yes, a kind man has...I'm now a desk man under the employ of a nice man called Bohemian Tycoon SP…” Leo breaks out of the hypnotism on his own after Joe says that.

 

“UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!?!?!”

 

Leo's eyes bulge out of his head as Katy nails him in the face with another vocal blast **“STOP THAT!”**

 

“Sorry…”

 

**“Ahem...Joe. Do you know who that man is?”**

 

“Not really no...he's very secretive and kind of mean since he can't be bothered to remember my name...but I mean he hired me and is paying me more than fairly so I can't really complain…”

 

 **“Oh brother…”** Katy turns to the others “Figures Joe would support the bad guy without even knowing he's with the bad guy…” they all huddle up ‘What do we do?”

 

“Despite being a guy who lacks common sense or awareness. As well as being a pretty ‘in the way’ guy. Joe hates evil people.” Parappa brings up.

 

“Should we fill him in? He'd quickly quit if that's the case!” Sunny suggests.

 

“...I have a better idea~ Katy, let them go.”

 

 **“Boom, you're free.”** she snaps her hand into a finger gun. The two hold their heads dizzily.

 

“Hey Joe...so you're working for a guy named Tycoon huh?”

 

“ugh...huh? How do you know that!”

 

“Thanks to this guy over here!” he pats Leo on the back “He's your biggest fan!”

 

“He is?”

 

“I WHA-” Parappa drives his elbow straight into Leo’s gut “I...AM…”

 

“Oh! That's why you were brash! You just couldn't handle speaking to your idol!”

 

“Yes...that's entirely it…” fire burns in their eyes from anger of having to lie.

 

“So what can I do for you, you insane lad.”

 

“Why are you driving randomly around Neon Heights?”

 

“I'm not JUST driving here! I'm driving EVERYWHERE in search of a place called...um…” he pulls out a notepad “Filii caelum et...terram?” Leo's pupils shrink.

 

“...Why?...”

 

“My boss is looking for that place!...erm...someone called Whirlen sort of peeved him off. So he tasked me to find him and the place he's at! And how could I say no to the old boy! And wants me to report back once I do! About the place, the jail, Whirlen and his two main captives Soren and Rize-”

 

“CAPTIVES?!”

 

“Yes! Ever since he contacted Whirlen, they were seen in the video feed in a cell in his office.” he scratches his chin “Oh it's been so long since that chat. I'd reckon it's been more than a month now!”

 

Leo rubs his head. _So that's why they were MIA...but why didn't they contact me?!..._ “A-A...hem...so what brings you here?...”

 

“Well he told me that should I struggle, I should look for a-” He flips through the notepad some more “Leeeeeo...Steps!”

 

“ME?!”

 

“You? Oh what luck! My fan is the person I needed to find!”

 

“Why do you need to find me?...”

 

“So you can take me there apparently! Wait...was I supposed to mention all that to you?…” he flips through more pages “Oh…well can you take me anyway?” everyone facepalms at how quickly he gave out Tycoon’s plan except for Parappa, who knew this would be the outcome.

 

“Why…”

 

“Well he wants me specifically to go apparently. Tycoon and you make Whirlen stress out, but Tycoon apparently scares him more! So I have to go on his stead!” a light bulb pops up above Leo's head making Parappa smile. He had caught on to the plan. He walks over to him and they whisper.

 

_“Tycoon can't find that place...absolutely not...but Whirlen will be a problem...having Joe could scare him into making our rescue easier cuz now we ABSOLUTELY have to go!...just…”_

 

_“Joe won't take note of his surroundings, especially if we're way up in the air! He’s not gonna tell anyone anything if he himself hasn't paid attention! He's so easy to distract anyway!”_

 

Leo hums to himself. He turns to the bigger dog “You're lucky. Me and my friends were already on my way there!”

 

“Wonder- wait...they're coming along to??...”

 

“Yes, I promised I would take them.”

 

“Ohhhh...splendid! Nothing like a time to catch up!”

 

“But they evicted you…”

 

“And I have no ill bone willing to store petty grudges! I am the bigger man here! Plus who can stay mad when they have such a decadent entourage of pals~”

 

Everyone else, especially the females, groans as they eye Parappa for causing this “H-Hehe…”

 

“Well then my courteous fan! Lead the way!

 

“...Right away. Come on everyone.” they all follow Leo to the ruins of Club Rainbow. They all stand in place where he commands, but there’s nothing in sight.

 

“Uh...Leo where’s the ship?”

 

“We’re under it~” Leo pulls out a remote and presses a button on it. They all are hit with a beam and immediately vanish from the spot. They all reappear inside a very futuristic interior “Tada~ Welcome to the Rhapsody Tomahawk~ You didn’t see it cuz it was camouflaged~” Everyone looks outside the windows to see they are way high up in the air. They all marvel at the distance away from the ground “Better get seated! Cuz- Here. We. GO!” The ship blasts off at the drop of a feather. Everyone is tossed into an open seat that immediately wraps a seat belt around them as Leo stands by the pilot seat “Soren...Rize...we’re comin to bust you guys out!”

 

* * *

 

_The future._

 

“Alright will all you girls quiet down?!...” The older dog woman rubs her head “Alright...I find you all crying and then not only did you ignore an order we told you ever since _it_ happened...but now you’re all letting it get to you that he’s still out there…”

 

“HE IS OUT THERE MISS PINTO!...”

 

“ENOUGH!” the dog woman crosses her arms “I will not let this cause a mess while my brother is away...you are all old enough to see when something is point-” Pinto is silenced when Lacey holds out a helmet “...An old model helmet of your father’s?...”

 

“ONE THAT CAME FROM A RIFT IN TIME!...”

 

“P-Preposterous!...It’s clearly one your dad had stored awa-” Lacey plays a video. It shows Europa hanging out with the past group “...M-My nephew...he’s...he actually made it in the past…”

 

“...C-Cousin?...” A young girl by her side stares at the video intensely.

 

“D-Did anything else happen??...” Pinto says once the video ends.

 

“T-There was a rift that came into the twins room that showed us Europa and past Parappa!...” Reyna brings up.

 

“A-And not that long ago another time rift opened up w-while Lacey was singing…” Euphoria also brings up.

 

“W-Where?!...” All the girls run off to show the future Pinto where the event happened. All except for Lacey who hugs the helmet. The events of today taking their toll on her mind. Suddenly, before her opens another time rift and from it walks out Quart.

 

“Tsk tsk...it hurts my heart to see how a group suffers over the consequences caused by a fools mishandling of time…”

 

“W-Who are you?!...”

 

“Me?... My deary, I’m an angel from time.” he smiles from behind his helmet “I watch over the events that happen and have had this traumatic incident wedged onto my heart and I just couldn’t let it happen anymore…so i’ve sent you gifts to see if it’d ease the pain…”

 

“T-This helmet appearing...is cuz of you?...”

 

“Of course~” _Not. He did it himself, just like the other rift his siblings saw. Only the last rift was my doing, but it doesn’t hurt to take advantage~_

 

“...S-So why are you before me now then?...”

 

“Because I noticed that despite me giving you these insights on how he’s doing...you’re all sadder than ever...and that just wounds my heart more…” he bows “I want to make amends for my actions…”

 

“C-Can you return him to us?!...”

 

“...Unfortunately my dear...I cannot...since his little time travel incident, he’s gained some barrier that prevents me from coming into contact with him…”

 

“N-No...but wait...c-can you...can you take...me to him…?”

 

“Why of course my darling! That’s the reason for why i’m here! If I can’t make you happy with bringing snippets of his life to you...then why not bring you to him?~...If you wish that is.”

 

Lacey thinks on the spot “I-Is this...f-for real?...”

 

“This is undeniably real my dear.” The crack in time behind him shatters into a massive gate. Through it, the past can be seen with Leo there “Can’t you see for yourself?~”

 

Before she can say anything, the rest of the girls all return after hearing all the noise from time warping out “L-LACEY??” Pinto stops and stares at Quart “W-WHO ARE YOU?!...” Quart ignores her.

 

“What do you say then my dear?...Is it a no?...” He extends his arm “Or a yes?...~” Lacey’s heart races as she grabs his hand without fear.

 

“P-Please...I want to see him again…”

 

“Lacey?...” The girls all try to move closer, but they all bump into an invisible wall “W-What?!...” Lacey turns to face them all. Then turns back to Quart.

 

“W-Why-”

 

“This proposition...is currently just for you my dear. If you wish for them to tag along as well. Just say it, and the barrier is gone. I will allow these rude children, who were part of the reason for Europa’s departure, to come with you. You need only say the word…” Lacey takes in what he said, as she looks to the girls again and recalls all the things they done to push them away. She then lets go of Quart’s hand.

 

“G-Give me a moment please…”

 

“Of course dear.” Lacey walks over to the barrier. She stares at the other girls and scoffs as she walks away from them and over to the twins.

 

“Hey...I’m gonna be going away for some time now...please behave ok?~...”

 

“B-Big sis Lacey d-don’t go...t-take us with you!...” She shakes her head sadly.

 

“No...I can’t do that…” She smiles sadly “You deserve to see your older brother to...but your parents...they can’t handle another loss…” She looks to Pinto and Beat “And neither can your aunt or cousin. But I promise...that I’ll come back one day...and he’ll be with me when I do.” She leaves Europa’s helmet on the ground “It looks like...this’ll be yours now~...” She gets up and walks back over to Quart.

 

“LACEY!...”

 

“I’m ready now…~ Just me.”

 

“As you wish.” She grabs back onto his hand “Then let us go~” His smile grows wider from insanity as a yellow spark binds their hands. _You utter fool~..._ “Let’s bring you to Europa~” He flies backwards, yanking her along into the time gate. It closes shut instantly once the two vanish in sight, and the invisible barrier that held everyone back is now gone. Everyone runs to where the gate used to be. The look about to see if it was all just a trick, but it was not. Lacey was gone, just like Europa. Pinto grabs her head tightly as she yells out into the sky.

 

Meanwhile Lacey covers her eyes from all the lights that flash about from their time travel. Eventually the trip ends and the duo are in the air, thousands of feet away from any solid ground.

 

“H-Hey!...W-Where are we?!...”

 

“The past!~”

 

“Y-Yeah but where’s the ground?!...”

 

“I took you to where he was, and where he currently is...IS A THOUSAND FEET OFF THE GROUND!~ WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY PERFECT FOR ME!~”

 

“W-Wait...a-aren’t you-”

 

“An angel?~ No, sorry~ I’m more of a little devil~ Sorry~...and buh bye~” He lets go of the teddy as she falls towards the nearly nonexistent ground.

 

“AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

 

“Hehehehehehe!~” Quart waves at the falling bear and then snaps his fingers and warps away.

 

Lacey watches the ground as it starts getting closer and closer.

 

_EUROPA! P-PLEASE! SAVE ME!..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sumire Uesaka is the singer to credit this time for the song Pop Team Epic, named after the media brand of the very same title!


	59. A day of rescue

Lacey plummets to her doom faster and faster as she fails around while yelling. Hoping some miracle would save her.

 

“EUROPA!...EUROPA PLEASE HELP ME!...”

 

A small distance away in the Rhapsody Tomahawk, they are flying steadily about towards their destination.

 

“So Leo...what's the uh...gameplan?” Parappa asks the pilot.

 

“Just a visit to some people and then our ‘tour’ of the eye of the storm prison! Courtesy of my…’idol’...” the last word leaves their mouth with an uncomfortable shudder of disgust.

 

“Seems straightforward enough.”

 

“I'll say! This will finally be a load off my back…” Joe says with a sigh. The entire ride he was actually well behaved. He seemed too preoccupied with anxious thoughts. The others have clearly taken notice. He may not know that Bohemian is evil, but he sure was aware that he could be ‘convincing’ enough. He was terrified of doing a bad job and it left him miserable. The others couldn't help but feel bad for him, despite the poor history between them.

 

Leo finally accepts this fact themself, but before they can do anything, their chest aches. They slump over slightly as they grab the region of their chest that houses their heart “W-What’s this?...” their fight or flight went crazy as their nose caught Quart’s scent and their ears picked up a voice faintly crying out for help.

 

_ EUROPA! _

 

Leo's eyes vibrate about.

 

_ EUROPA PLEASE HELP ME!... _

 

Leo looks up to the front window of the ship. In the far distance he sees a twinkle rapidly dropping. Despite currently being a sheep, their eyes close up and focus heavily on the twinkle. It was a pink bear. Caution is not an option. Leo leaves their station and flings open the ship door open and blasts out with their jetpack, startling everyone who were now left in a ship that had no driver.

 

“LEO?! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU-...” Parappa shuts the door. The child is to far to hear anything “Okahahay...WE DON'T HAVE A SHIP DRIVER!” the ship started tipping about as Parappa runs off to the control station. He had no clue how to fly the thing “REALLY WISH I PRACTICED WITH TECH MORE RIGHT ABOUT NOW…” he starts pressing random buttons in order to get the ship to steady out.

 

_ Warning. Novice at the helm. Engaging simplified driving mode. _

 

The current control panel descends away as its replaced by by a new system with its own array of buttons and two steering wheels “HOW IS THIS SIMPLIFIED?!”

 

_ Please acquire a copilot _ .

 

“COPILOT?!?!?!” Parappa fumbles about as everyone else runs around in mass panic. Katy stops in place as a thought arises in her head. She quickly catches Lammy and shoves her over to Parappa.

 

“COPILOT RIGHT HERE!”

 

“I'M NOT A C-COPILOT!...I-I’M NOT EVEN A  **REGULAR** PILOT!”

 

“YOU'VE BOTH FLOWN A PLANE BEFORE!”

 

**_“THIS IS NOT A PLANE!!!”_ ** They both shout at the cat.

 

**“SHUT UUUUUP!”** they both quiet down “The plane you two  _ did _ fly was just as crazy! And you BOTH managed!”

 

“BECAUSE WE HAD FUSSENPEPPER WITH US!...”

 

“Do you still need him??”

 

“YES! BECAUSE YOU NEED A CRAZY MAN TO DRIVE A CRAZY AIRCRAFT!” they keep on shouting.

 

“...or maybe not~...” Katy spots Leo's guitar “Hey! Computer voice lady! Can you open up a third chair?”

 

_ Access granted _ .

 

“Perfect!”

 

“WAIT IT RESPONDS?! PUT IT ON AUTOPILOT!”

 

_ I cannot do that. That function is out of my systematic control. _

 

**“WHYYYYYYYYY!”**

 

**“I SAID SHUT UP!”** the duo shut up again “Good! Now sit down at your new seats!” Katy sits in the third chair behind them “It's time for a refresher course in flying! Come on you guys!” she strums the guitar “You guys got this! I have faith that the two of you can do this! After all! What is it that has to be done?~” Lammy spins her steering wheel before stopping it in a stern grasp, it melding slightly to her grip. Parappa smiles immediately as he flips onto his own seat and lightly turns his steering wheel.

 

“IT'S ALL IN THE MIND!”

 

“OH, I KNOW!”

 

_ “LEAVE IT TO!  _ **_LAMMY!_ ** _ ” _

 

_ “YEAH! I GOTTA  _ **_BELIEVE!_ ** _ ” _

 

“That's right my babies! Now...LET'S JAM!~” Katy wastes no time in playing as the three of them begin rocking their heads forwards and back. Katy sings in place of Fussenpepper.

 

_ Look up in the sky, gimme all you got, Never give it up, Soldier! _

 

“Set up the flaps, turn on the lights, fasten your seat belts, for a fight!”

 

_ Get up in the morn, run around the track! Show me what you got. Soldier! _

 

“Get up in the morn, run around the track! Show me what you got. Soldier!”

 

_ Diiiiiid IIIIIII eeeeeeat myyyyy driiiiiink?? _

 

“Did you eat your drink?”

 

_ IIIII thooooought miiiiilk waaaaas piiiink?? _

 

“You thought milk was pink!”

 

_ Autopilot on, autopilot off! _

 

“Autopilot on, autopilot off!”

 

_ Little bit of this, little bit of that! _

 

“Little bit of this, little bit of that!”

 

_ Now do you like munchies?~ _

 

“Just gimme your munchies!”

 

_ I wonder where lunch is?? _

 

“We wonder where lunch is!”

 

_ One two, three four, five six! _

 

“Wear your, bulletproof vest!”

 

_ Always give it your best! _

 

“Always give it your best!”

 

_ My knee's in paaaaaaain... _

 

“You’ll miss your train?”

 

_ So is my braaaaain... _

 

“May we help you??”

 

_ Look up in the sky, gimme all you got, Never give it up, Soldier! _

 

“Set up the flaps, turn the lights, fasten your seat belts, for the fight!”

 

_ Get up in the morn, run around the track! Show me what you got. Soldier! _

 

“Get up in the morn, run around the track! Show me what you got, Soldier!”

 

_ I thought I just made some coffee for me! _

 

“Bring all the food and the drinks all for me!”

 

_ I want some apples and berries to eat!~ _

 

“We want some apples and blueberries to eat!”

 

_ Now it's time to moooove on, it only gets much harder so carry on! _

 

“We think you're old, We think you're cold, you may be bold, we’re right, you never had the gold!”

 

_ Yooooou thiiiink I'm ooooold nooooow, I got the skills to beat you can knock you out! _

 

“But you don't care, even if you don't have hair, the only thing that matters in life's to take care!”

 

_ My knee's in paaaaaaain... _

 

“You'll miss your train??”

 

_ So is my braaaaaain... _

 

“May we help you??”

 

_ Throttle up, flaps down! _

 

“Throttle up, flaps down!”

 

_ Power up, gears down! _

 

“Power up, gears down!”

 

_ I'm getting sleepyyyyyy… _

 

“You're losing beats!”

 

_ I want my sheets… _

 

“You want your sheets!”

 

_ Autopilot on, autopilot off! _

 

“Autopilot on, autopilot off!”

 

_ Little bit of this, little bit of that! _

 

“Little bit of this, little bit of that!”

 

_ Now do you like munchies?~ _

 

“Just gimme your munchies!”

 

_ I wonder where lunch is?? _

 

“We wonder where lunch is!”

 

_ One two, three four, five six! _

 

“Wear your bulletproof vest!”

 

_ Always give it your best! _

 

“Always give it your best!”

 

_ In the old days I was a hero but look at me, I'm learning just how to fly! _

 

“Do we think that you're old enough to fly, we don't know that, you just wanna try!”

 

_ I'm still wondering, when we get to rest, I'm hungry, I'm sleepy, don't wanna die... _

 

“You're still wondering, when you die, you hope you get to eat you hope you don't cry!”

 

The song ends with the ship driving much more steadily. The others who were panicking all ease up as they melt back into their seats. Lammy and Parappa look to each other. Their right eyes had ‘CO’ in them while their lefts had ‘OL’. They smile brightly before fistbumping each other happily. Katy then wraps her arms around their necks and pulls the two closer. Their faces smoosh up against her joyfully as she’s laughing gleefully from their great work “Hahaaa! I knew you guys could do it!~” The three of them laugh as the ship moves along as it did prior to Leo ejecting himself out.

 

_ I’d cry tears of joy, but I am an AI. So all I can logistically say is congratulations on not dying. _

 

The trio laugh harder at the automated voice add on.

 

While this happens, Leo blasts off at an immense speed. They yell at such a loud volume as the falling bear gets closer in sight.

 

_ “SOMEONE! ANYONE! HEEEEELP!...”  _ Leo finally catches up to her and tackles her into a grab that yanks her out of the sky. Lacey clings onto the unknown person who rescued her in fear of being left to fall again “W-Who...E-Europa?...” She stares at the helmet that slowly opens up, revealing Leo’s face “Y-You’re not...n-no you are...E-Europa...what’s-”

 

“THAT’S NOT MY NAME!...” Leo gasps “Not anymore...I’m Leo Steps now…”

 

“...I remember...hearing people call you that...in the videos of you I saw…”

 

“You learned about me huh?...OH THAT DOESN’T MATTER!  **WHY ARE YOU HERE?!** ”

 

“I-I...I kinda got played...some weird space suit wearing guy took me here…”

 

“QUART?!...” Leo groans.

 

“I-I’m not happy about it either!...Also answer me! Why do you look like Miss Lammy’s child!...”

 

“Cuz currently? I might as well be.”

 

“WHAT?!...”

 

“Long story. Also, you’re rather calm talking to me after...y’know...TWELVE YEARS!”

 

“You’re one to talk! Well...it’s hard to get finicky over emotions after FALLING TO MY DOOM!...”

 

“Fair enough. My excuse is RESCUING the idiot who got herself into this mess…”

 

“I’m sorry…”

 

“Look...just...just…” Leo growls in a manner that’s both sad and angry as he hugs the teddy “...It’s nice to see you again…”

 

“L-Likewise…”

 

“I’m gonna carry you back to safe- HOLY SHIT! I LEFT THEM ON A RUNAWAY SHIP!” Leo turns to spot the ship flying about gently “O-Oh thank god…” He clears his throat “Look...about my future...OUR future...you can’t talk about it. Not a word to anyone…”

 

“W-What?...W-Why not?...”

 

“You’ll probably kill me.”

 

“...O-Ok…”

 

“There is one person you CAN talk to however...and lucky for you...it’s your mom.”

 

“S-She’s not my mom yet though...is she?...”

 

“Uh-uh…” Leo reassembles the helmet around his head “Come on...let’s put you on solid ground…” Leo flies off back to the ship. Lacey holds on tightly as she looks at the boy who’s been gone for so long. Before long they return inside the ship.

 

“Leo! You’re back! WHY THE HELL DID YOOOOOooooooooouuuu…” Parappa shuts up as he and everyone else stare at the girl he’s currently princess carrying.

 

“My my! You really are an admirer of the things I do Leo! Flying off to snag a laveshing lady! You dog you~” Joe Chin says as he strokes his chin with an eyebrow raised. A crude smile on his face.

 

“JOE!...N-No sir...I saw her falling from the distance and couldn’t just let her fall...everyone...I’m sure you’re well aware...but meet…” Leo is bombarded by PJ and Sweety who yank Lacey out of his arms in a process that shoves Leo to the side “G-Gah!...S-Sheesh...a thank you would be nice…”

 

Parappa taps Leo on the shoulder “I think they’re plenty thankful~” Sweety is sobbing as she squeezes Lacey tightly. PJ just stares at the girl. His eyes wide and unblinking as his mouth stays shut. His hands were held up and they trembled tremendously. He had no idea how to feel. They notice that Lacey is still matching her father as now she’s wearing a similar style sandals like his. Only hers are blue.

 

Leo snickers as he rubs the back of his head “Right...I’m sorry for bailing on you guys by the way…”

 

“Don’t worry! We managed to handle ourselves! Plus you had an obvious reason for it!...why is she here…”

 

“Quart…”

 

“...This is bad…” Parappa blows out air “I...I need to contact dad the moment I can…with Joe not around…”

 

“Good call...now...once we land...I’m gonna put you guys in a safeplace and immediately take Lacey to 16-bits’ lab.

 

“What?! Wh-”

 

“She’s to soft...this...this entire new journey...it will eat her alive...now we have a new mission...finding out how to get her back to the future...but that ain’t gonna be easy…so for now...the lab’s gonna be her safest place…”

 

“Ok then...but why not your place?...”

 

“You honestly think Uncle PJ’s gonna let that fly?...”

 

“P-Pfffft...true~...” He sighs “Right...well...come on then. Me and Lammy will continue to fly this thing while you explain that to Lacey and her parents!”

 

“Right.”

 

* * *

 

The ship lands on a cloud as a ramp connects to the ground.

 

“Well everyone! We’re here!” Leo hops onto the cloud. It is a solid mass “See?~ Like I said, solid ground~”

 

“W-Wow…” Everyone except for Joe says aloud from wonderment.

 

“Ooooh...I could potentially start some fun business places here~...Nono old boy...currently have to much to pay off as is...but the moment I can… Oh yes what a lovely Joe Chin hotel this’ll be!~”

 

Everyone hops onto the cloud and soon gets immediately accustomed as they start bouncing around. Only Lace stays on the ship still as she’s much to terrified. Her legs quaking in fear. Falling from the sky was still fresh in her head. Leo walks up to the ramp and holds out her hand “Hey. It’s honestly ok. Don’t be scared anymore cuz you’re not gonna fall.” The helmet detaches off from her head, revealing her smile. Lacey remembered that smile. It was very rare to ever see. The sight made her legs move as she walks towards Leo and grabs her hand. She gently escorts the terrified teddy bear onto the clouds. Her blue sandals carefully touch the cloud as her fear slowly melts away once she gets her proper footing on the cloud. She happily skips about as Leo giggles lightly before reshaping the helmet around her head “Come on. Let me get you all to a safe place before I take Lacey here off to safety.” Everyone nods after saying ‘roger’. The group all walk about an obscure hidden path and before long, two small voices call out.

 

“LEO!~” two green blurs fly out from the the shadowy clubs and quickly latch onto Leo’s face and chest, toppling her over.

 

“Mph phhhmmm!~” (Hey noooowww!~”) the two creature pluck themselves off. They appear to be two avian girls. They appear to be twins “Whew...soon you two are gonna be getting a bit to big for me to be able to handle that without my spine snapping!~ Everyone, meet-”

 

“WENDY! GOGO!” A skinny meek birdman runs up next from outside the shadows “YOU DON’T KNOW IF DANGER IS OUT-...O-Oh...Leo!...Oh thank goodness...it’s just you.”

 

“Pippin. Good, you’re here to. Guys. This is Pippin. Soren’s younger brother, and Uncle to these two little squirts! Wendy and Gogo.”

 

“Big brother Leo! Something terrible has happened!”

 

“I know...Your mom and dad are being held prisoner…” Leo taps their own helmet “Why didn’t you tell us sooner?...”

 

“Uncle Pippin refused to let us contact you…”

 

“S-Sorry! It was my brother’s orders!...After being captured, he spoke through telepathy...telling me that the last thing he wanted was for you to arrive to rescue him! It’s not gonna end well if you do! So I’m here protecting my nieces and trying to hide off out of sight!”

 

“Well he and you are both stupid. Cuz now we’re here to bust him and Rize out!”

 

“B-But…”

 

“Pippin. We’re gonna be fine.”

 

“Ooooohhhhh...alright…”

 

“But!~ Before that, can you keep an eye on my little group here? I have to return one over to 16-bits in order to keep her safe. Can you hold onto the rest until I get back to start the rescue mission?”

 

“I-I can do that!”

 

“Great. Lacey, come on.”

 

“R-Right!...” the two make their way off and Parappa just stares at the new bird trio.

 

“Sorry for barging in on your quiet life sir.” Parappa bows.

 

“O-Oh I'm sorry to say that it hasn't been quiet ever since B-Bohemian got involved in it. But it's been alot safer since Leo got involved. I owe h-him this and then some for saving my family, my people and my home!” he bows back, causing the twin birds to roll their eyes. The rest just laugh at the two overly kind individuals.

 

Back with the two future children, they're back at the ship in no time and head on inside. Leo walks over to the control station and speaks to the teddy without turning to face her “Alright. Get in a seat. This thing goes off real fast. It'll toss you around since you ain't used to it.” he gets no reply “Yo? Ya hear-” the second he turns around, he's caught in a literal bear hug “...” Leo groans playfully as his hands rest at his sides “Alright. Fair enough~”

 

“Y-You’re here...you're actually here...I'm...holding you...because you're real...you're alive...you've been alive...and now I can actually hug you again…” she lifts her head to look him in the eyes. Leo removes his helmet to allow her to. Her eyes are soaked and red. Her nose has begun running as well as her mouth just warbles from her intense emotion. Whimpering all the while “Twelve years...we thought you were dead...dead from trying to abandon us…”

 

“I didn’t abandon anyone. I just had a mission I intended to complete. And now I have a side mission. Sending you home.”

 

“W-Will you come back to?...”

 

“I'm never going back I'm afraid. This time period is my home. I've grown here. LEARNED here. Became a new me here. I'd never get into the swing of things if I were to ever go back.”

 

“Y-YOU HAVE TO!...”

 

“Have to? By whose decree?”

 

“Everyone misses you…”

 

“Everyone assumes I'm dead.”

 

“NOT ANYMORE!...”

 

“It makes no difference to me. Atleast they know I'm alive.”

 

“But...it's not the same...like with your mom and dad...they can't hold you like I can…”

 

“I'm well aware… such a fact hurts me to, but my minds made up Lacey.”

 

“Undo it!...”

 

“Lacey. I'm an adult. I can make my own decisions.” he latches the helmet to his waist and places his hands into his pockets “I'm a multi famous performer. I work. I make money here. I help people whenever I can. Save those who are under the eye of dark intent. And I'm fixing my dad's ruined history. I'm an idol to many and...believe it or not...a rolemodel for so many individual dreamers.”

 

“You could be that in the future to!...”

 

He places a hand on her shoulder “I cannot. You know that...what was I before I left?”

 

“The best and nicest person in the world…”

 

“Lacey…”

 

“...that is the truth...to me it is and always will be…” Leo sighs as he breaks the hug.

 

“Lacey...I was a coward. A crybaby...an utter FAILURE of an individual...now? Hell I could lose a limb or end up in the hospital for trying to save anyone, and I'd still do it. I don't cry as much...only when things are really bleak...or its over...sometimes they're tears of joy. And I'm not a failure...like I said...people look up to me! I even raised a student at one point! Now she's a name bigger than me! She's the biggest inspirational idol in the world! And it's thanks to ME!  _ Europa  _ could NEVER achieve that! Not in his wildest dreams! But me? Leo Steps?” his helmet emits a light that hits his belt. It summons out a massive flood of images in the form of a crowd.

 

**_LEO STEPS!_ **

 

**_LEO STEPS!_ **

 

**_LEO STEPS!_ **

 

They continuously chanted as the boy snapped, making them all fade “I'm… I'm a SOMEBODY Lacey!”

 

Lacey slaps them right across the face with the back of her hand. Leo regains his posture as he looks at her, holding his cheek. Her eyes are now really red as they end up endless waterfalls. Her mouth was expressing an upset emotion “You WERE a somebody! To me...you were my  _ everybody _ …my  _ everything _ ...to you...to you it might seem like childish infatuation...but it wasn't…you were...you were  _ my _ somebody Europa…”

 

Leo smiles gently “Maybe Europa was...but Europa's dead Lacey. I'm Leo Steps now. And that's all I'm gonna be. I like the new me. I'm not upset with the new me. The new me KNOWS what he wants to be! What he is!...WHAT  _ THEY _ ARE!...” He stomps one foot forward, holding his thumb out and pointed towards his face “I'M HAPPY! I'VE BEEN HAPPY! I'M NOT AS UPSET AS I WAS BACK THEN! I DON'T CONTEMPLATE KILLING MYSELF EACH WAKING SECOND OVER THE CONSTANT TAUNTS OF ANOTHER, REMINDING ME OF THE HOPELESS MESS I WAS!...” his voice turns shaky “I'm free...I'm finally free...and I'm finally content with my life...a dream I thought would never be real…and I'm not gonna lose that...I refuse…” he drops to his knees “I'm won't let anyone take my happiness away from me...even you…” she just stares at him. He meant every word that left his mouth. The emotion was genuine and there was no lie. She has nothing left to say. There wasn't anything she  _ could  _ say. Her life and his life were vastly different. A concept she had been blocking out for her own emotions. Did that make her selfish...or him selfish?? Who was wrong?... Her only instinct was to hug him. A crying child always needed a teddy bear, but… “Get away from me...I need a few minutes to myself…” he fends her off with his hands as he exits the ship again. After a minute she tags after, wishing to apologize. There she spots them reclined against the hull of the ship and inserting a cigarette into his mouth that was freshly lit. Her eyes widen as she runs off to him and yanks it clean out of his mouth. She drops it to the ground and stomps it out.

 

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”

 

“Easing off the stress?...”

 

“HELLO?!?! A. YOU HAVE ASTHMA. B. YOU'VE HAD WEAK LUNGS  _ AND _ HEART SINCE  **BIRTH** !”

 

“Your point?...”

 

“YOU.  _ ARE.  _ **_KILLING._ ** **_YOURSELF_ ** **_!_ ** ”

 

“See this? This is what I mean! I haven't had asthma in AGES! I've since gotten better over BEING in a BETTER environment! I rarely have any more attacks happen if ever! And my lungs and heart have both been bolstered TREMENDOUSLY in my time here cuz I  _ toughened  _ up! Now do you believe me?! I was such a pathetic wreck of a mess that me back then SUFFERED, while the me of now is BOOMING! FLOURISHING! I can easily do this! Because my body's been through WORSE!”

 

“Alright then...how about this? You promised your mother you would never.”

 

“HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” Leo laughs insanely as he pulls out another cigarette “Ohohoh! Believe me, I've since shattered every promise in my struggles to help my dad. I'm well aware of the piece of shit that I am.”

 

“W-What? Y-You mean stealing-”

 

“I frequently ‘liberate’ things from other people.”

 

“D-Don’t talk to strange-”

 

“Strangers make up most of my crew and pals and links. Hell. Thanks to some ‘strangers’, I'm now secretly affiliated with crime groups, gangs, kartels, mafias, yakuzas...and guess what? They're all nice friends to me. Great people and they haven't driven me to kill myself!”

 

“W-Watch out for bad in-”

 

“My best friends were bad influences and I loved them. My mentors were bad influences and I loved them. My girlfriend, the literal daughter of Satan. A  _ literal  _ demon, monster, succubus of a girl, who was also three years older, was the biggest bad influence of them all! And I loved her. Know why? Cuz despite being terrible influence. THEY WERE GREAT PEOPLE! THEY HELPED ME GROW!”

 

Lacey rears back, whimpering “Weap-”

 

“I have a gun on me whenever I can. My friends own secret ARMORIES! See this guitar? MULTI USE WEAPON! I OWN MANY WEAPONIZED VEHICLES, THIS SHIP IS ONE OF THEM! My own FISTS and FEET have destroyed so many wicked lives that  _ I _ legally classify as a weapon! I've cut down so many conniving evil people who all worked for Bohemian with their help. I do so in my efforts to save people as the hero I've become. Need I say more?...”

 

“...Who are you?...”

 

“Leo Steps baby.” he lights the cigarette and places it into his mouth “I came here to save my dad, no matter the costs. I was willing to do ANYTHING. And anything is what I HAVE done. Now Bohemian is pushed way back and is going ballistic. I've got more to do in my endeavors. I'm not done yet.”

 

“...” Lacey takes a deep breath “So this is you now?”

 

“Yep.”

 

“...Then I'm making sure Europa comes back!”

 

“Are you still-”

 

“I'm making him come back, to take over for Leo…” she sighs “You've changed...radically so...but…I can no longer deny that it was necessary...old you would never talk back...he'd cry from lack of bravery...but here you spoke to my face with utmost confidence from your history. I have to accept that you have grown...crazily so...but also in somewhat healthy way…” she holds her hands together “Getting...used to this is...not going to be easy...but you're my Europa. And I finally got you back. And if this is who you are...then I'm meeting you halfway…”

 

Leo blows out puffs of smoke “Why?”

 

“Because…” she smiles “I still love you, after all.”

 

* * *

 

Parappa looks at the two bird girls. One of them wears a green ceremonial tribe dress and has yellow and purple hair atop her head. The other has a yellow and purple ceremonial tribe dress but dark green hair. They both had light green feathers all over their bodies. On the green dress was bird foot symbol as a makeshift W. While the purple yellow dress had two G’s overlapping onto each other in a hook link style. Obviously telling who was who. Both their beaks were short and close to their face. Their wings were vastly different however. Wendy’s wings sprouted from her back, but Gogo’s wings were her arms themselves. Their tail feathers were seen poking out from the bottom of their dresses. He then looks at Pippin. He was tall and lean. With dark green feathers. His beak was long and pointy, almost like a hummingbirds. His wings are also sprouting from his back, meaning that Soren’s were probably the same. His hair was long and teal. He wore a white and brown adventurers vest and pants as his outfit. His tail feathers had a slot within the pants with which to sprout from. All of them had orange eyes and exposed bird feet. Parappa then speaks up to the eldest bird. Atleast he tries to until he hears something about to appear.

 

“EVERYONE HIDE!...” Everyone else dives into the clouds as Parappa runs off to the trees that poked through a separate section of clouds. Once there, a familiar face warps in.

 

“Tsk...hello there Parappa. I did not expect to run into you. When I found your signature I thought it was Leo or the bear I dropped to her demise. I expected to see a splattered body on the ground, but all I see is you again.

 

“Quart...so you’re the reason she’s back here…”

 

“Oh I just did the poor girl a favor! She wanted to see your kid again so badly! To hold him within her arms again~ And now she’s here! And by the unfortunate sound of it. She’s still in one piece!~ You should be thanking me~ I gave the future you opportunity to kickstart your lives again! While also giving me free reign with messing with the children~ Would you like for me to bring your daughters next?~”

 

“STOP! DO NOT DO ANYMORE!...”

 

“Hmm...maybe I still will~”

 

“YOU WILL DO NOTHING!”

 

“You cannot order me~...Say...where the hell are we?...” Quart looks around, obviously unaware of the hidden land.

 

“Nowhere special...now...since you’re here...guess that means you wanna die again!”

 

“Oh please! Leo and my sisters are the only ones to prove capable of dispatching me! As for you...my prior two deaths have given me insight on how to avoid certain mishaps...but both my murderers were stronger than you. You can’t kill me, now even more so~ So you aren’t worth my time~”

 

“That remains to be seen! Now get over here!” Parappa is ignored.

 

“Hmm...what should I do now...yanking that girl back here drained to much of my systems energy...I can’t really do much except study up on my objective some more…”

 

“STOP IGNORING ME! I CAN DEFINITELY TAKE YOU ON!...”

 

“More importantly...if the thing my father used is still capable of assisting Bohemian...with my sisters and their misuse of their powers...it certainly must’ve drained it as it protected them from the gods...meaning I don’t have much time left to snatch it while it still works..”

 

“QUART!” Parappa runs right under him.

 

‘Oh for pete sake...I’m tired of putting up with you!...In fact! I don’t even have to!” He pulls out a vial of strange liquid from his suit “Time for a test drive!~” He bites the cork off and pours the ooze all over the exposed trees. The ground starts rumbling as all the trees expand at an alarming rate “Oooooh~ It works fast~”

 

“W-What did you do?!...”

 

“We’re about to find out~...” The clouds that Parappa stood on now looked no different from a forest. There were trees and vines everywhere. It was green as far as the eye can see. The tree’s were caging him in as the biggest tree sprouted to life. It’s four branches turned into arms as a face grew on the bark of the main tree segment.

 

**_“UUUURGRYAAAAAAA!”_ **

 

“A treant! Lovely!~” Quart flies over to it “Hey buddy! Do me a favor and swat this fool away~ He intends to cut you down! And you don’t want that right?~” the tree monster eyes Parappa with evil intent “Thought so! Tata now~” he warps away as the tree roars. The forest closes in, creating a cage that prevents Parappa from escaping.

 

“C-Crap…” he stands his ground “Come on guy...I'm not here to cut you down...I love nature!” it yells as it drives one of its left arms forward. He barely dodges it “Is this because I'm a dog?? And how my kind usually has a history of peeing on you guys? Atleast the pet variety do that…” it roars angrily after he says that. The treant then uses its branch arms to beat on his chest like a gorilla “Oh...fine! You wanna fight?” Parappa pulls out his mike and quickly turns it into his beam sword “Then it's time to chop a tree down for fun…” it uses its top two arms to cover its face as the bottom arms ready a boxer stance. Since it was stationary and caged in, it only needed to guard the one direction “Don't think you'll make this easy for me…but when has anything ever? Alright then, so obviously your face is what I wanna gun for!” Parappa tries to get closer, but the larger lower arms keep him at bay “Damn...I knew it was gonna be annoying, but at this rate...I might be in trouble…” the treant shakes, spawning large mutant insects to drop from the treetops “Haha...you guys don't look as nice as Spinni and Athena are…” they fly at Parappa, but he cleaves them all to pieces “I LOVE this thing!” the treant then slams the ‘ground’ with its free arms. Wooden spikes jab out of the floor “AIEEEE!” Parappa clumsily triggers his hovering to stay off the ground until the spikes vanish. They do, but he's snagged out of the air by vines that act like tentacles “IS THERE ANY BREATHING ROOM?!” two different colored fireballs incinerate the vines that hold him and he's caught the moment he's dropped “Huh? Lammy! Ma-san!” Parappa happily stares at his two friends. Lammy gently sets him down “How'd you two-” He spots a hole in the trees that was melted open. It quickly regenerates shut however “Guess you're stuck here with me now…”

 

“We're gonna be fine…”

 

(“Course we are! Two hot chick's boutta put this crazy oak outta commission!”)

 

“M-Ma-san please…”

 

(“I ain't wrong! We both control a form of fire! Ergo, two hot chicks~”)

 

“Save it for later! For now, we help Parappa s-stop this thing!...” they all ready a fighting pose.

 

“Bugs, floor spikes, vines and two haymaker happy fists...that's our blockades to his face...get through them...and his last two arms will quickly follow…”

 

“Roger!...”

 

(“Time for some fun!~”) they all rush in.

 

* * *

 

“You love me huh? Sorry to say that I am forever smitten on my dear Harper!”

 

“She's since passed away though...no?”

 

“Heh...you studied up...that she did, but she forever holds my heart...given the ability, I'd bring her back in a heartbeat…”

 

“But if I recall, didn't you say you realized she wanted you to move on?”

 

“Ergh...I mean...yeah...but moving on I'd hard…”

 

“Why not find someone new?”

 

“That ain’t exactly simple for me...I mean...I almost did with another girl…”

 

“What happened?”

 

“She died.”

 

“How??

 

“I killed her.”

 

“WHAT? WHY?!”

 

“Long story...one of Bohemian’s brainless followers caused a humongous mess...that girl was framed for their actions and...yeah...now I live in regret for the death of two girls! So I don't think I'm finding anyone.”

 

“Oh you'll find someone!”

 

“I'm not interested!”

 

“You will be! If not, I'll take the challenge!”

 

“Laceeeeey...you ain't my type anymore.”

 

“An obvious fact, but I might grow to be!”

 

“Huh?”

 

“You got to grow up in a new environment and changed into a new person! Now I'm here to! And I plan to better myself to! I'm gonna become a new Lacey! And that new girl's bound to fall into a category you can't resist!”

 

“You??”

 

“Hey, I just gotta believe no?~ I sure ain't cutting any corners!~”

 

“You know, you almost make me believe you.” Leo extinguishes his smoke “But actions speak louder than words! I wanna see if your words have any merit! You might succeed! But even if you do, then comes the challenge of beating Harper’s hold on my heart!”

 

“I know, but my first mission...is just getting you to like me again...right now...I just want my friend back…”

 

“...tsk…” he runs his hand through the red part of his hair “I never stopped liking you idiot...you were the only one legitimately nice to me. I never forgot that. You may be aloof and a bit rude yourself upon meeting me again after so long, but those are just traits you inherited from your parents. You've more than proven that said niceness towards me is still very much there. So for all purposes...we're still friends.” he holds his hand out, but as she goes to grab it, he yanks it back as he panics “SOMETHING’S COMING…” Leo grabs Lacey and yanks her into the ship. He quickly tosses her into a seat where she nearly flips onto her back. She manages to steady herself and soon spots Leo by the control station. There he flies off, but Leo's forced to land once a familiar face spawns in behind him.

 

“Aw...the rides over?~”

 

“Get OFF my ship Quart…” Leo does not turn around.

 

“Ohhhh you should be nicer to guests!”

 

“You're no guest…”

 

“Oh really? Not after allowing you to see your lovely friend again?~”

 

“You kidnapped her…”

 

“Not true! I can't touch her! But they can grab onto me or my things! So this was all on her!” Lacey sucks in her fear and runs at him, trying to punch him, but an ethereal clock forces her to punch herself. The blind side impact to the back of her head forces her onto the ground “Oh look at that! She's as stupid as you are~”

 

Leo growls through his clamped shut teeth “Get. Off. My. Ship…”

 

“Why?~”

 

“I don't want your blood in here…”

 

“Confident...aren’t you?~”

 

“You don't scare me. 16-bits told me how your stupid counter  _ and _ time manipulation fighting works...as long as I believe in myself or am just plainly more into the fight then you are, you can't time reverse me at all.”

 

“Congratulations! You deserve a prize!”

 

“IT'LL BE WATCHING YOU WRITHE ON THE GROUND!” Both blindside each other with an unexpected punch the flings them both outside the ship. They skid on the ground in a perfect landing. Quart’s helmet was destroyed again and watches Leo quickly rub his cheek.

 

“I just noticed...you're a sheep now! What...daddy dearest falling for another girl?~”

 

“I'd say that doesn’t concern you, but you already know...you're just trying to get under my skin again…”

 

“You're no fun. How about this...I can make it so your dad is guaranteed to end up with Katherine~” Leo looks to the ground, a shadow covering his eyes.

 

“Tempting...but…” A smile quickly shows up on his face as his body melts away into data.

 

Quart quickly realizes the setup as Leo appears behind him. His guitar morphs into a chainsaw that cleaves Quart’s body in two in one noisy violent slash. At first, he seemingly looks fine, but slowly his upper body slides off his lower body. He slaps onto his back as his legs take three steps forward before falling onto their knees and ultimately dropping over. Quart coughs up blood laughing “Alright...I'll admit...I got to cocky and WAY to playful. I'll learn no useful insight from this death other than to cut back the taunting. Which is going to be hard! You're just so easy to mess with that it's fun! All of you are so stupid it gives me joy!”

 

“Shut up and die before I speed up the process myself...”

 

“Don't…” his body grows limp except for his mouth and left arm “Don't worry...I'm going...but not before...that gift I promised you!” his slams his left fist onto the clock on his chest and it opens up a time rift that ejects three crazy king mercenaries “And with that parting gift...until next...time…” his head tilts to the side lightly as he lays there dead, but on his dead face was as smile. Leo growls at the body before readying himself. One enemy was in as floating pod while the other two where piloting a smaller grounded pod. Lacey managed to get back up and walks to the ship door. There she spots the trouble.

 

“EUROPA!...”

 

“STAY INSIDE!...I got this!...” he quickly scans his environment and smiles “I got to much to handle at once what with defending her...but luckily…~” he quick calls someone.

 

_ “Right man Leo?? Haven't heard from you in a while! What do I owe the pleasure of this nice call!” _

 

“Save the formalities Takeru! I'm in a sticky spot...BoTy goons-”

 

_ “Say no more! Tracing your call now! You’re not that far off so expect us soon! Don't die on uuuus~” _ the voice hangs up and Leo quickly shoves the phone back into his pocket.

 

“Alright boys...COME AT ME!” The pods fly off at him as Leo forces the door Lacey’s at to close and shield her from any potential harm.

 

* * *

 

Parappa slashes through the vines that try to grab them. Ma-san was atop his back as he was floating about, and she provided aerial support by launching explosive fireballs that blow up the super insects before they’re able to act. They both do this to provide support for Lammy, whom the tree monster could do very little to. Trying to punch her would get it’s fists caught on fire, and her flaming legs incinerate the wooden spikes before they can rise up to harm her.

 

“C-Come on! You were trying so hard moments a-ago!...” She launches a flurry of kicks to push back it’s fists. She kicks up fireballs that it swats away, wearing its bigger arms down more and more. Eventually they completely burn away. And with it’s smaller arms exposed, Ma-san fires her own fireballs.

 

(“AIN’T FINISHED WITH YA YET!~”) They’re blown off like nothing as it’s face is fully exposed. Parappa forces forward and drives his beam sword straight into what would qualify as it’s face.

 

“YOU’RE THROUGH!” he slides down, slashing its face in half. It groans as all the plants that it controlled all sink back under the clouds to their original position “WHEW!~ 

 

* * *

 

Leo repeatedly smacks away the pods to prevent them nearing the ship. The two pods line up to try and take Leo on together, but the smaller grounded pod suddenly explodes as the two pilots eject out. They scatter away from incoming fire as a bunch of people in rather formal attire. They all hold a variety of weapons, both close and long range suitable weaponry as they now fire at the last remaining pod. A lean green scaled dragon man walks up to Leo.

 

“Fashionably late aren’t you Takeru?”

 

“Had to wake the boys up. They didn’t believe me when I said you actually needed backup. And once I did, then came the issue of getting em all armed up!”

 

“Excuses excuses~ Thanks Takeru.”

 

“The action is thanks enough! Shit’s been boring recently. No bad guys to punish since they never wanna stir our judgement! So what’s the deal with these peeps?”

 

“BoTy went and got himself a time traveler. A PSYCHIC time traveler. And he’s as annoying as he sounds.”

 

“I take it that body is him?” Takeru prods the body with his spike bludgeon.

 

“It is, but that doesn’t mean he’s dead. Idiot can respawn thanks to his tech. So he’s probably alive again as we speak. In the meantime though, he spawned these assholes from the past.”

 

“Past idiots armed with future tech? Clearly a bad combo seeing how fast they’re falling apart! Still...they’re stubborn and slippery. Don’t seem like the type to wanna die easily...hehe...makes this more fun!” Takeru winds his arm. The door to the ship finally opens as Lacey stumbles over “A dame?”

 

“Um...H-Hi!”

 

“She’s the reason i’m protectin this ship.”

 

“Ah, an escort. Say no more. A pal of Right Man is a pal of ours! Names Ryu Takeru! We’ll help Righty clean up this mess in no time!”

 

“L-Lacey Berri!...And uh...R-Righty?...”

 

“It’s a long story Lace. Just know that these guys are the Yakuza group i’m affiliated with! I luckily landed close enough to Todoyoko! The city these boys watch over.”

 

“I-I see...erm...Leo...how did you...erm…’dispatch’ this guy?...”

 

“Simple. When I took you to the ship. I actually went back outside and hung onto the wing of the ship while a backup dancer did all the drivin~ Fooled Quart very nicely~ Then he had to summon these three idiots...speaking of which…” They all turn to the see the floating pod continuously arm itself with new weaponry only for it to be blown off the second they’re out by two yakuza members, one being a pig armed with a minigun and the other a rabbit armed with a grenade launcher. They knocked it out of the sky, but the two other knights bounced the pod back up into the air. The ship showed no signs of going down “Takeru, think it’s time we cut in no?”

 

“Us together? That’s overkill no?”

 

“There’s no kill like it after all!”

 

“Right answer!~” Leo and Takeru run off to the other Yakuza and front flip over them. Two of them flip onto their hands and use their feet to kick off Leo and Takeru as they land on them, launching them higher into the air. They then flip back onto their feet and boost two more yakuza up after the already aerial duo. The new duo collide their feet onto the sheep and dragons feet propelling them forward at mach speed “READY RIGHTY?~”

 

“NO AMOUNT OF RUST CAN MAKE ME UNREADY!~” they kick off the pod once close enough and toss their respective weapon into the air. Leo catches the bludgeon and Takeru catches the guitar. Leo’s eyes grow spiraling wild again while Takeru’s body turns into a living green fire. They both slam the weapons onto the pod, shattering the glass and launching it straight towards the other two Crazy King mercenaries who had been disarmed prior. The impact results in a quick explosion as the two high five in the air while they slowly descend.

 

“That was...beyond extra…” Lacey says after witnessing the over exaggerated action.

 

“We hope it was!” the grenade launcher red bunny says.

 

“YEAH! Always gotta finish ya enemies in style! Flaunt that finesse ya know?” the pig wielding the minigun says.

 

“I...see…” she runs off to meet up with the victorious duo while the rest of the yakuza regroup with themselves “You two had fun by the looks of it.”

 

“I live for this sorta thing! Taking down bad people gives me a joy like no other! Right man helped me achieve such a joy!”

 

“I also live to do this! Evils ass is always gonna need a kicking!” Leo and Takeru chest bump each other as they then laugh. Lacey decides to laugh with them, but both she and Takeru are shoved away by Leo as they then see a large spear piercing Leo's right shoulder.

 

“EUROPA!...”

 

* * *

 

Once the trees have disappeared, the rest of the group all praise the trio on an amazing job well down with stopping the tree monster.

 

“W-We did it! We actually w-won!” the trio share a victory laugh until Ma-san and Lammy are shoved away. The sharp pointy tongue of the treant pierced through Parappa’s right shoulder, much like the spear did to Leo “P-PARAPPA!...”

 

Both Parent and child stay station for a bit, but then look at the object jabbed through them, they then look to the one who did it. For Parappa, the treant refused to die and so used it's own spike tongue as a last result. For Leo, one of the three mercenaries actually survived the explosion and used their spear to viciously harm Leo. The two of them then walk forward while the things are still in their arms. They just get closer to the owner of them. The treant and the burned warrior both freak out as the two just smile as they approach, sliding along the spikes in them.

 

Leo slams his head against the warrior once close enough. The split treant tries to blow out air to push the dog away but no luck as he stands before them. They both say this next line at the same time unbeknownst to them “Is that all you got?~” their smiles grow wilder.

 

“I don't even feel it~” the split face shudders as Parappa snaps the spike tongue off and just stares at the face halves. It shudders before ultimately disintegrating from fear, ending the tree monster.

 

“Whoa…” Both fire attuned girls say as they look at the dog from afar as he pushes out the spike through the back of his arm since it was almost already out that way anyway.

 

* * *

 

“I've had bigger things in me before~”

 

“Sha-zing Righty!” Takeru and the other Yakuza holler as Leo grabs the knights hand holding the spear. He freaks out and let's go of it altogether as he runs away, terrified for his life.

 

“Hey...would you look at that boys...you finally get to hunt something again~” they all cheer as they run after the past man. Leo grabs the spear from behind his right arm and yanks it out. He twirls it in his still functioning arm. Takeru walks up to him.

 

“Gonna keep it that?”

 

Leo smirks “It's yours. Think of it as collateral for asking you to help!” he tosses it over as the dragon catches it effortlessly.

 

“Righty, the fight and now the hunt are MORE than enough! This is just a bonus! You're to kind~” he runs after the group. Leo stands there laughing as Lacey watches him.

 

“...What a...Hero…” Lacey marvels in his glimmer until he starts stumbling as he grabs his arm.

 

“G-Gahaha...oh baby...oh it hurts…”

 

“EUROPA??” she runs up but is stopped by his good hand.

 

“D-Don’t...don't grab me...you'll ruin your outfit…”

 

“Are you an idiot?! I could care less for that!”

 

“Well I couldn't care more…it's a nice remnant of the future…” he stops stumbling and stands upright, holding his arm again “I'm fine. Believe me when I say I've been through worse. This is literally nothing.” he groans “But...change of plans...you're gonna be sticking with us for the rest of the trip…”

 

“Huh?...”

 

“We gotta get back to where the others are...those three birds are healers...they'll fix me right up...and I can't waste anymore time dawdling, Soren and Rize need to be broken out.”

 

“How does that involve me?...”

 

“I can't drive that thing with one arm…~”

 

“I-I dunno how to drive it!...”

 

“Relax!... I'll be teaching you every step of the way.”

 

“...Ok! L-Let’s get you help!...” the head inside the ship and in no time it flies off.

 

“That’s it...just keep it steady like that…”

 

“Okie dokey!...” Lacey breathes easily once she sees how well she’s doing. After abit, she decides to speak up “S-So...uh...what’s the story with Mr. Takeru?...”

 

“It’s a long story that I might as well tell the others along with you. For now, just know it was a polluted crime that went deeper than thought. Ironically it was a mess caused by the police. They realized that it wasn’t worth seeing things go on as such. Once they found their own leader was apart of the multi mass threat himself they had enough, as did I. One thing led to another and I became his right hand man. And from the inside out we took that whole thing down. Now they act as Todoyoko’s protectors along with any nearby areas as well.”

 

“W-Wow...can’t wait to hear the full context…” she takes a deep breath “A-And uh...when you were...scaring that medium rare knight...what you said-”

 

“I’m still a virgin…” Leo rolls his eyes “I was referring being impaled before. It’s a common occurrence for me. But yes, I was being playful with the wording. However I didn’t expect it to be taken literal...”

 

“My bad!...And...Yikes…wait...but you had a girl-”

 

“She was three years older, remember that! Weren’t gonna do a thing till we were both twenty.”

 

“Why not when you were eighteen?”

 

“Cuz then SHE’D be over twenty and it’d still feel weird for her and I.”

 

“I see…” She whistles “Its strange seeing how old you integrates with new you Eu-...Leo.”

 

“It’s just part of the experience!~”

 

* * *

 

“Gaaaah…” Parappa stumbles over while clutching his arm “Ouch...oh man...I hate lying...but like Hell I was gonna make that thing die laughing...this hurts like crazy...not to mention I do have a hole in my arm now…” Lammy wastes no time running over “Relax!...I'm still in o-one piece!...”

 

“RELAX?! YOU HAVE A LARGE HOLE IN YOUR ARM! GOD THIS IS JUST BAD DEJA VU WITH RAPARRA…”

 

“Oh yeah...this...did happen to Raparra...heh…”

 

“Dios mio...why did you even DO that?!...”

 

“This hole in my arm was almost a hole through your chest...You think I was just gonna let it be??”

 

“B-But look at you now…”

 

“I'll be fine!...marginally…” the trio of birds quickly fly up to them.

 

“W-Worry not!...we can fix this!...” Pippin summons a staff while the twins summon out wands “Like your father showed you girls! Just follow my lead and maintain as strong a focus as mine!” Pippin holds his staff by Parappa’s arm and the girls huddle their wands with it. A green glow emits from the orbs at the end of the three objects, and soon the light wraps around Parappa’s arm. After ten minutes, Parappa’s arm is left alone. The hole is gone and his arm is perfectly fine, minus the hole in his sleeves and the blood stains.

 

“Wow...bit slower than how Poppy can do it, but not as painful as Amby’s! No wonder Leo got back up each time!”

 

“Despite being sages of the wind, healing is still a monumental task for us. It takes so much to master! The reason these two can do it like me and my brother and his wife is because we piled on the training!”

 

“Why would you do that to kids??”

 

“They asked us to learn so that we could teach them.”

 

“Again, why?”

 

“They wanted to help Leo.”

 

“...Ah...Aw~...” 

 

“Yes, well...it’s a benefit to all now! Especially given Leo’s track record of becoming injured...but he has been getting better!”

 

“Uh...Uncle Pippin…”

 

“You might’ve spoken to soon…” Wendy and Gogo point to the arriving Leo. Holding his arm as Lacey tags along behind him. Everyone resists the urge to say ‘like father like son’ as to not out the truth to Joe.

 

“Leo I thought you were taking LAcey away!”

 

“Hehe...ran into Quart along the way…And no he didn’t do this to me. He actually died fairly quick this time! Then he summoned some goons from the past...luckily I phoned in some friends and well the rest is history. One of em survived and jabbed his spear in my shoulder! I walked straight forward to him and he ran off! Which leads me to right now!” Parappa laughs “Something funny?”

 

“No it’s just...I just had a similar experience literally moments ago~”

 

“Ah...how ironic.”

 

“I’ll say! Well they patched me up! Now it’s on to you!”

 

“I’d appreciate it. I’d like feeling t return to my arm please.” The trio of birds rush over and perform the same action they did to Parappa as the others all head to Lacey to ask what happened. Joe however, heads over to Parappa.

 

“Parappa old boy! That was some fine special effects you’ve donned for that event! Even with the exaggerated injury!”

 

“Wha??...Joe that was..erm…”  _ I mean...if he’s aware, he’ll end up safer I guess?  _ “That’s all real.”

 

“Oh come on now! I may be easily misled, but i’m not gullible!” Parappa sighs and quickly rolls his eyes before holding out his hand. A small ball of electricity emerges from his palm and explodes into a tiny spark the gives the bigger dog a light shock “YEOW!...Wait...that’s...not smoke and mirrors?...”

 

“Nooooope.”

 

“...Oh dear...what...happened while I was evicted??...”

 

“There’s no place to begin! And it’s only gonna get more hectic once we enter that prison!”

 

“I uh...don’t think I’m cut out for that…”

 

“It’s your job ain’t it? You’re just lucky to have us with you.”

 

“I don’t see myself as lucky…”

 

“Join. The. Club.” Parappa pats his shoulder three times before heading over to the fully healed Leo who helps Lacey explain the ordeal.

 

“And that’s the story. Lacey’s fine and my boys get to have some fun!”

 

“At the cost of you getting injured...isn’t that jacket supposed to help you out?!”

 

“Sorry PJ. Those guys are armed with enhanced weaponry. Some of which that are capable of bypassing the defenses of my outfit.”

 

“If that’s the case, this Quart guy’s gonna be a real mess to deal with...whatever! Take Lacey back now!”

 

“Sorry...but I’ve wasted enough time as is...i’d like to rescue my trapped friends now. So for the meanwhile, she should stay here with Pippin and the twins.”

 

“Oh great…” PJ slides his hand against his face “Right then...guess there’s no safer place currently…” Sweety and PJ quickly discuss a bit with Lacey and Pippin before regrouping with everyone else as they get ready to leave. The group soon find themselves at the foot of a massive prison. It’s external architecture is quite a terrifying sight to behold.

 

“Well...it certainly fits the title of prison…” Everyone agrees with Parappa in their own fearful way. Leo merely chuckles “Right then...Leo...know any ways to sneak in?...”

 

“There are no secret ways in. The entire place has guards everywhere in case inmates want to test their luck and escape. However. This ironically makes the least guarded portion...the front door itself.”

 

“So you want us to just waltz right in??”

 

“Yeah basically.” Leo shrugs with a smile as he walks off. Everyone shudders abit before tailing after him. He shoves the door open and there are immediately guards who turn towards them. Parappa quickly whispers to the unfazed child.

 

_ “I thought you said there would be no guards!...” _

 

_ “Noooo. I said it was the least guarded portion.” _

 

Leo’s words make Parappa swallow roughly “W-Weeeeell...they’re cops! So all we gotta do is just tell them the truth on how we’re just visit-”

 

“HHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!~” Leo’s rushes down the people who immediately try to shoot him. Leo avoids every bullet and makes it right to them. He slides in between two guards getting them to shoot each other in the head. He then breaks the arm of another guard and snags his gun. He uses it to blow the original owners head off and then fire at the remaining guards, taking them down with each shot. When there’s no ammo left in the gun, he chucks it straight at the face of one of the remaining two guards. When he reorients himself, he sees Leo gunning for him. The other guard tries shooting him but misses every shot as Leo flings himself at the unprepared guard. His legs wrap around his neck in a double leg madness as Leo backflips to fire the body at the last shooting guard. The bullets are taken by the flung body as it collides with him and knocks him down. Before he’s able to get the body off and get up, Leo appears and axe stomps his neck, ending the resistance. Leo cracks his neck with a chuckle “Man that was satisfying~...” Everyone just stares at the boy with their jaws dropped until Parappa shouts.

 

“WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!”

 

“I hate cops.”

 

“BUT THEY HELP PEOPLE!...”

 

“HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA...boy are you blind to the truth…” Leo kicks a dropped body “I have yet to see a good cop...they’re all the same and vile...and in this prison...it’s no different.” Leo starts walking down the liberated path, but stops and turns around “Every cop’s main objective is to make things harder on the people when it serves them benefits. Hell, at one point, Tycoon nearly made it so the police force as a whole works under his wing. And they would’ve accepted had I not intervened and Whirlen not become a scared coward…With him halting his police force, others across the world saw it fit to not risk their ‘secret utopia’s’ in the workplace...they became who they were to do whatever the hell they wanted to, and like Hell were they gonna risk losing it by dying. But Tycoon’s gonna try again...it’s why he sent my ‘idol’ here after all! Even if he doesn’t know it...” Leo scoffs and resumes walking down the large empty hallway, but not before blasting down the camera’s in the upcoming areas.

 

“...He wants me to...convince them to be with him?...Is that why i’m here?...”

 

“Not only that Joe, but he also wants to know where this place is so he can both harm the people, and raze this lovely place to the ground… We were trying to hide it from you, but we’re sure even you aren’t blind to this. The guy you’re working for is cruel and evil...And with if what Leo says is true...if he recruits guys like these...then no place will be safe...he can just terrorize the people and pluck out ‘subjects’ at will with no capable resistance…” Parappa says as they all start following Leo.

 

“...I...don’t want to do that…” Joe looks to the ground “I...just wanted a job...I should’ve...should’ve been more aware...I mean...there were some signs with the people that visited...but...I didn’t think much of it…”

 

“That’s why…” Parappa stops, and so does everyone else. He looks at them and they all eye each other, unsure. They eventually come to a conclusion and nod “That’s why my kid came here to help me take him down…”

 

“I’m sorry...your...what?”

 

“It’s a long story Joe…” They resume their walk.

 

_ And I hope you’re ready to listen... _

 


	60. Jailbreak!

“Just what did I miss…”

 

“Quite a ton Joe. You’d know more if you weren’t such a jerk that needed to be evicted in the first place! You’d witness everything that had happened during that time.”

 

“Oh you can’t be blaming me for that!...Much!” Joe rubs his head “Oh this is a nightmare...I just wanted to restart my life...but here I am helping a maniac who wants to take over the world...Joe Chin isn’t this type of guy...I'm just a connoisseur of romance and an avid businessman! “

 

“Both those things are laughably incorrect but whatever.” Parappa shakes his head “You need not worry about your boss! In the future, I...WE take him down! So all you gotta do is just quit while you can. I doubt he'll care if you just abandon ship for now. Afterwards we just do our thing and put a stop of this madness of his!” Parappa clenches his fist as electricity trickles out. A flare of water and ice emit from Katy and Paula. Ma-san’s hair whips about like fire sparklers and Lammy regains her flame horns. Rammy transforms back into her demon body while vines grow from beneath Sunny. “We're growing stronger by the day!”

 

“My word...just what has become of you old boy?”

 

“This was always me! It just took some time finding it out. I guess you could call it...the better side of me!”

 

A smile partially forms on Joe's face “...Yes...Quite so~...” Joe then rubs his chin and then pounds his fist into his open hand “I've made my decision. I'm not quitting.”

 

“WHAT? B-But Joe!-”

 

“Hear me out old boy. Bohemian could give less of a rats ass about me. He can't even be arsed to remember my name. So unlike his other allies, I'm just an imbecile in his eyes and warrant little to no attention from him as I'm just tasked with the menial work. Still he allows me to he informed on what's happening despite not caring about me in the slightest! So with that...I plan on being your...man on the inside! I could provide you with information on what he's doing next!”

 

“Joe that's insane! You'd get killed if they catch you!”

 

“I'll most likely get killed if I quit to. Atleast if they find out about my treason, It’ll have already been both to late and a massive demoralizing blow! Nothing like being bested by someone they deem a fool! And you seem like you could use all the info as shown by the fact that they have a time traveller for an ally!”

 

“I guess...just...take care alright?”

 

“Oh trust me! I will!” The big top heavy dog slaps Parappa on the back in good will. They all try to keep up with Leo who is very far in front of them. Lammy however is having her own inner struggles.

 

“I know Leo does his own thing b-but gaaaaaaaah...it feels so weird when he does em looking l-like ME!...l-like wrapping his thighs around that guys face!...”

 

(“You mean the double leg madness he did? That’s the entire point of the move! It’s a leg grapple of the head!”)

 

“Yeah but _I_ would never do it to people!...It looks so embarrassing!...”

 

(“Would you feel alot better if you did it to someone like Mutt?~ Maybe without any p-”) Before Ma-san can finish her sentence, she’s kicked in the side by the lamb and sent straight into the wall (“Yeeeep...asked for that...owww…”) As Ma-san slides off the wall, an alarm starts blaring. She turns to see that she had landed on a security switch (“...That is NOT my fault!”)

 

Leo slaps their own face hard “ARE YOU SERIOUS?!” down the path they're heading appear a large wave of guards as multiple walls started dropping, attempting to separate the area “Ugh...leave em to me…” Leo runs off.

 

“WAIT! I CAN'T LET MY ONLY FAN RUN OFF INTO DANGER!” Joe rushes off to, but before anyone can stop him, the first will closses, separating the two from the group.

 

“Well this is going by swimmingly!” PJ retorts.

 

“Save the sarcasm! We gotta move!” Matt waves to a side path void of closing walls. They all rush over into the new area. However, said new area turns out to be the main holding hall. There are cells as far as the eye can see. And there are cells stacked ontop of each other in columns. So they spread out horizontally and vertically in a ridiculously long manner.

 

“Wow...look at em all…” Rammy swaps her gaze with each cell.

 

“And there's still a load of cells still empty...and there's probably more cells throughout...this place could probably hold an eighth of the world's populace…” Sunny states.

 

Just then, a speaker voice talks from out of nowhere. _“Oh it can hold up to HALF the world's population deary! And the facility is still growing as well, so expect that number to grow!”_

 

“WHO ARE YOU??”

 

 _“I'm the warden, Whirlen! I'm here because I own this grand place by watching over every nook and cranny! Specifically, you idiots triggered my alarm! And I quickly see you lot here in the first camera I am able to see!”_ The others quickly realize that he doesn’t know Joe and Leo are here since the cameras in the hall they’re taking have since been destroyed _“Now...I must insist you leave.”_

 

“Gonna have to take a raincheck on that idea! There’s people we gotta bust outta here!”

 

_“Bust out…? Has the fame of this prison really evaded you?~”_

 

“I’m aware...but we’re gonna be the first!”

 

 _“Mmm...yeah right~ But still...you could prove bothersome…ALL UNITS IN IMMEDIATE AREA DEPLOY TO HOLDING HALL A-5!”_ the gang ready up, but after five minutes, nobody arrives _“HELLO?!”_

 

* * *

 

In the room that Leo and Joe are in, the entirety of the ground and walls are stained red with Leo wiping his guitar clean.

 

“You know maybe I should worry more for the police than I should for you...my my how capable you are!”

 

“Years of trying to survive whenever a new big bad came around! If you ain’t a Bohemian enhanced bad guy or a natural power blessed being OR a fully capable fighter, you’d be hard pressed to survive an encounter with me!”

 

“I’ll say…” Joe squeamishly tugs his shirt collar “Well...where to now?...Our way back is gone now…”

 

“Forward.” they hear more guards running in from the distance “Heh...goodie~” Leo readies his guitar.

 

* * *

 

_“WHERE ARE MY MEN?! ACTIVATE FULL UNIT ROLECALL SCAN! WHERE IS THE GROUP THAT'S IN THAT CURRENT SECTION!...Oh they're mostly dead. WHY AND HOW ARE THEY MOSTLY DEAD?!”_

 

“That's...THANKS TO US! Now you BETTER leave us alone!” the intercom goes silent. After a while, every cell door opens “I do NOT like where this is going…” Parappa and the rest huddle together again.

 

 _“LOOK ALIVE SCUM OF THE PLANET! I'VE JUST EXPERIENCED A BLUE MOON EPIPHANY! YOU CAN FINALLY EARN YOUR FREEDOM! ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS_ **_EXTERMINATE_ ** _THESE PESTS!”_

 

“T-Think they're gonna do as h-he says?...” every convict hops out from their cell, proving Lammy’s fears.

 

“That's affirmative…” Paula says as the circle of friends watch every angle as to not be caught off guard.

 

“He's not gonna keep his word you know!...” Parappa tries to plea, but Whirlen speaks again.

 

_“Oh I'm very serious. I'm willing to release terrible people back into society if it means my quiet life is left untested!”_

 

“Y-You’re terrible...some of these people...they can't be let free…”

 

_“That’s how the justice system works boy~ Some accidents are worth it to keep our paradise! And there are others who are worse than me!~”_

 

“You…” _Leo was right…_ “YOU…” Parappa’s electricity whips out as he looks down at the approaching criminals.

 

“Parappa, buddy...you know we can't just...interfere with law like this right...I mean yeah they're evil, but we can't kill em...they're technically in the jurisdiction of these guys...so all we can do is just beat them back into their cells!...” Katy tries to pacify the dog who's clearly on the verge of losing it “I mean...remember! Some of these people are lumped together with VERY evil people so we gotta go easy as to not hurt small crime people!...uh...like...you!...” she points to a nearby convict “W-What are you in here for??...”

 

“I'M HERE FOR BURNING AN ENTIRE TOWN TO THE GROUND!”

 

“...what was that…”

 

“YOU HEARD ME! WIPED A PLACE STRAIGHT OFF THE MAP BY BATHING IT IN FIRE! HAHA!”

 

Katy's pupils vanish as water cycles around her **“Kill them all…”**

 

“She just _had_ to talk to the ONLY arsonist here! The girl with immense hatred and fear for burning buildings!” PJ groans as both far gone animals dive in “GUESS WE GOTTA FIGHT NOW!...”

 

 _“FOOLS! TRY AS YOU MIGHT! YOU WILL NEVER-”_ Parappa and Katy quickly exterminate a massive swarm of criminals all on their own, brutally so _“Hey you aren’t supposed to actually win...oh no…”_

 

The others stop fighting as they focus on avoiding the wrath of the two aggressive animals. Sunny then spawns a vine beneath everyone else and sends them to safety “YOU GUYS GO ON AHEAD!”

 

“BUT POPPY, WHAT ABOUT YOU!” PJ shouts to the flower.

 

“Someone's gotta calm then down once they're done~...” she closes them off with more vines.

 

“Dammit...we're losing more and more of our group!...”

 

“Worry later!...they can all handle themselves!” As Sweety says that, the floor beneath them opens up.

 

 _“I'm sorry but I can't have that...you guys are proving more worrisome than I thought...so I need to stall you all out. Tata!”_ they all fall down separate chutes. PJ, Matt and Sweety fall down the left path. Ma-san and Lammy fall down the right and Paula falls down the center with Rammy.

 

The group of three land heavily on the ground.

 

“Ow…” they say in unison before getting back up.

 

“Well...this is bad...neither of us have powers active like the rest...so we really gotta stay outta sight…”

 

“No kiddin Peej...but where are we…?

 

“It looks like...a laundry room…” Sweety walks around the room, then smiles “This will help us avoid trouble!” she pulls out three police outfits.

 

* * *

 

The two fire attuned girls land in a pile of garbage.

 

“O-Ow…”

 

(“Gack…fucking...are we in a trashcan?”) the entire area turns orange (Nope...it's an incinerator...glad we're both cool with fire...LAMBS TURN UP THE HEAT!...”)

 

“L-LIKE I GOT A CHOICE!...” Both girls overheat their bodies to use the incinerators own flames to make it explode, allowing them to escape “G-Great...w-we’re on our own…”

 

* * *

 

Rammy and Paula gently fly to the ground, avoiding impact with the ground.

 

“Fuck head has some nerve...if Leo or Paraps don't find him first, I'm gonna gouge his eyes out and forcefeed them to him!”

 

“While I share the sentiment...we first gotta regroup...come on...things could become trickier with less people to back you up…”

 

“I know...let's go then…” the duo fly down the open path.

 

* * *

 

Katy and Parappa continue to obliterate criminal after criminal.

 

“Ok...so far everything is going...ok...needlessly violent, but nevertheless...ok…”

 

The duo then fly up to the center of the room.

 

“YOU WILL-” Parappa says.

 

“ALL BE-” Katy says.

 

 **“ERASED!”** they say together as they hold their hands up, fusing their power into a green storm ball.

 

“NOT OKAY _NOT OKAY_ **_NOT OKAY!_ ** ” Sunny launches her vines at the two to stop them from charging up the reset storm. The autopilot duo quickly turn to her as a result “Meep…” she dodges attack after attack as they both fire at the flower. She flings herself everywhere with her vines as she leads the attacks to hit the criminals instead. Before long, they're almost all gone. One remains, and manages to grab Sunny, preventing her from leaping away “LET ME GO!...”

 

“YOU WISH! I SPENT YEARS OF MY LIFE HERE FOR CRIMES THAT SHOULD'VE PREVENTED ME FROM ENDING UP HERE! BUT MY TIES TURNED ON ME! AND NOW YOU EXPECT ME TO DIE AFTER SO LONG?! WELL I AIN'T GOIN TO HELL ALONE!” he stays in place as the two charge up their attack.

 

“N-NO!...STOP!...” the flickering colors of blue and yellow fill the room entirely “PLEASE!...DON'T DO THIS...” She loses the ability to mask her voice from fear of dying “ _PARAPPA! KATY!...S-STOP!...”_

 

“TO LATE GIRL!” a spark flickers in the eyes of Katy and Parappa as they shake their heads, when they stop, they fire their attacks. However their beams arc and blast the evil being instead “AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!” he's blasted off of Sunny and his body is violently conducted from the mixing elements as he drops to the ground as a charred black corpse. Sunny struggles to get her breathing to steady as she looks to the two. There she sees them struggling to calm down. She quickly runs up to them, ignoring the obvious and imminent danger just to help them out.

 

“It's ok!...they're all gone and you didn't hurt me!...so calm down please! It's all gonna be alright!...” she grabs both their hands “Easy…deep breaths...don't let your powers get the better of you…” they both as told as they quickly become short on breath as they fall forward. She quickly catches the two of them ”There you go…” they both quickly hug her and apologize on the spot for attempting to kill her “It's ok...it wasn't really either of your actual choices...so don't worry…” she keeps the embrace for as long as they need “Once you're both ready, we gotta move on. It's not safe to be standing still here…”

 

* * *

 

An almost endless stream of bullets fly towards Leo and Joe who hides behind them. Leo is spinning their guitar to deflect every single bullet.

 

“This is such a pointless assault on their behalf…”

 

“I mean we are pinned in place my dear fan…”

 

“Not for long!” after a few more minutes, the bullets stop firing. The sound of empty clicks is all that is heard from the empty guns “There we go!”

 

“There's still alot of individuals to deal with at once…”

 

“Simple for me!” as the duo head up to cops, Joe gets in between Leo and them.

 

“Hello there my fine hard working friends!”

 

“Joe what are you-” Leo is ignored.

 

“Now you all are clearly left with shoddy and unreliable equipment no? Well have I got the deal for you!” Joe unzips a bag at his waist and pulls out a chainsaw with golden chains “This is the Joe Chin Chainsaw. With this, not only will you cause serious damage to your enemies, but you'll also look rather stunning!~ And since I'm feeling generous, for a limited time offer, this order is free if you buy within the next five minutes!”

 

“JOE ARE YOU INSA-” Leo is shoved back.

 

“MYMY! LOOK AT ALL THESE PATRONS! Now here's one for you, and you, you as well.” Joe singlehandedly supplied everyone. They all laugh as they start up the chainsaws.

 

“YOU IDIOT! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!”

 

“Up up up! Do not worry my strong follower! Voila! The Joe Chin Laptop!” he yanks out an enormous brick of a computer.

 

“Where are you getting these things from...how do they all fit?!”

 

“Not important!” he sets it on the ground like a wall. The cops immediately try to cut through with the chainsaws, but the golden chains are ridiculously ineffective. They all get stuck, and the chains snap off and tie their hands to the tool “And now for the introduction of the Joe Chin Super Skates!” he clicks his shoe heels together and wheels pop out from the soles. From the back pop out mini rockets “Push with me boy!”

 

“Erm...yes sir…” Leo activated his jetpack and immediately both blast off, pushing the laptop and the guards with them. Joe then sees smoke coming from the laptop and his skates.

 

“Perfect! Leo my boy! Jump off, NOW!!” Leo let's go. Joe hops out of his shoes that continue blasting off. After a bit more distance, the entire thing explodes. The explosion causes the roof around the blast spot to collapse, crushing them all “If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, please contact head of the department, which is me! We reply with the earliest being ten years! Although I warn you, there is no refunds! Not like that matters since it was free of charge! You paid with your lives instead!” Leo walks up, laughing and clapping as Joe pulls out new shoes to put on.

 

“Johohoe! What sort of lunacy was that!”

 

“Testing of my wares! Still need to work out some kinks! But I'm very thankful for the test run they gave me~ Their sacrifice was not in vain~ Plus it helps to have a strong lad backing me up!”

 

“I'm never doubting you again!” Leo kicks a hallway door open “Come on! Let's keep moving!”

 

“Right away!” they run down the new path.

 

* * *

 

The bear duo and Matt all walk along the place disguised as officers. Their disguises amazingly working as no one bothers them. Soon they're in the clear as they're in a massive empty area, void of guards, criminals and cameras.

 

“Oh thank god...I've never felt so tense...any passing second could've gone horribly wrong…”

 

“Agreed Matt...but we made it!”

 

“We're not in the clear yet boys! Not until we regroup with anyone that has a better fighting chance!” they both nod and continue walking. Eventually Lacey can't help but giggle happily.

 

“Is our imminent danger funny to you dear?”

 

“No no! Heavens no! It’s just...my daughter is here as well now…~”

 

“Aw geez...Sweety I get the sentiment, but...she can’t stay here…” PJ looks towards her “Leo isn’t either but...he grew up with the danger in mind. It’s why he’s such a decently capable person in this type of situation! Lacey isn’t...she’d be in danger constantly…so it's important we send her back ASAP!”

 

“Easier said than done...how do you plan on sending her back?”

 

“Erm...not important right now!”

 

“But you just said that it was.”

 

“ALRIGHT! I GET IT!...” he rubs his face “What's all this about anyway??”

 

“Like it or not, she's with us for the long haul!”

 

“Unfortunately…”

 

Matt just stares at the back and forth chatter “I mean...Peej...not like you'll let anything harm her...riiiiight?”

 

“Ok yes, but I am in no position to handle guys of this magnitude!”

 

“So what you're saying dear iiiiis...you'd let Leo handle it?~” PJ quickly catches on to her teasing, but it still worked on him nonetheless. He doesn't want to let her know she got to him as he diligently holds his mouth shut. However, as a result, his ears pop and start ejecting stuffing “...A-Are you ok??”

 

“WHAT?!”

 

Sweety facepalms “Matt be a dear and help me pick up the pieces of his ears so I can sew them back on to his head…”

 

“On it…”

 

They leave the big empty area with PJ’s ears fully restored. The next hallway is also void of cameras.

 

“I didn’t expect the topic to have that big an effect on you!”

 

“Frankly speaking...I will admit to Leo being the best bodyguard given his experience...but again it's LEO...they can't even manage a stable enough lifestyle! Eventually he's gonna help us beat Tycoon and end this once and for all...and from there he'll have to start his own life! Potentially become a parent themselves! And then what?! With how they are, they'd be a crazy parent! How would _their_ children end up like as a result!”

 

“Now that’s not fair! You’re not giving Leo the proper credit they deserve! They may have an overly abstract way of life, but they still act as regular as can be when it comes to a passive setting! They're very normal and would be a great parent! They're fun and capable of giving them a safe and functional life! Especially depending on the significant other they'll potentially end up with!”

 

“And that should matter to me...why?...”

 

“Because! Leo could potentially be our daughter's significant other!”

 

“...I'm…gonna pretend I...did not hear that.”

 

“The denial shows that you believe it as much as I do!”

 

“I...You have...NO...p-proof to that…”

 

“Peej you're easier to read than a pop up picture book.” Matt says.

 

“IT’S JUST!...It’s just...future me was paranoid over this...and that was before he knew that Leo would be...this!...And now it can possibly happen! And...I don’t know how to handle that…”

 

“Is it because you don’t like Leo or the kinda person they are?...”

 

“No...It’s because I don’t...feel like...my lineage is...worth it I guess…”

 

“What?!?!”

 

“Sweety cork it...Leo...they may be a lunatic...but they’re a remarkable lunatic!...Just like Parappa...they’re an amazing being. He’s extremely multitalented-”

 

“Thanks to future us.”

 

“They’re phenomenally strong!”

 

“Thanks to wanting to keep his family safe and the ideals given to him by his mom and dad.”

 

“And they’re just...to sweet a person…”

 

“Thanks to Par-”

 

“That I just take for granted each and every single time...like I do with their dad…”

 

“...Oh…” Sweety rubs her neck, not expecting that answer “Dear...what...makes you think that?...”

 

“...I think...I was the motivating force for Leo coming back in time...I think...my poor choice of words...encouraged them to do all of this...I...ruined...everyone in the futures happiness...I...this is...all my fault...I saw it all...in a memory...they were...talking to me...and I just...I just...caused...everything…”

 

“PJ…” Both Matt and Sweety say. They stare at the sad bear, but the empathy is cut short when an alarm starts blaring. The walls around them close. One of them opens up to reveal a regal birdman with two guards.

 

“Now...I’m feeling generous...killing you three would be to easy it’d be no fun...I saw from my video surveillance that you three are incapable of doing things the likes of which your friends can do!” he laughs “So come along, with no questions asked...and no one gets hurt!~”

 

“H-How did you find us…”

 

“I tracked who fell down which vents. And you three were the most easy to capture! It was just a matter of finding which room you were in! But it was a simple process of elimination~” they stay silent “I’ll take your silence as an agreement~ Come along then~” The trio begrudgingly follow Whirlen as they’re escorted to a far off cell. However-

 

* * *

 

“Damn this place is fucking empty…”

 

“All the guards must be trying to stop Leo...and I say trying in the nicest way possible because...hooooo boy…”

 

“Yeah, your son can kick some serious ass. Which I’m gonna take partial credit for!”

 

“You??...Actually...eh...I can see it...you were his most preferred family member!” Paula huffs out a puff of snow “I’m kinda jealous…”

 

“Girl for all you know, you _could_ be his mother! What’s there to be jealous about?!”

 

“Oh you just don’t get it…”

 

“I would if you explained!”

 

“...I'm not I'm the mood to.”

 

“Alright. Out with it. There's something about me that you dislike.”

 

“No...no no… I don't dislike it...I'm just...upset at how amazing you are…”

 

“...Me? Amazing? Paula you're talking to Rammy here, not Lammy!”

 

“I know that...I meant what I said…”

 

“Why?? Do you SEE me?” _I nearly changed Leo’s future here!...Hell I still might end up trying to change it...that alone makes me anything BUT amazing…_ “I'm nothing of the sort!”

 

“Leo clearly loved you given how you act and are! It's even shown that Leo spent more time around you than his actual mom!”

 

“I'm mean…” _Given the kid’s life back then? Gee I fucking wonder why he'd try to stay close to the most intimidating looking person…_ “You got me...I don't know why…”

 

“Rammy…” Paula sighs “Forget it…”

 

 _Does she...know that I know?...is she also aware of the kiss?? Or is it something else?? I gotta know now or it'll kill me! Especially if it's the former and she talks!..._ “Go ooooon… come on, get it off your chest.”

 

“...Look at you. Strong, brave...gorgeous...and charismatic! Not to mention a great singer and guitar player...and your strength and appearance are further amplified when you turn...into this!” she holds her arms out to emphasize demon Rammy.

 

“Alright. Lemme break this down. Strong? Girl before you all met me I was on the point of killing myself! Brave? I was terrified of the month of waiting when Raparra was gonna arrive! Not to mention that I couldn't really do much if Paraps wasn't in the nearby immediate area! A fact that still stands! If I wasn't sure I could handle these guys, I'd be trying to beat it rather than fight from the fear! Gorgeous? Me? Wrong ewe. The word never refers to me and never will. Charismatic? You sure you're talking about me?? Great performer? Yeah, totally. I'm so great I couldn't find work and let jealousy and grief ruin me. Nearly killing me! Further amplified? Only thing further amplified is how much I suck. How much of a dependent coward I've become...or rather, one I've always been.”

 

“...I'm…” Paula looks forward as she just hovers off, staying silent.

 

“K…” They resume flying and soon spot a camera drop down and look at them.

 

 _“Hello there! I’m currently heading off to three of your companions right now, but I noticed that you two are dangerously close to them and may interrupt, and I can’t have that!”_ more released criminals arrive _“Have fun you two! I’d send my men, but they’re all being stationed elsewhere to avoid dying...I don’t know what you lot are doing that’s killing my well trained men, but it won’t win you the day! In the end, you’ll regret coming here!”_ the camera leaves.

 

“Rammy…”

 

“Yeah yeah, no worries. Now, you want me to kill these guys or what?”

 

“Should we?...”

 

“Paraps and Katy killed the others in that prior room! Plus they want us dead anyway!”

 

“I guess…but…”

 

“You killed people in a jellyfish robot!”

 

“Fair point...erm…”

 

“Think of it like this...I bet I can kill more than you~”

 

“That’s not gonna work on me in this situation Rammy…”

 

“So you’re saying you’d lose?~”

 

“No Rammy-”

 

“Cuz it sounds like you admit defeat.”

 

“I didn’t-”

 

“Chicken?~”

 

‘Rammy-”

 

“Guess i’ll do all the work!~”

 

“YOU’RE ON!” diamond dust flows around her hair as it itself flows about in the rising cool breeze.

 

“Hehehehe~ That’s better!~” _glad I got you out of that funk!_ Rammy flies off towards the criminal crowd along with Paula. Both with a loud battle cry. In moments, all the obstacles are dealt with.

 

“FIFTY-FIVE!” they both shout, signaling that they tied.

 

“Tie breaker later! For now we help our friends out!” Rammy says as they both resume their path. Eventually they spot the two bears and the dog being escorted by a birdman and two guards. They quietly sneak up on the guards and easily dispatch them. Paula freezes one over and tips over the statue, watching it shatter into many pieces. Rammy spins the other guard around and paralyzes him. There she snags his gun and blows his face off. The headless body drops with slight twitching. Whirlen sighs as he turns around. There he watches both girls shout out ‘fifty-six!’

 

“Some officers...guess they didn't value their ideals enough...I'm going to ask you both-” Rammy unleashes bullet hell on the bird who pulls out a type of spear and quickly spins it, deflecting all the bullets like how Leo did with their guitar. The gun quickly turns empty.

 

“Really??”

 

“There. Now-”

 

“SLEEP PARALYSIS!”

 

“MIRROR GAZE!” his eyes glimmer as Rammy drops to the ground, unable to move. Paula quickly tries to freeze him over “TURBULENT TURNOVER!” a strong gust pushes the frost back to Paula herself as she's almost completely frozen over “Would anyone else like to try?~ No? Moving on.” PJ and Sweety quickly pick up the immobilized duo as they resume their walk.

 

* * *

 

“This s-sucks…”

 

(“You expected a jailbreak to be easy?”)

 

“I mean...we c-clearly overwhelm anyone and everyone here…A-And it is a bit exhausting…”

 

(“What a pity.”) Ma-san shrugs arrogantly.

 

“O-Oh come on! This is w-way more than what we bargained f-for!”

 

(“So is everything else. Yet here we are.”) Ma-san flicks her hand in a circle.

 

“I know...b-but you'd think it'd get e-easier…”

 

(“Has that ever been the case before?”)

 

“N-No…”

 

(“Then…?”)

 

“I'm...scared…”

 

(“Ugh...what else is new…”) Lammy’s ears flick about. Ma-san’s words wounded her, and as a result she grabs her arm and looks to the floor sadly (“Oh what a shock...you're upset again...look Lambs. This is just how life is! A pain in the ass! You should know that more than anyone! So you really ought to get it through your head!”) Ma-san cracks her neck aggressively  (“Oh wait...you can't...cuz you are a C O W A R D!”) a flaming fist hits Ma-san straight in the face as she slides back abit.

 

“I'M _NOT_ A COWARD!...I CAN'T HELP HOW I GET!...BUT I WON'T LET ANYONE T-TALK ME DOWN OVER IT! EVEN YOU!...N-NO MORE!”

 

(“Oh hey. Ya finally grew a pair! Only took twenty years, in a maximum security prison! Pathetic...You're more mutton than mayhem!”)

 

“T-THAT’S IT! TIME SOMEONE GOT IT THROUGH YOUR HEAD THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA JUST SAY WHAT YOU LIKE ABOUT PEOPLE!” Lammy readies a fighting stance “AND THAT SOMEONE IS GONNA BE ME!”

 

(“IS THAT SO?! THEN SHOW ME IF YOUR NEWLY GAINED SPINE IS STRONG ENOUGH TO ‘PUT ME IN MY PLACE!’”) Ma-san gets ready herself. Both girls ignite as they tackle each other. Their impact causes a massive explosion that shakes the entire facility. Meanwhile...

 

* * *

 

“Oh...I hope the others are alright...that hole in the floor really does not ease my worry...who knows where they are now!” Sunny says as the trio walk down the only available path.

 

“We'll find them Poppy. I'm sure they're all safe!”

 

“Parappa’s right! Something in me is just telling me that they're all ok!”

 

“I wish I had that gut feeling as well…” Sunny shakes her head “Okay! I'll follow your faith!” she smiles as they resume walking, but then she speaks up again “Um...if you two don't mind me asking...you both...managed to snap out of your autopilot!...this is a first! Usually it has to run out painfully or someone has to...erm…’get a hold on you’! But here...you did it yourself! That's great progress! But back on topic...How'd you do it?...”

 

“I...just heard an old friend again was all…~” Katy gives a wink to the flower girl.

 

“I did to...specifically an ex of mine...it was weird since she's nowhere here...but I guess that snapped me out of it…”

 

Sunny immediately notes that she forgot to feign her voice when she assumed she was going to die. She had gone back to doing so no thankfully, but it was still a potentially bad slip up since Parappa was still unaware of who she was “A-Ah...I see!...I can only imagine why!...You uh...don't...sound happy about that Parappa…”

 

“Recalling my ex...it puts me in bind…”

 

“Why's that?...”

 

“Cuz...I think I hate her…”

 

“Oh…”

 

“Heh...naw...that ain't true...I don't…Just...I don't know…” he tugs his beanie “I don’t know which emotions are real…I thought I had my emotions on check, but the more that starts resurfacing in my mind...especially after recent events...the more i’m forced to see that...I...may not have had this all done with as I thought...”

 

“...Erm...your ex must’ve been...quite a problematic girl!...”

 

“Actually I think I was the problematic one...which is mainly the reason for her leaving, heh…”

 

“THAT’S NOT TRUE!...” Sunny shouts “...I-I mean...you’re not problematic at all!...”

 

“Thanks~...but, even I’m not ignorant to this.” He crosses his arms with a dejected chuckle “Future me had to deal with this, and WITHOUT know he had powers no less...I should count my blessings that it’s...somewhat easier…but that’s my life for ya...seems like it was set from the getgo to get this bad...Oh well...what can ya do…” Parappa just resumes walking. Katy looks to Sunny as she heads next to the flower. Once Parappa’s a good enough distance away, they talk.

 

“Hey...you...ok?”

 

“No...but that’s fair...I left him with that way of thinking...it’s my karma to feel this way.”

 

“Sunny...that’s not tru-” the entire place starts shaking as if an explosion had gone off. Parappa turns around to spot the girls, only for the ceiling to collapse down.

 

“PARAPPA!” Both girls shout.

 

“I’M FINE!...BUT ARE THE TWO OF YOU FINE TO??”

 

“W-We’re good!” Sunny says.

 

“B-But it looks like we’re split for the time being…” Katy looks at the rubble.

 

“I can just move it with my vi-”

 

“NO!...The structure is to instable! If you try to move it Poppy you might cause more things to collapse!” Parappa says from the other side of the rubble.

 

“So we’re just stuck like this!?”

 

“Don’t worry! Me and Katy will still have a way to keep in touch!”

 

“H-How?...Cell phones don’t work here! We already tried that with figuring out where the others where but no luck!”

 

“Just trust him S-Poppy. We’re gonna be fine.” Katy winks at the flower “Parappa, it looks like we can only go down from here.”

 

“Darn...I can only go higher in floors...but we’ll keep in touch obviously!”

 

“Course we will!” _Right Leonora?_

 

_Correct! I will keep both sides aware!_

 

“Great! Then let’s go! Either find the others or find Soren and Rize and get the heck out of here!”

 

“Right! Come on Poppy!” the flower nods as they run off. Parappa taking his own solo path as well. The two resume running on their own path, but eventually Parappa and Sunny come to a halt “Sunny…”

 

“It hurts...more than I care to admit...and yet...it’s obvious...except to him…” Sunny looks around the room. The reflective steel walls just show her sad reflection “Can you give me some time to myself?...”

 

“Erm...sure. But the moment something goes wrong-”

 

“You’re free to yank me off.”

 

“Alright!”

 

Parappa stops in a hall full of holding rooms. Reflective glass everywhere, just mirroring his sad state “Heh...what’s wrong with me...how can I want her back with us all...when I don’t even know...If I want her around again at all…” He laughs, in obvious pain “It doesn’t help...that she...reminds me of you so much...and I swear...you’re closer than I think you are...but I don’t see anything...am I going insane?...Do I miss you that much…” both sad individuals walk up to the nearest reflective surface. They don’t know what prompts their hearts to request this, but they both get the urge to sing. They don’t know why, but the lyrics come to mind almost immediately. Parappa starts off as his reflection turns into Sunny.

 

“Feelin used...but i’m…

 

Still missin you...and I can’t…

 

See the end of this…

 

Just wanna feel your kiss, against my lips…” He holds his hand longingly on the glass as the Sunny turns around and walks away.

 

_“And now all this time...is passing by…_

 

_But I still can’t seem to tell you why!_

 

_It hurts me, every time, I see you…_

 

 _Realized, how much I need you…”_ Sunny stares at her reflection that turns into Parappa. She frantically tries to grab the still image that just turns around and runs off.

 

“I Hate You…”

 

_“I Love You…I hate that-”_

 

“I love you…Don’t want to…”

 

 _“But I can’t put..._ Nobody else...above you!”

 

_“I Hate You…”_

 

“I Love you…”

 

“I hate that…”

 

 _“I want you…”_ Sunny watches the Parappa run along each metal mirror surface, heading off to someone else _“But you want her…”_ A reflection of Katy appears on the wall _“You need her…”_ A younger Leo runs up in between the two as they pick up the little Leo and happily spin him around with him _“And I’ll never be her…”_

 

* * *

 

The two flame girls brutally lay into to each other before slamming fists into each other, sending themselves back evenly. Lammy and Ma-san then yell as they unleash Armageddon on each other. Lammy continuously kicks up fireballs that Ma-san swats away with her hands, she then punches out explosive fireballs that Lammy easily evades. But the moment she lands, she’s met with a painful fist to the jawline that flings her back through a wall. Ma-san gets closer to the hole in the wall, but Lammy slides out on one leg, the other held out. The held out leg slams painfully into Ma-san’s stomach as she’s shoved onto the ground. Ma-san slams her fists onto the floor, causing a mini explosion that bounces her onto her feet. Lammy’s horns ignite into the shape of full horns again as she pushes both her hands forward, launching a flame wave as if her hands were a flamethrower. Ma-san’s hair whips about like sparklers again as she holds out one hand. From that lone hand ejects out a flow of fireworks in a manner similar to flamethrower as well. Their flames clash into a neutral dud before blowing up into a smoke cloud. Lammy dives in with a flaming flying kick while Ma-san dashes in with a heavy explosive haymaker. Once again an explosion triggers, leaving Ma-san to stumble. Lammy however manages to flip about in the air to land on her feet. She rushes in and performs a large kick barrage on the mouse. She finishes with a roundhouse that slams into Ma-san’s side incredibly. The impact winds her as she dropped onto the ground. It’s not done with that however as her body skids along the ground for a ridiculous distance, flame sparks flickering off each distance drawn. After what feels like forever, Ma-san stops skidding and just lays on the ground.

 

“HOW’S THAT FOR A SPINE?!...” Lammy huffs up angrily. However, as her anger and adrenaline fade, she soon realizes what she’s done “M-MA-SAN!” she runs up to her friend and immediately tries to help her up. Ma-san swats away her hands, laughing weakly.

 

(“Feel...better?...”)

 

“BETTER?!...OF COURSE I…” Lammy looks to herself “...I don’t know...s-sort of?...but I-”

 

(“It’s cool. This was the end result, and I was fully prepared for what was gonna happen to me. And I needed to let out some steam as well. Although...I think we both got a little TO into it...heh...ow…”)

 

“N-No kidding...y-you pack on hell of a p-punch Ma-san…”

 

(“Maybe! But you kicked my ass Lambs!...Remarkably so!...”) Ma-san stumbles over as she holds her back (“I’m definitely remembering this!~ Shows that you can stand for yourself without Katy or Parappa nearby~...”)

 

“B-But couldn’t you have done this WITHOUT us fighting each other?!”

 

(“Would it have had the same results? What makes you think you wouldn’t have just ended up further depressed?”)

 

“...But...I hurt you…”

 

(“Pffft. Lammy. Chill. I come from tougher stock! For pete sake, my dad’s family and friends were so tough, the only ones who could take them down were themselves!”)

 

“I mean...ok...fair enough…” Lammy helps keep the mouse steady “Atleast let me do this…”

 

(“Alright.”) Ma-san smiles, trying to get the lamb to ease up, but they both panic at the sound of another voice. They quickly turn towards it.

 

“Oh don’t mind me, by all means! Carry on with your moment!” Whirlen says as he stares at the two who immediately try to get into fighting position. Ma-san however stumbles over and Lammy also struggles to shrug off the pain and injury “Girls, be sensible. I’m not heartless! I can see you both are in no condition to further put up a ruckus. So please, just calmly follow me.” Ma-san refuses to cooperate “Girls, please be sensible. Your friends are where I plan to take you, and if you come along quietly, no harm will come to them and no further harm will come to you.” Ma-san growls, but stops once Lammy places a hand on her shoulder. She groans in defeat as they both nod “Now that wasn’t so hard no was it? Come along now, your cell is just down this path!” Both girls begrudgingly follow.

 

* * *

 

Sunny and Parappa keep singing from their respective locations.

 

“I miss you when I can’t sleep…

 

Or right after coffee, or right when I can’t eat…

 

I miss you in my front seat…

 

Still got sand in my sweaters, from nights we don’t remember.” Parappa walks by multiple mirrors. There he sees himself back when he refused to get out of his room. Depressed and trying to leave work as soon as he could. Refusing to eat anything at all. And staring at the empty seat besides himself whenever he drove along. It ends with a sweater he got from her that she had made herself. It was blue and had ‘PtR’ on the front of it, Parappa recalls that nowadays it’s well worn and dirty. It’s most likely still back at his old house, he couldn’t bring himself to take it with him. He thought that he should’ve atleast cleaned it. He reclines along a wall of glass as perspective changes back to Sunny.

 

_“Do you miss me like I miss you?..._

 

_Messed around and got attached to you…_

 

_Your friends can break your heart too…_

 

 _I’m always tired, but never of yooou…”_ Sunny stares at the blank reflective steel as she looks at the dog again, moved on as it would seem to her. She recalls how when she first fully fell for him back when they were fifteen, on a what she assumed was a leisurely drive. She then recalls the day she shattered his heart and left. Then she sees herself alone and dull in the town she moved to. Then the news came and she figured she’d have happiness again, but the entire time she was back, it only exhausted her more. The pain piled on, but it was never because of him.

 

“If I pulled a you on you, you wouldn’t like that…” Parappa sees that fateful day, but the roles reversed.

 

 _“No, I put this reel out,_ cuz you wouldn’t bite that…” Both of them see a reflection of them holding their heart out to the other, but nothing came from it. As a result, they pull their hearts back and lock them away.

 

“I typed a text _, but then I nevermind that…”_ Both sides are shown TRYING to find ways of contacting the other during the event, but they both quit halfway.

 

 _“No I feel these feelins_ , but you nevermind that…” Both can’t deny that they’re still heavily in love with the other, but feel as if the other no longer is, much to their ironic dismay.

 

 **(“Nooooo** **_ooooooo_ ** **….”)** However, Sunny chooses to believe otherwise given the mixed reply she got recently, plus the chats she had with Katy once she had been found out by her.

 

_“Keep it on the loooooow…_

 

 _Still in love wit me, but your friends don’t knooooow…~”_ As Sunny sings this portion, something sparks in Parappa to believe otherwise as well. His recent events, and a dream he can’t recall all push him towards believing. Believing that something good could happen.

 

“If you wanted me, you would just say so…~” He stares at a Sunny reflection who happily looks back.

 

“And if I were you, _I would never let me go~...”_ They both sing this verse as their reflection of the opposite pulls forward to pluck out and hug another reflection of them. To Parappa, Sunny was hugging him, and vice versa for the flower girl. But sadness kicks in again. Their emotions at war over which side of the perspective was right. Blind faith? Or cold acceptance of a truth not guaranteed?

 

“I Hate You…”

 

_“I Love You…I hate that-”_

 

“I love you…Don’t want to…”

 

 _“But I can’t put...Nobody else..._ above you!”

 

_“I Hate You…”_

 

“I Love you…”

 

“I hate that…”

 

 _“I want you...but you want her...you need her…”_ Sunny peeks out of the room she’s in to spot Katy looking around to see if the captured allies were around _“And I’ll never be her…”_

 

* * *

 

The split up group are all found within a cage as Whirlen stares at them from the outside. Rammy had regained mobility and Paula had been thawed out, but they were rather drained as a result. Next to them stood the battered Lammy and Ma-san who just sat down in defeat. And finally were Matt, PJ and Sweety who sat with an even bigger air of defeat since they have no powers of which to properly help out!

 

“You lot are certainly a handful, but surprisingly easy to take care of! All I need is that dog, cat and flower and we’re set to go! Now I should really get my men to guard your cell...there should be a good handful left in this wing of the facility! Oh...and don’t try to use your powers. Once I put you in your new home, I decided to activate the prison’s limiter!”

 

“Limiter?...”

 

“Yes my small fox friend!~ You think you’re the only enhanced freaks to be in here? No!~ I have a crapton of mutant mayhem monsters who have abilities that could destroy the place! The limiter prevents them from doing anything! Unless of course, you control the element of air~” He summons forth his long polearm by pulling it from the wall to his hand with his wind ability “Like moi~ Well...rock as well, but that ability is far to rare~ Unless you were part of the dumb tribe of meatheads, Chivalry, but they’re all dead~” He pulls down a microphone and television screen “ATTENTION ALL REMAINING...men…” On the screen he sees Leo off literally all the guards in the wing of the building they’re in “L-Leo Steps...h-here?...I-IS THAT HOW YOU IMBECILES GOT THIS FAR?!...”

 

“YEAH! SO YOU BETTER LET US GO! OR **YOU’RE NEXT**!” Rammy shouts. Whirlen panics but then notices where they are.

 

“RELEASE PRISONER # 1134!” multiple screens drop down as everyone watches what's about to happen.

 

* * *

 

“You know my boy, you're quite the physique master!”

 

“Naaaaaah.”

 

“Are you daft old boy? Look at how you are! These folk can't even land a finger!”

 

“Mmmm...yes that's true, but by no means am I constantly like this.”

 

“I'm afraid I don't follow.”

 

“Think of it like this Joe. I come in a variety of flavors. The one you see now is just overzealous me! I mean yeah I have the _potential_ to run a marathon race and finish with eighteen bonus laps and still come out in first, but another flavor of me is taking a half step out the front door and immediately collapsing on the floor, wheezing and hyperventilating. Shouting ‘Please oh please, make it end, give me the sweet embrace of death for I can't deal with this exhaustion, I'm to much of a lethargic blob...blegh…’ and just melt on the floor and pull out a box of donuts from nowhere and just start eating it.”

 

“All of that was way to detailed NOT to be an experienced event…”

 

“Maybe~ I sure ain't talking~” Leo laughs, but stops once an alarm rings “More cops?” a large door before them opens up. Out walks a prisoner with a large future pair of handcuffs. Chains on their legs, and a large helmet obscuring their face “Something don't feel right...get behind me Joe…” the handcuffs open up and the leg chains break off. Smoke emits from their head as the headgear breaks apart. What stands before them is a cobra woman. Leo gets on edge immediately.

 

“If it isn't my traitorous right hand~...”

 

“...Doku Paipā...figures you'd be sent here. Todoyoko is better off!”

 

“Oooh...your words wound me~ Are you certain you don't miss the chaos?~ I'm sure Takeru and Akuma do~”

 

“They don't miss it! Or you! That's why they helped me lock you away!”

 

“And lock me away they have! Why, my trial finally came to a close and I was put on death row! Or atleast I was~ Looks like I've been given a second shot, and all I have to do...is kill you~ I would do so even if it didn't net me freedom! But it's such a shame...look at you...look at all the carnage you can cause...oh you would've been a wonderful successor to my boys~... And your voice...it would have served Bohemian well~ Oh it hurts to have to kill such a fine specimen...but c'est la vie~”

 

“I took you down once before Piper!”

 

“Yes, with assistance from my high ranking boys Ryu and Ken~ Alone you would not have survived~”

 

“It took Takeru and Akuma well near the climax to arrive! And you know that! And I held my own until then, even almost finished you myself! How I am now can certainly best you!”

 

“Maybe so~ Why not prove it to me traitor~” She rips a pole out from a cell door and holds it like a weapon.

 

“With pleasure…” Leo readies his guitar. They strike at each other with colliding impacts that parry one another. Eventually both weapons another struck out of their hands as they're forced to switch to close quarters combat. Leo punches her in quick succession, breaking her block and then launching a final punch at her face “PUNCH!” she's hit and slides back. She moves her head back into place as she laughs.

 

“Surely you can do more than that~” they rush back in and trade impacts throughout their battle, eventually Piper ducks under one of Leo's strikes and quickly grabs the bottom of his jack and yanks it upwards, blocking his vision. When Leo drops it back down, the cobra is gone.

 

“LEO BEHIND YOU!” Joe shouts, but it's to late as Piper grabs them from behind.

 

“Such a precious being forced to go to waste...ain't it a shame?~” she kisses him on his neck, getting Leo to fling her off.

 

“GET THE FUCK OFF ME!”

 

“Still as spunky as ever~ Very well, make me!~”

 

Leo tries to, but suddenly their vision gets hazy as their stance starts to fumble “Whaaa?...Gaaaaah...poison...I...fucking forgot...your stupid nail polish and lipstick…” Leo wipes off the smear on her neck, but it changes nothing.

 

“Oh relax~ You are much to durable for it to kill you!...I learned that the hard way remember…” Leo drops to her knees “All it's gonna do is leave you paralyzed like a vegetable for five minutes...but…” she picks her pole back up “I only need one to end this!” she rears it back as she attempt to drive it through his face, but is stopped by a punch to face setting her off balance and onto the floor. She angrily gets up and then locks eyes with Joe “Oh...you'll have to forgive me. You were so pathetic that I didn't deem you a threat! I even forgot you were here!”

 

“Madame...allow me to fill you in on something. All my life, I had the lifestyle of never harming a lady. Always court them as if you were pampering a queen!”

 

“Let me guess...you're gonna finally stop that ‘promise?~’”

 

“Oh no no! The promise still stands. I just say this because...you are no lady!” her eye twitches “You are an ugly brute that needs to be taken care of post haste!”

 

She laughs angrily “So you plan to take me on?” she growls “HEARING WORDS LIKE THAT COME FROM AN IDIOT LIKE YOU SICKENS ME TO MY VERY STOMACH! I'LL KILL YOU SLOWLY AND PAINFULLY!”

 

“A f-fact I do not d-deny...but...try it!” she rushes him down. Joe avoids the pole and as she gets closer “JOE CHIN CHAINSAW!” He slams the dull useless tool in the side of her head. It doesn't cut her, but it sure as hell makes an effective bludgeon.

 

“UWAH?!...” As she staggers, Joe takes his chance. He unleashes his fury and his wares upon her.

 

“JOE CHIN UNBREAKABLE BUST!” he uppercuts her with a statue of his head that breaks on impact and forces her up.

 

“JOE CHIN BOXING GLOVE!” when she comes back down, he slams her square in the face with a boxing glove that bursts of impact, creating a more unconventional, but damaging hook.

 

“JOE CHIN LAMP!” he slams a lamp on the drop of her head. It shatters and embeds the top of her head with glass and metal fragments.

 

“JOE CHIN HAMMER!” he slams her jaw with a hammer than snaps in two, but breaking her lower fangs off in the process.

 

“JOE CHIN TABLET!” he slaps it on the back of her head, breaking it and cutting her hood with even more glass.

 

“JOE CHIN MULTIREWARD TROPHY!” he strikes at her chest and face diagonally with a trophy in the shape of him, breaking the statues base in the process. He then stabs the pointy bottom part into her neck, embedding the trophy into her.

 

“JOE CHIN FLYSWATTER!” he whips her across the face and torso with the object the breaks on impact, and slashing at her face and chest in the process.

 

All the attacks send her to her knees as she gets back up instantly. Her face and chest and neck horrendously battered and bruised,  but she was still alright and very much pissed off “You...YOU...DISGUSTING OAF...HOW DARE YOU ACTUALLY MANAGE TO HURT ME!”

 

“Oh dear...Y-You were supposed to stay down…”

 

“THE ONLY ONE GOING DOWN IS YOU!”

 

“C-Can I postpone that? Um...uh…” he feels around his bag, but it's now empty. She approaches him and attempts to kill him “GAH!...” Joe holds his hands up in a last attempt at defense, but he finds himself not dying “I'm alive?...” he looks forward to see Leo choking Piper with her own pole. Leo's right behind her holding the pile against her neck and pulling it back. Joe had managed to stall her for five minutes. She finally runs out of air, but to add insult to injury, Leo snaps the pole in half on her neck and embeds the two pole pieces into her back once she hits the floor.

 

* * *

 

Whirlen shuts the feed off.

 

“This can't be happening…”

 

“Like I said! You're gonna be next!” Rammy scoffs in victory.

 

* * *

 

Leo dusts herself off as she walks over to Joe Chin “Leo my boy!...Deary me...you saved me from quite a problem!”

 

“I should be saying that to you!...Joe...you saved me…Were it not for you...I'd be dead right now...I wouldn't have been able to finish her off...Thank you so much…~”

 

“Oh don't worry my boy!...I couldn't just let my fan die.” they both laugh “We should get moving!”

 

“Right!” They both get ready to move on, but Leo kicks the body once before they head off. As they move along, Leo stops in place, holding her head “Oooooh…”

 

“You alriiiiiiiiii…” Joe stutters as he looks at Leo. She looks like flower dog hybrid.

 

“What's...wrong?...” She's to dazed to notice her different voice.

 

“...Nothing, you look...pale is all…” he holds onto her “Let me help you out…” Joe walks off with her in tow. Quickly he thinks to himself. _They do change...and radically at that...still...it feels like they shouldn't look like this...I should keep this to myself…_

 

* * *

 

We cut back into the finale of the song the two sing.

 

_“All alone I watch you watch heeeeer…_

 

 _Like she’s the only girl you’ve ever seen…”_ Sunny admits to her own jealousy as her reflection melts away.

 

“And how is it you never noooo-tiiiiice…

 

That you are slowly kill-in me-heeeeeeeeee!...” Parappa stares at the sad sorry version of himself he was for a year and watches it turn to dust.

 

“I Hate You…”

 

_“I Love You…I hate that-”_

 

“I love you…Don’t want to…”

 

 _“But I can’t put...Nobody else..._ above you!”

 

_“I Hate You…”_

 

“I Love you…”

 

“I hate that…”

 

 _“I want you, but you want her, you need her!...And I’ll never be her…”_ they end their song with a shaky sigh. Sunny turns around to spot Katy hold her arm as she looks away.

 

“Sorry…”

 

“Sorry?...”

 

“That...you don't even get a shot like us…”

 

“Don't apologize...not for how things are supposed to go…” she grabs her hand in shaky reassurance “This is just how things are supposed to go. I just wasn't meant to be his other half, but you could be and so take it. Take that chance and see where you get to go with it~...The others have to take it to!”

 

“But...what about you?”

 

“What about me? Sunny isn't in the future remember?”

 

“N-NEITHER WERE THE HELL SHADOWS!...BUT THAT CHANGED! THIS CAN CHANGE TO!...”

 

“Katy. I don't want to ruin Leo's life. Or Parappa’s.” her hands are grabbed tightly by the cat.

 

“Please...just...make a chance for yourself to…”

 

“Katy-”

 

“Please…” she looks to the ground, then raises her head back up “I miss you…” Parappa’s voice melts into hers thanks to Leonora. The upset emotions between the cat and dog created a pseudo link. Sunny is effectively caught of guard.

 

“How-??”

 

“It's...a long story...but it's thanks to Leonora…”

 

Sunny tilts her head, then release a defeated giggle of despair. _You dummy...this...is why I can't~..._ “Katy...I could ruin so much...you know that you could potentially be Leo’s mother right? I could end up taking that from you.”

 

“I...don't care for now...I just want you back...completely back...no Poppy...only Sunny…”

 

“...I just…” her hands are gripped much more tightly by the cat. So tightly that she can even feel Parappa’s grief from it “...You're...gonna regret this...but...I'll work on it...I'm still gonna think it over…”

 

“Please do…” before they can properly ebb away the grief, they hear noise down the hall. They run towards it as it sounds familiar to them.

 

As this goes on, Parappa sighs as he just presses his hand against the glass.

 

“I'm a mess…” he looks at his reflection, but soon notices something on the wall behind him from the reflection. He presses his hand against a tile that's oddly colored in the reflection, but not when he's actually at it. Once he does, the wall before him opens “Hello…what's all this…” he heads on in. He finds himself in a large room with a singular cell. He quickly runs up to it and spots two people hidden in the dark, with their backs turned to the cage door.

 

“Finally back them, ey Whirlen? What did you get your ass kicked or something?”

 

“I found you!...”

 

“Eh? That doesn't sound like Whirlen…” both avians get up and spot Parappa “Oh!...Wait...you're E- LEO’S DAD!...wait do you know that yet?...”

 

“I do! And you both are Soren and Rize no?”

 

“That we are!...why are you here?”

 

“Cuz I'm gonna bust you out!”

 

“What?!” they both slam against the cell door, revealing that the bars to be electrified as they push the avians back down.

 

“You heard me! That’s why Leo and the rest of us are here!”

 

“YOU ID-...mmmmmmm…” Soren hums “This is problematic…but since you’re here...the keys to our cell are on the wall over there.” Parappa looks to where the birdman points and snags the keys from the wall. He heads over to their cell, flipping through the keys.

 

“Which is for your cell?”

 

“Oh. None of them.”

 

“WHAT?!”

 

“Yep. Our cell key is on Whirlen’s waist.”

 

“THEN WHY’D YOU MAKE ME GET THESE?!”

 

“Because of this...Parappa. You need to go to the basement sector. Trapped down there is a group of people, one of which holds an item that Whirlen is trying to take to use as bride on Bohemian to get him to leave him alone. Bohemian can absolutely NOT get this! In fact, Bohemian overheard Whirlen’s plan and is possibly sending someone here to snag it away and find out where this facility is!”

 

“Well...I guess that’s Joe’s complete purpose now…”

 

“YOU BROUGHT THEM HERE?!”

 

“R-RELAX!...They’re not gonna tell them where this place is! Trust me on that!...But alright...where’s the basement sector and how do I get there?...”

 

“In the room you were just in, find another hidden switch like the one to this room. It will open a path down. Take it and you will find the holding cells for all of them. There will be but one guard there. But try to persuade him to your cause, he was always wary of Whirlen’s intentions.”

 

“Wait...you mean-”

 

“Yes, despite what I’m sure Leo has probably told you by now, this lad seems to be a guy who is legitimately a good cop. He should not only help you escort them all out, but also have the location of our staves.”

 

“Your...staves?”

 

“Yes. We don’t need Whiren’s key to get out, we just need our magic. Yet we can’t use our magic without them, get the picture?”

 

“RIGHT! RESCUE THE LEVERAGE, RECRUIT THE GOOD COP, GET YOUR STUFF! AND THE REST WILL FALL IN PLACE!...” He hops in place “Whew...this is the home stretch...LET’S DO-...this?...” He stops when he hears familiar sounds of struggle on a tv monitor by Whirlen’s desk “What’s...going on…” He heads on over and panics by what he sees.

 

* * *

 

Sunny and Katy run up on Whirlen who paces back and forth after shutting down a monitor. Behind him are their friends all caged up.

 

“H-HEY! LET OUR FRIENDS GO!”

 

Whirlen stiffens up “OH COME ON!...NOT NOW!...” He growls “Fine...if I am to fight...so be it...the limiter is active anyway…” He winds his arm as he readies his polearm.

 

“Alright...we’re taking you down you corrupt crazy bird!” Katy says as she tries to turn on her power to no avail.

 

“Crazy and corrupt? Please...I’m a firm believer that people have to succumb to the fate laid out to them. Each and every criminal here was fated to their demise and they cannot change this, but then you arrive and I learned that their fate was to fight. You they died, so be it. If you died, very well. No matter the outcome, evil people would be extinguished as the fates wanted!~”

 

“You’re sick!...” Sunny shouts at the bird.

 

“I’m real. I just follow how life should obviously be! And I won’t you insane youths ruin that!” They all get ready to fight.

 

“GIRLS! YOU CAN’T USE YOUR POWERS THANKS TO SOME STUPID DEVICE THIS PLACE HAS! YOU HAVE TO FIGHT HIM OFF PHYSICALLY!”

 

“Reaaaaally wish I learnt more from Chop Chop Master Onion right about now…” Katy says in regret.

 

 _“You and me both…_ ” Sunny whispers.

 

They rush in, but the polearm makes it difficult to get anywhere near him. Katy’s water or vocal abilities are null and she can’t even fly. For Sunny, she can summon vines, but not for very long as they die out on the spot “You lot are far to annoying…” Whirlen pushes out his free hand forward, blowing the two back in a heavy gust of wind. Once they hit the wall he quickly spins his polearm, creating a massive gust that keeps the two pinned “Try as you might, you can’t beat me!”

 

“W-WE WILL!...” Sunny says.

 

“AND WE’LL SAVE OUR FRIENDS!...” Katy says right after.

 

“That stupid motivation is gonna give me a pain in the neck...fine then!” He pulls out a remote with the hand that’s not in use and presses a button. Suddenly the cage the others are in starts to close in “LET’S SEE IF YOU CAN MANAGE TO BOTH, GET PAST MY GALE _AND_ BEST ME IN ORDER TO FREE YOUR FRIENDS IN TIME!” the trapped group panic as al walls close in. This is what Parappa sees and immediately panics for the wellbeing of his friends.

 

* * *

 

Leo slowly recovers as their face swaps between everyone again and stops on Lammy’s once more. The duo stop in a peculiar dark room.

 

“G-Gah...suddenly I feel better...Ooooooh nooooo...scratch that...heart’s aching...why though…” Leo doesn’t get the time to question it as he spots a large object about to crush Joe “MOVE!” He shoves Joe aside and holds up the strange automation “JOE...GET OUT THERE AND FIND THE OTHERS…” Joe ignores him and helps push up the device “JOE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!...”

 

“I HAVE...HELPED YOU OUT...ON EVERYTHING SO FAR...AND I’M NOT…GONNA STOP HERE...ESPECIALLY WITH THIS!...WE’RE...WEATHERING THIS OUT...TOGETHER!”

 

“YOU’RE INSANE YOU IDIOT! WE WON’T SURVIVE THIS!...”

 

“OF COURSE WE WILL! JUST FOLLOW YOUR FATHER’S INSTRUCTIONS YOU DOLT!” Unbeknownst to them, what they were holding was actually the gear that was controlling the cage the others were trapped in. Because they were holding it, the cage no longer closes in.

 

* * *

 

“WHAT?! WHY IS EVERYTHING GOING WRONG TODAY?! I’VE DONE NOTHING BUT THE RIGHT THING ALL MY LIFE! I WAS FORETOLD TO HAVE AN EASY LIFE, SO WHY IS EVERYTHING TURNING HARD?!...” Sunny forces her hand through the strong breeze and summons a vine to quickly slash at Whirlen’s leg, off setting his balance and stopping the breeze “OH THAT’S IT! I WILL FORCE MY PEACEFUL LIFE TO HAPPEN, AND YOU CANNOT STOP ME!” he flies at them swinging.

 

* * *

 

Back to Parappa he notices that the cage stopped trying to crush them all.

 

“What?...” He flicks through the other monitors and spots Leo and Joe holding up the machination “NO!...” He turns to the trapped avians “QUICK! CHANGE OF PLANS! HOW DO I STOP _THAT?!_ ”

 

“IT’S A LONG DETOUR, BUT YOU HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE PRIOR ROOM AND TAKE THE INTENDED ROUTE! THERE YOU’LL FIND THE POWER STATION! BREAK THE MAIN GENERATOR AND ALL MACHINES IN THIS BUILDING SHOULD CEASE FUNCTION! IT’S A ONE WAY PATH THOUGH AS THE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM WHERE YOU ARE ONCE IT’S CLOSED, SO YOU’LL NEED TO TAKE A VERY OUT OF THE WAY PATH TO THE BASEMENT SECTOR!”

 

“DON’T CARE, IF IT SAVES THEM, THEN A DETOUR DOESN’T MATTER!” Parappa sprints out the room and heads down the main pathway.

 

 _GOTTA MOVE FAST!...IF I DON’T...I DON’T EVEN WANNA_ THINK _ABOUT IT…!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song is by Gnash! I hate u I love u!


	61. Jailbirds born to sing.

Parappa runs down door after door, kicking each on open in hopes that he’d find the power room.

 

“COME ON! WHERE IS IT?!” Parappa keeps at it until he runs into some guards and criminals “I DON’T GOT TIME FOR THIS!” He tries to trigger his power, but nothing comes out “Right that damn limiter that Whirlen mentioned…well...let’s see if I can pull off what Leo did!” He runs straight towards them. The cops fire at him, but he thankfully manages to avoid the bullets. Once close enough, he drops into a knee slide through them. In their attempts to shoot him, the cops shoot the freed criminals. This causes them to strike at the cops. As a result, the two groups fight each other rather than Parappa “Bingo~” Parappa carries off as he looks for the power room.

 

* * *

 

Joe and Leo are struggling to maintain the thing up as it slowly keeps descending.

 

“JUST...WHAT IS THIS STUPID THING FOR ANYWAY?!...”

 

“IT MUST BE...POWERING SOMETHING THAT’S CURRENTLY IN USE…”

 

“WHAT COULD NEED SOMETHING LIKE THIS?!...”

 

“WELL...I WORK IN THIS SORT OF FIELD MY BOY...THIS IS USUALLY THE MOTION ARM OF A DEVICE THAT INVOLVES CLAMPING DOWN…”

 

“EXCUSE ME??”

 

“THINK LIKE A NUTCRACKER!...”

 

“WHAT THE LIVING HELL NEEDS ONE THIS BIG?!” As Leo says that, the obvious answer enters her head “WHAT CELL COULD BE ACTIVE DURING THE MIDDLE OF A PRISON...break…” Joe catches on.

 

“DON’T STOP HOLDING THIS UP!”

 

“OF FUCKING COURSE I’M NOT GONNA STOP!” they try to push it up, but it’s almost impossible “WE HAVE TO PUSH IT UP…!”

 

“LEO...THAT’S...NIGH IMPOSSIBLE!...”

 

“JUST...BELIEVE JOE!...”

 

“I AM! BUT OUR BEST BELIEF IS HOPING SOMEONE...GIVES US...A HAND!...” Both are forced to their knees, holding the thing up with all their strength.

 

* * *

 

Sunny and Katy try to keep up with the elder bird, but Whirlen proves to much in a physical match. It doesn’t help that his power isn’t sealed away by the building’s limiter. They aren’t deterred however as they still give it their all, annoying the warden.

 

“OH YOU STUBBORN THINGS! WHY FIGHT THE FATE’S DESIGN?!”

 

“AREN’T YOU DOING THE VERY SAME BY TRYING TO STOP US? WE FOUND OUT YOU HAVE FRIENDS OF OUR FRIEND LOCKED UP HERE, SO OF COURSE WE’RE GONNA WANNA RESCUE EM! AND IF THAT’S THE CASE, THEN THIS WAS _FATED_ TO HAPPEN!”

 

“YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH YOU CAT!”

 

“MAKE M-” the pole slams into the side of her head, sending her against the cell cage door “AUCK…”

 

“KATY!...” PJ and Sunny shout in unison. The teddy bear pushes his arms through the gaps in the door as he tries to inspect the knocked over cat while Sunny angrily tries to hit the bird in retaliation. She doesn’t change the outcome of the fight, but she does land more hits on the birdman. The others push their arms through the gaps as well to check on Katy while Sunny returns to being pushed back. Whirlen slams the dull handle of the polearm straight into her gut, staggering her. He follows up by sending the exact same part upwards to strike her chin. Once she’s lifted off the ground, he twirls his weapon and home runs her away into the wall.

 

“IF YOU ARE SMART, THE TWO OF YOU WILL STAY DOWN!” Sunny refuses to listen to the evil warden as she forces her body to get back upright “WHY STRUGGLE FURTHER?!”

 

“I’m...gonna...fight in these battles to...I’m...not...letting anyone else...fight em for me...i’m...not...some damsel in distress…” Sunny’s words get Katy to force her body back up as well.

 

“Katy you can’t keep going…”

 

“I can...and I will P-...PJ!...” She wobbles in place “We...both can!...” she and Sunny both get their legs to run back at Whirlen. PJ growls at himself and Whirlen for being unable to do anything. He slams one of the walls inside the cell with his arms at such a heavy impact that it shakes the cell. He reclines on the corner in regret, hoping everything goes alright. Unknown to him, pebbles start to float around his feet.

 

The duo land more strikes in, but they lack the force they had prior. Still, it starts adding up. Yet at this point, Whirlen is just messing with the duo. Letting them get hits in to purposely give them false hope. As with each few hits them get in, Whirlen returns fire with one devastating blow after the other. Despite the injuries and obvious viewing that their bodies can't go on, the two girls still get back up again and keep at it. Their friends behind bars yell out, telling them to just stop and avoid further needless pain in the uphill near unwinnable battle. Not only was this hurting their bodies and their friends confidence, but because Katy was consistently getting beaten within an inch of death, Leo started to flicker in and out of existence.

 

* * *

 

“G-Gah...n-no...M-Mom…” Leo's strength is sapped from them as their body becomes see through “What's...going on...w-what...are you doing?...”

 

“OLD BOY WHAT'S WRONG?!”

 

“Someone's...trying to...kill my mom…”

 

“WHAT?!...GAH...IF A MIRACLE IS GOING TO HAPPEN...CAN IT HAPPEN ALREADY?!...”

 

* * *

 

Parappa tackles through a sealed steel door and enters his destination.

 

“FINALLY!...NOW WHERE'S THIS STUPID... **THERE!** ” he spots a ground of turbines, with the largest one having a control panel that's labeled ‘Main facility generator’ “That's gotta go boom ASA- EGAH…” he clutches his chest painfully “O-Oh no don't tell me...LEONORA!...”

 

_F-Father...hurry...destroy that...generator...M-Mother's putting...herself in danger...b-buying you...time…_

 

The fusion’s voice was weak, meaning he was pressed for time. Without hesitation he starts laying into the turbine. He strikes at it with his knees and feet as his legs just keep up the pressure. All while he's also chopping and punching it. Eventually it starts to malfunction, meaning Parappa’s tactic was working. He grips his hands tightly, his red knuckles ready to destroy this thing “KICK!” he slams his leg downwards on the control panel, destroying it “CHOP!” He uses a dual arm chop to smash off the metal plating of the main turbine powering tube, exposing the glass that houses the thing causing all this. He rears his fist back and winds it up “ **PUUUUUUUUNCH!** ” he drives his fist through the machine, and once he pulls it out, it starts to jitter as it malfunctions “Learning the kick punch style was the greatest choice I've ever made!...but...I only ever learned it...for her…” Parappa shakes off the sadness as he runs out of the room to avoid the big explosion followed by smaller chain explosions “That should do it...I hope...Leonora! Please be my eyes!...”

 

* * *

 

Back to the fight, the condor shows no mercy to the two girls as he just resumes beating them down. The others who wanted so desperately to help finally get their chance as the walls of the cell start to malfunction. Suddenly the lights spark up and all shatter. The prison walls burst, blowing off the cell door.

 

“WHAT? NO! THE GENERATO-” he's hit by four more girls who join in on the slugfest. He proves their attempts worthless as he swats Ma-san and Lammy away. They lack the strength to get back up. Rammy and Paula still have some vigor left in them, and so the condor leaves the cat and flower alone in favor of the ewe and fox “More mistakes keep happening...would anything ELSE like to go wrong?!” PJ hooks him across the face, but Whirlen doesn't stagger, he instead grab him by the neck and raises his off the ground “I should've specified. Something _actually_ threatening. Let me show you how to punch!” he smashes his fist into PJ’s face. He rears his arm back farther and smashes it even more painfully. He pulls back _even_ FURTHER with a spinning windup and drives his fist forward into the bear’s face as he let's go of his neck. The teddy is sent flying into the wall, and he quickly flops onto the ground, out cold. Whirlen stares at the two still standing girls “That's going to be _you_ next…” he flicks his arm towards himself and creates a gust that pushes the two right before him.

 

* * *

 

_Things...are getting...worse…._

 

“WHAT?! OK! I GOTTA GET OVER-”

 

_The...mission father…_

 

“OUR FRIENDS ARE IN **DANGER**!”

 

_And...what will you do?...Whirlen is stronger than Raparra...and slightly stronger than...a weak...S-Spectora...you don't have your powers...and...you can't fuse...you'd be...suffering like...them...kick punch...s-style will...only get...you...so f-far…_

 

“GAHHHHH…”

 

_Free...Rize and...Soren...they can...turn the tide…_

 

“THEY MIGHT NOT LAST THAT LONG!”

 

_I...doubt that…_

 

“EXPLAIN WHY!”

 

* * *

 

“HEY...YOU'RE LOOKING A BIT BETTER OLD BOY…”

 

“S-Slightly...but I'm...still...messed up from that…”

 

“IT'S A START I SUPPOSE!...SAY?...DO YOU SMELL SMOKE??...” Both of them look to see the object they're holding malfunction “QUICK! WE HAVE TO MOVE!”

 

“Kinda...pinned in...place…” just then, the ground beneath them breaks, dropping the two. They head a floor lower as the floor above them is destroyed by a boom “I...stand corrected…” the two had intruded upon Whirlen’s madness.

 

“OH GREAT...NOW **YOU'RE** HERE…” he flings Paula into Rammy to get them to back off. Leo gets back up. The red sheep boy on labored breath angrily eyes him “Say...you look like you've seen better days...This might not be so bad after all~”

 

“I can still...kick your ass!...Whirlybird!...” Leo dives straight for the condor as Joe peels himself off the ground. He quickly heads off to help Matt and Sweety aid the other five.

 

“Sorry to just _drop_ in.. “

 

“Don't care! We still get help!...Now what's wrong with Leo?!” Sweety asks.

 

“Old chap said something about that uncouth gentleman attempting to kill his mother…”

 

“Holy hell...no wonder! He's wailing on all of them!” Matt says, oblivious to the truth like Joe. Only Sweety knew the truth.

 

“Haha...yeah...that's why…” she quickly prioritizes helping Katy out. Watching as Leo performs better than them, but still getting throttled like them all.

 

* * *

 

_Leo...made it...you got time….don't...waste it…_

 

“...” Parappa growls.

 

_Please father...if...Tycoon gets whatever...that prisoner has...the world...will be in danger…_

 

“ALRIGHT!...” he kicks the door to the ex power room in anger. As it flies off, he notices a massive hole in the ground “...please be a shortcut…!” he leaps into the hole. There he follows the broken walkway until he finds a weak section in the wall “FISTS, YOU’VE  PUNCHED HARDER!” he slams his fist into the wall, destroying it as he enters a new hallway. On the floor is a painted mark ‘To B-S’ “That better mean basement sector!” he runs off and thankfully, he finds his destination. In the massive room he spots a lone person reclined against a wall. They immediately notice Parappa and pull out their gun.

 

“H-Halt! Who are you!...”

 

“HOLD YOUR FIRE!...Please! Before you go on the offensive, just...hear me out…”

 

“Y-You have the right to remain silent!...” he fires off his gun.

 

“Crap!...” Parappa slides and leaps over the bullets. He uses his evasive maneuvers to get closer to the cop. He arrives with a spinning kick, knocking their gun away “PLEASE LISTEN! I HEAR YOU'RE NOT EXACTLY…’CONTENT’ WITH THE WAYS THINGS GO AROUND HERE!”

 

“I DO NOT N-NEED TO LISTEN TO AN AGGRESSOR! NOW I SUGGEST YOU STAND DOWN!...O-OR…” he pulls out a baton and dons a fighting stance “OR PREPARE FOR IMMEDIATE APPREHENSION!”

 

“Buddy you don't want to do this…”

 

“I'm sorry...I don't negotiate with criminals…” he takes his hat off and tosses it to the side. He was a Shiba Inu. And he was young. Ridiculously young for a cop. Did he just freshly leave high school?

 

“You gotta be kidding me...my lifeline is a kid??”

 

“I-I can assure you that you shouldn't judge me for my a-age!”

 

“Don't worry I don't...you're only two years younger than me anyway...now just shut up and listen! I don't want to fight you! I just need to open the cells here an-”

 

“LIKE HELL YOU WILL!”

 

“LOOK MAN! YOUR ‘WARDEN’ WANTS SOMETHING FROM ONE OF THESE GUYS TO BRIBE SOMEONE ON THE CRIMINAL LEVEL OF A KINGPIN! BUT SAID ‘KINGPIN’ IS GONNA BETRAY HIM FIRST AND CAUSE A WHOLE LOTTA SHIT WITH THE REST OF YOU!” the teen stutters in his stance as he tightly grips his baton and looks to the floor “And...you know what I mean...don't you…”

 

“QUIET!” he angrily hurls his baton. It smacks Parappa straight in his face and boomerangs back into his hand “I WON'T LISTEN TO ANYMORE!”

 

“GAHHH...FINE! IF I NEED FORCE TO GET A STUBBORN BRAT TO LISTEN... THEN SO BE IT!” Parappa gets ready. He tries to activate his power, but nothing “Are you kidding me?! I destroyed the generator!”

 

“YOU WHAT?!...Are you being restrained by the limiter? Sorry to break it to you criminal scum...but the limiter has its own self battery!”

 

“You gotta be fucking kidding me…” static sparks around his arms, but immediately dies out.

 

“Electricity huh? I can control that to!”

 

“WHAT?!”

 

“LIKE THIS!” He pulls out an odd gun. It fires a peculiar projectile that electrocuted Parappa upon sticking to him

 

“ZZZZGAGAGAHZZZZ!”

 

“SUCK IT!...In this regard...I guess I can control multiple ‘elements’. N-Now you'll see! Not to mess with a cop!...”

 

Parappa rips the patch off and growls. With that, they collide into each other.

 

* * *

 

Leo’s guitar and Whirlen’s polearm clash together as the two butt heads.

 

“What is it with you? Bringing dystopia wherever you go?!”

 

“if you weren't such and asshole!...and you didn't kidnap my friends!...I wouldn't be here!...Not to mention...you hurt my friends! Now you gotta pay!”

 

“Normally I'd believe that! But right now you're out of luck! Usually we're somewhat equal, now _I_ am your superior!” he smacks the guitar away and drives the pole base into the side of his head. Knocking Leo to the ground, spitting blood in the process “You here means that blasted Tycoon is nearby...and i still can't get my bribe from that imbecile of a rabbit!”

 

“Bribe…? For Tycoon??WHAT BRI-” his face is struck by the base again, breaking his nose as his tosses onto his back. When he tries to get up. The spear part of for weapon is held to his neck.

 

“Wouldn’t you like to know…” the bird man tries to kill him, but is lifted from behind and thrown away by Sweety. She quickly helps the child up.

 

“Are you alright??”

 

“Not in the slightest...augh...I've had better- LOOK OUT!” Leo tries to push Sweety aside, but her eyes glimmer as time seems to slow. She sees Whirlen attempt to impale her from behind. If Leo succeeds in pushing her away, he'd get stabbed and die in the process. She them sees how to avoid it. She grabs Leo and shoves him away, then she spins around in a position that makes the condor miss as well as let her grab the weapon.

 

“WHA-” Sweety forces it's base into his stomach. The force makes him let go, and she uses the opportunity to home run him away with his own weapon. She spins it in her hands as Whirlen gets back up “...Some reaction you have their missy…Fate seems to prefer you to me…” he holds his arm out and a new polearm arrives in his hand “Let me change their mind…”

 

“Good luck…” _Future sight...don't let me down!..._ the two have their own battle as Leo gets back up to assist his aunt figure.

 

* * *

 

Parappa punches the other dog three times in the abdomen before suffering a baton swing to the jaw. As he's flipped off his feet, he uses the momentum to flip kick the boy onto his face. Parappa catches himself on a handstand and flips back onto his feet, there he kicks the boy away.

 

 _This is ridiculous! I’m definitely stronger than him! Each hit I land on him causes him to recoil incredibly! And i’m holding back as to not hurt the guy! So even then he should be going down and not be putting up that great of a fight! Yet here he is! Refusing to go down and giving me the fight of my life! I’m not just fighting to enlighten a good guy, i’m fighting to keep my life!...H-How’d it get to this?! And it even feels like HE’S holding back to! His baton swings should hurt more, but they’re not! Is he messing with me?!..._ Parappa sees the guy get back up again, the fire of determination strong in his eyes. _Unbelievable...this kid is so tied to his way, that he refuses to go down and let me win...He doesn’t want to stop me in Whirlen’s order...he’s just a cop trying to stop a bad guy...he’s not actively trying to kill me...but hoo golly is he still making it hurt...I can’t win if I go easy on him...I have to actually try!...Gah...but can he take it?!_ As Parappa internally struggles, he hears a small clanking sound “Huh?...” He sees a small ball roll to his feet.

 

“I SAID I CAN CONTROL ELEMENTS TO, NOW LET ME SHOW YA!”

 

“Uh oh…” The small thing explodes, sending Parappa upwards from the concussive blast. The guy front flips and slams down and the aerial Parappa. Parappa quickly flips on the ground to shake him off, which does succeed, but he’s caught off guard the moment he gets up do to a flashlight blinding his vision at point blank with its intense light. Parappa stumbles backwards and is soon met with small fireworks that are thrown at him that blast him back some more “GACK!” he tries to use the momentum again to flip onto his feet, but he's caught defenseless by another strange ball object. This one is blue, and upon bursting, Parappa is quickly frozen in place from a cold white foam, similar to the stuff found in a fire extinguisher. The cop then slams the baton into the back of his head, breaking him out of his petrified position and slamming him onto the floor. There he bounces thrice before stopping. _Oh yeah. Fuck seeing if he can take it. He deserves to be humbled just a smidge…_ Parappa thinks it over for a bit to long as the moment he gets up, he’s caught with pepper spray to the face and a taser to the gut “EGAGAGAGAGAAA!....” However, he grabs the guy's arm as he’s getting tazed. Parappa uses the voltage to channel his own electricity. _Hope this works like how i’m imagining it will!_ He uses his electricity, which zaps both him and the cop. The taser explodes as both are sent onto their backs away from each other. They both get back up, but the cop soon finds all his explosives bursting from the voltage,  sending him straight into a wall. The impact breaks his stun gun, pepper spray can and flashlight as he slinks to the ground. _Whew...what a rush...ok...wow this battle would be loads different if I had been trying from the start...especially if I still had my powers…_

 

“Officer down...b-but not...out!...” the guy stubbornly gets back up again “Y-You’re...a damn...hardy bad guy…”

 

“I’m not a bad guy! But I will admit to being hardy! You’re gonna have to do alot more to take me down! Unfortunately, you don’t got much left in you.”

 

“I-I’LL SHOW YOU!”

 

“Guy, please don’t...I just want to talk…”

 

“AND I’M NOT LISTENING!” He charges at Parappa, but the rapping dog just sidesteps and sweep kicks him in the back of his head, knocking him over. He gets up once more to try and strike Parappa, but Parappa grabs the baton and pulls it out of his hand. Then he blows out air, and the breath alone knocks the cop over again. Parappa sighs at watching him tip over, then snaps the baton over his knee.

 

“You weren’t gonna win this battle...and I really didn’t want to hurt you…”

 

“D-Dammit…” He tries to get back up, but Parappa places his foot on his chest and keeps him pinned down “I failed…”

 

“I’m not gonna kill you!...I just want to A. Free these guys. And B. Talk to you!”

 

“Well i’m unfortunately all ears right about now…”

 

“Quit it with the pessimism! Look...Whirlen is not the model policeman...and i’m very certain even you have noticed…”

 

“...I’ll...i’ll admit that he has done things that seem to contradict the code of the officer that i’ve read up about…”

 

“They give you a book for these things?...”

 

“No...they don’t give you anything...I found the books myself...but they were damn hard to find...like someone didn’t want them to be found…”

 

“I can only imagine why…” Parappa shakes his head “Alright...first...who put these guys here??”

 

“I did...A report called in that someone had stolen a valuable object from some rich people...but the perp claims it belongs to them...and there’s no trace of a lie in their voice...but I couldn’t exactly further question it since Whirlen wanted me to keep them caged…”

 

“Because your boss wants that object, as I mentioned prior.”

 

“I didn’t know it was because of that...but I felt something off...still...he’s my commanding officer as well as the warden of this place...I couldn’t exactly place my personal feelings on anything...i’d come off as guy going against what’s apparently the code of defense…”

 

“Hate to tell you this...um…”

 

“Aaron…”

 

“Aaron...um...look. As it would turn out...if you become a cop...it’s mostly because you want to have superiority over the people.”

 

“THAT’S NOT TRUE!”

 

“For you maybe. But for everyone else here...think about it. Whirlen’s trying to do things that just benefit him. What about your fellow policemen?”

 

“...Gah...I thought it was just their own way of justice…”

 

“You’ve been played the fool. They probably despise you since you mess up their easylife…”

 

“That’s probably why I’m the only one here guarding them all…”

 

“You can’t do anything ‘stupid’ and you’re to by the book to free these people especially if they’re innocent because you aren’t allowed to let them prove it.”

 

“They played me like a damn guitar!...Why are you telling me this?! Why are you even here?!”

 

“Friends of mine that are aiming to fight that ‘kingpin’ were taken prisoner by your boss all because they messed with his ‘easylife’ apparently. And so we’re here to free them. Whirlen had such a hissy fit that he even let the prisoners out to try and stop us, going so far as to offer them freedom for it.”

 

“WHAT?!...HE IS A MAN OF LAW!”

 

“He’s a man of apathy more like it. So then the mission changed to not only be a rescue mission, but put this place outta commission to spread the message to other corrupt cops! And this is a necessity because that ‘kingpin’ wants to recruit all forms of lawmen. And had things kept going, you’d be bought out and forced to work under him.”

 

“This is madness...why would they do this?! This is not what they signed up for! To be an officer is to protect the innocent, not use the innocent as leverage for your own selfish gains!...Is every cop like this?!...”

 

“I’ve been told so, but…” He removes his foot and holds out his hand “There’s you, now that you listened.”

 

Aaron grabs the older dogs hand as he’s helped back to his feet “Go talk them then...and free them I suppose. I won’t stop you.”

 

“I appreciate that, but I still need your help with something.”

 

“What is it??”

 

“I’m sure you KNOW of the people Whirlen has in his personal office.”

 

“I’ve heard of them, but never seen them...no officer is allowed in there…”

 

“Care to guess why?”

 

“...Gah…” He holds his head.

 

“I know you’re upset, but do you have notice of where two staves my be?”

 

“I do...yes. Why?”

 

“Can you get them and bring it to them? So they can bust out. They need to go help my pals who are currently fighting Whirlen...and losing…”

 

“...Count on me...but expect me to help out as well...as an officer...it’s my duty to stop the unjust! That includes my own superior!”

 

“Erm...you sure? I kinda manhandled you pretty badly…”

 

“An officer need not care for the their own safety if it ensures the safety of the people!”

 

“...Man Leo would get a kick out of meeting you...Alright then. Go! And hurry! They’re on borrowed time as is!...”

 

“Roger! Officer out!” Aaron runs off to regain the staves and give them to their proper owners in order to help out Parappa’s gang. But he stops and turns around ”What's your name?”

 

Parappa smiles, as he grips his fist and holds hit in front of himself “Parappa!” the officer dog makes note of that with a nod as he resumes heading off. Meanwhile Parappa himself heads along to the prison cells and immediately surprised by the first one’s captives “PALLET?!”

 

“AH! IF IT ISN’T MY GOOD FRIEND! WHAT LUCK IT IS TO SEE YOU AGA-”

 

“WHY ARE YOU IN PRISON?!”

 

“Ah...well you see...it’s a long story...at first we were chasing after what we assumed to be a criminal, but then found out that the thieves where the people who sent the justice force after us...so we tried aiding the poor fellows escape! But we all got captured…”

 

“Geez how many guys did they send?”

 

“About an army’s worth, but only that Aaron fellow actually did everything while the others stood back!!”

 

“AARON SINGLE HANDEDLY CAPTURED YOU ALL?!”

 

“Yes! He is most tenacious!”

 

“I..see...erm...right then. So are all of you here??”

 

“Yes we are my friend. Along with the two we failed to assist...They should be in the final prison holding facility at the end of the path!”

 

“Right...well...first things first!” Parappa opens his cage door “Come on! I’m busting you guys out!...”

 

“Much appreciated! I’ll wait by the entrance and signal out if the adversaries are close!”

 

“Pallet you gotta be careful!”

 

“Oh do not worry! My crystal stone body is most durable to all their methods of attack! Unless of course they use physical weapons or explosives...which they thankfully do not! Except for that young lad you named...Aaron?”

 

“Now I see how he got you all…the other cops seem to rely on their guns...but I can’t say for sure for the criminals...Just be careful...” the large knight nods as he heads off “Alright...time to free you all!~” Parappa zips between door to door and sets them all the Mood Stones free. Finally he heads to the last cell and finds another familiar face “GASTER?! GROOBER?!” the rabbit gives a quick wave, but the cat quickly latches onto the bars

 

“PARAPPA HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!...”

 

Parappa holds his ears to avoid the high pitched yell. Once he sees the cat stop, he lets go “Alright. Context. NOW…Not even YOU idiots warrant a maximum security trip…wait...are you the guys with the item Whirlen wants?!”

 

“I KNEW that thing was the reason for all this...Gaster come on...we gotta give it up…” The rabbit grits his teeth as he shakes his head at lightning speed “Come on! It’s Parappa! He knows about it so atleast show him what the Hell got us into this man Gaz…”

 

The rabbit groans as he opens his mouth. Out drops a jewel that hangs on his tongue thanks to the chain. Parappa’s eyes immediately widen “That’s…”

 

* * *

 

_“...Sure! But...please… Call me Mana...~”_

 

Both Sunny and Parappa loom to each other warmly before turning back to her _“Ok Mana!_ ”

 

The masked witch happily claps her hands together. Then a light bulb spawns above her head as she gasps lightly _“I almost forgot!”_ she grabs Parappa’s hand _“I'll be borrowing just you if you please!”_

 

_“Hey wait, what about Sunny!”_

 

 _“Don't worry Parappa, this was my idea~”_ she winks as the dog is whisked away. He soon finds himself in a little abode hidden in the sky.

 

 _“Welcome to my_ **_actual_ ** _home...I mostly stayed in the other place which is why it looks like it's seen better days, but you blew it up so...now I gotta go back to this one! I mean you were in your right so don't think of this as me blaming you or any-...look. you get what I mean…”_

 

_“I do! And I don't think this place looks bad! It looks nice and cozy! But why are we here?”_

 

 _“The answer to that is inside! So please come in!”_ she floats off to the door. The dog tags along right after and follows her inside. Once inside the tiny abode, he spots Gaster and Groober reclining in a couch.

 

_“WHAAAA- WHY ARE THEY-”_

 

_“Calm down! I invited them! I wanted to ask the three of you something! Specifically you and Gaster!”_

 

 _“That is?”_ Parappa says as Gaster walks up next to him.

 

_“Well...you’re both my friends now! But...I want you both to be friends with each other as well!”_

 

 _“WHAT!? ME FRIENDS WITH HIM?! NEVER!”_ they both say.

 

_“Oh why not!...”_

 

_“BECAUSE LOOK AT HIM!...HEY! YOU’RE ONE TO TALK! STOP COPYING ME!”_

 

_“GASTER WOULD RATHER DIE THAN BE FRIENDS WITH THE LIKES OF THIS GUY!”_

 

_“WHAT HE SAID! HE’S PROVEN ON MULTIPLE TIMES THAT HE COULD CARE LESS! AND THAT’S JUST NOT FRIENDSHIP MATERIAL!”_

 

_“But can you please both atleast try?...you’re both my friends now and...having you both kinda really dislike one another...well for lack of a better word...hurts…and I don’t want that…”_

 

Both boys growl at one another until the cat speaks up _“Wowzers. Didn’t think Gaz or Parappa were capable of making a girl cry like that! I mean, I know me and Gaz have our streak of mishaps, but ain’t ever gon THAT far before. And you Parappa, ain’t you against this sorta thing?”_ Both lads freeze up as they turn pure white. They then clamp their mouths shut as they creakingly turn their heads towards each other. Then towards the crying witch, which gets them to recoil back again before withering over. With one more glance towards the other they heave a sigh. Conceding to the proposition.

 

_“We’re gonna try…”_

 

 _“Yaaaay! Then here!”_ Mana pulls out a two necklaces that are exactly the same. The jewel connected to the chain is an orange and brown stone. It looks like her head.

 

_“Whoa...Mana did you make these?”_

 

_“Gaster must say that it does look quite nice!”_

 

_“Thank you! Since I was little I learned to make this! But boy was the material a hassle to find! And well...since you two are my friends, I wanted to give you em! However! I’m giving it to you two as a sign that you two will TRY to become friends with each other! Do you promise??”_

 

_“We promise…!”_

 

 _“Great!” Then here you go~”_ she hands each of them over to Parappa and Gaster _“Then may we all be friends from now on till forever!~”_

 

_“Right!”_

 

* * *

 

“...Wow...” Parappa stays spaced out as Gaster and Groober look at each other in confusion.

 

* * *

 

“Gah...Parappa sure is taking his time...I hope he’s alright…”

 

“Hmmmm?”

 

“Well of course I worry! Leo will kill us for sending him off like that!”

 

“Hmph!”

 

“What do you mean it’s only me he’ll kill?!”

 

“HmmmmH!”

 

“Yes I KNOW you took your vow of silence! But what’s that got to do with anything?!”

 

“....hmmmmmm???”

 

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE CAN’T BLAME YOU IF YOU HAVEN’T EVEN SAID ANYTHING?! HE TOTALLY CAN!”

 

“Hmm hmm~”

 

“You know, you may be my wife, but you certainly enjoy seeing me in troublesome predicaments…”

 

“Ehhhh…kinda~” The female bird says abruptly. She sounds ridiculously sassy, but her voice was quite nice.

 

“HEY!...”

 

“Hmmmm?~”

 

“DON’T JUST RANDOMLY BREAK YOUR VOW! YOU COULD SUFFER BAD KARMA FOR THAT!...I mean we’re already in a jail cell...but something ELSE could happen! It could be extremely bad!”

 

“Special delivery for two trapped civilians in need of freedom!” Aaron runs in with the staves.

 

“...hm~”

 

“Oh shut up honey…” Soren rubs his head “Who are you?”

 

“Parappa sent me. Said you wanted these things!”

 

“We do! Now that they power is off, so is the electricity trap on the bars, so just poke em in and we’ll do the rest!” the dog does so and immediately the cell is destroyed “Ah perfect...now if you excuse us...WE MUST HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE ABOUT TO DIE!”

 

“HMM!!!”

 

“LET ME FOLLOW! I NEED TO STOP MY CORRUPT SUPERIOR!”

 

“Extra hands are beneficial! You can distract him while we try to sneak in and patch them all up!...Speaking of which…” Soren and Rize lift their staves up to the dog and heal up his injuries he sustained from Parappa “There!”

 

“Wow...Many thanks!”

 

“Thank us later, WE GOTTA MOVE!” The trio rush off to aid the group fighting Whirlen.

 

* * *

 

Parappa is slapped by Groober through the bars.

 

“OW!...”

 

“Don't just space out! We need help!”

 

“Explain. Everything...NOW…”

 

“Aw come on man…”

 

“Groober, you guys are in here for more than just being accused of taking that. The guy who runs this place WANTS that from Gaster in order to bride someone to leave him alone. Yet said person he’s trying to bride is gonna use the stone to further his plan to take over the world…gaaaah...Mana just what did you make these things out of??”

 

“World domination?! This is WAY above our usual antics...Gaz just tell him what happened…”

 

“Ragh...fine…” Gaster plucks the jewel from his mouth “But just know Gaster is only doing this because he wants to! Ahem-”

 

* * *

 

_“I know that place isn’t a prison, but they could’ve atleast given us a nicer reception there…”_

 

_“Gaster is well accustomed to that detention facility. After all, this town has no policemen, just people who take time out of their day to just take me back over there for about an hour! It’s a pain in Gaster’s ass that they have to trap us in there! As well as treat it like a time out!...But Gaster can’t really complain...atleast he’s let out rather quickly from the nice pretend police…”_

 

_“We’re just lucky this place doesn’t get that many criminals to WARRANT police...of course it’s a bit demoralizing to see that we’re treated as children causing a ruckus as a result…”_

 

 _“Groober can say that again…”_ Gaster pull out the jewelry accessory _“Of course...maybe it’s thanks to this lucky charm that we are so easily let out!”_

 

 _“The thing Mana gave you? Maybe it could be a lucky charm, what with the possibility of it being blessed by magic! But regardless, who can say.”_ He watches Gaster spin the thing around wildly _“Hey uh...Gaz...you might not wanna do that…”_

 

 _“Why not?”_ The chain flies out of his hands.

 

_“That’s why…”_

 

 _“HEY! RETURN TO GASTER AT ONCE!...”_ both chase after the jewel as it comedically bounces away from them.

 

* * *

 

“Gaster you’re an idiot…”

 

“GAAAASTAAAAA!...I DON’T NEED YOU TELLING GASTER THAT!...well...we were led on a wild goose chase and eventually…it landed in the hands of two cat people...really fancy bunch...they took it and claimed Gaster’s jewel as their own!...So we tailed after them and...well we hatched a scheme to get it back! So we-”

 

“Broke into a rich couple’s mansion didn’t you…”

 

‘’NO!” Gaster shouts.

 

“Yes…” Groober admits, angering the rabbit.

 

“ALRIGHT! MAYBE GASTER HAS COMMITTED SUCH AN ACT, BUT!...” he clears his throat “GASTER HAD HIS RIGHT TAKING WHAT WAS HIS BACK FOR ONCE! HE DIDN’T EVEN ATTEMPT TOUCHING ANYTHING ELSE!...It was all so gaudy anyway...So we get it back, and the duo go crazy and call the authorities on us...those stone guys hear all the yelling while they were passing by. They should’ve been minding their own business, but instead chase after us trying to get us to stop…”

 

* * *

 

_“GAAAAAAAAAAAAASTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”_

 

_“HALT FIEND!”_

 

_“THIS IS GASTER’S! THEY STOLE IT FROM ME!...”_

 

 _“LIKE WE’D BELIEVE THE WORD OF A CRIMINAL!”_ the large group of people keep on running, much to the dismay of the cat and rabbit.

 

* * *

 

“Gaster managed to outrun the police for a little while...but the large quantity of rock people made it hard to stay hidden...luckily Gaster convinced them to back off...and they tried to even help Gaster get away...only to all single handedly get beaten by a lone officer…” he groans “And so here we all are…”

 

“Wow…” Parappa unlocks their cage “All this just because you were trying to get back Mana’s gift…which is admirable and all…” He slaps Gaster up the head “BUT IT’S YOUR OWN FAULT YOU LOST IT TO BEGIN WITH! BE MORE CAREFUL WITH SUCH A PRECIOUS GIFT!”

 

“GASTER WILL NOT HEAR THIS FROM YOU! AND EVEN SO, WHERE’S _YOURS_ HUH?!”

 

“MINE IS SAFELY KEPT AWAY! EVEN I KNOW I HAVE A DANGEROUS ENOUGH STREAK FOR IT!”

 

“HIDDEN WHERE HUH?!”

 

“MY GIRLFRIEND HAS-...” Parappa remembers, he gave it to Sunny for safe keeping, but she’s been gone for some time “...I gave it to my ex...she still has it…” Parappa slumps over, immediately filled with depression “Ooooh boy…”

 

“...The hell is wrong with you?...”

 

“Gaz, remember? They broke up a year ago!”

 

“Oh...HAAAAAAAAA-” Gaster attempts to laugh, but is slapped by Groober.

 

“BE RESPECTFUL!... YOU WOULDN’T LIKE IT IF PEOPLE LOOKED DOWN ON OUR RELATIONSHIP!”

 

“...Gaster hates it when you’re right…Gaster apologizes…” he tucks his jewel in his pocket “Gaster finds it funny and sad that...we failed our promise to Mana...we did not become friends at all...even now…”

 

“Yeah...well...guess it’s just hard for people like us…” Parappa quickly shakes off the sadness “That doesn’t matter! You gotta get out of here! I want to see you both safely outside so I can talk to you more on this outside! So just leave-”

 

“DON’T GOTTA TELL US TWICE!” Gaster grabs Groober and bursts out of the room. Passing all the knights and leaving them all behind.

 

“WAIT! I MEANT WITH-...ack...Pallet!”

 

“Yes??”

 

“All of you gotta get the heck outta here! You’ll just get imprisoned again! If you can find Gaster or my friends...please help em out in escaping aight?”

 

“You can depend on us friend! MEN! LINE UP AND MOVE OUT!” All the knights get ready to storm off.

 

“The only dangerous person left is Whirlen himself! I’m sure you guys can handle the guards!...Granted you guys hate killing people, but knocking them out should be simple for you guys! After all, they’re not stone like you guys!”

 

“Correct! We will get by with no casualties!”

 

“Just be careful if some people refuse to stay down…”

 

“WORRY NOT! NOW MEN, MOVE!” They all stampede off.

 

“Alright...now I gotta go find the other-” The entire prison shakes, as if something went towards the top floor, maybe even the roof of the establishment “The hell??...Oh no...I GOTTA HURRY!” He storms off to the tip of the building to try and see what went down.

 

* * *

 

Sweety and Leo are both driven to their knees. Leo from heavy injury and Sweety from massive mental strain due to having to go through so many evasive future sights in forced quick succession with no break. Needless to say, without proper practice with it, she was left in a very bad state.

 

“I must say...you put up a good fight even in your pathetic splendor…” the condor slowly walks forward as the two whisper to one another.

 

_“Leo...can you hold up?...”_

 

_“I should...tell you that...what’s wrong?...he hasn’t even...touched you once…”_

 

_“I don’t know...My head just started hurting real badly...and then the rest of my body followed right after…”_

 

_“I can keep going...but you sit out!...”_

 

 _“N-No way!...I would never forgive myself if I just did no-”_  They stop whispering and Whirlen stops walking once they hear footsteps run up and join the room they’re all in _“O-Oh no…”_

 

_“Tch...here comes his backup…and Matt and Joe are busy helping the others...who are in no condition to help us out in anyway…”_

 

Whirlen turns to face the officer “Ah! Wonderful timing! For once I actually need you!” He turns back to the duo “Help me dispose of the garbage!”

 

“With pleasure!” the now revealed Aaron pulls out a gun he had acquired on his run over. He also seems better then he did after his encounter with Parappa.

 

***BANG***

 

“GAH……” Whirlen grabs his shoulder, but let’s go quickly. He then inhales deeply “Rookie officer Aaron...what...do you think...you’re doing…” his anger is very prominent in his words as he speaks through a closed mouth due to it being clamped shut.

 

“Following orders! I’m taking out the garbage of a man you are sir!”

 

“Oh how you always ruin everything...why can’t you be like the rest of us?...No...you have to… _’uphold juuuustiiiiiiice…’_ and all that annoying textbook trash…”

 

“IT’S WHAT AN OFFICER SHOULD BE!” everyone else stares at the shiba boy.

 

“You know...I respected you slightly over your combat prowess and your stance on following fate like me...but you’ve followed fate to a point that you’ve warped it stupidly in a different fashion much like THESE buffoons...my respect for you has now completely vanished…”

 

“I’LL TAKE THAT AS A COMPLIMENT!...” he pulls out a second gun and holds them both forth at the birdman “IT’S AN OFFICER’S DUTY TO PROTECT THE CURRENTLY DEFENSELESS! NOW STEP AWAY FROM THEM!”

 

“Or what?~”

 

“I AM TO USE FORCE!”

 

“...” Whirlen smirks and then swings his polearm at Sweety.

 

“MOVE! ARGH…” Leo shoves the bear aside and gets struck in her place.

 

“WRONG MOVE!” Aaron unloads both guns at the condor who deflects them all with his spinning weapon. Whirlen walks closer and closer to the dog while doing this. Aaron runs out of bullets before Whirlen gets close enough so he tosses his guns to the side and backflips away from an approaching sweep of the spear like weapon. He then pulls out a combat knife and does his best to keep Whirlen at bay. Aaron’s objective isn’t to beat the birdman, but rather keep him distracted for the other two to do their thing.

 

Two other bird people drop down to the struck down Leo “Fuck...sorry we took so long to get here!...”

 

“Soren?...Rize?...How’d you get out?...”

 

“That guy helped us from Parappa’s request! Now let’s patch you up!...”

 

“Not...me… first...the others…”

 

“Are you kidding?! Look at you!” Soren shouts.

 

“LOOK AT THEM!...”

 

“...who first?...”

 

“The daisy and the cat…”

 

“Got it...come on honey…”

 

“Hmm…” the two fly off to the mentioned duo to begin healing them. While this goes on Leo gets back up to assist the quickly losing cop dog. Much to the dismay of the pink bear and the two helpful bird. He catches the polearm with his teeth and bites it in half.

 

“I _HATE_ THAT YOU DO THAT!” Whirlen throws the half of his weapon still in his hand on the ground.

 

Leo spits out the middle segment and picks up the pointed tip part while Aaron staggers over him “I must insist you stand down...you are in no condition to fight…”

 

“And I must insist you shut the hell up, you’re gonna die at this rate…”

 

“And you’ll fare any better?”

 

“Better together than alone. My friend sent you, so I know I can put SOME faith in you…catch.” He passes him the bladed portion while he pulls out his guitar, but falls to a knee almost instantly.

 

“Atleast I can stand...and on that word, stand down!”

 

“How about you BOTH stand down!” Whirlen shoves them both down with a strong gust created from a flap of his wings. Both are far too beaten to get back up. He then picks up Leo “I don’t need my weapon to end you! Especially since you’re out of allies to assist you! Now I can finish-...” Whirlen notices a shadow on the ground eclipsing his. He quickly turns around, only for a strong arm to slam into the side of his head, forcing him to let go of the sheep. He’s launched fast and hard as he skids painfully on the ground, burning off some of his arm feathers. In his place stands a more than angry PJ. The arm that he used to strike Whirlen was covered in rock. Everyone looks to the spot where they thought he was unconscious, and are amazed to see he had long left that spot unnoticed. His pupils vanished similarly to Katy, Parappa and Leo whenever they lost control of their abilities.

 

“GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY BROTHER’S **_KID_ ** …” A brown heart beats over his chest as the entire facility starts quaking.

 

“Great...just...great...one of you CAN control rock...and it’s the one I disregarded...BUT EVEN THE STRONGEST STONES GET EASILY WEATHERED AWAY BY WIND!” He blows a massive cyclone of wind at PJ who just walks through it like nothing. He then grabs the condor by the neck “HRRK...YOU...WHAT ARE YOU…”

 

“SOMEONE YOU PISSED THE FUCK OFF!” He rears his other arm back as it gets encased in stone “THAT PUNCH TUTORIAL WAS NICE...LEMME SHOW YOU IF I MADE _RESULTS!_ ” He slams his fist thrice into Whirlen’s face in the same manner he did to him. Whirlen doesn’t even get back up fully as he flies straight into PJ and tackles him away into the air.

 

 **_“EYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”_ ** they smash through the ceiling and out into the open sky.

 

“UNCLE PJ!...” Leo gets up but immediately drops down “Ow...stupid...body...we can take more...just a little while longer…” Aaron gets over to Leo and helps her up.

 

“You are in no condition to do anymore. You are to wait here until the duo that healed me prior to my visit here can do the same to you.”

 

“...F-Fine…” the two birds finish with the cat and flower as they then head off to the sheep and mouse, then the ram and fox and finally the bear and cop dog. They then work on Leo last, as per his request.

 

“And...that should be good!”

 

“Man...your healing may be slow, but it’s sure as hell effective! Almost like Poppy’s! Only difference is her’s is much faster!”

 

“She can heal as well?”

 

“She could! But that’s a story for another time! I’m going after Whirlen to help PJ! You there! Aaron!”

 

“What??”

 

“I need you to escort all of these guys out of here! If Whirlen comes back, it’d be bad while that damn limiter is in effect!”

 

“Understood!”

 

“What?! We ain’t leaving you!”

 

“You guys can’t use any of your abilities! And fighting the guy in a close combat scenario is a no go! So get out while you can! Get to Pippin and the others! I have to help PJ as well as get Parappa out to! Having to many people to babysit in a situation like this could prove disastrous!”

 

“ **BABYSIT?!** ” they group all shout before Leo snaps his fingers.

 

“Soren, Rize? If you would be so kind.”

 

“Ooooh this ain't gonna end well…”

 

“Mmmmmm…” both birds create a gust of wind blowing the group away as they fly off with it. Aaron tailing right after. Leo activates his jetpack and flies towards the hole in the roof. There he spots Whirlen and PJ laying into each other with fists of fury. Leo dive kicks the cruel warden into the ground and he quickly rotates himself back onto his feet with the help of his wind.

 

“I'm growing ever so tired of being bothered by you!...And you look hearty...Oh bother, the idiot rookie freed my prisoners...hasn't he?...”

 

“You guessed it! Now I'm ready to kick your ass proper! AS I SHOULD'VE-”

 

“ **LEO!** ”

 

“Eep...erm...yes?”

 

“BUG. OFF. I WILL DEAL WITH HIM, ON MY OWN.” Despite him showing signs that he wasn't, PJ was still very much in control. Atleast one would assume.

 

“But PJ-”

 

**_“GO!”_ **

 

“...Y-Yes sir…” Leo flies off, in an attempt to find their dad instead.

 

Whirlen rubs his face as he gets up “That...was probably a stupid decision. You're going to regret not accepting his help. Because now...I will end your impudence myself!”

 

PJ slams his stone fists together, creating creating a loud echoing clank noise “LIKE HELL YOU ARE. YOU MESSED WITH MY FRIENDS, MY FUTURE FIANCÉ, _AND_ MY BROTHER BY BOND'S KID! AND I'M GONNA MAKE YOU PAY DEARLY FOR THAT! I AM _NOT_ SITTING IN THE SIDELINES ANYMORE!”

 

“Your fate driven hubris will be your downfall you arrogant plush toy!”

 

“WHY DON'T YOU COME AND PROVE THAT!” stone fragments fly and attach themselves onto PJ’s body.

 

“Heh...I can feel it in the wind. You literally just gained your abilities…~ And you’re forcing your body to maximize what you’re not ready for! This is a battle of wits and stamina, of which I best you in both!”

 

“IF YOU WERE WITTY, YOU WOULDN’T HAVE PISSED ME OFF. AND IF YOU WERE STILL IN A GOOD ENOUGH SHAPE, YOU WOULDN’T BE HEAVING LIKE HOW YOU LEFT MY FRIENDS DOWN THERE!”

 

“Feh...arrogant bastard...whatever. It’s your fate to die by my hands!” Whirlen cycles the air around him and spawns a new polearm from the broken bits of stone in the area along with his magic “You know, I must admit to you. I’ve been holding back. I despise doing anything that my men can’t do for me… Since birth I was destined and predicted to live life easily, but that has never come to pass...not until I took up the mantle as warden of a world class prison facility and taken in the baddest names recorded. Now I have men under my literal wings to do my work for me in droves. Not to mention that doing all these made me lead chief official of the people in this sky land! However...did you think I did all of this with how I am now? Foolish to think just that... “ Heavy winds start to suck up anything that isn’t properly tethered to the ground “Using my full strength disgusts me, because it means i’ve been forced to actually act…” the bullet in his arm pops out as the wound closes up once his hand runs over it again. In fact, he seems to appear as if he hasn’t fought at all, there is no signs of battle fatigue on him whatsoever “Of course, i’m not saying I’m going all out against you, no...you aren’t worth that much petty strife...no...just a small smackerel will suffice in tossing you around like the long abandoned toy you are!” He spawns a second pole arm that latches onto his original one, making the entire thing seem like an X. He gives it a quick rotation before holding it to his side. In all practicality, it was now a fan like weapon “Like I said down there…the strongest stones...” Wind blasts at PJ, shredding off almost all the rocks on his body, minus the ones on his arms “GET EASILY WEATHERED AWAY BY WIND!” PJ roars like a wild bear as the two strike each other head on.

 

* * *

 

“COME ON GAZ!...”

 

“GASTER WILL HURRY WHENEVER HE FEELS LIKE IT!...” purple duo run along the empty hallways until something catches Gasters eye “...This looks valuable~”

 

“GAZ COME ON! WE AIN’T GOT THE TIME!...wait...what is this thing?...” the duo enter a lone room that houses a futuristic device with dome emitting a multi colored strobe light “Limiter?...The heck’s that?...”

 

“Gaster could care less! But it looks like something the asshole who incarcerated Gaster and his boyfriend away!”

 

“Gaz you seriously cannot be that petty...we literally just got broke free…”

 

“GASTER UNDERSTANDS THE SITUATION OF THE SCENARIO! BUT GASTER IS ALSO ONE TO COMMIT REVENGE ON THOSE WHO HAVE DONE HIM WRONG!”

 

“ALRIGHT FINE!...How do you plan on getting out?!” Gaster eyes the cat with a smile.

 

_The next minute_

 

“LIFT WITH YOUR LEGS GROOBER!”

 

“YOU. ARE. A. IDIOT…”

 

“BUT GASTER IS YOUR IDIOT~” both are seen trying to uproot the device. And while they appear to be struggling, they actually make progress. Slow progress, but progress none the same.

 

* * *

 

“THIS WAY, THIS WAY!” Aaron leads the group through an alternate path to a secret exit. They are quickly met with five enemy cops “OUT OF THE WAY!” He launches another extinguisher grenade that traps the five of them as white foam statues. More cops swarm in right after “I...don’t have enough to deal with all of them…”

 

“AND THAT STUPID LIMITER IS STILL ACTIVE…” Katy growls.

 

“Worry not! We will push them back with our wi-” Soren is interrupted by a heavy rumbling as many terracotta knights stampede the cops over. Flattening them with the quickest of ease “Ooooor that!”

 

“TAKE THAT YOU UNCIVIL JUSTICE MEN!”

 

“PALLET?!” The group minus Sunny and Rammy all shout.

 

“FRIENDS! YOU ARE ALSO HERE!”

 

“WHY ARE _YOU_ HERE?!”

 

“Long story! But for now, we are in a hurry to escape no?”

 

“Diamond guy is right! Come on! Exit’s just right down this path!” Aaron resumes leading the now bigger group to freedom.

 

* * *

 

PJ and Whirlen crash about like clothes in a washing machine. And despite PJ’s effective progress upon awakening, it was quickly outdone by Whirlen’s serious action. And unfortunately, what the condor told him was correct. PJ was slowing down.

 

“Ready to admit defeat?”

 

“YOU’LL HAVE TO BEAT IT OUT OF ME!”

 

“THAT’S THE IDEA YOU RECKLESS FOOL~” he strikes the bear with the x weapon and shatters the rock gauntlets he has.

 

“ARGGHHHHH…” the breaking rocks tear PJ’s fabric, the equivalent of a regular being getting a bad gash on their skin. The bears arms cease working from exhaustion “...Dammit...my powers finally awaken so that I can stop being useless...and the first person they awaken against is still kicking my ass…”

 

“My fat friend...you never stood a chance…”

 

_“...Europa...Sweety...I’m sorry for just jumping in...well...looks like i’m paying for it now…”_

 

“GOODBYE FAT-” Whirlen is shut up by a heavy jab to his stomach.

 

**_“PUNCH!”_ **

 

“Uuuuuuuuhhhggggg…” The bird bends over to grab his stomach as he groans heavily. The dog who punched him runs over to the teddy bear.

 

“PJ!...Are you still able to move??...”

 

“Heh...once again i’m needing you to save my ass...man i’m pathetic…”

 

“H-Huh??...”

 

“I can move...my legs weren’t hit...just my arms…but that doesn’t matter…”

 

“It will in abit!” Parappa turns around “YOU! I’VE FINALLY FOUND YOU!”

 

“Ah yes, the thunderstruck wonderboy finally stands before me!”

 

“AND I’M GONNA TAKE YOU DOWN!”

 

“With the limiter still in effect?~”

 

“I DON’T NEED MY POWERS TO KICK YOUR ASS!”

 

“Then why do you look like you’ve been roughed up before meeting me?~”

 

“I had to convince my new friend Aaron a little! But that’s besides the point!”

 

“So you’re the idiot who finally got him to be a nuisance…well...if you’re ready to die as well, then I’m well prepared to give you that fate!”

 

Parappa grunts lightly. He completely believed the warden’s words, but still he would fight “BRING IT!”

 

“CONSIDER IT BROUGHT!” The two fight, and Parappa manages to last as long as the powered up PJ, but ultimately struggles to do much to the bird.

 

“Ngah…” the dog is blown back into the teddy bear “Gah...I’ve been relying on my powers to much…”

 

“Not like it’d make much of a difference...this asshole is holding back…”

 

“He’s holding back?!...”

 

“HAHAHA~ NOW DO YOU SEE HOW FRUITLESS THIS ALL IS?~”

 

“N-Never! I KNOW you can be beaten!...”

 

“Maybe...but I won’t be losing to you~” Parappa flips up and tries to figure out how to best him.

 

* * *

 

“PARAPPA?!” Leo flies around the entirety of the building as they look for their dad, but instead they find the two thieves trying to pull out the limiter “Huh?...THE LIMITER!” He zooms in and they quickly freak out “Wait...YOU?!...Oh forget that! What are you doing?!”

 

“TRYING TO PULL OUT THIS THINGAMAJIG! AND YOU AIN’T STOPPING GASTER THIS TIME!”

 

“Pull it out?...GREAT IDEA!”

 

“‘EXACT-...G-Gaz Gaz?...” Leo begins helping the duo uproot the object, and with their help, the trio succeed.

 

“BOOYAH!” Without it being connected to the facility, the limiter ceases function “That’s one thing down! Now to find Parappa!...”

 

“WAIT!”

 

“What is Gaster??”

 

“You are strong.”

 

“Yeah??”

 

“You will help escort Groober out of here with this thing.”

 

“I will do no such-”

 

“Parappa wants to see us outside! Safely! And Gaster knows you don’t wanna upset him!”

 

“...Gah...then what are you gonna do?!”

 

“Gaster will find Parappa!”

 

“GASTER ARE YOU INSANE?!”

 

“YEAH WHAT THIS GUY SAID! GAZ, THIS PLACE IS CRAZY!”

 

“Gaster is well aware! But…” Gaster pulls out the jewel again “Gaster hasn’t… been making good on a promise…and Gaster has gotten the urge to fix that!”

 

“NOW?!”

 

“YES NOW!” Gaster runs off, leaving the two alone.

 

“GAZ-...dammit…”

 

“Is he gonna be ok here?!”

 

“Gaz is really slippery...he’ll be fine…”

 

“Your voice says otherwise…”

 

“Can never be to worried for a guy like him…”

 

“I know what you mean...come on. I’ll carry this thing.”

 

“Alright then, let’s get out of here! I’ve had it with my extended visit here…”

 

“You and me both…” Leo picks up the powered off Limiter and runs off with Groober.

 

* * *

 

“THERE’S THE EXIT!” Aaron says as he runs off.

 

“Marvelous work old boy! This wasn’t that bad of a trip after all!” Joe says.

 

“You know, aside from us getting our asses handed to us collectively.” Rammy adds on.

 

“I mean, I had to fight a crazy venomous heathen!”

 

“We know, we were watching from our cell!” Paula recalls.

 

“Then you know my efforts in helping fair Leo best her~” Joe walks backwards to the exit “It was no easy feat, but Joe Chin has handled it with the finest techniques available~”

 

“Joe we saw you screaming the names of each thing in panic, you can’t lie to us!” Katy brings up.

 

“Perish the thought! I was doing remarkably well! I could handle her should she arrive again!” A large thud is heard from behind him. A large shadow rises up and everyone freaks out “...She’s right behind me isn’t she.” they all rapidly nod and he just inhales deeply into his nose as he dives away from her “HELLO THERE YOU FOUL HEATHEN! I COULD’VE SWORN YOU WERE DEAD AS A DOORNAIL!”

 

“I don’t die so easily...especially when I need to rip apart someone who’s made a mockery of me…”

 

“That includes me doesn’t it…”

 

“WHAT DO YOU THINK?!” She spits up a large green blob of of ooze. Joe moves out of the way and the blob collides with the floor. The ground that was hit starts to melt away rapidly as it burrows straight down to an incalculable distance.

 

“Oh dear...this does not bode well…” Joe backs away from the cobra woman as she only stomps forward.

 

“Think we can take on a crazy snake woman?...” Sweety asks.

 

(“One that can melt away the ground like that?? Not likely…”)

 

“I GOT THIS!” Aaron rolls forward, avoiding her venomous attacks and grabs her. He then rolls backwards on the floor and flip throws her away with his heavy judo throw “MOVE MOVE MOVE!” Everyone quickly heads out the exit except for Joe and the two bird people.

 

“What about you??” Soren asks.

 

“Someone’s gotta make sure she doesn’t follow! And I should hopefully manage...something…”Aaron weakly grabs his side and feels a scratch mark. It was dripping a green liquid “W-What?...” but she didn’t...spit on me…”

 

“THAT’S RIGHT! HER NAILS ALSO HAVE THE VENOM!...”

 

Aaron notices that she must’ve scratched him during the throw “D-Dammit…” He falls over instantly.

 

Joe turns to the birdman “HEAL HIM NOW! LEO COULD WITHSTAND THE INTOXICATION, BUT AARON WON’T BE ABLE TO! NOW GET HIM AND GO!”

 

“BUT SHE’LL STILL FOLLOW!”

 

“I’LL HOLD HER OFF, IT’S ME SHE’S UPSET AT ANYWAY!”

 

“YOU ARE GOING TO DIE!”

 

“IF YOU KNEW ME LIKE THEY DO, YOU’D BE THANKFUL!~” He grabs Aaron and shoves him into Soren’s arms “NOW **GO**! YOU OWE ME THIS ANYHOW!”

 

“What?!”

 

“It’s thanks to me that the other’s even learned that you were trapped away!”

 

“IT’S YOUR FAULT THEY’RE HERE!?”

 

“Hey, you’re free and they’re safe. Mostly. Win win!”

 

“PARAPPA, PJ AND LEO ARE STILL IN HERE!” the cobra gets back up.

 

“THEY’RE STRONG FELLOWS. IF ANYONE CAN MAKE IT OUT OF HERE SINGLE HANDEDLY. IT’S THEM! NOW-” Joe shoves them away as they all dodge another poison glob “GO!” the avians fly out with Aaron in hand as Joe turns to face the ex yakuza leader “Now it is just you and I…”

 

“Wonderful...I prefer lone confrontations…”

 

“Because you know you falter when outnumbered?”

 

“Because their cries of agony echo much more effectively!”

 

“That was my next guess…” Joe constantly runs away from her attacks since he has no effective way of hurting her at all. He could try fighting her upright in hand to hand since he did have the upper body strength, but that would bring him much to close to danger. Regardless, she also didn’t seem like the type to get easily fatigued if being choked out and impaled in the back was still not enough to stop her. Joe now understands the ludicrousy of her original holding cell “It’s only a matter of time before I croak now isn’t it?”

 

“Very much so…~”

 

“J-Joy…”

 

* * *

 

Parappa is seen avoiding Whirlens strikes as best he can as he ends up getting tossed aside again “OW!...urgh…”

 

“I must admit, you deserve praise for lasting this long. Just like that cat and flower...and even this bear toy! You four have proven to be quite a massive thorn in my side...durable to a fault...but the praise ends here as I slowly whittle away what little confidence you have left.”

 

“You must not know me then! It takes a lot to get THAT to happen to me!”

 

“Then I wonder what will break first...your spirit? Or your body…”

 

“NEITHER! CUZ I REFUSE TO LOSE TO A PERSON LIKE YOU!” Whirlen walks up to Parappa, he doesn’t strike him or anything. Merely stands above him, towering over him even, as he just intimidates him.

 

“Then do you plan on doing anything aside from spouting useless words?~”

 

“I’m...i-i’m…” Parappa slowly flinches back, but soon feels a slight jolt in his arm. It’s building up rapidly “I’M GONNA DO THIS! ASTRAL BURST!” Parappa places his palm on the birds torso and fires off an electric wave that launches the bird onto his back. He flies himself back onto his feet.

 

“How did you…” He then notes what PJ had done prior “That damn Leo...alright...the limiter is gone, but it’s much too late for you!” The sky darkens “BUT EVEN SO. I WILL NOT TEST MY LUCK WITH YOU! IF I WANT SOMETHING DONE, I UNFORTUNATELY HAVE TO GO ALL OUT!” Wind bursts off the condor as his feathers all stand up wildly “NOW JUST TRY AND FIGHT! I’LL GET MY GRATIFICATION BY BEATING YOU THROUGH IT ALL!” The building shakes again. Gaster notes this and decides to head upwards.

 

“Hey PJ...just stand back alright?...”

 

“You’re an idiot if you think I’m gonna…”

 

“But dude...you can’t even use your arms right now…”

 

“So? I want to fight. I want to play my part to. I finally get to, and i’m not running away now.”

 

“...If I can’t change your mind...then so be it...but you can bet that I’m gonna be defending my brother as best I can!”

 

“That goes DOUBLE for me!”

 

“THEN LET’S GO!” They run off as Gaster manages to pop onto the roof unannounced. He spots the duo heading off to take on the condor.

 

“THIS’LL STOP YOU! FAN RIPPER!” he spins his large x weapon and summons out a large gale that tries to push them off the roof. PJ summons stones around his body and begins walking through it. Parappa then hops on his shoulders and hops over the wind attack “OH NO YOU DON’T! QUICK GALE!”

 

“ASTRAL BURST!” Both animals hold out an arm and fire their respective beam at the other. It results in a failed clash that pushes Whirlen away abit.

 

“Bravo! Now let’s see how long you can keep up!~”

 

* * *

 

“DIE YOU OAF!”

 

“YOU’LL NEVER CATCH ME!”

 

“SO SAYS-...AAAAAAHHHHHH!” the cobra starts thrashing about. Joe notes that another dog had clung to her back, shimmying the pole parts inbedded in her. It was Matt “WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?!”

 

“I NEVER LEFT! I WAS HIDDEN THE WHOLE TIME!”

 

“ARE YOU DAFT? WHY WOULD STAY BEHIND OLD BOY! SHE’S NOT TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY!” Joe attempts to take advantage of the moment while also trying to get Matt off safely.

 

“SHUT UP! LIKE PJ, I JUST CAN’T TAKE NOT BEING ABLE TO DO **ANYTHING**!” Joe gets swat away as Matt gets launched off Piper’s back. The poles are yanked out with him.

 

“WORTHLESS LITTLE MUTT…YOU WILL SEE THAT DOING NOTHING WILL HAVE BEEN THE WISEST CHOICE!”

 

“T-That might be the case b-but…” he twirls the pieces in his hand “Atleast I’m doing SOMETHING!...” Matt repels her strikes with the bars, but her toxic nail polish slowly melts away the bar pieces.

 

“And that takes care of that…” She shoulder checks Matt away as she heads back over to the downed Joe.

 

“N-No you DON’T!” Matt gets up again and once again grabs onto her back.

 

“YOU SHOULD’VE BEEN THANKFUL I LET YOU BE!” she grabs him off of her hood and lifts him over in front of herself “Now you’ll regret your actions post haste…” She jabs her fingers into his stomach. Her nails pierce his skin as her venom quickly seeps in.

 

“A-Aaaah…” the venom quickly renders Matt motionless as she chucks the body away on the ground.

 

“Good riddance...now...your tu-” The limiter squashes her before she can get to Joe.

 

“JUST STAY DEAD!...” Leo shouts from above the device “GROOBER, GET JOE OUT OF HERE!”

 

“G-Got it!” He picks up the large dog and runs off. Leo quickly dashes over to Matt.

 

“Uncle Matt!...Man...I gotta get you out now…” Leo tries to pick Matt up, but his nose quickly forces him to dive to the side, avoiding a nail jab from the cobra “PISS. OFF…”

 

“I don’t take orders from you…” Leo readies his guitar as he uses it to block each attack “That stupid guitar of yours seems to be quite durable if it’s not corroding away…”

 

“I owe that to the maker of it! A very intelligent bunny knew what she was doing!” Leo continues to play defensively, knowing that if he went on the offense. Things would go south fast. However, his current position was not any better. Especially with trying to handle this quickly as to not burn time with Matt.

 

* * *

 

“You can only dodge so much! GALE JUDGEMENT!” Heavy winds from every direction storm and collect around the duo, but Parappa uses his electricity to blast it away. The overflowing amount needed to do that leaves him rather tired.

 

“Oh man...I’d understand it if it were multiple people...but only one guy?...”

 

“Has that ever stopped us before?~...” PJ says, trying to give some motivation to the dog.

 

“Heh. True that~ We always found a way.”

 

“Are you to still on about that? I don’t get you both...it’s clearly fate that you both lose to me, and so why fight it? Well...I say ‘fight’, but it’s really just two imbeciles flopping about trying to make magic out of nothing!”

 

“IT’S CALLED BELIEF!” they shout together.

 

“Hwhat?~”

 

“YOU HEARD US! WE BELIEVE WE CAN MAKE IT OUT OF THIS AND WE’LL FOLLOW THAT BELIEF AND IT WILL HELP US OUT, EVEN IN THE THICKEST OF PROBLEMS!” PJ glows a light hazel color while Parappa grows yellow “AND KNOW THAT WE’LL NEVER GIVE UP AS LONG AS WE KEEP BELIEVING! AND THAT’S SOMETHING YOU’LL NEVER GET US TO STOP DOING!”

 

“What??...” A large thunderbolt strikes the two, blinding Whirlen.

 

* * *

 

“CAN’T BLOCK ME FOREVER! SOONER OR LATER YOU HAVE TO STRIKE ME! OR ELSE YOU’LL WASTE YOUR POOR FRIENDS TICKING LIFE COUNT~”

 

“QUIET!...” Leo keeps at their defense, only to lose their balance as their foot gets stuck in the hole that was made in the floor prior “WAH!...”

 

“OR THIS COULD HAPPEN!~” She kicks the guitar away “AND NOW TO FINISH IT!” She lifts her arms, but a blur smashes into her side. She holds herself up in confusion and aggravation “BUT WHO IS LEFT?!” She looks and spots Matt with a white gale around him. A silver glow cover his body he vanishes into a white breeze. He reappears behind Piper and kicks her away as a white energy heart appears on his chest. Piper rolls upon landing, getting back upright “You toughed out the poison?! Like him?! How?!” Matt doesn’t speak, only growl. Unlike PJ, he was on autopilot.

 

“EYAH!” Matt warps in front of Piper at an unmatchable speed and stops there. But Piper flies off with Matt seemingly doing nothing. However there is a fist imprint in her chest. As she flies she suddenly increases in velocity and screams of pain and many more imprints appear”NOT DONE YET!” He runs after her to continue the beating while Leo watches this happen. Forgetting that they had their leg stuck and need to pull themself out.

 

* * *

 

Gaster watches as the thunderbolt fades away, and in that place stands what appears to be a dog plushy.

 

“What the?...”

 

Whirlen rubs his eyes once the flash is over with and stares at the new person before him “What’s huh?...oh...I see...the winds tell me you’ve fused into one...what a curious ability…”

 

The dog that stands before him has a brown and white fabric body. Their shirt is a Hawaiian shirt matching Parappa’s shirt color, but their pants were a weird combo as they were technically Parappa’s, but made with PJ’s pajama fabric. Their shoes were Parappa’s as well, but the color of PJ’s sandals. Their body had stitching everywhere like PJ, giving off the appearance of a plush toy. They had pseudo bear ears thanks to their hair, which was a dirty blonde color. Their nose was purple and they had only one eye as their left eye was replaced with an x patch. They open their eyes to reveal their hazel color and they quickly look at their body “Would you look at that~...heh...talk about your brotherly bonds~...”

 

“What are you mumbling about??”

 

“Nothing...atleast not anything that should matter to you! Now I gotta say! You done fucked up now!”

 

“Is that so? Please tell me why!”

 

“BECAUSE NOW YOU’RE ABOUT TO FIGHT A FUSION BETWEEN A BOND OF BROTHERS! A BOND STRONGER AND THICKER THAN BLOOD!”

 

“Same words, different way of saying them…”

 

“I’LL SHOW YOU!~ AND POST HASTE TO! BECAUSE THE TWO THAT MADE ME WERE RIGHT ANGRY WITH YOU! WHY I’M SO HOPPING MAD I MIGHT LOSE IT! YOU MIGHT EVEN SAY...I’M GOIN…. _BEAR-ZERK!~_ ” His eyes widen “Heeeey~ In fact...you stand before Zerk! BEARZERK! THAT’S MY NAME!”

 

“It is completely ridiculous…”

 

“I DIDN’T ASK FOR YOUR OPINION MAN~ WHAT I DID ASK!” He runs towards the condor “IS FOR YOU TO GO DOWN!”

 

“Here we go again…QUICK GALE!” He launches a stream of green at the toy dog bear hybrid that just pushes through.

 

“THIS LITTLE AIR CONDITIONER SUPPOSED TO STOP ME?~” He appears before the condor with no struggle “ANTI GRAV-TOMBSTONE RHAPSODY!” their arm encases itself in stone that’s brimming with electricity. It slams in Whirlen’s face and sends him flying. A lightning bolt sends him down to the ground, but upon hitting said ground, it erupts into stone slabs that blast him away further. He flies back to his feet with a face of shock, fear and anger.

 

“What...just what...WHAT IS GOING ON?!”

 

“OUR BELIEF, THAT’S WHAT!”

 

* * *

 

“WHAT IS HAPPENING?!” Piper shouts.

 

“MY BELIEF THAT’S WHAT!” autopilot Matt shouts “NOW LET ME SHOW YOU-”

 

* * *

 

“NOW LET ME SHOW YOU!~”

 

 **_“THE POWER OF A WARRIOR FROM CHIVALRY!”_ ** Zerk and Matt both shout from their respective locations in front of their current opponent. Both bend down and dart at said enemy with only one more word said.

 

_HERE I GO!_


	62. It's coming back to me

“ANTI GRAV-AERIAL PUNISHER!” Matt lift kicks the cobra into the air and begins zipping around her before finishing up with a kick where he lifts his leg high up and then sends it back down on her face, launching her to the floor. The impact causes every object to jump, this pops Leo out from the hole in the floor. Leo plops onto her bottom as she just watches the dog continue to give the cobra no mercy.

 

“Woooooow…” Leo marvels like an awestruck fangirl at their Uncle by bond’s performance.

 

* * *

 

“YOU WILL MAKE A FOOL OF ME NO LONGER!”

 

“Buddy, you don’t need me to do that! I’m a plush toy! I don’t got the heart to do that!~ The only one making you look like a fool is just you and you alone~” the fingertips of the rock gauntlets become rock claws “I’M JUST HERE TO SEE IF IT’LL GET TO UN-BEAR-ABLE!” he turns into sand that gets blown away.

 

“What??”

 

The sand reforms behind the warden “BEAR WITH ME NOW~ TERRA CROSS!” the full shape of the dog is wrapped in stones that cover their entire body. They soon curl up and spin wildly as a bladed stone wheel that runs over the bird. It drives over him atleast ten times before jumping off into the air and slamming down on him with one last heavy rev up before the stone bursting off as Zerk leaps off the condor “WOOHOOOOO~” the condor does not free himself, instead he angrily stares at the airborne lunatic as he holds out his weapon.

 

“GET OVER HERE SO THAT I MAY RIP OUT YOUR STUFFING! VACUUM WAVE!” he rotates it counterclockwise of the last move he did with it. As a result he creates a whirling storm that draws in rather than blow away.

 

“SORRY DUDE, BUT I DON'T GET INTIMATE WITH PEOPLE LIKE YOU! PLUS HALF OF ME BELONGS TO SWEETY BANCHA AND THE OTHER HALF IS STILL YET TO BE DECIDED! BUT I APPRECIATE THE INTEREST THOUGH~ LET ME GIVE YOU A PARTING GIFT INSTEAD!” Zerk extends out his left arm and grabs the wrist with his right hand “TAC BARRAGE!” his fingertips turn pointy as they eject spikes at an endless rate like at machine gun. Thanks to the vacuum wind, they all get sucked in towards Whirlen.

 

“This will sting…” The spikes all connect and painfully shatter, resulting in more pointed bits jabbing the warden “OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW!!”

 

“Whoa…” Gaster watches in amazement from his hiding spot.

 

* * *

 

The cobra spits out blob after blob at Matt who stands still.

 

“MATT LOOK OUT!...” The blobs just pass through the guy entirely “Uh…”

 

“DID I MISS?!” the cobra watches her attack melt the wall behind Matt as she then swings her head from side to side to see if something was awry. She then notices something odd about the Matt she attacked, but much to late as she's hit with a heavy dropkick to the gut. Matt was firmly embedded into her from the kick as the Matt that was just standing still fades into nothingness.

 

“I've long since left that spot...could your eyes not keel up?”

 

“I've only known one person to...ever be that fast...and none...could ever match…” Matt ejects himself from her stomach as she droops over, clutching the impact spot “But...through some...Impossibility...you can...you may even...be faster…” her poison saliva turns into a frothy foam at her mouth as she gargles pain considerably.

 

“That must be unfortunate for you…” the automatic action dog says in a tone that irritates the failing snake woman. She coughs out the foam as she swings back upright.

 

“I'LL SHOW YOU UNFORTUNATE!” she drives down her body, trying to hit him one way or another.

 

“Such a sad display…” Matt stands still as the the attack nearly connects “Anti Grav...Limitless…” Piper’s actions slow to an immediate halt. So does everything else around him. Leo stops her movement, the crumbling bits of architecture freeze in midair and the shaking building settles down. One would think that Matt froze time, but in actuality, he was moving faster than what could be comprehended. Matt scoffs right in the face of the ex yakuza as he closes his eyes and shoves his hands into his pockets. He then walks past her without doing a single thing, atleast it didn't look like he did anything. After a far enough distance away, he ends up far from her by the exit “And so everything caught up…” everything starts moving at a normal pace.

 

“Huh?...When did you-” Leo watches Matt just appear out of thin air, but they then turn their attention to what sounds like multiple strikes at intense impact by where the snake was at. Her body jerks around as the force was so strong, it left her with the inability to yell in agony. The strikes keep on happening and is then finished off with one last tremendous blow that launches her towards Matt. Matt’s eyes open as he whips around, yanking one of his hands out of the pockets. With one swift strike, he smashes her straight into the roof of the building. She stays there stuck for a while before peeling and falling all the distance onto the ground. She no longer moves “Y-Yowza…”

 

“Hmph…what a pit-...” The wind leaves Matt as he stumbles over “Owowow…” Matt catches himself and grabs his head “Where...what?...” Leo helps him steady his posture.

 

“I got you…”

 

“My stomach...and my head...what happened?...”

 

“You were poisoned by Piper...and kinda laid on the ground, presumably dying, for like a couple minutes...then got back up after apparently shrugging off the poison and just turned her into a punching bag! And now...I _thiiiiiiiiiiink_ she’s dead now??....”

 

“Wait...you’re saying _I_ did _that_ to her??”

 

“Hell yeah you did! You were like _WOOSH!_ and _WAPOW!_ And then you were all _BLAM BANG POW!_ on her ass!” As Leo gushes on and on, Matt takes note of the snake woman getting up despite all that she’s taken.

 

“Yo uh...Leo…”

 

“Not now Matt, I’m explaining how cool you were!”

 

“Yeah I understand but…”

 

“What?”

 

“She’s still kickin…”

 

“Wha- Ooooooooh…” They watch the woman tower over them “DON’T WORRY MATT! YOU JUST RUN FOR THE DOOR, I GOT YOU COV-...” Both of them look above her and freak out “RUN AWAY!” Both spin in place and stop once they face the door. They quickly run for their lives.

 

“THAT’S RIGHT! RUN!” The cobra gloats.

 

“THE WHOLE PLACE IS COMIN DOWN!...” they shout.

 

“YES! RUN BECAUSE-...T-The whole place is coming down?...” the duo have long since left the premises as the cobra looks upwards to see the entire building falling, already more than halfway to crushing her “Oh...fu-”

 

* * *

 

The avian zooms around the sky, out of the toy’s reach. Said toy runs along the roof of the building.

 

“YOU’LL GET SWEPT AWAY INTO NOTHINGNESS! GONE BY MY HURRICANE!” he spins in place as he summons a large wind funnel around himself.

 

“HOW ABOUT I ROCK **YOU** LIKE A HURRICANE INSTEAD!~” Zerk extends their arm out, and the very ground they walk on breaks off and levitates towards their hand. They then hold back their arm and launch it forward, chucking the large slab of rock at the tornado. The stone goes through the strong wind and smacks the condor out from the other side. He flips around in the air to get the stone off, where he then launches his x shaped weapon at the toy in defiance.

 

“YOU CAN BUZZ OFF INSTEAD!”

 

The toy dodges the initial fly by and the run around as it boomerangs back to the bird man’s hand “Don’t think I will! Now it’s MY turn!” they hold both arms out this time as metal flies under their palms and unites into a circular object. It then flattens itself down while gaining a hole within the center “VINYL SLASHER!” Zerk launches the metal discs to fly around the warden. They each crash into one of his wings, stopping his flight and causing him to plummet back onto the roof.

 

“Gah…” despite that, he gets up again.

 

“Geeeeeez...what’s it take to bring you down?”

 

“YOU’LL HAVE TO TAKE EVERYTHING DOWN IN ORDER TO STOP ME!...”

 

“Is that so?~ HUP!” Zerk squats down, and then leaps high up into the air. They front flip spin in the sky while stone and metal is magnetically yanked to them. The pulled over objects cover them up into a giant ball. Once the ball is finished forming, it bursts with lightning “LIGHTNING METEOR!” the ball then crashes down towards Whirlen.

 

“Well this is abit extreme…” The man made meteor crashes into the bird, as well as the roof as it causes the entire prison to come crumbling down. Gaster ends up surfing down the crumbling surface on a slab of stone that stays atop everything. Said slab stays perched atop a still standing wall of rock that managed to resist falling like everything else. The makeshift meteor breaks open to a cheering Zerk.

 

“WOOOOOOOOO!~” Their victory hollering is cut short by the bird standing out of the rubble “Hmm...probably...shouldn’t have crashed into you...I think I blocked most of the rocks that should’ve hit you...Oh well, live and learn!”

 

“Ngghh...M-My prison!...” He grabs his head as he looks at the rubble everywhere “YOU DESTROYED EVERYTHING!”

 

“Hey, you said it was the only way to stop you!”

 

“WELL NOW YOU’LL FACE THE CONSEQUENCES! THINK OF THE BACKLASH IN MEDIA!~” Whirlen smiles crazily as he whips his finger about madly.

 

“Yeeaaaaaah. Corrupt warden who wants to bargain with a guy who wants to take over the world, and probably even work together with! Listen more from these eye witnesses that were freed after being held prisoner by said maniac! Even more from an actual police officer under said corrupt warden’s wing!” the smile shatters off into a frown after realizing all this.

 

“NO! YOU’LL RUIN EVERYTHING!...”

 

“Uh...that’s kinda the point buddy~”

 

“NOT IF I STOP YOU!” With one last burst of violence, the condor swoops towards the toy dog.

 

“Get a load of this guy~ Alright then, I agree with you! It’s time to finish this!~” The toy waits for the bird to get closer. He avoids the attack and then slams his fist straight into his solar plexus “BIG!”

 

“OOF…”

 

He then turns over and slams his right arm into his back, forcing him to spin like a top in place “BANG!”

 

“GARGH…”

 

Zerk waits until his spinning comes to a halt, once he’s turned to him. He then wraps his right fist in stone and electricity as he runs forward. His fist smashes into Whirlen’s face, but Zerk keeps on running, dragging Whirlen with him **_“PUNCH!”_ ** They stop running and begin gliding along the cloud ground as their speed increases, and with it does the force of the punch that’s taking the bird along for the ride. He makes a sudden stop by stomping his feet back onto the solid cloud and jerks his body upright. With that motion, the warden is launched away into the sky.

 

“OOOORRRGGHHHHHH…” he blasts off into the sky, destroying the dark skies as he pierces a hole through them with his body. The clear skies and sun beam down on Bear Zerk.

 

“Now THAT’S a good ending~” the toy suddenly defuses, and the two reverted friends are in quite a state.

 

“B-BWAH...Oh man...what the heck happened?...”

 

“I’m...s-sorry...I think that’s my bad...I’m so worn out that I think...the fusion ended cuz of me…” PJ says as he catches his breath.

 

“Ah no worries Peej! We won! BY FUSING! HOW AMAZING WAS THAT!” _Actually...how the heck did we fuse...we never heart linked…_

 

_What do you mean father? Of course you have! Although I will admit...your heart link was abit more...unconventional._

 

 _I don’t…_ Parappa recalls all the times where’s he been alongside his first ever friend. _...Actually...I do understand~_ “Well PJ...our belief came through in the end after all~...”

 

“I’ll say! And man what a way to do so!...but man...now that the fusion is over...the soreness in my body is hitting me full force…”

 

“I can see that!...come on! Let’s get you back to Soren and the others!...”

 

“I’m all for that idea...wait...you hear...yelling?...”

 

“...Yes actually...Oh no…” Both turn to spot the birdman crashing down to the planet like a meteorite. He smashes into the rubble and nearly destroys the cloud they’re on. His destroyed weapon now acts as a cane that helps him stand back up.

 

“you….Yoooou….. **YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUU** \- Oh forget it…” The cane breaks as he nearly flops over. His body is trembling from the pain. His wings flimsily flap as they take him off the ground just barely “I...need a long bath...and a nice weeklong rest…” He flutters off into the air like a poorly piloted airplane “Oh...but I guess I should leave you with a parting gift since you beat me…” He uses what little wind he has left to blow away some rubble. He floats down and picks up a walkie talkie that’s still slightly functioning **_“Attention all sent out units. Please return to the prison hall at once!...Or rather...what’s left of it…”_ ** from out of nowhere drop in hundreds of policemen from out of nowhere. They all are alarmed to see what happened to the prison hall as well as the warden. Whirlen merely points at Parappa and PJ in the distance. They all quickly get angry as Whirlen waves to the duo “Have fun~...” He resumes flying off as the policemen begin charging at them.

 

“...PJ...you make your way back to Soren and the rest of them...get healed up…”

 

“You cannot...be trying to be the sacrificial hero...now of all times…”

 

“PJ we will die otherwise...I will take all their attention, and you get to safety...I promise you i’ll make it back to once I’ve thrown them off!”

 

“I just can’t believe that...but I do believe that we’re goners if we go together…” PJ grunts “You better make it back in one piece…”

 

“As long as I believe, I will! You know I can!”

 

“Right…” PJ runs off in one direction as Parappa steps forward. He takes in a deep breath and forces out a static shock that chains from all the officers due to how close they are to each other. Due to his fatigue, it does nothing more than to irritate them all into focusing on him. Luckily, that’s all he wants.

 

“Now...the hard part...keeping my new promise…” Parappa tries to run, but the static attack left him a bit to winded for such an immediate escape to follow up “D-Dammit...I did NOT think this through…” Parappa watches the crowd draw closer, but is left astounded when a large slab of rock drops from nowhere and crush the large majority of cops in the front. On top of the slab was Gaster, using the very same slab that kept him safe during the building collapse to keep Parappa safe “G-Gaster??”

 

“THANK GASTER LATER! RIGHT NOW WE RUN!” Gaster runs towards him and grabs his hand. He pulls him along in a different path to try and shake the rest off. The cops who weren’t crushed all chase after the bunny and dog. The corrupt cops then begin firing at the duo, but they avoid all shots thanks to the distance they have on them “Gaster’s never been shot at before…”

 

“Join the club! Today is just a bad start to alot of things!”

 

“Yes but Gaster never did anything TOO terrible to warrant such a fate!”

 

“You think _I_ did either??”

 

“Well...no but- GAAAAAAAZ…” A bullet grazes Gaster’s right ear, leaving a notch at the tip.

 

“G-GASTER!...”

 

“GASTER IS FINE, JUST GET YOUR LEGS TO RUN ON YOUR OWN SO GASTER DOESN’T HAVE TO SLOW DOWN BY PULLING YOU!...”

 

“I-I’m trying!...”

 

“WELL TRY-...harder…” Gaster skids to a halt, stopping him and Parappa in place. There they stand at the edge of a cloud. Beneath them was a jagged cliff edge into a deep drop, from which the ground was unseeable “Guess...the time for trying is over…” the rabbit grits his teeth as he turns around to face the oncoming horde “Get behind Gaster…”

 

“I will not!”

 

“GET BEHIND GASTER!”

 

“NO!...”

 

“GASTER-... **_I_ ** WILL NOT BE DISCUSSING THIS FURTHER! I WILL SHIELD YOU FROM WHATEVER HAPPENS SO YOU CAN THINK OF AN ESCAPE PLAN AND GET OUT OF HERE! YOU NEED TO RUN AND GET BACK TO YOUR FRIENDS AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN!”

 

“PROBLEM. _YOU’RE_ MY FRIEND **_TO!_ ** ” he shoves his hand in the bunny’s pocket and pulls out the jewel gift “ _THIS_ IS A SIGN OF THAT!”

 

“I SAID I WON’T BE DIS-”

 

“I DON’T CARE!! I WON’T ACCEPT ANY PLAN IF IT MEANS NOT ALL MY FRIENDS MAKE IT OUT ALIVE!”

 

“THEN DO YOU HAVE A BETTER IDEA?! BECAUSE I’M ALL...I’M MOSTLY EARS!” the two growl at each other, but Parappa has nothing to prove Gaster wrong. He looks towards the oncoming horde of evil cops and the pit. Both sides weren’t very tempting, and they didn’t leave much of a option. Suddenly, the stone his hand starts glowing abit. It shined as if it were reacting to something...or someone. With hope tossed to the literally wind, Parappa grips tightly onto the hand that’s still holding his.

 

“I do. Jump.”

 

“THAT IS A _TERRIBLE_ IDEA!”

 

“Just...trust me...as a friend. For once...let us finally cooperate...and uphold our promise to Mana…” the rabbit growls once more, but it quickly fades into a sight as he looks towards the officers and then Parappa’s eyes. He sees nothing but confidence in them.

 

“And people say I’m a loon…” he releases a chuckle of desperation “THEN HERE WE GO!” both turn towards the bottomless pit and leap off the clouds into the unknown depths below. The cops arrive and continue firing, but halt once they see that they’re going to die anyway. With their job done, they turn around to consider going after the teddy bear that escaped them. But they all turn around once they hear whooshing from the edge that they just walked away from. From it rises a witch on a broom. And clinging to said broom were the two that had just leapt off.

 

Both animals turn to their witch friend who had finally appeared again after a long absence “MANA!~...” She smiles as she turns her gaze to the police force before her.

 

“Saaaaaaay. Are you the fine folk who forced my friends off a cliff?!” Their only response is the sounds of guns arming themselves and pointing themselves towards her “Heh heh heh...that’s a yes!” Two clones spawn beside her with their own brooms. Parappa and Gaster were each tagging along with one of the clones who awaited instructions “Get em outta here!” The clones nod before flying off with the two.

 

“MANA WAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaa-...” their pleading echoes and fades away quickly.

 

“Hehehehehehe!...Oh I'm gonna teach you all a very important lesson…” Mana plucks the mask from her hip and attaches it onto her face. She quickly smiles wildly now with it on “AND THAT'S TO NEVER MAKE A WITCH ANGRY!” the cops all unload at her, but a magical shield bounces them all back. Some of the corrupt cops are taken out by their own fire “WHAT DID I JUST SAY!” she causes the magic shield to expand and blow out, forcing all the cops away and the bullets that didn't even reach her to be forced back to the senders. They are all left alive, but rather disarmed “I’m letting you all off easily here...if you back off and rethink your lives! Starting with apologizing for what you’ve done and then turning down your badges!” They all make their choices with more gunfire “Oi vey…” the bullets arc around her and are forced to miss until they all run out “You all done now?...” they toss their weapons at her in a last vain attempt at aggression “Yeah...you’re done.” the guns follow the same route the bullets have. And with their resistance gone, she snaps her fingers and forces them all off into the distance with a wave of magic. They all twinkle in the sky once they’re gone “Geez...I never thought I’d EVER see such nasty people again in my life!...I wouldn’t mind if they were being cruel towards me...but they did a bad and messed with my friends! Well, they dug their own graves!” She scoffs with a shake of the head and a shrug as she flies off after her copies.

 

* * *

 

PJ runs up to the hiding spot and stumbles upon everyone else as he flops over onto his face. Everyone wastes no time in running over to help him up.

 

“UNCLE PJ!”

 

“D-DAD!...” The teddy’s daughter and nephew by bond are the first to help him up. They support him up only to hear him snoring.

 

“God dammit...you loveable oaf~...” Katy flicks his nose as everyone sighs in relief. Sweety quickly patches up his arms while the five birds all heal off the rest of his injuries during his slumber. Not long after float over two riding witch clones that gently send down their ‘passengers’ and poof away.

 

“You’re b-back!” Lammy’s the first to help Parappa up while the others focus on Gaster. Groober runs up to him and helps him up as the avians rush in to do their handiwork.

 

“Where the heck have you been?...” Matt asks the other dog.

 

“Erm...long story...bought an opportunity for PJ to book it...then immediately struggled with booking it myself...That is until Gaster arrived and got me out of there!”

 

“I can’t take all the credit...we ended up getting stuck at the edge of nothingness... and so we had to jump off said edge as suggested by him… we were lucky to be saved by Mana who apparently was on her way back to PaRappa Town...what dumb luck that was…”

 

Everyone turns to Parappa “Your first instinct of action was to jump of a cliff?!”

 

“My heart knew that we’d be fine! Especially after looking at this!” He lifts Gaster’s Jewel up in the air. Everyone just questions what that had to do with anything. Well everyone except for Sunny, who just eyes the stone “Don’t just look at me like a crazy person! I was right!”

 

“Right he was!...What was he right about?” Mana says as she drifts on in, stunning everyone who knew her. They all gleefully great the witch who hops off her broom to return the introductions. Or...atleast she would, if she didn’t eye Sunny first. The witch quickly tries to call her real name out, but a vine wraps around her mouth immediately. This alarms everyone but Katy, who assists Sunny and hauling her away.

 

“Uh...should we...interfere?...” Joe and Aaron ask as they walk in on the chat, but the others all reply with a shrug.

 

The birds finish repairing the battered up dog and tired rabbit as they then head off to do their own thing while Leo converses with the freed avians. Gaster and Groober chat with the group as well as the helpful ex officer, while Parappa heads off to speak with PJ. The bear had just reawoken and Parappa wanted to show that everything was alright, but is stopped by a tiny pair of hands catching his arm “Huh?...” He turns to see the tiny stone knight “Um…” the tiny knight flips over the helmet visor, revealing a familiar face “OH! Mica! I was wondering where you were! You'd think your size would've tipped me off, but no it's cuz I didn't recognize your new armor! You've been fully knighted! Congratulations!” the girl stays silent “Why aren't you saying anything?...DOH!...I-I mean!...you know what I mean…” she writes on his arm.

 

_‘Big.’_

 

“Big?...What's-...” Parappa recalls his new size “AH RIGHT!...I was...alot smaller last time we met...hehe...yeah alot of stuff happened and...well now I'm taller!” the girl stays quiet until she writes again.

 

_‘Big…’_

 

“Erm...look...my means of growth was unnatural! But I was still a fighting dynamo while I wasn't big! And so will you be! And hey! You're gonna grow to!...so you'll also be big! And nothing will change drastically will it? You're still gonna be a righteous person right?” the little girl beams.

 

_‘You're still the same!’_

 

“Of course I am!...was that why you didn't talk to me sooner when I freed you guys?...”

 

_‘Kinda...yeah…’_

 

“Oh you!...” Parappa lifts her up like a parent would to to a child, but he quickly starts to a struggle. He had forgotten that, despite her appearance, she was still a sentient rock person. And as such, she weighed ALOT “I-I’m...still me!...I can...assure...you!...” He gives a wobbly smile before putting her back down. She quickly realizes the reason for his strained speaking and makes a motion to show that she's giggling, atleast in her manner “Alright alright. Go back to Pallet now! I gotta go tell my friend I'm alright! I'll talk to you in abit!”

 

 _‘Ok!’_ she runs off to the others as Parappa meets up with PJ.

 

“You made it back.”

 

“Was there ever a need to worry?~”

 

“Yes. Definitely. Absolutely.”

 

“Oh come on PJ...give me a little...nah...you're right...if it weren't for Gaster and Mana, I'd be a bit screwed. But still I would've found my way here safely!”

 

“Sure sure.”

 

“Oh forget it!...So...anyhow. How are your arms?”

 

“Good as new! Sweety sure knows how to fix me right up! And Soren, Pippin, Rize and the twins fixed the rest. Kinda says alot when it takes all five of em to equal the effectiveness and speed of Poppy’s healing!”

 

“Well you gotta remember that healing isn't natural to them! Nor is it an easy thing to learn!”

 

“Alright, there _is_ that… but I mean come on!”

 

“It's second nature for Poppy! Plant people apparently had many who could do such a thing!”

 

“Fine, I'll accept that.” PJ chuckles.

 

“You better. But back on the brighter note! It's nice to see Sweety already capable of handling you should you…’come undone’ at any given time!”

 

“I'll say!...although...now with Lacey here...I'm scared...what happens if she's ever in a situation where she gets injured like me?...Does she follow my anatomy logic? Or Sweety’s?...”

 

“I mean...she's obviously a teddy bear like you and not a regular bear like Sweety is! So one would easily assume it's like YOUR body logic...but let's never test that theory.” Parappa’s eyes then flare up “Oh but I doubt she's ever gonna be in trouble! She comes from tough stock! Sweety can be very assertive and stern, not to mention incredibly tough, when the situation calls for! And you, you're a tough guy yourself! A literal unmoving wall! Especially now that your powers finally kicked in! You're a walking earthquake! And Lacey clearly has that in herself to so good luck ever injuring her!”

 

“You know...I get your well meaning intentions, but that only just serves to further my worry over my daughter…”

 

“You gonna let anything happen to her then? Especially now that you can hit with the force of a fissure?”

 

“Alright I get it...and no. Of course not...in fact, now it means I don't gotta rely on Leo to keep her safe!”

 

“You are such a petty teddy.” Parappa shakes his head as he dawns a smug and snarky smile that gets the bears blood to boil.

 

“Oh don't give me that! I have my rights and reasons!”

 

Parappa’s ears rise up “I’m ready to hear em~”

 

“Well...I can’t list them all now at once!”

 

“Mhm~”

 

“I’m serious!” he grabs the dog and messes with his hair.

 

“Ok ok okaaaay!...” the bear lets go.

 

“Good~” the dog flaps his head around quickly to get his hair back in place.

 

“Blegh...it’s no fun being unable to tease you back without consequences!”

 

“Then don’t do it~”

 

“And just let you tease me??”

 

“That’s just the way of life.”

 

“I don’t agree with it!”

 

“Tough luck~”

 

“I’ll show you tough luck!” Parappa tries to mess with the bears face, but he just pulls back, out of his reach “Darn bear size…”

 

“Give up?~”

 

“For now…” they stare at each other before bursting into sudden laughter “Man are we a riot or what?~”

 

“I wouldn’t call it _that._ But I mean...you’re not wrong!”

 

“...I wonder if we’re still like this in the future…”

 

“I mean...we could ask Lacey…”

 

“...Nah...I think just by her demeanor towards all of us alone...tips me off that we haven’t been like this in a long time…”

 

“Well you have your reasons...and said reasons affected ALL of us! But i’m sure we started to now.”

 

“I hope...but...what Quart says sorta leaves me uneasy…”

 

“What did he say?...”

 

“Said he...gave future me opportunity to kickstart my life again…as a way to mess with the future kids...what do you think that meant?...He said to thank him for it…  


“Maybe he actually helped you out in some way?...”

 

“I don’t know if I can trust him…what with trying to mess with history...specifically MY history!”

 

“Oh but you know he won’t achieve much! We’ll stop him each and every time! No matter what he does, we’ll find a way to fix his mess!”

 

“I guess…” he holds onto his chin but then relaxes “Heh, I gotta stop worrying. Now that you guys got your new upsides as well~”

 

“Don’t forget! You’re still the strongest out of all of us!”

 

“You guys are definitely as strong!”

 

“Dude. We so are not. Without our powers, only you could physically hold your own thanks to Tamanegi’s teachings. We never went with it to your extent! Well, I mean Paula has, but she hasn’t been AS diligent as you have been!”

 

“Still!...You guys give yourself to little credit…”

 

“Parappa, we were easily beaten over by Whirlen while the limiter was in effect...we...clearly need alot of help when it comes to keeping up WITHOUT our abilities...”

 

“I can help! Or we can ask Tamanegi for more lessons! We’re clearly gonna need em!”

 

“Oh goodie…” PJ grins dejectedly as he starts laughing again “But still...to think I can do all that stuff! Earth control...how about that!”

 

“Yeah...about that...how’d you finally trigger it?”

 

“Well...I didn’t wanna be useless...and seeing Katy just get tossed around just overall showed me that I really couldn’t do anything to disprove my lack of action...once we were broken free I tried, but was disposed of easily...then I woke up to see Sweety and Leo keeping at it and losing…and what was I doing? Stuck face first on the floor...And I had it… That’s when it happened. I all happened when I just wanted to hurt that guy...and I finally got to...y’know, before he stopped messing around…” PJ reclines back “But I honestly think...it was just seeing Leo taking hits for everyone once he arrived despite not having the condition for it…”

 

“Huh?...But you know he could still handle himself...”

 

“I mean...stuff happened prior that got me feeling guilty over them…and I guess that was the main covenant that led to my awakening.” He crosses his arms “But don’t tell THEM that!”

 

“Why not?”

 

“...I wanna figure it out myself first.”

 

“...I don’t really get whatcha mean, but alright!”

 

They relax as they just let time go by idly. Soon PJ speaks up again “Still...it’s no wonder that your kid would end up helping such a thing come to light within me! Just like something you’d do! Which is odd cuz I don’t think they ever learnt how do be as such.”

 

“Well you don’t exactly...learn how to be like that. It’s just how you are from the getgo! I didn’t really learn all that I am, I was just like this from the start. You can attest to that! It’s just that all the good role models and teachers in my life help boost how I ended up with it! I can only assume that Leo was the same, despite the uh...unorthodox history.” He chuckles with a slight cocky air as he crosses his arms and leans against a treetop “Gotta thank me for the basis though~”

 

PJ shoves him off the tree “Have some modesty...half of that niceness belongs to the girl you end up with! And Ma-san, Paula, Katy AND Lammy all have their own nice quirks that add on to Leo’s! Which, afterall, is a further refined version of yours!”

 

“I know that! But can you let me have ANY way of taunting you??”

 

“No~”

 

“Eh...figured as much!” he gets back up with his smile still there “I can still take joy in knowing that it was my kid that helped bring out this amazingness in you~”

 

“Oh quiet you!”

 

“Why don't you make me?~”

 

“You asked for it!” PJ grabs the giggling dog and begins shaking him, only getting him to giggle even more.

 

* * *

 

_The future_

 

We find our setting to be a rather large and grandiose tour bus.

 

“Phew...that was...not easy…” an elder Parappa says as he sinks into a couch, tired from having an apparent video chat with someone.

 

“You mean just chatting with your daughters?” An older PJ says after appearing from out of nowhere.

 

“Hey. I'm an emotional mess.”

 

“So’s Lammy, Matt, Hayden, Me...Actually all of us to be frank. Yet we still got back up! And so have you!”

 

“After twelve years…”

 

“But you still made progress and moved on!”

 

“...I mean...I haven't really moved on…”

 

“...I don't blame you.”

 

“He's alive...I...I know he is...he's a Rappa...we always make it through the thick and the thin…” his voice quivers as he shrinks into his seat “I keep on believing that Junior is out there...happy and healthy...I don't...I don't even care if he ever comes back or not...just...as long as I get to SEE that he's alive...knowing that confirmation alone...would put me at peace...but I should already be at peace because I trust my heart with its nonstop belief that he's alright...wherever he is…” PJ grabs his lifelong friend's shoulder.

 

“...I too believe he's alive...no matter where he is exactly...he's out there kicking…” his grip on his shoulder clamps down.

 

“I'm glad you share in my sympathies...if I were to tell any one else about this...they'd tell me it's unhealthy and try to get me to let go again…”

 

“Even Kate?”

 

“No...Katy's more so like me.”

 

“Good. And well...no duh.”

 

“Katy's just more...quiet about it...truth be told...I think...she stopped believing…”

 

“Kate would never! I know she's like us! Clinging on to the hopes and wishes of Europa being alright!”

 

“I...don't know...somewhat recently...she just...did away with anything that was a memory of Junior….I quietly got everything back and hid them just in case her heart finally told her to ‘stop, this is a bad idea’. But...that has yet to happen…”

 

“...So...she gave up hope...Oh my...um...you think she feels remorse anytime she looks at Rolla?”

 

“Thankfully not, but I always worry that'll happen as well one day.”

 

“She shouldn't! In fact, she should stop with that giving up nonsense! She, out of the three of us, should have the most faith in praying that he's alive and well!”

 

“You would think...but I dunno…” the older Parappa rubs his face “You've...never gotten this… ‘heated’ over this topic in a long while...what's up with that PJ?”

 

“...That’s...a good question...I dunno myself… This...might be weird to say...but these past months...something in me just...started believing again.” He lets go of his friends arm and uses the same arm to clutch his chest “Like...I feel he’s out there ok…Oh but that just sounds silly don’t it?”

 

Parappa quickly turns to properly face him “Not at all! That...actually sounds like something i’ve experienced recently…”

 

“Oh really?”

 

“Y-Yeah!...about a month or so back...I just...started having more faith that he was ok all of a sudden... “ He grabs his own chest “Especially...a few days ago. Something happened...it felt like...I was helping them...they needed me. And I managed to speak to them…” He throws his head back onto the tip of the seat “It’s...weird...I don’t remember even talking to them, but it happened…I feel it in my heart.”

 

“Same…”

 

“Heh...I’m glad someone else gets the feeling. Especially since it’s you!” he does his best to smile “Shows you did care all along~”

 

“Oh be quiet you!”

 

“Why don’t you make me?~”

 

“You asked for it!” The elder teddy bear grabs onto his friend, but the moment that he does, a jolt strikes them both. The world stops as everything turns into a negative dark contrast of colors. Everything was overly saturated and spacey. But that only lasts the split second of contact as just as quickly as it had happened, it all returns to normal while time continues on. The duo are left woozy with no understanding why “Whoa...m-my head...what the hell was that??...”

 

“...Erm...it felt like when you run along a carpet and touch someone...only the shock was a lot more jolting!”

 

“That’s a major understatement...ow...man...who knew remembering about what your son did for me way back then would be such a migraine inducer…”

 

“I know ri-...can you repeat that?...”

 

“I said-...I-I said…” they look at each other as the memory of what was currently happening was striking them in every part of their brains.

 

“...My boy... _is_ alive…” Parappa gets off from the couch as he walks around the interior of the fastly moving vehicle “Just...where...no. _WHEN_ is he?? Hm. Quick! When is the memory!”

 

“How the hell am I supposed to know that!...I can’t just remember what year it’s been just from random memory!”

 

“Gah...well...I guess this is a start at least...but, what triggered this memory?? If he’s actually alive and well back then...why is our memories only adjusting now?...”

 

“...Maybe because it’s the greatest impact in time so far?...Or maybe just...things are slowly starting to catch up?...”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I mean...he went back in time for one thing and one thing alone. That’s to stop the things that started your initial depression.”

 

“B-But I don’t care about that stuff anymore!...I mean...that’s I lie, I still do care alot… But...all I really want...is my kid to be ok…a-and they are! Somewhere in the past...they are...” Parappa taps his chin “That means...he’s changing alot...so it’s gotta be around ‘then’...”

 

“You were like...what...twenty I wanna say?...”

 

“Around it...close to being twenty-one if not already it…”

 

“Right…” PJ taps his own chin “So...what now?”

 

“...I’m afraid to say...nothing. What can we do! He’s back then! I’m...here...it’s not like I can just _build_ another time machine!...The first one was an accident… And even if I DO manage to make a second one, it might be a wreck like the first one…” Parappa flops back into the couch “There’s...no logistical way of doing anything about this. B-But hey...he’s out there~...And...that’s good enough for me!~...”

 

“Alright...now. The real question. Should we...tell the others?”

 

Parappa holds both his hands together under his chin. He hums till he comes up with an answer “We keep quiet about this...unless of course they to get memories on this...which I would assume?...”

 

“I don’t know...otherwise why didn’t Kate? She’d have not stopped believing in him if that were the case...so maybe it’s just us?”

 

“Then that’s...hm. I guess we really should keep this to ourselves… Atleast until we can come up with something. But that won’t be for quite the while. After all, we still got this new resurgence tour after all! And thanks to whatever it is this was, I’m feeling way more into the groove than I was prior!”

 

“You sure sound like it! Although I’m certain Kate and the other’s are gonna get curious as to the sudden emotional spike after so long.”

 

“Then...I'll just say, that this is something really important for us. And I just can’t stay too depressed or it’ll ruin this chance we got!”

 

“Atleast it's believable...alright then. What now?”

 

“I dunno. We're still about two days away from our first site of performance, so we got time to practice!...Man am I gonna need alot...alright then! So I'm gonna go with Katy and the others! I'm sure she and Kitty could supply me with enough vocal tests to make myself priperly-”

 

“I'm sorry...she and _who_?”

 

“Kitty-” Parappa grabs his head as the world literally glitches out in a static effect for a second “Who’s...Kitty?...” his groans abit before shaking his head “Our friend!...Our... _friend_?...Who is Kitty anyhow?”

 

“Kitty...Kitty… waaaaaait. Ain't that Kate’s double?”

 

“...Sheeeeeee...is! Wait...but…I...lost the rap battle in Hell didn't I?...”

 

“I...think? I remember you losing cuz the event is deep in my memories, but the thing is...I also remember you _beating_ Raparra…”

 

“But I didn't!...Or...did I?? I...also remember both endings...but-” their eyes flicker.

 

“Junior!” they both say together.

 

“He...changed the outcome of the Hell encounter?...”

 

“Wow...that means...that means Ura not only has her freedom, but she's not exiled! And that also means that the other shadows can do as they please without demoralizing themselves by thinking they're nothing other than a shadow!”

 

“Clearly, if you remember Kitty despite us clearly NOT knowing her.”

 

“Wow...I wonder if...Chris and the others became our friends?...”

 

“Chris?...Ah yes. Him along with AJ, Fei-Bo, Charlotte, Sao, and Rayn. And...I think even Raparra himself?...”

 

“I...dunno about the last one...doesn't feel like his is completely?...It's weird…”

 

“I'll say. But we really should-” the teddy is silence by the stopping motion of the bus.

 

_“This is the police! Will Parappa Rappa please exit the vehicle!”_

 

“...What the heck did you do??”

 

“NOTHING!”

 

“You sure?”

 

“PJ I WAS A DEPRESSED BLOB! WHAT COULD I HAVE DONE!”

 

“Mmm, true. Ok...so then what's this about?...”

 

“Only one way to find out…” Parappa exits the bus and spots a lone officer by the entrance “G-Good day officer!...T-To what do I owe the pleasure?...” He removes his cop helmet and the dog just stares at the new dog “Aaron!...A-Aaron?...” the static effect happens again to the two of them. They steady themselves, and elder Aaron speaks first.

 

“Sheesh...of course it's me! Don't be scared man…”

 

“Ugh...huh?... How could I not be scared! You made it sound like I was under arrest!”

 

“Did I?...Whoops...my bad! That was not my intent! I just wanted to tell you something. Something really important so I guess I just triggered officer mode…”

 

“Oh you...atleast you're an actual dependable one!...so what's the news?”

 

“I’ve heard that you’re touring the world after so long! So then you’re gonna a set of security!”

 

“...I mean...they have some at each location we’re gonna be ending up in.”

 

“And on the way to said locations?”

 

“I doubt that’s necessary…”

 

“Are you kidding Parappa? Do you forget how big of an influence on the world you’ve been?! And rising up again after so long especially!”

 

“Am I really?...huh…” Parappa recalls events prior, ones that the past Parappa would eventually take on “Hmm...wow...guess I have been…”

 

“You still are! And because of that! Think of the people that’d try to interfere! Or the ravenous fans! Or the upset people, curious of your disappearance! That’s why me and my men are here! To offer a safeguard upon you all! That and...well I just wanna see if my friend’s alright.”

 

“I appreciate this Aaron. Plus it is nice to see an old friend. But are you sure we can all trust your men?...”

 

“Of course! These guys are like me! Honorable! To a fault probably…but they have no ill will in them, aside from the good sense of justice! After all, they were taught by me and my partner!”

 

“Ah right, who was that again?”

 

“You know, he was-” static flickers again “He was...o-oh dear...the name escapes me…”

 

“Same here, but I know who you’re referring to! So I guess it’s fine. But I still wish I could remember that other friend’s name…”

 

“I know what you mean...so then?”

 

“We’re in your care!”

 

“Then we won’t let you down!”

 

“You haven’t before, and I doubt you’ll ever start! Just take care yourself!”

 

“Nothing can bring THIS officer down!” He pulls out a megaphone “MEN! WE HAVE OUR TASK! NOW LET’S ROLL!” He runs off to his motorcycle and drives off while Parappa runs into the massive bus. Said bus resumes moving while the other cop cars tail after in a secure fashion.

 

“Soooo, what happened?” PJ asks the returning dog.

 

“Just hirin some bodyguards is all!”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah our old pal Aaron.”

 

“Aaron?...whoa...I mean, yeah. Oh boy...lemme guess-”

 

“Another Europa change no doubt...but...why? When the heck did we ever find a nice cop??”

 

“Who can say, but we have one as our friend, who apparently tutored more nice ones! And now they’re helping us out in having smooth travels!”

 

“Yep! Now...I know messing with time is kind of a big deal...but...so far I have yet to see a BAD change...maybe...maybe all this is for the better?...”

 

“Don’t look at me. This time fuckery is on your judgement!”

 

“Well...so far he has only done things that seemingly make me proud!”

 

“Like?”

 

“Fix my failure with helping the hell shadows, starting a new line of GOOD officers, and...helping you as it would obviously seem.”

 

“...ok...that all does sound nice~” PJ shakes his head “What a troublesome child...but im glad they’re alive! The news of this just makes me the happiest i’ve been in a long time!”

 

“That’s an understatement for me! I’m overflowing with joy! I only wish he could be here but that’s a mission for another time! I’m the happiest out the two of us period!”

 

“This...is gonna be hard to keep quiet about…”

 

“No kidding…but we must!”

 

“You sure?...Kate would REALLY love to hear about this…”

 

“I know she would but...she got over it way before I did...and...not in the good sense. If I told her all this...she’d get upset...way more upset than how i’ve been...she’d think that i’m probably trying to torment her. And I wouldn’t really know how to explain it, if she doesn’t get the same memories we’re getting…”

 

“Yeah that does suck don’t it?” PJ frowns.

 

“I’ll figure something out...I need to get this topic outta my head, I just got happy and I don’t wanna make myself upset again...um...uuuuum...why do you call Katy ‘Kate’ anywho?”

 

“Oh that? That started happening once I felt like I was finally on par with the two of you again. I felt like I was on your level professionally again and well...I guess I felt I could tease you both a little more! Atleast...that’s how it started...but soon I kept that name as a sign of respect more so than anything...the funny thing is...I never really call her Kate to her face. I just could never do it…like I could when it was a playful taunt, but not when it evolved past that...”

 

“Heh...so why do it if you only do it behind her back now then?”

 

“Idolizing respect.”

 

“...Ah. Cute~”

 

“Oh whatever!” the bear grumbles, clearly embarrassed.

 

“So when you felt on par with us again huh?...Well...you were always on par with us!”

 

“Didn’t always feel like it!”

 

“Which is preposterous!”

 

“Maybe, but that’s just how I be!~”

 

“Atleast you’re not like that now.”

 

“Course not. I saw my value a while ago. And that’s thanks to the two of you!...And...I guess Junior now to!” He grins “Man i’m just _really_ happy! I can’t keep it to myself! Think i’m gonna share some with the missus~”

 

“You and me both, maybe I can try attempting to uplift her spirits, another way!” They both laugh as they head off in their own directions, to their own specific rooms.

 

* * *

 

_The Present_

 

“Alright. I think it’s about time we left these guys alone and headed back home! Wouldn’t you all agree!” Leo gets a resounding yes “Eeeeeeexactly! Now excuse me a sec...I actually gotta make a call to someone to do a lil something for me...be right back!” He runs behind a large assortment of tree tops and bushy clouds, phone in hand.

 

The others chat a little more with each other “So PJ, that was some heavy hittin you did that really got us out of a bind! How’d you finish off that jerk?”

 

PJ crosses his arms as he relives his quick anger interaction “Eeee…” He then recalls how he held his own, enough for Parappa to arrive. Then they both merged into Zerk to finish the deal. The memory puts a smile on his face “Well ‘Kate’~ I didn’t really get to best him outright as he showed that he was only messing around! But I held my own till Parappa got to me in time. Then the limiter went offline and suddenly we have a chance. Then, even MORE suddenly, me and Parappa turn into a fusion ourselves and completely decimate that guy! He’s still alive though...but his prison is sent to the ground! Along with his unit of officers and the evil people stored inside! So it’s safe to say that he won’t be bugging anyone for a while!”

 

Katy’s nose and ears twitch at the sudden nickname given to her by the toy bear, but what shocks her even more is the fusion that was brought up “You fused with him to?”

 

“We did! He named himself, Bear Zerk! Or just Zerk for short.”

 

“Wow…”

 

“That satisfy your curiosity Kate?~”

 

“...Yeah...it does…” The name bugs her slightly, but immediately she catches on that the toy is trying to taunt her “Well! It’s a victory all the same!” she huffs and points her nose away while Sunny runs up to the two avians that were rescued.

 

“Hey...erm...can you...help me with a problem of mine?”

 

“Ah yes, Leo informed us. You have the natural ability to heal, but an trip down under has since locked it away no?”

 

“Y-Yeah...I was wondering...if you guys knew of a way to get it unstuck…”

 

“So it would seem. Well what do you say Dear?”

 

“Hmm.”

 

“My thoughts exactly. We can’t physically help you as the problem is...psychological...emotional even.”

 

“W-What?”

 

“The best we can do is just provide some...mental pushes. By all means, you still have the ability to perform your healing, you just need to pull it back out from where it is. We’re going to suggest some things to you to see if that should provide SOME assistance.”

 

“I’ll listen! A-Anything to help me get that back…”

 

“Very well! Dear?”

 

“Hmmm!” She and Soren places their staves on her head as their eyes glow green. They then remove their poles from her head and she just dizzily fumbles about.

 

“Whoooooaaa...that’s...alot to keep in mind...w-what did you do?...”

 

“Telepathy! Speaking through the mind, we passed all we needed to in an instant! And it’s bound to stay in your mind until you trigger your prowess again!”

 

“Hmm!~”

 

“I-I see…” She bows “T-Thank you!”

 

“But of course~”

 

While that exchange goes on, Parappa chats with Aaron “Sooo...what are you gonna do now?...”

 

“Well as it would seem, my whole life is a lie and as such meaningless! So uh...nothin really. My place of work is kaput, but not like that really matters. Everyone in that place was a conniving deceitful asshole soooo...i’m better off. Now I just need to find a new form of helping I suppose...but I doubt I’ll be lucky if _ALL_ officers are like this…”

 

“I mean...there’s bound to be more like you!...H-Hopefully…”

 

“See...that’s what I mean. So I guess I have nothing really...what a bummer...out of high school and academy training just for this…This was supposed to go along with my university studies, but now it seems I _have_ no profession anymore!”

 

“...Why not come with us to PaRappa Town? We don’t exactly have a police force ourselves...and what with that place now getting more populated...thanks to actions i’ve done...I’m afraid that our peaceful little bustling town might get some bad eggs here and there...and without a police force...i’m afraid of the ones that our town will inevitably get...So why not be there first? And teach anyone else the true way of justice should they also aspire! As well as curve any evil ones back onto the right track!”

 

“Hm...You know...I like the sound of that. I think I’ll take up your offer! You can count on me to keep a good watchful eye over the innocent!”

 

“Thank you so much!”

 

“I should be thanking you for getting me up to speed on the reality of the situation, as well as now GIVING me a shot to make things right! So thank you Parappa. You’re a good guy.”

 

“How about a good friend?...” he extends his hand.

 

“...Yeah...that to~” Aaron grabs his hand and they shake on it sternly. They then let go and immediately Parappa then turns to Gaster.

 

“Hey...Gaster?”

 

“Yeeees?”

 

“What are you gonna do now?...”

 

“Gaster and Groober have already talked it out. We will not be returning to PaRappa Town.”

 

“WHAT?!”

 

“You heard Gaster. You see...we’ve been informed on the full situation we’ve all been involved in...And well, that’s a big deal, bigger than Gaster!” Gaster tosses his jewel to Parappa “He wants that? You keep it then. Gaster will probably end up losing it again, and Gaster may not get a second chance at taking it back. You are more dependable. Now comes the next issue on Gasters mind. These guys.” He points to the stone knights with his thumb “They...might get into a big mix up again. They were lucky their first mixup was with Gaster! So Gaster took notice that sensibility in the modern day was not their strong suit...so we will be travelling with them and helping them out so that they don’t get caught again.”

 

“...Pallet?”

 

“It has been discussed my friend, and...he makes a tremendous point...in this age, we know nothing… We may mistake a trap as a cry for help...and then what becomes of us?”

 

“I see...well then. Gaster, Groober, take good care of em all!”

 

“You can count on us!”

 

“Gaster will do his best! First off is find a place to settle down for these guys! They like to travel, but they gotta have a place to come back to and hide should things get...dicey.”

 

“I c-can help there!” Pippin says as he flies over “T-There is a closed in area down beneath us! Hidden by the trees and large rock structures! The little dome could be a perfect place for you all! In fact I know of a safe way to get d-down! And there’s multiple ways to enter and exit that area that are hidden to those that don’t know them! So y-you’ll stay out of sight and out of mind in that area!”

 

“Then please. Lead the way for Gaster and his new friends.” Gaster says as he stares at the meek bird.

 

“O-Of course! F-Follow me!” Pipping flies off with Gaster, Groober and the Mood Stones following.

 

“Take care you guys!” Parappa says as he waves them all off. He then heads over to the Masked Witch “Mana? What about you?”

 

“Well, i’m not just leaving again! I’m finally done with my learning and am coming back to PaRappa Town! As a permanent citizen again!”

 

“Really? That’s great news!”

 

“It makes me happy that you’re glad with my return!”

 

“We all are! It’s gonna be great having you around again!” they grab each others hands and bounce in place gleefully “By the way, you sure grew taller!”

 

“I should say the same to you! But my height increase was the result of a magical mishap!”

 

“Ah, likewise!”

 

“Eh?...”

 

“Loooooong story!” time passes by and soon they all gather by the ship. Soren and Rize are with them as well “You guys coming along?”

 

“Yep. We need to talk to 16-bits and the others on something. So we’ll be tagging along.”

 

“Right!” The dog’s tail wags as he inspects the two. They both had beige clothing in baggy white shirts and long simple pants. Soren’s wings did in fact sprout from his back, but Rize’s entire arms were her wings as well as her hands. Their tail feathers poke out from the top of their pants. Their beaks varied in size. Soren’s was surprisingly small, about a puffin’s size despite his brother’s pointed beak. It does however answer the reason for the twin’s beak size. Rize’s was longer and pointier than Soren’s, but not to Pippin’s length either. Soren’s hair was light green while Rize’s was dark green, but their feather color was vice versa. Soren had orange eyes while Rize had red eyes. The appearances were rather nice, atleast to the dog they were. They all enter the ship and blast off “So...why didn’t your brother or kids tag along?...”

 

“They are going to be giving our people a forewarning...What with Whirlen’s wild antics...who knows what he’ll be doing next now that his prison is nothing but rubble...the problem will be if they listen or not…”

 

“Something tells me you’ve all tried before…”

 

“Tried and failed…”

 

“Oye vey…” The rest of the trip stays quiet as the ship first stops above Neon Heights, in order to drop off Joe, Soren and Rize.

 

“Well this was a lovely expedition old boy! We’ll have to do it again sometime-”

 

“Joe...”

 

“...I know. I caught on during the time you tried stopping me from giving the chainsaws to the enemy officers. You’re not really a fan of mine, it was just a fib to get me to tag along.”

 

“It’s not that...well...I mean you’re right, but...after today...I kinda am a fan…~”

 

“Oh?”

 

“Well...Oh! AQUA OVER HERE!” Leo stops mid sentence to wave over an elder axolotl woman. She floats over to them on the fly.

 

“Well you surely are the one for last second arrangements! Oh well, here you are!” She hands him a set of folded clothing.

 

“These are...for him actually. As I mentioned in the call.”

 

“Well it does match his current outfit...very well. Here you are sir!”

 

“Why thank you madame! And might I say don’t you just look divine~”

 

“Thank you, but i’m married.”

 

“And i’m about to be!”

 

“Then i’m ending this chat now before you say something that makes me want to sew your mouth shut.” She angrily eyes him before smiling as she looks back to Leo “Take care~” she flies off.

 

“I think she likes me!”

 

“Not in a million years Joe...anywho...as you can see...What I gave you was a touched up suit of mine. To match what you currently wear.”

 

“Oh?” he unfolds the clothing to see they matched what he currently had on “But...why?”

 

“...You...saved me...and my family...and from what I understand...you were originally...not their favorite...but...I didn’t see any of that history...all I saw, was what happened today. And today I didn’t see what they saw...I saw a genuine hero...Someone I really did become a fan of...without your help...i wouldn’t be here...nor would some of them...and you’re gonna continue working for Bohemian as our inside man right?... Things...might happen to you...and wearing this...well it’ll keep you safe...please...take care Joe?...Alright?...I...don’t want to see you get hurt.”

 

Joe was honestly baffled. No one has ever actually legitimately liked him, especially for reasons such as these “Right...well I- All I really did was just...bring out the better side of me! As it would seem!” He chuckles awkwardly, but is silenced by the future child hugging them tightly, just barely able to get their arms around their overly large torso “...Oh dear…” _Genuine admiration...as in...someone...respects me...idolizes me...what...do I do??..._ The child breaks the hug and heads off to the ship “...I-...I am...”

 

“Their Hero.”

 

Joe panics and turns around to spot Parappa “A-Ah! Parappa!...I am?...”

 

“You are Joe. I’ve only seen Leo get genuinely emotional a few times. So much so that if you trigger a good emotional outburst from him, it’s clearly a big deal. And _you_ of all people did. That means Leo respects you. More than you can even comprehend. And they know about your COMPLETE history like we do, they just haven’t experienced it. They only experienced this! And I for one, would like it if you KEPT it that way. Leo loves you, so I’ve talked it over with the others...we’re giving you a second chance...if you continue your good boy streak...we may even convince the town to see if you can come back…”

 

“...R-Really?...P-Parappa...I um...don’t know what to say…”

 

“You don’t have to say anything. Nothing. At. All.” He cracks his knuckles “But...if you ruin their perception of you...hurt their feelings... _break_ their heart.” Lightning explodes off of Parappa “ _I’LL_ **_BREAK_ ** _YOU…”_

 

“...A-Ahem!...Yes! Message clear! Completely crystal! And...believe me...I don’t think I want to either...it’s...weird having someone be happy with my presence...but I don’t want it to stop...ever…” He looks down “Now...I’m not so sure of my mission...what if something happens to me?...”

 

Parappa tilts his head “You’re...genuine about this...I guess I got nothing to worry about over my kid!...But...Joe...you’re gonna be fine. You got back to your feet after getting evicted from a whole town! You can manage an undercover job! Especially if your employers can’t take you seriously!”

 

“...I wish I had faith in myself like you have faith in me…”

 

“Then how’s this for a motivator. Leo clearly wants to see you again. You gonna let them down?”

 

“...” Joe smirks “Expect great things from me!”

 

“We all do!” they grab each others hands and shake once with a stern nod “Until next time Joe.”

 

“Take care old-...Parappa. Things may only get worse from here…”

 

“Backatcha.” Joe heads off to his car as Parappa waves him off. He heads off to the ship that sucks him back up “Where’s Soren and Rize?”

 

“Already flew off. Now it’s just you guys.”

 

“Poppy ain’t you gonna stay?”

 

“I thought I’d tag along till you guys were dropped off to.” she smiles after she says that.

 

“I ain’t got no problem with that! Then let’s go Leo!”

 

“You got it!”

 

* * *

 

“Bye everyone!~” Lacey says as she waves to them as they get off.

 

“A-hem...Lace?...” Lacey freezes up once she hears Leo speak up.

 

“Y-Yeeeeees?~”

 

“You’re going with them.”

 

“BUT-”

 

“No butts! Only yours that you gotta haul outta here!”

 

“Aw…ok…” she leaves the ship and Leo and Sunny wave her goodbye before flying back to Neon Heights “Darn…”

 

“I understand your disappointment, but it’s not like PJ would’ve allowed it!” Sweety says from behind her before breaking into laughter.

 

“M-Mom!...” She softly begins striking at her mother in protest. As this happens, Parappa instructs Matt and PJ to help Aaron out.

 

“So either Fussenpepper or Sistah Moosesha should be able to help!”

 

“Got! Come on Matt, let’s get Aaron adjusted in!”

 

“You got it, let’s go Aaron!”

 

“Right behind you men!” the trio march off as Parappa then makes a quick one eighty.

 

“Where are you gonna g-go?” Lammy asks her roommate.

 

“Gotta go chat with my dad! Today had so much happen! And with Lacey here now, maybe he'll have some insight! Or at the very least use the information for later benefits!”

 

“G-Good idea! Then get m-moving!”

 

“I am!” he kicks gust legs into high gear as he blasts off to his old house, but upon reaching there… “What do you mean he left??”

 

“He said he finally found a lead to that kingdom you told him about and so he ran off! Hasn't come back yet.”

 

“Oh dear...about but it's not like this is the first science expedition he's been on, so he'll be ok! It's just a matter of how long he'll be gone…”

 

* * *

 

Papa Rappa is seen working his way through some greenery as he walks off into the bushy unknown.

 

“Oh boy oh booooy! What a breakthrough this was! And I managed to burn time by converting the family car into a literal all terrain vehicle! And it didn't blow up! That was also amazing!” he resumes his trek through some foliage until he finally pushes through into a massive opening. There was a gargantuan sized field, but it wasn't exactly empty. What stood there were ancient remains of a civilization long gone “Well...not like it wasn't obvious…” He heads out into the open yonder. He stops once he sees something fly overhead into one of the remaining portions of a castle that are still somewhat standing “Helloooooooo...who do we have here…” he aloofly tags along. Now inside the same building, he soon finds the mysterious intruder, but stays quiet and out of sight.

 

“So this is where this reckless kingdom is~...” the voice was Quart’s. He scans around and soon scoffs “Feh...idiots, the lot of them… Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Especially when you believe a lie and live off of fear...tell me ‘old man’...was it worth it?” he uses his psychic power to blow up a portrait of Zero “Of course it wasn't…” he sighs until he hears a noise from behind. He turns around with his arm held out “WHO GOES THERE?” he spots Papa Rappa on the floor. He tripped on one crack in the floor.

 

“Ow…”

 

“Who are you?!”

 

“Ohhhh my back…age is catching up to me…”

 

“Oh for God's sake…” he uses his psychic power to get the old dog onto his feet “Speak...tell me who you are…”

 

“Well thanks young man! I am Papillon Rappa!”

 

“WHAT?...ugh...no wonder I scanned that trace around here...why are you here?”

 

“Learning more about this place! And who might you be?”

 

“I am Quart Etz- WHY AM I TELLING YOU THIS?!”

 

“Ooooh _you're_ Quart!....YOU'RE QUART?”

 

“So you've heard of me… wonderful! Now…” he charges up his psychic energy in his hand.

 

_Good bye!_


	63. The best time is now

“Good bye!” before Quart can blast him, the ground breaks open and the two fall. The suddenness of it doesn't allow Quart to fly as he slams hard onto the ground with Papa Rappa landing ontop of him.

 

“OOF... what a nasty fall...luckily it didn't seem that bad!”

 

“I'm so glad I could break your fall…”

 

“Why thank you!”

 

“I WAS BEING SARCASTIC YOU IDIOT!”

 

“Oh…” Papa Rappa gets off the upset possum as he gets back to his feet “Thank you...now to FINISH YOU OFF!” Quart tries again, but his magic doesn't trigger “What the?” he then tries flying, but it also doesn't work “WHY AREN'T MY POWERS WORKING?!”

 

Papa Rappa tries using his abilities, but they also don't work “Remarkable! It would seem this place has a jamming force! Supernatural powers or scientific inventions don't work down here!”

 

“Oh just great...Well then, I'm off to find a way out…” he storms off.

 

“Wait wait wait!”

 

“What is it now…”

 

“Why not work together in finding a way out!”

 

“Why would I EVER agree to that?!”

 

“Probably because I know how things around here work in the trap sense.”

 

“What?”

 

“You were about to activate a spike trap if you took a step more.” He moves Quart to the side and presses the tile before him from afar. And as said, spikes appear from every place “You would've become swiss cheese in a nanosecond!”

 

“...How did you-”

 

“I've had many adventures that trounce this little exploration! Sometimes these places use the same trap format to a point it becomes predictable!”

 

“...Then why team up with me if you already know?”

 

“Because! While I may  _ know _ all the instructions and outs...I'm not as young as I used to be...already some of these require a fair bit of youthful action to disarm! I'm not as young as I keep trying to pretend I am. That's where you come in! Like with this one! Use the extended spikes to climb up and pull that top right one! Notice it's different than all the others? It'll deactivate this!”

 

“...And I should do that why?”

 

“You wanna get out right?”

 

“...and why should I believe you?”

 

“I want to get out to! I got and family to get back to! I can't climb myself! Or the other actions this older body can't do much of anymore!”

 

“Feh...useless old fart...fine, whatever…” he carefully hops up and tugs on the top spike. All the spikes quickly retract, dropping Quart onto the ground again “Ngah!...blast...well. I’ll be damned. They are gone.”

 

“See???”

 

“...Very well. We have a truce. For now atleast.” They both walk through the now safe path “I must say though...I am your enemy. Why spare my life?”

 

“I mean, you may be working for a man who threw my life for a topspin, but you're still so young yourself so-”

 

“Don't tell me you plan on dissuading me…”

 

“Well...not like you'd listen. You seem to be in the rebellious stage of your teenage era.”

 

“Erm..fuck you??”

 

“Point proven. Well regardless. That's not the only reason...the other is I...just can't take seeing young ones...erm...die…”

 

“Well that's a stark contrast to your son. Those allies of his have already killed me a few times. Which brings me to the main point I'm getting at. There was no point in sparing me since I'll basically respawn! All you did was just prevent me from leaving this place sooner.”

 

“Ok. Two things. First point is, you aren't respawning. Resurrection is to tasking and impossible an ability unless you're a god. Divine beings such as the Lord of the underworld don't even have that ability! So you DEFINITELY don't have it. What you're doing is this. Once you die, your suit sends out a signal to yank out a you from a  _ different  _ timeline and places them into this one! That  _ new _ you gets all the memories as well as battle insight to avoid the same death that the unfortunate other you suffered. And once that new you enters this reality, the previous you is erased because the old soul is turned into pure energy for the new Quart!”

 

“Congratulations...your point?”

 

“You're not coming back! You're just throwing a different timeline you into the mix while the you that  _ actually  _ experienced everything is gone forever! And not all experiences get transferred so they die with the prior you!”

 

“Feh...so what? The new me gets the important data needed…as it was programmed to with help from my adoptive father Tycoon! The rest is just useless trash that deserves to be erased.”

 

“Let me guess...that was something he  _ taught _ you?”

 

“You are correct.”

 

“Oh boy…”  _ Bohemian...this was a child...you used his grief to turn him into a fool of a loyal follower...he wanted a father so badly that you used that to make him a faithful worker and important pawn in your game...I...can never forgive that...but...you're lucky I can't do anything about it… _

 

“Hello? Don't just space out on me! Get to your second point already…”

 

“Right…”  _...I know he may be as dastardly as you...but maybe...just...maybe...I can convince him to join OUR side… _ “Well the second point is this. Like I said once we got up from falling. This place disables everything built. That means, if you were to die, you would not continue your restarting life cycle. Your life would permanently end here.”

 

“....that cannot be!!  _ IT CANNOT BE TRUE! _ ” Quart turns around and storms down the path at a faster pace. Papa Rappa chases after him.

 

“YOU FOOL! STOP!” 

 

Quart resumes stomping and soon triggers another trap. It launches a storm of arrows at Quart who only opens his arms in anticipation, but Papa Rappa crashes into him. They both fly off into safety “WHY DID YOU DO THAT?”

 

“ _ THINK! _ WHY ELSE WOULD YOU THINK I WOULD SAVE YOU?! BECAUSE IT'S GONNA BE LIKE I TOLD YOU!...”

 

“...My...mission could end here?...” Quart’s pupils shrink as he stares at his hands with growing rage. He stops once he hears the old so in pain. He sees an arrow sticking out of his arm “You daft old fool...I didn't ask for your assistance! Now look at yourself!”

 

“Hey atleast we're ALIVE!... And I already told you, I can't stand seeing young ones die!...” He groans some more as he tries to get it out, but lacks the strength to. Quart then grabs it and yanks it out “YEOW!...”

 

“If you kept pulling and pushing it like that, you would have lost function in your arm entirely. You're welcome.”

 

“...Thank you…” Papillon grabs the area of his arm where the arrow was removed for a little bit before removing a portion of his sleeve to wrap around the wound “Hoo boy...gonna need to go get some stitches at the doctors for that when I get home…”

 

“Think about that later...we have an objective to accomplish don't we??”

 

“Yes yes...let's go.”

 

* * *

 

“Katy...w-what are we doing…”

 

“Niles has GOT to be here by now! So we’re gonna check!”

 

“H-He would’ve called us f-first!...”

 

“Yeah well I ain’t doin that! He’s kept me on suspense long-...enough…” they stop as they see their boss head towards their place of work. But he walks over in a rather weak fashion. The duo take no time in rushing over to him.

 

“N-Niles sir!...”

 

“Yoooo boss...what happened to you?”

 

The stained glass man turns to them “Oh...hello there you two...what brings you here? I haven't messaged either of you yet, so you're still free…”

 

“Yeah, can it! Why are you like this? You look as if you were one of those large ornate windows that people always jump through in the movies!” Katy says as her tail flicks about.

 

“A...curious description...but trust me when I say that I'm fine. By the coming hours I'll be right as rain.”

 

“I highly doubt that! You looked tremendously fucked up! In fact, I'm even amazed by it! I didn't even know you could even bruise and bleed! I figured you'd just break apart into pieces! I mean yeah some of you is already broken, but not in the fashion I'm referring to!”

 

“I guess my anatomy WOULD be confusing now, wouldn't it?~...”

 

“N-Now’s not the time for the coy p-playful attitude sir!...”

 

“Pardon me, but I'm serious! By tomorrow I'll be back to normal! I won't even have a trace of what I look like now!”

 

“O-Ooooh...I'm not so sure sir…”

 

“...If that's the case...then are we cleared to come back tomorrow for work?”

 

“K-Katy!” Lammy yells at the cat for the sudden thoughtless sentence.

 

“My my. If I didn't know you, that would've come off as cold and heartless! Hahaha…you see me arriving like this, and your first instinct is to work? Almost makes ME sound heartless…”

 

“Katy what are you thinking!...”

 

“Lammy chillax! Now I know it may sound like everything I said was less than groovy, but I just want to see if our boss-” she turns to Niles “Might need some help with some things…”

 

“Ooohhhhhhhhh! Well why didn't you word it like that Kat?~” Niles says playfully through the pain “Honestly, any other employer would probably pop a blood vessel!”

 

“N-No kidding…”

 

Niles stands upright, or atleast as best he can “How about this. Tomorrow you two are free to come, but if you feel like you'd want some extra hands to assist me then by all means bring more people! It's not a work day tomorrow so I won't be phoning in the other employees. It'll just be the two of you, and anyone else if you deem you need to bring more hands.”

 

“...Alright. We'll be here! And we'll be bringing our friends to help you out faster!”

 

“W-We are??...”

 

“Yes we are! And we'll see you then!” she grabs Lammy and pulls her away.

 

“Then I await your visit tomorrow!” Niles chuckles  _ “And boy will I be waiting...my test will happen the moment you arrive!” _ he whispers as the girls fully disappear. With them gone he heads inside the building “Ugh...I couldn't do much...but I did slow down their progress a good majority...these guys will have to pick up the pace...but I must say...that officer fellow…” he spawns a light orb that shows Aaron “In the prior timeline and the one that this one was supposed to take...you weren't apart of it...so...what changed to include you? In the dreams I've given Parappa, you weren't in the future sights...so what happened that made you an ally? Well...I guess I really shouldn't complain...still it’s baffling...what went different?” the orb changes who it’s inspecting. Now Quart is in it’s vision “And you...you were a terrible adversary...but...something’s happening now...you aren’t heading down that route…” The orb switches view to Papa Rappa “It’s not you...well...not entirely… Your words are having their effect on the guy, but why??” he closes his hand, erasing the orb “Bohemian...did you act to quickly with something? Did you preemptively betray quite possibly the most valuable of your allies to soon? Because if things go how it seems like they will..and they are. He...might become their ally...Just what is going on...this wasn’t meant to happen. And it’s not even a result of Europa’s intervention...this is all on Parappa’s actions...I can only hope the results end up better!” He heads off to his backroom as his body is encased in a dim yellow light. His injuries slowly fade away as his body also starts piecing itself together.

 

* * *

 

“So...Quart...tell me about yourself!”

 

“There's nothing to say.”

 

“Oh...then would you like to hear about my life!”

 

“I think I'll pass…”

 

“It has to be one or the other!”

 

“Can't it be neither…”

 

“We have to pass the time SOME how!”

 

“Ugh...fine...As I'm certain you've been told… I am the fourth child of the ‘kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-iiiiiiiiiing’...who was left behind to die alone while his dad tried to make a better second life and failed at that to...now he bums around in the past like the useless twat he is...while I was graciously saved and raised by Tycoon. Now here I am. An architect of time that just...does as instructed by Tycoon. By my father.”

 

“Just what is it that you want??”

 

“My old ‘father’ has a special jewel in his possession that my new and real father wants. And so with my time manipulation, I plan to get it! While also KILLING that bastard of a father! Making him suffer like he made ME suffer!”

 

“Jewel?...”

 

“The jewel that allowed him to go back in time to get his…’second chance’... Now, while it may be effectively unusable for someone that isn’t him. It’s still magical rock that can be most...beneficial to Bohemian’s plans. I just hope I get it before that idiotic blowhard wastes all that power…”

 

“...Waste it? How so mind me asking.”

 

“Well, this correlates to that idiot being lied to. He was told by the gods to never use his powers, unless he wanted to taste their fury. But that was all a lie. The gods can’t actually keep their threat. They’ve been sealed away for who knows how long. Even now they’re nothing but statues. But my father being the gullible one believed them. So he could not use his magic, nor could my ‘sisters’. Which I guess was a benefit to my father’s paradise...but in reality it taxed the stone. For you see, my siblings can’t help the occasional hiccup in using what they got. And everytime they do, they drain the stone. Because that’s the stones real purpose, to just break if they use their magic multiple times. Why it does that, I do not know, but nevertheless I need it before that happens.”

 

“Otherwise?...”

 

“It’s useless. Atleast that’s what I’m told, and from what I learnt about.”

 

“Such a...precarious object… I’m amazed BoTy would even bother!”

 

“Don’t question his actions. There’s ALWAYS a reason for them.”

 

“Oh believe me...I know that more than you.”

 

“Quite. By the sounds of it, you’ve dealt with Bohemian longer than I have. I’m jealous!”

 

“You...really shouldn’t be.” they get through trap after trap and Papa Rappa initiates more small talk “Well...what have you been doing as of late?...”

 

“Tormenting your son. Being tormented by your son. My objective really. Use my time manipulating invention to conclude my time missions while also doing stuff to further benefit Bohemian.”

 

“Such as?”

 

“Not much. Your damn brat seems to have something in him that prevents me from doing anything to your family past or future!...so I can't touch anyone apart of your ‘family’...but they could touch me! A fact I took full advantage of when bringing miss Lacey Berri here!”

 

“YOU DID WHAT?!”

 

“Cool your fur. In a way...I granted her wish~”

 

“BUT WHAT WILL HER FAMILY IN THE FUTURE DO?!”

 

“Beats me. Not like they'll check. They're gonna be busy touring around the world!”

 

“AS A TRAP?!”

 

“No as a literal world tour to restart your future son’s depressing life.”

 

“HOW COULD-...wait...why would you do something so...beneficial with no catch?”

 

“...I don't know. It was the only thing that came to mind when deciding on how to keep them preoccupied!”

 

“How...nice of you. Sorta…”

 

“I grow tired of this needless twenty questions! Let's just get out of here so that I may go on my way! You irritate me so much...now let me hurry so that I may kill my inept old ‘father’...”

 

“Wait! But what about your sisters?!”

 

“What ABOUT them?...they aren't my sisters...my actual sisters died when my blasted father wished to cleanse the world...and the Keepers of the world listened...they wiped out everything...killing my siblings in the process...these three new ones...they aren't my sisters…”

 

“But they are! They've been reincarnated through your father's attempt at a second chance!...”

 

“...No...they haven't...I don't even feel a thing with them when I'm around them.”

 

“Probably because you're trying to ruin their lives! All they sense is hostility!”

 

“What do you know…”

 

“Alot when it comes to family! On that subject I almost know everything!” Papa Rappa stands proudly “This topic I know alot of! Especially with you! You may be an insufferable boy a times, but you do have the ability to be better if you have a proper influence!”

 

“What do you mean by ‘proper’?? My new father is the BEST influence!”

 

“D’oh...to you? For now he might be...but trust me when I say that it won't last! He's only using you to further acquire what he needs! And so he'll betray you once your purpose is fulfilled!”

 

“HE WOULD NEVER! WHAT MAKES YOU THINK HE'D EVER DO-”

 

**_“IT'S WHAT HE DID TO MY FRIENDS AND ME WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE!”_ **

 

The old dogs outburst startles the possum “You...worked for my father?”

 

“Behind my friends backs, as a means of getting him to leave my friends and town alone...but he didn't...and I just couldn't see it, but still I went at it until he stabbed me in the back…I came clean and tried to undo everything...eventually a different person took my place and he went off on his merry way… I thought that'd be the end of it, but said different person came back repeatedly and became a huge nuisance in our lives...it eventually ended with all of us almost dying...until my best friend gave up her freedom to save us all…”

 

“Explain.”

 

“...when I was seventeen...I received a call from an anonymous benefactor. They told me that they knew of my history and paranoia over the events with BoTy. They also told me that they knew of ways to make him take off and never bug my town ever. I being the gullible being that I am, trusted it…  they told me to keep it to myself so that I wouldn't end up alerting BoTy should he have had secret ways of listening in. And so my secret part time job began. I worked myself rancid and raw because I thought I was helping, and I would never see the truth until it was already to late...but once I found out, I came clean to my friends and asked for help...but the task was to much for us...and we only got out of it because an acquaintance of mine decided to take my place to forestall and distract BoTy’s judgment. Then HE became the judgement and was only stopped thanks to my best friend Noella...all that made me regret my actions...I wish I knew it was BoTy prior...but instead I learnt as I got a dagger jabbed into my back and felt it get twisted around…I was just a working fool for him...once my use was done...I was just trash that needed to be gotten rid of…”

 

“...Enlightening...but that will not happen to me!”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“POSITIVE!”

 

“Well...you  _ were _ ‘raised’ by him...so only you would know. Afterall, you witness his  _ judgement _ firsthand!...” Quart stays silent. Then Papa Rappa quiets down to. The silence is broken once they bump into an invisible force field. Or rather, Quart bumps into it and the elder dog politely stops to see what happened.

 

“What in blazes?! A barrier?!” he punches the invisible wall “Why is this here?”

 

“Uh...barrier?...” Papa Rappa walks forward with nothing stopping him “...You sure there’s one?...”

 

“WHAT?!” he tries following but slams into the force field again “WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!”

 

“Hm...that’s odd...why am I allowed to pass, but not you?” He walks back over to where Quart is and inspects around as the annoyed adolescent smashes into the wall repeatedly. He then sees something light up each time Quart runs into it “Hold it! What do we have here…ooooh...this is old…”

 

“Let me see…” He walks over “Old?...this is ancient! I can’t make heads or tails of this!”

 

“Isn’t old things supposed to fall into things you are able to understand given your time control?”

 

“Oh it’s not like this was ever an important part in ANY point in history! Unless of course it’s some bizarre form of braille!” He taps the weird indents in the wall and immediately gets blown away into the forcefield “OW…”

 

“Oh dear...knowledge can sure pack a punch! You alright there?”

 

“Look at me again and ask me if i’m alright...urgh…” he gets up slowly “Ow…” his eyes flicker in their yellow psychic energy “What the…” he squints at the wall holding the symbols “The words...they make sense now…”

 

“Hm...I guess it would make sense! You being a technical prince and what not of the area! This place is BUILT for you! What’s it say?”

 

“It says…”

 

_ ‘For one to carry on in a forward path to better days, one must be willing to live with the person they are now. For if doubt, guilt or regret exist even in the smallest amount, the future doors will always be closed away. And so you will never progress and rot away as the mess you’ve turned yourself into.’ _

 

“What in blazes does any of that mean?...” The ex prince angrily crosses his arms as he kicks the wall.

 

“Hmm...Quart, would you be housing any… _ mixed _ emotions within?”

 

“Of course not! My resolve is as firm as my dedication to help Tycoon!”

 

“Then walk through if that’s the case.”

 

“I’LL SHOW YO-” 

 

*Thud*

 

“...”

 

“Would you like to talk about-”

 

“I DON’T HAVE ANY MIXED EMOTIONS!”

 

“I mean...you’re free to say all of that, but if the barrier won’t let you...there’s not much else to discuss…” the steaming adolescent angrily stares at the dog who just stares back with little to no faith.

 

“...I HAVE A SOLUTION! I WALK THROUGH AS  _ YOU _ WALK THROUGH!”

 

“Will...that work?”

 

“LET US TEST IT OUT!”

 

“Erm...alrighty! Let’s!” Papa Rappa gets ready to walk on through as Quart smooshes up against him from behind.

 

“MOVE!”

 

“Alright alright!” The dog moves on through at an enhanced paced do to the young teen forcing him to go faster. They press against the wall, and as Quart suggested, they both go through.

 

“HAHA! SEE?!”

 

“Well I’ll be!...oh...why do I feel like you shouldn’t have done that…” Papa Rappa pokes his lower lip in fear of what might happen from this.

 

“Oh to Hell with those feelings! I made it, and so let’s carry on!”

 

“Let’s go…” with a heavy sigh, they resume walking.

 

* * *

 

Parappa is seen doing his best to levitate up to the clouds, but he fails as he keeps dropping to the ground as his little sister watches.

 

“You sure you know what you’re doing?”

 

“I’ve managed before!”

 

“Then why aren’t you managing now?”

 

“Because!...It...sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t…”

 

Pinto rolls her eyes “Why are you even trying to get up there?”

 

“Well I wanna talk to someone on something, but everyone else is busy! So i figured I’d go to speak with Mana!”

 

“She just got back! Ever heard of respectin a lady’s personal space? I’m sure she’s tired after a long journey so she’s probably also busy!”

 

“D’ooooh...you’re right…”

 

“And why can’t you talk to me about things?? Don’t you trust me?...”

 

“It’s not that!...it’s just...I don’t want to endanger you…”

 

“I can hold my own! My intellect is second to none!”

 

“While I won’t deny your brain power, your physical strength is lacking.”

 

“IS NOT!”

 

“Pinto, literally four minutes ago you struggled in opening up the peanut butter jar…”

 

“...” Pinto’s face turns read as her cheeks puff up “That proves nothing!...”

 

“Hey, you’ll get stronger in no time! I mean look at me!”

 

“You trained! Yeah...well, sensei said I was strong before that!”

 

“Wait...that means you inherited mom’s tough body...BUT THEN THAT MEANS I INHERITED DAD’S NERD BODY!...” she turns blue from the shock as she falls onto her side.

 

“Pinto come on...you know that how your physique ends up is up to you and you alone!”

 

“But I can’t do that stuff you do! If I struggle with a jar lid, there’s no hope for me!”

 

“Aaaand this is why I wanted to chat with someone else…” As Parappa sighs, they both hear the sounds of tired breath. They turn to see a pink teddy bear run over to them.

 

“F-Finally...found...the place...you’re at…”

 

“Lacey? What’s up?”

 

“Oh nothing, just escaping the overwhelming custody of my mother and father to be is all…”

 

“...Huuuuuh?...”

 

“Nevermind that… I’m here cuz I wanted to to-”

 

“Who’s she??” Pinto interrupts.

 

“Oh! She’s Lacey Berri! PJ and Sweety’s eventual daughter. I think Leo mentioned that to you? I’m sure one of us did…”

 

“Katy did over the phone on the days of the full moon!”

 

“Ah, well good. Thought I told you stuff I wasn’t supposed to.”

 

Pinto then turns to the teddy bear “So you were my nephew’s first girlfriend!”

 

The teddy bear freaks out instantaneously “H-HAIEEEEE! N-NO, I W-WASN’T! I WAS...I-I WAS...d-did he really refer to me as such?~...” she grabs her cheeks that have turned bright red as her knees buckle in and rub against one another. Tiny hearts flutter about her head as her smile turns goofy. She giggles gleefully as she loses all train of thought. She is much to giddy to explain her original reason for arriving now.

 

“IIIIIIIIIIIII think you broke her sis…”

 

“Hey if this broke her, then I don't think I feel comfortable letting her around Leo.”

 

“Don't be mean Pinto! I think it's cute that she still has a crush on him!”

 

The hearts pop as Lacey shakes her head quickly “I-I DO NOT!...” Both dog siblings look to each other with a non emotive gaze before looking back to her “I-I’M SERIOUS!”

 

“Seriously bad at lying...she really is their daughter…” Pinto scoffs as she rolls her eyes again.

 

“Actually, PJ is quite the effective liar when he needs to be.” Parappa states.

 

“Not the point! She sucks at lying!”

 

“Alright!...maybe I do!...but it doesn't really matter since I'm not in his field of preference anymore…”

 

“Yeah, when you date the daughter of Satan, your standards and tastes tend to rise exponentially. And for good reason to!”

 

“I mean...that's abit crude, don't you think Pinto?”

 

“Bro, you gonna tell me that if you were dating that Satan Jr with the original Satan having full awareness, especially with you being a mortal, you wouldn't gain some ego?”

 

“Well no cuz I'm not a jerk! And neither is Leo! Who you date shouldn't dictate a standing!”

 

“Again. Demon punk succubus of the most standoffish uniform nonconformity. Heir to the underworld, is THAT a regular achievement bro?”

 

“Ergh...well...no, but-”

 

“Case in point.”

 

“Sheesh your words cut deep...you don't need physical strength...your  _ tongue  _ is strong enough!...”

 

“Sticks and stones bro.”

 

“What provoked all this??”

 

“I'm just proud of who my nephew ended up with! You could learn a thing or two!”

 

“What does that mean?!”

 

“Your flop with that flower that nearly messed up our family severely! Need me to draw a picture book next??”

 

“ **_I_ ** -” he takes a deep breath to calm down “I will not be continuing this subject…”

 

“Yeah I bet!”

 

“What's with this sass?!”

 

“E-Erm...P-Pardon me?...” Both dogs turn to Lacey.

 

**_“WHAT?!”_ **

 

“E-Eep...I just...wanted to ask your permission for something...I didn't wish to bring this topic up...or cause an argument between you both...I'm already aware of my chances...or lack there off...but I just want to be their friend for now!...”

 

“Ah...Sorry for this Lacey...dunno what allowed this to start…”

 

“...I'm sorry to...maybe I did go a lil overboard…I dunno what came over me all of a sudden...” Pinto scratches her face with her apology.

 

“I-It’s fine!...”

 

“Right...well, what do you want permission for?...”

 

The teddy takes a deep breath “C-Can you drive me over to where Leo lives!...”

 

* * *

 

“For the last time old man...QUIT LOOKING AT ME LIKE SOMETHING’S GOING TO HAPPEN! BECAUSE NOTHING WILL HAPPEN!”

 

“Haven't you noticed that the walls have turned abit... _ bleaker _ ?...” Papa Rappa brings up the dimming aesthetic of the current atmosphere.

 

“I happen to enjoy it! Although it's probably just the ‘king's’ color preference...blegh…”

 

“I’m not so suuuuure…” everything slowly starts to appear as if it were melting “You sure there’s nothing tiring within your thoughts?...”

 

“Old man...I am a being who can die and return in an instant. If death does not shake me, then what will? And with each death I am cleansed of all trivial nuisances.”

 

“If that were true, then why did the barrier still stop you…”

 

“...Let me tell you this. Old man, do you fear death?”

 

“Oh! Of course I don't fear him! He's a level headed individual! If not abit scatterbrained...every day he loses parts of himself in the most mundane of ways that it takes him a while to piece himself back together!”

 

“W-What?...I was...referring to the concept...you've me the angel of death??...”

 

“I did!”

 

“When the devil did you meet him??”

 

“During my university days! I met him as I met...well...the devil!”

 

“You met Satan as well?? What the hell did you do at college to warrant that encounter?”

 

“Would you believe me if I told you it was a motorcycle race?~”

 

“You have got to be joking…”

 

“I'm serious! A friend of mine bit off more than she could chew! After winning races back to back, she got a swelled ego and challenged the best motorcyclists around. The top two being a seraphim and Satan himself! Needless to say, we had to help out. And miraculously, we won!”

 

“What kind of imbecile...wait this is your history right?...what were the females that accompanied you? Let me guess, was it Europa the first?”

 

“Nope! It was Penny!”

 

“Penny... _ Penny _ ...the hot mess that is that lamb??”

 

“Well that’s abit of a rude description...but...yes! Her!”

 

“She owns a motorcycle??”

 

“A few of them actually! And not just those, but BMX bikes to! And she is quite the biker! But you’d never believe that upfront!”

 

“Quite…” they continue walking until Papillon notices something really intruding.

 

“We’re...not going anywhere…”

 

“What do you mean?? Of course we are! We’re walking aren’t we??”

 

“No...No...we’re not! Look!” Papa Rappa walks over to an arrow jabbed into the wall “This arrow was the arrow that went into my arm...I wedged it into the wall when you said there was nothing wrong...and we passed it twice over… The first time I thought it was just my imagination, but here we pass it again!...That means only one thing...we’re trapped in an infinite loop…”

 

“IMPOSSIBLE!” Quart panics as he dashes down the pathway. In a few minutes he ends up coming back from behind “N-NO!...” Quart grabs his head “WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?!”

 

“For the LAST time! Admit that something is wrong!”

 

“NO! BECAUSE  _ NOTHING _ IS WRONG!” The room turns darker.

 

“THERE  **_IS_ ** SOMETHING WRONG! IF YOU DON’T ADMIT IT, WE’LL BE STUCK HERE FOREVER!”

 

“WE AREN’T STUCK BECAUSE THERE’S NOTHING CAUSING THIS!” They soon turn blood red and it all melts even further!

 

“QUART YOU PRIDEFUL FOOL, WHAT ARE YOU HIDING!”

 

**_“NOTHING! I’M HIDING NOTHING! I REGRET NOTHING! I FEAR NOTHING! I HAVE NO GUILT OVER A N Y T H I N G ! I AM AN IMMORTAL, LOYAL UNTIL DEATH! WHICH WILL NEVER HAPPEN AND SO I AM FOREVER LOYAL! I AM THE ETERNAL TIME TRAVELLER! AND I’LL KEEP AT THIS FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER AND EVAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”_ ** the seventeen year old time traveller loses it as he grabs his head and fumbles about the room, bumping into the walls over and over again as his world ends up spinning. He’s in pain, but can only whimper after his yelling. The nausea overwhelms him as he yells once more at the max volume he can produce. A yellow flash beacons the entire room. When the light clears, the castle walls look as if they had changed into the depths of Hell.

 

“What in the world…” Papa Rappa looks at the possum who has fallen onto the ground face first. He groans as he gets himself onto all fours. When he lifts his head up, there they both spot something wild. A second Quart stands...or rather,  _ floats _ before the original one. His eyes were whipping about in their psychic energy.

 

“W-Who are you?!...” the first Quart says to the copy.

 

“Who am I?...” He looks to his hands “Is that not simple? I am your lies...your travesties...your regrets...your guilt...I am a culmination of the real person you set yourself to be...Of who  _ I  _ set myself to be! I am Bohemian’s son!”

 

“I-I AM HIS SON!”

 

“You?...You are a disgrace...you let the words of an old bastard drive you to anarchy within yourself. You are a failure.”

 

“YOU WOULD BE WISE TO TAKE THAT BACK!...”

 

“Or else what? What will you do about it?”

 

“I’LL KILL YOU!”

 

“Kill me??...Hehe...Hahaha...you can’t kill me...I’M AN IMMORTAL!” The hallowed cave halls the three are in violently start shaking as if an earthquake were happening. Music starts to suddenly play form the empty halls as a light beating noise is heard echoing throughout. The clone harmonizes abit within the hallowed rooms as he turns back to the original Quart, yelling at the top of his lungs.

 

**_LET’S FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!_ **

 

The entire area is eclipsed in a red hue as clone Quart warps in front of real Quart and begins singing.

 

_ We're face to faaaaaaaaaace…  _ he stares at the original intently.

 

_ Loyalty is what, I neeeeeed to seeeeeee from yooooooou…  _ Clone Quart’s armor turns into a near perfect copy of Bohemian’s outfit.

 

_ You're insecuuuuuuuuure~ _ He waves his hand around the original, draining him of his color.

 

_ I can see the feeeear that breeds in your heeeeeeeee-eart!~  _ A black heart spawns on the real Quart’s chest, causing him to back off and run.

 

_ Where will you run? Where will you hide?  _ The clone appears before the real one no matter where he turns, Quart soon then realizes there are now more than one clone.

 

_ I see the blood, drip from your eyes!  _ They all cover their eyes and slowly pull downwards, creating blood pools that keep on dripping.

 

_ Who will survive?  _ Many of the clones pop into bloody messes.

 

_ Let's get it on!  _ The blood all flies into the first clone.

 

_ And we'll  _ **_fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight_ ** _!  _ He kicks the real Quart away like nothing.

 

_ I know who you aaare!  _ He points to the original as he holds his head from the kick. His vision blurs as he sees Tycoon backing up the fake.

 

_ The leader of lost sooouls!!  _ More Quart clones appear.

 

_ You can't kill me!  _ **_I’M IMMORTAL!_ ** They all fly towards the real Quart as some explode and return to first clone again.

 

_ I'm not afraid to diiie!  _ The area quakes even more now around the original clone.

 

_ My soul will travel oooon~  _ Papa Rappa watches the madness from afar.

 

_ You can't kill me!!  _ **_I’M IMMORTAL!_ **

 

**_Immortaaaaal..._ **

 

**_Immortaaaaaaaaaaal…_ **

 

All the Quarts stand around the original and just shove him around between themselves.

 

_ I need the ruuush…  _ he manages to get out and run away.

 

_ There's nowhere you can hide, before you diiiiiiiiiie… _ he runs into the original clone who warps to him again.

 

_ Why won't you face me?!  _ He grabs him and lifts him up to his face.

 

_ I can see the fear that's in your eeee-eeeeeeeyes!  _ Quart just stares at his faker’s glowing yellow eyes before hrs thrown away.

 

_ Where will you run? Where will you hide? _

 

_ I see the blood, drip from your eyes! _

 

_ Who will survive? _

 

_ Let's get it on! _

 

_ And we'll  _ **_fiiiiiiiiiiight_ ** _!  _ He lands in between the other clones who start kicking him while he's down. 

 

_ I know who you aaare! _

 

_ The leader of lost sooouls! _

 

_ You can't kill me!  _ **_I’M IMMORTAL!_ ** Suddenly, many of the clones are destroyed on the spot, it's then seen that Papa Rappa triggered another trap to get them off of the real possum.

 

_ I'm not afraid to diiie!  _ The still living clones all turn and chase him now.

 

_ My soul will travel oooon!~ _

 

_ You can't kill me!  _ **_I’M IMMORTAL!_ **

 

_ I know who you aaare!! _

 

_ The leader of lost sooouls! _

 

_ You can't kill me!~  _ **_I’M IMMORTAL!_ **

 

_ I'm not afraid to diiie! _

 

_ My soul will travel oooon! _

 

_ You can't kill me!!~  _ **_I’M IM-MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!!!_ ** Papa Rappa dispatches more clones before ultimately being grabbed by the first clone. He yanks the arrow out of the wall and jabs it into the side of the clones head, forcing him to let go. He then runs over to the real Quart and carries him off.

 

The song stops for abit as the fake Quart’s harmonize together before resuming again after another violent earthquake.

 

**_Where will you run?_ **

 

**_Where will you hide?_ **

 

Another break as the other clones sing, but not the original clone. He only yanks the arrow out of his head.

 

**_Where will you run?..._ **

 

**_Where will you hide?..._ **

 

The original clone yells again at max volume.

 

**_LET’S FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-IIIIIIIIIIGHT!!!!!_ ** He reappears next to the duo and dropkicks them into the wall.

 

_ I know who you aaare! _

 

_ The leader of lost sooouls! _

 

_ You can't kill me!  _ **_I’M IMMORTAL!!!_ **

 

_ I'm not afraid to diiie!! _

 

_ My soul will travel oooon!~ _

 

_ You can't kill me!  _ **_I’M IMMORTAL!!!_ **

 

_ I know who you aaare! _

 

_ The leader of lost sooouls! _

 

_ You can't kill me!!!  _ **_I’M IMMORTAL!!!_ **

 

_ I'm not afraid to diiie!! _

 

_ My soul will travel oooon!!~ _ the clones all fade back into the original one as his eyes burst with even more psychic power.

 

_ You can't kill me!  _ **_I’M IM-MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!_ ** The caves shatter, as does the magical force preventing their powers, but they're currently to busy to notice.

 

_ You can't kill me. _

 

_ Immortal! _ The clone approaches the original.

 

_ You can't kill me... _

 

_ Immortal!!!  _ A smile grows on his face as he stomps closer.

 

**_You can't kill me!_ **

 

**_IMMORTAL!!!!!!_ ** The psychic energy in his eyes turns red as he's within arms reach.

 

**_YOU CAN’T KILL ME!~_ ** the song ends then and there as he tries to grab the original, but is stopped by a metallic fist smashing into his face and sending him off.

 

“GET AWAY!”

 

Quart watches the dog who just stands before him as the clone gets back up and if nothing happened. Half his head is completely gone, as if his skull caved in on itself, but he was perfectly fine “How are you-” a yellow wave blasts him, sending him onto his back.

 

“I just got finished saying...that I'm an immortal! I exist as long as there is loyalty! Straight to the bitter end!”

 

Quart clenches his teeth at the words of his faker “YOU HAVE NO LOYALTY!” Quart blasts him with an overwhelming amount of psychic energy that burns him. He’s left a charred corpse, but still walks as if nothing was wrong “EVEN I’M NOT THIS DURABLE…”

 

“SOUL SHOCKER!” Papa Rappa blasts the clone, but he just tanks the beam as he walks through the electricity, albeit slowly “WHAT MONSTER IS THIS?!” He keeps blasting the clone, but nothing changes “Well this doesn’t seem like it’ll get any better for us…”

 

“HE CAN’T DIE, JUST RUN YOU OLD COOT!”

 

“RUN??”

 

“YES! HE SEEMS TO HAVE DESTROYED WHAT’S KEEPING US HERE!”

 

“AND JUST LET HIM LOOSE ONTO THE PLANET?!”

 

“I’LL DEAL WITH HIM! NO ONE GOES AROUND WITH MY FACE IN AN ATTEMPT TO STEAL MY IDENTITY!”

 

“AND YOU PLAN ON STOPPING HIM NOW??”

 

The ex prince growls “NEVER YOU MIND! I’LL FIGURE IT OUT!”

 

“THAT’S NOT VERY MOTIVATING…”

 

He shoulder tackles the elder dog away, stopping his attack from hitting the clone “I DIDN’T ASK IF IT WAS OR NOT!” He quickly stops the clone who was directly in front of where Papillon was. They lock hands as they stand in a grapple. Quart tries infusing his hands with his psychic powers to harm the clone, but it doesn’t hurt in the slightest. He tries Time warping him, but it doesn’t affect him due to also technically being Quart as well. All his efforts just melt the clones appearance more into a decrepit corpse that just keeps it up. Quart gets forced down to one knee, and then both as he still tries to hold the monster at bay. The rotting creature just gurgle at the despair of the real deal.

 

Papillon stares in horror, at wits end as to what to do. Nothing can stop this rotting creature. And then as he thinks that, something returns to his thoughts.

 

_ “And so you will never progress and rot away as the mess you’ve turned yourself into.” _

 

The line started making terrifying sense. Papa Rappa yells at the struggling time traveler “QUART!”

 

“LITTLE...B-BUSY!...”

 

“QUART CONFESS YOUR GUILT!”

 

“YOU OLD FUCK  _ NOW  _ IS  **_NOT_ ** THE-”

 

**_“SWALLOW YOUR PRIDE YOU ARROGANT BRAT! THIS IS THE PUNISHING CURSE OF WHAT THAT INSCRIPTION SAID! NOW YOU’RE STUCK FACE TO FACE WITH THE ROTTING MESS THAT YOU REALLY ARE!”_ **

 

The time traveller soon comes face to face with the forced reality he’s been trying to ignore “I...DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN…” The clone roars as it’s melted face drips onto Quart’s suit, melting it slightly.

 

**_“I DON’T THINK YOU CAN DIE WITH IT STILL HERE! YOUR SUIT MIGHT MISTAKE IT AS YOU AND THINK YOU’RE STILL ALIVE! DO YOU REALLY WANT TO RISK THAT?!”_ **

 

“I’M...CERTAIN THAT THIS WILL JUST...B-BLOW OVER!...” His voice made it obvious that he was afraid.

 

Before he could be assaulted by the rotting clone, Papillon grabs him with his arms wrapped in magnetized metal as to not be harmed by the acidic monster “IF YOU AREN’T GOING TO COME CLEAN THEN JUST RUN! RUN FROM THE REALITY YOU REFUSE TO ACCEPT! I’LL HANDLE HIM!”

 

Quart just watches the older individual hold back his hidden emotions, taking the dangers clearly meant for him “WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?! I’M YOUR ENEMY!...”

 

“THIS LITTLE ADVENTURE OF OURS HAS PROVEN TO ME THAT YOU POTENTIALLY MIGHT NOT BE! SOMETHING IS MAKING YOU CONFLICTED...AND I’M NOT LETTING YOU DIE BEFORE YOU FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT IS!...OTHERWISE IT WILL GET DELETED UPON ENTERING YOUR POTENTIAL NEXT LIFE!...”

 

Quart just stays there in pure disbelief and fear. The adult could not keep up with the rotting monster as he starts get pushed back like Quart was. The metal gauntlets start corroding and breaking to pieces, but the older individual refuses to give up in helping out the possum. Unable to do anything else, he breaks and finally speaks “MY ENTIRE LIFE...IT’S ALL ONE GIANT REGRET!...” sparks flicker off of the monster as Papa Rappa is finally able to keep a tied deadlock with it now. Quart sighs after realizing that speaking will stop the madness “My entire life...after being abandoned...Tycoon merely took me and raised me...he put in taxing conditions so that my powers would blossom as quickly as they could. To be able to increase my mental strength so that my psychic capabilities could help me out with many more things than they would’ve had I stayed in the past...increasing my brain strength so that I would inevitably master time travel...Each passing year, the only thing keeping me going was just...the acknowledgement...praise...respect...love of a parent...that he promised each time if I were to accomplish more...which I did, but...he then said, he’d praise me more...if I kept it up on double time. Years went by...and that never came to pass...but I hung on to the belief...that it’d happen eventually…” the clone starts getting pushed back by Papillon “Then...I succeeded and built my time devices...and I even managed a way to respawn...as instructed by him. However, with said respawns, he gave suggestions as to how to better myself. I obviously obliged, trying to see if he’d care more then… My first mission happened and your son and grandson stopped it...my father was not happy...scolded me more than usual...I tried again...they interrupted and I died and failed twice...he was upset with me...I asked why? After so many good progressive things I’ve done...why does he yell at me over a few recent failures...and why has he not said anything...nice to me?... I thought it was my fault...so I blamed myself...and through that blaming I begun thinking...I would live eternally as a loyal son...but...forever?...If I die...I would come back again...eternally loyal...my personality refreshed to a clean slate...over and over again...I wondered...if I’d be...happy...in a life like that… I shunned those thoughts because a good son would never think that way… I thought to myself that he was never in the wrong...only me. Then came my idea of bringing over that bear...once I dropped her here...I went back to father to see if he’d be proud of me now...but he was angrier than before...he berated me...so I went off to send her back, but I was killed again and yelled at and shunned...so I decided to pass the time by going back in time again… This is where…I was betrayed…I thought of Archer as nothing but a defective failure who would hinder father more than help him...and so I thought to remove the control nodes...and I did. Archer did not revert back...instead he just became more aggressive and crazy...so then I realized...someone attached more nodes to him. But I only brought the five and none more. The only way for them to get more was if father used me without my knowing and gave them more...and I quickly shrugged it aside...but...I can’t deny it...that’s exactly what happened… I didn’t want to believe it...but you were right...I was never of value to him...just a pawn and nothing more...only I lost my value long ago…” the rotting creature splits away from Papillon as it fumbles back. It starts to slowly inflate before violently exploding into goop everywhere. The metal flies off of Papillon’s arms as he sighs in relief, but quickly heads over to the defeated ex prince.

 

“...I…erm...well. Hearing your side of the story is really bewildering...after hearing my son’s side…”

 

“...I would assume so…” he flops to his side and curls up into fetal position “And so...I’m left alone again...thinking I had a parent who cared, when in actuality...he was as bad as my real father… Thus I was always the orphaned failure I am now…Look at me...what even am I?...Why did I even bother doing any of this…” He rips the clock devices attached to the chest and back of his suit “Seventeen years of my life...wasted...and I have eternity left to suffer through…” He rips off the suit top, revealing a light blue undershirt “I just want to curl up and die...but I’ll just come back...lose my memories of now...and go through Hell...once again…”

 

“Oh boy...I...don’t know how to handle moments like-” Papa Rappa is silenced by static building up behind him. He turns around to spot reality warping at the seams “What now??”

 

“...This is...what happens when I revive...but-” A small explosion happens as a new being is left kneeling on the charred ground. They slowly get back and get a good look at the area around them. The smoke clears to reveal a new Quart “...B-But...this cannot be...I-I’m still alive…”

 

“...Your clone...it was all your innermost emotions, memories and mannerisms...it was so much like you...that when it died...everything thought it was you...and so it continued your respawn cycle...inconceivable…”

 

“N-No…”

 

The new Quart soon locks eyes with the prior Quart “You...you still exist?...”

 

“Yes! And s-so you should not!”

 

“...Then it is true.”

 

“True?? What’s true?!”

 

“You failed father Bohemian…”

 

“WHAT?!”

 

“He left a memory that would only trigger, if I were to revive...with a me still in existence. And I see now what that memory is. You are a failure. So much so that he wanted a COMPLETELY clean slate.”

 

“T-THAT MAN IS A TRAITOROUS MONSTER!”

 

**“YOU WOULD DO WELL TO NOT SPEAK OF FATHER IN SUCH A TONE!”**

 

“ENOUGH OF THIS!...” The first Quart angrily gets up and picks up one of the two clock devices “I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF REMEMBERING MY NEW HORRIBLE FATHER! GO BACK FROM WHENCE YOU CAME!” He holds the clock forward to send him back, but nothing happens “...N-No...t-that’s right...the time powers...only work-”

 

“For the latest Quart~...” The new Quart walks up to the emotionally devastated original, but Papa Rappa blocks his path “Who the hell are you? Ah...right~ Father of my enemy...move aside. I shall kill you after I kill him.”

 

“Y-You’re killing neither!”

 

“How are you gonna stop-...Hm?...” Quart spawns a new helmet around his head “I see…very well.” He then turns away from them “You got lucky~ Father wants me to handle something of utmost importance! But first he wants to welcome...his new son~” He bursts through a wall of the ruined castle, revealing the dusk as it turns to black night. Papa Rappa turns to Quart number one.

 

“Quart...was it  _ your _ idea to come here??”

 

“No...it was…”

 

“BoTy’s…”

 

“He knew...he knew this would happen if I came here...and it did...he didn’t want me to find out more data...he wanted the perfect ‘soldier’...”

 

“He always did...even when it came to the people under his ‘care’...”

 

“And just like that...i’m betrayed again. I feel ill…”

 

“I felt the same way the moment I realized I was helping BoTy!”

 

“What did you do to make it stop?...”

 

“I came clean and undid everything while under his order!”

 

“But I can’t even control time anymore…”

 

“But you do still have your psychic capabilities! With that you can fix all those mistakes you did while under his employ!”

 

“I can’t…”

 

“You can! And you can best the new you while you’re at it! Beat in the lesson you just learned! Only he’ll have to learn the harder way!”

 

“I can’t just swap sides now after so long...Bohemian would just send people to kill me…”

 

“You can come with all of us to prevent that!”

 

“After the things i’ve done?...They’d never let me…”

 

“While I will admit that your prior actions were, without a doubt, terrible to no end. You are trying to rectify them after all! My son sees THAT part of a person! And judges them based on that despite what they’ve done prior! He sees you actively trying to undo everything and he’ll welcome you with open arms! And that alone will get the others to follow up! If it helps...you already got me knowing you can do better! I'll stick my neck out for you! Especially since you tried helping me out here today! With the traps, and getting that arrow out of my arm and even helping me with the curse punishment that tried killing me!”

 

“Why…”

 

“Your case...is like a repeat of someone I thought I could make a friend...if I just tried a little harder...and I wasn't gonna fail a second time!”

 

“You're brain dead…”

 

“Eh...at my age? Probably! Haha!” he slaps Quart on the back heartily before speaking up again “Now...if it helps in the slightest…I'll try being your father figure! Your role model! Your...eh...you get the idea~ I'll be what those two could never be and would never try to be!”

 

“Why...just...why??? I don't understand...I messed with your family's life along and have done other bad things...I've caused so much devastation, some of which is now irreversible!...why are you doing everything to help me...I'm the worst being imaginable...I don't deserve this...I don't deserve any generosity…”

 

“It’s not generosity. It’s just...hospitality. I’m welcoming you into a better life. With which you can build a better sense of judgement and morality from witnessing how things go on the other side of the spectrum that you originally went against! Until you can learn and find your way on your own, you’re welcome to stay at our abode!~”  He extends his hand “I still have to be the adult in the situation of course and say you will have to do abit more to help out in rectifying your mess!”

 

“...” he merely looks to the ground “I don’t...picture this going well…”

 

“Well. Not with an attitude like THAT! To make amends you just can’t cut any corners! And like my wife used to say, and how my son still says! You just gotta believe!”

 

“...well...believing is all I got…” He looks up “Alright you crazy old coot...but just know...this is all on you…” He grabs the held out hand and is helped right up to his feet immediately.

 

“I’ll handle the small things!~ Don’t you worry! Just make sure to do YOUR part as well!”

 

“I’ll do my best…” Quart then crosses his arms “...Speaking of doing their best...you...never needed my help deactivating anything...did you?...”

 

“Eheh...nope. No matter how old I get, I’ll still have that energetic spring in my step! But I just decided to make the most of the situation and turn it into a learning experience. And now here we are!” He laughs goofily.

 

“You are strange individual sir…”

 

“Boy you don’t know the half of it!...Or...maybe you do! You did eavesdrop in on our history a bit after all!”

 

“Eheh...I don’t know everything...I mostly prioritized the future…”

 

“Is the past that boring?”

 

“Well no...it’s...just-”

 

“I’m joshing you! Ooooh boy! First thing we work on is a sense of humor! Stat!” He laughs again, much more loudly. He quickly stops once he hears beeping from the torn off suit “Eh...that doesn’t mean it’s gonna explode...does it?...”

 

“No...it’s usually my objective map that’s built in…”

 

“...Is the other you starting his mission that quickly??”

 

“Bohemian was always brief with his next objectives...let’s see…” he fiddles around with the ripped suit top and out pops a holographic map “He’s flying fast...where’s he…” He soon spots the objective point “Neon Heights?...He’s sending him after Europa??”

 

“We gotta warn him!”

 

“We shouldn’t need to. That guy could smell me before I could make any entrance...and he can handle himself decently we-...hello…” more markers appear on the map. Four spawn around the marker indicating Europa.

 

“Who are those??”

 

“Eh...the signature says...a daisy, a hell orchid, a hellcat, and an assimilator?...weird...the only one I know of is under Tycoon’s employ...who could this be??”

 

Papa Rappa quickly pins down who the first three are after organizing the Hell Shadow welcome party. Knowing that the three were Poppy, Rayn and Kitty respectively, but who was the final one?? His question would have to wait however as another point on the map appears. Three dots heading towards the same marker “Now who’s tagging along?...”

 

“Uh oh...That’s Parappa...and the other twoooo...oh dear. That’s the bear I brought from the future...and your daughter?? What are they doing?...”

 

“Think Europa can handle himself now with all those factors coming along??”

 

“...Slightly less now that he has people to keep an eye out for...but with Parappa he should be fine...erm...hopefully…”

 

“That’s not good enough! Come on!”

 

“C-Come on?’

 

“We’re going!”

 

“W-We are??”

 

“Yes! Who knows what’ll happen if we just let that new you mess with things even more! The entire locale of Neon Heights is in danger along with my son’s and grandson’s friends! To many innocent people around for them to be able to go all out! But he can do as he pleases!” He yanks Quart along as he runs out the open hole in the wall “Here!” Papillon throws him his cell phone.

 

“E-Eh?...What am I supposed to do with this??”

 

“Call my son! Warn him of what’s going to happen! We’re gonna take a while getting there so he needs to be on guard until we can arrive!”

 

“V-Very well…” He starts going through the logs.

 

* * *

 

Parappa, Pinto and Lacey are within Parappa’s car as they slowly make their way to Neon Heights. It was a quiet drive for the three of them, until Lacey decides to speak up.

 

“E-Erm...n-not to make light of the last conversation...b-but I gotta correct something you s-said M-Miss Pinto...L-Leo isn’t one to have an ego over the person he dated...w-when I was alone with him...he mentioned that he didn’t really see Harper as nothing other than her own individual...her title and heritage didn’t really appeal to him. What did was just the person she was on her own. That’s what won him over and changed his preference...people who could proudly be who they always wanted to be...those would could wear that bright light over their persona…”

 

“Tch...just like my idiot brother...oh well...what did I expect~...” She crosses her arms as she looks to her brother “They are your kid~...Makes sense...they’d rise and fall like you did...” 

 

“When you put it like that...you make it sound like we can’t have a happy relationship!”

 

“Oh you know that ain’t true! Leo exists after all! So you do find one! Caaaaaaan’t speak for my nephew though…”

 

“‘Pffft...what a tone shift!” The siblings laugh as the teddy bear sighs in relief after quelling the bad air between them. 

 

They soon arrive and Lacey is quickly left bewildered by the hotel “Leo...lives here??”

 

“Yep! But it ain’t all glamorous! This town city hybrid is known for not getting any sun! They only sun is visible to the top floor of this hotel! Which is where Leo is! And as you would expect...it’s a mess!...”

 

“Eesh…” they head on in and Parappa quickly warns Pinto and Lacey over the elevator. They both only look at him as if he were crazy. They immediately took it back as their screams filled the hotel on the way up.

 

Parappa calmly walks out of the elevator as he turns around to them “Told ya!”

 

The fourteen year old and twenty year old crawl along the ground as they exit the crazy elevator. They then roll onto their backs, catching their breath and steadying their heart rates “My...nephew...is...insane…”

 

“You...can say...that...again Miss…” they both calm down and get back onto their feet as they approach the only door on this floor. Both dog siblings just look at her as she looks back “Um...w-why do I have to open the door?...”

 

“You wanted to visit so you could ask for a sleepover! So you should be the one to enter and do the talkin!~”

 

“A-Alright I will!” With caution to the wind, she flings the door open without hesitation. There she sees Leo in little to no clothing in front of mirror with four other girls around him. Two flowers, and two other cats. And by little to no clothing, he was really in the buff. There they held out a blue dress in front of the mirror as they were trying to scan how it looked like.

 

“You girls sure?...” Leo says, their voice a different pitch.

 

“Yessss! Te- Leo it looks FABULOUS on you!” Cookie says as she bounces up and down.

 

“Though I refuse to use a word like that, Cook’s got it right! This thing would look so good on you!” Kitty says as she holds out the arms of the dress to better hover over Leo’s shoulders.

 

“Exactly! Maybe you just need a little more to seal the deal! Like maybe you wanna wear it with this color makeup!” Sunny holds out a small set of cosmetics next to them.

 

“O-Or maybe...some accessories...to really...b-bring out that cute flair~...” Rayn says as she holds out a black ribbon over where Leo’s face is on the mirror, to see how it’d mesh with her hair and the dress “D-Doesn’t that look nice?~”

 

“...I-It does~...B-But I-Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-” Leo looks to where the ribbon is being held up. There she spots the door in the mirror reflection. In it she sees a red faced teddy bear with her eyes popping out of her head and her jaw dropped  _ “IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” _ Leo utters a girly shriek as she turns around and uses the dress to cover herself  **_“G-GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT!...”_ ** the other girls soon notice the trio by the door. Cookie, Sunny and Rayn angrily get in front of Leo to better cover them up. Kitty aggressively storms towards them.

 

_ “ANYONE TEACH YOU IDIOTS HOW TO KNOCK?!” _ She pulls up the sleeves to her shirt. Sounds of a struggle are heard from inside of the room as from the open door flies out Lacey.

 

“A-AAAAAAAAAH!...” Then Pinto.

 

“WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE~” And finally Parappa

 

“W-WAA-” Or he almost did.

 

“W-WAIT NOT HIM!”

 

Four sets of hands catch him mid flight out the door and yank him back in. Shutting the door in the process “HEL-” 

 

Lacey lands hard against the floor while Pinto safely lands and trampolines on her belly. She lands pristinely on her feet after bouncing. There she helps the teddy up “You know. Walking in on my niece as she was changing was probably not the best way of getting to her heart!”

 

“YOU TOLD ME TO OPEN THE DOOR!”

 

“I didn’t say to just flip it open! Who doesn’t knock first??”

 

“A-Ah...fair enough...ohohoooooooh why meeeeeeeehehehee…” she slams her head into the wall over and over while pinto pats her on the back reassuringly. 

 

_ Life in the past is gonna be tough... _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credits for this song go to Adema! With Immortal!


	64. Time out!

Lacey stays there, banging her head against the wall as Pinto groans “Girl can you noooot? I get the self regret inspired pity party, but this is next leeeeeveeeeel...it’s gotten abit annoying…”

 

“You don’t GET it Miss Pinto! I promised him-”

 

“Currently her or them.”

 

“H-Huh?...”

 

“Ah, you weren’t informed yet. I’m sure they’ll do so when they’re done, carry on for now.”

 

“...sure. I promised... _them_ that i’d try to get better adapted to them and this era as a whole! But all i’ve done so far was end up a liable nuisance to them!...With my arrival! Then with my inconveniencing of a current mission at the time! Then getting them hurt due to having to defend me! Then just barging in on them because I can’t connect well with my parents who aren’t my parents _yet!_ And now I walk in on them while they’re exposed due to being in the middle of a dress up!...i’m a burden...”

 

“Holy hot pity party...even I didn't reach these levels of despair...did I?” she recalls the year of her brother's seclusion “Er...nevermind that! Look Lacey! It's all gonna be fiiiiiine! I doubt my niece is gonna hold this against you!”

 

“I hope you’re right Miss…”

 

“Also...c-can you quit it with this Miss stuff?...I’m younger than you! And giving me that old title is really kicking me in the ribs!...”

 

“Why didn’t you say so sooner?”

 

“We had other stuff to talk about! It was much more important!”

 

“Oooooof course we did…”

 

As the duo continue chatting, the now group of five assist Leo in getting dressed.

 

“D-Do I really gotta be here to help??” Parappa asks in distress “I may be the same as them, but I don’t think I’m capable of fashion pointers…their range is WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY bigger than mine...I’m to simple and casual...”

 

“Yeah well, they asked for you to be here so that must mean you got SOME form of help for us!” Kitty says as she rummages around a pile of outfits with Parappa and Cookie.

 

“That’s right! Leo clearly thinks you to know just what is they like! You gotta be some sort of next level friend if they have that much faith in ya!” Parappa laughs awkwardly.

 

“A-Ahaha...yeah~... Totally not for another reason~...” The trio are then joined by the two flowers who bring more stuff in “What happened?...”

 

“We couldn’t find anything to match with one another!”

 

“Did Leo not find anything?”

 

“Oh no _we_ couldn’t!...Kinda...forgot to ask her. Whoops…”

 

“Poppy…”

 

“Hey! I just want them to look their best!”

 

“Then let them decide!”

 

“But they gave us permission to!”

 

“Oh...well then...carry on!” They all then start trying to see what outfit would work with what makeup and what accessories.

 

“Oh OHHH! This egg shell bow would look great in her hair!” Cookie says excitedly as she holds out a white bow.

 

“Eggshell? It wouldn’t mix well with their hair! Chiffon would be better!” Sunny holds out another white bow.

 

“Chiffon???? They ain’t gon’ want such stuffiness on their head! Pearl works just fine!” Kitty holds out yet another white bow.

 

“I-I think...porcelain would be the b-best choice…” Rayn holds out a final white bow. Parappa is left irreversibly confused as he looks at the near exact bows. The girls all spot him watching and immediately, they all ask him.

 

“Which do you think!”

 

“Uhhhhh...w-we gotta come back to this!...C-Can’t decide on one thing immediately! W-What if you all pick out another part of the outfit and the prior thing not w-work??” They all nod with a shrug as they then decide on the outfit.

 

“A-A dress was a no go...they still lack the little e-extra...bit of confidence…” Rayn says as she looks at the outfits.

 

“Yeah...but maybe if we give him outfits that are getting closer and closer to a dress, we can ease her in!” Sunny suggests.

 

“Or maybe give em colors that would look better on a dress?” Cookie adds on.

 

“This is where I fumble. I ain’t the dress type so I can’t help...but if it’s another outfit that you be needing, especially one with colors that are typically seen on dresses...then I can help there! Like...voila~” she holds out denim shorts.

 

“S-SHORTS? WITH HOW SELF CONSCIOUS ABOUT THEIR HIPS AND WAIST THEY ARE?? EMPHASIZING THEM IS THE LAST THING SHE’S GONNA WANT!” Sunny jitters on the spot after looking at the shorts in Kitty’s hands.

 

“You telling me a dress ain’t gonna do the exact same shit?”

 

“W-Well...I mean...look at them! Atleast pick a pair that are...more covering…”

 

“They cover what they need to! They’re shorts, not overalls!”

 

“I’d be able to see her LIVER through them…”

 

“Alright middle aged suburban momma, cool your petals. These are shorts, not a sling bikini.”

 

“Feh...alright. But if things go south-”

 

“I’ll admit to my follies and personally pick out a better outfit on my own.”

 

“Well atleast you’re mature about it.”

 

“Hey, it’s not like I don’t know about their self consciousness! But the point of this is to help her get used to dresses ain’t it?”

 

“Fair enough.”

 

“Good you agree! Now, back to these grease denim shorts!” Kitty draws emphasis to the black shorts again “Wiiiiith this scarlet sweater~ Course you can’t have a sweater without somethin underneath so a grease tee should suffice!~” she holds out a red sweater and a black shirt.

 

“Undershirt doesn’t seem as necessary to be fickle over, but the sweater and shorts...I’m thinking cherry sweater, jet black shorts!” Sunny says.

 

“Leo would look nicer in a jam sweater and midnight shorts!” Clair shouts.

 

“D-Don’t you...girls think that...a blush sweater and ebony shorts...w-would look much nice?~” All four hold out red sweaters and black shorts, causing more brain pain for the dog. The girls however misinterpret the stare again as they ask him for his decision.

 

“U-Uhhhh...m-makeup! L-Let’s settle on makeup!

 

“Oh the make up can wait! We need the outfit first! Now which color!”

 

“I-It all looks like the same red and black to me!...” they all gasp as they look at him as if he had committed a humongous crime “W-What???”

 

“IT’S NOT THE SAME!...”

 

“G-Girls you’re talking to a person who’s lucky he can see all primary and secondary colors at all…” They all groan at the dog. He attempts to apologize, but Leo calls out from the main room.

 

“U-Um...guys?...K-Kinda still naked in the other room...a-and it’s rather chilly...and you’ve locked yourself in my room...where my wardrobe is...so i’m kinda...needing you all to hurry up…” The girls all look to each other.

 

“What do we do?...We can’t decide on anything! And the only person capable of picking for us has no clue on how to distinguish colors!” Cookie buries her face in the sweater. The other three follow her example as Parappa himself growls instead.

 

“You know...they asked for my help specifically...and _only_ my help they’re getting! I don't have a style...and that in itself IS my style!” He dives into the large pile of clothes, then zips out to scoop out some random items and then runs out of the separate room, closing the door behind him.

 

“PARAPPA WAI-” they're interrupted by noise of preparation and work being done on the other side of the door. To an extremely exaggerated level even! It all soon quiets down, and following shortly after is a loud shrill.

 

“He fucked up! Come on ladies! We gotta fix whatever the hell he did!” Kitty says as she runs to the door with the other three right behind her. They toss the bedroom door open to only hear an extremely happy voice.

 

“I-I love it!~...” Leo held their hands together in front of their mouth which was currently a large warbly smile. Their hair was styled into twintails. Their blonde hair went from the sides of their head down to her neck, their pseudo dog ears were now a part of the twintails. Holding them together were the original black ribbons that Rayn suggested, fashioned into the shape of butterflies. She was wearing a black knee length dress with red polka-dots and red frills at the end. They had orange eyeshadows and their nails were painted indigo. On her neck was a dog collar with a star pendant. She had black and white leggings and black boots. Their frog headphones were around their neck again as they just stared at the mirror. They were crying tears of joy from what they looking at in the mirrors reflection.

 

“Parappa...actually got her to wear a dress…” Kitty says completely bewildered.

 

“And in a way they love no less…” Sunny adds on.

 

“S-So much...so that they’re...crying in happiness…” Rayn also says, stupefied.

 

“No wonder she asked for Parappa…” Cookie tilts her head to the side.

 

As the girls stare at the main girl in amazement, Parappa dusts their hands off as he then crosses his arms triumphantly “Didn’t know I had it in me~” _Guess a parent really does know best~_ In the middle of their internal gloating, Parappa’s quickly grabbed and yanked forward. In mere seconds he finds himself getting pecked all over the face by their child “Alright! I gehehehehet it! You’re happy with my results!~...” Their face was quickly covered in red kiss marks of lipstick they had immediately applied for this reason.

 

* * *

 

Kitty opens the door and calls out to the two waiting in the main hall.

 

“Aight. You two can come in.” Pinto quickly tugs Lacey along inside the door again as they enter to see the dolled up cat girl.

 

Pinto flings herself onto the girls torso without warning “W-Whoa there!...”

 

“You look so adorable!!~”

 

“T-That was the idea~...” she hugs the puppy girl briefly before setting her onto the ground. Lacey just stares at the completely transformed person before her. Her entire appearance was rather stunning in the most amazing of ways. She was left speechless, and pink. Well, pinker than what was her natural appearance! She’s mostly transfixed on her heart curled tail, or as curled as it could be, given it was difficult to curl it due to the dog type fluffy end.

 

“...You look…” she trails off.

 

“Yes?...” Leo tilts her head abit.

 

“...W-Wow…” She grabs her arm and looks away, only steam emitting from her face.

 

“I...think that’s a compliment?...” Leo raises an eyebrow as she laughs “Can...all of you pardon me and her? There’s something I wanna talk about with her alone if you please.”

 

“Gonna give her a piece of your mind for walking in on you?” Kitty asks.

 

“Maybe~” she coyly fiddles with one of the twintails.

 

“Aight.” Kitty shrugs as she leads everyone out of the room. Once out, Parappa asks her.

 

“What’s happening that made Leo wanna dress up as nicely as she could?”

 

“Their...Nana? I think that’s what she said...was gonna be performing here! And she wanted to look as nicely as she could! While also...well...you know. _Tell_ her of the new Leo that she is!”

 

“Ohhhh...Guess Lacey picked a pretty bad time to wanna hang…”

 

“Ya think? Anywho, we’re going over right now. She won’t arrive for a while as the event ain’t startin till midnight, but Leo wanted us to be there to meet her before everything began since we got a couple of hours. Wanna come with?”

 

“I’d love to! Plus it’d be the first time I get to hear Katy’s mom sing! Recent events foretell that she’s got a killer voice!”

 

“You don’t know the half of it!” Cookie shouts “And she’s the mom of a friend of yours?? How do you _NOT_ know!”

 

“Well it’s not like she was ever AROUND in Katy’s life growing up…”

 

“...Ooooooh…” is all Cookie says as Rayn, Sunny and Kitty tug at their shirt necks while Pinto rolls her eyes. “Boy that went WAY over my head…”

 

“You didn’t know. Can’t fault you for that! Now come, let’s go!”

 

“Hey bro, make sure you turn your phone back on!”

 

“Ah right, I turned it off while talking to Lacey on that drive...I’ll do it later, I’m sure i’m not getting any important calls."

 

While the group descends in order to leave the hotel, Leo speaks with Lacey on the matters as a whole.

 

“...You sure look...um…”

 

“Cutting your sentences like that makes you come off as offensive…”

 

“I-I’m not trying to be!...I just...never saw you like this!...This...side of you is…”

 

“...bad?...”

 

“N-NO!...” she grits her teeth together and then forces what she tries to say, out “B-Beautiful!...You look!...absolutely gorgeous…”

 

“...Thank you…~”

 

“...This is...weird for me...I’ve grown up with you as a boy. Course...when I arrived here-” she recalls the chat they had when they were alone at the ship.

 

 _“I'm not upset with the new me. The new me KNOWS what he wants to be! What he is!...WHAT_ **_THEY_ ** _ARE!...”_

 

“You did allude to it…”

 

“...Are you disappointed in me?...”

 

“...I could ne-”

 

“Like those in the future might be…”

 

Lacey quickly runs up to her and holds her hands tightly within her own “We’d never be disappointed in you...ever...this isn’t wrong. Don’t think that it is. I was just a little overwhelmed with the revelation. That’s a bad that’s on me, not you. Know that I support this one hundred percent! My mom and dad would to, as would your mom and dad! And the rest of the adults!”

 

“Do you...think the other girls do?...”

 

“...You still...care about their opinions?...”

 

“I mean...they may have been...rough with me, but they’re still the kids of the family I care about...I can’t just...shut them out of my heart entirely...that’d be like shutting their parents out...and I could never…”

 

“Oh you sweet, sweet kitten~...” she tightens the grip on her hands “They may have been rude to you, and they may even be part of the reason as to why you’re here. But know, they would definitely support you. As a girl who grew up with that lil prickly bunch, I can guarantee it~” She gives a quick wink that eases up Leo on the spot “They’d stick up for your decision, and that’s a matter of fact. Cuz I sure as hell do Europa~”

 

“...T-Thanks~”

 

She smiles “You don’t need to thank me for that~ Although if you wanna...you can thank me by telling me how long since you realized this side of you?”

 

“...I think I always realized it? I just...never wanted to internally accept it? Not until five years ago when something in me just started...aching...as if I just couldn’t deny something from myself any longer, but I didn’t know what it was exactly...and for the following years I slowly started piecing it together. And come a couple of days ago, I was finally aware and...I was ready! Ready to embrace it! Show my body...my mind...myself that I wasn’t gonna deny who I was anymore. And the day I finally did...the aching stopped. Not completely...more like it halted, but it was a tremendous discovery for me. One day I’ll fully be at ease with this, and then I’ll probably be more comfortable and open with this. Maybe then the aching will finally go away.”

 

“I see.” She quickly makes her hands go together, making Europa’s hands cup up in the process “Well, I’m gonna be one of your top supporters! Maybe not the number one, cuz I don’t think I could beat the overwhelming encouragement and love emanating off that cat with the hair similar to yours!”

 

“You mean Cookie? That’s a fair reply~...She’s very enthusiastic to say the least~”

 

“No kidding! And I mean it. I will support you through the think and the thin! And should any jerks come along, I’ll rough em up!”

 

“Hehehe!...A softie like you?~...”

 

“Hey! I’m a bear!~”

 

“A _Teddy_ Bear~”

 

“Dad can be strong when he needs to be~”

 

 _You have NO idea…~_ “Alright! Ya got me there~”

 

“Good~” they both share a laugh until Europa chimes something else in “...Y’know. I think this outfit of mine is incomplete actually. And I know JUST what it needs to be done~” She runs into her bedroom and after abit of silence, she pops back out. At her waist is the toy version of Lacey, securely attached.

 

“W-W-When did you get that?!?! T-That’s-”

 

“My little sister’s?~”

 

“Y-Y-Y-Yessss!...”

 

“I don’t know it myself...but it arrived the day I first dressed up~ Along with a photo of them, and some motivation! It was as if they were looking at me and decided to help in somehow! I dunno how they did it...but I’m glad they did~ Cuz now this cute little thing make my outfit complete~ Wouldn’t you say?~”

 

“...Totally~”

 

“Great~ Now let’s go! I have somewhere I gotta be, and you just GOTTA come along with!”

 

“I’ll tag along if you want me to~”

 

“Yeeeees! And can you tell me some stuff about the future that I missed while I was gone?”

 

“You got it! But only if you tell me stuff about the past to!”

 

“I will! B-But we gotta talk out of Cookie’s hearing reach!”

 

“Why?”

 

“I...wanna keep her out of this…”

 

“Then my lips-” She grabs the left edge of her lip “Are sealed~” She does a zipper motion.

 

“Thanks a bunch~”

 

* * *

 

The group are all walking along the dark streets of Neon Heights as the group that went ahead chat with each other on varying topics, while Lacey and Leo chatter on their decided topics far away from the others.

 

“Whaaaaaaaat??? My parents seriously tried having another kid???”

 

“Yep.”

 

“And you just...eavesdropped on there chat about it??”

 

“No I didn’t! There’s a spot hidden around the yard that I use as a spot to just chill! No one knew about it cept for me! Course...what I did not know was that your mom and dad ALSO knew about that spot…they have conversations between themselves around there from time to time and I can’t just say ‘HEY I’M OVER HERE! PLEASE MIND THE CHATTING!’ Y’know?”

 

“Ok ok...wow...how long ago?...”

 

“Well it started eight years ago. And they have that chat atleast once a year since. But they can never find the motive or planned time. Depression and all that you know.”

 

“Yowza...can they handle another baby?...”

 

“They handled you and your twin sister’s well. Another baby would be no problem for them...unless of course your mom increases the head count again and has another pair of twins! Or worse! Triplets!”

 

“They were lucky with ending up with twins last time! I doubt it’d happen again! Or with more!”

 

“Hey, those two are built on miracles! You know that better than anyone! You’re one of them!”

 

“...eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…”

 

“Deny it all you want. But you actually got your parents to buckle down alot once you were born. Then they got lucky with the twins which is another miracle in and of itself! There might be another one should they try!”

 

“If they find the motivation...and happiness.”

 

“Same goes for my parents.”

 

“...huh?”

 

“They’re _also_ planning on havin another teddy runnin around...well... _trying_.”

 

“Oooooh baby...literally…” Leo tries wrapping his head around the concept “I dunno. I don’t think it’s gonna happen...Doubt they’d find the happy motiv-ACHOO!” Leo sneezes abruptly.

 

“Bless you.”

 

“Ugh...thanks! Man what was that about…” Leo rubs his nose clean of the ignored irony. Both they and Lacey unaware that their parents had just found said happiness.

 

“Maybe you’re coming down with something?”

 

“I hope not!”

 

“If you say so! Now...you’re telling me...our parents have powers??”

 

“All the adults do! My dad can control electricity and magnetism! While my mom can control water, magic and has quite the voice! Your dad can control rock while also being quite the tanky guy! Annnnd...thanks to me, your mom kiiiiiiinda has future sight.”

 

“Oh dear...what about the rest?...”

 

“Ice and magic for Paula. Fire and lava for Lammy. Fire and Explosions for Ma-san. And Matt has superhuman athletic abilities and speed! Along with slight wind control! And Rammy...well...she acquired demon powers somehow! Poppy can also control plants and could heal! Currently she’s struggling to be able to heal again.”

 

“My goodness...Hey...you think I can control rocks or see the future?...”

 

“The future sight thing was my bad, so I don’t think so. As for the rock thing...I can’t control electricity or water, so I don’t think you can control earth neither. ACHOO!...A-Again??”

 

“You might need to take some medicine before it gets worse…”

 

“No kidding...ugh...but yeah. Also my mom and dad can fuse with each other! And apparently can get the ability to fuse with other people! Dad fused with Auntie Rammy as well. And while we were in the sky, dad fused with YOUR dad to save the day!”

 

“Oh man...I wish I could’ve seen that!...”

 

“It might happen again sometime soon. Seeing how things are turning out now!”

 

“Yikes…”

 

“We’ll be alright. We can handle whatever comes our way!”

 

“I hope so…”

 

“Believe in us!” he lightly taps her arm “Things are gonna be alright! Now come on! Let’s pick up the pace!”

 

“Roger!” They run off to catch up with the other group while Parappa finally turns on his phone again, and there he notices his father trying to call him repeatedly.

 

“Huh?...Dad’s been trying to ca-” He’s interrupted by immediate ringing which he quickly answers “Hello??”

 

_“FINALLY! AN EMERGENCY IS HAPPENING AND YOU-”_

 

 **_“QUART?!”_ ** Poppy, Lacey and Leo freeze up

 

_“YES. HELLO, IT’S ME! LOOK WE DON’T HAVE THE TIME-”_

 

“WHERE’S MY FATHER?!”

 

_“COOL IT! He’s right here…”_

 

_“PARAPPA JUST LET THE GUY TALK! I’M BUSYING DRIVING A FLYING CAR!”_

 

“DAD?? WHY ARE YOU WITH-”

 

_“LET. HIM. TALK!”_

 

“...Alright Quart...speak…now…”

 

_“About time...YOU ARE IN DANGER! THERE’S A MASSIVE THREAT HEADING TOWARDS YOUR LOCATION AT HIGH SPEEDS! IT’S ALMOST UPON YOU!”_

 

“And I should trust your word...why??”

 

 _“YOUR FATHER AND I SAW IT GET_ **_UNLEASHED_ ** _! WE’RE WITNESSES!”_

 

“Gah...alright...what is it?”

 

 _“IT’S ME-”_ Parappa immediately hangs up, but the phone rings again. He sighs and answers _“HOW DARE YOU!...LOOK! LET ME EXPLAIN! THERE IS ANOTHER ME! AND HE’S HEADING FOR YOU!”_

 

“One of you is bad enough...how the hell is there a second you now??”

 

_“We’ll discuss that later, for now I suggest getting Leo out of there! HE’S the target!”_

 

“Of course he is...Right! How close is he??”

 

_“He’s a mere few miles off!”_

 

“What?!”

 

_“IT’S YOUR FAULT! YOU’RE THE IDIOT WHO HAD HIS PHONE OFF!”_

 

“...gah…”

 

_“IF YOU CAN’T LEAVE THE AREA, THEN ATLEAST TRY TO GO TO A SPOT WITH THE LEAST AMOUNT OF CIVILIAN INTERFERENCE!”_

 

“UNDERSTOOD!”

 

 _“THEN GO!”_ Quart hangs up. The girls who are completely lost all chime in.

 

“Brooooo?...” Parappa quickly places a finger over his mouth to silence Pinto.

 

“H-Hey Te- Leo...w-what’s going on?...” Cookie asks the girl.

 

“...Aaaaaa...crazy… _’fan’_ is coming!...”

 

“...Sounds like it…”

 

“Right!” She grabs Cookie’s shoulders “And so I need you to get the people in the immediate area to go someplace ELSE! If they can avoid him, the better!”

 

“What about you??”

 

“I’ll be on the run avoiding them! Leading them away from this place! Then I’ll handle the fella on my own!”

 

“...S-Something else I’m not being told?...”

 

“Nope! It’s gonna be fine! Now gogogogogogogo! I’m trusting you greatly with this Cookie! And take Pinto here with you!”

 

“A-Alright!” The catgirl runs off with the puppy.

 

“Yo. Don’t think that excuse is gonna work on us!” Kitty shouts.

 

“Don’t worry, it’s only for her...dad come on!...”

 

“Don’t gotta tell me twice!”

 

“Lace, you go after Cookie and Pinto!”

 

“N-No way! I-I’m coming with! I still got a bone to pick with that guy!...”

 

“Lacey…”

 

“YOU AREN’T CHANGING MY MIND!”

 

“W-WE don’t have the time for this...fine! Let’s just GO!” The group run off to a less populated part of the town city hybrid. However, such a tasks is proven excruciatingly difficult given the fact that EVERY zone is incredibly populated and bustling.

 

“This ain’t good…” Parappa says as he struggles to look around.

 

“Yeah...and that’s worse…” Leo spots the incoming time traveller.

 

“Oh hello there! Seems like you were expecting me! How...wonderful...Oh and you even got dressed! Ain’t you cute~” The possum’s words merely disgust the cat.

 

“Why are you here…”

 

“Oh. Just another mission of mine! That’s to take you with me! Good ol father Bohemian really wants to see if you changed your mind~”

 

“He can kiss my ass...I’m NOT joining him…”

 

“No matter how cute you make it, no one will kiss it~ And you don’t seem to understand. I said my mission was to take you with me! Your stance on the matter...is irrelevant~” he snaps his fingers and a yellow ball ignites on his index finger tip “I’m allowed to use force, and you can bet i’ll be using it~ Even if you went along peacefully~” It expands into a massive orb “Oh it’s such a shame you picked such an overpopulated place to be...think of the casualties~ Oh well~ PSYCHO BOMBER!” he jerks his hand like a gun as a cannon noise is heard. The ball flies off and heads on straight towards Leo.

 

“ASTRAL BURST!” An electric laser beam hits the ball and sends it right back to Quart. A massive clock appears and swallows the ball. Parappa angrily eyes the helmeted possum.

 

“Oh poo. And here I was, thinking you’d all be paralyzed with fear to do anything~ Oh well...MORE FORCE TO USE!~” he snaps his other hand’s fingers as he holds them both out like guns “PSYCHO UNLOAD!” He fires many small psychic pellets down below. Despite their size, they are very dangerous as they slash and melt through every object they touch, topped off with a light explosion on the area where they finally stop at. Leo is without any weapons, as even their guitar isn’t on them. They choose to run away from the main group as to not get them caught in the fire “What, did you think I was born yesterday?~ You can’t be the hero against me~” He turns his fire towards Parappa and the girls. Parappa quickly activates his beam sword microphone and deflects the pellets heading for him while Sunny summons vines to stop them. Rayn, Kitty and Lacey however, have no way of defending themselves, and choose to run off.”Oh no you don’t~ Time PAUSE!~” The trio freeze in place, unable to move or dodge the incoming fire.

 

“GUYS!...” Parappa and Sunny say as they look at the frozen trio.

 

“YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON YOURSELVES~ PSI FLASHER!” Quart flicks all ten of his fingers and fires out rapid fire rings that blast off towards Sunny and Parappa “PROTECT THEM, PROTECT YOURSELVES. I’M AFRAID YOU CAN’T BE DOING NEITHER~” The duo were left with no choice as all options were to costly. They then run out of time to react as the moves reach their mark. Or rather, they _almost_ did.

 

“POLAR WALL!” Papa Rappa drops down from the sky and summons a bunch of metal and combines it into a strong wall that blocks the attack aimed at the frozen trio.

 

“PSYCHO MAGNOLIA!” the original Quart lands between Sunny and Parappa as he holds his hands out together. A small light in the shape of a seed spawns before his palms. They absorb the incoming rings and the seed grows and grows, eventually turning into a bright golden bulb. The bulb then bloom into a radiant flower from all the energy it absorbed “NEN OVERTURE!” A powerful laser fires out from the psychic flower and nails the second Quart out of the sky.

 

“GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” Before he can collide with the ground, Leo meets up with him and kicks him off into another direction “D-DAAAAAMN YOOOOU!...” He slams into a nearby building wall, shaking it violently and causing the people to run outside of it and away in fear and panic.

 

Parappa looks at the Quart that had just arrived. His suit was torn and destroyed as he only had the pants, while he had a blue top. One of the clocks that used to be on the top portion of his suit was now holstered at his hip. He then takes note of the move that he had just performed. If Quart was capable of something as devastating as these attacks, why has he not performed them on him and his friends? That question would have to wait “DAD? Q-QUART?!”

 

“We made it in the nick of time! Sorry we’re late son!”

 

“Did we have to leap out of the car though…” Quart says as the car they were in flies off without a pilot and crashes in the distance.

 

“I can fix that later!...” Papa Rappa says as he zaps the frozen trio. The shock breaks them out of their time locked state “Perfect!”

 

“C-C-Coooouldn’t you h-have d-d-d-d-d-done that a-an-other waaaaaay?...” Kitty says through the electric shock she was currently experiencing.

 

“There was no other way! Now come on! You girls gotta go!...”

 

The trio rush off as Parappa Rappa runs up to Quart and the other two while Leo does the same. The second Quart pops out of the wall and looks at them all, specifically Quart “Oh joy...you again...helping the enemies...you really are a failure…”

 

“Yeah...kinda confused here to...why _are_ you helping us?...AND WHY ARE THERE TWO OF YOU?!”

 

“That doesn’t matter now. Just wisen up!”

 

“Oh I’m afraid it does matter…” they fix up their suit as he teleports before them all “But I’m on a tight schedule…Time pause.” All of them freeze up in place. All except for Quart “Oh bother…”

 

“You should know that our time control would not affect me!”

 

“It just slipped my mind is all. I don’t find it troublesome, what are you going to do?~”

 

“THIS!” he fires a psychic wave that the second Quart just deflects into the sky.

 

“That was pathetic~”

 

“What??” He launches more waves at him that he keeps on deflecting with ease “How are you this strong?! I haven’t died THAT many times to warrant such a strength ga-...” Quart recalls the curse clone of him constantly spawn and destroying other clones as it absorbed them over and over “You’re kidding...it counted all of that as actual deaths?!”

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I can assume you realize that you are nothing compared to me.” He places a finger in front of the original Quart’s head “Kyoqen.” He performs what looks like a simple tap onto his forehead, but a massive psychic force launches the ex prince off into the far distance. He flies past the fleeing girls and crashes straight through a building.

 

“T-That...doesn’t look good…” Rayn says as she starts shivering.

 

“Ya think?!” Kitty turns back around to see what’s happening.

 

“W-We gotta head back!...” Lacey suggests.

 

“And do what?! We ain’t got the crazy physique or powers those guys have!...”

 

“True, b-but i’m not gonna sit back and do nothing!...” Lacey runs back to where they were.

 

“Oh she’s gonna die...come on Rayn!...”

 

“T-This is the embodiment of jumping...off a cliff if...your friends do it…” Rayn and Kitty run after the teddy. As Quart slowly plucks himself out from the hole he made.

 

Meanwhile the second Quart laughs “Well! That was satisfying~ Now, for my prize~” He grabs the time frozen Leo and hoists her over his shoulder “You’re surprisingly light! I was under the assumption that you’d be heavier given your extra ‘baggage’~ Hehehe~ Well, off we go~” Before he flies off, he notices the time stop effects quickly wearing off on Leo “What’s this?...Ah yes...you’re technically a time traveller yourself...and so you’re slightly immune to my time manipulation...not a problem, should you unfreeze mid flight, I shall just quickly pause you aga-” He’s silenced by a stop sign slamming into the side of his head. But he doesn’t teeter. Rather, the sign bends into the shape of his head. He turns to face Lacey.

 

“H-Hey there!...Y-You’ve gotten more durable since last time I saw you!...” The possum growls as he walks towards her “L-Leo made this look SO much easier…” before he can reach her, he’s struck from behind by a vocal blast. He’s forced to drop Leo as he flies off into the sky. Lacey quickly catches the time stopped girl and looks forward to spot a cat woman clearing her throat as she approaches her.

 

“Keep watch over him for me…” She then walks off after the second Quart.

 

Lacey just watches the elder cat disappear down the street in shock “...M-Miss Noella?...”

 

Kitty quickly runs up “Yo stupid! Don’t just stand there! Help us get these guys moving again!...”

 

“R-Right!”

 

The second Quart finally drops back down to come face to face with Noella “Well if it isn’t White Noise!”

 

“That is not my name Etz…”

 

“Oh but your code name is SOOOO much more better than _Noella_!~”

 

She chooses to ignore him as she continues talking “So how long have you been active…”

 

“Only recently~ You’ve never met me, but I can assure Robert has informed you of me since you’re asking me that?~”

 

“It slipped his mouth…”

 

“What doesn’t these days~” he laughs as his eyes flare up in a yellow light “FATHER’S FILES SHOW YOU WERE SUCH A CRUCIAL NECESSITY TO HIS PLANS AND SUCH A WONDERFUL ALLY. WHY DID YOU BECOME A TURNCOAT?!”

 

“As if I needed to explain myself...I was not going to work for a man like him…”

 

“BUT YOU DID WORK FOR HIM, AND THEN YOU TURN YOUR BACK ON HIS GLORY AND THEN STAND BEFORE ME NOW?”

 

“Make no mistake. I stand here in order to defeat you for trying to kidnap my little precious.”

 

“Precious?...You mean- Ohohoh~ That’s right, I forgot~ You’re his biological grandmother~ Hehe...that’s when you quit~...that’s _WHY_ you quit...it makes so much more sense now~” his laughter turns into seething anger “HE IS LUCKY HE’S REQUESTED BY BOHEMIAN OR I’D ERASE HIM ON THE SPOT!”

 

“You’ll have to get through me to do that you overconfident brat…”

 

“You say that as if it were hard~” He holds out his hand “TIME-”

 

“Shh…” Noella robs him of his voice, preventing his time manipulation.

 

“... !!!!!!!” His face explodes with yellow psychic energy as he stares at her with utmost fury.

 

“Much better…” the ground beneath the second Quart cracks from his angry energy “Angry? Good...now you know how it feels…” She holds her hand out “You want your voice back??” She flicks it up few times in a manner of asking him to come at her “Come and take it back from me…” he launches a large psychic blast to which she clashes with her vocal blast. The collison ends with Noella’s attack breaking through, thinking she had beaten the standoff. The reality of the situation was that he had simply left the spot he was at. He was now behind her, and he then channels his power into his hand, turning it into an ethereal blade. She did not have the time to react. His swing is a miss however as a strong kick break the arm that summon the blade. He turns to spot Leo, but before he can retaliate, Parappa and Papillon launch a double Soul Shocker on the second Quart. He uses his second hand to spawn a yellow barrier that bounces the blasts back to Leo. A vine grabs her and yanks her out of the way. Noella uses this chance to fire another vocal blast, but he instead teleports away and causes it to hit Sunny in his place. Parappa and Papa Rappa quickly go over to assist her while Noella is then grabbed around the neck by Quart and his good arm “U-UNHAND ME!” He tightens his hold “LET GO!...” He merely smiles **_“RELEASE!...”_ ** She quickly realizes what she had just done “W-WAI-”

 

“THAT’S ALL I NEEDED TO HEAR!” Quart had his voice back and flings Noella towards Papillon and Parappa as he destroys the vine yanking Leo away “TIME REVERSE!” He reverts his arm to before it was broken, while also putting Leo back in front of him “Hello again~”

 

“HELLO GOODBYE!” She tries punching him, but is once again paused. However they start breaking out much faster.

 

“Oh how tedious…”

 

“I'LL SHOW YOU TEDIOUS! PSI FLASHER!” multiple rings wrap around the second Quart as he's held in place. He hops around to see the first Quart.

 

“How did you recover so fast…”

 

“I still have a small match fire of time manipulation it would seem!...And although it's fading fast...I'm sure I can put it to good use…”

 

“It cannot affect me!...”

 

“But it can affect me...and more importantly…” he snaps his fingers and fast forwards the four on the ground, allowing them to stand back upright while fully oriented again “Them…” they all box in the second Quart as Leo is freed from the time stop.

 

“You think you won?”

 

“It's not just a thought, it's reality!”

 

“...This reality...sucks~” despite being restrained, he still use both his psychic powers and time powers “So lemme make my own!~ PSYCHE RAIN!” he looks at the sky and from his eyes eject thousands of yellow energy missiles that head for the innocent pedestrians “TIME STOP!~” the innocent people are all frozen, preventing escape “Gonna gank me? Or save some idiots?~”

 

They all glare at the second Quart as the first speaks up again “WHY YOU-”

 

“Tick tock tick tock~”

 

Parappa quickly panics “T-There’s to many people!...we can't save em all!...”

 

“TRY MY BOY TRY!...” they all leave the trapped Quart be as they try to stop all the missiles. When it seems like they can't, the remainder are destroyed by joining allies.

 

“Phew...just in the nick of time...barely…” says Spinni as he, 16-bits, Athena, Aqua, Soren, Sirius and Rize all appear to protect the people.

 

“Oh joy...more traitors…”

 

“Young Parappa, Young Leo. We shall keep the people safeguarded! You lot finish off this fool!”

 

“I've grown sick of this...why can't you all just oblige with my mission?”

 

“You're a dumbass if you think you're ever taking me to Tycoon!”

 

“And you're a dumbass if you think you can stop me...I'm done playing!” he destroys the rings binding him “For the record, I could've done that whenever, but I just wanted to have fun… Now the fun is gone and so…” he holds out another massive orb, bigger than the original one, towards Leo “Die…” Leo gets ready to dodge “Psyche!~” he quickly points it away to the side and fires. Everyone is confused by the purposeful whiff of the attack, until Leo notices that it's heading straight for Cookie.

 

“NO NO NO!” she blasts off on the spot. Everyone else tries to chase after.

 

“Uh uh uuuuuuuh~ Time pause~” Everyone recoils thinking they're gonna be paused, but they can all still move “Oh don't worry~ It’s in effect~” they try to run off to help Leo. But find themselves running in place. Those capable of flight could not even fly to move “Tada! I paused momentum! Now you can sit back and watch my attack do its job!” as the ball goes faster and faster, Cookie finally sees it. The sudden fear stops her from moving as she shields herself in vain in an attempt to brush off some of the incoming pain.

 

“COOKIE!...” Leo stop before her as she wraps around her in order to take on the blast, or atleast as much as she could given the size of the attack. A pillar of yellow is seen after it collides.

 

“LEO! COOKIE!...” Parappa shouts. One the pillar vanishes, they're seen on the ground, incredibly battered, but alive. Before them stands the first Quart. He had appeared and launched his own attack last second to destroy it before full impact, while also shielding them himself.

 

“Ugh...I forgot once again that my time control can't work on you...you truly ruin everything failure.”

 

“The ruination is a matter...of perspective…” The first Quart flops about in place. _Blasted...I could've died from that...just what provoked me to do this? I just tasked with stopping him...not doing all this extra stuff…_

 

“The only perspective that matters is the one where you die!” he launches orb after orb.

 

 _Why can't my feet just move?? I'm not affected by the time stopped momentum like they are… why does my body want to stand in place so badly?_ “PSYCHO MAGNOLIA!” The first Quart spawns the energy seed again. _This is all fruitless...I can't absorb that much...I need to do something. My main powers aren't as strong as his...and my time control only affects myself and them...but what can I do? Not like much will change if I allow momentum to return to them. They can't act quick enough...and even then. If they could, what would they do next?_ Quart absorbs all the ofbs, but the flower explodes, putting him onto his face as he lays on the pavement.

 

“Pitiful~”

 

_He's not wrong...maybe I should have just...ignored the betrayal and moved on with my obedient life?...No...because I was still a failure in his eyes...this would've happened one way or another...I'm the defect who kept ALL his memories...he doesn't want to risk all follow me’s to have my memories...so I'm just...nothing anymore. I can't do anything…_

 

“I think I've exhausted all your outliers~ PSI Magna~” he performs the finger gun again, but launches a large and faster laser beam instead. It's trajectory will cause it to fly over the first course as its trying to eliminate the two cats “My objective was to bring them along,  but I'll just kill them and take the corpse. Maybe I can revive it afterwards by rewinding time~”

 

 _I'm not even worth killing...makes sense...I'm not a threat anymore...I can't use time to the fullest...I can't respawn if I die...I can't even undo my mistakes...I am a failure._ Quart balls his hands up. _But…_ Quart looks at the downed duo. _THEY ARE NOT!_ He launches his clock device as it lands next to the bodies “LAST CHANCE AT A MIRACLE! PLEASE! WHATEVER CONTROL I HAVE LEFT! GIVE IT TO THEM!...” the clock stays stagnant “ANYTHING!...” a small spark jitters from it, but nothing more “I REFUSE TO MAKE ANYMORE MISTAKES! PLEASE ATLEAST ALLOW ME TO FIX ONE!...” the hands start turning, but the beam is much to close and the clock’s winding is to slow **_“PLEASE!...”_ ** each passing second of the bean, the clock winds faster and faster. So much faster that the device explodes just before the beam can hit.

 

“Oh brother...so you prevented one more attack, the end result will be the...same?...” the second Quart stares at the spot he failed to hit. Everyone does as well. Where the clock was has become a space and time warping gate that seem to break dimensions. All sounds seem to quiet down as heartbeats are the only thing that are heard. The heartbeats belonged to the unconscious Leo and Cookie who both gain a yellow energy heart. The following moment has them turn into pure energy and compress into two little balls of light that fly off and into the gate that was in the floor. Everyone except for the second Quart were worried over what was happening to them. A pillar of light and electricity erupt from the gate as out slowly rises a glitchy being. They were composed entirely of blue and pink static energy, they had no solid shape, but it was definitely the appearance of a cat girl. Her outfit was part of Cookie’s outfit and Leo’s dress taxidermied together. She had both their tails as opposed to just one. She had regular eyes and a nose, but no mouth. It was obvious that this being was a fusion, but an imperfect one. The warbly energy that was their body all shifts as she turns to face Quart. Her eyes were wild like Leo whenever he was out of it, so it was safe to say that so was the fused girl altogether. She blasts off towards the evil Quart “Merging two idiots into one can't stop me…” he spawns another large orb. The girl destroys the orb upon arrival and smashes the evil time traveller in the face. She somersault kicks him into the air. There he flips upright as he holds out his arms “FUTILE!” he fires a multitude of energy missiles from his hands. The girl creates an electric barrier around herself and then immediately causes it to expand, blowing off the missiles. She then flashes over to him and grabs his hands. In that instant, she crushes the bones entirely preventing any further psychic attacks “T-TIME-” her head jerks around as a mouth forcibly rips open.

 

 **“SHUT UP!”** Her voice was not a smooth mix of the two, rather it sound like the two trying to sync up their voices, but it was not currently possible. She drives an electrified fist straight into the clock on his chest. The impact destroys it and goes through to destroy the one on his back.

 

“GYOOOOH…” she then opens the palm of her hand, causing a large voltage of electricity to wrap his body. Stunning him and destroying the remaining clocks on his suit. She then floats back, and in the blink of an eye, slams head first into his torso as she flies straight upwards with him. She ascends higher up into the air with him until she breaches the atmosphere. There the two enter the vacuum of space as she quickly flash steps back down to solid ground while the momentum of the attack continues to launch the evil Quart further out. She lands before the group and above her head appears green digital grid lines. Metal flies from everywhere onto the lines to form and make a futuristic laser cannon. She hoists it up as it’s aimed towards the evil Quart.

 

She charges up alongside the weapon itself as lightning converges all at that one spot. Then she gets ready to fire after being charged up. And on the split second before she launches her attack, her form stabilizes. Her tails merge into one and the energy look vanishes as she just looks like a regular catgirl. She has a mixed pink and blue cotton candy color scheme. Her outfit become a proper fused look of Cookie’s classic outfit and Leo’s current dress. Her hair flows about as it looks like it could reach her tail in length. The portion by her tail and up to her neck was blonde and looked like an icecream cone. While the hair above her neck looked like neapolitan ice cream with black, red, pink, blue and a few other color streaks that appear as sprinkles in the ice cream. The pseudo dog ears match the ice cream color as it looks like it were melted icecream dripping off the cone. Her nose was brown and while her eyes had heterochromia. Left was yellow, right was blue. Her voice had mixed perfectly for the next line she shouts as the blaster cannon fires “BELIEVER BUSTER!” Her form reverts back to the glitchy mess as she fires the blast straight into space.

 

The second Quart stares at the incoming beam in terror as it hits him head on “N-NGAH…” The laser beam then engulfs “CURSE YOOOOOOOOUUUU!” In mere seconds, he’s disintegrated into pure nothingness as the beam fades off into the cosmos. The cannon falls apart as the glitchy cat girl roars. With the other Quart dead, time resumes allowing the others to move again. However, since they were trying to move while stopped, all actions happen at once are everyone is flung everywhere.

 

“Ow…” Is all they say as the fused girl breaks off into two orbs. The orbs land on the ground and revert back into the unconscious cats. Parappa, Papa Rappa and the rest all run over to the two out of it cats while the first Quart stays awestruck  The birds land next to the first possum.

 

“Hey, what do we do with this one?” Soren asks as Parappa looks to his dad.

 

“Dad?...”

 

“Help him out.”

 

“Patch him up!”

 

“You sure?...He’s kinda the same guy…” Parappa nods

 

“I want to talk to them after all this. Now hurry and heal him so you can heal them next!”

 

“Roger…” the birds heal the possum and head off to the cats while everyone else helps the pedestrians who are all disoriented due to being frozen. Poppy and Lacey head off to find Pinto and inform her that everything is now ok.

 

* * *

 

After being helped out by the two arriving avians, Quart and Parappa successfully carry the repaired, but still unconscious Cookie and Leo towards the top floor of the Heights Hotel. They're both gently placed onto the bed as Parappa then crosses his arms and clears his throat.

 

“Quart. I gotta say...you surprised me.”

 

“I would hope so. Shows you have common sense...unlike your father…”

 

“...Dad understands things...differently from me. He sees things that I lack the comprehension for. His view is broader than mine, but I'm getting there! But...he saw something in you. I don't know if I see it to per say...but I did see what you did now...problem is, it was against...you. so my judgement is skewed everywhere… Then I got to thinkin on the way here and I think it's...HOPEFULLY safe for me to say...Thank you. For helping my dad...for helping my friends and my family.”

 

“I don't need thanks...the threat was still technically me. Even though I helped you out, I was still the root of everything…”

 

“Why couldn't this guilt of yours kick in sooner...look Quart. You were an asshole. Simple as that. And you clearly saw that, through one way or another. And so as a result...there are two of you now...the one who learned better...and the one who is now a permanent asshole. And said permanent asshole is still capable of coming back over and over again, but you can no longer do so yourself. Despite that risk, you stood out and saved us. Risking your new mortality, to stop the evil immortal you.”

 

“I'm just making up for my long line of mistakes...I still have a long ways to go. And despite that, I'll never erase my sins…”

 

“Maybe, maybe not, but today was one hell of a start! Quart. Without your help...Leo and Cookie would be dead right now...you dove in and took that blast for them! You then blessed them with your last remaining bit of time control… you could've used it to save your skin, but you instead used it on them...and they were able to fuse! Albeit imperfectly due to it not being the appropriate time apparently, but they fused nonetheless! And that girl kicked evil you to the curb!”

 

“Heh...truthfully...I did not expect that outcome...I didn't even think it was possible…” he then says the next line under his breath _“For them to turn into Shockolate just from my prayers alone this early on...while Harley is still an assimilator…”_

 

“What was that?...”

 

“I-I said I expected it to just rewind them back to here! Out of harm's way!”

 

“Ooooh. Yeah that does seem like the obvious route, but since it's us, the obvious never happens!”

 

“You can say that again…”

 

“...Hey Quart. I don't think I can call you a friend yet-”

 

“I mean, you shouldn't ever really...I stranded Lacey here in the past and I've let my old kingdom get ravaged by the crazy kings…”

 

“Hence my reasoning, but I can sense the change in you that'll happen. So while I can't call you friend, I CAN call you an ally. One who will turn into a great friend somewhere down the line! You already have my respect! And hey...your psychic powers were pretty cool! That Psycho Magnolia thing you did! It was awesome! And I'm sure you're filled with other cool psychic moves! Cuz...you're a great guy! Once you get onto the right track~...” Parappa tries to smile, but instead flinches back “A-Are you crying??”

 

“...Am I?...” He wipes under his eyes. And he indeed was “So I am...heh...I forgot that I made myself so...headstrong for Tycoon that...I forgot what it's like to cry...I don't know when or if it's happening...or why it's happening at all…”

 

“That's...very sad…”

 

“Tell me about it…”

 

“...Do you know why you're crying now?...”

 

“Oh...it's just...admiration is all…~”

 

“What?...”

 

“Nothing nothing~...”

 

“Oooooookaaaaaaay then…” Parappa whistles lightly “So where you going now?...”

 

“Your dad offered me to bum around with him. So there I guess…”

 

“Well...I guess you're free to use my old room.”

 

“Ah...no a couch will do just fine.”

 

“Good luck telling that to my dad!”

 

“I'm in for a long ride aren't I?...”

 

“Mmmmhm!” Parappa snickers lighty, trying and failing to cover his mouth. He then looks back to Quart and takes good notice of his features. Then he thinks back to all the Regiis. Zero, Sing Yula, Dew Etz, Trinity and Quart Etz. Aside from the numbers pun with the five of them, there was similar style amongst them, but as you would expect for a family. All five of them had fur of a light whitish yellow color, almost cream like. Kinda like own his fur, just a different lighter shade. Parappa normally wasn’t one to specify for color hues, but with the madness he had been in with picking Leo’s outfit, he could think of nothing else. Their entire fur, tails and ears where the cream color. The insides of their ears were a darker cream shade. Their noses were brown and that was the last of complete similarities they all shared. Whiskers were nonexistent for the princesses, but Zero had one heck of a beard to go with his. Quart had four long strands by his nose and just those as it didn’t seem like Quart would ever grow a beard himself, nor could Parappa picture him with one. Zero had brown eyes, a trait that Trinity and Quart both have with them as well, but Sing and Dew had blue eyes meaning it was from their deceased mother. Zero’s hair was apparently blonde before turning white from age, and Dew and Quart’s both shared that with him, while Sing and Trinity were red heads, which means that was the Queen’s hair color. The thing was that Trinity’s hair had a slight mix of brown making it appear like a brunette style, while Sing’s had a mix of pink for an appearance of fuschia! Quart had the shortest hair length of them all as it just slightly went past his neck while Sing had the longest, reaching way past her tail and lower back even! Her hair was fluffy and curly while Quart’s was a weird combo of formal, but spiky. Next came the middle siblings, Dew’s hair was long as well, but not as long as the eldest sibling. Hers stopped just slightly above her tail. Her hair was fluffy and curly just like Sing’s. Trinity’s hair only went halfway down her back but it to was also fluffy with slight curls. The obvious conclusion towards Quart’s hair was because of being in this period as opposed to the past like his sisters. Zero’s was like Trinity’s, only going halfway down his back. Except for Quart, their entire color scheme of the Regii’s in the past all matched the color of their psychic powers. Red for Zero, Blue for Sing, Pink for Dew and Green for Trinity. He wonders if Quart’s favorite color is yellow, but his question has to wait as the now uncomfortable possum speaks up.

 

“You...gonna keep staring at me like that?...”

 

“Oops!...Sorry!...Just got caught thinking on something!”

 

“What ever could you be thinking of that makes you look at me like that…”

 

“Your family…”

 

“...They’re...not my family…”

 

“Loooook. Zero told me things he did. What with the stone-...actually. Is that what Tycoon is after?”

 

“Yep…”

 

“...Can you tell me the full plan?...”

 

“Might as well…I was tasked with getting that stone back before they all use their powers to much.”

 

“Or else they’ll piss off the gods?...”

 

“Oh no the gods were lying. They’re sealed away and can’t do shit, they just played ‘father’ like a fiddle.”

 

“WHAT?! SO THEN THEY-”

 

“Are free to use their powers? Stop the invasion? Not be cowards? Yes all of the above.”

 

“THEN WHY-”

 

“Father is a superstitious dumbass. But they just left the stone there to see if anyone could take it from him. And do whatever they pleased with it. The thing is, as long as it’s with them, it’ll get drained if any of my ‘sisters’ use their powers. It WON’T drain if they use their power together however. The properties of the stone are very confusing, but nevertheless it has it’s clear goal. The goal that the Crazy Kings want. With the stone and the Princesses, they can literally do whatever they want to the world. Problem is, by together, I literally mean all FIVE of us. If not all of us are present, then nothing will happen. However, with my double existing and still listening to Tycoon...they already have me...so it’s all reliant on them getting the other four.”

 

“Is that why Tycoon wants it?”

 

“No. He has another use for it. As he knows that using the stone like that will completely wear it out and make it useless. It’s needed for something else in mind...but with the same end goal as the Crazy Kings.”

 

“That’s...Crazy…”

 

“Hey atleast they’re on point with their name.”

 

“You gotta help us save your family!”

 

“Again...they aren’t my family...my siblings died and my father is the absolute worst...sooo…”

 

“Alright. I can understand not saving your dad, which is decent given his only excuse was thinking you’d be reborn again...only for him to mess up and cause your mom to die...again...b-but why not save your sisters?? They don’t know a thing about the whole situation!...”

 

“I don’t really...feel as if they are my siblings...these new three are just...different…”

 

“But deep down they ARE the siblings you had prior! Just reborn again and actually got to live!...And you can feel that way to if you just try to get along with them better!...If you give it a go...it’d probably go better for you in the end…”

 

“...I’ll consider it...but not like it matters since I myself can’t go back in time anymore.”

 

“But me and Leo can whenever they need us! Surely I can somehow manage to bring you along!”

 

“Truly I don’t see this going the way you’re imagining, but sure thing…now if you pardon me. I guess I have to go tag along with your father.”

 

“Wouldn’t you want to stay until Leo and Cookie wake up? I’m sure they’d like to know who saved them!”

 

“I’ll pass. Leo still wants to keep Miss Harley blissfully unaware.”

 

“The thing is...that’s gonna be hard to now after today...Cookie’s...gonna have questions…”

 

“And I am the last person to be allowed to answer. If Leo wishes to thank me, they can do so another time. Right now, I have migraines to sleep off…”

 

Parappa whines “Okey dokey...take care then…”

 

Quart tries to leave, but stops and turns around “Your kid...has a strange fascination with my ‘sisters’...”

 

“I wouldn’t call it that...they’re his friends! Especially Sing!”

 

“Then he’ll love this…” He throws a small object that Parappa quickly catches. It was an old worn crown. Age had withered it down, but it was still recognizable to the dog. It was Sing’s crown.

 

“...Sometimes I...keep forgetting that-”

 

“Time is concept?”

 

“...Yeah…”

 

“You should be happy.”

 

“Why??”

 

“It was inside the castle I visited.. Spare crowns aren’t really a thing since a royal isn’t supposed to LOSE the crown. And by chance there are spares, they’re never the same as another one. This is the exact one that was on her head and it’s in a moderately well condition. My ‘sister’ might be dead, but that shows she lived a full life.”

 

“S-So?...”

 

“You really are as dense as they say...it means-”

 

_You saved them._


End file.
